Teachings of the Buddha on Nobility and Right Action : หน้า 162/263

ter asking all the monks’ names, the Buddha would ask his. The Buddha knew what he was thinking and asked the man his name. “Ariya” replied the man. In fact, the Buddah didn’t need to be told the man’s name. The Buddha gave Ariya a teaching that anyone who still harmed other living beings could not be called ‘noble’ on account of his actions. He said that one’s nobility comes from not harming other living beings. Hearing the Buddha’s teaching, Ariya attained stream-entry and from that day onwards never killed a living being again. Ariya had transcended the very intention to kill — this example of thinking that is Right Action on the level of transcending evil by a mind that has attained stream-entry. 4.2 Abstention from Stealing Abstention from stealing on the level of the transcendental [lokuttara] path is illustrated by the account of Khujjutar.a. Khujjutar.a was the handmaid of Sâmâvadi and five-hundred other courtesans in the court of King Udena: Usually, King Udena would bestow 1,000 kahapanas per day on his courtesans to buy flowers for themselves. Khujjutar.a had the duty to buy the flowers for them. Each day she would keep 500 kahapanas for herself and bring back 500 kahapanas of flowers to present to the 500 courtesans. One day the florist had invited the Buddha and the monastic assembly to receive their midday meal at his home and asked that Khujjutar.a attend to help with the offering and hear the teaching. Khujjutar.a attended gladly and having heard the teaching, attained stream-entry. From that time onwards, Khujjutar.a never embezzled 1. A name which means ‘noble’. 2. DhaA.i.208ff.