The Seven Lifetimes of Hunger for Elder Losaka

Noon sun poured fire onto the village road, where dry dust curled beneath the feet of a wandering ascetic. A frail child sat huddled by a tree, belly empty, eyes vacant as they watched rice grains scattered on the wet ground. Passersby glanced and hurried away, afraid of the bad luck that seemed to cling to the boy. Suddenly, from afar, a monk approached with graceful steps, his gaze gentle as autumn lake water. It was Shariputra, the great disciple of the Buddha, traveling to spread the Dharma.

He stopped before the child, bending down to look deeply into their eyes. The boy trembled, clutching his stomach, lips cracked and dry. Shariputra asked softly, "Where are your parents?" The child bowed their head, voice choked with tears. "Teacher, I have no parents. They abandoned me because I bring misfortune to the whole village." Shariputra sighed gently, placing a tender hand on the boy’s head. "Do you wish to leave home and become a monastic?" The child looked up, eyes shining. "Who would accept a wretched soul like me?" "I will," said the elder.

Shariputra led the boy back to the monastery, guiding him through the ceremony of leaving home and giving him the dharma name Losaka. From then on, the young novice became the smallest among the community, studying sutras, practicing meditation, sweeping leaves, and gathering herbs each day. Despite the austere life, he remained diligent without cease. Years passed, and Losaka grew into a bhikkhu who strictly upheld the precepts, practicing with unwavering dedication. Eventually, he attained the fruit of Arahantship, freeing himself from all afflictions (kleshas), yet one residual karma remained to be paid.

Although he had attained enlightenment and his body and mind were pure, from the day he left home until his passing, Elder Losaka never ate a full meal. Whenever he went for alms, people saw his bowl already overflowing with food, leaving no room for more, so they politely asked him to move along. Sometimes, just as he extended his bowl, the householder would say skillfully, "Please save this for other monks; your bowl is already full." He understood but said nothing, silently turning away with his bowl. On some days, he fasted completely, drinking only plain water to survive. His body wasted away, skin clinging to bone, yet his heart remained serene, without a single word of complaint. He clearly knew the conditions (dependent origination) of his situation, understanding that past karma must be repaid, so he accepted it in silence.

One day, his teacher Shariputra, while in meditative concentration, perceived that his disciple’s good karmic conditions were about to expire. He realized Elder Losaka was nearing nirvana, yet still had not eaten a satisfying meal. Moved by compassion for his student, Shariputra personally took Losaka into the city of Shravasti for alms. Strangely, despite Shariputra being a renowned senior elder revered by the entire city, no one made offerings that day. People merely looked and turned away, as if an invisible wall separated them.

Shariputra said, "Venerable brother, return to the monastery first. I will gather food and bring it to you." Losaka obeyed, returning to sit quietly in his room, waiting. Shariputra went out and received many delicious offerings. He asked another bhikkhu to carry the food back to his disciple. But on the way, that monk suddenly forgot everything, becoming lost and never reaching Losaka’s room. When Shariputra returned and learned the food had not arrived, he stood silent, filled with profound sorrow.

Seeing no other option, Shariputra used supernatural powers to vanish from the monastery and appear before King Prasenajit, requesting a single cake. Though it was late afternoon and not the time for eating, the king respectfully offered the cake. Holding it, Shariputra vanished again, reappearing in Losaka’s room and handing over the bowl. "Eat," he said, holding the bowl steady so the food would not disappear. Losaka received it with trembling hands, tears welling in his eyes. He ate the cake weeping, experiencing a full meal for the first time after countless lifetimes. After finishing, he sat cross-legged and peacefully entered nirvana. The Buddha stood nearby, witnessing this, and told the bhikkhus, "Cremate his body and build a stupa to enshrine his relics."

The bhikkhus were puzzled and asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One, what causes and conditions led Elder Losaka to endure such hunger throughout his life?" The Buddha gazed at the cremation flames and recounted a story from the past. In the time of Buddha Kashyapa, Losaka was a bhikkhu residing in a small monastery in a rural village. He was kind, gentle, and strict in keeping the precepts, receiving heartfelt making offerings from a local landowner. One day, an Arahant passed by and sought shelter in the monastery. Seeing the guest’s dignified appearance, the landowner generated faith and offered lunch, saying, "I will come to the monastery this afternoon to listen to the dharma talk."

That evening, the landowner brought incense and flowers, bowed to both the resident monk and the guest, and invited them both to his home for a meal the next day. As the landowner departed, the resident monk’s mind arose with jealousy. "Previously, he offered only to me. Now that this guest has arrived, his devotion is divided. I must find a way to make this guest leave." The Arahant knew these thoughts but remained silent. The next morning, the resident monk pretended to knock on the guest’s door but did not want the guest to hear, then walked alone to the landowner’s house with his bowl. The Arahant understood clearly, put on his robes, took his bowl, and flew into the sky, departing from that place.

When the resident monk arrived at the landowner’s house and saw the guest was absent, the landowner asked, "Teacher, where is the visiting bhikkhu from yesterday?" The monk replied, "He is still sleeping. Perhaps the food he ate at your house yesterday has not yet digested." Believing this, the landowner carefully packed food and asked the monk to deliver it to the guest. The resident monk carried the package back, but midway, seeing a burning pile of fire, he dumped all the food into it and returned to the monastery. Upon arrival, finding the guest gone, he was startled. "Did he attain enlightenment and know my mind? I have committed a grave error!" Overcome with regret, sadness, and torment, he died shortly after. Due to the karma of jealousy toward an Arahant and discarding offerings, he suffered retribution: burned in hell for a thousand years without rest. After exiting hell, he was reborn as a hungry ghost for five hundred lifetimes, managing to eat fully only once, from the remains of a miscarriage. Leaving the realm of hungry ghosts, he was born as a dog for five hundred lifetimes, eating only once, from vomited food. Finally, he was born as a human, but still chased away everywhere for bringing bad luck. In his last life, he was born in a fishing village, becoming the Elder Losaka of today.

The Buddha concluded, "Due to the karma of jealousy, disrespecting an enlightened being, and discarding offerings, Elder Losaka endured hunger across many lifetimes. Even though he attained the fruit of Arahantship, residual karma could not be avoided. Remember this, children: never let jealousy arise, never speak ill or criticize others, especially those who practice sincerely."

The Meaning of the Story

The story of Elder Losaka is a profound warning about the law of cause and effect (karmic law). A small thought of jealousy, an action seemingly harmless like discarding food, created terrible karmic retribution spanning thousands of lifetimes because the object was an enlightened being. Even with diligent practice and attainment of Arahantship, one cannot escape the consequences of planted seeds. The greatest lesson is to always maintain a heart of compassion, free from jealousy and contempt for anyone, especially practitioners. Every word and every thought is a seed; whatever cause is planted, the corresponding effect is harvested, without error.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Venerable Thich Chan Quang