‘Venerable Nāgasena, this too has been said by the Blessed One:

“Ghaṭīkāra the potter’s dwelling-place remained, the whole of it, for three months open to the sky, and no rain fell upon it.”

‘But on the other hand it is said:

“Rain fell on the hut of Kassapa the Tathāgata.”

‘How was it, venerable Nāgasena, that the hut of a Tathāgata, the roots of whose merits were so widely spread, got wet? One would think that a Tathāgata should have the power to prevent that. If, Nāgasena, Ghaṭīkāra the potter’s dwelling was kept dry when it was open to the sky, it cannot be true that a Tathāgata’s hut got wet. But if it did, then it must be false that the potter’s dwelling was kept dry. This too is a double-edged problem, now put to you, which you have to solve.’

‘Both the quotations you have made, O king, are correct. Ghaṭīkāra the potter was a good man, beautiful in character, deeply rooted in merit, who supported his old and blind mother and father. And when he was absent, the people, without so much as asking his leave, took away the thatch from his dwelling to roof in with it the hut of the Tathāgata. Then, unmoved and unshaken at his thatch being thus removed, but filled rather with a well-grounded and great joy the like of which cannot be found, an immeasurable bliss sprang up in his heart at the thought: “May the Blessed One, the chief of the world, have full confidence in me.” And thereby did he obtain merit which brought forth its good result even in this present life.

‘And the Tathāgata, O king, was not disturbed by that temporary inconvenience (of the falling rain). Just, O king, as Sineru, the king of the mountains, moves not, neither is shaken, by the onslaught of innumerable gales —just as the mighty ocean, the home of the great waters, is not filled up, neither is disturbed at all, by the inflow of innumerable great rivers—just so, O king, is a Tathāgata unmoved at temporary inconvenience.

‘And that the rain fell upon the Tathāgata’s hut happened out of consideration for the great masses of the people. For there are two circumstances, O king, which prevent the Tathāgatas from themselves supplying (by creative power) any requisite of which they may be in need. And what are the two? Men and gods, by supplying the requisites of a Buddha on the ground that he is a teacher worthy of gifts, will thereby be set free from rebirth in states of woe. And lest others should find fault, saying: “They seek their livelihood by the working of miracles.” If, O king, Sakka had kept that hut dry, or even Brahmā himself, even then that action would have been faulty, wrong, and worthy of censure.

For people might then say: “These Buddhas by Their dexterity befool and lord it over the world.” That is the reason why such action would have been better left undone. The Tathāgatas, O king, do not ask for any advantage; and it is because they ask for nothing that they are held blameless.’

‘Very good, Nāgasena! That is so, and I accept as you say.’

Here ends the dilemma about Ghaṭīkāra the potter.