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THE DISCOURSE COLLECTION
Selected Texts
from the Sutta Nipata
Translated from
the Pali
by
John D. Ireland
The Wheel Publication No. 82
Copyright 1965, 1983 Buddhist Publication Society
PO Box 61
54, Sangharaja Mawatha
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Electronic edition 1995
Transcription: Joe Crea
Proofreading & Formatting: John Bullitt <metta@world.std.com>
This electronic edition is offered
FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY
by arrangement with the publisher.
This text is a gift of Dhamma. You may print this file for your
personal use, and you may make and distribute unaltered copies
of this file, provided that you charge no fees of any kind for
its distribution. Otherwise, all rights reserved.
* * * * * * * *
CONTENTS
Introduction
1. Dhammika (From the //Dhammika Sutta//)
2. Wrong Conduct (//Dhammacariya Sutta//)
3. Right Conduct (//Kimsila Sutta//)
4. On Friendship (//Hiri Sutta//)
5. The Simile of the Boat (//Nava Sutta//)
6. Advice to Rahula (From the //Rahula Sutta//)
7. The Training (//Attadanda Sutta//)
8. On Vigilance (//Utthana Sutta//)
9. The Buddha's Great Struggle (//Padhana Sutta//)
10. On Decay (//Jara Sutta//)
11. The Arrow (//Salla Sutta//)
12. On Purity (//Suddhatthaka Sutta//)
13. On Views (//Paramatthaka Sutta//)
14. Ajita's Questions (//Ajita-manava-puccha//)
15. Punnaka's Questions (//Punnaka-manava-puccha//)
16. Mettagu's Questions (//Mettagu-manava-puccha//)
17. Further Questions (//Kalaha-vivada-Sutta//)
18. Mogharaja's Question (//Mogharaja-manava-puccha//)
19. Pingiya's Request (//Pingiya-manava-puccha//)
20. The Noble One's Happiness (From the //Dvayatanupassana-sutta//)
* * * * * * * *
INTRODUCTION
The Sutta-nipata or "Discourse-collection," from which this selection
has been compiled, contains some of the oldest and most profound
discourses of the Buddha. The complete text has been translated at
least three times into English, the most recent being by E.M. Hare
under the title "Woven Cadences" (Oxford University Press, London,
1945). The Pali original consists mainly of verse interspersed with
some prose passages and Hare has followed this arrangement by
translating it into English blank verse. However, in the selection
appearing below the aim has been to keep as near as possible to the
original, and no attempt has been made to versify it.
The first discourse shows the distinction between the mode of
conduct of the bhikkhu and the layman, both regarded as virtuous or
good (sadhu). For, as it is said elsewhere:
These two ways of life are not the same:
that of a householder supporting a wife
and one without worldly attachments ...
As a peacock never approaches the swiftness
of a swan, so a householder cannot imitate a
bhikkhu, a hermit meditating in the forest.
-- Snp. vv. 220-221
The lay-follower is given the five precepts of abstaining from
killing, stealing and so forth, and then the eight precepts are
observed on special occasions (uposatha, "observance days"). Also
perhaps it is appropriate to commence with Dhammika's praising the
Buddha, for these two, moral discipline and faith in the Buddha, are
the basic requisites for making further progress on the Buddhist path.
The next two discourses (2, 3) deal with wrong and right conduct,
pointing out the results both courses lead to.
One of the essentials for the practice of the Buddha's teaching is
having "good friends" and the avoidance of those who hinder one's
progress (4). The best friend is "He from whom one learns the Dhamma"
(5) and as such the Buddha is known as the "Good Friend" to all
beings.
The next two (6, 7) give the practical training and the direction
one should tend towards.
Continuous effort is needed to practice the Dhamma (8) and to
inspire one there is no better example than the Buddha's own struggle
(9). Then there are two contemplations on the transience of life and
the futility of sorrowing over the natural course of events in this
world (10, 11).
Two important discourses follow dealing with the misconception
that purity can come from outside without putting forth any effort
(12) and with wrongly holding to views and opinions leading to
contention and suffering (13). These two, together with the rest of
what follows, are regarded as some of the oldest discourses of the
Sutta-nipata and contain much that is difficult to understand.
