dhammapada21

Chapter 21

PAKINNAKA VAGGA (Miscellaneous)

Contents

1 The power of the Ratana Sutta
2 Hatred is only appeased by love
3 Monks who decorated their slippers
4 Lakuntaka Bhaddiya killed his ‘parents’
5 The boy and the spirits
6 No satisfaction in life
7 A virtuous one is showered with riches - Citta
8 Distance is not the problem - Cula Subhadda
9 It is better to stay alone - Ekavihari

XXI:1 GIVE UP THE LESSER HAPPINESS FOR
THE SAKE OF THE GREATER

Matta sukhapariccaga - passe ce vipulam sukham
Caje matta sukham dhiro - sampassam vipulam sukham.

If by giving up a lesser happiness, one may behold a greater one, let the wise man give up the lesser happiness in consideration of the greater happiness.

XXI:1 The power of the Ratana Sutta

Once, a famine broke out in Vesali. It began with a serious drought. There was an almost total failure of crops and many people died of starvation, followed by an epidemic of diseases. People could hardly cope with the disposal of the corpses. The stench of death was everywhere and it attracted evil spirits.

In their grief and sorrow, the people of Vesali tried to seek help from various sources but finally they decided to seek help from the Buddha. So a mission headed by Mahali, the Licchavi prince, requested King Bimbisara to invite the Buddha to pay a visit to Vesali and help them in their distress. Instead the king directed them to personally go and extend the invitation. The Enlightened One knew that his visit would be beneficial to many people, so he consented to go to Vesali.

The Buddha set out for Vesali with a large retinue of bhikkhus. As soon as he reached Vesali, heavy rains fell in torrents, thus cleansing the city. The Enlightened One was put up in a specially prepared rest house. Sakka, king of the Devas, came with his followers to pay homage to him and the evil spirits fled. That same evening the Buddha delivered the Ratana Sutta and requested Venerable Ananda to recite the same sutta while going round the city.

Ananda did as he was told and as the protective verses (parittas) were being recited, many of those who were sick recovered. The Buddha delivered the same Sutta for seven consecutive days. At the end of the seventh day, everything returned to normal in Vesali. Heavy rains cleansed the city of the pollution. The Licchavi princes and the people of Vesali were very much relieved and were overjoyed. They were also very grateful to the Buddha.

XXI:2 NOT HATRED FOR HATRED

Para dukkhupadanena - attano sukham icchati
Vera samsagga samsattho - vera so na parimuccati.

He who seeks his own happiness by inflicting pain on others, being entangled by bonds of enmity, cannot be free from enmity.

XXI:2 Hatred is only appeased by love

Once there lived a woman in a village near Savatthi. She kept a hen and every time it laid an egg, the woman would break it up. The hen was very angry and as a result, she was reborn as a cat and the woman was reborn as a hen in the same house. The cat ate up the eggs of the hen. In their next existence, the hen became a leopard and the cat became a deer. The leopard ate up the deer as well as its offspring. Thus their feud continued for several existences. At the time of the Buddha, one of them was born as a woman and the other as an ogress.

On one occasion, the woman was returning from the house of her parents to her own house near Savatthi. Her husband and her young son were also with her. While they were resting near the pond by the roadside, her husband went to have a bath in the pond. At that moment, the woman saw the ogress who appeared in human form and she recognised her as her old enemy. Taking her child, she fled from the spirit straight to the monastery where the Buddha was expounding the Dhamma and put her child at his feet. The ogress that was in hot pursuit of the woman was prevented from entering the monastery.

Summoning the ogress to his presence, the Buddha admonished both of them for their long bitter feud, ‘If you two had not come to me today, your enmity would have continued endlessly. Enmity cannot be appeased by enmity; it can only be appeased by loving-kindness.’ Reflecting on the admonition, both realised the futility of their hatred, both admitted their mistakes and resolved not to continue with their senseless feud.

Note:

See Chapter I Story (4)

XXI:3 THE DEFILEMENTS OF THE CONCEITED INCREASE

Yam hi kiccam tadapaviddham - akiccam pana kayirati
Unnalanam pamattanam - tesam vaddhanti asava.

What should have been done is left undone,¹ what should not have been done is done.² For those who are conceited and heedless the corruption increase.

XXI:3 THE DEFILEMENTS OF THE MINDFUL DECREASE

Yesan ca susamaraddha - niccam kayagata sati
Akiccam te na sevanti - kicce sataccakarino
Satanam sampajananam - attham gacchanti asava.

