← Volver a la ficha del textoVen. Weragoda Sarada Thero
E-mail: bdea@buddhanet.net
Web site: www.buddhanet.net
Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.
Illustrated
Man who achieved a great victory
One of the first schoiars to begin the w or f of
transCating the (Paki Literature into ‘Eng (is h, was
the son of a wed- known dergyman.
I His object in undertaking the work^was to prove
the superiority of Christianity over
(Buddhism. (He faded in this taskibut he achieved
a greater victory than he expected.
I He became a (Buddhist. We must never forget the
happy chance which prompted him to undertake
this worfand thereby make the precious (Dhamma
avaiiabCe to thousands in the West. ‘The name of
this great schoCar was (Dr. (Rhys (Davids.
Ven. A. Mahinda, “Blueprint of Happiness”
©C33 ®3o g§3d(325©3 dS3S) ©^'6509^0
<§ ©^G£325)22>3®3 <3}3®d3(9?S>3 C3?$23fc;s
25>eJ®3 eoDq) © <s5d<@63©?sJ gcsefeo
^^3?^ O d® ®®a2S><^o £3Sqp30?S
"©3 £3^ScJ 2sd©0 8g32§ 0®?d £32§3si ©©CCf cjc^-gg© 8g 23©
c 30e©d©2sf <§ ©deg25} csgd^©^© d©3©2dgc3d ©202^08©
0© @29^ 02d©G3 9d3©2S$ 0©©3. 0© 8©2^d ©^©SOZSfed©
c£®3®20 sSOsJ £3^23 eT.®©©^!"
c5©29C3 - 23-SSfSz 33 ZSJ3-€®dC3d 2D3C323 dODSzrfgOzrf 0 ZOZrteei
TREASURY OF TRUTH
ILLUSTRATED
DHAMMAPADA
VEN. WERAGODA SAR ADA MAHA TIIERO
Author - Publisher
O
Published and Donated by
The Corporate Body <if the Buddha Educational Foundation
1 1 th Fluor, 55, Hang Chow S Rd. See l.Taipei.Taiwan R O.C.
TEL: 102 <195 1 198 • FAX:(02 09134 15
Printed in Taiwan <This book not to be sold.)
FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION
Table of Contents
Man WHO ACHIEVED A GREAT VICTORY . 3
Table of Contents 5
The Pali Alphabet . 43
Pronunciation of Letters . 43
Acknowledgement . 44
Dedication . 50
Introduction . 52
Foreword 54
Kalama Sutta (Pali) . 56
Kalama Sutta (Translation) . 57
Chapter 1
Y amaka V agga 'Tzuin Verses
Suffering Follows The Evil-Doer
1 (1) The Story of the Monk Cakkhupala (Verse 1) . 59
Happiness Follows The Doer Of Good
1 (2) The Story of Mattakundali (Verse 2) . 62
Uncontrolled Hatred Leads To Harm ^ Overcoming Anger
1 (3) (4) The Story of Monk Tissa (Verses 3 & 4) . 65
5
Hatred Is Overcome Only By Non-Hatred
1 (4) The Story of KaliyakkhinI (Verse 5) . 70
Recollection Of Death Brings Peace
1 (5) The Story of Kosambi Monks (Verse 6) . 73
Sloth Defeats Spirituality ^ Spiritual Strength Is Undefeatable
1 (6) The Story of Monk Mahakala (Verses 7&8) . 76
Those Who Do Not Deserve The Stained Robe ^
The Virtuous Deserve The Stained Robe
1 (7) The Story of Devadatta (Verses 9 & 10) . 82
False Values Bar Spiritual Progress ^ Truth Enlightens
1 (8) The Story of Monk Sariputta (Verses 11 & 12) . 88
Lust Penetrates Untrained Mind ^
The Disciplined Mind Keeps Lust Away
1 (9) The Story of Monk Nanda (Verses 13 & 14) . 93
Sorrow Springs From Evil Deeds
1 (10) The Story of Cundasukarika (Verse 15) . 99
Good Deeds Bring Happiness
1 (11) The Story of Dhammika Upas aka (Verse 16) . 102
Evil Action Leads To Torment
1 (12) The Story of Devadatta (Verse 17) . 105
Virtuous Deeds Make One Rejoice
1 (13) The Story of Sumanadevi (Verse 18) . 108
6
Fruits Of Religious Life Through Practice ^
Practice Ensures Fulfilment
1 (14) The Story of Two Friends (Verses 19 & 20) . Ill
Chapter 2
Appamad a V agga 9-CeedfuCness
Freedom Is Difficult
2 (1) The Story of Samavati (Verses 21, 22 & 23) . 117
Glory Of The Mindful Increases
2 (2) The Story of Kumbhaghosaka, the Banker (Verse 24) . 125
Island Against Floods
2 (3) The Story of Culapanthaka (Verse 25) . 128
Treasured Mindfulness ^ Meditation Leads To Bliss
2 (4) The Story of Bala Nakkhatta Festival (Verses 26 & 27) . 131
The Sorrowless View The World
2 (5) The Story of Monk Mahakassapa (Verse 28) . 137
The Mindful One Is Way Ahead Of Others
2 (6) The Story of the Two Companion Monks (Verse 29) . 140
Mindfulness Made Him Chief Of Gods
2 (7) The Story of Magha (Verse 30) . 143
The Heedful Advance
2 (8) The Story of a Certain Monk (Verse 31) . 146
7
149
The Heedful Advances To Nibbana
2 (9) The Story of Monk Nigama Vasi Tissa (Verse 32)
Chapter 3
ClTTA V agga Mind
The Wise Person Straightens The Mind ^ The Fluttering Mind
3 (1) The Story of Venerable Meghiya (Verses 33 & 34) . 153
Restrained Mind Leads To Happiness
3 (2) The Story of a Certain Monk (Verse 35) . 158
Protected Mind Leads To Happiness
3 (3) The Story of a Certain Disgruntled Monk (Verse 36) . 161
Death’s Snare Can Be Broken By Tamed Mind
3 (4) The Story of Monk Sangharakkhita (Verse 37) . 164
Wisdom Does Not Grow If Mind Wavers ^
The Wide-Awake Is Unfrightened
3 (5) The Story of Monk Cittahattha (Verses 38 & 39) . 167
Weapons To Defeat Death
3 (6) The Story of Five Hundred Monks (Verse 40) . 173
Without The Mind Body Is Worthless
3 (7) The Story of Tissa, the Monk with
a Stinking Body (Verse 41) . 176
8
179
All Wrongs Issue Out Of Evil Minds
3 (8) The Story of Nanda, the Herdsman (Verse 42)
Well-Trained Mind Excels People
3 (9) The Story of Soreyya (Verse 43) . 181
Chapter 4
Puppha Vagga ‘fCozvers
The Gar land -Maker cE^ The Seeker Understands
4 (1) The Story of Five Hundred Monks (Verses 44 & 45) . 185
Who Conquers Death?
4 (2) The Story of the Monk who Contemplates
The Body as a Mirage (Verse 46) . 191
Pleasure Seeker Is Swept Away
4 (3) The Story of Vidudabha (Verse 47) . 194
Attachment To Senses Is Folly
4 (4) The Story of Patipujika Kumari (Verse 48) . 197
The Monk In The Village
4 (5) The Story of Kosiya, the Miserly Rich Man (Verse 49) . 200
Look Inward And Not At Others
4 (6) The Story of the Ascetic Paveyya (Verse 50) . 203
Good Words Attract Only Those Who Practise ^
Good Words Profit Only Those Who Practise
4 (7 ) The Story of Chattapani, a Lay Disciple (Verses 51 & 52) . 206
9
211
Those Born Into This World Must Acquire Much Merit
4 (8) The Story of Visakha (Verse 53) .
Fragrance Of Virtue Spreads Everywhere ^
Fragrance Of Virtue Is The Sweetest Smell
4 (9) The Story of the Question Raised by
the Venerable Ananda (Verses 54 & 55) . 214
Fragrance Of Virtue Wafts To Heaven
4 (10) The Story of Monk Mahakassapa (Verse 56) . 220
Death Cannot Trace The Path Of Arahats
4 (11) The Story of Venerable Godhika (Verse 57) . 223
Lotus Is Attractive Though In A Garbage Heap ^
Arahats Shine Wherever They Are
4 (12) The Story of Garahadinna (Verses 58 & 59) . 226
Chapter 5
Bala Vagga foots
Samsara Is Long To The Ignorant
#
5 (1) The Story of a Certain Person (Verse 60) . 232
Do Not Associate With The Ignorant
5 (2) The Story of a Resident Pupil of
Venerable Mahakassapa (Verse 61) . 235
10
238
Ignorance Brings Suffering
5 (3) The Story of Ananda, the Rich Man (Verse 62)
Know Reafity - Be Wise
5 (4) The Story of Two Pick-pockets (Verse 63) . 241
The Ignorant Cannot Benefit From The Wise
5 (5) The Story of Venerable Udayi (Verse 64) . 244
Profit From The Wise
5 (6) The Story of Thirty Monks from Patheyyaka (Verse 65) . 247
A Sinner Is One’s Own Foe
5 (7) The Story of Suppabuddha, the Leper (Verse 66) . 250
Do What Brings Happiness
5 (8) The Story of a Farmer (Verse 67) . 253
Happiness Results From Good Deeds
5 (9) The Story of Sumana, the Florist (Verse 68) . 256
Sin Yields Bitter Results
5 (10) The Story of Nun Uppalavanna (Verse 69) . 259
The Unconditioned Is The Highest Achievement
5 (11) The Story of Monk Jambuka (Verse 70) . 262
Sin Is Like Sparks Of Fire Hidden In Ashes
5 (12) The Story of Snake-Ghost (Verse 71) . 265
The Knowledge Of The Wicked Splits His Head
5 (13) The Story of Satthikuta-Peta (Verse 72) . 268
11
Desire For Pre-Eminence ^ The Ignorant Are Ego-Centred
5 (14) The Story of Citta the Householder (Verses 73 & 74) . 271
Path To Liberation
5 (15) The Story of Novice Monk Tissa
of the Forest Monastery (Verse 75) . 276
Chapter 6
P andita V agga ‘Tfie Wise
• •
Treasure The Advice Of The Wise
6 (1) The Story of Venerable Radha (Verse 76) . 280
The Virtuous Cherish Good Advice
6 (2) The Story of Venerables Assaji
AND PuNABBASUKA (VERSE 77) . 283
In The Company Of The Virtuous
6 (3) The Story of Venerable Channa (Verse 78) . 286
Living Happily In The Dhamma
6 (4) The Story of Venerable Mahakappina (Verse 79) . 289
The Wise Control Themselves
6 (5) The Story of Novice Monk Pandita (Verse 80) . 292
The Wise Are Steadfast
6 (6) The Story of Venerable Lakuntaka Bhaddiya (Verse 81) . 295
12
The Wise Are Happy
6 (7) The Story of Kanamata (Verse 82) . 298
The Wise Are Tranquil
6 (8) The Story of the Five Hundred Monks (Verse 83) . 301
The Wise Live Correctly
6 (9) The Story of Venerable Dhammika (Verse 84) . 303
A Few Reach The Other Shore ^
Those Who Follow The Dhamma Are Liberated
6 (10) The Story of Dhamma Listeners (Verses 85 & 86) . 305
Liberation Through Discipline Purify Your Mind
^ Arahats Are Beyond Worldliness
6 ( 1 1 ) The Story of Five Hundred V biting Monks
(Verses 87, 88 & 89) . 312
Chapter 7
Arahanta V agga Tfe Saints
Passion’s Fever Gone
7 (1) The Story of the Question Asked by JIvaka (Verse 90) . 322
Saints Are Non- Attached
7 (2) The Story of Venerable Mahakassapa (Verse 91) . 325
Blameless Is The Nature Of Saints
7 (3) The Story of Venerable BellatthisIsa (Verse 92) . 328
13
Arahat’s State Cannot Be Traced
7 (4) The Story of Venerable Anuruddha (Verse 93) . 331
Gods Adore Arahats
7 (5) The Story of Venerable Mahakaccayana (Verse 94) . 334
Arahats Are Noble
7 (6) The Story of Venerable Sariputta (Verse 95) . 337
The Tranquility Of The Saints
7 (7) The Story of a Novice Monk from Kosambi (Verse 96) . 340
Exalted Are The Unblemished
7 (8) The Story of Venerable Sariputta (Verse 97) . 343
Dwelling Of The Unblemished Is Alluring
7 (9) The Story of Venerable Revata, (Verse 98) . 346
The Passionless Delight In Forests
7 (10) The Story of a Woman (Verse 99) . 349
Chapter 8
Sahassa Vagga ‘Thousands
One Pacifying Word Is Noble
8 (1) The Story of Tambadathika (Verse 100) . 352
One Useful Verse Is Better Than A Thousand Useless Verses
8 (2) The Story of Bahiyadaructriya (Verse 101) . 355
14
A Dhamma-Word Is Noble ^
Self-Conquest Is The Highest Victory
8 (3) The Story of Nun KundalakesI (Verses 102 & 103) . 35 8
Victory Over Oneself Is Unequalled ^
Victory Over Self Cannot Be Undone
8 (4) The Story of the Brahmin Anatthapucchaka
(Verses 104 & 105) . 364
The Greatest Offering
8 (5) The Story of Venerable Sariputta’s Uncle (Verse 106) . 370
Even Brief Adoration Of Arahat Fruitful
8 (6) The Story of Venerable Sariputta’s Nephew (Verse 107) . 372
Worshipping An Unblemished Individual Is Noble
8 (7) The Story of Venerable Sariputta’s Friend (Verse 108) . 374
Saluting Venerables Yields Four Benefits
8 (8) The Story of Ayuvaddhanakumara (Verse 109) . 377
Virtuous Fife Is Noble
8 (9) The Story of Novice Monk Samkicca (Verse 110) . 380
A Wise One’s Fife Is Great
8 (10) The Story of Khanu-Kondanna (Verse 111) . 383
The Person Of Effort Is Worthy
8 (11) The Story of Venerable Sappadasa (Verse 112) . 386
Who Knows Reality Is Great
8 (12) The Story of Nun Patacara (Verse 113) . 389
15
The Seer Of The Deathless Is A Worthy One
8 (13) The Story of Nun Kisagotami (Verse 114) . 392
Life Of One Who Knows The Teaching Is Noble
8 (14) The Story of Nun Bahuputtika (Verse 115) . 395
Chapter 9
Papa Vagga rEviC
Never Hesitate To Do Good
9 (1) The Story of Culla Ekasataka (Verse 116) . 399
Do No Evil Again And Again
9 (2) The Story of Venerable Seyyasaka (Verse 117) . 402
Accumulated Merit Leads To Happiness
9 (3) The Story of Goddess Laja (Verse 118) . 405
Evil Seems Sweet Until It Ripens ^
Good May Seem Bad Until Good Matures
9 (4) The Story of Anathapindika (Verses 119 & 120) . 408
Take Not Evil Lightly
9 (5) The Story of a Careless Monk (Verse 121) . 414
Merit Grows Little By Little
9 (7) The Story of Bilalapadaka (Verse 122) . 417
Shun Evil As Poison
9 (7) The Story of Mahadhana (Verse 123) . 420
16
423
Evil Results From Bad Intention
9 (8) The Story of Kukkutamitta (Verse 124) .
Wrong Done To Others Returns To Doer
9 (9) The Story of Koka the Huntsman (Verse 125) .
Those Who Pass Away
9 (10) The Story of Venerable Tissa (Verse 126) .
Shelter Against Death
9 (11) The Story of Three Groups of Persons (Verse 127)
No Escape From Death
9 (12) The Story of King Suppabuddha (Verse 128) .
426
428
Chapter 10
Danda Vagga ‘Punishment
• t
Of Others Think Of As Your Own Self
10 (1) The Story of a Group of Six Monks (Verse 129) . 438
To All Life Is Dear
10 (2) The Story of a Group of Six Monks (Verse 130) . 441
Those Who Do Not Receive Happiness
10 (3) The Story of Many Youths (Verses 131 & 132) . 445
Retaliation Brings Unhappiness
Tranquility Should Be Preserved
10 (4) The Story of Venerable Kundadhana (Verses 133 & 134) ...451
17
Decay And Death Terminate Life
10 (5) The Story of Some Ladies Observing
the Moral Precepts (Verse 135) .
Results Of Evil Torment The Ignorant
10 (6) The Story of the Boa Constrictor
Peta-Ghost (Verse 136) . 461
The Evil Results Of Hurting The Pious ^
Evil Results Of Hurting Harmless Saints ^
Harming The Holy Is Disastrous ^
Woeful States In The Wake Of Evil Doing
10 (7) The Story of Venerable Maha Moggallana
(Verses 137 - 140) . 464
Practices That Will Not Lead To Purity
10 (8) The Story of Venerable Bahubhandika (Verse 141) . 475
Costumes Do Not Mar Virtue
10 (9) The Story of Santati the Minister (Verse 142) . 478
Avoid Evil Through Shame ^
Effort Is Necessary To Avoid Suffering
10 (10) The Story of Venerable PilOtikatissa (Verses 143 & 144) . 481
Those Who Restrain Their Own Mind
10 (11) The Story of Novice Monk Sukha (Verse 145) . 487
18
Chapter 1 1
Jara Vagga OCcC ftge
One Pacifying Word Is Noble
11 (1) The Story of the Companions of Visakha (Verse 146) . 491
Behold The True Nature Of The Body
11 (2) The Story of Sirima (Verse 147) . 494
Life Ends In Death
11 (3) The Story of Nun Uttar a (Verse 148) . 497
A Sight That Stops Desire
11 (4) The Story of Adhimanika Monks (Verse 149) . 500
The Body Is A City Of Bones
11 (5) The Story of Nun Rupananda
(Janapadakalyani) (Verse 150) . 503
Buddha’s Teaching Never Decays
11 (6) The Story of Queen Mallika (Verse 151) . 506
Body Fattens - Mind Does Not
11 (7) The Story of Venerable Kaludayi (Verse 152) . 509
Seeing The Builder Of The House ^
Thy Building Material Is Broken
11 (8) Venerable Ananda’s Stanzas (Verses 153 & 154) . 512
Regrets In Old Age ^ Nostalgia For Past Glory
11 (9) The Story of Mahadhana the Treasurer’s Son
(Verses 155 & 156) . 516
19
Chapter 12
Atta Vagga Sdf
Safeguard Your Own Self
12 (1) The Story of B Odhirajakumara (Verse 157) . 523
Give Advice While Being Virtuous Yourself
12 (2) The Story of Venerable
Upananda Sakyaputta (Verse 158) . 526
Discipline Yourself Before You Do Others
12 (3) The Story of Venerable Padhanikatissa (Verse 159) . 529
One Is One’s Best Saviour
12 (4) The Story of the Mother
of Kumarakassapa (Verse 160) . 53 2
The Unwise Person Comes To Grief On His Own
12 (5) The Story of Mahakala Upasaka (Verse 161) . 535
Evil Action Crushes The Doer
12 (6) The Story of Devadatta (Verse 162) . 538
Doing Good Unto One’s Own Self Is Difficult
12 (7) The Story of Schism in the Sangha (Verse 163) . 541
The Wicked Are Self- Destructive
12 (8) The Story of Venerable Kala (Verse 164) . 544
Purity, Impurity Self- Created
12 (9) The Story of Culakala Upasaka (Verse 165) . 547
20
Help Others - But Promote One’s Own Good
12 (10) The Story of Venerable Attadattha (Verse 166) . 550
Chapter 13
Loka Vagga WorCd
Do Not Cultivate The Worldly
13 (1) The Story of a Young Monk (Verse 167) . 554
The Righteous Are Happy - Here And Hereafter ^
Behave According To The Teaching
13 (2) The Story of King Suddhodana (Verses 168 & 169) . 557
Observe The Impermanence Of Life
13 (3) The Story of Many Monks (Verse 170) . 563
The Disciplined Are Not Attached To The Body
13 (4) The Story of Prince Abhaya (Verse 171) . 565
The Diligent Illumine The World
13 (5) The Story of Venerable SammunianI (Verse 172) . 568
Evil Is Overcome By Good
13 (6) The Story of Venerable Angulimala (Verse 173) . 571
Without Eye Of Wisdom, This World Is Blind
13 (7) The Story of the Weaver-Girl (Verse 174) . 574
The Wise Travel Beyond The Worldly
13 (8) The Story of Thirty Monks (Verse 175) . 577
21
580
A Liar Can Commit Any Crime
13 (9) The Story of Cincamanavika (Verse 176) . .
Happiness Through Partaking In Good Deeds
13 (10) The Story of the Unrivalled Alms-Giving
(Verse 177) . 583
Being Stream- Winner Is Supreme
13 (11) The Story of Kala, son of Anathapindika (Verse 178) . 586
Chapter 14
Buddha Vagga Tfo ‘Buddha
The Buddha Cannot Be Tempted
The Buddha Cannot Be Brought Under Sway
14 (1) The Story of the Three Daughters of Mara
(Verses 179 & 180) . 590
Gods And Men Adore The Buddha
14 (2) The Story of the Buddha’s Return
FROM THE TaVATIMSA DEVA WORLD (VERSE 181) . 595
Four Rare Opportunities
14 (3) The Story of Erakapatta the Naga King (Verse 182) . 598
The Instruction Of The Buddhas
Patience Is A Great Ascetic Virtue and Noble Guidelines
14 (4) The Story of the Question Raised by
Venerable Ananda (Verses 183 - 185) . 601
22
Sensual Pleasures Never Satiated ^ Shun Worldly Pleasures
14 (5) The Story of a Discontented Young Monk
(Verses 186 & 187) . 610
Fear Stricken Masses cS^ Those Refuges Do Not Offer Help
^ Seeing Four Noble Truths c&([ The Noble Path
^ The Refuge That Ends All Sufferings
14 (6) The Story of Aggidatta (Verses 188- 192) . 616
Rare Indeed Is Buddha’s Arising
14 (7) The Story of the Question Raised by
Venerable Ananda (Verse 193) . 628
Four Factors Of Happiness
14 (8) The Story of Many Monks (Verse 194) . 631
Worship Those Who Deserve Adoration
^ Worship Brings Limitless Merit
14 (9) The Story of the Golden Stupa of Kassapa Buddha
(Verses 195 & 196) . 634
Chapter 15
Sukha Vagga happiness
Sukha Vagga (Happiness) Without Sickness Among The Sick
^ Not Anxious Among The Anxious
15 (1) The Story of the Pacification of the
Relatives of the Buddha (Verses 197 - 199) . 641
23
650
Happily They Live - Undefiled
15 (2) The Story of Mara (Verse 200)
Happy Above Both Victory And Defeat
15 (3) The Story of the Defeat of
the King of Kosala (Verse 201) . 65 2
Happiness Tranquilizes
15 (4) The Story of a Young Bride (Verse 202) . 655
Worst Diseases And Greatest Happiness
15 (5) The Story of a Lay-Disciple (Verse 203) . 65 8
Four Supreme Acquisitions
15 (6) The Story of King Pasenadi of Kosala (Verse 204) . 661
The Free Are The Purest
15 (7) The Story of Venerable Tissa (Verse 205) . 664
Pleasant Meetings ^ Happy Company
c3£ The Good And The Wise
15 (8) The Story of Sakka (Verses 206 - 208) . 668
Chapter 16
Piya Vagga Affection
Admiration Of Self-Seekers Not Seeing The Liked
And Seeing The Unliked Are Both Painful
^ Not Bound By Ties Of Defilements
16 (1) The Story of Three Ascetics (Verses 209 - 211) . 678
24
685
The Outcome Of Endearment
16 (2) The Story of a Rich Householder (Verse 212)
Sorrow And Fear Arise Due To Loved Ones
16 (3) The Story of Visakha (Verse 213) . 688
The Outcome Of Passion
16 (4) The Story of Licchavi Princes (Verse 214) . 691
The Outcome Of Lust
16 (5) The Story of Anitthigandha Kumara (Verse 215) . 694
Sorrow And Fear Arise Due To Miserliness
16 (6) The Story of a Brahmin (Verse 216) . 697
Beloved Of The Masses
16 (7) The Story of Five Hundred Boys (Verse 217) . 700
The Person With Higher Urges
16 (8) The Story of an Anagami Venerable (Verse 218) . 703
The Fruits Of Good Action Good Actions Lead
To Good Results
16 (9) The Story of Nandiya (Verses 219 & 220) . 706
Chapter 17
Kodha Vagga finger
He Who Is Not Assaulted By Sorrow
17 (1) The Story of Princess Rohini (Verse 221) . 713
25
The Efficient Charioteer
17 (2) The Story of a Monk (Verse 222) . 716
Four Forms Of Victories
17 (3) The Story of Uttara the Lay-Disciple (Verse 223) . 719
Three Factors Feading To Heaven
17 (4) The Story of the Question Raised by
Venerable Maha Moggallana (Verse 224) . 722
Those Harmless Ones Reach The Deathless
17 (5) The Story of the Brahmin who had been the
‘Father of the Buddha’ (Verse 225) . 725
Yearning For Nibbana
17 (6) The Story of Punna the Slave Girl (Verse 226) . 728
There Is No One Who Is Not Blamed ^
No One Is Exclusively Blamed Or Praised ^
Person Who Is Always Praise- Worthy ^
Person Who Is Fike Solid Gold
17 (7) The Story of Atula the Lay Disciple
(Verses 227 - 230) . 731
The Person Of Bodily Discipline cS^ Virtuous Verbal
Behaviour ^ Discipline Your Mind c&^
Safeguard The Three Doors
17 (8) The Story of A Group of Sd( Monks
(Verses 23 1 -234) . 739
26
Chapter 18
Mala V agga Impurities
Man At The Door Of Death ^ Get Immediate Help
CS^ In The Presence Of The King Of Death c&^
Avoid The Cycle Of Existence
18 (1) The Story of the Son of a Butcher (Verses 235 - 238) . 750
Purify Yourself Gradually
18 (2) The Story of a Brahmin (Verse 239) . 761
One’s Evil Ruins One’s Own Self
18 (3) The Story of Venerable Tissa (Verse 240) . 764
Causes Of Stain
18 (4) The Story of Kaludayi (Verse 241) . 767
Taints Are Evil Things - Ignorance Is The Greatest Taint
c(5^ Ignorance The Worst Taint
18 (5) The Story of a Man Whose Wife Committed Adultery
(Verses 242 & 243) . 770
Shameless Life Is Easy ^
For A Modest Person Life Is Hard
18 (6) The Story of Culla Sar! (Verses 244 & 245) . 77 6
Wrong Deeds To Avoid ^
Precepts The Layman Should Follow ^
These Precepts Prevent Suffering
18 (7) The Story of Five Hundred Lay Disciples
(Verses 246-248) . 782
27
The Envious Are Not At Peace *3^
The Unenvious Are At Peace
18 (8) The Story of Tissa (Verses 249 & 250) . 788
Craving Is The Worst Flood
18 (9) The Story of Five Lay-Disciples (Verse 251) . 793
Easy To See Are The Faults Of Others
18 (10) The Story of Mendaka the Rich Man (Verse 252) . 796
Seeing Others’ faults
18 (11) The Story of Venerable UjjhanasannI (Verse 253) . 799
Nothing Is Eternal Other Than Nibbana
The Buddha Has No Anxiety
18 (12) The Story of Subhadda the Wandering Ascetic
(Verses 254 & 255) . 802
Chapter 19
Dhammattha Vagga Es tab (is bed in ‘1) ft amnia
• •
The Just And The Impartial Are The Best Judges
Firmly Rooted In The Law
19 (1) The Story of the Judge (Verses 256 & 257) . 808
Who Speaks A Lot Is Not Necessarily Wise
19 (2) The Story of a Group of Six Monks (Verse 258) . 814
Those Who Know Speak Little
19 (3) The Story of Kudana the Arahat (Verse 259) . 817
28
Grey Hair Alone Does Not Make An Elder ^
The Person Full Of Effort Is The True Elder
19 (4) The Story of Venerable Lakuntaka Bhaddiya
(Verses 260 & 261) . 820
Who Gives Up Jealousy Is Good-Natured ^
Who Uproots Evil Is The Virtuous One
19 (5) The Story of Some Monks (Verses 262 & 263) . 825
Shaven Head Alone Does Not Make A Monk ^
Who Gives Up Evil Is True Monk
19 (6) The Story of Venerable Hatthaka
(Verses 264 & 265) . 829
One Is Not A Monk Merely By Begging Alms Food
C<S^ Holy Life Makes A Monk
19 (7) The Story of a Brahmin (Verses 266 & 267) . 834
Silence Alone Does Not Make A Sage *3^
Only True Wisdom Makes A Sage
19 (8) The Story of the Followers of Non-Buddhist
Doctrines (Verses 268 & 269) . 840
True Ariyas Are Harmless
19 (9) The Story of a Fisherman Named Ariya (Verse 270) . 844
A Monk Should Destroy All Passions ^
Blemishes Should Be Given Up To Reach Release
19 (10) The Story of Some Monks (Verses 271 & 272) . 846
29
Chapter 20
Magga Vagga T/te Path
Eight-Fold Path Is The Best Only Path To Purity
c3£ Path To End Suffering ^
Buddha Only Shows The Way
20 ( 1 ) The Story of Five Hundred Monks
(Verses 273 - 276) . 85 3
Conditioned Things Are Transient ^ All Component
Things Are Sorrow Everything Is Soul-less
20 (2) The Story of Five Hundred Monks
(Verses 277 - 279) . 862
The Slothful Miss The Path
20 (5) The Story of Venerable Tissa the Idle One
(Verse 280) . 869
Purify Your Thoughts, Words And Deeds
20 (6) The Story of a Pig Spirit (Verse 281) . 871
Way To Increase Wisdom
20 (7) The Story of Venerable Pothila
(Verse 282) . 874
Shun Passion ^ Attachment To Women
20 (8) The Story of Five Old Monks (Verses 283 & 284) . 877
Path To Peace
20 (9) The Story of a Venerable who had been
a Goldsmith (Verse 285) . 882
30
The Fear Of Death
20 (10) The Story of Mahadhana, a Merchant (Verse 286) . 885
Death Takes Away The Attached
20 (11) The Story of KisagotamI (Verse 287) . 888
No Protection When Needed c&^ The Path To The Deathless
20 (12) The Story of Patacara (Verses 288 & 289) . 891
Chapter 21
Pakinnaka V agga 'Miscettaneous
t t
Give Up A Little, Achieve Much
21 (1) The Story of the Buddha's Former Deeds
(Verse 290) . 899
When Anger Does Not Abate
21 (2) The Story of the Woman Who ate up the Eggs
of a Hen (Verse 291) . 902
How Blemishes Increase ^
Mindfulness Of Physical Reality
21 (3) The Story of the Venerables of Bhaddiya
(Verses 292 & 293) . 904
The Destroyer Who Reaches Nibbana ^
The ‘killer’ who Goes Free
21 (4) The Story of Venerable Bhaddiya
(Verses 294 & 295) . 909
31
Meditation On The Virtues Of The Buddha cS^
Meditation On The Virtues Of The Dhamma
^ Meditation On The Virtues Of Sangha
Meditation On The Real Nature Of The Body
^ Meditation On Harmlessness
The Mind That Takes Delight In Meditation
21 (5) The Story of a Wood Cutter’s Son
(Verses 296 - 301) . 9 1 4
Samsara - Journey
21 (6) The Story of the Monk from the Country
of the Vajjis (Verse 302) . 930
He Is Honoured Everywhere
21 (7) The Story of Citta the Householder (Verse 303) . 933
The Virtuous Are Seen
21 (8) The Story of Culasubhadda (Verse 304) . 936
Discipline Yourself In Solitude
21 (9) The Story of the Monk Who Stayed Alone (Verse 305) . 939
Chapter 22
Niraya Vagga
Liars Suffer Tortures Of Hell
22 (1) The Story of Sundar! the Wandering Female Ascetic
(Verse 306) . 942
32
Bad Men Get Born In Bad States
22 (2) The Story of Those Who Suffered
for Their Evil Deeds (Verse 307) . 945
Food Fit For Sinners
22 (3) The Monks Who Lived on the Bank of
the Vaggumuda River (Verse 308) . 947
The Man Who Covets Another’s Wife ^ Shun Adultery
22 (4) The Story of KhEma the Guild Leader
(Verse 309 & 310) . 950
Wrong Monastic Life Leads To Bad States ^
Three Things That Will Not Yield Good Results
C<S^ Do Merit With Commitment
22 (5) The Story of the Obstinate Monk
(Verses 311 -313) . 955
Good Deeds Never Make You Repent
22 (6) The Story of a Woman
of Jealous Disposition (Verse 314) . 963
Guard The Mind
22 (7) The Story of Many Monks (Verse 315) . 965
False Beliefs Lead To Hell
Fear And Fearlessness In Wrong Places
22 (8) The Story of A Group of Bad Ascetics
(Verses 316 & 317) . 968
Right And Wrong
22 (9) The Story of the Disciples of Non-Buddhist Teachers
(Verses 3 1 8 & 3 1 9) . 973
33
Chapter 23
Tfe Great
Naga Vagga
Buddha’s Endurance ^ The Disciplined Animal
^ The Most Disciplined Animal
23 (1) On Subduing Oneself (Verses 320, 321 & 322) . 981
The Right Vehicle To Nibbana
23 (2) The Story of the Monk Who Had Been
A Trainer of Elephants (Verse 323) . 988
The Bound Elephant
23 (3) The Story of an Old Brahmin (Verse 324) . 991
The Slothful, Greedy Sleeper Returns To Samsara,
Over And Over
23 (4) The Story of King Pasenadi of Kosala (Verse 325) . 994
Restrain Mind As A Mahout An Elephant In Rut
23 (5) The Story of Samanera Sanu (Verse 326) . 997
The Elephant Mired
23 (6) The Story of the Elephant
Called Paveyyaka (Verse 327) . 1000
Cherish The Company Of Good ^
The Lonely Recluse ^
For The Solitary The Needs Are Few
23 (7) Admonition to Five Hundred Monks
(Verses 328 - 330) . 1002
34
The Bliss & Blessing To Be An Arahat cS^ Four Forms Of Blessing
23 (12) The Story of Mara (Verses 331 - 333) . 1009
Chapter 24
T anh a V agg A Craving
The Increase Of Craving How Craving Increases
Escaping Craving & Uprooting Craving
24 (1) The Story of the Past: The Insolent Monk. The Bandits
The Story of the Present: The Fishermen,
and The Fish with Stinking Breath
(Verses 334 -337) 1017
Craving Uneradicated Brings Suffering Over And Over ^
Caught In The Current Of Craving The Creeper Of
Craving Bliss Does Not Come Through Craving
Bonds That Entrap Men ^ Nibbana By Shunning Craving
24 (2) The Young Sow (Verses 338 - 343) . 1026
Freed From Craving Runs Back To Craving
24 (3) The Story of a Monk who Disrobed (Verse 344) . 1041
Bonds Of Attachments ^ Bonds Are Strong,
But The Wise Get Rid Of Them
24 (4) The Prison-House (Verses 345 & 346) . 1043
Spider Web Of Passion
24 (5) The Story of Theri Khema (Verse 347) . 1047
Reaching The Further Shore
24 (6) The Story of Uggasena (Verse 348) . 1049
35
Craving Tightens Bonds ^ He Cuts Off Bonds Of Mara
24 (7) Young Archer the Wise (Verses 349 & 350) . 1052
The Person Who Has Reached The Goal ^
The Man Of Great Wisdom
24 (8) Mara seeks in vain to frighten Rahula
(Verses 351 & 352) . 1057
Buddha Is Teacher less
24 (9) The Story of Upaka (Verse 353) . 1062
The Conquests Of All Suffering
24 (10) The Story of the Questions Raised by Sakka
(Verse 354) . 1064
Wealth Destroys The Ignorant
24 (11) The Story of a Childless Rich Man (Verse 355) . 1066
Those Without The Bane Of Passion c§£ Those Without
The Bane Of Ill-Will ^ Those Without The Bane
Of Illusion cS^ Those Without The Bane Of Greed
24 (12) The Greater and the Lesser Gift (Verses 356 - 359) . 1069
Chapter 25
Bhikkhu Vagga T/te OVConf^
Sense Discipline & Suffering Ends With All-Round Discipline
25 (1) The Story of Five Monks in Savatthi
(Verses 360 & 361) . 1079
36
The True Monk
25 (2) The Story of a Monk Who Killed
a Swan (Hamsa) (Verse 362) . 1084
The Ideal Monk
25 (3) The Story of Monk Kokalika (Verse 363) . 1087
The Monk Abides In Dhamma
25 (4) The Story of Venerable Dhammarama (Verse 364) . 1090
Accept What One Receives ^ Gods Adore Virtuous Monks
25 (5) The Story of the Traitor Monk (Verses 365 & 366) . 1093
He Is A Monk Who Has No Attachment
25 (6) The Story Of The Brahmin Who Offered Alms Food
To The Buddha (Verse 367) . 1098
The Monk Who Radiates Loving-Kindness Radiates Peace ^
Give Up Lust And Hatred ^ Flood-Crosser Is One Who
Has Given Up The Fetters ^ Meditate Earnestly c&^
There Is No Wisdom In Those Who Do Not Think ^
He Who Is Calm Experiences Transcendental Joy
He Is Happy Who Reflects On Rise And Fall ^
A Wise Monk Must Possess His Cardinal Virtues
^ A Monk Should Be Cordial In All His Ways
25 (7) The Story of a Devout Lady and the Thieves
(Verses 368 - 376) . 1 101
Cast Off Lust And Hatred
25 (8) The Story of Meditation on Jasmine Flowers
(Verse 377) . 1121
37
He Is Peaceful Who Is Free From All Worldly Things
25 (9) The Story of Venerable Santakaya (Verse 378) . 1123
He Who Guards Himself Lives Happily
You Are Your Own Saviour
25 (10) The Story of Venerable Nangala Kula
(Attachment to Old Clothes) (Verses 379 & 380) . 1126
With Joy And Faith Try To Win Your Goal
25 (11) The Story of Monk Vakkali (Verse 381) . 1 130
Even A Young Monk, If Devout, Can Illumine The Whole World
25 (12) The Story of the Novice Monk Sumana
who Performed a Miracle (Verse 382) . 1133
Chapter 26
Brahmana Vagga ‘The Brahmana
• ♦
Be A Knower Of The Deathless
26 (1) The Story of the Brahmin who had Great Faith
(Verse 383) . 1136
Cultivate Concentration
26 (2) The Story of Thirty Monks (Verse 384) . 1138
The Unfettered Person Is A Brahmana
26 (3) The Story of Mara (Verse 385) . 1142
Who Is Contemplative And Pure Is A Brahmin
26 (4) The Story of a Certain Brahmin (Verse 386) . 1 144
38
1146
The Buddha Shines Day And Night
26 (5) The Story of Venerable Ananda (Verse 387)
He Who Had Discarded All Evil Is Holy
26 (6) The Story of a Brahmin Recluse (Verse 388) . 1149
Harm Not An Arahat An Arahat Does Not Retaliate
26 (7) The Story of Venerable Sariputta
(Verses 389 & 390) . 1152
The Well-Restrained Is Truly A Brahmin
26 (8) The Story of Venerable Nun Mahapajapat! GotamI
(Verse 391) . 1158
Honour To Whom Honour Is Due
26 (9) The Story of Venerable Sariputta (Verse 392) . 1161
One Does Not Become A Brahmin Merely By Birth
26 (10) The Story of Jatila the Brahmin (Verse 393) . 1164
Be Pure Within
26 (11) The Story of the Trickster Brahmin (Verse 394) . 1166
Who Meditates Alone In The Forest Is A Brahmana
26 (12 ) The Story of Kisa GotamI, Wearer
of Refuse-Rags (Verse 395) . 1169
The Non-Possessive And The Non- Attached Person
Is A Brahmana
26 (13) What is a Brahman? (Verse 396) . 1 172
A Brahmana Is He Who Has Destroyed All Fetters
26 (14) The Story of Uggasena the Acrobat (Verse 397) . 1 174
39
1176
A Brahmana Is He Who Has No Hatred
26 (15) The Story of a Tug of War (Verse 398) .
