The Monk Who Fell from the Fourth Jhana to the Execution Ground

From attaining the fourth jhana and psychic powers to being captured as a thief, a disciple of Kassapa was enlightened by the Buddha right upon the execution rack.

That summer, scorching winds swept through Rajagaha, carrying the scent of road dust and the clanking of chains from the escort soldiers. Among them, a man was bound tightly, rope cutting into his wrists until they bled, yet his face was unnervingly serene—showing no fear, no plea for mercy, just a profound stillness. The crowds lining the road stared in bewilderment, for this was no ordinary criminal. Whispers spread: "He was once a monk, you know, one who attained meditation and even psychic powers. How did he end up like this?"

He had indeed been a bhikkhu, a disciple of the Elder Kassapa. Years ago, under his guidance, he practiced and attained the fourth jhana, gaining psychic powers that earned him widespread respect. However, he had not yet realized any of the noble stages of enlightenment. Like Devadatta before him, he attained meditation but failed to eradicate greed from his mind, leaving the seeds of attachment intact. As time passed, the blessings from his past lives gradually waned, while the poverty of his youth lingered in his subconscious. One day, he visited his uncle, a goldsmith, and saw the glittering gold and silver on display. Suddenly, desire surged within him like fire catching the wind.

"A monk just begs and meditates, doing nothing of use. Seeing my uncle's treasures, I feel such longing. If I leave and work with him, I can surely gain wealth too," he thought, his mind in turmoil. He knelt before his uncle, his voice trembling: "Uncle, I wish to leave the monastic life and work as a goldsmith with you." His uncle, astonished, patted his shoulder and said: "You've cultivated such merit through your practice, and you're giving it all up? Just because gold and silver dazzle your eyes, you crave the worldly life?"—"I know it's wrong, but my heart is already moved. I can no longer sit still." And so, he removed his monk's robe and asked to be apprenticed as a goldsmith.

Little did he know, after years in the monastery spent only begging and meditating, he had become deeply lazy, utterly unaccustomed to physical activity. When faced with the meticulous, passionate work of a craftsman—requiring late nights and early mornings—he stood frozen, unable to move his hands or feet. His uncle, furious, scolded him: "You come here to work, but you're as lazy as a monk? All day you just sit blinking—are you expecting me to feed you?"—"I'm tired, let me rest a bit..."—"Rest? Pack your things, you're fired!" His uncle dismissed him outright. Dejected, he walked out, too ashamed to beg for alms, and thought: "Being a bandit is more dignified than begging." Though his psychic powers from the fourth jhana had faded slightly, they still remained, making him more agile than other thieves. He thus joined a gang and rose to become their leader.

But robbery and murder destroy merit. His psychic powers vanished completely, and he was captured and sentenced to death. Soldiers led him to the execution ground, the ropes binding him tightly. The Elder Kassapa was waiting under a tree. Seeing his former disciple being led past, he used his psychic power to loosen the ropes slightly, then called out: "Focus again on your old meditation object, and calm your mind as you walk!" The monk looked up, tears shimmering in his eyes: "Venerable Sir, I have fallen into error..."—"Focus, do not let your mind be agitated," his teacher instructed. He closed his eyes, recalling his former meditation subject, and his mind gradually grew still. He re-attained the fourth jhana right as he was being led to the execution rack.

At the execution ground, a soldier shouted: "Lay him on the spiked rack, place stones on him to crush his body!"—"Wait, look at his face—calm as if nothing is wrong," another soldier remarked. King Bimbisara was informed and came to witness the spectacle. Amazed, he asked: "You are a bandit, yet you do not fear death?" The monk lay upon the rack, eyes closed, and replied softly: "Your Majesty, my meditative mind has returned. I only wait to hear the Buddha's words." Just then, the sky shone brilliantly as the Buddha appeared in a burst of light and recited a verse: "Having left, he returned to the forest of delusion. One freed from bonds has re-entered bondage."

Hearing this, the monk opened his eyes and attained stream-entry. Then, right there on the execution rack, using the psychic power of his fourth jhana, he flew up to pay homage to the Buddha, who was hovering in the air. As he completed his bow, he instantly attained Arahantship. King Bimbisara, seeing this, swiftly commanded: "Pardon his sentence! Let this man be ordained again!" He was freed, returned to the Sangha, and transformed from a death-row inmate into a noble one, continuing his practice among the Arahants.

From then on, the Sangha included an Arahant who had once returned to lay life as a criminal, taking a long and wandering path before finding his way back. His life serves as a reminder: attaining jhana is not the same as becoming a saint, yet the seed of holiness can still sprout if it meets the right conditions. And this story, through millennia, continues to awe listeners with its portrayal of the human mind's fragility, poised between meditation and sin.

**Meaning of the Story**

Attaining meditation states (concentration, psychic powers) is different from attaining holiness (extinguishing the ego, ignorance, and mental fetters). Meditation is only a tool; if used for boasting or to feed desire, it easily leads to downfall. Only when guided by a virtuous teacher and used to dissolve the ego can it lead one beyond samsara. Those who renounce the world should uphold the profound path, not return to lay life out of greed or laziness, for the merit of offerings is not easily repaid with gold and silver.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang