yasoja

YasojaYasojoti

The Udāna mentions Ud.iii.3 how Yasoja and five hundred of his companions went to see the Buddha at Jetavana. There they stood talking to the monks who lived there and made a great uproar. The Buddha, sending Ānanda to fetch them, asked them to remove themselves from his presence, as they were behaving like fishermen. Taking his admonition to heart, they returned to the banks of the Vaggumuṇḍā in the Vajji country, and there they determined to lead such lives as would commend them to the Buddha. During the rainy season, they all put forth effort and attained arahantship. Some time after, the Buddha visited Vesāli during a journey and asked Ānanda to send for Yasoja and his friends as he desired to see them. Ānanda sent a message. When the monks arrived, they found the Buddha lost in meditation, and they, too, seated themselves and entered into samādhi, remaining thus throughout the night. Āmaṇḍa could not understand why the Buddha, having sent for Yasoja and his companions, should have sunk into samādhi without greeting them, and three times during the night he tried to remind the Buddha of their arrival; but the Buddha ignored his warnings and in the morning explained to him that it was more joy for them all to live in the bliss of samādhi than to indulge in mere conversation.

His Theragāthā verses speak in praise of a thin monk who is dedicated and content, while criticizing those who live in company. Thag.243–245

The Vinaya relates Vin.i.239 how once, when Yasoja was ill, drugs were brought for his use, but as the Buddha had forbidden the use of a special place for storing such things they were left out of doors and were partly eaten by vermin, the remainder being carried away by robbers. When the matter was reported to the Buddha, he allowed the use of a duly chosen storage place.