A Brahmana Is He Who Is Patient
26 (16) The Story of the Patient Subduing the Insolent
(Verse 399) . 1178
A Brahmana Is He Who Is Not Wrathful
26 (17) The Story of Sariputta being Reviled by
His Mother (Verse 400) . 1181
He Is A Brahmana Who Clings Not To Sensual Pleasures
26 (18) The Story of Nun Uppalavanna (Verse 401) . 1184
A Brahmana Is He Who Has Laid The Burden Aside
26 (19) The Story of a Slave who
Laid Down His Burden (Verse 402) . 1187
A Brahmana Is He Who Has Reached His Ultimate Goal
26 (20) Khema the Wise (Verse 403) . 1190
A Brahmana Is He Who Has No Intimacy With Any
26 (21) The Story of The Monk and the Goddess
(Verse 404) . 1192
A Brahmana Is He Who Is Absolutely Harmless
26 (22) The Story of the Monk and the Woman
(Verse 405) . 1195
A Brahmana Is He Who Is Friendly Amongst The Hostile
26 (23) The Story of The Four Novices (Verse 406) . 1198
40
A Brahmana Is He Who Has Discarded All Passions
26 (24) The Story of Venerable Maha Panthaka (Verse 407) . 1201
A Brahmana Is He Who Gives Offence To None
26 (25) The Story of Venerable Pilindavaccha (Verse 408) . 1204
A Brahmana Is He Who Steals Not
26 (26) The Story of the Monk who was accused
of Theft (Verse 409) . 1207
A Brahmana Is He Who Is Desireless
26 (27) The Story of Sariputta being misunderstood
(Verse 410) . 1210
In Whom There Is No Clinging
26 (28) The Story of Venerable Maha Moggallana
(Verse 411) . 1213
Above Both Good And Evil
26 (29) Renounce both Good and Evil (Verse 412) . 1215
Learning The Charm
26 (30) The story of Venerable Moonlight (Verse 413) . 1217
The Tranquil Person
26 (31) Seven Years in the Womb (Verse 414) . 1220
Freed From Temptation
26 (32) A Courtesan tempts a Monk
(Sundara Samudda) (Verse 415) . 1223
The Miracle Rings
26 (34) Ajatasattu attacks Jotika’s Palace (Verse 416) . 1226
41
Beyond All Bonds
26 (35) The Story of the Monk
who was once a Mime (Verse 417) . 1229
Person Whose Mind Is Cool
26 (36) The Story of the Monk
who was once a Mime (Verse 418) . 1232
Diviner Of Rebirth cS^ Destroy Unknown
26 (37) The Story of the Skull-Tapper (Verses 419 & 420) . 1234
He Yearns For Nothing
26 (38) The Story of a Husband and Wife (Verse 421) . 1239
He Who Is Rid Of Defilements
26 (39) The Story of Angulmala the Fearless (Verse 422) . 1242
The Giver and Receiver of Alms
26 (40) It is the Giver who makes the Gift (Verse 423) . 1245
About the Author . 1248
42
The Pali Alphabet
Pronunciation of Letters
a
as
U
in
but
n
as
gn
in
Signor
a
if
a
if
art
t
ii
t
ii
not
•
1
if
•
i
ii
pin
d
ii
d
ii
hid
•
1
!!
•
i
ii
machine
n
ii
n
ii
hint
u
II
u
ii
put
P
ii
P
ii
up
u
II
u
ii
rnle
b
ii
b
ii
rib
e
II
e
ii
ten
m
ii
m
ii
him
e
II
a
ii
fate
y
ii
y
ii
yard
0
fl
0
ii
hot
r
ii
r
ii
rat
0
II
0
ii
note
1
ii
1
ii
se//
k
II
k
ii
key
V
ii
V
ii
vile
g
II
g
ii
get
s
ii
s
ii
sit
n
II
ng
ii
ring
h
ii
h
ii
hut
c
fl
ch
ii
rich
1
ii
1
ii
fe/t
•
J
fl
•
J
ii
jug
m
•
ii
ng
ii
sing
The vowels “e” and “o” are always long, except when followed by a
double consonant, e.g., ettha, otta. But, to make reading the Pali text
easier, long “e” and long
“o”
are indicated thus:
“e”
and
“o”
We
adopted this non-con ventional method, to make for easier reading.
There is no difference between the pronunciation of “n” and “m”.
The former never stands at the end, but is always followed by a
consonant of its group.
The dentals “t” and “d” are pronounced with the tip of the tongue
placed against the front upper teeth.
The aspirates “kh”, “gh”, “th”, “dh”, “th”, “dh”, “ph”, “bh” are
pronounced with “h” sound immediately following, as in block¬
head, pighead, cathead, loghead, etc. where the “h” in each is com¬
bined with the preceding consonant in pronunciation.
43
Acknowledgement
In the religious literature of the world that pre-eminently repre¬
sents man’s continued urge towards the spiritual, The
Dhammapada occupies a place of high distinction. Its sacred
contents have unceasingly influenced human thought, holding
aloft the torch of knowledge to light the path of men in their
quest for truth and inner solace. In the current global context,
The Dhammapada has evolved into the stature of an outstand¬
ing treasure of the common human heritage, transcending man¬
made borders and boundaries and rising above limitations
imposed by time. The Dhammapada , in short, is among the
handful of gems of sacred literature esteemed by people all
over the globe, irrespective of cleavages of creed, faith and
variegated religious professions.
The primary purpose of the present English rendering of The
Dhammapada , under the title The Treasury of Truth is to take
the word of the Buddha further afield, in a verbal and visual id¬
iom that will have greater appeal to the modem mind. The eter¬
nal wisdom embodied in the verses of The Dhammapada holds
within it the potential to bring tranquility to men and women
troubled by the stresses and conflicts of life as it is being lived
by a good majority of the people in today’s world of dis¬
harmony and distress. In spite of the deeply felt need of the
contemporary world, to yearn for peace, solace and tranquility,
the word of the Buddha has not generally been presented in a
frequency that throbs to the rhythm of the modern mind- set.
The rationale of the present translation, therefore, is to bring
The Dhammapada closer to generations who are being brought
44
up right round the globe on a staple fare of visual messages
emanating in multiple colour, from the world’s visual primary
media - both of electronic and print categories.
In consequence, The Treasury of Truth has, as its most promi¬
nent core feature a series of 423 specially commissioned illus¬
trations, at the rate of one per stanza in The Dhammapada. This
veritable gallery of Dhammapada illustrations is the creation of
artist P. Wickramanayaka, a well-known Sri Lankan profes¬
sional. He was assisted by artist K. Wi-Jayakeerthi. The illus¬
trations bear witness to the wisdom encapsulated in the
Chinese proverb, ‘One picture is worth ten thousand words’.
An illustration occupies the left-hand side page of the book. On
the opposing page the original story, out of which the verses
stem, is recounted. To reinforce the impressions created by the
illustration and the verbal narration, ample exegetical material
is added. In the section entitled ‘Explanatory Translation’, the
Pali stanzas are given in their prose-order. The Pali words are
explained and a translation of each verse is presented in an eas¬
ily assimilable style.
Over and above all these, there is a commentary. In this seg¬
ment of the book, words, phrases, concepts and expressions
that need further elucidation are accommodated. The structure
of the total work is determined wholly and totally by our per¬
ception of the need to make the word of the Buddha lucidly and
clearly available to all users of this translation of the
Dhammapada. With this in mind, we have provided a caption
for each illustration which sums up clearly and vividly the con¬
tent of each verse, while providing a guide to the understand¬
ing of the significance of the illustration relating to the verse.
45
On the illustration page we have a transliteration of the Pali
stanza in Roman characters. The diacritical marks indicate the
proper pronunciation of the Pali words in the stanza. Right in
front of the transliteration we have a poetic English rendering
of the significance of the Pali verse. This English version has
been produced by Buddhist Bhikkhu Ven. Khantipalo and
Sister Susanna.
Together, all these elements make it a unique work, that will
ensure the enlightened Dhammapada-understanding not only of
the contemporary world, but also of generations to come. The
over-riding and consistent measure of this noble publishing
endeavour has invariably been the quality and quantum of
understanding it will engender in the reader. Each segment of the
work is calculated to bring about an escalation of the reader’s
awareness of what the Buddha said. In effect, the total work
strives to approach as close as is possible to the concept the
Buddha originally communicated through these timeless stanzas.
It may even sound cliche to aver that a monumental work of
this scope and magnitude could be anything other than the re¬
sult of sustained team-work. As the author of this publication, I
must record here that I have had the unmitigated good fortune
of being blessed by the continued availability of a dedicated
team of sponsors, assistants, supporters and co-workers. Pages
of the work were sponsored by devotees and well-wishers.
Their names appear at the bottom of the pages. I offer my
blessings to all those sponsors and trust that like sponsorship
will be forthcoming in the future as well.
I deem it my initial duty to extend my grateful thanks to a team
within the Dhammapada team. This team is made up of Mr.
46
Sito Woon Chee and his wife Ms. Ang Lian Swee. The latter is
known to the Dhammapada team by the name Sit a. They dis¬
played an admirable capacity for sustained effort which was
maintained without fluctuations. Their sense of dedication and
commitment continued without any relaxation. This two-
person team is my best hope for the success of the future
projects we will undertake.
I must record my cordial thanks to Mr. Edwin Ariyadasa of Sri
Lanka who edited this work. He was associated with this
Dhammapada project from its early pioneering steps to its final
stage of completion.
As author, I consider it my duty and privilege to register my
deep-felt gratitude to a prestigious team of scholars who pro¬
vided invaluable editorial support at various levels of this
Dhammapada publication. Ven. Dr Dhammavihari Thero of Sri
Lanka provided directions which contributed vastly towards
the escalation of the quality of this work. A special word of
thanks is due to Ven. Madawela Punnaji Maha Thero whose
observations, comments and interpretations infused wholesome
new thinking to the work. The erudition and the vast patience
of Ven. Hawovita Deepananda Thero illuminated the editorial
work of this book, with his quiet and restrained scholarship.
We have drawn lavishly upon his deep erudition and vast expe¬
rience. Professor David Blundell, presently of Taiwan, as¬
sessed the work with a keen critical eye. The appealing typo¬
graphical presence of this work owes substantially to Professor
Blundell who went to work undaunted by the relentless impera¬
tive of time. Armed with rare enthusiasm and impressive learn¬
ing, Mr. Lim Bock Chwee and Mrs. Keerthi Mendis scrutinized
the final draft of the work. They have my grateful thanks.
47
It is a formidable task, indeed, to attempt to offer my thanks
and gratitude to all those who, at one time or another, assisted
me in this work in a variety of ways. Upali Ananda Peiris spent
strenuous hours initiating the computer utilization for this
work. As the work progressed Mr. Ong Hua Siong shouldered
the responsibility of providing computer support. Mr. J.A.
Sirisena was associated with this aspect of the Dhammapada
work.
I cannot help but mention with a poignant sense of gratitude,
the devotion displayed by Ms. Jade Wong ( Metta ), Ms. Diamond
Wong Swee Leng (. Mudita ), Ms. Annie Cheok Seok Lay
(. Karuna ), Ms. Tan Kim Chan (Mrs. Loh ) and Ms. Tan Gim
Hong (Mrs. Yeo ). They all gave of their best towards the suc¬
cess of this publication.
It is quite appropriate that I should take this opportunity to
record my grateful thanks to Mr. Ee Fook Choy who has al¬
ways been a tower of strength to me personally and to the sbmc
in general. His assistance is readily and unfailingly made avail¬
able to me on all occasions in all my efforts to propagate the
word of the Buddha. I extend an identical sense of gratitude to
Mr. Upul Rodrigo and Mr. Daya Satarasinghe whose deep con¬
cern for the success of our project can, in no way, go un¬
recorded.
The persons who assisted me in this project are numerous. It is
not at all a practicable task to adequately list them all here
however much I wished to do so. While thanking them pro¬
fusely, I must make it quite clear that I alone am responsible
for any errors that may appear in this work.
48
Before I conclude I deem it my duty to record my grateful
thanks to a few special persons; my first English teacher
Mrs. K.S. Wijenayake who taught me the English alphabet,
Mr. Piyaratna Hewabattage, the outstanding graphic art ex¬
pert of Sri Lanka, Ven. H. Kondanna, Ven. K. Somananda,
Mr. Dennis Wang Khee Pong, Mr. & Mrs. Ang Chee Soon,
and Miss. Chandra Dasanayaka whose dynamic support enli¬
vened the total project. And also Mr. Sumith Meegama,
Miss. Nanda Dharmalata, and Ven. V. Nanda. My thanks are
also due to Mr. Saman Siriwardene, Mr. Nandana and Mrs.
Kumudini Hewabattage, members of the Heritage House.
They collectively determined, by and large, the typographic
personality of this noble publication.
I am happy to share with all, the sense of profound joy I experi¬
ence in being able to present this Treasury of Perennial
Transcendental Wisdom to the world. May this work prove a
constant companion to all, guiding them along the path of
righteousness and virtue towards the ultimate goal of Total
Bliss.
Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
author - Chief Monk, sbmc, Singapore
27th November, 1993
49
Dedication
In a zoo rid, largely bewildered
and rendered very much
help Cess by Man 's seeming Cy
unceasing unkindness to Man,
the weCC-springs of Cove, compassion
and affection have begun to
dry up into a weak trickfe
in aCmost every theatre of human existence.
“. This unprecedented anthoCogy of
the “Buddha's “Word, in te\t and copious
iCCustration is dedicated to humanity,
with the unswerving aim of
guiding its des tiny towards
an “Era of “Peace,
whoCesome Co -existence.
Ven. Weragoda Sarada Thero - author
27 th November, 1993
50
oSdeoD £> dcjztfS SeoodoSaS
ontfSo { QQ Dddcd&d
Sznd&zn OS dzs^ t&oQQom cddq (stzddQQcd gQozn ea'csznocjzs) &<§OD6-e£>d
Late Ven. Pandita Yatalamatte Vgjiranana Maha Nayaka Thero,
Incumbent of Jayanthi Vihara, Weragoda, Meetiyagoda my Venerable
Teacher is the sole source and inspiration of the service I render to the
world by spreading the word of the Buddha worldwide through my publica¬
tion programme spanning so far a period of more than 25 years. With un¬
diminished gratitude I transfer all the merit I have acquired by pursuing
these meritorious activities to the ever-living memory of my late Teacher.
51
Introduction
By
Ven. Balangoda An and a Maitreya
Maha Nay aka Thero
The Eternal Truth revealed by the
Exalted Buddha, could be summed
up under the four headings: Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), its
cause, the cessation of Dukkha and the way thereto. The Ex¬
alted Buddha expounded the Doctrine of these four Great
Truths, illustrating and communicating it to suit the mentality
of his hearers of wide ranging backgrounds. All his teachings
have been grouped into three collections - or three Baskets
(Tripitakas). The three Pitakas are Vinaya, Abhidhamma and
Sutta. The present work, Dhammapada, is the second book of
the Minor Collection (Khuddakagama) of the Sutta Pitaka (The
Basket of Discourses). It consists of 423 stanzas arranged in 26
Vaggas or Chapters.
By reading Dhammapada, one could learn the fundamentals of
the Buddhist way of life. It leads its reader not only to a happy
and useful life here and hereafter but also to the achievement of
life’s purpose “Summum Bonum” the Goal Supreme. Mr.
Albert J. Edmonds - author of one of the best English trans¬
lations of Dhammapada says: “If ever an immortal classic was
produced upon the continent of Asia - it is the Dhammapada”.
In the western world, the Dhammapada was first translated into
Latin by Prof. Fausball of Copenhagen. The first English trans¬
lation was by Prof. Max Muller. Since then many English ver¬
sions have appeared.
52
Of all these translations, the present version entitled “Treasury
of Truth” has several claims to uniqueness. It is in this version
that all of the 423 stanzas have been illustrated. Each of the
423 stanzas has its own especially commissioned illustration.
The author of this work - Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero,
is widely known for his efforts to spread the word of the
Buddha worldwide. Ven. Sarada - a Buddhist Bhikkhu of inde¬
fatigable zeal - has brought out 69 publications on Buddhist
themes, to his credit. His recent work “Life of the Buddha in
Pictures” has acquired worldwide acclaim. The present work is
a monumental publication.
The structure of the Treasury of Truth, is highly impressive.
Here, each stanza is transliterated in Roman characters. The
prose order of Pali stanzas is given and the significance of
the Pali words is conveyed. The original story - out of which
a given stanza stems - is also narrated. Popular translations,
exegetical material and a commentary are provided to guide
the user. I have the greatest pleasure in describing this work
as a great contribution to the world literature of Buddhism
and related issues. Not only the contemporary world but
even generations to come will profit from this work. Ven.
Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero deserves praise and the high¬
est recognition of all for this monumental contribution to
human culture.
Ven. Bafanyoda Ananda Maitreya Mafia !A[ayafa ‘Thero
53
Foreword
by
Ven. Dr. Kirinde Dh amman and a
Maha Nayaka Thero
Chief Prelate Malaysia
(Ph.D., D.Litt.)
I find myself in a specially privi¬
leged position to recognize fully
and completely, the magnititude of the undertaking of Ven.
Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero - Chief Incumbent of the
Buddhist Mediation Centre, Singapore - who is the author of
“The Treasury of Truth” translation of The Dhammapada.
Objectively viewed, the current translation of the Dhamma¬
pada, authored by Ven. W. Sarada Maha Thero, is way ahead
of all the other renderings of this great work, for several very
important reasons.
“The Treasury of Truth”, marks the first-ever occasion when
all of the 423 stanzas have been illustrated with pictures espe¬
cially commissioned for this work.
This series of illustrations will have particular appeal to the
youthful readers of our day as they are keenly attuned to visual
communication. Viewed this way, the present translation of
Dhammapada will invariably provide a wholesome sense of
direction to those bewildered generations of our time, leading
them in the path to higher moral and spiritual achievements.
54
The present work lends itself readily to an in-depth study of
this religious classic of mankind, to the great delight of both
the scholar and the student.
Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero - the individual behind
this outstanding gift to the world of religion and culture, is a re¬
markable person endowed with exceptional talents. Spreading
the word of the Buddha abroad is his avowed life’s mission.
The global success of his Buddhist publications is further en¬
hanced by “Treasury of Truth”, which, to my mind, is his cli¬
mactic work to date.
He has 68 Buddhist books to his credit, and he continues to
pursue his publication programme with ever accelarating vig¬
our, for the “greater happiness and the greater well-being of the
masses” ( bahujanahitaya , bahujanasukhdya).
My earnest wish is the author of this work, Ven. W. Sarada
Maha Thero, may be blessed with long life and sound health
enabling him to spread the word of the Buddha far and wide.
May the “Treasury of Truth” be a beacon light guiding the path
of today’s generations and of the generations to come.
Ven. ' Dr . JQrinde *D hammananda Mafia !A[ayafa ‘Thero
55
Kalama Sutta
Ham Hi Ho Khlama Kankhitum Ham
Hicikicchitum, Hankfianlye Ca
Tana Ho ‘Thane Hicihiccha Uppanna, Ttha ‘Tnmhe
‘Kalama Ha TLnussavena, Ha ‘Taramparaya,
Ha Itihiraya, Ha Titaha S amp adanena,
Ha Tahhahetm Ha Haya Hetn,
Ha Sahara ‘ParivitahJ^ena, Ha THtthi Kjjj hana hRh antiya,
Ha (Bha6harnpataya , Ha Samano Hp Cfaruti.
Kada ‘Tnmhe Kalama , TLttanava Janeyyatha
7
Ime IDhamma TLhnsala, Ime IDhamma Savajja ,
Ime IDhamma Hihhh Cjarahita, Ime IDhamma Samatta
Samadinna Tihitaya 'Duhkhaya
Sanwattantlti: Titha ‘Tnmhe Kplama ‘Pajaheyyatha.
Buddha
(Anguttara Nikaya, Vol 1, 188-193 P.T.S. Ed.)
56
Kalama Sutta
Do not believe in anything ( simply )
because you have heard it
Do not believe in traditions because they
have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe in anything because it is
spoken and rumoured by many.
Do not believe in anything ( simply ) because
it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority
of your teachers and elders.
But after observation and analysis,
when you find that anything agrees with reason
and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all
then accept it and live up to it.
Buddha
(AjNTGUTTARA NlKAYA, VOL 1,188-193 P.T.S. Ed.)
57
Twin Verses
Suffering Follows The Evil-Doer
1 (1 ) The Story of the Monk Cakkhupala (Verse 1 )
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Cakkhupala, a blind monk.
On one occasion, Monk Cakkhupala came to pay homage to
the Buddha at the Jetavana Monastery. One night, while pacing
up and down in meditation, the monk accidentally stepped on
some insects. In the morning, some monks visiting the monk
found the dead insects. They thought ill of the monk and re¬
ported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha asked them
whether they had seen the monk killing the insects. When they
answered in the negative, the Buddha said, “Just as you had not
seen him killing, so also he had not seen those living insects.
Besides, as the monk had already attained arahatship he could
have no intention of killing, so he was innocent.” On being
asked why Cakkhupala was blind although he was an arahat,
the Buddha told the following story:
Cakkhupala was a physician in one of his past existences.
Once, he had deliberately made a woman patient blind. That
woman had promised to become his slave, together with her
children, if her eyes were completely cured. Fearing that she
and her children would have to become slaves, she lied to the
physician. She told him that her eyes were getting worse when,
in fact, they were perfectly cured. The physician knew she was
deceiving him, so in revenge, he gave her another ointment,
which made her totally blind. As a result of this evil deed the
physician lost his eyesight many times in his later existences.
59
Explanatory Translation (Verse 1)
dhammd manopubbangamd mandsetthd manomayd
ce padutthena manasd bhdsati vd karoti vd tato
dukkham nam anveti vahato padam cakkam iva.
• • i. • •
dhammd : experience; manopubbangamd : thought pre¬
cedes; mandsetthd : thought is predominant; ce: therefore,
if, padutthena: (with) corrupted; manasd : thought; bhdsati :
(one) speaks; karoti vd: or acts; tato: due to it, dukkham:
suffering; nam: that person; anveti: follows; vahato padam:
draught animal’s hoof; cakkam iva: as the cart wheel.
All that we experience begins with thought. Our words and
deeds spring from thought. If we speak or act with evil
thoughts, unpleasant circumstances and experiences inevitably
result. Wherever we go, we create bad circumstances because
we carry bad thoughts. We cannot shake off this suffering as
long as we are tied to our evil thoughts. This is very much like
the wheel of a cart following the hoofs of the ox yoked to the
cart. The cart-wheel, along with the heavy load of the cart,
keeps following the draught oxen. The animal is bound to this
heavy load and cannot leave it.
Commentary
The first two verses in the Dhammapada reveal an important concept
in Buddhism. When most religions hold it as an important part of their
dogma that the world was created by a supernatural being called ‘God’,
Buddhism teaches that all that we experience (the ‘world’ as well as
the ‘self) is created by thought, or the cognitive process of sense per¬
ception and conception. This also proves that writers on Buddhism are
mistaken in stating that the Buddha was silent concerning the begin¬
ning of the world. In the Rohitassa Sutta of the Anguttara Nikdya, the
Buddha states clearly that the world, the beginning of the world, the
60
end of the world, and the way leading to the end of the world, are all in
this fathom long body itself with its perceptions and conceptions.
The word mand is commonly translated as ‘mind’. But the Buddha
takes a phenomenalistic standpoint in the mind-matter controversy that
had baffled philosophers throughout history. The duality - ‘mind’ and
‘body’ - is rejected by the Buddha. The Buddha explains in the Sabba
Sutta of the Sarny utta Nikaya that all that we can talk about is ‘sense
experience’, including thought or conception as the sixth sense. The
terms ndma and rupa, commonly translated as ‘mind’ and ‘body’ are
not two ‘entities’ that co-exist in relation to each other. They are only
two ways of looking at the single ‘activity’ called ‘experience’. Ndma
(naming) is ‘experience’ seen subjectively as ‘the mental process of
identifying an object’ ( rupa kaye adhivdcana sampassa ).
Rupa (appearance) is ‘experience’ seen objectively as an ‘entity’ that is
perceived and conceived through the mental process of identification
(ndma kaye pathigha sampassa ). Mand refers to ‘thought’ or the men¬
tal process of conceptualization, which integrates and makes meaning
out of the different percepts brought in through the different senses.
This meaningful total ‘experience’ is the dhammd, viewed subjectively
as ‘identification of an entity’ (ndma) and objectively as ‘the entity
identified’ (rupa). Dhammd which is this “meaningful totality of expe¬
rience” is normally seen as pleasant or unpleasant circumstance (loka
dhamma).
61
Happiness Follows The Doer Of Good
1 (2) The Story of Mattakundali (Verse 2)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Mattakundali, a young
B rahmin .
Mattakundali was a young Brahmin, whose father, Adinnapub-
baka, was very miserly and never gave anything in charity.
Even the gold ornaments for his only son were made by him¬
self to save payment for workmanship. When his son fell ill, no
physician was consulted, until it was too late. When he realized
that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside on to
the verandah, so that people coming to his house would not see
his possessions.
On that morning, the Buddha arising early from his deep medi¬
tation of compassion saw, in his Net of Knowledge, Mattakun¬
dali lying on the verandah. So when entering Savatthi for alms-
food with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of the
Brahmin Adinnapubbaka. The Buddha sent forth a ray of light
to attract the attention of the youth, who was facing the interior
of the house. The youth saw the Buddha; and as he was very
weak he could only profess his faith mentally. But that was
enough. When he passed away with his heart in devotion to the
Buddha he was reborn in the Tavatimsa celestial world.
From his celestial abode the young Mattakundali, seeing his fa¬
ther mourning over him at the cemetery, appeared to the old
man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his
rebirth in the Tavatimsa world and also urged him to approach
and invite the Buddha to a meal. At the house of Adinnapub¬
baka the question of whether one could or could not be reborn
62
in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound
faith in the Buddha, without giving in charity or observing the
moral precepts, was brought up. So the Buddha invited
Mattakundali to appear in person; Mattakundali then appeared
in his celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the
Tavatimsa realm. Only then, the listeners became convinced
that the son of the Brahmin Adinnapubbaka, by simply devot¬
ing his mind to the Buddha, had attained much glory.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 2)
dhammd manopubbangamd mano sett ha manomayd
ce pasannena manasd bhasati vd karoti vd tato
sukham nam anveti anapayini chdyd iva
dhammd : experience; manopubbangamd : thought pre¬
cedes; mandsetthd : thought is predominant; manomaya :
mind-made are they; ce: therefore, if; pasannena : (with)
pure; manasd: thought; bhasati : (one) speaks; karoti vd: or
acts; tato: due to it; sukham: happiness; nam: that person;
anveti: follows; anapayini: not deserting; chdyd iva: as the
shadow.
All that man experiences springs out of his thoughts. If his
thoughts are good, the words and deeds will also be good. The
result of good thoughts, words and deeds will be happiness.
This happiness never leaves the person whose thoughts are
good. Happiness will always follow him like his shadow that
never leaves him.
Commentary
How we experience our circumstances depends on the way we inter¬
pret them. If we interpret them in the wrong way, we experience suffer-
63
ing. If we interpret them in the right way, we experience happiness. In
other words, our happiness or unhappiness depends on the way we
think.
Thought also creates circumstances in a futuristic sense. If we harbour
ill will and speak or act with ill will, people will begin to hate us. We
will be punished by society and the law. After death, we will also be
reborn in a realm of suffering. Here, ‘thought’ refers to kamma (action)
and ‘experience’ refers to vipaka (consequences).
The message finally conveyed by this pair of verses is: “Think wrong
and suffer. Think right and be happy.” This pair of verses was spoken
by the Buddha to show the inevitable consequence ( vipaka ) of good
and evil thought (kamma). Man reaps what he has sown, both in the
past and in the present. What he sows now, he reaps in the present and
in the future. Man himself is responsible for his own happiness and
misery. He creates his own hell and heaven. He is the architect of his
own fate. What he makes he can unmake. Buddhism teaches the way to
escape from suffering by understanding and using the law of cause and
effect. Buddhism is very realistic and optimistic. Instead of blindly de¬
pending on unknown supernatural powers, hoping for happiness, Bud¬
dhism finds the true way to happiness realistically.
64
Uncontrolled Hatred Leads To Harm ss£
Overcoming Anger
1 (3) (4) The Story of Monk Tissa (Verses 3 & 4)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
uttered these Verses, with reference to Monk Tissa. Tissa, son
of the Buddha’s maternal aunt, was at one time staying with
the Buddha. He had become a monk only in his old age, but he
posed as a senior monk and was very pleased when visiting
monks asked his permission to do some service for him. On the
other hand, he failed to perform the duties expected of junior
monks; besides, he often quarrelled with the younger monks.
Should anyone rebuke him on account of his behaviour, he
would go complaining to the Buddha, weeping, very much dis¬
satisfied and very upset.
Once, the Teacher asked him, “Tissa, why have you come to
me so sad and sorrowful with tears in your eyes, weeping?”
The other monks had discussed among themselves, “If he goes
alone, he may cause trouble.” So they too went along with him,
paid obeisance to the Teacher, and sat down respectfully on
one side. Tissa answered the Teacher’s question, “Venerable,
these monks are abusing me.” The Teacher asked, “But where
were you sitting?” “In the centre of the monastery in the Hall
of State, Venerable.” “Did you see these monks when they
came?” “Yes, Venerable I saw them.” “Did you rise and go to
meet them?” “No, Venerable, I did not.” “Did you offer to take
their monastic utensils?” “No, Venerable, I did not offer to take
them.” “Tissa, do not act thus. You alone are to be blamed; ask
their pardon.” “I will not ask their pardon, Venerable.”
65
The monks said to the Teacher, “He is an obstinate monk, Ven¬
erable.” The Teacher replied, “Monks, this is not the first time
he has proved obstinate; he was obstinate also in a previous
state of existence.” “We know all about his present obstinacy,
Venerable; but what did he do in a previous state of exist¬
ence?” “Well then, monks, listen,” said the Teacher. So saying,
he told the following story.
Once upon a time , when a certain king reigned at Benares , an
ascetic named Devala , who had resided for eight months in the
Himalaya country , desiring to reside near the city during the
four months of the rains, for salt and vinegar returned from the
Himalayas. Seeing two boys at the gate of the city , he asked
them , “ Where do monks who come to this city spend the nightT ’
“In the potted s hall , Venerable .” So Devala went to the potted s
hall , stopped at the door , and said , “If it is agreeable to you ,
Bhaggava , I would like to spend one night in your hall.” The
potter turned over the hall to him , saying , “I have no work go¬
ing on in the hall at night , and the hall is a large one ; spend the
night here as you please , Venerable .” No sooner had Devala
entered the hall and sat down than another ascetic named
Narada , returning from the Himalayas , asked the potter for a
nighfs lodging. The potter thought to himself “The ascetic who
arrived first may or may not be willing to spend the night with
him ; I will therefore relieve myself of responsibility.”
So he said to the ascetic who had just arrived, “Venerable, if
the ascetic who arrived first approves of it, spend the night at
your pleasure.” So Narada approached Devala and said,
“Teacher, if it is agreeable to you, I would like to spend one
night here.” Devala replied, “The hall is a large one; therefore
come in and spend the night on one side.” So Narada went in
66
and sat down beside the ascetic who had gone in before him.
Both exchanged friendly greetings.
When it was bedtime, Narada noted carefully the place where
Devala lay and the position of the door, and then lay down. But
when Devala lay down, instead of lying down in his proper
place, he lay down directly across the doorway. The result was
that when Narada went out at night, he trod on Devala’ s matted
locks. Thereupon Devala cried out, “Who is treading on my
locks?” Narada replied, “Teacher, it is I.” “False ascetic,” said
Devala, “You come from the forest and tread on my locks.”
“Teacher, I did not know that you were lying here; please par¬
don me.” Narada then went out, leaving Devala weeping as if
his heart would break. Devala thought to himself, “I will not let
him tread on me when he comes in also.” So he turned around
and lay down, placing his head where his feet had been before.
When Narada came in, he thought to himself, “The first time I
injured the teacher; this time I will go in past his feet.” The re¬
sult was that, when Narada entered, he trod on Devala’ s neck.
Thereupon Devala cried out, “Who is that?” Narada replied, “It
is I, teacher.” “False ascetic,” said Devala, “The first time you
trod on my locks. This time you tread on my neck. I will curse
55 66
you.” “Teacher, I am not to blame. I did not know that you
were lying in this position. When I came in I thought to myself,
‘The first time I injured the teacher; this time I will go in past
his feet.’ Please pardon me.” “False ascetic, I will curse you.”
“Do not do so, teacher.” But Devala, paying no attention to
what Narada said, cursed him all the same, saying, “May your
head split into seven pieces at sunrise.”
Now Narada, perceiving that the curse would fall back on his
brother-ascetic, he felt compassion for him, and therefore put
67
forth the power of his meditation and prevented the sunrise.
When the sun did not rise, the king had to intervene and ask
Devala to apologise. Devala refused. Then said Narada to
Devala, “Teacher, I will put forth my power of meditation and
make the sun to rise. At the moment of sunrise please keep a
lump of clay on your head and submerge in water and rise in
different places as you go your way.” As soon as the sun’s rays
touched the lump of clay on his head, it divided into seven
pieces. Thereupon Devala ducked in the water, and came up in
a different place, and ran away. When the Buddha had given
his instruction, he said, “Monks, at that time the king was
Ananda, Devala was Tissa, and Narada was myself, when at
that time he was obstinate.”
The Buddha advised them not to keep thoughts of enmity, for
this could be only appeased by thoughts of friendliness.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 3)
mam akkocchi mam avadhi mam ajini me ahdsi
• • • t J
ye tarn upanayhanti tesam veram na sammati
mam : me; akkocchi’. (he) insulted; mam : me; avadhi’. (he)
assaulted; mam: me; ajini (he) defeated; ahdsi: (he)
robbed; me: my (belongings); ye: those who; tarn: such
thoughts; upanayhanti: keep coming back to; tesam: their;
veram: enmity; na sammati: never ceases.
When a person holds that he was insulted, assaulted, defeated,
or robbed, his anger continues to increase. The anger of such a
person has no way of subsiding. The more he goes over his im¬
aginary trouble the greater becomes his desire to avenge it.
68
Explanatory Translation (Verse 4)
mam akkocchi mam avadhi mam ajini me ahdsi
• • •
ye tarn na upanayhanti tesam veram sammati.
mam: me; akkocchi : (he) insulted; mam : me; avadhi’. (he)
assaulted; mam : me; ajini: (he) defeated; ahdsi : (he)
robbed; me: my (belongings); ye: those who; tarn: such
thoughts; na upanayhanti: does not constantly return to;
tesam: their; veram: enmity; sammati: ceases.
Living in human society, people often quarrel with one an¬
other. When such conflicts occur, people often keep thinking
about the wrongs done to them by others. When that happens,
their anger tends to grow. But in those who forgive and forget
the wrongs done to them, anger quickly vanishes. They are
then at peace.
Commentary
This pair of verses reveals the psychological principle that is basic to
emotional control. Emotion is an excitement of the body that begins
with a thought. A thought creates a mental picture which, if held onto,
excites a corresponding emotion. It is only when this mental picture is
discarded and paid no attention to, that the emotion subsides. The
Buddha’s constant advice to His followers was not to retaliate but to
practice patience at all times and places, even under provocation. The
Buddha praises those who forebear the wrongs of others, even though
they have the power to retaliate. In the Dhammapada itself there are
many instances that show how the Buddha practiced patience, even
when he was severely criticised, abused, and attacked. Patience is not a
sign of weakness or defeatism but the unfailing strength of great men
and women. The secret of patience is to change the mental picture or
how you interpret a situation. An example is given in the Shantivadi
Jataka, where the saint Shantivadi was the Buddha Gotama in his
former life. The saint kept repeating the thought, “Long live the king
may he be free from harm,” while his limbs were severed until death,
by this cruel king who wanted to test his patience.
69
Hatred Is Overcome Only By Non-Hatred
1 (4) The Story of KaliyakkhinT (Verse 5)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to a certain woman who was
barren and another capable of bearing a child.
Once there lived a householder, whose wife was barren. Being
unable to bear a child and afraid that she would be mistreated
by her husband and her mother-in-law, she arranged for her
husband to marry another woman. But on two occasions, as
soon as she knew the second wife was pregnant, the barren
wife gave her food mixed with drugs causing her to have a mis¬
carriage. On her third pregnancy, the pregnant wife kept it to
herself without informing the barren wife. But when the latter
came to know about it, she again caused an abortion. Eventu¬
ally the second wife died in childbirth. Before her death, the
unfortunate woman was filled with hatred and vowed venge¬
ance on the barren wife and her future offspring. Thus a feud
started.
Among their later existences the two were reborn as a hen and
a female cat; a doe and a leopard; and finally as the daughter of
a nobleman in Savatthi and a female evil spirit. One day she
(Kali YakkhinI) was in pursuit of the nobleman’s daughter and
her baby. When this lady heard that the Buddha was giving a
religious discourse at the Jetavana Monastery, she fled to him
and placed her son at his feet for protection. The evil spirit was
prevented from entering the Monastery. She was later called in
and both the lady and the evil spirit were admonished by the
Buddha. The Buddha told them about their past trouble as rival
wives and how they had been harboring hatred towards each
70
other. They were made to see that hatred could only cause
more hatred, and that it could only cease through friendship,
understanding, and goodwill. Both realised their mistake, and
on the admonition of the Buddha, made their peace with each
other.
