• Mahāsāla Sutta

1. Mahāsāla Sutta. A rich brahmin asks the Buddha why there is an apparent decrease of human beings. The Buddha answers that it is because the world is ablaze with unlawful lusts, wrong doctrines, and depraved longings. There is no reasonable rain, harvests are poor, and men die easily. A.i.159f.

2. Mahāsāla or Lūkhapāpurana Sutta. A wealthy brahmin, looking worn and wearing a coarse garment, visits the Buddha at Sāvatthi and tells him that his four sons, aided by their wives, have shown him the door. The Buddha teaches him several verses illustrating the ingratitude of his sons to be recited in the Santhāgārasālā. He recited these and his sons, who are in the assembly, take him home and look after him. Later he goes to the Buddha and asks him to accept a set of garments which his sons have given him. The Buddha accepts it out of compassion (S.i.175f).

The Commentary says that the man had immense wealth in his house, some eighty crores. He found wives for his sons and divided half his wealth among them. His wife died, and his sons, fearful lest he should marry again and they should lose the rest of their patrimony, pet him and look after him, and he gives them all except his wrap. He goes to live with his eldest son, but is driven out by his daughter in law; the rest of the family treats him likewise. He enters the order of the Pandarangas and suffers the greatest privations, till he finally throws himself on the reputed kindness and graciousness of the Buddha. When the people discover the disloyalty of the sons they threaten to kill them, and then the sons take the old man back and nurse him. Later the members of the family become sotāpannas. SA.i.202ff.