Jotikkha, the son of Subhadda, was a householder living in
Rājagaha. Having received a precious bowl of sandalwood decorated
with jewels, he erected a long pole before his house and put the
bowl on its top with this legend: "Should a samana take this bowl
down without using a ladder or a stick with a hook, or without
climbing the pole, but by magic power, he shall receive as reward
whatever he desires." 1
And the people came to the Blessed One, full of wonder and their
mouths overflowing with praise, saying: "Great is the Tathāgata.
His disciples perform miracles. Kassapa, the disciple of the
Buddha, saw the bowl on Jotikkha's pole, and, stretching out his
hand, he took it down, carrying it away in triumph to the
vihāra." 2
When the Blessed One heard what had happened, he went to Kassapa,
and, breaking the bowl to pieces, forbade his disciples to
perform miracles of any kind. 3
Soon after this it happened that in one of the rainy seasons many
bhikkhus were staying in the Vajjī territory during a famine. And
one of the bhikkhus proposed to his brethren that they should
praise one another to the householders of the village, saying:
"This bhikkhu is a saint, he has seen celestial visions; and that
bhikkhu possesses supernatural gifts; he can work miracles." And
the villagers said: "It is lucky, very lucky for us, that such
saints are spending the rainy season with us." And they gave
willingly and abundantly, and the bhikkhus prospered and did not
surfer from the famine. 4
When the Blessed One heard it, he told Ānanda to call the
bhikkhus together, and he asked them: "Tell me, O bhikkhus, when
does a bhikkhu cease to be a bhikkhu?" 5