The Buddha then requested the woman to hand over her son to
the evil spirit. Fearing for the safety of her son, she hesitated,
but because of her devotion and confidence in the Buddha she
did hand over her son.
The child was warmly received by the evil spirit. After kissing and
caressing the child tenderly like her own son, she handed back
the child to his mother. As a result, there was no more hatred.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 5)
idha verena verdni kuddcanam na hi sammantT
• •
averena ca sammanti esa scmantand dhammo
• •
idha : in this world; verdni : hatred (enmity); verena : through
hatred; kuddcanam’. at no time; na hi sammantT: not sub¬
sided; averena ca: only by non-hatred; sammanti: are paci¬
fied; esa: this (is); sanantano: ageless; dhammo: wisdom.
Those who attempt to conquer hatred by hatred are like warri¬
ors who take weapons to overcome others who bear arms. This
does not end hatred, but gives it room to grow. But, ancient
wisdom has advocated a different timeless strategy to over¬
come hatred. This eternal wisdom is to meet hatred with
non-hatred. The method of trying to conquer hatred through
hatred never succeeds in overcoming hatred. But, the method
of overcoming hatred through non-hatred is eternally effective.
That is why that method is described as eternal wisdom.
71
Commentary
The principle revealed in this verse is clear. Quarrels can never come
to an end by quarrelling. War can never end through further wars. En¬
mity never ends by returning enmity for enmity. Only by giving up an¬
ger, enmity, quarrelling and wars can these evils be stopped. It is
through friendliness, forgiving and forgetting that enmity ceases.
72
Recollection Of Death Brings Peace
1 (5) The Story of KOsambi Monks (Verse 6)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
uttered this verse, with reference to the monks of Kosambi.
The monks of Kosambi had formed into two groups. One
group followed the master of Vinaya and the other followed
the teacher of the Dhamma. Once they were quarrelling among
themselves over a minor Vinaya rule. Even the Buddha could
not stop them from quarrelling; so he left them and spent the
vassa, religious retreat in the monsoon season, all alone in
Rakkhita Grove near Parileyyaka forest. There, the elephant
Parileyya waited upon the Buddha.
The lay disciples of Kosambi, on learning the reason for the
departure of the Buddha, refused to make offerings to the re¬
maining monks. This made them realize their mistake and rec¬
onciliation took place among themselves. Still, the lay disci¬
ples would not treat them as respectfully as before, until they
owned up their fault to the Buddha. But the Buddha was away
and it was in the middle of the vassa; so the monks of Kosambi
spent the vassa in misery and hardship.
At the end of the vassa, the Venerable Ananda and many
monks approached the Buddha and gave the message from
Anathapindika and other lay disciples imploring him to return.
In due course the Buddha returned to the Jetavana Monastery
in Savatthi. The monks followed him there, fell down at his
feet, and admitted their fault. The Buddha rebuked them for
disobeying Him. He told them to remember that they must all
die some day and therefore, they must stop their quarrels and
must not act as if they would never die.
73
Explanatory Translation (Verse 6)
ettha pare mayam yamdmase na ca vijdnanti tattha
ye ca vijdnanti tato medhagd sammanti.
ettha : in this place; pare: those others; mayam : we; yamd¬
mase: die; na vijdnanti : do not know; tattha : here; ye ca:
some; vijdnanti: know (it); tato: due to that (awareness);
medhagd: conflicts and disputes; sammanti: subside.
Most of us are not willing to face the reality of impermanence
and death. It is because we forget this fact that our lives are
transitory, that we quarrel with each other, as if we are going to
live for ever. But, if we face the fact of death, our quarrels will
come to an end. We will then realize the folly of fighting when
we ourselves are doomed to die. Excited by emotions our
thought being clouded, we cannot see the truth about life.
When we see the truth, however, our thoughts become free of
emotions.
Commentary
The essence of Buddhism is facing the reality of death and imperma¬
nence. Why we suffer is because we run away from reality, carried
away by emotions. Emotions are in conflict with reality; therefore, they
are bound to be thwarted by reality. Not only anger but all self-centred
emotions come to an end when we face the reality of death. It is a real¬
istic thought that ends all unhappiness. Those who do not face reality
in this Buddhist way, continue to be frustrated and angry, and suffer in
consequence.
Generally, people are not aware that death will overtake them one day.
They act unmindful of this universal truth. Both monks and laymen,
unmindful of death and considering themselves as immortals, are often
heedless in cultivating virtues. They engage themselves in strife and
arguments and are often dejected, with their hopes and aspirations
74
shattered. At times, they postpone their work with the hope of doing it
on a grand scale in the future, and end up without being able to do any¬
thing. Therefore, it is only proper that one should daily reflect on
death .
Being mindful of death is central to the Buddhist way of understanding
the real nature of life. There are people in this world, people in various
walks of life, who resent the very word ‘death’, let alone reflect on it.
Infatuated by long life, good health, youth and prosperity, they com¬
pletely forget the fact that they are subject to death. Immersed in the
evanescent pleasures of the five-fold senses, they seek only material
satisfaction in this world, completely disregarding a future life, and in¬
dulging in vice through the mind, body and speech. They regard this
impermanent and evanescent life as permanent and everlasting. It is to
arouse a sense of dissatisfaction in such blind and ignorant people, to
allay the pangs of sorrow caused by the separation of parents and chil¬
dren, and from wealth and property, to inculcate the doctrine of imper¬
manence in all beings, and thereby convince them of the unsatisfaction
of life, and direct them towards the attainment of everlasting peace,
that the Buddha preached these words.
A person who has not comprehended the doctrine of the Buddha is in¬
fatuated by long life and considers himself as immortal, even though
he may see many deaths around him; he is infatuated by good health
and considers himself free from disease even though he may see count¬
less diseased persons around him; he is infatuated by youth even
though he may see many aged persons and considers himself as one
who is not subjected to old age; he is infatuated by wealth and prosper¬
ity even though he may see countless persons rendered destitute
through loss of wealth; and he never thinks for a moment, that he too,
might be subjected to such a state.
75
Sloth Defeats Spirituality Spiritual
Strength Is Undefeatable
1 (6) The Story of Monk Mahakala (Verses 7 & 8)
While residing in the neighbourhood of the town of Setavya,
the Buddha uttered these verses, with reference to Mahakala
and his brother Culakala. For Culakala, Majjhima Kala, and
Mahakala were three householders who lived in Setavya, and
they were brothers. Culakala and Mahakala, the oldest and
youngest respectively, used to travel abroad with their caravan
of five hundred carts and bring home goods to sell, and Ma¬
jjhima Kala sold the goods they brought. Now on a certain oc¬
casion the two brothers, taking wares of various kinds in their
five hundred carts, set out for Savatthi, and halting between Sa-
vatthi and Jetavana, unharnessed their carts. In the evening
Mahakala saw Noble Disciples, residents of Savatthi, with gar¬
lands and perfumes in their hands, going to hear the Law.
“Where are they going?” he asked. Receiving the answer that
they were going to hear the Law, he thought to himself, “I will
go too.” So he addressed his youngest brother, “Dear brother,
keep watch over the carts; I am going to hear the Law.” So say¬
ing, he went and paid obeisance to the Buddha and sat down in
the outer circle of the congregation.
On that day the Teacher preached the Law in orderly sequence
with reference to Mahakala’ s disposition of mind, and quoting
the Sutta on the Aggregate of Suffering, and other Suttas, dis¬
coursed on the sinfulness and folly and contamination of sen¬
sual pleasures. Mahakala, after listening to the discourse, be¬
came a monk under the Teacher. Culakala likewise became a
monk. But the thought in Culakala’ s mind was, “After a time I
will return to the world and take my brother with me.”
76
Somewhat later Mahakala made his full profession, and ap¬
proaching the Teacher, asked him, “How many duties are there
in this Religion?” The Teacher informed him that there were
two. Said Mahakala, “Venerable, since I became a monk in old
age, I shall not be able to fulfill the Duty of Study, but I can
fulfill the Duty of Contemplation.” So he had the Teacher in¬
struct him in the Practice of meditation in a cemetery, which
leads to Arahatship. At the end of the first watch, when every¬
one else was asleep, he went to the cemetery; and at dawn, be¬
fore anyone else had risen, he returned to the Monastery.
Now a certain young woman of station was attacked by a dis¬
ease, and the very moment the disease attacked her, she died,
in the evening, without a sign of old age or weakness. In the
evening her kinsfolk and friends brought her body to the burn¬
ing-ground, with firewood, oil, and other requisites, and said to
the keeper of the burning-ground, “Bum this body.” And pay¬
ing the keeper the usual fee, they turned the body over to her
and departed. When the keeper of the burning-ground removed
the woman’s dress and beheld her beautiful golden-hued body,
she straightway thought to herself, “This corpse is a suitable
Subject of Meditation to show to His reverence.” So she went
to the Venerable, paid obeisance to him, and said, “I have a re¬
markably good Subject of Meditation; pray look at it, Venera¬
ble.” “Very well,” said the Venerable. So he went and caused
the dress which covered the corpse to be removed, and sur¬
veyed the body from the soles of the feet to the tips of the hair.
Then he said, “Throw this beautiful golden-hued body into the
fire, and as soon as the tongues of fire have laid hold of it,
please tell me.” So saying, he went to his own place and sat
down. The keeper of the burning-ground did as she was told
and went and informed the Venerable. The Venerable came
77
and surveyed the body. Where the flames had touched the
flesh, the colour of her body was like that of a mottled cow; the
feet stuck out and hung down; the hands were curled back; the
forehead was without skin. The Venerable thought to himself,
“This body, which but now caused those who looked thereon
to forget the Sacred Word, has but now attained decay, has but
now attained death.” And going to his night-quarters, he sat
down, discerning clearly Decay and Death. Mahakala devel¬
oped Spiritual Insight and attained Arahatship, together with
the Supernatural Faculties.
When Mahakala attained Arahatship, the Buddha, surrounded
by the Congregation of Monks, travelling from place to place,
arrived at Setavya and entered the Simsapa forest. Culakala’ s
wives, hearing that the Buddha had arrived, thought to them¬
selves, “Now we shall recover our husband.” So they went and
invited the Buddha. Now when a visit is expected from the
Buddha, it is customary for a single monk to go in advance and
give warning. When Culakala went home to prepare for alms¬
giving his wives tore off his robes. Mahakala’ s eight wives
also thought that they would get their husband to give up the
robes. One day, they arranged an alms-giving for the Buddha
and the Disciples and asked the Buddha to leave Mahakala be¬
hind to pronounce the formula of thanksgiving after alms-giv¬
ing. The Buddha left him at his former home and went away
with the other disciples.
When the Buddha reached the village gate, the congregation of
monks was offended and said, “What a thing for the Buddha to
do! Did he do it wittingly or unwittingly? Yesterday Culakala
came and that was the end of his monastic life. But today, a dif¬
ferent monk came and nothing of the sort happened.” The
78
Buddha sent Mahakala back and continued on his way. Said
the monks, “The monk Mahakala is virtuous and upright. Will
they put an end to his monastic life?” Mahakala’ s wives tried
to make him a layman but he rose into the air through his psy¬
chic power as an Arahat and appeared before the Buddha as he
was reciting these two verses. Monk Mahakala paid obeisance
to the Buddha and the Buddha told the other monks that they
were wrong about Arahat Mahakala to compare him with
Monk Culakala.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 7)
subhdnupassim viharantam indriyesu asamvutam
bhojanamhi ca amattannum kusTtam hmavTriyam
tarn ve pasahati Mdro vdto dubbalam rukkham iva
subhdnupassim : dwelling on the attractiveness of sensual
pleasures; viharantam : he who lives; indriyesu : in senses;
asamvutam : unguarded; bhojanamhi ca: in food also;
amattannum : immoderate; kusTtam : lazy; hinaviriyam :
weak in making an effort; tarn: that person; Mdro: emotion
personified as ‘Mara’ (the equivalent of ‘Devil’); ve:
indeed; pasahati: overpowers; vdto: the wind; dubbalam:
weak; rukkham: tree; iva: like.
Those who dwell on the attractiveness of sensual enjoyments,
and live with the senses unguarded, and are immoderate in eat¬
ing, they are slothful and weak in perseverance and will-power.
Emotions overpower such persons as easily as the wind over¬
powers a weak tree.
79
Explanatory Translation (Verse 8)
asubhdnupassim viharantam indriyesu susamvutam
bhojanamhi ca mattannum saddham araddha vTriyam
Mdro tarn ve nappasahati vato selam pabbatam iva.
asubhdnupassim : dwelling on the unattractiveness of sensual
pleasure; viharantam : he who lives; indriyesu : in senses;
susamvutam : well guarded; bhojanamhi ca: in food also;
mattannum : moderate; saddham: devoted; araddha vTriyam:
strong in effort; tarn: that person; Mdro: emotions personified
as ‘Mara’ (the equivalent of ‘Devil’); nappasahati: does not
overpower; vato: the wind; selam pabbatam: rocky mountain;
iva: like.
Those who dwell on the unattractiveness of sensual enjoy¬
ments, and live with the senses well guarded, and moderate in
eating, they are devoted to the Teaching and to persistent me¬
thodical practice. Such persons are not overpowered by emo¬
tions just as a rocky mountain is not shaken by the wind.
Commentary
Those who have a false idea of optimism and think that life is a bed of
roses without thorns, they keep focusing on the pleasant side of life and
ignore the unpleasant. As a result, they become attached to things and
call them “this is mine” or “this is myself’. When these things to which
they are attached change and are parted from them, they lament that
what is “theirs” and what is “themselves” is breaking up and dying.
Those who look at the unpleasant side of life, the thorns in the roses,
have their attachments weaken. When this happens, the change and sep¬
aration from attached objects do not bring about much sorrow or grief.
80
Asubhanupassana : does not mean the reflection on the painfulness of
pain which produces hatred or aversion. That is called the cultivation
of ‘the perception of repulsiveness ’ (pathigha sannd ), which is also to
be avoided. Its true meaning is the reflection on the bad side of sensual
pleasure, which people often like to ignore, and in so doing, run into
suffering, the very thing that they are trying to avoid. True optimism is
not a one-sided view of life but an ability to see a solution to the prob¬
lems in life. This is the optimism of Buddhism.
This pair of verses reveals the method of finding happiness in life, by
giving up attachment to things of the world. The first step is to think re¬
alistically. Guarding the senses is learning to stop reacting to pleasant
and unpleasant circumstances with desire and aversion. Exercising
control in our eating habits and overcoming laziness are necessary to
maintain the practice of focusing attention on right things and thereby
clearing the thoughts of emotional attachments.
81
Those Who Do Not Deserve The Stained Robe
The Virtuous Deserve The Stained Robe
1 (7) The Story of Devadatta (Verses 9 & 1 0)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke these verses, with reference to Devadatta. For on a cer¬
tain occasion the two Chief Disciples, each with a retinue of
five hundred monks, took leave of the Buddha and went from
Jetavana to Rajagaha. The residents of Rajagaha united in twos
and threes and in larger groups gave alms in accordance with
the custom of giving alms to visitors. Now one day Venerable
Sariputta said, in making the Address of Thanksgiving, “Lay
brethren, one man himself gives alms, but does not urge an¬
other to give; that man receives in future births the blessing of
wealth, but not the blessing of a retinue. Another man urges his
neighbour to give, but does not himself give; that man receives
in future births the blessing of a retinue, but not the blessing of
wealth. Another man neither himself gives alms nor urges oth¬
ers to give; in future births that man receives not so much as a
bellyful of sour rice-gruel, but is forlorn and destitute. Yet an¬
other both himself gives alms and urges his neighbour to give;
that man, in future births in a hundred states of existence, in a
thousand states of existence, in a hundred thousand states of
existence, receives both the blessing of wealth and the blessing
of a retinue.” Thus did Venerable Sariputta preach the law.
One person invited the Venerable to take a meal with him, say¬
ing, “Venerable, accept my hospitality for tomorrow.” For the
alms-giving someone handed over a piece of cloth, worth one
hundred thousand, to the organizers of the alms giving cere¬
mony. He instructed them to dispose of it and use the proceeds
for the ceremony should there be any shortage of funds, or if
82
there were no such shortage, to offer it to anyone of the monks
they thought fit. It so happened that there was no shortage of
anything and the cloth was to be offered to one of the monks.
Since the two Chief Disciples visited Rajagaha only occasion¬
ally, the cloth was offered to Devadatta, who was a permanent
resident of Rajagaha.
It came about this way. Some said, “Let us give it to the Vener¬
able Sariputta.” Others said, “The Venerable Sariputta has a
way of coming and going. But Devadatta is our constant com¬
panion, both on festival days and on ordinary days, and is ever
ready like a water-pot. Let us give it to him.” After a long dis¬
cussion it was decided by a majority of four to give the robe to
Devadatta. So they gave the robe to Devadatta.
Devadatta cut it in two, fashioned it, dyed it, put one part on as
an undergarment and the other as an upper garment, and wore
it as he walked about. When they saw him wearing his new
robe, they said, “This robe does not befit Devadatta, but does
befit the Venerable Sariputta. Devadatta is going about wear¬
ing under and upper garments which do not befit him.” Said
the Buddha, “Monks, this is not the first time Devadatta has
worn robes unbecoming to him; in a previous state of existence
also he wore robes which did not befit him.” So saying, he re¬
lated the following.
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benares, there
dwelt at Benares a certain elephant-hunter who made a living
by killing elephants. Now in a certain forest several thousand
elephants found pasture. One day, when they went to the for¬
est, they saw some Private Buddhas. From that day, both going
and coming, they fell down on their knees before the Private
Buddha before proceeding on their way.
83
One day the elephant-hunter saw their actions. Thought he, “I
too ought to get a yellow robe immediately.” So he went to a
pool used by a certain Private Buddha, and while the latter was
bathing and his robes lay on the bank, stole his robes. Then he
went and sat down on the path by which the elephants came and
went, with a spear in his hand and the robe drawn over his head.
The elephants saw him, and taking him for a Private Buddha,
paid obeisance to him, and then went their way. The elephant
which came last of all he killed with a thrust of his spear. And
taking the tusks and other parts which were of value and bury¬
ing the rest of the dead animal in the ground, he departed.
Later on the Future Buddha, who had been reborn as an ele¬
phant, became the leader of the elephants and the lord of the
herd. At that time also the elephant-hunter was pursuing the
same tactics as before. The Buddha observed the decline of his
retinue and asked, “Where do these elephants go that this herd
has become so small?” “That we do not know, master.” The
Buddha thought to himself, “Wherever they go, they must not
go without my permission.” Then the suspicion entered his
mind, “The fellow who sits in a certain place with a yellow
robe drawn over his head must be causing the trouble; he will
bear watching.”
So the leader of the herd sent the other elephants on ahead and
walking very slowly, brought up the rear himself. When the
rest of the elephants had paid obeisance and passed on, the ele¬
phant-hunter saw the Buddha approach, whereupon he gath¬
ered his robe together and threw his spear. The Buddha fixed
his attention as he approached, and stepped backwards to avoid
the spear. “This is the man who killed my elephants,” thought
the Buddha, and forthwith sprang forwards to seize him. But
the elephant-hunter jumped behind a tree and crouched down.
84
Thought the Buddha, “I will encircle both the hunter and the
tree with my trunk, seize the hunter, and dash him to the
ground.” Just at that moment the hunter removed the yellow
robe and allowed the elephant to see it. When the Great Being
saw it, he thought to himself, “If I offend against this man, the
reverence which thousands of Buddhas, Private Buddhas, and
Arahats feel towards me will of necessity be lost.” Therefore
he kept his patience. Then he asked the hunter, “Was it you that
killed all these kinsmen of mine?” “Yes, master,” replied the
hunter. “Why did you do so wicked a deed? You have put on
robes which become those who are free from the passions, but
which are unbecoming to you. In doing such a deed as this, you
have committed a grievous sin.” So saying, he rebuked him
again for the last time. “Unbecoming is the deed you have
done,” said he.
When the Buddha had ended this lesson, he identified the char¬
acters in the J at aka as follows, “At that time the elephant-
hunter was Devadatta, and the noble elephant who rebuked
him was I myself. Monks, this is not the first time Devadatta
has worn a robe which was unbecoming to him.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 9)
anikkasdvd damasaccena apeto yd kdsdvam
vattham paridahessati so kdsdvam na arahati
anikkasdvd : uncleaned of the stain of defilements; damasa¬
ccena'. emotional control and awareness of reality; apeto :
devoid of; Yd: some individual; kdsdvam vattham : the
stained cloth; paridahessati : wears; so: that person;
kdsdvam: the stained robe; na arahati: is not worthy of.
85
A monk may be stained with defilements, bereft of self-control
and awareness of reality. Such a monk, though he may wear
the ‘stained cloth’ (the monk’s robe which has been specially
coloured with dye obtained from wild plants), he is not worthy
of such a saintly garb.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 10)
Yd ca vantakasdvassa silesu susamdhito
damasaccena so upeto sa ve kdsdvam arahati
Yd ca: if some person; vantakasdvassa : free of the stain of
defilements; silesu : well conducted; susamdhito : who is
tranquil within; damasaccena : with emotional control and
awareness of reality; upeto : endowed; so: that person; ve:
certainly; kdsdvam: the stained cloth; arahati: is worthy of.
Whoever dons the ‘stained cloth’, being free of defilements,
who is well conducted and tranquil within, having emotions
under control and aware of reality, such a person is worthy of
the sacred ‘stained cloth.’
Commentary
The ‘stained cloth’ is a symbol of purity for the Buddhist. He holds as
sacred and holy this specially prepared monk’s robe. The Buddhist
bows down in homage to the wearer of this robe. The robe signifies the
Sangha which is a part of the Holy Trinity of the Buddhist: Buddha,
Dhamma and Sangha.
When a person is ordained as a Buddhist monk, the person feels that he
has risen above the mundane realm and become a holy person. This
feeling is reinforced when laymen bow down before him. This new
‘self-image’ helps the newly ordained person to start a new life of holi¬
ness. The layman too gets inspiration by seeing and worshiping the
86
wearer of the robe. This veneration of the robe, therefore, is an impor¬
tant part of the Buddhist practice.
This is why a person contaminated by profanity is not worthy of the
yellow cloth. It is a sacrilege to wear it, if he is impure. It is a desecra¬
tion of the sacred robe.
87
False Values Bar Spiritual Progress
Truth Enlightens
1 (8) The Story of Monk Sariputta (Verses 11 & 12)
While residing at Veluvana, the Bamboo Grove Monastery in Ra-
jagaha, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to San-
jaya, a former teacher of the Chief Disciples, the Venerable
Sariputta and the Venerable Moggallana (formerly Upatissa
and Kolita).
Before the Buddha appeared in the world, there were two
Brahamana villages not far from Rajagaha named Upatissa vil¬
lage and Kolita village. One day a Brahamana’ s wife named
Rupasari, who lived in Upatissa village, conceived a child; and
on the same day a brahamin’s wife named Moggali, who lived
in Kolita village, likewise conceived a child in her womb. We
are told that for seven generations these two families had been
firmly knit and bound together in the bonds of friendship; they
performed the Protection of the Embryo for the two expectant
mothers on the same day. On the expiration of ten lunar
months, both women gave birth to sons.
On the day appointed for the name of the children, they gave
the name Upatissa to the son of the brahamin woman whose
name was Sari, because he was the son of the principal family
in Upatissa village; to the other boy, because he was the son of
the principal family in Kolita village, they gave the name
Kolita. As they grew up, both boys attained the highest profi¬
ciency in all the arts and sciences. Whenever the youth Upa¬
tissa went to the river or the garden to enjoy himself, five hun-
88
dred golden litters accompanied him; five hundred chariots
drawn by thoroughbreds accompanied the youth Kolita. The
two youths had retinues of five hundred boys apiece.
Now there is a festival celebrated every year in Rajagaha
which goes by the name of Mountain-top festival. A couch for
the two youths was set up in one place, and the two youths sat
together and witnessed the passing show. When there was oc¬
casion to laugh, they laughed; when there was occasion to
weep, they wept; when it was time to give alms, they gave
alms. In this way they witnessed the festivities for several days.
But one day, when they had grown wiser, there was no laugh
when they might have laughed, as on preceding days, there
were no tears when they might have wept, and when their alms
were sought they gave no alms.
The following thought, we are told, occurred to the two youths,
“Why should we look at this? Before a hundred years have
passed, all these people will have gone hence and will no more
be seen. It behoves us rather to seek the Way of Release.” And
taking this thought to heart, they sat down. Then Kolita said to
Upatissa, “Friend Upatissa, you do not appear to be pleased
and delighted as on previous days. Nay rather, you are afflicted
with melancholy. What is in your mind?” “Friend Kolita, I sit
thinking, ‘There is no lasting satisfaction in looking upon these
folk; this is all unprofitable; it behoves me rather to seek the
Way of Release for myself. But why are you melancholy?”
Kolita said the same thing. When Upatissa discovered that
Kolita’ s thoughts were one with his own, he said, “Both of us
have had a happy thought. It behoves us both to seek the Way
of Release and to retire from the world together. Under what
teacher shall we retire from the world?”
89
Now at this time a wandering ascetic named Sanjaya entered
the city of Rajagaha, accompanied by a large retinue of wan¬
dering ascetics. “We will retire from the world and become
monks under Sanjaya,” said Upatissa and Kolita. So they dis¬
missed five hundred retainers, saying to them, “Take the litters
and the chariots and go,” and, together with the remaining five
hundred, retired from the world and became monks under San¬
jaya. From the day when these two youths retired from the
world and became monks under Sanjaya, Sanjaya reached the
pinnacle of gain and renown. In but a few days they had passed
the bounds of Sanjaya’ s teaching. Therefore they asked him,
“Teacher, is this all the religious truth you know, or is there
something more besides?” “This is all there is; you know all.”
The questions Upatissa and Kolita asked, the others, too, were
not able to answer; but every question the others asked, Upa¬
tissa and Kolita answered. In this manner they travelled over
the Land of the Rose- apple; then they retraced their steps and
returned to their own homes again. Before they separated, Upa¬
tissa said to Kolita, “Friend Kolita, whichever of us first attains
the Deathless is to inform the other.” Having made this agree¬
ment, they separated.
One day, the wandering ascetic Upatissa saw the Monk Assaji.
Upatissa said to him, “Calm and serene, brother, are your or¬
gans of sense; clean and clear is the hue of your skin. For
whose sake, brother, did you retire from the world? And who is
your teacher? And whose doctrine do you profess?” “Brother, I
am as yet a mere novice; its not long since I have been a monk;
but recently did I approach Buddha’s doctrine and discipline.”
Said the ascetic, I am Upatissa; say much or little according to
your ability; I will understand the meaning in a hundred ways
or a thousand ways.” At what Monk Assaji said Upatissa re-
90
ceived higher excellence. Upatissa next saw his friend Kolita
and informed him that he had attained deathless. He pro¬
nounced the same stanza Assaji had pronounced. Kolita was
established in the fruit of conversion. They decided to visit the
Buddha. They thought they should ask their former instructor
Sanjaya to join them. “You may go; I cannot come,” Sanjaya
said, “In the past I have gone about as a teacher of the multi¬
tude. For me to become a pupil again would be absurd.”
“Do not act thus, teacher,” Upatissa said. “Teacher, from the
moment of the Buddha’s appearance in the world the populace
has adored Him. Let’s also go there. What do you intend to do
now?” Sanjaya replied, “Friends, which are more numerous in
this world, the stupid or the wise?” “Teacher, the stupid are
many, the wise are few.” Sanjaya said: “Well then, friends, let
the wise men go to the wise Monk Gotama and let the stupid
come to stupid me.” Upatissa and Kolita departed. About two
hundred and fifty wandering ascetics of Sanjaya’ s group also
joined the two friends.
Then Kolita and Upatissa saw the Buddha and became his
chief disciples. Upatissa became Sariputta, and Kolita became
Moggallana. They informed the Buddha how Sanjaya would
not come to see the Buddha.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 11)
asdre sdramatino sdre ca asaradassino micchd-
sankappagocard te sdram na adhigacchanti
asdre: what are not values; sdramatino : if seen as values;
sdre ca: and what are values; asaradassino: if seen as not
91
values; micchdsahkappagocard : given to wrong aspira¬
tions; te: those (ignorant people); sdram : to the values; na
adhigacchanti : do not attain.
A person interested in spiritual progress must be aware of spir¬
itual values. It is true that material things are also necessary.
But they are not the values to be sought after for spiritual
progress. If people were to give prominence to material values
they cannot attain any spiritual heights.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 12)
sdram sarato ca asdram asdrato ca natvd sammd
• •
sankappa gocard te sdram adhigacchanti.
sdram: the true values; sarato ca: as true values; asdram:
what are not values; asdrato ca: as not values; natvd: hav¬
ing understood; sammd sankappa gocard: blessed with
right aspirations; te: those (wise individuals); sdram: true
values; adhigacchanti: attain to.
The wise person who is able to recognize the true values lead¬
ing to spiritual attainments, is capable of attaining to spiritual
heights. Such a person is possessed of right views.
Commentary
This pair of verses stresses the importance of a proper ‘sense of values’
which is essential to the practice of the spiritual path. Our sense of val¬
ues is what gives direction to our lives. The purity and richness of our
lives depend on our sense of values. In fact, our judgement of superior¬
ity and inferiority, and our happiness and sense of achievement, are
also dependent on this sense of values.
Those who have a wrong understanding of values have wrong aspira¬
tions, and they never attain the true riches of life.
92
Lust Penetrates Untrained Mind ss£
The Disciplined Mind Keeps Lust Away
1 (9) The Story of Monk Nanda (Verses 13 & 14)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke these verses, with reference to Monk Nanda, a cousin of
the Buddha. Venerable Kaludayi, knowing that it was the
proper time for the Buddha to go to see his father, described
the beauty of the journey and conducted the Buddha with his
retinue of many Arahats to Kapilapura. And there, in the com¬
pany of his kinsfolk, the Buddha, taking a shower of rain for
his text, related the Vessantara Jataka. On the following day he
entered the city for alms. By the recitation of the Stanza, “A
man should exert himself and should not live the life of Heed¬
lessness, ” he established his father in the Fruit of Conversion;
and by the recitation of the Stanza, “A man should live right¬
eously,” he established Maha Pajapati in the Fruit of Conver¬
sion and his father in the Fruit of the Second Path.
On the following day, while the ceremonies of Prince Nanda’ s
sprinkling, house-warming, and marriage were in progress, the
Buddha entered the house for alms, placed his bowl in Prince
Nanda’ s hands, and wished him good luck. Then, rising from
his seat, He departed without taking his bowl from the hands of
the Prince. Out of reverence for the Buddha, Prince Nanda did
not dare say, “Venerable, receive your bowl,” but thought
within himself, “He will take his bowl at the head of the stairs.”
But even when the Buddha reached the head of the stairs, He
did not take his bowl. Thought Nanda, “He will take his bowl
at the foot of the stairs.” But the Buddha did not take his bowl
even there. Thought Nanda, “He will take his bowl in the pal¬
ace court.” But the Buddha did not take his bowl even there.
93
Prince Nanda desired greatly to return to his bride, and fol¬
lowed the Buddha much against his own will. But so great was
his reverence for the Buddha that he did not dare say, “Receive
your bowl,” but continued to follow the Buddha, thinking to
himself, “He will take his bowl here! He will take his bowl
there! He will take his bowl there!”
At that moment they brought word to his bride Janapada-Ka-
lyani belle-of-the-country, “My lady, the Exalted One
(Buddha) has taken Prince Nanda away with him; it is his pur¬
pose to deprive you of him.” Thereupon Janapada-Kalyani,
with tears streaming down her face and hair half-combed, ran
after Prince Nanda as fast as she could and said to him, “Noble
sir, please return immediately.” Her words caused a quaver in
Nanda’ s heart; but the Buddha, without so much as taking his
bowl, led him to the Monastery and said to him, “Nanda,
would you like to become a monk?” So great was Prince
Nanda’ s reverence for the Buddha that he refrained from say¬
ing, “I do not wish to become a monk,” and said instead, “Yes,
I should like to become a monk.” Said the Buddha, “Well then,
make a monk of Nanda.” Thus it happened that on the third day
after the Buddha’s arrival at Kapilapura he caused Nanda to
become a monk.
While the Buddha was thus residing at Jetavana, Venerable
Nanda, becoming discontented, told his troubles to the monks,
saying, “Brethren, I am dissatisfied. I am now living the reli¬
gious life, but I cannot endure to live the Religious Life any
longer. I intend to abandon the higher precepts and to return to
the lower life, the life of a layman.”
The Exalted One, hearing of this incident, sent for Venerable
Nanda and said to him, “Nanda, is the report true that you
94
spoke as follows to a large company of monks, ‘Brethren, I am
dissatisfied; I am now living the Religious Life, but I cannot
endure to live the Religious Life any longer; I intend to aban¬
don the higher precepts and to return to the lower life, the life
of a layman’?” “It is quite true, Venerable.” “But, Nanda, why
are you dissatisfied with the Religious Life you are now living?
Why cannot you endure to live the Religious Life any longer?
Why do you intend to abandon the higher precepts and to re¬
turn to the lower life, the life of a layman?” “Venerable, when I
left my house, my noble wife Janapada-Kalyani, with hair half-
combed, took leave of me, saying, ‘Noble sir, please return im¬
mediately.’ Venerable, it is because I keep remembering her
that I am dissatisfied with the religious life I am now living;
that I cannot endure to live the religious life any longer; that I
intend to abandon the higher precepts and to return to the lower
life, the life of a layman.” Then the Exalted One took Venera¬
ble Nanda by the arm, and by his power conducted him to the
World of the Thirty-three. On the way the Buddha pointed out
to Venerable Nanda in a certain burnt field, seated on a burnt
stump, a greedy monkey which had lost her ears and nose and
tail in a fire.
When they reached the World of the Thirty- three, he pointed
out five hundred pink-footed celestial nymphs who came to
wait upon Sakka, king of the gods. And when the Buddha had
shown Venerable Nanda these two sights, he asked him this
question, “Nanda, which do you regard as being the more
beautiful and fair to look upon and handsome, your noble wife
Janapada-Kalyani or these five hundred pink-footed celestial
nymphs?”
“Venerable ,” replied Nanda , “ as far inferior as this greedy
monkey which has lost her ears and nose and tail is to Jana-
95
pada-Kcilydni , even so far inferior , Venerable , A my noble wife
Janapada-Kalydni to these five hundred pink-footed celestial
nymphs .”
“Cheer up, Nanda!” replied the Exalted One. “I guarantee that
you will win these five hundred pink-footed celestial nymphs.”
Said Venerable Nanda, “If, Venerable, the Buddha guarantees
that I shall win these five hundred pink-footed celestial
nymphs in that case, Reverend Sir, I shall take the greatest
pleasure in living the exalted life of a religious man.”
Now Venerable Nanda, although his fellow-monks despised
him for striving to seek celestial nymphs, was nevertheless, liv¬
ing in solitude, withdrawn from the world, heedful, ardent, res¬
olute, in no long time, even in this life, attained the supreme
goal of the religious life. This did he know: “Birth is at an end,
lived is the holy life, duty is done: I am no more for this
world.” And there was yet another venerable elder numbered
among the Arahats.
In the course of the night Venerable Nanda approached the
Buddha, and spoke as follows, “Venerable, I release the
Buddha from the promise which he made when he guaranteed
that I should win five hundred pink-footed celestial nymphs.”
The Buddha replied, “Nanda, I myself grasped your mind with
my own mind.” The monks started saying, “On former days he
used to say, ‘I am dissatisfied,’ but now says, ‘I am in no wise
inclined to the life of a layman.’” And forthwith they went and
reported the matter to the Buddha.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 13)
ducchannam agdram vutthi yathd samati vijjhati
evam abhdvitam cittam rdgo samativijjhati
96
ducchcinnam : badly thatched; agaram : house; vutthi : the
rain; yatha: in such a manner; samati vijjhati : does pene¬
trate; cvam: in that manner; abhdvitam : uncultured; cittam :
temperament; ragd: passion; samativijjhati : penetrates.
It is quite necessary that a house should have a well-thatched
roof. If the thatching is weak, rain seeps through into the
house. Just as the badly thatched roof lets in the rain, the uncul¬
tured temperament too is open to passions. The temperament
that is not cultured is penetrated easily by lust.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 14)
succhannam agaram vutthi yatha na samati vijjhati
evam subhdvitam cittam rdgo na samati vijjhati
succhannam’. well thatched; agaram : abode, house; vutthi’.
rain; yatha : in such a manner; na samati vijjhati: does not
penetrate; evam: in the same way; subhdvitam: well cul¬
tured; cittam: temperament; rago: passion; na samati
vijjhati: does not penetrate.
When the house is protected by a well-thatched roof, it is not at
all harmed by the rain, because rainwater cannot seep through
it. In the same way, the well-cultured temperament too does
not allow passion to come through. Therefore, the well-cul¬
tured temperament cannot be penetrated by passions.
Commentary
The terms ‘citta’ and ‘memo’ are loosely translated by writers on Bud¬
dhism as if they were synonymous and interchangeable. Both words
are usually translated as ‘mind’ . Buddhism does not recognize an en¬
tity called ‘mind’ or a ‘mind-body’ duality. Buddhism, however, rec¬
ognizes the cognitive ( Mand ) and affective (citta) processes of psycho-
97
physical activity, which may be seen objectively as physical and
subjectively as mental. The term ‘ citta ’ in these verses may also refer
to the affective process which may be more appropriately termed ‘tem¬
perament’ .
The term ‘ bhavancC is also usually translated as ‘meditation’. But the
term ‘ bhavancC is more meaningfully translated as ‘culture’. Bhdvand
is the culture and development of the cognitive and affective processes
that lead to good behaviour and happiness.
Sorrow Springs From Evil Deeds
1 (10) The Story of CundasOkarika (Verse 15)
While residing at the Veluvana Monastery in Rajagaha the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Cunda the pork-butcher.
Although the Buddha was in residence at a neighbouring mon¬
astery, on not a single day did Cunda do him honour by offer¬
ing him so much as a handful of flowers or a spoonful of rice,
nor did he do a single work of merit besides.
One day he was attacked by madness, and while he yet re¬
mained alive, the fire of the realm of suffering rose up before him.
When the torment of the realm of suffering rose up before the
pork-butcher Cunda, his mode of behavior was altered in cor¬
respondence with his past deeds. Even as he remained within
his house, he began to grunt like a pig and to crawl on his
hands and knees, first to the front of the house and then to the
rear. The men of his household overpowered him and gagged
him. But in spite of all they did (since it is impossible for any¬
one to prevent a man’s past deeds from bearing fruit), he kept
crawling back and forth, grunting like a pig continually.