Those who always earnestly practice ‘mindfulness of the body’,³ who follow not what should not be done, and constantly do what should be done, for those mindful and reflective ones the corruption come to an end.

XXI:3 Monks who decorated their slippers

Once some bhikkhus who were staying in Bhaddiya, were only interested in making and wearing ornamental slippers. Thus they neglected their spiritual development. When the matter was reported to the Buddha, he admonished the wayward bhikkhus, ‘My sons, you have entered the Holy Order for the sake of attaining perfection. Yet, you are now striving hard only in making slippers and decorating them.’ After the admonition by the Buddha, the bhikkhus changed their behaviour and strove diligently for their emancipation.

Notes:

1.Observance of morality, practice of meditation, etc.

2.Such as decoration of umbrellas, sandals, bowls, belts, etc.

3.Contemplation on the loathsomeness of the body.

XXI:4 ARAHANTS GO UNGRIEVING

Mataram pitaram hantva - rajano dve ca khattiye
Rattham sanucaram hantva - anigho yati brahmano.

Mataram pitaram hantva - rajano dve ca sotthiye
Veyyaggha pancamam hantva - anigho yati brahmano.

Having killed mother¹ (craving) and father² (conceit) and two warrior kings (views based on eternalism and nihilism), and having destroyed a country (sense-avenues and sense-objects) together with its revenue Officer³ (attachment), ungrieving goes the Brahmana (Arahant).

Having killed mother and father and two brahmin kings, and having destroyed the perilous path⁴ (hindrances), ungrieving goes the Brahmana (Arahant).

XXI:4 Lakuntaka Bhaddiya killed his ‘parents’

On one occasion, some visiting bhikkhus came to pay homage to the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery. While they were with the Buddha, Bhikkhu Lakuntaka Bhaddiya happened to pass by not far from them. The Enlightened One told them, ‘Bhikkhus, look at that monk. He has killed both his father and his mother, and having killed his parents, he goes about without any remorsefulness.’ The bhikkhus could not understand the statement made by the Buddha because they knew that the monk had committed no such crime. So, they entreated the Buddha to make it clear to them.

In the above statement, the Buddha was referring to an Arahant, who has eradicated craving, conceit, wrong beliefs and attachment to sense bases and sense objects. He had made the statement by means of metaphors. Thus, the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’ are used to indicate craving and conceit respectively. The Eternity-belief (Sassata Ditthi) and Annihilation-belief (Uccheda Ditthi) are likened to two kings, attachment is likened to a revenue officer that collects income tax and the sense bases and sense objects are likened to the kingdom.

Notes:

1.Mata = (mother) represents craving (tanha) as it produces birth.

2.Pita = (father) represents ‘I-conceit’.

3.Sanucaram = (revenue officer) here represents clinging to life (nandiraga).

4.Veyyagghapancamam, this term is used to denote the five hindrances (nivarana) of which doubt or indecision (vicikiccha) is the fifth.

Veyyaggha means a perilous path infested with tigers. Doubt is comparable to such a path. (commentary).

The other four hindrances are sense-desires (kamacchanda), ill-will (vyapada), restlessness and brooding (uddhacca-kukkucca), and sloth and torpor (thina-middha).

They are called hindrances because they obstruct the path to heavenly bliss and Nibbana.

XXI:5 CONTEMPLATE ON THE BUDDHA

Suppabuddham pabujjhanti -sada Gotama savaka
Yesam diva ca ratto ca - niccam buddha gata sati.

Fully alert and ever vigilant are the disciples of Gotama, who by day and night always contemplate on the qualities of the Buddha.

XXI:5 CONTEMPLATE ON THE DHAMMA

Suppabuddham pabujjhanti - sada Gotama savaka
Yesam diva ca ratto ca - niccam dhamma gata sati.

Fully alert and ever vigilant are the disciples of Gotama, who by day and night always contemplate on the qualities of the Dhamma.

XXI:5 CONTEMPLATE ON THE SANGHA

Suppabuddham pabujjhanti - sada Gotama savaka
Yesam diva ca ratto ca - niccam sangha gata sati.

Fully alert and ever vigilant are the disciples of Gotama, who by day and night always contemplate on the qualities of the Sangha.

XXI:5 CONTEMPLATE ON THE BODY

Suppabuddham pabujjhanti - sada Gotama savaka
Yesam diva ca ratto ca - niccam kayagata sati.

