The Perfection of Patience - Analysis of the Elements I

“Thus have I heard:

At one time the Lord, walking on tour among the people of Magadha,

arrived at Rajagaha and approached the potter Bhaggava;

having approached, he spoke thus to Bhaggava the potter:

‘If it is not inconvenient to you, Bhaggava,

I would spend one night in your dwelling.’

‘It is not inconvenient, revered sir,

but there is here one gone forth who came before you to stay.

But if he allow it, do stay, revered sir, according to your pleasure.’ ”

  We see the patience of the Buddha who wandered for the benefit of others in teaching the Dhamma, so that he could help those who were able to realize the four noble Truths. He walked on tour in Magadha, he stopped in the city of Rajagaha and came to see the potter. He did not go to a place that was pleasant and confortable. He asked for a sleeping place in the potter’s workshop just for one night.
We read in the Commentary to this sutta, the “Papancasudaní” that the potter Bhaggava thought:

“Monks usually have different inclinations:

some like to keep company, and others like to be alone.

If the monk who came here first is someone who wants to be alone,

he will say, ‘Revered sir, do not enter here,

because I am already in this dwelling’,

so that the person who comes afterwards will go away.

If this would happen, both people would quarrel.

Thus, what has been given should be considered as such,

and what has been done cannot be altered.”
The Commentary states:

“Therefore, he said, ‘It is not inconvenient, revered sir,

but there is here one gone forth who came before you to stay.

But if he allows it, do stay, revered sir, according to your pleasure.’ ”

  We read further on in the Sutta:

“At that time there was a young man of family called Pukkusati

who had gone forth from home into homelessness through faith in the Lord.

He was the person who had arrived first at that potter’s dwelling.

Then the Lord approached the venerable Pukkusati:

‘If it is not inconvenient to you, monk,

I will spend a night in this dwelling.’

‘Spacious, friend, is the potter’s dwelling;

let the venerable one stay according to his pleasure.’ ”