Not a person was able to sleep in the seven houses nearby. The
members of his own household, terrified by the fear of death,
unable otherwise to prevent him from going out, barricaded the
doors of the house that he might not be able to go out. Having
thus suffered for a period of seven days, he died and was re¬
born in the realm of suffering.
Some monks said to the Buddha “Venerable, for seven days
the door of Cunda the pork-butcher’s house has been closed,
and for seven days the killing of pigs has gone on; doubtless he
99
intends to entertain some guests. So cruel and savage a being
has never been seen before.”
Said the Buddha, “Monks, he has not been killing pigs these
seven days. Retribution in keeping with his past deeds has
overtaken him. Even while he yet remained alive, the torment
of the realm of suffering rose up before him. By reason of this
torment he crawled hither and thither in his house for seven
days, grunting and squealing like a pig. Today he died, and was
reborn in hell.” When the Buddha had thus spoken, the monks
said, “Reverend Sir, having suffered thus here in this world, he
went again to a place of suffering and was there reborn.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 15)
papakan idha socati pecca socati ubhayattha socati.
So attano kilittham kammam disvd socati so vihannati
pdpakdn: the evil doer; idha: in this world; socati : grieves;
pecca : in the next world; socati : grieves; ubhayattha : in
both worlds; socati: grieves; so: he; attano: his own;
kilittham kammam: blemished action; disvd: having seen;
socati: grieves; so: he; vihannati: is vexed.
The story of Cunda confirms the utterance of the first verse of
the Dhammapada (1:1), that evil begets nothing but evil, by
way of consequence. Also that some of the effects of evil deeds
are suffered in this very life.
Commentary
People who commit evil actions are unaware of their consequences at
the moment of performance. Therefore, they tend to repent on seeing
the consequences of what they did. This creates grief. This does not
mean that a man must always suffer the consequences of his deeds,
100
without any hope. If that is the case, there is no benefit in leading a reli¬
gious life, nor is there any opportunity to work for one’s emancipation.
In this pair of verses, suffering and happiness in the next world are also
indicated. Buddhists do not believe that this life on earth is the only life
and that human beings are the only kind of being. Planes of existence
are numerous and beings are innumerable. After death one may be
born as a human being, in a subhuman state or in a celestial plane ac¬
cording to one’s actions. The so-called being in the subsequent life is
neither the same as its predecessor (as it has changed) nor absolutely
different (as it is the identical stream of life). Buddhism denies the
identity of a being but affirms an identity of process.
101
Good Deeds Bring Happiness
1 (1 1 ) The Story of Dhammika Upasaka (Verse 1 6)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Dhammika, a lay disciple.
Once there lived in Savatthi, a lay disciple by the name of
Dhammika, who was virtuous and very fond of giving charity.
He generously offered food and other requisites to the monks
regularly and also on special occasions. He was, in fact, the
leader of five hundred virtuous lay disciples of the Buddha
who lived in Savatthi. Dhammika had seven sons and seven
daughters and all of them, like their father, were virtuous and
devoted to charity. When Dhammika was very ill and was on
his death-bed he made a request to the Sangha to come to his
bedside and recite the sacred texts. While the monks were re¬
citing the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, six decorated chariots from
six celestial worlds arrived to invite him to their respective
worlds. Dhammika told them to wait for a while for fear of in¬
terrupting the recitation of the Sutta. The monks, thinking that
they were being asked to stop, stopped and left the place.
A little while later, Dhammika told his children about the six
decorated chariots waiting for him. Then and there he decided
to choose the chariot from the Tusita world and asked one of
his children to throw a garland on to it. Accordingly the chil¬
dren of the layman threw the wreath of flowers, and it clung to
the pole of the chariot and hung suspended in the air. The pop¬
ulace saw the wreath of flowers suspended in the air, but did
not see the chariot. Said Dhammika, “Do you see this wreath of
flowers?” “Yes, we see it.” “This wreath hangs suspended
from the chariot which came from the World of the Tusita
102
gods. I am going to the World of the Tusita gods; do not be dis¬
turbed. If you desire to be reborn with me, do works of merit
even as I have done.” Then he passed away and was reborn in
the Tusita world. Thus, the virtuous man rejoices in this world
as well as in the next. When those monks reached the Monas¬
tery, the Buddha asked them, “Monks, did the lay disciple hear
the Dhamma?” “Yes, Venerable. But in the midst of the recita¬
tion he cried out, ‘Wait! Wait!’ and stopped us. Then his sons
and daughters began to weep, whereupon we departed.” “Monks,
he was not talking to you. From the Six Worlds of the Gods six
deities approached in six magnificently adorned chariots, and
they summoned that lay disciple to go with them; but the lay
disciple, unwilling that the Dhamma should be interrupted,
spoke to them.” Is that true, Venerable?” “That is true, monks.”
“Venerable, where was he reborn just now?” In the World of
the Tusita gods, monks.”
“Venerable, but recently he lived here among his kinsfolk re¬
joicing, and just now he went again to a place of rejoicing and
was there reborn.” “Yes, monks. They that are heedful, be they
laymen or monks, rejoice in both places equally.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 16)
katapunno idha modati pecca modati ubhayattha modati
so attano kamma visuddhim disvd modati so pamodati
katapunno : he who has done good deeds; idha: in this
world itself; modati : rejoices; pecca : in the life after;
modati : rejoices; ubhayattha : in both worlds; modati : (he)
rejoices; so: he; attano: his own; kamma visuddhim: purity
of actions; disva: having seen; modati: rejoices; so: he;
pamodati: is thoroughly joyous.
103
A wise person does good deeds. Having done those good deeds
he rejoices here in this world. He rejoices in the life after as
well. Seeing the purity of his virtuous actions, he rejoices. He
is thoroughly joyous seeing the goodness of his deeds.
Commentary
katapunnd: Dhammika was in great joy in his death bed because he
had accumulated a great amount of good deeds during his lifetime. An
individual who can look upon a lifetime of virtuous conduct and, in
consequence, can look forward to a birth after death in a pleasant state
can be described as a Katapunnd.
modati : rejoices. This is a state of mind of a person who has accumu¬
lated a lifetime of good conduct. He can feel a sense of joy at the end of
his life as Lay Disciple Dhammika in this stanza.
104
Evil Action Leads To Torment
1 (12) The Story of Devadatta (Verse 17)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Devadatta.
Devadatta was at one time residing with the Buddha in Kosambi.
While staying there he realized that the Buddha was receiving
much respect and honour as well as offerings. He envied the
Buddha and aspired to head the Order of the monks. One day,
while the Buddha was preaching at the Veluvana Monastery in
Rajagaha, he approached the Buddha and on the ground that
the Buddha was getting old, he suggested that the Order be en¬
trusted to his care. The Buddha rejected his offer and rebuked
him, saying that he was not worthy of holding this responsibil¬
ity. The Buddha next asked the Sangha to carry out an act of
proclamation (Pakasaniya kamma) regarding Devadatta.
Devadatta felt aggrieved and vowed vengeance against the
Buddha. Three times, he attempted to kill the Buddha: first, by
employing some archers; secondly, by climbing up the Gi-
jjhakuta hill and rolling down a big piece of rock on to the
Buddha; and thirdly, by causing the elephant Nalagiri to attack
the Buddha. The hired assassins, instead of attacking the
Buddha, became his disciples. The big piece of rock rolled
down by Devadatta hurt the big toe of the Buddha just a little,
and when the Nalagiri elephant rushed at the Buddha, it was
made docile by the Buddha. Thus Devadatta failed to kill the
Buddha, and he tried another tactic. He tried to break up the Or¬
der of the monks by taking away some newly admitted monks
with him to Gayaslsa; however most of them were brought
back by Chief Disciples Sariputta and Maha Moggallana.
105
Devadatta fell ill. Devadatta’ s sickness continued for nine
months; at last, desiring to see the Buddha, he said to his own
disciples, I desire to see the Buddha; make it possible for me to
see him.” They replied, ‘When you enjoyed good health, you
walked in enmity with the Buddha; we will not lead you to
him.” Said Devadatta, “Do not destroy me; I have indeed con¬
ceived hatred towards the Buddha, but the Buddha has not
cherished so much as the tip of a hair’s hatred towards me.”
And in very truth towards the murderer Devadatta, towards the
robber Angulimala, towards Dhanapala and Rahula, to each
and all he manifested an even temper. At last, Devadatta
wanted to see the Buddha. But when Devadatta alighted from
his litter his feet sank into the earth. He was this way swal¬
lowed up by the earth and was taken to Avici Hell.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 17)
papakan iclha tappati pecca tappati ubhayattha tappati me
pdpam katam iti tappati duggatim gato bhiyyd tappati
papakan : the evil doer; idha: in this world; tappati :
repents; pecca : in the next world; tappati'. repents; ubhay¬
attha : in both places; tappati'. repents; me: by me; pdpam'.
wrongs; katam iti: have been done; tappati : repents; dug¬
gatim gato: having gone to a woeful state in the life after;
bhiyyd: exceedingly; tappati: repents.
Those who do evil, those given to wrong doings, are tortured in
mind both here and hereafter. Being born in a state of woe after
death the doer of evil keeps on torturing himself more with the
thought “I have done evil deeds.”
106
Commentary
duggati : those people who are given to evil ways are born in woeful
states after their death. Since, those states make the victims suffer they
are described as Duggati. Opposed to these places of woe are Sugati
states of bliss. Those who conduct themselves in virtuous ways are
eventually reborn in such states.
idha tappati : the repentance of those who remember with mental tor¬
ture the evil deeds they have done is referred to here. Tappati could be
translated as burning. The memory of the evil action brings about self
torture which is a kind of burning. This is the situation Devadatta
found himself in.
pecca : in the worlds beyond: once a person dies he is born in another
state which is the hereafter. He continues his activities in terms of the
good or evil he had garnered while on earth. Therefore, pecca implies
what happens to him hereafter.
Special note : Many are the questions that are raised about the future
existences of Devadatta. Traditional commentaries state thus: There is
a tradition that when the Buddha saw that matters had gone thus far, he
made a monk of Devadatta. And this he did because he became aware
of the following, “If he shall remain a layman and not be received into
the Order as a monk, inasmuch as he has been guilty of grievous
crimes, it will be impossible for him to look forward with confidence
to future existence; but if he shall become a monk, no matter how
grievous the crimes he has committed, it will be possible for him to
look forward with confidence to future existence.” In the far future, ac¬
cording to this tradition, he will become a solitary Buddha ( Pacceka
Buddha ) named Attissara.
107
Virtuous Deeds Make One Rejoice
1 (1 3) The Story of Sumanadevi (Verse 1 8)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha
spoke this verse, with reference to Sumanadevi, the youngest
daughter of Anathapindika.
Every day, two thousand monks took their meal in the house of
Anathapindika at Savatthi, and a like number in the house of
the eminent female lay disciple Visakha. Anathapindika ap¬
pointed his oldest daughter Maha Subhadda; the latter showed
the monks the customary attentions, hearkened to the Law, and
as a result obtained the Fruit of Conversion; afterwards she
married and went to live with her husband’s family. Then he
appointed Culla Subhadda, who followed her older sister’ s ex¬
ample, obtaining the Fruit of Conversion, and afterwards mar¬
rying and going to live with the family of her husband. Finally
he appointed his youngest daughter Sumana. Sumana obtained
the Fruit of the Second Path, but remained unmarried.
Anathapindika was in the refectory when he received his
daughter’s message, but immediately went to her and said,
“What is it, dear daughter Sumana?” Sumana said to him,
“What say you, dear youngest brother?” “You talk incoher¬
ently, dear daughter.” I am not talking incoherently, youngest
brother.” “Are you afraid, dear daughter?” “I am not afraid,
youngest brother.” She said no more, but died immediately.
Although the treasurer had obtained the Fruit of Conversion,
he was unable to bear the grief that arose within him. Accord¬
ingly, when he had performed the funeral rites over his daugh¬
ter’ s body, he went weeping to the Buddha. Said the Buddha,
“Householder, how is it that you come to me sad and sorrow-
108
ful, with tears in your eyes, weeping?” “Venerable, my daughter
Sumana is dead.” “Well, why do you weep? Is not death cer¬
tain for all?” I know that, Venerable. But my daughter was so
modest and so conscientious. What grieves me so much is the
thought that when she died, she was not in her right senses.”
“But what did your youngest daughter say, great treasurer?”
“Venerable, I addressed her as ‘dear Sumana,’ and she replied,
‘What say you, dear youngest brother?’ Then I said to her,
‘You talk incoherently, dear daughter.’ ‘I am not talking inco¬
herently, youngest brother.’ ‘Are you afraid, dear daughter?’ ‘I
am not afraid, youngest brother.’ She said no more, but died
immediately.” Said the Exalted One to Anathapindika, “Great
treasurer, your daughter did not talk incoherently.” “But why
did she speak thus?” “Solely because you were her youngest
brother. Householder, your daughter was old in the Paths and
the Fruits, for while you have attained but the Fruit of Conver¬
sion, your daughter had attained Paths and the Fruits, that she
spoke thus.” “Was that the reason, Venerable?” “That was the
reason, householder.”
“Where has she now been reborn, Venerable?” In the World of
the Tusita gods, householder.” “Venerable, while my daughter
remained here among her kinsfolk, she went about rejoicing,
and when she went hence, she was reborn in the Deva world.”
Then the Buddha said to him, “It is even so householder. They
that are heedful, be they lay folk or religious, rejoice both in
this world and in the world beyond.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 18)
katapunno idha nandati pecca nandati ubhayattha nandati
me punnam katam iti nandati suggatim gato bhiyyd nandati
109
katapuhho : he who has done virtuous deeds; idha: in this
world; nandati rejoices; pecca : in the next world; nandati :
rejoices; ubhayattha : in both worlds; nandati : rejoices;
by me; puhham katam : good deeds have been done; iti : this
way; nandati : (he) rejoices; suggatim gato : having gone to
happy state; bhiyyo : exceedingly; nandati : rejoices.
The person who has done good and virtuous deeds rejoices in
this world. Gone to a pleasant state of existence after death, he
rejoices exceedingly. This way he rejoices here and in the next
world. In both worlds he rejoices realising that he has done vir¬
tuous deeds.
Commentary
bhiyyo : greatly. The virtuous rejoice in this life but even more in the
next life in heaven. They rejoice also remembering the good they have
done.
110
Fruits Of Religious Life Through Practice
Practice Ensures Fulfilment
1 (14) The Story of Two Friends (Verses 19 & 20)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these verses, with reference to two monks who were friends.
For at Savatthi lived two young men of noble family who were
inseparable friends. On a certain occasion they went to the
Monastery, heard the Teacher preach the Law, renounced the
pleasures of the world, yielded the mind to the Religion of the
Buddha, and became monks. When they had kept residence for
five years with preceptors and teachers, they approached the
Teacher and asked about the Duties in his Religion. After lis¬
tening to a detailed description of the Duty of Meditation and
of the Duty of Study, one of them said, “Venerable, since I be¬
came a monk in old age, I shall not be able to fulfill the Duty of
Study, but I can fulfill the Duty of Meditation.” So he had the
Teacher instruct him in the Duty of Meditation as far as Ara-
hatship, and after striving and struggling attained Arahatship,
together with the Supernatural Faculties. But the other said, I
will fulfill the Duty of Study,” acquired by degrees the Tipi-
taka , the Word of the Buddha, and wherever he went, preached
the Law and intoned it. He went from place to place reciting
the Law to five hundred monks, and was preceptor of eighteen
large communities of monks.
Now a company of monks, having obtained a Formula of Med¬
itation from the Teacher, went to the place of residence of the
older monk, and by faithful observance of his admonitions at¬
tained Arahatship. Thereupon, they paid obeisance to the Ven¬
erable and said, “We desire to see the Teacher.” Said the Ven-
111
erable, “Go, brethren, greet in my name the Buddha, and
likewise greet the eighty Chief Venerables, and greet my fel¬
low-elder, saying, ‘Our teacher greets you.’” So those monks
went to the Monastery and greeted the Buddha and the Venera¬
bles, saying, “Venerable, our teacher greets you.” When they
greeted their teacher’s fellow-elder, he replied, “Who is he?”
Said the monks, “He is your fellow-monk, Venerable.”
Said the younger monk, “But what have you learned from him?
Of the Dlgha Nikaya and the other Nikayas, have you learned a
single Nikaya? Of the Three Pitakas, have you learned a single
Pitaka?” And he thought to himself, “This monk does not
know a single stanza containing four verses. As soon as he be¬
came a monk, he took rags from a dust-heap, entered the forest,
and gathered a great many pupils about him. When he returns,
it behoves me to ask him some question.” Now somewhat later
the older monk came to see the Buddha, and leaving his bowl
and robe with his fellow-elder, went and greeted the Buddha
and the eighty Chief Venerables, afterwards returning to the
place of residence of his fellow-elder. The younger monk
showed him the customary attentions, provided him with a seat
of the same size as his own, and then sat down, thinking to
himself, “I will ask him a question.”
At that moment the Buddha thought to Himself, “Should this
monk annoy this my son, he is likely to be reborn in Hell.” So
out of compassion for him, pretending to be going the rounds
of the monastery, He went to the place where the two monks
were sitting and sat down on the Seat of the Buddha already
prepared. (For wherever the monks sit down, they first prepare
the Seat of the Buddha, and not until they have so done do they
themselves sit down).
112
Therefore, the Buddha sat down on a seat already prepared for
Him. And when He had sat down, He asked the monk who had
taken upon himself the Duty of Study a question on the First
Trance. When the younger monk had answered this question
correctly, the Teacher, beginning with the Second Trance,
asked him questions about the Eight Attainments and about
Form and the Formless World, all of which he answered cor¬
rectly. Then the Teacher asked him a question about the Path
of Conversion; he was unable to answer it. Thereupon, the
Buddha asked the monk who was an Arahat, and the latter im¬
mediately gave the correct answer.
“Well done, well done, monk!” said the Teacher, greatly
pleased. The Teacher then asked questions about the remaining
Paths in order. The monk who had taken upon himself the Duty
of Study was unable to answer a single question, while the
monk who had attained unto Arahatship answered every ques¬
tion He asked. On each of four occasions the Buddha bestowed
applause on him. Hearing this, all the deities, from the gods of
earth to the gods of the World of Brahma, including Nagas and
Garudas, shouted their applause.
Hearing this applause, the pupils and fellow-residents of the
younger monk were offended at the Buddha and said, “Why
did the Buddha do this? He bestowed applause on each of four
occasions on the old monk who knows nothing at all. But to
our own teacher, who knows all the Sacred Word by heart and
is at the head of five hundred monks, he gave no praise at all.”
The Teacher asked them, “Monks, what is it you are talking
about?” When they told Him, He said, “Monks, your own
teacher is in my Religion like a man who tends cows for hire.
But my son is like a master who enjoys the five products of the
cow at his own good pleasure.”
113
Explanatory Translation (Verse 19)
pamatto nard sahitam bahum bhdsamdnd api ce
takkaro na hoti paresam gavo ganayam gopo iva
sdmannassa bhdgavd na hoti.
pamatto : slothful; nard: person; sahitam : the Buddha’s
word; bahum : extensively; bhdsamdnd : recites; api :
though; ce: yet; takkaro: behaving accordingly; na hoti:
does not become; paresam: of others; gavo: cattle;
ganayam: protecting; gopo iva: cowherd like; sdmannassa:
the renounced life; bhdgavd na hoti: does not partake of.
Some persons may know the word of the Buddha extensively
and can repeat it all. But through utter neglect they live not up
to it. In consequence they do not reach any religious attain¬
ments. He enjoys not the fruits of recluse life. This is exactly
like the way of life of a cowherd who looks after another’s cat¬
tle. The cowherd takes the cattle to the pasture in the morning,
and in the evening he brings them back to the owner’s house.
He gets only the wages.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 20)
sahitam appam api bhdsamdnd ce dhammassa
anudhammacdn hoti rdgam ca dosam ca mdham
ca pahdya so sammappajdno suvimuttacitto idha
vd huram vd anupadiydno sdmannassa bhdgavd hoti.
sahitam: the word of the Buddha; appam api: even a little;
bhdsamdnd: repeating; ce: if; dhammassa: of the teaching;
anudhammacdn hoti: lives in accordance with the teach¬
ing; rdgam ca: passion; dosam ca: ill-will ; mdham ca:
delusion; pahdya: giving up; so: he; sammappajdno:
114
possessing penetrative understanding; suvimuttacitto : freed
from emotions; idha va: either here; huram vd: or the next
world; anupadiyano : not clinging to; sdmannassa : of the
renounced life; bhagava hoti : does partake of.
A true seeker of truth though he may speak only little of the
Buddha’s word. He may not be able to recite extensively from
religious texts. But, if he belongs to the teaching of the Buddha
assiduously, lives in accordance with the teachings of the
Buddha, if he has got rid of passion, ill-will and delusion, he
has well penetrated experience and is free from clinging to
worldly things, he is a partaker of the life of a renunciate.
Commentary
sahitam: literally this means any literature. But in this instance, the ref¬
erence is specifically to the Buddhist literature. The Word of the
Buddha is enshrined in the Three Baskets (pitakas ). This stanza em¬
phasizes the fact that the mere reciting of the word of the Buddha is not
going to make much of a difference in the religious life of a person if
the truth-seeker is not prepared to practice what is being recited. The
fulfillment of religious life is ensured only if the person organizes his
life according to what has been said by the Buddha. The effort of the
person who merely recites the word of the Buddha is as futile as the ac¬
tivity of the cowherd who takes the trouble to count others’ cattle while
the dairy products are enjoyed by someone else - the owner. The
stanza refers to a person who was very much learned in the literature of
Buddhism, but had not practiced what was said in it.
suvimutta citto: freed from emotions. An individual who has freed
himself from clinging and grasping attains the total emotional freedom.
anupadiyano : An individual who has ended the habit of clinging and
grasping to this world and the next.
115
Heedfulness
Freedom Is Difficult
2 (1) The Story of Samavati (Verses 21 , 22 & 23)
While residing at the Ghosita Monastery near Kosambi, the
Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to Samavati, one of
the chief queens of Udena, king of Kosamby.
There lived in the city of Bhaddavati a treasurer named Bhadd-
avatiya, and he was a friend of the treasurer Ghosaka, although
Ghosaka had never seen him. For the treasurer Ghosaka heard,
from traders who came from the city of Bhaddavati, of the
wealth and age of the treasurer Bhaddavatiya, and desiring to
be friends with him, sent him a present. Thus, although neither
had seen the other, they dwelt as friends.
After a time, an intestinal disease broke out in the house of the
treasurer Bhaddavatiya. When this disease breaks out, the first
to die are flies; afterwards, in regular order, insects, mice, do¬
mestic fowls, swine, cattle, slaves both female and male, and
last of all the members of the household. Only those that break
down the wall and flee, save their lives. Now at that time the
treasurer Bhaddavatiya and his wife and daughter fled in this
manner, and intending to seek the treasurer Ghosaka, set out on
the road to Kosambi. While they were still on their way, their
provisions for the journey gave out, and their bodies became
exhausted from exposure to wind and sun, and from hunger
and thirst. Reaching Kosambi with difficulty, they bathed in a
pool of water in a pleasant place and then entered a certain rest
house at the gate of the city.
Then the treasurer said to his wife, “Wife, those who travel this
way are not courteous even to a mother who has borne a child.
Now I have a friend who, they say, dispenses a thousand pieces
117
of money daily in alms to the blind, the poor, and other unfor¬
tunate persons. We will send our daughter there, have her bring
us food, remain right here for a day or two and refresh our bod¬
ies, and then we will go and see my friend.” “Very well, hus¬
band,” she replied, and they took up their residence right there
in the rest house.
On the following day, when meal-time was announced and the
blind, the poor, and other unfortunate persons went to obtain
food, the mother and father sent forth their daughter, saying,
“Daughter, go bring us food.” So the daughter of a wealthy
house, pride overcome with misfortune, hid her shame, took a
bowl, and went to the poor folk to procure food. “How many
portions will you have?” she was asked. “Three,” she replied.
So they gave her three portions. She carried the food back to
her parents, and the three sat down to eat together. The mother
and daughter said to the treasurer, “Master, misfortune comes
even to prominent families. Eat without regarding us and do
not worry.” After a good deal of urging, they prevailed upon
him to eat. But after he had eaten, he was unable to digest his
food, and when the sun rose, he died. The mother and daughter
wept, wailed, and lamented.
On the following day the young girl went the second time for
food. “How many portions will you have?” “Two.” She carried
the food back to her mother, and after a good deal of urging,
prevailed upon her to eat. The mother yielded to her pleading
and consented to eat, but died on that very day. The young girl,
left alone to herself, wept, wailed and lamented over the mis¬
fortune that had come upon her. On the following day, suffer¬
ing the pangs of hunger keenly, she went weeping in the com¬
pany of beggars to procure food. “How many portions will you
have, daughter?” “One,” was her reply.
118
A householder named Mitta, remembering that she had re¬
ceived food for three days, said to her, “Perish, vile woman.
Today, at last, you have come to know the capacity of your
belly.” This daughter of a respectable family, modest and
timid, felt as though she had received a sword-thrust in her
bosom, or as though salt water had been sprinkled on a sore.
She immediately replied, “What do you mean, sir?” “The day
before yesterday you took three portions, yesterday two, today
you take but one. Today, then, you know the capacity of your
belly.” “Sir, do not think that I took these for myself.” “Why
then did you take them?” “Sir, the day before yesterday we
were three, yesterday we were two, today I am left alone.”
“How is that?” he inquired.
She then told him the whole story from the beginning. As he
listened to her story, he was unable to control his tears, but was
overcome by the power of the grief that arose within him. Fi¬
nally he said to her, “My dear girl, if this is the case, do not
worry. Hitherto you have been the daughter of the treasurer
Bhaddavatiya, but from this day forth you shall be my very
own daughter.” And he kissed her on the head, conducted her
to his own house, and adopted her as his own oldest daughter.
One day she heard loud and piercing screams in the refectory,
whereupon she said to her foster-father, “Father, why do you
not keep these people quiet when you dispense alms?” “It is
impossible to do it, dear daughter.” “Father, it is quite possi¬
ble.” “How would you do it, dear daughter?” “Father, put a
fence around the refectory and hang two gates through which
the people may pass in and out, allowing only sufficient space
for one person to pass through at a time. Then direct the people
to pass in through one gate and out through the other. If you do
this, they will receive their alms peaceably and quietly.” When
119
the householder had heard her plan he remarked, “A happy de¬
vice, dear daughter,” and did as she suggested. Now up to that
time her name had been Sama, but through her construction of
a fence she received, the name Samavati. From that time on
there was no more tumult in the refectory.
Now the treasurer Ghosaka had long been accustomed to hear
this noise in the refectory and rather liked to hear it; for it al¬
ways made him think, “That is the noise in my refectory.” But
after hearing no noise at all for two or three days, he asked the
householder Mitta, who came one day to wait upon him, “Are
alms being given to the blind, the poor, and other unfortunate
persons?” “Yes sir.” “How then does it happen that for two or
three days past I have not heard a sound?” I have arranged mat¬
ters so that the people now received alms without making any
noise.” “Why didn’t you do so before?” “I didn’t know how,
sir.” “How did you happen to find a way just now?” “My
daughter told me how to do it, sir.” “Have you a daughter
whom I have never seen?” Then the householder told him the
whole story of the treasurer Bhaddavatiya, beginning with the
outbreak of the plague and ending with his adoption of the
young girl as his own oldest daughter.
Then said the treasurer to him, “If this is the case, why did you
not tell me? My friend’s daughter is my own daughter.” So he
sent for her and asked her, “Dear girl, are you the daughter of
the treasurer?” “Yes, sir, I am.” “Well then, do not worry; you
are my own daughter.” Then he kissed her on the head, gave
her five hundred women for her retinue, and adopted her as his
own oldest daughter.
One day a festival was proclaimed in this city. Now at this fes¬
tival daughters of respectable families, who do not ordinarily
120
go out, go on foot with their own retinue and bathe in the river.
Accordingly on that day Samavati also, accompanied by her
five hundred women, went right through the palace court to
bathe in the river. King Udena stood at his window and saw
her. “Whose are those playful girls?” he inquired. “Nobody’s
playful girls, your majesty.” “Then whose daughters are they?”
“Your majesty, that is the daughter of the treasurer Bhadda-
vatiya, and her name is Samavati.” Then the king conducted
Samavati and her retinue to the royal palace and elevated her to
the dignity of Queen Consort.
Still another maiden gained the dignity of chief consort of the
king. She was Magandiya who had once been rejected by the
Buddha when her father sought the Buddha as husband for her.
After she became chief consort she found that the other chief con¬
sort Samavati was an ardent follower of the Buddha. She planned
to take her revenge on the Buddha and to harm Samavati and her
maids. Magandiya told the king that Samavati and her maids
had made holes in the walls of their living quarters and were
being unfaithful to him. King Udena saw the holes in the walls,
but when the matter was explained to him he did not get angry.
Magandiya kept on trying to make the king believe that Sama¬
vati was trying to kill him. Once, Magandiya inserted a snake
into a lute and covered the hole with a bunch of flowers. The
snake came out hissing. The king was furious. He commanded
Samavati to stand and all her ladies to line up behind her. Then
he fitted his bow with an arrow dipped in poison and shot the
arrow. But Samavati and her ladies bore no ill towards the king
and through the power of goodwill, the arrow did not hit the
target. The king realised the innocence of Samavati and he
gave her permission to invite the Buddha and his disciples to
the palace for almsgiving and religious discourses.
121
Magandiya, realising that none of her plots had materialised,
made a final, infallible plan. She sent a message to her uncle
with full instructions to go to Samavati’s palace and burn down
the building with all the women inside. Samavati and her
maids-of-honor, being advanced in spiritual attainment, contin¬
ued to meditate in spite of the danger. All perished in the fire.
The king suspected that it was done at the instigation of Ma¬
gandiya but he did not show that he was suspicious. Instead,
the king pretended to be very pleased with her and said that he
would grant her a great favour, and honour all her relatives. So,
the relatives were sent for and they came gladly. On arrival at
the palace, all of them, including Magandiya, were seized and
put to death in the palace courtyard.
When the Buddha was told about these two incidents, he said
that those who are mindful do not die; but those who are negli¬
gent are as dead even while living.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 21)
appamado amatapadam pamado maccuno padam
appamatta na miyanti ye pamattd yathd matd
appamado : sanity; amatapadam : is the path to deathless¬
ness; pamado : insanity; maccuno padam : is the path to
death; appamatta'. those who are sane; na miyanti : do not
die; ye: those who; pamattd: are insane; matd yathd: (they
are) like the dead.
The path to the Deathless is the perpetual awareness of experi¬
ence. The deathless does not imply a physical state where the
body does not die. When an individual becomes totally aware
of the processes of experiencing, he is freed from the continu-
122
ity of existence. Those who do not have that awareness are like
the dead, even if they are physically alive.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 22)
etcim visesato hatva appamadam hi pahditd
appamade pamodanti ariyanam gdcare rata
etam : this; visesato : especially; hatvd: recognizing;
appamadam hi: established in mindfulness; pahditd : the
wise ones; appamade : in mindfulness; pamodanti : take
delight; ariyanam : of noble ones; gdcare: fit way of
behaviour; rata: delighting in.
Those who are truly wise are especially aware of the need for
sanity. They take delight in sanity. They take pleasure in the
pursuit of sanity because it is the region of the supernormal.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 23)
jhayino sdtatika niccam dalhaparakkama te dlhrd
yogakkhemam anuttaram nibbdnam phusanti
jhayino: the meditative; sdtatika: unceasing in effort;
niccam: constantly; dalhaparakkama: steadfast; te dlhrd:
those wise individuals; yogakkhemam: free of bonds;
anuttaram: unsurpassable; nibbdnam: stillness; phusanti:
touch.
Those wise individuals who steadfastly practice meditation,
reach a level of understanding that enables them to experience
Nibbana. Those wise individuals who unceasingly continue in
their meditation, firmly and steadfastly, experience Nibbana,
which is the supreme release from all bonds.
123
Commentary
Appamada: this is an expression found in numerous contexts in the
Teachings of the Buddha. Even in his last words this occurs. The exact
significance of appamada is “sanity” absence of madness which, ac¬
cording to Buddhism, is not a normal (puthujjana) state but a supernor¬
mal (. Ariya ) state. The Buddha meant by this term constant alertness
and keen awareness of the process of experiencing. The trainees were
advised to be constantly aware of the experience within to avoid in¬
volvement with existence ( bhava ). Therefore this alertness is a con¬
stant state of mind of the advanced trainee and an Awakened One.
Amata : Nibbana, the ultimate goal of Buddhists. As this positive term
clearly indicates, Nibbana is not annihilation or a state of nothingness
as some are apt to believe. It is the permanent, immortal, supramun-
dane state which cannot be expressed by mundane terms.
Na miyanti: do not die. This should not be understood to mean that
they are immortal. No being is immortal, not even Buddhas or Ara-
hants. The idea implied herein is that the heedful, who realize Nibbana,
are not reborn, and so do not die. The heedless are regarded as dead be¬
cause they are not intent on doing good, and are subject to repeated
births and deaths .
Nibbana : ni + vdna, lit., departure from craving. It is a supramundane
state that can be attained in this life itself. It is also explained as extinc¬
tion of passions, but not a state of nothingness. It is an eternal blissful
state of relief that results from the complete eradication of the passions.
124
Glory Of The Mindful Increases
2 (2) The Story of KumbhaghOsaka, the Banker (Verse 24)
Residing at Veluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse,
with reference to Kumbhaghosaka, the banker. At one time, a
plague epidemic broke out in the city of Rajagaha. In the house
of the city banker, the servants died on account of this disease;
the banker and his wife were also attacked by the disease.
When they were both infected with the disease they told their
young son Kumbhaghosaka to leave them and flee from the
house and to return only after a long time. Also, they told him
that at such and such a place they had buried a treasure of great
worth. The son left the city and stayed in a forest for twelve
years and then came back to the city. By that time, he was quite
a grown up youth and nobody in the city recognized him. He
went to the place where the treasure was hidden and found it
was intact. But he reasoned and realized that there was no one
who could identify him and that if he were to unearth the bur¬
ied treasure and make use of it people might think a young
poor man had accidentally come upon buried treasure and they
might report it to the king. In this case, his property would be
confiscated and he himself might be manhandled or put in cap¬
tivity. So he concluded it was not yet time to unearth the treas¬
ure and that meanwhile he must find work for his living.
Dressed in old clothes Kumbhaghosaka looked for work. He
was given the work of waking up and rousing the people to get
up early in the morning and of going round announcing that it
was time to prepare food, and time to fetch carts and yoke the
bullocks.
One morning, King Bimbisara heard him. The king who was a
keen judge of voices commented, “This is the voice of a man
125
of great wealth.” A maid, hearing the king’s remark sent some¬
one to investigate. He reported that the youth was only a hire¬
ling of the labourers. In spite of this report the king repeated
the same remark on two subsequent days. Again, enquiries
were made but with the same result. The maid thought that this
was very strange, so she asked the king to give her permission
to go and personally investigate. Disguised as ordinary folk,
the maid and her daughter set out to the place of the laborers.
Saying that they were travellers, they asked for shelter and
were given accommodation in the house of Kumbhaghosaka
just for one night. However, they managed to prolong their stay
there. During that period, twice the king proclaimed that a cer¬
tain ceremony must be performed in the locality of the labor¬
ers, and that every household must make contributions. Kumb¬
haghosaka had no ready cash for such an occasion. So he was
forced to get some gold coins from his treasure. As these coins
were handed over to the maid, she substituted them with her
money and sent the coins to the king. After some time, she sent
a message to the king asking him to send some men and sum¬
mon Kumbhaghosaka to the court. Kumbhaghosaka, reluc¬
tantly, went along with the men. The maid and her daughter
also went to the palace, ahead of them.
At the palace, the king told Kumbhaghosaka to speak out the
truth and gave him assurance that he would not be harmed on
this account. Kumbhaghosaka then admitted that those
Kahapanas (gold coins) were his and also that he was the son
of the city banker of Rajagaha, who died in the plague epi¬
demic twelve years ago. He further revealed the place where
the treasure was hidden. Subsequently, all the buried treasure
was brought to the palace; the king made him a banker and
gave his daughter in marriage to him. Afterwards, taking Kum-
126
bhaghosaka along with him, the king went to the Buddha at the
Veluvana Monastery and told him how the youth, though rich,
was earning his living as a hireling of the laborers, and how he
had appointed the youth a banker.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 24)
utthdnavato satimato sucikammassa nisammakdrino
• •
sannatassa ca dhammajivino appamattassa yaso
abhivaddhati
• •
utthdnavato : steadfast; satimato’. attentive; sucikammassa :
pure in action and behaviour; nisammakdrino’. careful in all
activities; sannatassa: well restrained; ca: and; dhamma-
jivino: leading a righteous life; appamattassa: mindful per¬
son; yaso: glory; abhivaddhati: increases greatly.
If a person is persevering, attention focussed within, if his
physical and spiritual actions are unblemished, if he is re¬
strained and if he is living in accordance with the Teaching and
is sane, his glory will grow.
Commentary
utthdnavato : an individual, who is alert and energetic, and is not le¬
thargic. He continues on the path of truth-seeking without flagging and
with steadfast endurance.
127
Island Against Floods
2 (3) The Story of CGlapanthaka (Verse 25)
While residing at the Veluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to Culapanthaka, a grandson of a banker
of Rajagaha. The banker had two grandsons, named Mahapan-
thaka and Culapanthaka. Mahapanthaka, being the elder, used
to accompany his grandfather to listen to religious discourses.
Later, Mahapanthaka joined the Buddhist religious order and
soon after became an arahat. Culapanthaka too followed his
brother and became a monk, but could not even memorize one
verse in four months. About that time, Jlvaka came to the mon¬
astery to invite the Buddha and the resident monks to his house
for a meal. Mahapanthaka, who was then in charge of assign¬
ing the monks to meal invitations, left out Culapanthaka from
the list. When Culapanthaka learnt about this he felt very much
frustrated and decided that he would return to the life of a
householder. Knowing his intention, the Buddha took him
along and made him sit in front of the Gandhakuti hall. He then
gave a clean white piece of cloth to Culapanthaka and told him
to sit there facing east and rub the piece of cloth with his hand.
At the same time, he was to repeat the word “Rajoharanam”,
which means “taking off impurity.” The Buddha then went to
the residence of Jlvaka, accompanied by the monks.