Fully alert and ever vigilant are the disciples of Gotama, who by day and night always contemplate on the loathsomeness of the body.

XXI:5 SEEK DELIGHT IN HARMLESSNESS

Suppabuddham pabujjhanti - sada Gotama savaka
Yesam diva ca ratto ca - ahimsaya rato mano.

Fully alert and ever vigilant are the disciples of Gotama, who by day and night always take delight in harmlessness.

XXI:5 SEEK DELIGHT IN MEDITATION

Suppabuddham pabujjhanti - sada Gotama savaka
Yesam diva ca ratto ca - bhavanaya rato mano.

Fully alert and ever vigilant are the disciples of Gotama, who by day and night delight in meditation.

XXI:5 The boy and the spirits

Once in Rajagaha, a woodcutter went into the forest with his son to cut some firewood. On their return home in the evening, they stopped near a cemetery to have their meal. They also took off the yoke from the two oxen to enable them to graze nearby; but the two oxen went away without being noticed by them. On discovering that the two oxen were missing, the woodcutter went to look for them, and left his son to guard the firewood. The father went into the city to look for the oxen. By the time he found the oxen it was getting late and the city-gate was closed. Therefore, the young boy had to spend the night alone underneath his cart.

The woodcutter’s son, though young, was always mindful and was in the habit of contemplating on the unique qualities of the Buddha. That night two spirits tried to frighten and to harm him. When one of the spirits pulled the leg of the boy, he cried out, ‘I pay homage to the Buddha’ (Namo Buddhasa).* Hearing these words from the boy, the spirits became frightened and also felt that they must look after the boy.

So, one of them remained near the boy, guarding him from all danger while the other one went to the king’s palace and brought the food-tray of King Bimbisara. The two spirits then fed the boy as if he were their own son. The spirit left a written message explaining what he had done to the royal food-tray; and this message was only visible to the king.

In the morning, the king’s men discovered that the royal food-tray was missing. They searched everywhere but could not find it. Finally they found it was with the boy, and taking him for the thief, they brought him before King Bimbisara. When the king saw the message written on the food-tray, he questioned the boy, who replied that his parents had come to feed him in the night and that he went to sleep contentedly without any fear after taking his food. The boy knew only that much and nothing more. The king sent for the parents of the boy. When he heard what had happened, he took the boy and his parents to see the Buddha.

The king asked the Buddha, ‘Is mindfulness of the unique qualities of the Buddha the only method that gives one protection against evil and danger, or is mindfulness of the unique qualities of the Dhamma equally potent and powerful?’ The Buddha replied, ‘O king, my disciple! Mindfulness of the Buddha is not the only protection against evil and danger. Mindfulness in any of the six senses is also a good protection against evil and danger.’

Note:

It is a common practice even today, for Buddhist parents to teach their children to invoke the name of the Buddha for protection.

XXI:6 HARD IS RENUNCIATION

Duppabbajjam durabhiramam - duravasa ghara dukha
Dukkho’ samana samvaso - dukkhanupatitaddhagu
Tasma na c’addhagu siya - na ca dukkhanupatito siya.

It is hard to become a bhikkhu; it is hard to be happy in the practice of a bhikkhu. The hard life of a householder is painful; to live with those of a different temperament is painful. A traveller in samsara is continually subject to dukkha; therefore, do not be a traveller in samsara; do not be the one to be subjected to dukkha again and again.

XXI:6 No satisfaction in life

On the night of the full moon day of Kattika, (between October and November) the people of Vesali celebrated the festival of the constellations on a grand scale. The whole city was lit up and the residents enjoyed themselves by singing, dancing, etc. As he looked towards the city, standing alone in the monastery, a bhikkhu felt lonely and dissatisfied with his lot. Softly, he murmured to himself, ‘There can be no one whose lot is worse than mine.’ At that instant, the guardian spirit of the woods appeared to him and said, ‘Those beings in hell envy the lot of the beings of the deva world; so, city people also envy the lot of those who live in the woods.’ The bhikkhu realised the truth of those words and regretted that he had thought so little of the lot of a bhikkhu.

Early in the morning, the bhikkhu went to the Buddha and he was admonished to reflect on the fleeting nature of the worldly life. The Buddha also pointed out the unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) in the lives of all beings.

XXI:7 THE DEVOUT ARE RESPECTED EVERYWHERE

Saddho silena sampanno - yaso bhoga samappito
Yam yam padesam bhajati - tattha tatth’ eva pujito.

