Dhamma Principles › Verses of Rohinī: A Daughter Tells Her Father Why She Loves Recluses
Verses of Rohinī: A Daughter Tells Her Father Why She Loves Recluses
Everyday life

Verses of Rohinī: A Daughter Tells Her Father Why She Loves Recluses

Rohiṇītherīgāthā

Her father asks Rohinī why she loves recluses who are lazy and live on others. Rohinī answers point by point: recluses work hard at the highest task, are pure in body, speech and mind, store nothing up, and love one another though they come from different places, until her father wishes to give and goes for refuge.

8 points

In the Twenties section of the Therīgāthā, Khuddaka Nikāya, the elder nun Rohinī recounts a conversation with her father. Seeing that his daughter admires recluses and gives them much food and drink, he asks her directly: recluses don't like to work, are lazy and live on what others give; why are they dear to you?

Rohinī doesn't answer emotionally but point by point, each ending with the same line: that is why recluses are dear to me. When she finishes, her father says she was born into the family for his benefit and wishes the recluses to accept his offering. Rohinī then advises him to go for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha and to keep the precepts, and he agrees.

The commentary says Rohinī later went forth and attained arahantship. The same section of the Therīgāthā also contains the verses of Cāpā with her former husband Upaka, and the verses of Sundarī.

  1. 1

    A father's direct question Rohiṇītherīgāthā

    Her father asks: you admire recluses and give them much food and drink, but recluses don't like to work, are lazy, live on what others give and hope for food and clothing. Why are recluses dear to you?

    Applying it in daily life

    When family members question what you believe in, treat it as a question that deserves a reasoned answer, not as an insult.

  2. 2

    Diligent in the highest work Kammakāmā analasā

    Rohinī answers that recluses love work and are not lazy; they do the highest work, abandoning lust and hatred, removing the three roots of evil and giving up all evil deeds.

    Applying it in daily life

    Some work doesn't show up in numbers, such as training yourself not to get angry. Count that effort as real work today too.

  3. 3

    Pure in body, speech and mind like a polished shell Rohiṇītherīgāthā

    The bodily, verbal and mental actions of recluses are all pure. They are stainless like a well-polished conch shell, pure inside and out.

    Applying it in daily life

    Before bed, briefly review which of your actions, words and thoughts today still carry a stain, and resolve to polish just that spot tomorrow.

  4. 4

    Learned, rightly living, mindful Rohiṇītherīgāthā

    Recluses are learned, bearers of the Dhamma, living by right livelihood, explaining meaning and Dhamma to others, with minds one-pointed and mindful.

    Applying it in daily life

    When choosing whom to listen to for Dhamma or life advice, see whether they earn their living honestly and practise what they say.

  5. 5

    Speaking in measure, leaving without longing Rohiṇītherīgāthā

    Recluses go far, are mindful, speak in measure, are not restless, and fully understand the end of suffering. When they leave a village, they have no concern for anyone or anything in it.

    Applying it in daily life

    When changing jobs or moving house, finish your duties properly and leave with a light heart, without carrying old matters along.

  6. 6

    Storing nothing, accepting no gold or silver Na te saṃ koṭṭhe openti

    Recluses store no grain in a granary, a pot or a basket; they seek only food already prepared. They accept no gold or silver and sustain themselves with whatever food comes to hand.

    Applying it in daily life

    Look through the things you've kept "just in case" but haven't used for a year, and give them to people who will actually use them.

  7. 7

    From different clans and lands, yet loving one another Nānākulā pabbajitā

    Recluses go forth from different families and different countries, yet they love one another. That is why recluses are dear to me.

    Applying it in daily life

    In a team or community of people from different backgrounds, look for a shared goal that makes the differences secondary.

  8. 8

    Giving begins with refuge and precepts Sace bhāyasi dukkhassa

    Her father says she was born into the family for his benefit and wishes the recluses to accept his offering. Rohinī answers: if you fear suffering, if you dislike suffering, go for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha and undertake the precepts. Her father agrees, then says that before he was merely a kinsman of Brahmā, but now he is a true brahmin.

    Applying it in daily life

    When inviting family members to make merit, don't stop at giving things; invite each other to keep a small precept too, such as no harsh words at home for a week.

Try it in daily life

Rohinī's father's question is still asked today: renunciants don't work, so why should people support them? Rohinī's answer doesn't appeal to sanctity but points to qualities that can be checked, such as diligence in self-training, not hoarding, and harmony.

Her criteria therefore work both ways. They help us see the worth of those who practise well, and they keep us from trusting anyone just because of a robe. If someone lacks these qualities, Rohinī's reasons don't apply to them.

The story is also a model for talking about faith within a family. The daughter doesn't blame her father for doubting, and the father doesn't forbid his daughter. They listen to each other's reasons until understanding shifts.

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