Meanwhile, Culapanthaka went on rubbing the piece of cloth,
all the time muttering the word “Rajoharanam”. Very soon, the
cloth became soiled. Seeing this change in the condition of the
cloth, Culapanthaka came to realize the impermanent nature of
all conditioned things. From the house of Jlvaka, the Buddha
through supernormal power learnt about the progress of Cula¬
panthaka. He sent forth his radiance so that the Buddha ap-
128
peared to Culapanthaka to be sitting in front of him, saying: “It
is not the piece of cloth alone that is made dirty by the dust;
within oneself also there exist dusts. Only by removing the dirt
could one achieve one’s goal and attain arahatship”. Culapan¬
thaka got the message and attained arahatship. At the house of
JIvaka, they were about to offer water before serving food, as it
was customary, but the Buddha covered the bowl with his hand
and asked if there were any monks left at the monastery. On
being answered that there were none, the Buddha replied that
there was one, and directed them to fetch Culapanthaka from
the monastery. When the messenger from the house of JIvaka
arrived at the monastery he found not only one monk, but a
thousand identical monks. They had all been created by Cula¬
panthaka, who by now possessed supernormal powers. The
messenger was baffled and he turned back and reported the
matter to JIvaka. The messenger was sent to the monastery for
the second time and was instructed to say that the Buddha sum¬
moned the monk by the name of Culapanthaka. But when he
delivered the message, a thousand voices responded, “I am
Culapanthaka.” Again baffled, he turned back for the second
time. Then he was sent to the monastery, for the third time.
This time, he was instructed to get hold of the monk who first
said that he was Culapanthaka. As soon as he got hold of that
monk all the rest disappeared, and Culapanthaka accompanied
the messenger to the house of JIvaka. After the meal, as di¬
rected by the Buddha, Culapanthaka delivered a religious dis¬
course confidently and bravely, roaring like a young lion.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 25)
utthdnena appamadena sannamena damena ca
medhdvT dTpam kayirdtha yam ogho na abhikTrati
129
utthanena : (endowed) with steadfastness; appamadena :
with mindfulness; sahnamena : with restraint; damena :
with control of the senses; ca: and; medhdvv. the wise per¬
son; dipam : an island; kayiratha : builds; jam: which; dg/zo:
the floods; zza abhikirati : will not overwhelm.
Note: It is lamentable that most English translations render the word
dTpa in these contexts like the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of Dlgha Nikaya
as ‘lamp’, dipa : this term has two meanings: 1) lamp; 2) island. Here,
in the above verse, “island” is the preferable meaning.
The whole world is full of defilements. The sensualities of life
are a vast and forceful flood. But the wise person builds stead¬
fastly for himself an Island that cannot be washed away by
those vast floods. The Island is built of steadfastness, mindful¬
ness, restraint and discipline. Once steadily established on that
island, the flood cannot overwhelm the wise.
Commentary
medhavi : the wise ones are people in whom the right insights are
present.
dipam : An island situated on a higher level cannot be flooded al¬
though the surrounding low lying land may be inundated. Such an
island becomes a refuge to all. In the same way the wise man who
develops insight should make an island of himself by attaining Ara-
hanthood so that he may not be drowned by the four floods of sense-
desires ( kdma ), false beliefs ( ditthi ), craving for existence ( bhava )
and ignorance ( avijja ).
130
Treasured Mindfulness
Meditation Leads To Bliss
2 (4) The Story of Bala Nakkhatta Festival (Verses 26 & 27)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these verses, in connection with the Bala Nakkhatta festival -
the festival of simpletons.
On a certain date there was a simpletons’ festival celebrated in
Savatthi, and on the occasion of this foolish holiday, folk used
to smear their bodies with ashes and cow-dung and for a period
of seven days go about uttering all manner of coarse talk.
At this time people showed no respect for kinsfolk or friends or
monks when they met them, but stood in the doorways and in¬
sulted them with coarse talk. Those who could not endure the
coarse talk would pay the holiday-makers a half or a quarter or
a penny, according to their means, and the holiday-makers
would take the money and depart from their houses.
Now at this time there were in Savatthi five million Noble Dis¬
ciples, and they sent word to the teacher, “Venerable, let the
Buddha refrain for a period of seven days from entering the
city with the congregation of monks; let him instead remain at
the monastery.” And, for a period of seven days the noble dis¬
ciples caused food to be prepared for the congregation of
monks at the monastery and sent it to them, but did not them¬
selves leave their houses.
On the eighth day, however, when the festival was at an end,
they invited the congregation of monks to be their guests, es-
131
corted them into the city, and gave abundant offerings. And
having seated themselves respectfully on one side, they said to
the Buddha, “Venerable, we have spent the past seven days un¬
pleasantly. Our ears were about to burst from hearing the
coarse talk of foolish folk. No one showed any respect for any¬
body else, and for this reason we did not permit you to enter
the city. We ourselves did not go out of the house.”
The Buddha listened to what they said, and then replied, “In
this manner unintelligent men conduct themselves. But they
who are intelligent preserve heedfulness as their greatest treas¬
ure, and by so doing at last attain the attainment of the great
Nibbana.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 26)
bald dummedhino jand pamddam anuyuhjanti
medhdvT ca appamddam settham dhanam iva rakkhati
bald : those unaware of real values; dummedhino
jand : foolish people; pamddam anuyuhjanti : indulge
in unmindfulness; medhavi ca: as for wise men;
appamddam: mindfulness; settham dhanam iva: like a
great treasure; rakkhati: cherish.
Those who are foolish and indiscriminating indulge in heed¬
lessness. But the wise cherish mindfulness as a great treasure.
The foolish people live a life of sensual pleasure. They indulge
in pursuits that are not at all conducive to spiritual advance¬
ment. To obtain worldly acquisitions, people need wealth. In
the same way, to obtain high spiritual acquisitions we need
some wealth, and that wealth is mindfulness.
132
Commentary
bald: this is a categorization that occurs in most areas of Buddha’s
teachings. The person referred to by this expression is generally
thought of as an ignorant person, or as a foolish individual. But it does
not mean that such a person is not adept in arts and crafts. What is
meant is that the person so referred to is not sufficiently alert to reality
- he is not capable of understanding the true nature of things. Such an
individual’s behaviour is, at times, considered childish or immature, in
terms of spiritual evolution. He is given to excessive self-indulgence
and to the pursuit of sensual pleasures. He does not strive to become
righteous, virtuous or to lead a life of good conduct. He does not know
what is beneficial to him for this world and for the next. In modem psy¬
chological jargon, it means “an emotionally immature person”.
pamadam anuyunjanti: The term “ pamada ” literally means the “basic
insanity” that all unenlightened people suffer from. It is being carried
away by emotions and losing awareness of reality. It is lack of emo¬
tional control. It is the same thing as emotional immaturity. It may be
also called “neurosis”. We translate it here as mindlessness or unmind¬
fulness as opposed to mindfulness.
settham dhanam iva : The expression concerns the mindful. They pro¬
tect their mindfulness as one would protect a great treasure. Those peo¬
ple who are sensuous, think in terms of wealth as a means of enjoying
worldly pleasures. Therefore, to them worldly wealth is the only treas¬
ure that matters. In the old commentaries, worldly treasures are consid¬
ered to be seven in number. They are gold, silver, pearls, gems, lapis
lazuli, conch and the shila gem. But to the truth-seekers the treasures
are mindfulness and steadfastness. These ensure the means of obtain¬
ing the highest Fruits of Spiritual Realization.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 27)
pamadam md anuyunjetha kamaratisanthavam
md (< anuyunjetha ) appamatto hi jhdyanto vipulam
sukham pappoti
133
pamadam : heedlessness; ma\ do not; anuyuhjetha :
indulge in; kamaratisanthavam: sensual pleasures;
md: avoid; appamatto hi: the mindful person; jhayanto:
meditatively engaged; vipulam sukham : high-bliss;
pappoti: reaches.
Do not indulge in heedlessness. Avoid craving for sensual
pleasures, whatever their nature. The mindful person is tranquil
in mind. He will attain the great bliss.
Commentary
kamarati santhavam : the expression implies indulgence in sensual
pleasures. The stanza stresses the fact that such indulgence leads to the
relaxation of mindfulness and the flagging of enthusiasm for
truth- seeking. The implication here is that one should not give in to at¬
tachments, whatever their nature. Therefore, the main emphasis is on
the need to avoid tanhd which is literally translated as “thirst”. It is this
“thirst”, desire, greed, craving, manifesting itself in various ways, that
gives rise to all forms of suffering and the continuity of being ( bhava ).
But it should not be taken as the first cause, for there is no first cause
possible, according to Buddhism, because everything must have a
cause. So “thirst” is not the first or the only condition for the arising of
sorrow. But it is an essential condition for the arising of sorrow. The
term “thirst” includes not only desire for, and attachment to, sense-
pleasures, wealth and power, but also desire for, and attachment to,
ideas and ideals, views, opinions, theories, conceptions and beliefs.
According to the Buddha’s analysis, all the troubles and strife in the
world, from little personal quarrels in families to great wars between
nations and countries, arise out of this “thirst”, from this point of view,
all economic, political and social problems are rooted in this selfish
‘thirst’. Great statesmen who try to settle international disputes and
talk of war and peace only in economic and political terms touch the
superficialities, and never go deep into the real root of the problem. As
the Buddha told Rattapala: “The world lacks and hankers, and is en¬
slaved to ‘thirst’.”
134
Kdmarati can also be described as the sensual urge. In modern lan¬
guage, it may be called “the impulsive urge.” The Buddha said, “What,
O monk, is the origin of suffering? It is that craving which gives rise to
ever fresh rebirth and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now
there, finds ever fresh delight.” The sensual urge is accompanied by the
urge for existence or the urge for non-existence. Of this urge or Crav¬
ing for Existence it is said: “No first beginning of the Craving for Ex¬
istence can be perceived, O monks, before which it was not and after
which it came to be. But it can be perceived that Craving for Existence
has its specific condition. I say, O monks, that also Craving for Exist¬
ence has its conditions that feed it and are not without it. And what is
it? ‘Ignorance’, one has to reply - Craving for Existences and Igno¬
rance are called “the outstanding causes that lead to happy and un¬
happy destinies (courses of existence).” Kdmacchanda means sensual
desires or attachment to pleasurable sense-objects such as form, sound,
odour, taste, and contact. This, too, is regarded as one of the fetters that
bind one to Samsara. An average person is bound to get tempted by
these alluring objects of sense. Lack of self-control results in the inevi¬
table arising of passions. This Hindrance is inhibited by One-pointed-
ness, which is one of the five characteristics of Jhanas. it is attenuated
on attaining Sakadagami and is completely eradicated on attaining
Anagami. Subtle forms of attachment such as Rupa Raga and Arupa
Raga (Attachment to Realms of Form and Formless Realms) are eradi¬
cated only on attaining Arahatship. The following six conditions tend
to the eradication of sense-desires, (i) perceiving the loathsomeness of
the object, (ii) constant meditation on loathsomeness, (iii) sense-re¬
straint, (iv) moderation in food, (v) good friendship, and (vi) profitable
talk.
Another comment is as follows:
Dependent on feeling arises craving which, like ignorance, is the other
most important factor in the “Dependent origination.” Attachment,
thirst and clinging are some renderings for this Pali term. This is an as¬
pect of the 2nd Noble Truth - Craving is threefold
- namely, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for sensual
pleasures associated with the view of eternalism, i.e., enjoying pleas-
135
ures thinking that they are imperishable, and craving for sensual pleas¬
ures with the view of nihilism i.e., enjoying pleasures thinking that
everything perishes after death. The last is the materialistic standpoint.
These are also interpreted as attachment to Realms of Form and Form¬
less Realms respectively. Usually these two terms are rendered by
craving for existence and non-existence. There are six kinds of craving
corresponding to the six sense objects such as form, sound and so on.
They become twelve when they are treated as internal and external.
They are reckoned as thirty-six when viewed as past, present and fu¬
ture. When multiplied by the foregoing three kinds of craving, they
amount to one hundred and eight. It is natural for a worldling to de¬
velop a craving for the pleasures of sense. To overcome sense-desires
is extremely difficult. The most powerful factors in the wheel of life
are ignorance and craving, the two main causes of the Dependent Orig¬
ination. Ignorance is shown as the past cause that conditions the
present; and craving, the present cause that conditions the future. De¬
pendent on craving is grasping which is intense craving. Craving is like
groping in the dark to steal an object. Grasping corresponds to the ac¬
tual stealing of the object. Grasping is caused by both attachment and
error. It gives rise to the false notions, of “I” and “mine”. Grasping is
four-fold - namely, Sensuality, False Views, Adherence to rites and
ceremonies, and the Theory of a soul.
ma pamadam anuyunjetha : this is an admonition to those who quest
for truth. If they want to succeed in reaching their goal they must never
relax their mindfulness. They must not engage in activities that are likely
to bring about worldliness and are likely to emphasize worldly pleas¬
ures. The non-engagement in mindfulness is a bar to proper meditation.
136
The Sorrowless View The World
2 (5) T he Story of Monk Mahakassapa (Verse 28)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to Monk Mahakassapa.
On a certain day, while the Buddha was in residence at the Pip-
phali Cave, he made his round of Rajagaha for alms and after
he had returned from his round for alms and had eaten his
breakfast, he sat down and using psychic powers surveyed with
Supernormal Vision all living beings, both heedless and heed¬
ful, in the water, on the earth, in the mountains, and elsewhere,
both coming into existence and passing out of existence.
The Buddha, seated at Jetavana, exercised supernormal vision
and pondered within himself, “With what is my son Kassapa
occupied today?” Straightaway he became aware of the follow¬
ing, “He is contemplating the rising and falling of living be¬
ings.” And he said, “Knowledge of the rising and falling of liv¬
ing beings cannot be fully understood by you. Living beings
pass from one existence to another and obtain a new concep¬
tion in a mother’s womb without the knowledge of mother or
father, and this knowledge cannot be fully understood. To
know them is beyond your range, Kassapa, for your range is
very slight. It comes within the range of the Buddhas alone, to
know and to see in their totality, the rising and falling of living
beings.” So saying, he sent forth a radiant image of himself, as
it were, sitting down face to face with Kassapa.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 28)
pandito yadd appamadena pamadam nudati dhiro
pannapasadam druyha asoko sokinim pajam
pabbatattho bhummatthe iva bale avekkhati
i. • • • •
137
pandito : the wise individual; yadd : when; madenci :
through mindfulness; pamadam: sloth; nudati : dispels;
dhiro: the wise person; pahhapasadam : the tower of wis¬
dom; druyha : ascending; asoko: unsorrowing; sokinim : the
sorrowing; pajam : masses; avekkhati : surveys; pabbatattho
iva : like a man on top of a mountain; bhummatthe : those on
the ground; the ignorant: avekkhati : surveys.
The wise person is always mindful. Through this alertness he
discards the ways of the slothful. The wise person ascends the
tower of wisdom. Once he has attained that height he is capa¬
ble of surveying the sorrowing masses with sorrowless eyes.
Detached and dispassionate he sees these masses like a person
atop a mountain peak, surveying the ground below.
Commentary
sokinim pajam : this establishes a characteristic of the ordinary masses
- the worldly men and women. They are all described as ‘sorrowing’.
Sorrow, suffering, is an inescapable condition of ordinary life. Only the
most advanced men of wisdom can rise above this condition of life.
Sorrow, or suffering, has been described by the Buddha as a universal
truth. Birth is suffering, decay is suffering, disease is suffering, death is
suffering, to be united with the unpleasant is suffering, to be separated
from the pleasant is suffering, not to get what one desires is suffering.
In brief, the five aggregates of attachment are suffering. The Buddha does
not deny happiness in life when he says there is suffering. On the con¬
trary he admits different forms of happiness, both material and spiritu¬
al, for laymen as well as for monks. In the Buddha’s Teachings, there is a
list of happinesses, such as the happiness of family life and the happiness
of the life of a recluse, the happiness of sense pleasures and the happi¬
ness of renunciation, the happiness of attachment and the happiness of
detachment, physical happiness and mental happiness etc. But all these
are included in suffering. Even the very pure spiritual states of trance
attained by the practice of higher meditation are included in suffering.
138
The conception of suffering may be viewed from three aspects: (i) suf¬
fering as ordinary suffering, (ii) suffering as produced by change and
(iii) suffering as conditioned states. All kinds of suffering in life like
birth, old age, sickness, death, association with unpleasant persons and
conditions, separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, not
getting what one desires, grief, lamentation, distress - all such forms of
physical and mental suffering, which are universally accepted as suf¬
fering or pain, are included in suffering as ordinary suffering. A happy
feeling, a happy condition in life, is not permanent, not everlasting. It
changes sooner or later. When it changes, it produces pain, suffering,
unhappiness. This vicissitude is included in suffering as suffering pro¬
duced by change. It is easy to understand the two forms of suffering
mentioned above. No one will dispute them. This aspect of the First
Noble Truth is more popularly known because it is easy to understand.
It is common experience in our daily life. But the third form of suffer¬
ing as conditioned states is the most important philosophical aspect of
the First Noble Truth, and it requires some analytical explanation of
what we consider as a ‘being’, as an ‘individual’ or as ‘I’. What we call
a ‘being’, or an ‘individual’, or T, according to Buddhist philosophy,
is only a combination of ever-changing physical and mental forces or
energies, which may be divided into five groups or aggregates.
dhlro bale avekkhati : The sorrowless Arahants look compassionately
with their Divine Eye upon the ignorant folk, who, being subject to re¬
peated births, are not free from sorrow.
When an understanding one discards heedlessness by heedfulness, he,
free from sorrow, ascends to the palace of wisdom and surveys the sor¬
rowing folk as a wise mountaineer surveys the ignorant groundlings.
139
The Mindful One Is Way Ahead
Of Others
2 (6) The Story of the Two Companion Monks (Verse 29)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to two monks, who were friends.
It appears that these two monks obtained a Meditation topic
from the Buddha and retired to a forest hermitage. Early in the
morning one of them brought firewood, prepared the charcoal-
dish, and during the first watch sat and chatted with the proba¬
tioners and novices. The other, a heedful monk, engaged in
meditation, thus admonished his friend, “Brother, do not act
thus. For a monk that is heedless stand ready four states of suf¬
fering, as if they were his own house. The favour of the Bud¬
dhas may not be won by double-dealing.” When the lazy monk
paid no attention to his admonition, the zealous monk said,
“This monk cannot endure to be spoken to.” Having failed to
spur his comrade to greater effort, the zealous monk, abiding in
heedfulness, resumed his meditations.
The slothful Venerable, having warmed himself during the first
watch, entered the monastery just as his friend, having finished
his walk, entered his cell. Said the slothful monk to the zealous
monk, “Slothful one, you entered the forest for the purpose of
lying down and sleeping. Seeing that you obtained a Medita¬
tion topic from the buddhas, ought you not rather to rise and
devote yourself to the practice of meditation?” So saying, he
entered his own place of residence, lay down, and went to
sleep. But his friend, after walking up and down during the first
watch and resting during the second watch, rose in the last
watch and devoted himself to the practice of meditation. Liv-
140
ing thus the life of heedfulness, in no long time he attained
Arahatship, together with the Supernatural Faculties. The other
monk, however, spent his time in utter heedlessness.
When the two monks had completed residence, they went to
the Buddha, paid obeisance to him, and sat down respectfully
on one side. The Buddha exchanged friendly greetings with
them and queried, “I trust that you have lived the life of heed¬
fulness and that you have devoted yourselves earnestly to the
practice of meditation. I trust that you have reached the goal of
the Religious Life.” The heedless monk replied, “Venerable,
how can this monk be said to be heedful? From the time he left
you he has done nothing but lie and sleep.” “But you, monk?”
“I Venerable, early in the morning brought firewood and pre¬
pared the charcoal-dish, and during the first watch I sat and
warmed myself, but I did not spend my time sleeping.” Then
said the Buddha to the slothful monk, “You who have spent
your time in heedlessness say, ‘I am heedful.’ You mistake
heedlessness for heedfulness. Compared with my son, you are
like a weak and slow horse; but he, compared with you, is like
a fleet-footed horse.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 29)
pamattesu appamatto suttesu bahujdgard
sumedhaso sighasso abalassam iva hitvd yati.
pamattesu : among the unmindful; appamatto'. the mindful
one; suttesu : among those who are asleep; bahujdgard : the
wide awake; sumedhaso : the blemishless one of deep
wisdom; sighasso : a fast horse; abalassam iva : as a weak
horse; hitvd: leaving behind; yati: forges well ahead.
141
The extremely wise individual of deep wisdom is always alert
and mindful. He is therefore like a wide-awake individual
among those who are deep in sleep. That wise person, who
possesses supreme insight overtakes in spirituality all those or¬
dinary masses, just as a fast horse easily overtakes a weak one.
Commentary
hitva yati : leaves behind; defeats; overtakes. These are the central
ideas of this stanza. The concept enshrined in this stanza is that those
who are alert and mindful overtake others who are lethargic and unal¬
ert. To emphasize this notion several analogies are shown. The sleep¬
less person is wide awake while others are sleeping away their time.
The disabled horse is overtaken by the fleet-footed. In that manner the
alert person overtakes those others who are heedless and flagging in
spirit. This way the wise ones very easily overtake the less intelligent,
foolish individuals who are not their equals. Among the truth-seekers
those who are steadfast in their search overtake others in spiritual at¬
tainments. They also discard the work-a-day world.
Heedful amongst the heedless, wide awake amongst the slumbering, the
wise man advances as does a swift horse, leaving a weak jade behind.
142
Mindfulness Made Him Chief Of Gods
2 (7) The Story of Magha (Verse 30)
While residing at the Kutagara Monastery near Vesali, the
Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Sakka, king of the
devas. A Licchavi prince named Mahali, who lived at Vesali,
hearing the Buddha recite the Suttanta entitled Sakka’ s Ques¬
tion, thought to himself, “The Supremely Enlightened has de¬
scribed the great glory of Sakka. Has the Buddha seen Sakka?
Or has he not seen Sakka? Is the Buddha acquainted with
Sakka? Or is he not acquainted with Sakka? I will ask him.” So
the Licchavi prince Mahali drew near to where the Exalted One
was, and having drawn near, saluted the Exalted One and sat
down on one side. And having sat down on one side, the Lic¬
chavi prince Mahali spoke thus to the Exalted One, “Venera¬
ble, has the Exalted One seen Sakka king of gods?” “Yes,
Mahali, I have indeed seen Sakka king of gods.” “Venerable, it
must certainly have been a counterfeit of Sakka; for, Venera¬
ble, it is a difficult matter to see Sakka king of gods.” “Never¬
theless, Mahali, I know Sakka; I know what qualities made him
Sakka; I know by the cultivation of what qualities Sakka at¬
tained Sakkaship.
“Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka king of gods
was a human being, a prince named Magha; therefore is he
called Maghava. Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka
king of gods was a human being who in a previous state of ex¬
istence gave gifts; therefore is he called Purindada. Mahali, in a
previous state of existence Sakka king of gods was a human
being, who gave alms assiduously; therefore is he called
Sakka. Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka king of
143
gods was a human being who gave a dwelling-place; therefore
is he called Vasava. Mahali in a previous state of existence
Sakka king of gods was a human being who could think of as
many as a thousand things in an instant; therefore is he called
Sahassakkha. Mahali, Sakka king of gods has an Asura maiden
named Sujata to wife; therefore is he called Sujampati. Mahali,
Sakka king of gods bears sway as lord and master over the
Gods of the Thirty-three; therefore is he called King of Gods.
Mahali, Sakka king of gods in a previous state of existence as a
human being took upon himself and fulfilled seven vows. Be¬
cause he took upon himself and fulfilled these seven vows,
Sakka attained Sakkaship.
“Now what were the seven? ‘So long as I live, may I be the
support of my mother and father. So long as I live, may I hon¬
our my elders. So long as I live, may I speak gentle words. So
long as I live, may I never give way to backbiting. So long as I
live, may I live the life of a householder with heart free from
taint of avarice, generous in renunciation of what is mine, with
open hand, delighting in liberality, attentive to petitions, de¬
lighting in the distribution of alms. So long as I live, may I
speak the truth. So long as I live, may I be free from anger.
Should anger spring up within me, may I quickly suppress it.’
Mahali, Sakka king of gods in a previous state of existence
took upon himself and fulfilled seven vows. Because he took
upon himself and fulfilled these seven vows, Sakka attained
Sakkaship.” The Buddha said, “That, in a previous birth, Sakka
was born as Magha. During that birth with thirty companions
he built roads and resting places for the benefit of the masses.
His unflagging effort brought him into the exalted position of
king of gods, and recited this stanza.
144
Explanatory Translation (Verse 30)
Maghava appamadena devanam setthatam gato
appamadam pasamsanti pamado sadd garahito.
Maghava : Magha (Manavaka); appamadena'. through
mindfulness; devanam'. of gods; setthatam'. leadership;
gato: reached; appamadam: mindfulness; pasamsanti: the
wise praise; pamado: slothfulness; sadd: always; garahito:
is condemned.
The brahamin youth Magha, through his mindfulness, was
born as the Chief of Gods. Therefore mindfulness is always
praised, and sloth and unmindfulness are always condemned.
Commentary
pamado garahito sadd : those who lag behind are condemned because
the lethargic cannot achieve their goals - worldly or spiritual. Un¬
awareness is of course always censured, deprecated by those noble
ones. Why? Because it is the root condition for all calamities. Every
calamity, whether human adversity or birth in a state of woe, is, indeed,
based on unawareness.
Maghava: Maghava is synonymous with Sakka, king of the gods. The
Maghamanavaka Jataka relates that in the remote past a public-spirited
person, who had spent his whole lifetime in welfare work with the co¬
operation of his friends, was born as Sakka as the result of his good
actions.
Devas: lit., sporting or shining ones, are a class of beings with subtle
physical bodies invisible to the naked eye. They live in the celestial
planes. There are also earth-bound deities.
145
The Heedful Advance
2 (8) The Story of a Certain Monk (Verse 31)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to a certain monk.
The story goes that this monk obtained from the Teacher a
meditation topic leading to arahatship and retired to the forest.
Although he strove and struggled with might and main, he was
unable to attain arahatship. Thereupon he said to himself, I will
ask the Buddha to give me a meditation topic better suited to
my needs.” So he departed from his place of residence and set
out to return to the Buddha. On the way he saw a great forest
fire raging. Accordingly he climbed up to the top of a bald
mountain and sat down. As he watched the fire consume the
forest, he concentrated his mind on the following thought,
“Even as this fire advances, consuming all obstacles both great
and small, so also ought I to advance, consuming all obstacles
both great and small by the fire of knowledge of the noble
path.”
The Buddha, even as he sat in his Perfumed Chamber, became
aware of the course of his thoughts and spoke as follows,
“Monk, this is precisely true. Even as fire consumes all obsta¬
cles both great and small, so also is it necessary with the fire of
knowledge to consume and utterly destroy all attachments both
small and great which arise within these living beings.” And
sending forth a luminous image of himself, present, as it were,
sitting face to face with that monk, he gave a stanza.
At the conclusion of the stanza that monk, even as he sat there,
consumed all the attachments and attained Arahatship, together
with the Supernormal Faculties. And straightway, soaring through
146
the air, he approached the Buddha, praising and glorifying the
golden body of the Buddha. And when he had done him hom¬
age, he departed.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 31)
appamadarato pamade bhayadassi vd bhikkhu anum
thulam sannojanam aggT iva daham gacchati.
appamadarato'. taking delight in mindfulness; pamade : in
mindlessness; bhayadassi vd: seeing fear; bhikkhu : the
monk; anum thulam : minute and large; sannojanam : the
bonds; aggT iva : like a fire; daham: burns away; gacchati:
makes his way (Nibbana).
The monk, as the seeker after truth, is frightened of mindless¬
ness because he knows that if one is unmindful, one will be
caught up in the unending sufferings of samsara. Therefore, he
forges ahead diligently, and mindfully burning away those
bonds that fetter people to worldliness.
Commentary
sannojanam: fetters. There are ten fetters tying beings to the wheel of
existence, namely: (i) personality perspective, (ii) uncertainty or split
mind, (iii) alienated discipline, (iv) sensual passion, (v) hate,
(vi) passion for form, (vii) passion for the formless, (viii) judgement,
(ix) anxiety, (x) unawareness. The first five of these are called ‘lower
fetters’, as they tie to the sensual world. The latter five are called
‘higher fetters’, as they tie to the higher worlds, i.e. the form and form¬
less world.
He who is free from (i) to (iii) is a Sdtdpanna, or Streamwinner, i.e.,
one who has entered the stream to Nibbana, as it were. He who, besides
these three fetters, has overcome (iv) and (v) in their grosser form, is
147
called a Sakaddgami, a ‘Once-Returner’ (to this sensual world). He
who is fully freed from (i) to (v) is an Anagdmi, or ‘Non-Returner’ (to
the sensual worlds). He who is freed from all the ten fetters is called an
Arahat, i.e., a perfectly Holy One.
pamade bhayadassi va : he sees being unaware as conducive to fear.
The fear that is seen has to do with the recurring cycle of existence. He
is aware that if he relaxes in his effort to improve himself in his spirit¬
ual progress he will endlessly face births and deaths. Therefore he con¬
siders unmindfulness as the root cause of all these sufferings. This is
the reason why he sees fear in lack of mindfulness.
appamada rato : delighting in mindfulness. The truth-seeker can
achieve success in his quest if he pursues it with happiness. If his de¬
light in the deathless ceases, he will not be able to continue in his path
towards Nibbana. Therefore the monk - seeker after truth - is de¬
scribed as an individual who takes delight in the alertness of the mind.
Bhikkhu : A fully ordained disciple of the Buddha is called a Bhikkhu.
“Mendicant monk” may be suggested as the closest equivalent for
“Bhikkhu.” He is not a priest as he is no mediator between God and
man. He has no vows for life, but he is bound by his rules which he
takes of his own accord. He leads a life of voluntary poverty and celi¬
bacy. If he is unable to live the Holy Life, he can discard the robe at
any time .
148
The Heedful Advances To Nibbana
2 (9) The Story of Monk Nigama Vasi Tissa (Verse 32)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to the monk Nigama Vasi Tissa.
A youth of high station, born and reared in a certain market-
town not far from Savatthi, retired from the world and became
a monk in the religion of the Buddha. On making his full pro¬
fession, he became known as Tissa of the Market-town, or
Nigama Tissa. He acquired the reputation of being frugal, con¬
tent, pure, resolute. He always made his rounds for alms in the
village where his relatives resided. Although, in the neighbour¬
ing city of Savatthi, Anathapindika and other disciples were
bestowing abundant offerings and Pasenadi Kosala was be¬
stowing gifts beyond compare, he never went to Savatthi.
One day the monks began to talk about him and said to the
teacher, “This monk Nigama Tissa, busy and active, lives in in¬
timate association with his kinsfolk. Although Anathapindika
and other disciples are bestowing abundant offerings and
Pasenadi Kosala is bestowing gifts beyond compare, he never
comes to Savatthi.” The Buddha had Nigama Tissa summoned
and asked him, “Monk, is the report true that you are doing
thus and so?” “Venerable,” replied Tissa, “It is not true that I
live in intimate association with my relatives. I receive from
these folk only so much food as I can eat. But after receiving so
much food, whether coarse or fine, as is necessary to support
me, I do not return to the monastery, thinking, ‘Why seek
food?’ I do not live in intimate association with my relatives,
venerable.” The Buddha, knowing the disposition of the monk,
applauded him, saying, ‘Well done, well done, monk!” and
149
then addressed him as follows, “It is not at all strange, monk,
that after obtaining such a teacher as I, you should be frugal.
For frugality is my disposition and my habit.” And in response
to a request of the monks he related the following.
Once upon a time several thousand parrots lived in a certain
grove of fig-trees in the Himalayan country on the bank of the
Ganges. One of them, the king-parrot, when the fruits of the
tree in which he lived had withered away, ate whatever he
found remaining, whether shoot or leaf or bark, drank water
from the Ganges, and being very happy and contented, re¬
mained where he was. In fact he was so very happy and con¬
tented that the abode of Sakka began to quake.
Sakka, observing how happy and contented the parrot was, vis¬
ited him and turned the whole forest into a green and flourish¬
ing place. The Buddha pointed out that even in the past birth he
was contented and happy and that such a monk will never slip
back from the vicinity of Nibbana.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 32)
appamadarato pamade bhayadassi vd bhikkhu
abhabbo parihdndya nibbdnassa santike eva
appamadarato'. taking delight in mindfulness; pamade : in
slothfulness; bhayadassi vd: seeing fear; bhikkhu : the
monk; abhabbo parihdndya: unable to slip back; nibbd¬
nassa: of Nibbana; santike eva: is indeed in the vicinity.
The monk as the seeker after truth, sees fear in lack of mindful¬
ness. He will certainly not fall back from any spiritual heights
he has already reached. He is invariably in the proximity of
Nibbana.
150
Commentary
Nibbana : referring to Nibbana the Buddha says, “O monks, there is the
unborn, ungrown, and unconditioned. Were there not the unborn, un¬
grown, and unconditioned, there would be no escape for the born,
grown, and conditioned, so there is escape for the born, grown, and
conditioned.” “Here the four elements of solidity, fluidity, heat and
motion have no place; the notions of length and breadth, the subtle and
the gross, good and evil, name and form are altogether destroyed; nei¬
ther this world nor the other, nor coming, going or standing, neither
death nor birth, nor sense-objects are to be found.” Because Nibbana is
thus expressed in negative terms, there are many who have got a wrong
notion that it is negative, and expresses self-annihilation. Nibbana is
definitely no annihilation of self, because there is no self to annihilate.
If at all, it is the annihilation of the very process of being, of the condi¬
tional continuous in samsara, with the illusion or delusion of perma¬
nency and identity, with a staggering ego of I and mine.
abhabbo parihanaya : not liable to suffer fall. A monk who is so
(mindful) is not liable to fall either from the contemplative processes of
samatha and vipassand or from the path and Fruits - that is, does not
fall away from what has been reached, and will attain what has not yet
been reached.
151
Mind
The Wise Person Straightens The Mind
The Fluttering Mind
3 (1 ) The Story of Venerable Meghiya (Verses 33 & 34)
While residing on the Calika Mountain, the Buddha spoke these
verses, with reference to Venerable Meghiya.
Once, by reason of attachment to the three evil thoughts, lust,
hatred, delusion, Venerable Meghiya was unable to practice
Exertion in this mango-grove and returned to the Buddha. The
Buddha said to him, “Meghiya, you committed a grievous
fault. I asked you to remain, saying to you, ‘I am now alone,
Meghiya. Just wait until some other monk appears.’ But de¬
spite my request, you went your way. A monk should never
leave me alone and go his way when I ask him to remain. A
monk should never be controlled thus by his thoughts. As for
thoughts, they are flighty, and a man ought always to keep
them under his own control.”
At the conclusion of the stanzas Meghiya was established in
the fruit of conversion and many other monks in the fruits of
the second and third paths.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 33)
phandanam capalam durakkham dunnivarayam
cittam medhavi ujum karoti usukaro tejanam iva
phandanam: pulsating, throbbing; capalam : fickle,
unsteady; durakkham : difficult to guard; dunnivarayam :
hard to restrain; cittam : the mind; medhavi: the wise one;
ujum karoti: straightens; usukaro iva: like a fletcher;
tejanam: an arrow- shaft
153
In the Dhammapada there are several references to the crafts¬
manship of the fletcher. The Buddha seems to have observed
the process through which a fletcher transforms an ordinary
stick into an efficient arrow- shaft. The disciplining of the mind
is seen as being a parallel process. In this stanza the Buddha
says that the wise one straightens and steadies the vacillating
mind that is difficult to guard, like a fletcher straightening an
arrow- shaft.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 34)
okamokata ubbhatd thale khitto varijo iva idam
cittam pariphandati maradheyyam pahdtave
okamokata : from its watery abode; ubbhatd'. taken out;
thale\ on dry land; khitto : thrown; varijo iva: like a fish;
idam cittam : this mind; pariphandati : trembles; marad-
heyyam: death’s realm; pahdtave : to abandon; pariphan¬
dati: flutters and trembles
When making an effort to abandon the realm of Mara (evil),
the mind begins to quiver like a fish taken out of the water and
thrown on land.
Commentary
cittam : This term is commonly translated as mind or consciousness and
seen as the essence of the so-called being which plays the most impor¬
tant part in the complex machinery of man. It is more appropriately
translated as a ‘mental state’ or, even better, an ‘emotional state’. It is
this citta that is either defiled or purified, and is the bitterest enemy and
the greatest friend of oneself. This citta seems to be the equivalent of
‘soul’ in Western thought. In Buddhism, however, the ‘soul’ as a per¬
manent entity is not recognized. Citta which takes its place refers to the
emotional state of a person which is not an entity but a fluctuating ac-
154
tivity like a flame. Sometimes emotions are excited and sometimes the
citta is calm (emotions are absent). We might even translate it as the
‘temperament’ or ‘temper’. Writers on Buddhism mistakenly call it
‘mind’ or ‘consciousness’. But what is meant is the ‘affective’ rather
than the cognitive aspects of the mental process. When a person is fast
asleep and is in a dreamless state, he experiences a kind of mental state
which is more or less passive than active. It is similar to the mental
state one experiences at the moment of conception and at the moment
of death. The Buddhist philosophical term for this type of mental state
is Bhavanga citta which means the mental state natural to one’s condi¬
tion of existence. Arising and perishing every moment, it flows on like
a stream not remaining the same for two consecutive moments. We do
experience this type of mental state not only in a dreamless state but
also in our waking state. In the course of our life we experience Bha¬
vanga mental states more than any other type of mental state. Hence
Bhavanga becomes the natural state of mind.
Some scholars identify Bhavanga with sub-consciousness. According
to the Dictionary of Philosophy sub-consciousness is ‘a compartment
of the mind alleged by certain psychologists and philosophers to exist
below the threshold of consciousness.’ In the opinion of some Western
psychologists, sub-consciousness and consciousness co-exist.
But Bhavanga is not a sub-plane. It does not correspond to F. W.
Myer’s subliminal consciousness either.
Bhavanga is so called because it is the resting state of mind that is nat¬
ural to an individual’s life- continuum. That is why life-continuum has
been suggested as the English equivalent for Bhavanga. But a better
translation could be ‘Resting mental state’ .
This Bhavanga state of mind which one always experiences as long as
it is uninterrupted by external stimuli, vibrates for a thought-moment
and passes away when a stimulus activates the senses. Suppose, for in¬
stance, the eye is stimulated. Then the Bhavanga stream of conscious¬
ness is arrested and sense-door consciousness (whose function is to
turn the attention towards the object) arises and passes away. Immedi¬
ately after this, there arises a visual perception which sees the object,
155
but yet knows no more about it. This sense operation is followed by a
moment of the reception of the object so seen. Next arises the investi¬
gating thought-moment which momentarily examines the object so
seen. This is followed by the determining thought-moment. On this de¬
pends the subsequent psychologically important stage Javana. It is at
this stage that an action is judged, whether it be moral or immoral
when discrimination is exercised and will play its part. Kamma is per¬
formed at this stage.