He who is full of confidence¹ and virtue, possessed of fame and wealth, he is held in reverence wherever he goes.

XXI:7 A virtuous one is showered with riches (Citta)

Citta, after hearing the Dhamma expounded by Venerable Sariputta attained the third stage of Sainthood. One day, Citta left for Savatthi, loaded with carts full of food and other offerings for the Buddha and his bhikkhus. While he was paying homage to the Buddha, masses of flowers dropped miraculously from above like showers of rain. Citta stayed at the monastery for many days, offering alms food to the Buddha and the bhikkhus. All this time, the devas were replenishing his stock of food and other offerings.

On the eve of his return journey, Citta gave all the food as offerings to the Holy Order. The devas again filled up the empty carts with various items of priceless things. Venerable Ananda, seeing how Citta’s riches were being replenished, asked the Buddha, ‘Venerable Sir! Is it because Citta came to you that he is blessed with all these riches? Will he similarly be showered with gifts if he goes somewhere else?’ The Buddha replied, ‘Ananda, this disciple is endowed with faith and generosity. No matter where he goes, he will be showered with riches and honour.’

Note:

1.Saddha, trustful confidence based on knowledge. Buddhism has no place for blind faith.

XXI:8 THE GOOD CAN BE SEEN FROM AFAR

Dure santo pakasenti - himavanto’ va pabbato
Asant’ ettha na dissanti - ratti khitta yatha sara.

Like the Himalayas, the good are visible even from afar; like arrows shot in the night, the wicked are not seen even though they may be near.

XXI:8 Distance is not the problem (Cula Subhadda)

Both Anatha Pindika and Ugga studied under the same teacher when they were young. Ugga had a son while Anatha Pindika had a daughter. When their children came of age, Ugga asked for the consent of Anatha Pindika to the marriage of their two children. After the marriage, Cula Subhadda, the daughter of Anatha Pindika, had to stay in the house of her parents-in-law. Ugga and his family were not followers of the Buddha. Sometimes they invited naked ascetics to their house. On such occasions, her parents-in-law would ask Cula Subhadda to pay respects to those naked ascetics. Feeling shy and not being used to seeing naked ascetics she refused to comply. Instead she told her mother-in-law about the Buddha and his unique qualities.

On hearing this the mother-in-law was very anxious to meet the Enlightened One. She even agreed to let Cula Subhadda invite the Buddha to their house for alms food. So Cula Subhadda prepared food and collected other offerings for the occasion. She then went upstairs and looking towards the Jetavana monastery, she made offerings of flowers and incense and contemplated on the unique qualities and virtues of the Buddha. She then spoke out her wish, ‘Venerable Sir! I respectfully invite you and your noble bhikkhus to our house tomorrow for almsgiving. May this symbol and gesture make this invitation of mine known to you.’

Back at the monastery, Anatha Pindika, the father of Cula Subhadda, approached the Buddha to invite him to have alms food in his house the following day, but the Enlightened One replied that he had already accepted Cula Subhadda’s invitation for the next day. Anatha Pindika was puzzled at the reply and said, ‘But Venerable Sir! Cula Subhadda does not live here in Savatthi, she lives far away from here’. The Buddha said, ‘True, householder, but the good are clearly visible as if they are in one’s very presence even though they may be living at a distance.’

The next day, the Buddha went to the house of Ugga, the father-in-law of Cula Subhadda with his bhikkhus. Seeing the Buddha in his splendour and glory, the parents-in-law of Cula Subhadda were very much impressed and they paid homage to him. After the offerings, the Buddha delivered a religious discourse. From that day onward, Ugga and his family became ardent followers of the Enlightened One.

XXI:9 DELIGHT IN SOLITUDE

Ekasanam ekaseyyam - eko caram atandito
Eko damayam attanam - vanante ramito siya.

He who sits alone, rests alone, walks alone in diligent practice, which in solitude controls himself, will find delight in the forest.

XXI:9 It is better to stay alone (Ekavihari)

Venerable Ekavihari did not like to mix much with other bhikkhus, but kept to himself. All alone, he would practise mindfulness diligently whether lying down, sitting, standing or walking. Other bhikkhus misunderstood Ekavihari and reported the matter to the Buddha. Instead of admonishing him, the Buddha applauded Ekavihari, ‘My son has done well; it is good for a bhikkhu to stay in solitude and seclusion.’