If decided correctly, it becomes moral; if wrongly, immoral. Irrespec¬
tive of the desirability or the undesirability of the object presented to
the mind, it is possible for one to make the Javana process moral or im¬
moral. If, for instance, one meets an enemy, anger will arise automati¬
cally. A wise person might, on the contrary, with self-control, radiate a
thought of love towards him. This is the reason why the Buddha stated:
By self is evil done,
By self is one defiled,
By self is no evil done,
By self is one purified.
Both defilement and purity depend on oneself.
No one is purified by another.
It is an admitted fact that environment, circumstances, habitual tenden¬
cies and the like condition our thoughts. On such occasions will is sub¬
ordinated. There exists however the possibility for us to overcome
those external forces and produce moral and immoral thoughts exercis¬
ing our own free will. An extraneous element may be a causative fac¬
tor, but we ourselves are directly responsible for the actions that finally
follow.
It is extremely difficult to suggest a suitable rendering for Javana.
A perception is suggested by some. Impulse is suggested as an alterna¬
tive rendering, which seems to be less satisfactory than a perception.
Here, the Pali term is retained.
Javana, literally, means running. It is so called because, in the course
of a thought-process, it runs consequently for seven thought-moments,
156
or, at times of death, for five thought-moments with an identical object.
The mental states occurring in all these thought-moments are similar,
but the potential force differs.
This entire thought-process which takes place in an infinitesimal part
of time ends with the registering consciousness lasting for two
thought-moments. Thus one thought-process is completed at the expi¬
ration of seventeen thought-moments. This is the analysis of a thought
process involved in the experience of an object,
In the Buddhist system an essential element in the quest for higher
spiritual achievement is the reflection upon the real nature of the mind
- cittanupassand.
‘ Cittanupassand' means reflection of mind. The mind is so complex
and subtle that even modern science has not been able to grasp its real
nature. But the Buddha was able to comprehend the real nature of the
mind by developing his own mind. Development of mind leads to con¬
centration. The mind thus developed could be easily diverted to tran¬
scendental knowledge. However, such a state cannot be attained easily.
The mind does not rest in one object, it always strays away. When one
attempts to control the mind, it wriggles like a fish taken out of water.
Therefore the controlling of the mind should be done with great effort.
According to the Abhidhamma there are 121 types of the mind. In this
meditation ( Cittanupassand ) 16 aspects of the mind are described.
They are: 1. Sardga, 2. Vitardga, 3. Sadosa, 4. VTtadosa, 5. Samoha,
6. VTtamoha, 7. Samkhitta, 8. Vikkhitta, 9. Mahaggata, 10. Amahag-
gata, 11. Sauttara, 12. Anuttara, 13. Samdhita, 14. Asamdhita,
15. Vimutta, 16. Avimutta.
157
Restrained Mind Leads To Happiness
3 (2) The Story of a Certain Monk (Verse 35)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to a certain monk.
On one occasion, sixty monks, after obtaining a meditation
topic from the Buddha, went to Matika village, at the foot of a
mountain. There, Matikamata, mother of the village headman,
offered them alms-food; she also built a monastery for them, so
that they could stay in the village during the rainy season. One
day she asked the group of monks to teach her the practice of
meditation. They taught her how to meditate on the thirty-two
constituents of the body leading to the awareness of the decay
and dissolution of the body. Matikamata practiced with dili¬
gence and attained the three maggas (paths) and phalas (fruits)
together with analytical insight and mundane supernormal
powers, even before the monks did.
Rising from the bliss of the magga and phala she looked with
the divine power of sight ( dibbacakkhu ) and saw that the
monks had not attained any of the Maggas yet. She also learnt
that those monks had enough potentiality for the attainment of
arahatship, but they needed proper food. So, she prepared
good, choice food for them. With proper food and right effort,
the monks developed right concentration and eventually at¬
tained arahatship.
At the end of the rainy season, the monks returned to the Jeta¬
vana Monastery, where the Buddha was in residence. They re¬
ported to the Buddha that all of them were in good health and
in comfortable circumstances and that they did not have to
worry about food. They also mentioned Matikamata, who was
158
aware of their thought and prepared and offered them the very
food they wished for.
A certain monk, hearing them talking about Matikamata, de¬
cided that he, too, would go to that village. So, taking one med¬
itation topic from the Buddha he arrived at the village monas¬
tery. There, he found that everything he wished for was sent to
him by Matikamata, the lay-devotee. When he wished her to
come she personally came to the monastery, bringing along
choice food with her. After taking the food, he asked her if she
knew the thoughts of others, but she evaded his question and
replied, “People who can read the thoughts of others behave in
such and such a way.” Then, the monk thought, “Should I, like
an ordinary worldling, entertain any impure thoughts, she is
sure to find out.” He therefore got scared of the lay-devotee
and decided to return to the Jetavana Monastery. He told the
Buddha that he could not stay in Matika village because he was
afraid that the lay-devotee might detect impure thoughts in
him. The Buddha then asked him to observe just one thing; that
is, to control his mind. The Buddha also told the monk to return
to Matika village monastery, and not to think of anything else,
but the object of his meditation only. The monk went back. The
lay-devotee offered him good food as she had done to others
before, so that he might be able to practice meditation without
worry. Within a short time, he, too, attained arahatship.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 35)
duhhiggahassa lahuno yattha kamanipatino cittassa
damatho sadhu ; dantam cittam sukhdvaham
' • • •
dunniggahassa : difficult to be controlled; lahuno : swift;
yattha kamanipatino'. focusing on whatever target it
159
wishes; cittassa : of the mind; damatho : taming; sadhu : (is)
good; dantam: tamed; cittcim : mind; sukhavaham : brings
bliss.
The mind is exceedingly subtle and is difficult to be seen. It at¬
taches on whatever target it wishes. The wise guard the mind.
The guarded mind brings bliss.
Commentary
duiiniggahassa, yatthakamanipatino: hard to control; focussing upon
wherever it likes and on whatever it wishes. These two are given as
characteristics of the mind. The mind is so quick and swift it is so diffi¬
cult to get hold of it. Because it is nimble no one can restrain it unless
the person is exceptionally disciplined. The other quality of the mind
referred to in this stanza is its capacity to alight on anything it wishes.
This is also a characteristic of the mind making it extremely difficult to
keep in check. Our emotions are impersonal processes. They are not
what we do. That is why they are difficult to control. It is only by not
identifying with them that they can be stopped. By identifying with
them, we give them strength. By calm observation as they come and
go, they cease. They cannot be stopped by fighting with them.
160
Protected Mind Leads To Happiness
3 (3) The Story of a Certain Disgruntled Monk (Verse 36)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to a young disgruntled monk who was the
son of a banker.
While the Buddha was in residence at Savatthi, a certain
banker’ s son approached an elder who resorted to his house for
alms and said to him, “Venerable, I desire to obtain release
from suffering. Tell me some way by which I can obtain re¬
lease from suffering.” The elder replied, “Peace be unto you,
brother. If you desire release from suffering, give alms-food,
give fortnightly food, give lodging during the season of the
rains, give bowls and robes and the other requisites. Divide
your possessions into three parts: with one portion carry on
your business; with another portion support son and wife; dis¬
pense the third portion in alms in the religion of the Buddha.”
“Very well, Venerable,” said the banker’s son, and did all in the
prescribed order. Having done it, he returned to the elder and
asked him, “Venerable, is there anything else I ought to do?”
“Brother, take upon yourself the three refuges and the five pre¬
cepts.” The banker’s son did so, and then asked whether there
was anything else he ought to do. “Yes,” replied the elder, “Take
upon yourself the ten precepts.” “Very well, Venerable,” said
the banker’s son, and took upon himself the ten precepts. Be¬
cause the banker’ s son had in this manner performed works of
merit, one after another, he came to be called Anupubba. Again
he asked the elder, “Venerable, is there anything else I ought to
do?” The elder replied, “Yes, become a monk.” The banker’s
son immediately retired from the world and became a monk.
161
Now he had a teacher who was versed in the Abhidhamma and
a preceptor who was versed in the Vinaya. After he had made a
full profession, whenever he approached his teacher, the latter
repeated questions found in the Abhidhamma, “In the religion
of the Buddha it is lawful to do this, it is unlawful to do that.”
And whenever he approached his preceptor, the latter repeated
questions found in the Vinaya, “In the Religion of the Buddha
it is lawful to do this, it is unlawful to do that; this is proper,
this is improper.” After a time he thought to himself, “Oh what
a wearisome task this is ! I became a monk in order to obtain re¬
lease from suffering, but here there is not even room for me to
stretch out my hands. It is possible, however, to obtain release
from suffering, even if one lives the householder’s. I should
become a householder once more.”
The Buddha said, “Monk, are you discontented?” “Yes, Vener¬
able, I became a monk in order to obtain release from suffer¬
ing. But here there is not even room for me to stretch my
hands. It is possible for me to obtain release from suffering as a
householder.” The Buddha said, “Monk, if you can guard one
thing, it will not be necessary for you to guard the rest.” “What
is that, Venerable?” “Can you guard your thoughts?” “I can,
Venerable.” “Then guard your thoughts alone.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 36)
sududdasam sunipunam yattha kdmanipdtinam
cittam medhdvT rakkhetha cittam guttam sukhavaham
sududdasam : extremely difficult to be seen; sunipunam :
exceedingly subtle; yattha kdmanipdtinam'. focusing on
whatever target it wishes; cittam'. mind; medhdvT: the wise
one; rakkhetha : should protect; guttam cittam : the guarded
mind; sukhavaham : brings bliss
162
The mind moves about so fast it is difficult to get hold of it
fully. It is swift. It has a way of focussing upon whatever it
likes. It is good and of immense advantage to tame the mind.
The tamed mind brings bliss.
Commentary
sududdasam sunipunam : two characteristics of the mind. One out¬
standing quality of the mind is that it is extremely difficult to be seen.
Although it is capable of a vast variety of activities, it cannot be seen at
all. It moves about unseen. It forces, persuades, motivates, all without
being seen. The other quality of the mind referred to in this stanza is
that it is very subtle. It is because of this that the mind cannot be seen
or captured in any way. The stanza stresses the fact that happiness
comes to him who is capable of guarding this imperceptible and subtle
entity - the mind.
163
Death’s Snare Can Be Broken By
Tamed Mind
3 (4) The Story of Monk Sangharakkhita (Verse 37)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to the nephew of the monk Sanghar-
akkhita.
Once there lived in Savatthi a senior monk by the name of
Sangharakkhita. When his sister gave birth to a son, she named
the child after the monk and he came to be known as Sanghar-
akkhita Bhagineyya. The nephew Sangharakkhita, in due
course, was admitted into the Sangha. While the young monk
was staying in a village monastery he was offered two sets of
robes, and he intended to offer one to his uncle, monk Sanghar-
akkhita. At the end of the rainy season he went to his uncle to
pay respect to him and offered the robe to the monk. But, the
uncle declined to accept the robe, saying that he had enough.
Although he repeated his request, the monk would not accept
it. The young monk felt disheartened and thought that since his
uncle was so unwilling to share the requisites with him, it
would be better for him to leave the Sangha and live the life of
a layman.
From that point, his mind wandered and a train of thoughts fol¬
lowed. He thought that after leaving the Sangha he would sell
the robe and buy a she-goat; that the she-goat would breed
quickly and soon he would make enough money to enable him
to marry; his wife would give birth to a son. He would take his
wife and child in a small cart to visit his uncle at the monas¬
tery. On the way, he would say that he would carry the child;
she would tell him to drive the cart and not to bother about the
164
child. He would insist and grab the child from her; between
them the child would fall on the cart-track and the wheel would
pass over the child. He would get so furious with his wife that
he would strike her with the goading- stick.
At that time he was fanning the monk with a palmyrah fan and
he absent-mindedly struck the head of the monk with the fan.
The monk, knowing the thoughts of the young monk, said,
“You were unable to beat your wife; why have you beaten an
old monk?” Young Sangharakkhita was very much surprised
and embarrassed at the words of the old monk; he also became
extremely frightened. So he fled. Young monks and novices of
the monastery chased after him, caught him, and finally
brought him to the presence of the Buddha.
When told about the experience, the Buddha said that the mind
has the ability to think of an object even though it might be far
away, and that one should strive hard for liberation from the
bondage of passion, ill will and ignorance. After the Buddha
recited the stanza near the end of the discourse, the young
monk attained sotapatti fruition.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 37)
durangamam ekacaram asarlram guhdsayam cittam
ye sannamessanti (te) Marabandhand mokkhanti
durangamam'. travelling vast distances; ekacaram : moving
all alone; asarlram : body-less; guhdsayam : dwelling con¬
cealed; cittam : the mind; ye: if someone; sannamessanti :
(were to) restrain; (te) Marabandhand : they from the bonds
of death; mokkhanti : are released
165
The mind is capable of travelling vast distances - up or down,
north or south, east or west - in any direction. It can travel to
the past or to the future. It roams about all alone. It is without
any perceptible forms. If an individual were to restrain the
mind fully, he will achieve freedom from the bonds of death.
Commentary
durangamam ekacaram asarlram guhasayam: traveling far, living
alone, without body, lying hidden. These are four more attributes of the
mind mentioned in this verse. Travelling far means that it can stray far
away from the starting subject of thought. Living alone means that it
can think only of one thing at a time. Without body means it is not an
entity that occupies space, because it is only an activity which may be
seen as physical or mental. Lying hidden means that it is intangible.
166
Wisdom Does Not Grow If Mind Wavers
The Wide-Awake Is Unfrightened
3 (5) The Story of Monk Cittahattha (Verses 38 & 39)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these verses, with reference to the monk Cittahattha.
A certain youth of a respectable family, a herdsman, living at
Savatthi, went into the forest to look for an ox that was lost.
During midday, he saw the ox and released the herds, and be¬
ing oppressed by hunger and thirst, he thought to himself, “I
can surely get something to eat from the noble monks.” So he
entered the monastery, went to the monks, bowed to them, and
stood respectfully on one side. Now at that time the food which
remained over and above to the monks who had eaten lay in the
vessel used for refuse. When the monks saw that youth, ex¬
hausted by hunger as he was, they said to him, “Here is food;
take and eat it.” (When a Buddha is living in the world, there is
always a plentiful supply of rice-porridge, together with vari¬
ous sauces). So the youth took and ate as much food as he
needed drank water, washed his hands, and then bowed to the
monks and asked them, “Venerable, did you go to some house
by invitation today?” “No, lay disciple; monks always receive
food in this way.”
The youth thought to himself, “No matter how busy and active
we may be, though we work continually both by night and by
day, we never get rice-porridge so deliciously seasoned. But
these monks, according to their own statement, eat it continu¬
ally. Why should I remain a layman any longer? I will become
a monk.” Accordingly he approached the monks and asked to
be received into the Sangha. The monks said to him, “Very
167
well, lay disciple,” and received him into the Sangha. After
making his full profession, he performed all the various major
and minor duties; and in but a few days, sharing in the rich of¬
ferings which accrue in the Buddha’s Dispensation, he became
fat and comfortable.
Then he thought to himself, “Why should I live on food ob¬
tained by making the alms-round? I will become a layman once
more.” So back he went and entered his house. After working
in his house for only a few days, his body became thin and
weak. Thereupon he said to himself, “Why should I endure this
suffering any longer? I will become a monk.” So back he went
and re-ordained. But after spending a few days as a monk, be¬
coming discontented again, went back to lay-life.
“Why should I live the life of a layman any longer? I will be¬
come a monk.” So saying, he went to the monks, bowed, and
asked to be received into the Sangha. Because he had been
with them, the monks received him into the Sangha once more.
In this manner he entered the Sangha and left it again six times
in succession. The monks said to themselves, “This man lives
under the sway of his thoughts.” So they gave him the name
Thought-Controlled, elder Cittahattha.
As he was thus going back and forth, his wife became preg¬
nant. The seventh time he returned from the forest with his
farming implements he went to the house, put his implements
away, and entered his own room, saying to himself, “I will put
on my yellow robe again.” Now his wife happened to be in bed
and asleep at the time. Her undergarment had fallen off, saliva
was flowing from her mouth, she was snoring, her mouth was
wide open; she appeared to him like a swollen corpse. Grasp¬
ing the thought, “All that is in this world is transitory, is in-
168
volved in suffering,” he said to himself, “To think that because
of her, all the time I have been a monk, I have been unable to
continue steadfast in the monastic life!” Straightaway, taking
his yellow robe, he ran out of the house, binding the robe about
his belly as he ran.
Now his mother-in-law lived in the same house with him.
When she saw him departing in this way, she said to herself,
“This renegade, who but this moment returned from the forest,
is running from the house, binding his yellow robe about him
as he runs, and is making for the monastery. What is the mean¬
ing of this?” Entering the house and seeing her daughter
asleep, she knew at once, “It was because he saw her sleeping
that he became disgusted, and went away.” So she shook her
daughter and said to her, “Rise, your husband saw you asleep,
became disgusted, and went away. He will not be your husband
henceforth.” “Begone, mother. What does it matter whether he
has gone or not? He will be back again in but a few days.”
As Cittahattha proceeded on his way, repeating the words, “All
that is in this world is transitory, is involved in suffering,” he
obtained the fruit of conversion ( sotdpatti phala). Continuing
his journey, he went to the monks, bowed to them, and asked to
be received into the Sangha. “No,” said the monks, “we cannot
receive you into the Sangha. Why should you become a monk?
Your head is like a grindstone.” “Venerable, receive me into
the Sangha just this once.” Because he had helped them, they
received him into the Sangha. After a few days he attained ara-
hatship, together with the supernatural faculties.
Thereupon they said to him, “Brother Cittahattha, doubtless
you alone will decide when it is time for you to go away again;
you have remained here a long while this time.” “Venerables,
169
when I was attached to the world, I went away; but now I have
put away attachment to the world; I have no longer any desire
to go away.” The monks went to the Buddha and said, “Vener¬
able, we said such and such to this monk, and he said such and
such to us in reply. He utters falsehood, says what is not true.”
The Buddha replied, “Yes, monks, when my son’s mind was
unsteady, when he knew not the good law, then he went and
came. But now he has renounced both good and evil.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 38)
anavatthitacittassa saddhammam avijdnato
• • •
pariplava pasadassa pahhd na paripurati
anavatthitacittassa’. of wavering mind; saddhammam’. the
true doctrine; avijdnato’. ignorant of; pariplava pasadassa :
of flagging enthusiasm; pahhd: wisdom; na paripurati’.
does not grow
If the mind of a person keeps on wavering, and if a person does
not know the doctrine, if one’s enthusiasm keeps on fluctuating
or flagging, the wisdom of such a person does not grow.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 39)
anavassuta cittassa ananvahatacetaso
puhhapdpapahTnassa jdgarato bhayam natthi
anavassuta cittassa: (to the one) with mind undampened
by passion; ananvahatacetaso: mind unaffected by hatred;
puhhapdpapahTnassa: gone beyond both good and evil;
jdgarato: wide awake; bhayam natthi: fear exists not
170
For the person whose mind is not dampened by passion, unaf¬
fected by ill-will and who has risen above both good and evil,
there is no fear because he is wide-awake.
Commentary
anavatthitacittassa : for a person with an unsteady or unstabilised
mind. The ordinary people all have minds that are unsteady. Their
minds are not constant and consequently lack one-pointedness. A per¬
son possessing such a mind will find it difficult to progress in the Path
to Liberation.
saddhammam avijanato: a person who is not aware of the well-articu¬
lated Teaching of the Buddha.
pariplava pasadassa : with fluctuating devotion. An individual whose
devotion and confidence are fluctuating will not be able to make steady
progress.
anavassuta cittassa : this is a positive quality. The person whose mind
is not dampened by lust is referred to here. This implies the contami¬
nating inflow of defilements via sensory reactions (i.e. responding to
sights, sounds, smells etc.).
ananvahatacetaso : the person whose mind remains unassailed (by
greed, hatred etc.). As the mind is perfectly intact, he can utilize it for
his spiritual progress.
natthi jagarato bhayam : for the wide-awake there is no fear. He is al¬
ways alert, observing defilements that are likely to affect his mind. Be¬
cause of this alertness the wide-awake person is not at all afraid. It
should not erroneously be understood that Arahants do not sleep.
Whether asleep or awake they are regarded as sleepless or vigilant
ones, since the five stimulating virtues - namely, confidence (, saddhd ),
energy ( viriya ), mindfulness ( sati ), concentration ( samddhi ), and wis¬
dom (pannd) are ever present in them.
punnapapapahlnassa : one who transcends the notions of good and
bad deeds with no particular attachment to the rewards. This implies a
171
very high degree of moral equanimity, as it indicates ego-less detach¬
ment. There is no attachment to the act of giving, to the one who re¬
ceives, or to the gift. The Arahats, however, having transcended all life
- affirming and rebirth - producing actions, are said to be ‘beyond
merit and demerit. ’
The deeds of an Arahant : a perfect Saint, are neither good nor bad be¬
cause he has gone beyond both good and evil. This does not mean that
he is passive. He is active but his activity is selfless and is directed to
help others to tread the path he has trod himself. His deeds, ordinarily
accepted as good, lack creative power as regards himself in producing
Kammic effects. He is not however exempt from the effects of his past
actions. He accumulates no fresh kammic activities. Whatever actions
he does, as an Arahant, are termed “inoperative” ( kiriya ), and are not
regarded as Kamma. They are ethically ineffective. Understanding
things as they truly are, he has finally shattered the cosmic chain of
cause and effect.
172
Weapons To Defeat Death
3 (6) The Story of Five Hundred Monks (Verse 40)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to five hundred monks.
Five hundred monks from Savatthi, after obtaining a medita¬
tion topic from the Buddha, travelled for a distance of one hun¬
dred leagues away from Savatthi and came to a large forest
grove, a suitable place for meditation practice. The guardian
spirits of the trees dwelling in that forest thought that if those
monks were staying in the forest, it would not be proper for
them to live with their families. So, they descended from the
trees, thinking that the monks would stop there only for one
night. But the monks were still there at the end of a fortnight;
then it occurred to them that the monks might be staying there
till the end of the vassa. In that case, they and their families
would have to be living on the ground for a long time. So, they
decided to frighten away the monks, by making ghostly sounds
and frightful apparitions. They showed up with bodies without
heads, and with heads without bodies. The monks were very
upset and left the place and returned to the Buddha, to whom
they related everything. On hearing their account, the Buddha
told them that this had happened because previously they went
without any protection and that they should go back there
armed with suitable protection. So saying, the Buddha taught
them the protective discourse Metta Sutta at length (Loving-
Kindness) beginning with the following stanza:
Karamyamattha kusalena - yam tam santam padam
abhisamecca
sakko uju ca suju ca - suvaco c’ assa mudu anatimani.
173
“He who is skilled in (acquiring) what is good and beneficial,
(mundane as well as supramundane) ,
aspiring to attain perfect peace (Nibbana) should act (thus):
He should be efficient, upright, perfectly upright, compliant,
gentle and free from conceit.”
The monks were instructed to recite the sutta from the time
they came to the outskirts of the forest grove and to enter the
monastery reciting it. The monks returned to the forest grove
and did as they were told.
The guardian spirits of the trees receiving loving-kindness
from the monks reciprocated by welcoming them and not
harming them. There were no more ghostly sounds and fright¬
ening sights. Thus left in peace, the monks meditated on the
body and came to realize its fragile and impermanent nature.
From the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha, by his supernormal
power, learned about the progress of the monks and sent forth
his radiance making them feel his presence. To them he said,
“Monks just as you have realized, the body is, indeed, imper¬
manent and fragile like an earthen jar.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 40)
imam kdyam kumbhupamam viditva, idam cittam
nagarupamam thapetvd pahhayudhena Mdram
yodhetha jitam ca rakkhe anivesano siyd
imam kdyam : this body; kumbhupamam viditva: viewing as
a clay pot; idam cittam : this mind; nagarupamam : as a pro¬
tected city; thapetvd : considering; pahhayudhena : with the
weapon of wisdom; Mar am: forces of evil; yodhetha:
174
attack; jitam : what has been conquered; rakkhe : protect
too; anivesand : no seeker of an abode; siyd: be
It is realistic to think of the body as vulnerable, fragile, frail
and easily disintegrated. In fact, one must consider it a clay
vessel. The mind should be thought of as a city. One has to be
perpetually mindful to protect the city. Forces of evil have to
be fought with the weapon of wisdom. After the battle, once
you have achieved victory, live without being attached to the
mortal self.
Commentary
kumbhupamam : compared to an earthen pot. The monks are asked to
think of the human body as an earthen pot - fragile, very vulnerable.
cittam nagarupamam : think of the mind as a guarded citadel. The spe¬
cial quality of the citadel is within it all valuable treasures are stored
and guarded. Any outsider can enter and plunder if this is unguarded.
It, too, could be attacked by blemishes.
yodhetha Maram pannayudhena : oppose Mara (evil) with the weapon
of wisdom. When forces of evil attack the mind - the city to be
guarded - the only weapon for a counter offensive is wisdom, which is
a perfect awareness of the nature of things in the real sense.
175
Without The Mind Body Is Worthless
3 (7) The Story of Tissa, the Monk with
a Stinking Body (Verse 41)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to the monk Tissa.
After taking a meditation topic from the Buddha, monk Tissa
was diligently practicing meditation when he was afflicted
with a disease. Small boils appeared all over his body and these
developed into big sores. When these sores burst, his upper and
lower robes became sticky and stained with body fluids, and
his body was stinking. For this reason, he was known as Puti-
gattatissa, Tissa the thera with a stinking body.
Now the Buddha never failed to survey the world twice a day.
At dawn he surveyed the world, looking from the rim of the
world towards the perfumed chamber. Now at this time the
Venerable Putigatta Tissa appeared within the net of the
Buddha’s sight.
The Buddha, knowing that the monk Tissa was ripe for arahat-
ship, thought to himself, “This monk has been abandoned by
his associates; at the present time he has no other refuge than
me.” Accordingly the Buddha departed from the perfumed
chamber, and pretending to be making the rounds of the mon¬
astery, went to the hall where the fire was kept. He washed the
boiler, placed it on the brazier, waited in the fire-room for the
water to boil, and when he knew it was hot, went and took hold
of the end of the bed where that monk was lying.
176
At that time the monks said to the Buddha, “Pray depart, Ven¬
erable; we will carry him out for you.” So saying, they took up
the bed and carried Tissa into the fire-room. The Buddha
caused the monks to take Tissa’ s upper garment, wash it thor¬
oughly in hot water, and lay it in the sunshine to dry. Then he
went, and taking his stand near Tissa, moistened his body with
warm water and bathed him.
At the end of his bath his upper garment was dry. The Buddha
caused him to be clothed in his upper garment and washed
thoroughly his under garment in hot water and laid in the sun to
dry. As soon as the water had evaporated from his body, his
under garment was dry. Thereupon Tissa put on his under gar¬
ment and, with body refreshed and mind tranquil, lay down on
the bed. The Buddha took his stand at Tissa’ s pillow and said
to him, “Monk, consciousness will depart from you, your body
will become useless and, like a log, will lie on the ground.” At
the end of the discourse monk Tissa attained arahatship to¬
gether with analytical insight, and soon passed away.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 41)
ayam kayo vata aciram apetavinnano chuddhd
nirattham kalingaram iva pathavim adhisessati
ayam kayo : this body; vata: certainly; aciram: soon;
apetavinnano: will be bereft of consciousness; chuddhd:
discarded; iva: like; nirattham: worthless; kalingaram: a
decayed log; pathavim: on the ground; adhisessati: lies
Soon, this body, without consciousness, discarded like a de¬
cayed worthless log, will lie on the earth.
Commentary
aciram vata : very soon, without any doubt. The stanza explains the
condition of the human body. Soon it will certainly decay.
chuddhd : will be thrown aside. However much friends and relations
love a person, when he is alive, when he dies the body will be thrown
away.
nirattham kalifigaranr. the discarded body will lie like a rotten log. It
will be of no use to anyone. Once consciousness is gone, without life,
our body is useless. It is worse than a log of wood, because the body
cannot be put to any use, though a log of wood could be made use of,
in some way.
178
All Wrongs Issue Out Of Evil Minds
3 (8) The Story of Nanda, the Herdsman (Verse 42)
While on a visit to a village in the kingdom of Kosala, the
Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Nanda, the herdsman.
Nanda was a herdsman who looked after the cows of
Anathapindika. Although only a herdsman, he had some means
of his own. Occasionally, he would go to the house of
Anathapindika and there he sometimes met the Buddha and lis¬
tened to his discourses. Nanda requested the Buddha to pay a
visit to his house. But the Buddha did not go to Nanda’ s house
immediately, saying that it was not yet time.
After some time, while travelling with his followers, the
Buddha went off his route to visit Nanda, knowing that the
time had come for Nanda to receive his teaching properly.
Nanda respectfully received the Buddha and his followers; he
served them milk and milk products and other choice foods for
seven days. On the last day, after hearing the discourse given
by the Buddha, Nanda attained sotapatti fruition. As the
Buddha was leaving that day, Nanda carrying the bowl of the
Buddha, followed him for some distance, paid obeisance and
turned back to go home.
At that instant, a stray arrow shot by a hunter, killed him. Later
the monks, who were following the Buddha, saw Nanda lying
dead. They reported the matter to the Buddha, saying, “Vener¬
able, because you came here, Nanda who made great offerings
to you and accompanied you on your return was killed as he
was turning back to go home.” To them, the Buddha replied,
“Monks, whether I came here or not, there was no escape from
death for him because of his previous kamma.”
179
Explanatory Translation (Verse 42)
diso disam yam tam kayira ven va pana verinam
micchd panihitam cittam nam tato pdpiyo kare
diso : a robber; disam : to a similar bandit; tam: to him what¬
ever harm; kayira : inflicts; ven va pana : a hater; verinam:
to a hated person (inflicts some harm); micchd panihitam:
misdirected; cittam: mind; nam: to him; tato papiyo: a
worse crime than that; kare: does
When one bandit sees another, he attacks the second bandit. In
the same way, one person sees someone he hates, he also does
harm to the hated person. But what the badly deployed mind
does to the possessor of the mind is far worse than what a ban¬
dit would do to another bandit or what one hater will do to an¬
other hater.
Commentary
diso disam : what one bandit does to another bandit. Similarly, the hater
may do harm to another hater. The total implication of the verse is the
harm that is done to a person by his own badly-managed mind is worse
than what a bandit could do to another rival bandit, or two enemies do
to each other. The undeveloped mind is one’s worst enemy.
micchd panihitam : wrongly directed. One’s mind can be directed in
the right manner. In such a situation the outcome is wholesome. When
that happens, the mind well-directed proves to be one’s best friend.
But, when the direction given to the mind is wrong, it can do greater
harm to a person than even an enemy could.
micchd panihitam cittam : What is implied by this is one’s mind can do
greater harm than one enemy could do to another. This way, a badly es¬
tablished mind is one’s own enemy - far worse than an outside enemy.
an ill-directed mind : That is, the mind directed towards the ten kinds
of evil - namely, 1. killing, 2. stealing, 3. sexual misconduct, 4. lying,
5. slandering, 6. harsh speech, 7. vain talk, 8. covetousness, 9. ill-will,
and 10. false belief.
180
Well-Trained Mind Excels People
3 (9) The Story of Soreyya (Verse 43)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to Soreyya, the son of a rich man of the
city of Soreyya. On one occasion, Soreyya accompanied by a
friend and some attendants was going out in a carriage for a
bath. At that moment, monk Mahakaccayana was adjusting his
robes outside the city, as he was going into the city of Soreyya
for alms-food. The youth Soreyya, seeing the youthful com¬
plexion of the monk, thought, “How I wish the monk were my
wife, so that the complexion of my wife would be like his.” As
the wish arose in him, his sex changed and he became a
woman. Very much ashamed, he got down from the carriage
and ran away, taking the road to Taxila. His companions
looked for him, but they could not find him. Soreyya, now a
woman, offered her signet ring to some people going to Taxila,
to allow her to go with them in their carriage. Upon arrival at
Taxila, her companions told a young rich man of Taxila about
the lady who came along with them. The young rich man, find¬
ing her to be very beautiful and of a suitable age for him, mar¬
ried her. As a result of this marriage two sons were born; there
were also two sons from the previous marriage of Soreyya as a
man.
One day, a rich man’s son from the city of Soreyya came to
Taxila with a caravan of five hundred carts. Lady Soreyya, rec¬
ognizing him to be an old friend, sent for him. The man from
Soreyya was surprised that he was invited, because he did not
know the lady who invited him. He told the Lady Soreyya that
he did not know her, and asked her whether she knew him. She
answered that she knew him and also enquired after the health
of her family and other people in the city of Soreyya. The man
from Soreyya next told her about the rich man’s son who dis¬
appeared mysteriously while going for a bath. Then the Lady
Soreyya revealed her identity and related all that had hap¬
pened, about the wrongful thoughts with regard to monk
Mahakaccayana, about the change of sex, and her marriage to
the young rich man of Taxila. The man from the city of
Soreyya then advised the Lady Soreyya to ask pardon from the
monk. Monk Mahakaccayana was accordingly invited to the
home of Soreyya and alms-food was offered to him. After the
meal, the Lady Soreyya was brought to the presence of the
monk, and the man from Soreyya told the monk that the lady
was at one time the son of a rich man from Soreyya. He then
explained to the monk how Soreyya was turned into a female
on account of his wrongful thoughts towards the respected
monk. Lady Soreyya then respectfully asked pardon of Monk
Mahakaccayana. The monk then said, “Get up, I forgive you.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the woman was changed
back to a man. Soreyya then pondered how within a single ex¬
istence and with a single body he had undergone change of sex
and how sons were born to him. And feeling very weary and
repulsive of all these things, he decided to leave the house¬
holder’s life and joined the sangha under the monk.
After that, he was often asked, “Whom do you love more, the
two sons you had as a man or the other two you had as a
woman?” To those, he would answer that his love for those
borne as a woman was greater. This question was put to him so
often, he felt very much annoyed and ashamed. So he stayed by
himself and, with diligence, contemplated the decay and disso¬
lution of the body. He soon attained arahatship together with
the analytical insight. When the old question was next put to
182
him he replied that he had no affection for any one in particu¬
lar. Other monks hearing him thought he must be telling a lie.
When it was reported about Soreyya giving a different answer,
the Buddha said, “My son is not telling lies, he is speaking the
truth.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 43)
tarn mata na kayira, pita api ca ahhe natakd vd
sammd panihitam cittam nam tato seyyaso kare
tarn : that favour; mata : one’s mother; na kayira : will not
do; pita: one’s father too (will not do); api ca: besides;
ahhe: other; natakd vd: or relations; sammd panihitam:
well disciplined; cittam: mind; nam: to that person; tato
seyyaso: something much better than that; kare: will do
unto one.
Well directed thoughts can help a person even better than one’s
father or one’s mother.
Commentary
sammd panihitam cittam : the well-established mind. One’s parents
love one immensely. They can give one all the worldly things lavishly.
But, when it comes to the fruits of higher life - liberation and the win¬
ning of the ‘deathless’ - only the well-established mind can help. This
is because one has to experience the ‘deathless’ solely by one’s own
self. The developed mind is one’s best friend.
well-directed mind: That is, the mind directed towards the ten kinds of
meritorious deeds ( kusala ) - namely, 1. generosity, 2. morality,
3. meditation, 4. reverence, 5. service, 6. transference of merit,
7. rejoicing in others’ merit, 8. hearing the doctrine, 9. expounding the
doctrine, and 10. straightening one’s right views.
183
Flowers
The Garland-Maker The Seeker Understands
4 (1 ) The Story of Five Hundred Monks (Verses 44 & 45)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these verses, with reference to five hundred monks.
Five hundred monks, after accompanying the Buddha to a vil¬
lage, returned to the Jetavana Monastery. In the evening, while
the monks were talking about the trip, especially the condition
of the land, whether it was level or hilly, or whether the ground
was of clay or sand, red or black, the Buddha came to them.
Knowing the subject of their talk, he said to them, “Monks, the
earth you are talking about is external to the body; it is better,
indeed, to examine your own body and make preparations for
meditation practice.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 44)
ko imam pathavim vijessati imam sadevakam Yamalokam
• A • • • • •
ca ko sudesitam dhammapadam kusalo puppham iva
paces sati
ko: who; imam pathavim : this earth; vijessati : perceives,
comprehends; imam Yamalokam ca: and this world of
Yama; sadevakam: along with the heavenly worlds; ko:
who; sudesitam: well proclaimed; dhammapadam: content
of the dhamma; kusalo puppham iva: like a deft garland-
maker the flowers; ko: who; paces sati: gathers, handles
An expert in making garlands will select, pluck and arrange
flowers into garlands. In the same way who will examine the
nature of life penetratingly? Who will perceive the real nature
of life in the world, along with the realms of the underworld
185
and heavenly beings? Who will understand and penetratively
perceive the well- articulated doctrine, like an expert maker of
garlands, deftly plucking and arranging flowers?
Explanatory Translation (Verse 45)
sekho pathavim vijessati imam sadevakam
Yamalokam ca sekho sudesitam dhammapadam
kusalo puppham iva pacessati
sekho : the learner; pathavim vijessati : perceives the earth;
Yamalokam ca: the world of Yama too; sadevakam imam:
along with the realm of gods; sekho: the learner; sudesitam:
the well- articulated; dhammapadam: areas of the doctrine
(understands); kusalo: like a deft maker of garlands; pup¬
pham iva: selecting flowers; pacessati: sees
In the previous stanza the question was raised as to who will
penetrate the well- articulated doctrine? The present stanza pro¬
vides the answer: the student, the learner, the seeker, the ap¬
prentice, the person who is being disciplined. He will perceive
the doctrine, like the expert garland-maker who recognizes and
arranges flowers. It is the learner, the seeker, the student who
will perceive the world of Yama, the realm of heavenly beings
and existence on earth. He will discard and determine the vari¬
ous areas of the doctrine, like a deft garland-maker who plucks
and arranges the flowers into garlands.
Commentary
sekho : a ‘noble learner’, a disciple in higher training, i.e., one who pur¬
sues the three kinds of training, is one of those seven kinds of noble
disciples who have reached one of the four supermundane paths or the
three lower fruitions, while the one possessed of the fourth fruition, or
186
arahatta-phala, is called ‘one beyond training’. The worldling is called
‘neither a noble learner, nor perfected in learning’.
loka: ‘world’, denotes the three spheres of existence comprising the
whole universe, i.e., (i) the sensual world, or the world of the five
senses; (ii) the form world, corresponding to the four form absorptions;
(iii) the formless world, corresponding to the four formless absorp¬
tions. Vijessati = attano ndnena vijanissati = who will know by one’s
own wisdom? (Commentary).
self : That is, one who will understand oneself as one really is.
sugati : Namely, the human plane and the six celestial planes. These
seven are regarded as blissful states.
Devas : literally, sporting or shining ones. They are also a class of be¬
ings who enjoy themselves, experiencing the effects of their past good
actions. They too are subject to death. The sensual world comprises the
hells, the animal kingdom, the ghost realm, the demon world, the hu¬
man world and the six lower celestial worlds. In the form world there
still exists the faculties of seeing and hearing, which, together with the
other sense faculties, are temporarily suspended in the four Absorp¬
tions. In the formless world there is no corporeality whatsoever; only
four aggregates (khanda) exist there.
Though the term loka is not applied in the Suttas to those three worlds,
but only the term bhava, ‘existence’, there is no doubt that the teaching
about the three worlds belongs to the earliest, i.e., Sutta-period of the
Buddhist scriptures as many relevant passages show.
Yamaloka : the World of Yama. Yama is death - Yama is almost syn¬
onymous with Mara.
Mara : the Buddhist ‘Tempter’ -figure. He is often called ‘Mara the Evil
One’ or Namuci (‘the non-liberator’, the opponent of liberation). He
appears in the texts both as a real person (as a deity) and as personifica¬
tion of evil and passions, of the worldly existence and of death. Later
Pali literature often speaks of a ‘five-fold Mara’ : (i) Mara as a deity;
(ii) the Mara of defilements; (iii) the Mara of the Aggregates; (iv) the
187
Mara of Karma-formations; and (v) Mara as Death. Mara is equated
with Death in most instances. ‘Death’, in ordinary usage, means ‘the
disappearance of the vital faculty confined to a single life-time, and
therewith of the psycho-physical life-process conventionally called
‘Man, Animal, Personality, Ego’ etc. Strictly speaking, however, death
is the momentary arising dissolution and vanishing of each physical-
mental combination. About this momentary nature of existence, it is
said:
In the absolute sense, beings have only a very short moment to live,
life lasting as long as a single moment that consciousness lasts. Just as
a cart-wheel, whether rolling or whether at a standstill, at all times is
only resting on a single point of its periphery: even so the life of a liv¬
ing being lasts only for the duration of a single moment of conscious¬
ness. As soon as that moment ceases, the being also ceases. For it is
said: ‘The being of the past moment of consciousness has lived, but
does not live now, nor will it live in future. The being of the future mo¬
ment has not yet lived, nor does it live now, but it will live in the fu¬
ture. The being of the present moment has not lived, it does live just
now, but it will not live in the future.”
In another sense, the coming to an end of the psycho-physical life proc¬
ess of the Arahat, or perfectly Holy One, at the moment of his passing
away, may be called the final and ultimate death, as up to that moment
the psycho-physical life-process was still going on.
Death, in the ordinary sense, combined with old age, forms the twelfth
link in the formula of Dependent Origination.
Death, according to Buddhism, is the cessation of the psycho-physical
life of any individual existence. It is the passing away of vitality, i.e.,
psychic and physical life, heat and consciousness. Death is not the
complete annihilation of a being, for though a particular lifespan ends,
the force which hitherto actuated it is not destroyed.
Just as an electric light is the outward visible manifestation of invisible
electric energy, so we are the outward manifestations of invisible kar¬
mic energy. The bulb may break, and the light may be extinguished,
188
but the current remains and the light may be reproduced in another
bulb. In the same way, the karmic force remains undisturbed by the dis¬
integration of the physical body, and the passing away of the present
consciousness leads to the arising of a fresh one in another birth. But
nothing unchangeable or permanent ‘passes’ from the present to the fu¬
ture.
In the foregoing case, the thought experienced before death being a
moral one, the resultant re-birth-consciousness takes as its material an
appropriate sperm and ovum cell of human parents. The rebirth-con¬
sciousness then lapses into the Bhavanga state. The continuity of the
flux, at death, is unbroken in point of time, and there is no breach in the
stream of consciousness.
sadevakam : the world of the celestial beings. They are referred to as
the Radiant Ones. Heavenly Beings, deities; beings who live in happy
worlds, and who, as a rule, are invisible to the human eye. They are
subject however, just as all human and other beings, to repeated re¬
birth, old age and death, and thus not freed from the cycle of existence,
and not freed from misery. There are many classes of heavenly beings.
kusald : in this context this expression refers to expertise. But, in Bud¬
dhist literature, Kusala is imbued with many significance. Kusala
means ‘karmically wholesome’ or ‘profitable’, salutary, and morally
good, (skilful). Connotations of the term, according to commentaries
are: of good health, blameless, productive of favourable karma-result,
skilful. It should be noted that commentary excludes the meaning ‘skil¬
ful’, when the term is applied to states of consciousness. In psycholog¬
ical terms: ‘karmically wholesome’ are all those karmical volitions and
the consciousness and mental factors associated therewith, which are
accompanied by two or three wholesome Roots, i.e., by greedlessness
and hatelessness, and in some cases also by non-delusion. Such states
of consciousness are regarded as ‘karmically wholesome’ as they are
causes of favourable karma results and contain the seeds of a happy
destiny or rebirth. From this explanation, two facts should be noted: (i)
it is volition that makes a state of consciousness, or an act, ‘good’ or
‘bad’ ; (ii) the moral criterion in Buddhism is the presence or absence of
the three Wholesome or Moral Roots. The above explanations refer to
189
mundane wholesome consciousness. Supermundane wholesome states,
i.e., the four Paths of Sanctity, have as results only the corresponding
four Fruitions; they do not constitute Karma, nor do they lead to re¬
birth, and this applies also to the good actions of an Arahat and his
meditative states which are all karmically inoperative.
Dhammapada : the commentary states that this term is applied to the
thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment. They are: (i) the Four Founda¬
tions of Mindfulness - namely, 1. contemplation of the body, 2. con¬
templation of the feelings, 3. contemplation of states of mind, and
4. contemplation of dhammas; (ii) the Four Supreme Efforts -
namely, 1. the effort to prevent evil that has not arisen, 2. the effort to
discard evil that has already arisen, 3. the effort to cultivate unarisen
good, and 4. the effort to promote good that has already arisen; (iii) the
Four Means of Accomplishment - namely, will, energy, thought, and
wisdom; (iv) the Five Faculties - namely, confidence, energy, mind¬
fulness, concentration, and wisdom; (v) the Five Forces, having the
same names as the Indriyas; (vi) the Seven Constituents of Enlighten¬
ment - namely, mindfulness, investigation of Reality, energy, joy, se¬
renity, concentration, and equanimity; (vi) Eight-fold Path - namely,
right views, right thoughts, right speech, right actions, right livelihood,
right endeavour, right mindfulness and right concentration.
yama loka : the realms of Yama. By the realms of Yama are meant the
four woeful states - namely, hell, the animal kingdom, the peta realm,
and the asura realm. Hell is not permanent according to Buddhism. It
is a state of misery as are the other planes where beings suffer for their
past evil actions.
vijessati (attand nanena vijanissati ): who will know by one’s own
wisdom.
190
Who Conquers Death?
4 (2) The Story of the Monk who Contemplates
The Body as a Mirage (Verse 46)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
V erse, with reference to a certain monk.
A monk obtained a meditation topic from the Buddha and en¬
tered the forest for the purpose of practising meditation. But
when, after striving and struggling with might and main, he
was unable to attain arahatship, he said to himself, “I will ask
the Buddha to give me a meditation topic that better suits my
needs.” With this thought in mind he set out to return to the
Buddha.
On the way he saw a mirage. He said to himself, “Even as this
mirage, as seen in the season of the heat, appears substantial to
those that are far off, but vanishes on nearer approach, so also
is this existence unsubstantial by reason of birth and decay.”
Upon fixing his mind on the mirage, he meditated on the mi¬
rage. On his return, wearied with the journey, he bathed in the
Aciravati River and seated himself in the shade of a tree on the
river bank near a waterfall. As he sat there watching the white
water bursting from the force of the water striking against the
rocks, he said to himself, “Just as this existence produced and
just so does it burst.” And this he took for his meditation topic.
The Buddha, seated in his perfumed chamber, saw the elder
and said, “Monk, it is even so. Like a bubble of foam or a mi¬
rage is this existence. Precisely thus is it produced and pre¬
cisely thus does it pass away.” And when He had thus spoken
the Buddha pronounced the stanza.
191
Explanatory Translation (Verse 46)
imam kdyam phenupamam viditvd manci dhammam
abhisambudhdnd Marassa papupphakani chetvana
maccurdjassa adassanam gacche
imam : this; kdyam : body; phenupamam : is like froth;
viditvd: knowing; manci dhammam : is also like a mirage;
abhisambudhdnd : understanding fully; Marassa : belong¬
ing to Death; papupphakani : the flower arrows; chetvana :
destroying; maccurdjassa: of king -death; adassanam:
beyond the vision; gacche: make your way.
This body of ours is like froth, a bubble, or foam. It disinte¬
grates quickly. The nature of life is like a mirage, an illusion.
Therefore, one must give up these unrealities. To achieve that
one must destroy Mara’ s flower-arrows by which he tempts men
and women. It is necessary that the truth-seeker should go be¬
yond Mara’ s region, to areas unseen by him. Mara knows only
the realm of death. The truth seeker goes beyond that region to
the ‘deathless’ (Nibbana) - a domain Mara has never seen.
Commentary
phenupamam : like froth. The body is compared to froth and bubble,
because the body too disintegrates quickly like froth and
bubble. In many instances, the transience of the human body is equated
to the disintegration of a bubble.
manci dhammam abhisambudhdnd : becoming deeply aware of the
mirage-like insubstantiality and the illusory nature of life. The bubble
and the mirage, together emphasize the evanescence and the illusory
nature of life.
kaya : literally means ‘Group’, ‘Body’. It may either refer to the physi¬
cal body or to the mental body. In the latter case it is either a collective
192
name for the four mental groups (feeling, perception, mental forma¬
tions, consciousness) or merely for feeling, perception and a few of the
mental formations. Kay a has this same meaning in the stereotype de¬
scription of the third absorption “and he feels joy in his mind or his
mental constitution, and of the attainment of the eight deliverance;
“having attained the eight deliverance in his mind, or his person”. Kay a
is also the fifth sense-organ, the body-organ.
marlci Dhammam : the nature of a Mirage. Dhamma has many conno¬
tations. It literally means the ‘Bearer’, Constitution (or Nature of a
thing) Norm, Law, Doctrine; Justice, Righteousness; Quality; Thing,
Object of Mind; ‘Phenomenon’. In all these meanings the word
‘dhamma’ is to be met with in the texts. The Comment to Dham-
mapada gives four applications of this term: quality, virtue, instruction,
text, soullessness, e.g. “all dhamma, phenomena, are impersonal etc.”.
The traditional Comment has hetu (condition) instead of desand. Thus,
the analytical knowledge of the Law is explained as knowledge of the
condition. The Dhamma, as the liberating law, discovered and pro¬
claimed by the Buddha, is summed up in the Four Noble Truths. It
forms one of the three Gems and one of the ten Recollections.
Dhamma, as object of mind, may be anything past, present or future,
corporeal or mental, conditioned or not, real or imaginary.
193
Pleasure Seeker Is Swept Away
4 (3) The Story of VidGdabha (Verse 47)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to Vidudabha, son of King Pasenadi of
Kosala.
King Pasenadi of Kosala, wishing to marry into the clan of
the Sakyans, sent some emissaries to Kapilavatthu with a re¬
quest for the hand of one of the Sakyan princesses. Not wish¬
ing to offend King Pasenadi, the Sakyan princes replied that
they would comply with his request, but instead of a Sakyan
princess they sent a very beautiful girl, born of King
Mahanama, by a slave woman. King Pasenadi made that girl
one of his chief queens and subsequently she gave birth to a
son. This son was named Vidudabha. When the prince was
sixteen years old, he was sent on a visit to King Mahanama
and the Sakyan princes. There he was received with some
hospitality but all the Sakyan princes who were younger than
Vidudabha had been sent away to a village, so that they
would not have to pay respect to Vidudabha. After staying a
few days in Kapilavatthu; Vidudabha and his people left for
home. Soon after they left, a slave girl was washing with
milk at the place where Vidudabha had sat; she was also
cursing him, shouting, “This is the place where that son of a
slave woman had sat...”. At that moment, a member of
Vidudabha’ s entourage returned to fetch something which he
had left at the place and heard what the slave girl said. The
slave girl also told him that Vidudabha’ s mother, Vasabha-
khattiya, was the daughter of a slave girl belonging to
Mahanama.
194
When Vidudabha was told about the above incident, he be-
came wild with rage and declared that one day he would wipe
out the whole clan of the Sakyans. True to his word, when
Vidudabha became king, he marched on the Sakyan clan and
massacred them all, with the exception of a few who were with
Mahanama and some others. On their way home, Vidudabha
and his army encamped on the sandbank in the Aciravati River.
As heavy rain fell in the upper parts of the country on that very
night, the river swelled and rushed down with great force car¬
rying away Vidudabha and his whole army.
On hearing about these two tragic incidents, the Buddha ex¬
plained to the monks that his relatives, the Sakyan princes, had
in one of their previous existences, put poison into the river
killing fish. It was a result of that particular action, the Sakyan
princes had died. Then, referring to the incident about Viduda¬
bha and his army, the Buddha recited the stanza.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 47)
iha pupphdni pacinantam iva bydsatta manasam naram
suttam gdmam mahoghd iva maccu ddaya gacchati
iha : here; pupphdni’. flowers in a garden; pacinantam iva:
like one who plucks; bydsatta manasam: with mind glued
to the pleasures of the senses; naram: man; suttam gamam:
like a village deep asleep; mahoghd iva: by a great flood;
maccu: Death; ddaya gacchati: sweeps away
Those men and women, fascinated by worldly things, go about se¬
lecting pleasures, like a garland-maker picking the flowers of his
choice in a garden. But, gradually and silently, death overcomes
them like a flood in the night sweeping away a village asleep.
195
Commentary
pupphanV heva pacinantam : gathering the flowers. The image of the
garland-maker is continued here. The ardent garland-maker is ab¬
sorbed in the selection of the flowers he needs, in a garden. His main
and foremost preoccupation is the gathering of flowers. This he does to
the exclusion of all other thoughts. In the same way, those who seek
sensual pleasures also concentrate on their pleasure, to the exclusion of
everything else.
suttam gamam : a sleeping village. Those who are exclusively preoccu¬
pied with sensual pleasures are like those in a sleeping village. They
are unaware of the external threats to them.
mahogo iva maccu adaya gacchati : Death comes and sweeps them
away, like a great flood. The sleeping village is unaware that a flood is
coming, and all the villagers are subsequently swept away to death by
flood waters. Those who are indulging their senses, are also unaware of
the external threats to them. Those who indulge in sensual pleasures
are swept away by death.
196
Attachment To Senses Is Folly
4 (4) The Story of PatipGjika Kumari (Verse 48)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to Patipujika Kumari.
Patipujika Kumari was a lady from Savatthi. She married at the
age of sixteen and had four sons. She was a virtuous as well as
a generous lady, who loved to make offerings of food and other
requisites to the monks. She would often go to the monastery
and clean up the premises, fill the pots and jars with water and
perform other services. Patipujika also possessed Jatissara
Knowledge (remembrance of past births) through which she
remembered that in her previous existence she was one of the
numerous wives of Malabharl, in the deva world of Tavatimsa.
She also remembered that she had passed away from there
when all of them were out in the garden enjoying themselves,
picking flowers. So, every time she made offerings to the
monks or performed any other meritorious act, she would pray
that she might be reborn in the Tavatimsa realm as a wife of
Malabharl, her previous husband.
One day, Patipujika fell ill and passed away that same evening.
As she had so ardently wished, she was reborn in Tavatimsa
deva world as a wife of Malabharl. As one hundred years in the
human world is equivalent to just one day in Tavatimsa world,
Malabharl and his other wives were still in the garden enjoying
themselves and Patipujika was barely missed by them. So,
when she rejoined them, Malabharl asked her where she had
been the whole morning. She then told him about her passing
away from Tavatimsa, her rebirth in the human world, her mar¬
riage to a man and also about how she had given birth to four
197
sons, her passing away from there and finally her return to
Tavatimsa.
When the monks learned about the death of Patipujika, they
were stricken with grief. They went to the Buddha and reported
that Patipujika, who was offering alms -food to them early in
the morning, had passed away in the evening. To them the
Buddha replied that the life of beings was very brief; and that
before they have satisfied their desires for sensual pleasures,
they were overpowered by death.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 48)
iha pupphdni pacinantam iva bydsatta manasam
naram kamesu atittam eva antako vasam kurute
• • •
iha: here; pupphdni : flowers (in a garden); pacinantam iva:
like one who plucks; bydsatta manasam: mind glued to the
pleasures of the senses; naram: man; kamesu: in the sen¬
sual pleasures; atittam eva: while one is still insatiate;
antako: Death (Ender); vasam kurute: brings under his
spell
Those who pursue worldly pleasures are like garland-makers
who pick flowers here and there in the garden according to
their preference. Those given to pleasures of the senses are not
satisfied. They seek still more. In consequence of their endless
pleasure- seeking they come under the spell of Antaka, or
‘ender of all’, i.e. death.
Commentary
antako : literally the end-maker. This is another epithet for Mara -
death. In this stanza, the end-maker is said to bring under his spell
those who are glued to sensual pleasures to the exclusion of all else.
198
kama : may denote: 1) subjective sensuality, sense-desire; 2) objective
sensuality; the five sense-objects.
Subjective sensuality or sense-desire is directed to all five sense-ob¬
jects, and is synonymous with ‘sensuous desire’, one of the five hin¬
drances; ‘sensuous lust’, one of the ten Fetters; ‘sensuous craving’, one
of the three cravings; ‘sensuous thought’, one of the three wrong
thoughts. Sense-desire is also one of the cankers and clingings.
“There are five cords of sensuality; the visible objects, cognizable by
eye-consciousness, that are desirable, cherished, pleasant, lovely, sen¬
suous and alluring; the sounds... smells... tastes... bodily impressions
cognizable by body-consciousness, that are desirable...”
These two kinds of kdma are also called: kdma as a mental defilement,
as the object-base of sensuality. Sense-desire is finally eliminated at
the stage of the non-returner. The peril and misery of sense-desire are
often described in the texts which often stress the fact that what fetters
man to the world of the senses are not the sense-organs nor the sense-
objects but desire.
199
The Monk In The Village
4 (5) The Story of Kosiya, the Miserly Rich Man (Verse 49)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
Verse, with reference to the chief disciple Maha Moggallana
and the miserly rich man, Kosiya.
In the village of Sakkara, near Rajagaha, there lived a miserly
rich man by the name of Kosiya, who was very reluctant to
give away even the tiniest part of anything belonging to him.
One day, to avoid sharing with others, the rich man and his
wife were making pancakes in the uppermost story of their
house, where no one would see them.
Early in the morning, on that day, the Buddha through his su¬
pernormal power, saw the rich man and his wife in his vision,
and knew that both of them would soon attain sotapatti frui¬
tion. So he sent Maha Moggallana to the house of the rich man,
with instructions to bring the couple to the Jetavana Monastery
in time for the midday meal. By supernormal power, he
reached Kosiya’ s house in an instant and stood at the window.
The rich man saw him and asked him to leave. He just stood
there without saying anything. In the end, Kosiya said to his
wife, “Make a very small pancake and give it to the monk.” So
she took just a little amount of dough and put it in the pan, and
the cake filled up the whole pan. Kosiya thought his wife must
have put in too much, so he took just a pinch of dough and put
it into the pan; his pancake also swelled into a big one. It so
happened that however little dough they put in, they were una¬
ble to make small pancakes. At last, Kosiya asked his wife to
offer one from the basket to the monk.
200
When she tried to take out one from the basket it would not
come off because all the pancakes were sticking together and
could not be separated. By this time Kosiya had lost all appe¬
tite for pancakes and offered the whole basket of pancakes to
Maha Moggallana. The chief disciple then delivered a dis¬
course on charity to the rich man and his wife. He also told the
couple about how the Buddha was waiting with five hundred
monks at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, forty-five
yojanas away from Rajagaha. Maha Moggallana, by his super¬
normal power, then took both Kosiya and his wife together
with their basket of pancakes, to the presence of the Buddha.
There, they offered the pancakes to the Buddha and the five
hundred monks. At the end of the meal, the Buddha delivered a
discourse on charity, and both Kosiya and his wife attained
sotapatti fruition.
The next evening, while the monks were talking in praise of
Maha Moggallana, the Buddha came to them and said,
“Monks, you should also dwell and act in the village like Maha
Moggallana, receiving the offerings of the villagers without af¬
fecting their faith and generosity or their wealth.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 49)
yathd api bhamard puppham vannagandham ahethayam
rasam adaya paled evam mum game care
yathd api : just as; bhamard’. the bee; puppham : flower;
vannagandham : colour and the fragrance; ahethayam :
without harming; rasam : the nectar; adaya: taking; paled :
makes bear fruit; evam mum: this way the silent sage; game
care: should go about in the village
201
The bee extracts honey from flowers without damaging either
the colour or the fragrance of the flower and in so doing helps
the tree bear much fruit. Similarly, the silent sage goes about in
the village collecting alms without harming anyone even
minutely, and in so doing helps people gain much merit and
happiness.
Commentary
game muni care : the silent sage goes on his alms round in the village,
from house to house, taking only a handful from each house, and only
what is willingly and respectfully given. The wandering ascetics, and
all other religious mendicants, are dependent on the village for their
requisites. But, the virtuous silent sage sees to it that the village is not
exploited in any way. The bee, while extracting honey from flowers,
pollinates them, without harming them in the least. While seeking
alms, the silent sage is also doing a favour to the people spiritually.
The merit that he earns through his practice is shared with the people
who support his survival. The donors gain much merit which brings
them happiness here and hereafter. A Buddhist monk, even though he
is withdrawn from society, is not working only for his own benefit, as
some think. He is working for the sake of all. This verse reminds us of
this fact.
202
Look Inward And Not At Others
4 (6) The Story of the Ascetic Paveyya (Verse 50)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to the ascetic Paveyya and a rich lady.
One of her nearest neighbours, who went to hear the Buddha
preach the Dhamma returned praising the virtues of the Bud¬
dhas in manifold ways, saying, “Oh how wonderful is the
preaching of Dhamma!” When the woman heard her neigh¬
bours thus praise the Buddha, she desired to go to the Monas¬
tery and hear the Dhamma. So she put the matter to the naked
ascetic, saying, “Noble sir, I desire to go and hear the Buddha.”
But as often as she made her request, the naked ascetic dis¬
suaded her from going, saying, “Do not go.” The woman
thought to herself, “Since this Naked Ascetic will not permit
me to go to the monastery and hear the Dhamma, I will invite
the Buddha to my own house and hear the discourse right
here.”
Accordingly, when it was evening, she summoned her own son
and sent him to the Buddha, saying to him, “Go, invite the
Buddha to accept my hospitality for tomorrow.” The boy
started out, but went first to the place of residence of the naked
ascetic, greeted him, and sat down.
The boy listened to the instructions of the naked ascetic and
then went to the Buddha and delivered the invitation. When he
had done everything according to the instructions of the naked
ascetic, he returned to the latter. The naked ascetic asked,
‘What did you do?” The boy replied, “Everything you told me
to do, sir.” “You have done very well. Now we shall both of us
eat the good things prepared for him.” On the following day,
203
very early in the morning, the naked ascetic went to that house,
taking the boy with him, and the two sat down together in the
back room.
The neighbours smeared that house with cow-dung, decked it
with the five kinds of flowers, including the Laja flower, and
prepared a seat of great price, that the Buddha might sit therein.
The Buddha, very early in the morning, took the bowl and robe
and went straight to the house of the great female lay disciple.
When the Buddha had finished his meal, the female lay disci¬
ple listened to the Dhamma and applauded the Buddha, saying,
‘Well said! Well said!”
The naked ascetic said to the lay disciple, “You are lost for ap¬
plauding this man thus.” And he reviled both the female lay
disciple and the Buddha in all manner of ways, and then ran
off. The Buddha asked her, “Lay disciple, are you unable to fix
your mind on my discourse?” “Good and Revered Sir,” she re¬
plied, “My mind is completely distraught by the insulting
words of this naked ascetic.” Said the Buddha, “One should not
consider the talk of such a heretic; one should regard only
one’s own sins of commission and omission.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 50)
paresam vildmdni na , paresam katdkatam na ,
attano eva katdni akatdni ca avekkheyya
paresam: of others; vildmdni : fault-findings; na: do not
(regard); paresam: of others; katdkatam: things done and
not done; na: do not regard; attano eva: only one’s own;
katdni akatdni ca: omissions and commissions;
avekkheyya: examine carefully (scrutinize)
204
Do not find fault with others. Do not worry about what others
do or not do. Rather, look within yourself to find out what you
yourself have done or left undone. Stop doing evil; do good.
Commentary
paresam katdkatam : commissions and omissions of others. This
Stanza examines a weakness of a majority of human beings. They
keenly observe the faults of others, but not their own. This is not lim¬
ited to laymen. Even monks practice this habit of observing the faults
of others. This attitude of looking at others is a hindrance to spiritual
development as it prevents introspection which is essential for one’s
spiritual progress.
205
Good Words Attract Only Those Who Practise
Good Words Profit Only Those Who Practise
4 (7 ) The Story of Chattapani, a Lay Disciple (Verses 51 & 52)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these Verses, with reference to the lay disciple Chattapani and
the two queens of King Pasenadi of Kosala. At Savatthi lived a
lay disciple named Chattapani, versed in the Tripitaka, enjoy¬
ing the fruit of the second path. Early one morning, in observ¬
ance of fasting, he went to pay his respects to the Buddha. For
those who enjoy the fruition of the second path and those who
are noble disciples, by reason of their previous undertaking,
they do not take upon themselves the obligations of fast-day.
Such persons, solely by virtue of the Path, lead the holy life
and eat but one meal a day. Therefore said the Buddha, “Great
king, Ghatlkara the potter eats but one meal a day, leads the
holy life, is virtuous and upright.” Thus, as a matter of course,
those who enjoy the fruition of the second path eat but one
meal a day and lead the holy life.
Chattapani also, thus observing the fast, approached the
Buddha, paid obeisance to him, and sat down and listened to
the Dhamma. Now at this time King Pasenadi Kosala also
came to pay his respects to the Buddha. When Chattapani saw
him coming, he reflected, “Shall I rise to meet him or not?” He
came to the following conclusion, “Since I am seated in the
presence of the Buddha, I am not called upon to rise on seeing
the king of one of his provinces. Even if he becomes angry, I
will not rise. For if I rise on seeing the king, the king will be
honoured, and not the Buddha. Therefore I will not rise.”
Therefore Chattapani did not rise. (Wise men never become
angry when they see a man remain seated, instead of rising, in
the presence of those of higher rank.)
206
But when King Pasenadi saw that Chattapani did not rise, his
heart was filled with anger. However, he paid obeisance to the
Buddha and sat down respectfully on one side. The Buddha,
observing that he was angry, said to him, “Great king, this lay
disciple Chattapani is a wise man, knows the Dhamma, is
versed in the Tripitaka, is contented both in prosperity and ad¬
versity.” Thus did the Buddha extol the lay disciple’s good
qualities. As the king listened to the Buddha’s praise of the lay
disciple, his heart softened.
Now one day after breakfast, as the king stood on the upper
floor of his palace, he saw the lay disciple Chattapani pass
through the courtyard of the royal palace with a parasol in his
hand and sandals on his feet.
Straightaway he caused him to be summoned before him.
Chattapani laid aside his parasol and sandals, approached the
king, paid obeisance to him, and took his stand respectfully on
one side. Said the king to Chattapani, “Lay disciple, why did
you lay aside your parasol and sandals?” “When I heard the
words, ‘The king summons you,’ I laid aside my parasol and
sandals before coming into his presence.” “Evidently, then,
you have today learned that I am king.” “I always knew that
you were king.” “If that be true, then why was it that the other
day, when you were seated in the presence of the Buddha and
saw me, did you not rise?”
“Great king, as I was seated in the presence of the Buddha, to
have risen on seeing a king of one of his provinces, I should
have shown disrespect for the Buddha. Therefore did I not
rise.” “Very well, let bygones be bygones. I am told that you
are well versed in matters pertaining to the present world and
the world to come; that you are versed in the Tipitaka. Recite
207
the Dhamma in our women’s quarters.” “I cannot, your maj¬
esty.” “Why not?” “A king’s house is subject to severe cen¬
sure. Improper and proper alike are grave matters in this case,
your majesty.” “Say not so. The other day, when you saw me,
you saw fit not to rise. Do not add insult to injury.” “Your maj¬
esty, it is a censurable act for householders to go about per¬
forming the functions of monks. Send for someone who is a
monk and ask him to recite the Dhamma.”
The king dismissed him, saying, “Very well, sir, you may go.”
Having so done, he sent a messenger to the Buddha with the
following request, “Venerable, my consorts Mallika and Vasa-
bhakhattiya say, ‘We desire to master the Dhamma.’ Therefore
come to my house regularly with five hundred monks and
preach the Dhamma.” The Buddha sent the following reply,
“Great king, it is impossible for me to go regularly to any one
place.” In that case, Venerable, send some monk.” The Buddha
assigned the duty to the Venerable Ananda. And the Venerable
came regularly and recited the Dhamma to those queens. Of
the two queens, Mallika learned thoroughly, rehearsed faith¬
fully, and heeded her teacher’s instruction. But Vasabhakhat-
tiya did not learn thoroughly, nor did she rehearse faithfully,
nor was she able to master the instruction she received.
One day the Buddha asked the Venerable Ananda, “Ananda,
are your female lay disciples mastering the Law?” “Yes, Ven¬
erable.” “Which one learns thoroughly?” “Mallika learns thor¬
oughly, rehearses faithfully, and can understand thoroughly the
instruction she receives. But your kinswoman does not learn
thoroughly, nor does she rehearse faithfully, nor can she under¬
stand thoroughly the instruction she receives.” When the
Buddha heard the monk’s reply, he said, “Ananda, as for the
208
Dhamma I have preached, to one who is not faithful in hearing,
learning, rehearsing, and preaching it, it is profitless, like a
flower that possesses colour but lacks perfume. But to one who
is faithful in hearing, learning, rehearsing, and preaching the
law, it returns abundant fruit and manifold blessings.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 51)
ruciram vannavantam sagandhakam puppham yatha
api evam subhasitd vdcd akubbato saphala hoti
ruciram'. attractive, alluring; vannavantam : of brilliant col¬
our; sagandhakam : devoid of fragrance; puppham : flower;
yatha api evam : and similarly; subhasitd vdcd : the well
articulated words; akubbato : of the non-practitioner;
aphala hoti: are of no use
A flower may be quite attractive, alluring. It may possess a
brilliant hue. But, if it is devoid of fragrance, and has no scent,
it is of no use. So is the well spoken word of him who does not
practice it. It turns out to be useless.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 52)
ruciram vannavantam sagandhakam puppham yatha
api , evam subhasitd vdcd sakubbato saphala hoti
ruciram: attractive, alluring; vannavantam: of brilliant col¬
our; sagandhakam: full of fragrance (sweet- smelling); pup¬
pham: flower; yatha api evam: just like that; subhasitd
vdcd: well spoken word; sakubbato: to the practitioner;
saphala hoti: benefit accrues
A flower may be quite attractive, alluring and possessing a
brilliant hue. In addition, it may also be full of fragrance. So is
209
the person who is well spoken and practises what he preaches.
His words are effective and they are honoured.
Commentary
agandhakam : lacking in fragrance. The essence of a flower is its
sweet-smell. A flower may appeal to the eye. It may be colourful and
brilliant. But, if it has no fragrance, it fails as a flower. The analogy
here is to the Buddha - words spoken by someone who does not prac¬
tice it. The word is brilliant, and full of colour. But its sweet-smell
comes only when it is practiced.
sagandhakam : sweet smelling. If a flower is colourful, beautiful to
look at and has an alluring fragrance, it has fulfilled its duty as a
flower. It is the same with the word of the Buddha. It acquires its sweet
smell when practiced.
akubbato, sakubbato: these two words stress the true character of Bud¬
dhism. The way of the Buddha is not a religion of mere faith. If it were,
one has only to depend on external deities or saviours for one’ s libera¬
tion. But in the instance of the Buddha’s word, the most essential thing
is practice. The ‘beauty’ or the ‘sweet-smell’ of the Buddha word
comes through practice. If a person merely speaks out the word of the
Buddha but does not practice it - if he is an akubbato - he is like a bril¬
liant hued flower lacking fragrance. But, if he is a sakubbato - a person
who practises the word of the Buddha - he becomes an ideal flower -
beautiful in colour and appearance, and in its sweet-smell.
210
Those Born Into This World
Must Acquire Much Merit
4 (8) The Story of Visakha (Verse 53)
While residing at the Pubbarama Monastery in Savatthi, the
Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Visakha, the fa¬
mous donor of the Pubbarama Monastery. Visakha was the
daughter of a rich man of Bhaddiya, named Dhananjaya, and
his wife Sumanadevi, and the granddaughter of Mendaka, one
of the five extremely wealthy men of King Bimbisara’s domin¬
ions. When Visakha was seven years old, the Buddha came to
Bhaddiya. On that occasion, the rich man Mendaka took
Visakha and her five hundred companions with him to pay
homage to the Buddha. After hearing the discourse given by
the Buddha, Visakha, her grandfather and all her five hundred
companions attained sotapatti fruition. When Visakha came of
age, she married Punnavaddhana, son of Migara, a fairly rich
man from Savatthi. One day, while Migara was having his
meal, a monk stopped for alms at his house; but Migara com¬
pletely ignored the monk. Visakha, seeing this, said to the
monk. I am sorry, your reverence, my father-in-law only eats
left-overs.” On hearing this, Migara flew into a rage and told
her to leave his house. But Visakha said she was not going
away, and that she would send for the eight elderly rich men
who were sent by her father to accompany her and to advise
her. It was for them to decide whether she was guilty or not.
When the elders came, Migara told them the story. The elders
decided that Visakha was not guilty. Visakha then said that she
was one who had absolute and unshakable faith in the Teach¬
ing of the Buddha and so could not stay where the monks were
not welcome; and also, that if she was not given permission to
invite the monks to the house to offer alms-food and make
211
other offerings, she would leave the house. So permission was
granted her to invite the Buddha and his monks to the house.
The next day, the Buddha and his disciples were invited to the
house of Visakha. When alms-food was about to be offered,
she sent word to her father-in-law to join her in offering food;
but he did not come. When the meal was over, again, she sent a
message, this time requesting her father-in-law to join her in
hearing the discourse that would soon be given by the Buddha.
Her father-in-law felt that he should not refuse for a second
time. But his ascetic teachers, the Niganthas, would not let him
go, however, they conceded that he could listen from behind a
curtain. After hearing the Buddha’s discourse Migara attained
sotapatti fruition. He felt very thankful to the Buddha and also
to his daughter-in-law. Being so thankful, he declared that
henceforth Visakha would be like a mother to him, and
Visakha came to be known as Migaramata. Visakha gave birth
to ten sons and ten daughters, and ten sons and ten daughters
each were born to everyone of her children and grand- children.
Visakha possessed an immensely valuable gem-encrusted or¬
nament given by her father as a wedding present. One day,
Visakha went to the Jetavana Monastery with her entourage.
On arrival at the Monastery, she found her bejewelled orna¬
ment too heavy. So, she took it off, wrapped it up in her shawl,
and gave it to the maid to hold. The maid absent-mindedly left
it at the Monastery. It was the custom for the Venerable
Ananda to look after the things left by any one of the lay disci¬
ples. Visakha sent the maid back to the Monastery saying, “Go
and look for the bejewelled ornament, but if the Venerable
Ananda had already found it and kept it in a place do not bring
it back; I donate the bejewelled ornament to the Venerable
Ananda.” But the Venerable Ananda did not accept her dona¬
tion. So Visakha decided to sell it and donate the sale proceeds.
212
But there was no one who could afford to buy that ornament.
So Visakha bought it back for nine billion and one lakh. With
this money, she built a monastery on the eastern side of the
city; this monastery came to be known as Pubbarama.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 53)
yathd api pupphardsimhd bahu mdldgune kayird ,
evam jdtena maccena bahum kusalam kattabbam
• 1/ • • •
yathd api : just as; pupphardsimhd'. out of many flowers;
bahu : many; mdldgune’. garlands; kayird : creates; evam :
similarly; jdtena maccena’. by a man born into this world;
bahum\ many; kusalam’. virtuous deeds; kattabbam’. should
be performed
The deft maker of garlands takes a variety of flowers. Out of
these he creates garlands of different strands and variegated ar¬
rangements. In the same way, those who are born into this
world should, out of their lives, create good, wholesome, meri¬
torious actions of a vast variety.
Commentary
In this Verse, the craftsmanship of the garland-maker is compared to
those who lead a virtuous life. One’s life activity is compared to a mass
of flowers. It is the duty of every person to arrange these flowers into
garlands of wholesome actions. This verse reminds us that life is not a
bed of roses to sleep on, but a flower bed that grows beautiful flowers.
The purpose of life is to make beautiful garlands out of these flowers
that beautify the world. The best use of our temporal, mortal life is to
do good deeds that bring happiness to everyone. This verse makes it
clear that Buddhists are not pessimists who constantly lament about the
thorns in the roses. They make the best use of what is good in the
world, to make it even better.
213
Fragrance Of Virtue Spreads Everywhere ss£
Fragrance Of Virtue Is The Sweetest Smell
4 (9) The Story of the Question Raised by the Venerable Ananda
(Verses 54 & 55)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these verses, with reference to a question raised by the Venera¬
ble Ananda.
One evening, absorbed in meditation, Venerable Ananda pon¬
dered the following thought: “The Buddha possesses the three
perfumes of excellence; namely, the perfume of sandal, the
perfume of roots, and the perfume of flowers. However, each
of these perfumes goes only with the wind. Is there possibly a
substance whose perfume goes against the wind, or is there
possibly a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind
and against the wind?” Then the following thought occurred to
him: ‘What is the use of my trying to determine this question
all by myself? I will ask the Buddha, and the Buddha alone.”
Accordingly he would approach the Buddha and put the ques¬
tion to him. The story goes:
Now one evening the Venerable Ananda arose from profound
meditation and drew near to the place where sat the Buddha,
and when he had drawn near, he addressed the Buddha as fol¬
lows, “Venerable, there are these three substances whose per¬
fume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. What
are the three? The perfume of roots, the perfume of sandal, and
the perfume of flowers. These are the three substances whose
perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. But,
Venerable, is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes
both with the wind and against the wind?”
214
Said the Buddha in answer to the question, “Ananda, there is
a substance whose perfume goes with the wind, a substance
whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the
wind.” “But, Venerable, what is that substance whose per¬
fume goes with the wind, that substance whose perfume goes
both with the wind and against the wind?” “Ananda, if in any
village or market-town in this world any person seeks refuge
in the Buddha, seeks refuge in the Dhamma, seeks refuge in
the Sangha; if he refrains from taking life, from taking that
which is not given, from indulgence in the sins of the flesh
and from lying, and avoids occasions of heedlessness through
the use of liquor or spirits or other intoxicants; if he is virtu¬
ous; if he lives the life of a householder in righteousness, with
a heart free from the stain of avarice; if he is liberal and gen¬
erous, if he is open-handed, if he takes delight in giving, if he
is attentive to petitions, if he takes delight in the distribution
of alms, in all parts of the world monks utter his praise. If in
such and such a village or market-town either a man or a
woman seeks refuge in the Buddha... if he takes delight in
the distribution of alms, deities and spirits speak his praise. If
in such and such a village or market-town either a man or a
woman seeks refuge in the Buddha... if he takes delight in
the distribution of alms, such acts as these, Ananda, are the
substance whose perfume goes both with and against the
wind.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 54)
pupphagandho pativdtam na eti candanam tagara
mallikd vd na pativdtam eti satam gandhd ca
pativdtam eti sappuriso sabbadisd pavdti
215
pupphagandhd : the fragrance of the flowers; pativdtam :
against the wind; na eti : does not waft; candanam : sandal
wood; tagaram : lavender; mallikd vd : or jasmine: na: does
not (waft against the wind); sat am : (but of such noble indi¬
viduals as the) Buddha; gandhd : the sweet smell (of virtue);
ca pativdtam eti : wafts against the wind; sappuriso : the vir¬
tuous person; sabbadisd pavdti : blows in all directions
The world knows many a sweet smelling flower and fragrant
object. But, the fragrance of all these moves only leeward.
None of these, however strong their fragrance may be, spread
their sweet smell against the wind. But, in contrast, the sweet
smell of virtue of a spiritually evolved individual spreads in all
directions and is universally experienced.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 55)
candanam tagaram vd api uppalam atha vassikT
etesam gandhajdtanam sTlagandho anuttaro
candanam’. sandal wood; tagaram’. lavender; vd api: also;
uppalam: water lily; atha: and again; vassikT: jasmine;
etesam gandhajdtanam: of all these fragrances; sila-
gandhd: the sweet smell of virtue; anuttaro: is supreme
Sandalwood, lavender, water-lily and the jasmine exude fra¬
grance. Of all these varieties of fragrances the sweet- smell of
virtue is the most supreme. This is because the fragrance of vir¬
tue is universally favoured. Besides, the fragrance of virtue
spreads in all directions, even against the wind.
216
Commentary
On Ananda, a note :
The two verses (54 & 55) were spoken by the Buddha in response to a
question put to him by Venerable Ananda. In the history of Buddhism,
Venerable Ananda occupies a crucial place. Most of the discourses
spoken by the Buddha were recorded by Venerable Ananda. It was he
who recounted these discourses to the assembly of monks who gath¬
ered at the First Council to confirm the word of the Buddha. The recur¬
ring phrase ‘ evam me Sutam .’ (Thus have I heard) which prefaces most
of the discourses in the Buddhist scripture, is indicative of the fact that
the discourse was recounted by Venerable Ananda, just as he had heard
it when the Buddha first spoke.
Venerable Ananda was the personal attendant of the Buddha. The body
of teaching that is presently characterized as Buddhism is largely the
teachings gathered by Venerable Ananda as the constant companion of
the Buddha. Venerable Ananda is, at times, referred to as the ‘Treas¬
urer of the Buddha Word’. How Venerable Ananda came to assume this
exalted position has also been extensively recorded in Buddhist litera¬
ture. The Buddha had no regular attendant during the first twenty years
of His ministry. There were several monks who used to attend on the
Buddha and accompany Him on the rounds for alms carrying his extra
robes and the bowl. The monks who served thus were Nagasamala,
Nagita, Upavana, Sunakkhatta, Cunda, Sagata, Radha, and Meghiya.
One day, as the Buddha went on a long journey accompanied by the Ven¬
erable Nagasamala, and came up to a junction, the monk suggested to
take one road, whereas the Buddha suggested the other. The monk did not
accept the words of the Buddha, and was about to put the bowl and the
robes of the Buddha on the ground before taking the road of his choice.
The Buddha asked for the bowl and the robes before they were put on the
ground, and took the other road. The monk who went along the road of
his choice was robbed of his bowl and robes and was struck on the head
by highway robbers. He came back to the Buddha with a bleeding head,
to be reminded of his disobedience and consoled by the Buddha.
217
On another day, as the Buddha was on his way to the village of Jantu in
the company of the Venerable Meghiya, the latter chose to go to a
mango grove and practice meditation, and handed over to the Buddha
His bowl and the robes. The Buddha thrice advised him against taking
that step, but he went his way. He returned to the Buddha and con¬
fessed how he failed in his meditation. When the Buddha came to Sa-
vatthi, and was in the Jetavana Monastery, he expressed to the assem¬
bly of monks His dissatisfaction with the conduct of these monks, and
suggested to have a regular attendant as He was advancing in years.
The Buddha was over fifty-five years in age at this time.
The Venerable Sariputta stood up immediately, saluted the Buddha,
and volunteered to be the regular personal attendant of the Buddha.
The Buddha declined his offer as his services as the foremost disciple
of the Buddha was needed elsewhere. Other leading disciples too of¬
fered their services. However, they too were not accepted by the
Buddha. Then the monks induced the Venerable Ananda, who was so
far silent, to offer to serve as the personal attendant of the Buddha.
However, he waited to be nominated by the Buddha Himself. The
Buddha said: It is not necessary for Ananda to be induced by others.
He will serve me on his own accord.”
The Venerable Ananda agreed to serve the Buddha regularly, subject
to eight conditions. They were: (1) He should not be given the fine
robes received by the Buddha; (2) He should not be given the delicious
food received by the Buddha; (3) He should not be accommodated in
the fragrant chamber of the Buddha; (4) He should not be asked to go
with the Buddha to accept alms on invitations; (5) The Buddha would
consent to invitations accepted by him; (6) Visitors from far off places
who came to see the Buddha should be allowed in with him; (7) He
should be allowed to consult the Buddha whenever he had any doubt
for clarification; and that (8) He should be told the discourses the
Buddha preached in his absence.
After the Buddha consented to these eight conditions, the Venerable
Ananda became the regular attendant of the Buddha. Thenceforth, he
began to attend on the Buddha and serve hot and cold water and three
218
kinds of dental tools. He used to massage the body of the Buddha, and
be awakened the whole night, holding a wooden torch, so that he could
be summoned by the Buddha at any time. He used to walk nine times
round the fragrant chamber every night. He also did the sweeping and
cleaning of the fragrant chamber himself. He served and followed the
Buddha like His shadow until His passing away,
However, the Venerable Ananda did not attain arahathood during the
lifetime of the Buddha. He became an arahant a few weeks after the
passing away of the Buddha, and was a key figure in the First Council
of the five hundred arahants who recited the teachings of the Buddha,
at the invitation of the Venerable Maha Kassapa, at Rajagaha. Thus,
many Suttas start with ‘evam me Sutcim.'’
219
Fragrance Of Virtue Wafts To Heaven
4 (1 0) The Story of Monk Mahakassapa (Verse 56)
While residing at the Veluvana Monastery in Rajagaha, the
Buddha spoke this Verse, with reference to Monk Mahakassapa.
One day Venerable Kassapa arose from a meditation which
had lasted seven days and started out with the intention of mak¬
ing an unbroken round for alms in Rajagaha. At the same time
five hundred pink-footed nymphs who were the wives of
Sakka, king of gods, roused themselves and prepared five hun¬
dred portions of alms, intending to give those alms to the Ven¬
erable. Taking their alms, they halted on the road and said to
the Venerable, “Venerable, accept these alms; do us a favour.”
The Venerable replied, “Go away, all of you. I intend to favour
the poor.”
Sakka himself desired to give alms to the Venerable. So he dis¬
guised himself as an old weaver worn out by old age, an old
man with broken teeth, grey hair, and a bent and broken body.
And transforming Wellborn the celestial nymph into just such
an old woman, and creating by supernatural power a weavers’
lane, he sat spinning out thread. The Venerable went towards
the city, thinking to himself, I will bestow favour on poor
folk.” And seeing this street outside of the city, he looked all
about and noticed those two persons. At that moment Sakka
was spinning out the thread and Wellborn was feeding a shut¬
tle. When Monk Mahakassapa came to the door, Sakka took
the Venerable’s bowl, saying, “Venerable, consider not
whether the food be coarse or fine, but be gracious to us.”
Straightaway that portion of alms, richly flavoured with all
manner of sauces and curries, filled the whole city of Rajagaha
220
with its fragrance. The Venerable thought to himself, ‘This
man is weak, but his alms are as powerful as the food of Sakka.
Who can he be?” Perceiving that it was Sakka, he said, “You
have done a grievous wrong in depriving poor folk of the op¬
portunity to acquire merit. By bestowing alms on me today,
any poor man whosoever might obtain the post of commander-
in-chief or the post of treasurer.” Is there any man poorer than
I, Venerable?” “How do you come to be poor, enjoying as you
do the splendour in the world of the gods?”
“Venerable, this is the explanation. Before the Buddha ap¬
peared in the world I performed works of merit.
When the Buddha appeared in the world, three deities of equal
rank were reborn who, by the performance of works of merit,
possessed greater glory than I. When these deities say in my
presence, ‘Let us make holiday,’ and take female slaves and go
down into the street, I take to my heels and enter my house.
The glory from their persons overpowers my person, but the
glory from my person does not overpower their persons. Who,
Venerable, is poorer than I?” “If this be true, henceforth do not
attempt to deceive me by giving alms to me.” “Have I acquired
merit, or have I not acquired merit, by giving alms to you
through deception?” “You have acquired merit, brother.” “If
this be true, Venerable, it is my bounden duty to perform works
of merit.” So saying, Sakka saluted the Venerable, and accom¬
panied by Sujata, circumbulated the Venerable.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 56)
yd ay am t agar a candam ay am gandhd appamatto,
silavatam yd ca gandhd uttamo devesu vdti
221
yd ayam : whatever this; tagara candanv. fragrance associ¬
ated with lavender and sandal wood; ayam : that (fra¬
grance); appamatto : is only a little; silavatam : of the
virtuous; yd ca gandho : if there is a sweet smell; uttamo :
that is supreme; devesu : in the midst of the devas or heav¬
enly worlds; vdft': (it) spreads
The fragrance of tagara and sandalwood is quite slight. Why?
Because it is limited to this world. Such a fragrance can spread
only on earth. This way it is a very slight fragrance. But, the
sweet smell of virtue is, in contrast, supreme, because it
spreads not only throughout the earth, it rises even to the high¬
est heavens.
Commentary
gandho : perfume; fragrance. In a series of Stanzas the Buddha sets the
fragrance of virtue, against such conventional fragrances as sandal¬
wood, lavender and jasmine. In comparison with the sweet-smell of
virtue, the sweet-smell of such conventional fragrances is only very
slight. This analogy has been carried into the devotional ceremony of
Buddhists, where incense is offered before the altar of the Buddha in
honour of His virtue.
222
Death Cannot Trace The Path Of Arahats
4 (1 1 ) The Story of Venerable Godhika (Verse 57)
While residing at the Veluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
Verse, with reference to Venerable Godhika.
While Venerable Godhika was in residence at Black Rock on
Mount Isigili, heedful, ardent, resolute, having attained ‘re¬
lease of mind’ through the practice of meditation, he was at¬
tacked by a certain disease brought on by diligent application
to duty, and fell away from the mental repose of ‘disknowingk
A second time and a third time, and unto six times, did he enter
into a state of mental repose and fell away therefrom. As he en¬
tered into a state of mental repose for the seventh time, he
thought to himself, “Six times I have fallen away from a state
of mental repose. Doubtful is the future state of him who falls
away from a state of mental repose. Now is the time for me to
use the razor.”
Accordingly, he took the razor with which he shaved his hair,
and lay down on his bed, intending to end his life. Mara per¬
ceived his intention and thought to himself, “This monk in¬
tends to use the razor. Those who use the razor in this way are
indifferent to life. Such men, having attained penetration, win
Arahatship. But if I try to prevent him from carrying out his in¬
tention, he will pay no attention to my words. I will therefore
induce the Buddha to prevent him.” At that moment the Vener¬
able drew his knife. The Buddha, perceiving Mara, said, “Thus
do those who are steadfast, nor do they yearn for life. Godhika
has uprooted craving and has attained Nibbana.” Now the
Buddha, accompanied by a large number of monks, entered the
place where the Venerable had lain down and used his knife.
223
At that moment Mara, the Evil One, like a pillar of smoke or a
mass of darkness, was searching in all directions for the Vener¬
able’s consciousness. Thought he, “Where has his rebirth-con¬
sciousness fixed itself?” The Buddha pointed out to the monks
the pillar of smoke and the mass of darkness and said to them,
“Monks, that is Mara, the Evil One, searching for the con¬
sciousness of the goodly youth Godhika. Thinks he, ‘Where
has the consciousness of the goodly youth Godhika fixed it¬
self?’ But, monks, the consciousness of the goodly youth
Godhika has not fixed itself. For, monks, the goodly youth
Godhika has passed into Nibbana. Mara, being unable to find
the place where the consciousness of the Venerable had fixed
itself, approached the Buddha and asked him, “Where has
Godhika gone?”
Said the Buddha to Mara, “Godhika has uprooted craving and
has attained Nibbana.” Then said the Buddha, “Evil One, what
have you to do with the place where the consciousness of the
goodly youth Godhika has fixed itself? A hundred or a thou¬
sand like you could never find it.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 57)
sampannasTldnam appamadavihdrinam sammadanna
vimuttanam tesam maggam Mdro na vindati
sampannasTldnam’. perfect in behaviour; appamddavihdri¬
nam’. living alert; sammadanna’. fully knowing; vimut-
tanam: freed of blemishes; tesam: (of) those noble ones;
maggam: traces, the path they took; Mdro: the evil one (the
Devil); na vindati: (does not) discover or find
224
Of those noble ones, who are perfect in behaviour, living con¬
stantly alert, fully aware of the experience within, Mara, the
evil one, does not know their destiny. Mara can trace only the
slothful dead. He cannot trace those who have reached the
Deathless.
Commentary
sammadannavimuttanam: having achieved release through ‘disknow-
ing\ This refers to one who gains ‘release’ ( vimutti ) by becoming fully
aware of the experience within. Such a person attains release through a
fivefold release. They are: Release through Elimination; Release
through the Cultivation of Opposites; Release through Cutting Off; Re¬
lease through Subsidence and Release through Moving Away.
anna : really means ‘disknowing’. Though it is commonly translated as
knowledge, it is not the grasping of concepts. It is the freedom from
concepts. It is the cessation of object vision and involvement with ob¬
jects of knowledge. It is awareness of the process of knowing rather
than of the object known which leads to craving. It is mental repose.
This is called the ‘cessation of cognition’ ( vihhassa nirodha ). It is also
called ‘unmanifest cognition’ (< anidassana vinndna). All object know¬
ledge range falls within the ken of Mara. This freedom from object
knowledge, Mara does not know.
Mard: There are five concepts of ‘ Mara ’ in Buddhism: (1) Death itself
(maccu mar a ); (2) The five aggregates ( khanda mar a ); (3) Defilements
( kilesa mdra ); (4) Mental constructs ( sankhara mdra ); (5) A deity
called Mara who always tries to obstruct spiritual progress in the world
(devaputta mdra). In this particular verse and story, the term Mdra
stands for this evil entitv called Mara.
225
Lotus Is Attractive Though In A Garbage Heap
cs£ Arahats Shine Wherever They Are
4 (12) The Story of Garahadinna (Verses 58 & 59)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke
these verses, with reference to a rich man named Garahadinna
and the miracle of the lotus flowers. At Savatthi there once
lived two friends, Sirigutta and Garahadinna. The former was a
lay disciple of the Buddha, the latter an adherent of the Naked
Ascetics, the Niganthas. The naked ascetics used to say repeat¬
edly to Garahadinna, “Go to your friend Sirigutta and say
‘Why do you visit the monk Gotama? What do you expect to
get from him?’ Why not admonish him thus, that he may visit
us and give us alms?” Garahadinna listened to what they said,
went repeatedly to Sirigutta, and wherever he found him,
standing or sitting, spoke thus to him, “Friend, of what use to
you is the monk Gotama? What do you expect to get by visit¬
ing him? Should you not visit my own noble teachers instead
and give alms to them?”
Sirigutta listened to his friend’s talk and despite it kept silence
for several days. One day, however, he lost his patience and
said to Garahadinna, “Friend, you constantly come to me, and
wherever you find me, standing or sitting, speak thus to me,
‘What do you expect to gain by visiting the monk Gotama?
Visit my noble teachers instead and give alms to them.’ Now
just answer me this question, ‘What do your noble teachers
know?”’ “Oh, sir, do not speak thus! There is nothing my noble
teachers do not know. They know all about the past, the present,
and the future. They know everybody’s thoughts, words, and
actions. They know everything that can happen and everything
that cannot happen.” “You don’t say so.” Indeed, I do.” If this
226
be true, you have committed a grievous fault in allowing me to
remain ignorant of it all this time. Not until today did I learn of
the supernatural power of knowledge possessed by your noble
teachers. Go, sir, and invite your noble teachers in my name.”
Garahadinna went to the naked ascetics, paid obeisance to
them, and said, “My friend Sirigutta invites you for tomor¬
row.” “Did Sirigutta speak to you of himself?” “Yes, noble
sirs.” They were pleased and delighted. Said they, “Our work
is done. What gain will not accrue to us from the moment
Sirigutta has complete faith in us?”
Now Sirigutta’ s place of residence was a large one, and in one
place there was a long empty space between two houses. Here,
therefore, he caused a long ditch to be dug, and this ditch he
caused to be filled with dung and slime. Beyond the ditch, at
both ends, he caused posts to be driven into the ground, and to
these posts he caused ropes to be attached. He caused the seats
to be so placed, with the front legs resting on the ground and
the back legs resting on the ropes, that the instant the heretics
sat down they would be tipped over backwards and flung head
first into the ditch. In order that no sign of a ditch might be vis¬
ible, he had coverlets spread over the seats. He caused several
large earthenware vessels to be washed clean, and their mouths
to be covered with banana leaves and pieces of cloth. And
these vessels, empty though they were, he caused to be placed
behind the house, smeared on the outside with rice-porridge,
lumps of boiled rice, ghee, palm sugar and cake-crumbs.
Early in the morning Garahadinna went quickly to the house of
Sirigutta and asked him, “Has food been prepared for my noble
teachers?” “Yes, friend, food has been prepared.” “But where
is it?” In all these earthenware vessels is rice-porridge, in all
227
these is boiled rice, in all these are ghee, palm sugar, cakes, and
other kinds of food. Likewise have seats been prepared.” “Very
well,” said Garahadinna, and went his way.
As soon as Garahadinna had departed, five hundred naked as¬
cetics arrived. Sirigutta came forth from the house, paid obei¬
sance to the naked ascetics, and taking his stand before them,
and raising his clasped hands in an attitude of reverent saluta¬
tion, thought to himself, “So you know all about the past, the
present, and the future! So at least your supporter tells me. If
you really do know all this, do not enter my house. For even if
you enter my house, there is no rice-porridge prepared for you,
nor boiled rice, nor any other kind of food. If you do not know
all this and still enter my house, I will cause you to be flung
into a ditch filled with dung, and will then cause you to be
beaten with sticks.” Having thus reflected, he gave the follow¬
ing order to his men, “When you observe that they are about to
sit down, take your places in the rear and pull the coverlets
which are spread over the seats out from under, lest the cover¬
lets be smeared with filth.” As Sirigutta thought, the naked as¬
cetics were unaware of what had been planned. They fell into
the ditch and were disgraced.
Garahadinna, planning to take revenge, invited the Buddha.
The Buddha, accompanied by five hundred monks, went to the
house of Garahadinna and stood before the door. Garahadinna
came forth from the house, paid obeisance to the monks with
the five rests, and taking his stand before them and raising his
clasped hands in an attitude of reverent salutation, thought to
himself, “So, Venerable, you know all about the past, the
present, and the future! In sixteen different ways you compre¬
hend the thoughts of all living beings! So at least your sup¬
porter tells me. If you really do know all this, do not enter my
228
house. For even if you enter my house, you will find no rice-
porridge or boiled rice or any other kind of food. Instead I will
cause you to be flung into a charcoal-pit and will bring humili¬
ation upon you.”
But, contrary to his thought, a miracle happened. Lotus flowers
as big as cart wheels sprang up, rending the charcoal-pit asun¬
der. “What am I to do?” Garahadinna asked Sirigutta. “Did you
not just now point out to me certain earthenware vessels and
say, ‘All these vessels are filled with rice-porridge; all these
are filled with boiled rice,’ and so forth?” “What I said was
false, master. The vessels are empty.” “Never mind. Go look at
the rice-porridge and other kinds of food in those vessels.” At
that instant the vessels over which he spoke the word “rice-por¬
ridge” were filled with rice-porridge, the vessels over which he
spoke the words “boiled rice” were filled with boiled rice, and
so it happened likewise with the other vessels.
When Garahadinna saw this miracle, he was filled with joy and
happiness and his heart was filled with faith. With profound
reverence he waited on the congregation of Monks presided
over by the Buddha. The meal over, Garahadinna, indicating
that he wished the Buddha to speak the words of thanksgiving,
took his bowl. Thus Garahadinna was converted into a faithful
disciple of the Buddha.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 58)
yathci sarikdradhdnasmim mahdpathe ujjhitasmim tattha
sucigandham manoramam padumam jayetha
yatha : just as; sarikdradhdnasmim: in a heap of garbage;
mahdpathe ujjhitasmim : dumped beside a highway; tattha:
229
there; sucigandham : sweet smelling; manoramam :
attractive; padumam : a lotus; jdyetha : may grow
Someone is likely to dump refuse on a high road. In that heap
of refuse, a sweet- smelling lotus is likely to grow.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 59)
evam sankdrabhutesu samma sambuddhasdvako
andhabhute puthujjane pannaya atirocati
evam : similarly; sankdrabhutesu : among those who have
become garbage; samma sambuddhasdvako'. a disciple of
the Buddha; andhabhute puthujjane'. among the blinded
worldlings; pannaya : through wisdom; atirocati'. shines
greatly
In the same way, in the heap of rubbish made up of various
types of foolish people, the disciple of the Buddha shines
above all others.
Commentary
padumam tattha jdyetha: a lotus is quite likely to arise. The emer¬
gence of the exceptional out of the lowly and the depraved, is a recur¬
rent theme in the Buddha’s discourses. The wise person who has over¬
come the worldly, though arisen out of the ordinary folk, is likened to a
lotus. Though sprung out of the mud, the lotus is uncontaminated by
the mud. In these verses, the wise truth-seeker is compared to a lotus
springing out of the wayside dump. Though risen out of the mud, the
lotus is beautiful and fragrant, very much like the saintly person who
has emerged out of corrupt people.
Atirocati pannaya: through wisdom one shines greatly. Nobody is
condemned in Buddhism, for greatness is latent even in the seemingly
lowliest just as lotuses spring from muddy ponds.
230
Fools
Samsara Is Long To The Ignorant
5 (1 ) The Story of a Certain Person (Verse 60)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to a certain young man and King Pasenadi
of Kosala.
One day King Pasenadi, while going out in the city, happened
to see a beautiful young woman standing at the window of her
house and he instantly fell in love with her. So the king tried to
find ways and means of getting her. Finding that she was a
married woman, he sent for her husband and made him serve at
the palace. Later, the husband was sent on an impossible errand
by the king. The young man was to go to a place, a yojana
(twelve miles) away from Savatthi, bring back some Kumudu
(lotus) flowers and some red earth called ‘arunavatT from the
land of the serpents (nag as) and arrive at Savatthi the same
evening, in time for the king’s bath. The king’s intention was
to kill the husband if he failed to arrive back in time, and to
take the wife for himself. Hurriedly taking a food packet from
his wife, the young man set out on his errand. On the way, he
shared his food with a traveller and he threw some rice into the
water and said loudly, “O guardian spirits and nagas inhabiting
this river! King Pasenadi has commanded me to get some Ku¬
mudu flowers and arunavatT (red earth) for him. I have today
shared my food with a traveller; I have also fed the fish in the
river; I now share with you the benefits of the good deeds I
have done today. Please get the Kumudu lotus and arunavate
red earth for me.” The king of the nagas, upon hearing him,
took the appearance of an old man and brought the lotus and
the red earth.
232
On that evening, King Pasenadi, fearing that the young hus¬
band might arrive in time, had the city-gates closed early, the
young man, finding the city-gates closed, placed the red earth
on the city-wall and stuck the flowers on the earth. Then he de¬
clared loudly, “O citizens! I have today accomplished my er¬
rand in time as instructed by the king. King Pasenadi, without
any justification, plans to kill me.” After that, the young man
left for the Jetavana Monastery to take shelter and find solace
in the peaceful atmosphere of the Monastery.
Meanwhile, King Pasenadi, obsessed with sexual desire, could
not sleep, and kept thinking out how he would get rid of the
husband in the morning and take his wife. At about midnight,
he heard some eerie sounds; actually, these were the mournful
voices of four persons suffering in Lohakumbhi Niraya. Hear¬
ing those voices, the king was terrified. Early in the morning,
he went to Jetavana Monastery to consult the Buddha, as ad¬
vised by Queen Mallika. When the Buddha was told about the
four voices the king heard in the night, he explained to the king
that those were the voices of four beings, who were the sons of
rich men during the time of Kassapa Buddha, and that now
they were suffering in Lohakumbhi Niraya because they had
committed sexual misconduct with other peoples’ s wives.
Then, the king came to realize the wickedness of the deed and
the severity of the punishment. So, he decided then and there
that he would no longer covet another man’s wife. “After all, it
was on account of my intense desire for another man’s wife
that I was tormented and could not sleep,” he reflected. Then
King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Venerable, now I know
how long the night is for one who cannot sleep.” The young
man who was close at hand came forward to say, “Venerable,
because I had travelled the full distance of a yojana yesterday,
233
I, too, know how long the journey of a yojana is to one who is
weary.”
Explanatory Translation (Verse 60)
jdgarato ratti dighd santassa yojanam digham
saddhammam avijdnatam bdldnam samsdro digho
jdgarato : to the sleepless; ratti digha : the night is long;
santassa : to the fatigued; yojanam digham : mile is long;
saddhammam’. the doctrine; avijdnatam : ignorant;
bdldnam : to the immature persons; samsdro : the cycle of
existence; digho: is long
To a sleepless person the night is very long. To the weary the
league seems quite long. To the ignorant, bereft of an aware¬
ness of the dhamma, the cycle of existence is very long, as he is
not aware how to shorten it.
Commentary
Samsara : The perpetual tour of beings from life to life, the vicious cy¬
cle of birth, death and rebirth, which the Buddhists yearn to put an end
to. Rebirth is not seen by Buddhists as a continuation of life, but as a
perpetuation of death. We are reborn only to die again. ‘Eternal life’ is
an illusion. Life is but birth, ageing and death. Its continuity is not wel¬
comed by a Buddhist. The Buddhist goal is ‘immortality’ or ‘deathless¬
ness’ which is the only possible reality, which is quite distinct from
‘eternal life’. Immortality, which is Nibbana, is not achieved through
rebirth, but through its stopping. This is not the annihilation of exist¬
ence or being; because, being or ‘existence’ is only an illusion. It is
dispelling the illusion of being and giving up the attachment to it.
234
Do Not Associate With The Ignorant
5 (2) The Story of a Resident Pupil of Venerable Mahakassapa
(Verse 61)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to a resident pupil of Venerable Maha¬
kassapa.
While Venerable Kassapa was in residence at Pipphali Cave,
he had two pupils learning under him. One of these performed
his duties faithfully, but the other frequently shirked his duties
and sought to take credit for work done by the other. For exam¬
ple, the faithful pupil would set out water for washing the face,
and a tooth- stick. Knowing this, the faithless pupil would go to
the Venerable and say, “Venerable, water for washing the face
is set out, and a tooth-stick. Go wash your face.” When it was
time to prepare water for bathing the feet and for the bath, he
would pursue the same tactics.
The faithful pupil thought to himself, “This fellow is con¬
stantly shirking his work and is seeking to take credit for my
work. Very well! I will do something about this. So one day,
while the faithless pupil was asleep after a meal, he heated wa¬
ter for the bath, poured it into a water-jar, and set it in the back
room, leaving only a pint-pot of water steaming in the boiler.
In the evening the faithless pupil woke up and saw steam pour¬
ing out. “He must have heated water and put it in the bath¬
room,” he thought. So he went quickly to the Venerable,
bowed, and said, “Venerable, water has been placed in the
bathroom; go and bathe.” So saying, he accompanied the Ven¬
erable to the bathroom. But when the Venerable saw no water,
he said, “Brother, where is the water?” The youth went to the
235
room where the fire was kept, and lowering a ladle into the
boiler, and perceived that it was empty. “See what the rascal
has done!” he exclaimed. “He has set an empty boiler on the
brazier, and then went - who knows where? Of course I
thought there was water in the bathroom and went and told the
Venerable so.” Disappointed, he took a water-jar and went to
the bathing-place at the river.
Venerable Kassapa thought, ‘All this time this young fellow
has been shirking from his duties and has sought to take credit
for work really done by his brother-pupil.” On the following
day he refused to accompany the Venerable on his rounds. The
Venerable therefore took his other pupil with him to a certain
place.
While he was away, the faithless pupil went to the house of a
layman who was a supporter of the Venerable. The layman
asked him, “Where is the monk?” The Venerable doesn’t feel
well, and therefore remained at the Monastery.” “What then
should he have, Venerable?” “Give him such and such food,”
said the youth, pretending that the monk had told him to ask for
it. Accordingly they prepared food such as he asked for, and
gave it to him. He took the food, ate it on the way back, and re¬
turned to the Monastery.
Now the Venerable had received from his supporter five robes,
and these he presented to the youth who accompanied him. The
novice dyed them and converted them into under and upper
garments for himself. The Venerable admonished the pupil on
his behaviour. He resented this advice. The next day, he set fire
to the Monastery and ran away. When he died, he was reborn
in the Great Hell of Avici.
236
Explanatory Translation (Verse 61)
caram attano seyyam sadisam ce na adhigaccheyya
ekacariyam dalham kayird bale sahayatd natthi
caram : as companion; attano : for oneself, seyyam : a
greater; sadisam : on an equal; ce na adhigaccheyya : w not
found; ekacariyam : being alone; dalham kayird : should be
done; sahayatd : companionship with fools; natthi :
there is not
People need companions. But if one does not find a person
who is better than, or at least equal to oneself, it is better to be
alone rather than keep company with foolish people. There is
no profitable companionship with fools.
Commentary
sahayatd : association; companionship. This verse insists that one
should not keep company with immature people. Association with the
immature is not at all conducive even to worldly progress; not to speak
of spiritual progress.
According to the commentary this term connotes higher morality, in¬
sight, Paths, and Fruits of Sainthood. No such virtues are found in the
foolish.
Out of compassion, to work for their betterment, one may associate
with the foolish but not be contaminated by them.
237
Ignorance Brings Suffering
5 (3) The Story of Ananda, the Rich Man (Verse 62)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to a miserly rich man, named Ananda.
There was once a very wealthy man named Ananda in Savat-
thi. Although he possessed eighty billion, he was very reluctant
to give anything in charity. To his son, Mulasiri, he used to say,
“Don’t think the wealth we have now is very much. Do not
give away anything from what you have, for you must make it
grow. Otherwise, your wealth will dwindle.” This rich man had
five pots of gold buried in his house and he died without re¬
vealing their location to his son. Ananda, the rich man, was re¬
born in a village of beggars, not far from Savatthi. From the
time his mother was pregnant, the income of the beggars de¬
creased; the villagers thought there must be a wicked and un¬
lucky one amongst them. By dividing themselves up into
groups and by the process of elimination, they came to the con¬
clusion that the pregnant beggar woman must be the unfortu¬
nate one. Thus, she was driven out of the village. When her son
was born, the son proved to be extremely ugly and repulsive.
His hands and feet and eyes and ears and nose and mouth were
not where they should have been. Terrible looking that he was,
he looked like a mud spirit. In spite of this, however, his
mother did not abandon him, for great is the love of a mother
for the child she has carried in her womb. If she went out beg¬
ging by herself, she would get alms as before, but if she went
out with her son she would get nothing. So, when the boy could
go out by himself, his mother placed a plate in his hand and left
him, saying, “Dear son, because of you we have been brought
238
to great distress. Now we can support you no longer. In this
city meals are provided for poor folk and travellers. Get your
living by begging for alms in this town.” As he wandered about
in Savatthi, he remembered his old house and his past exist¬
ence. So he went into the house. When the sons of his son
Mulasiri saw him, they were frightened by his ugly looks and
began to cry. The servants then beat him and threw him out of
the house.
The Buddha who was on his alms-round saw the incident and
asked Venerable Ananda to fetch Mulasiri. When Mulasiri
came, the Buddha told him that the young beggar was his own
father in his previous existence. But Mulasiri could not believe
it. So, the Buddha directed the beggar boy to show where he
had buried his five pots of gold. Then only, Mulasiri accepted
the truth and from that time he became a devoted lay-disciple
of the Buddha.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 62)
me puttd atthi me dhanam atthi iti bald vihannati attd hi
attano natthi puttd kuto dhanam kuto
me: I; puttd atthi: have sons; me: I; dhanam atthi: have
wealth; iti: this way; bald: the fool; vihannati: worries; attd
hi: one’s own self; attano natthi: one does not have; puttd:
sons; kuto: how can that be; dhanam: wealth; kuto: how
can that be.
The fool worries “I have sons,” “I have wealth.” When his self
is not his own, then how can he claim, “I have sons” or “I have
wealth”?
239
Commentary
atta hi attand natthi : the fools tax themselves, thinking that they have
sons, they have wealth. But, in reality, their selves are not their own. If
their ‘self’ were their own, they could control it as they wished. But
they grow old; they decay; they fall ill; unexpected things happen to
them, so how can they think that they possess themselves?
Grains, wealth, silver, gold and whatever property there is; slaves,
craftsmen, hired menials and all the dependant ones -
All these have to be abandoned when leaving. But whatever one does
through deed, word or thought -
That alone belongs to him; that alone he takes with him and that alone
follows him like the inseparable shadow.
All beings die. Life ends in death. Beings fare according to their deeds,
experiencing the results of their meritorious and sinful deeds. Those
who do sinful deeds go to the woeful states and those who do meritori¬
ous deeds, attain blissful states. Therefore, let one always do good
deeds, which serve as a store for life elsewhere. Meritorious deeds are
a great support to beings in the future world.
240
Know Reality - Be Wise
5 (4) The Story of Two Pick-pockets (Verse 63)
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery the Buddha spoke
this verse, with reference to two pick-pockets.
The story goes that these two men, who were lucky compan¬
ions, accompanied a great throng to Jetavana to hear the
Buddha. One of them listened to the Teaching, the other
watched for a chance to steal something. The first, through lis¬
tening to the Teaching ‘Entered the Stream’ ; the second found
five coins tied to the belt of a certain man and stole the money.
The thief had food cooked as usual in his house, but there was
no cooking done in the house of his companion. His comrade
the thief, and likewise the thief’s wife, ridiculed him, saying,
“You are so excessively wise that you cannot obtain money
enough to have regular meals cooked in your own house.” He
who entered the stream thought to himself, “This man, just be¬
cause he is a fool, does not think that he is a fool.” And going
to Jetavana with his kinsfolk, he told the Buddha of the inci¬
dent.
Explanatory Translation (Verse 63)
bald yd bdlyam mahhati tena so pandito vd api ,
bdlo ca panditamdm so ve bdlo iti vuccati
bdlo : a fool; yd bdlyam : one’s foolishness; mannati :
knows; tena: by virtue of that knowledge; so: he; pandito
vd api : is also a wise person; bald ca: if an ignorant person;
panditamdm: thinks he is wise; so: he; ve: in truth; bald iti
vuccati: is called a foolish person
241
If a foolish individual were to become aware that he is foolish,
by virtue of that awareness, he could be described as a wise
person. On the other hand, if a foolish person were to think that
he is wise, he could be described as a foolish person.
Commentary
yd bald mannati balyatn : if a foolish person knows he is foolish. The
implication of this stanza is that the true wisdom is found in the aware¬
ness of reality. If one is aware of one’s own foolishness, that awareness
makes him wise. The basis of true wisdom is the right knowledge of
things as they really are. Those who are foolish but are given to believe
that they are wise are truly foolish because that basically false aware¬
ness colours the totality of their thinking.
bald : the foolish person. Foolishness is the result of confusion ( moha )
and unawareness ( avijja ). Unawareness is the primary root of all evil
and suffering in the world, veiling man’s mental eyes and preventing
him from seeing his own true nature. It carries with it the delusion
which tricks beings by making life appear to them as permanent,
happy, personal and desirable. It prevents them from seeing that every¬
thing in reality is impermanent, liable to suffering, void of T and
‘Mine,’ and basically undesirable. Unawareness ( avijja ) is defined as
“not knowing the four Truths; namely, suffering, its origin, its cessa¬
tion, and the way to its cessation”.
As avijja is the foundation of all evil and suffering, it stands first in the
formula of Dependent Origination. Avijja should not be regarded as
‘the causeless cause of all things. It has a cause too. The cause of it is
stated thus: ‘With the arising of asava there is the arising of avijja. The
Buddha said, “No first beginning of avijja can be perceived, before
which avijja was not, and after which it came to be. But it can be per¬
ceived that avijja has its specific condition.”
As unawareness ( avijja ) still exists, even in a very subtle way, until the
attainment of Arahatship or perfection, it is counted as the last of the
ten Fetters which bind beings to the cycle of rebirths. As the first two
242
Roots of Evil, greed and hate are on their part rooted in unawareness
and consequently all unwholesome states of mind are inseparably
bound up with it, confusion (; moha ) is the most obstinate of the three
Roots of Evil.
Avijjd is on
Pali Commentaries Atthakatha - English Translations Collection
The Great Atthakatha Masters and Translators