In the Parayana-vagga, the last chapter of the Sutta-nipata,
sixteen brahmanas -- "famous throughout the world, meditators,
delighting in meditation, and wise ..." (v. 1009) -- come to the
Buddha and ask Him various questions. Five of them are included here
(14, 15, 16, 18, 19).
No. 17 may be compared with the Sakkapanha Suttanta (Digha-nikaya
21, translated as No. 10 in the Wheel Series), which contains a
closely parallel series of questions and answers.
No. 20 consists of the concluding verses of a fairly long
discourse and indicates the disparity existing between the realization
of the "Ariya," the Buddhas and their disciples, and the way of
thinking usual to the ordinary people of this world.
A note ought to be included on the term "Dhamma," an important and
frequent word in Buddhist literature and which has, in most cases, been
left untranslated below for the reason that there is no equivalent word
in English to cover all its various shades of meaning. It could be
rendered by Law (cosmic and moral), Norm, Teaching, Doctrine, Scripture,
Truth, Nature, practice, method, conduct, causality, etc., for these are
all meanings of the term 'Dhamma'. But they all tend to fall short of
a true definition. The Dhamma is the heart of the Buddha's teaching
and without it Buddhism would be something quite dead, and yet it is
not the exclusive possession of the historical religion. In addition,
it has another set of meanings and is practically always used in this
sense in the plural, as mental (and sensory) objects, ideas, things,
phenomena, elements, forces, states. etc. In this latter sense
however it has not been left untranslated below.
In conclusion I wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance given
by the Ven. Nyanaponika Mahathera in correcting several errors in the
translation of this short anthology and in supplying much advice and
commentarial literature used in formulating the notes.
John D. Ireland
London,
February 1965.
* * *
1. DHAMMIKA
Thus have I heard. At one time the Lord was staying near Savatthi in
the Jeta Grove at Anathapindaka's monastery. Now the lay-follower
Dhammika with five hundred other lay-followers approached the Lord.
Having drawn near and having saluted the Lord respectfully he sat down
at one side. Sitting there the lay-follower Dhammika addressed the
Lord as follows:
"I ask Gotama[1] of extensive wisdom this: How acting is a
disciple virtuous -- both the disciple who has gone from home to the
homeless state and the followers who are householders? For you
clearly understand the behavior[2] of the world with the devas and
the final release. There is none equal to you who are skilled in
seeing what is profound. You are an illustrious Awakened One (Buddha).
Having investigated all knowledge and being compassionate towards
beings you have announced the Dhamma, a revealer of what is hidden, of
comprehensive vision, stainless, you illuminate all the worlds.
"This Dhamma, subtle and pleasing and taught so clearly by you,
Lord, it is this we all wish to hear. Having been questioned,
foremost Awakened One, tell us (the answer). All these bhikkhus and
also the layfollowers who have come to hear the truth, let them listen
to the Dhamma awakened to (anubuddham) by the Stainless One as the
devas listen to the well-spoken words of Vasava." [3]
(The Lord:) "Listen to me, bhikkhus, I will teach you the ascetic
practice (dhamma dhutam), the mode of living suitable for those who
have gone forth. Do you all bear it in mind. One who is intent upon
what is good and who is thoughtful should practice it.
"A bhikkhu should not wander about at the wrong time but should
walk the village for food at the right time, as one who goes about at
the wrong time is (liable to be) obsessed by attachment, therefore
Awakened Ones do not walk (for alms) at the wrong time.[4] Sights,
sounds, tastes, scents and bodily contacts overwhelm (the minds of)
beings. Being rid of desire for these sense objects, at the right
time, one may enter (the village) for the morning meal. Having duly
obtained food, going back alone and sitting down in a secluded place,
being inwardly thoughtful and not letting the mind go out to external
objects, a bhikkhu should develop self-control.
"If he should speak with a lay-disciple, with someone else or with
another bhikkhu, he should speak on the subtle Dhamma, not slandering
others nor gossiping. Some set themselves up as disputants in
opposition to others; those of little wisdom we do not praise;
attachments bind them and they are carried away by their emotions.[5]
"Having heard the Dhamma taught by the Sugata[6] and considered
it, a disciple of Him of excellent wisdom should wisely make use of
food, a dwelling, a bed, a seat and water for washing the robe. But a
bhikkhu should not be soiled by (clinging to) these things, as a lotus
is not wetted by a drop of water.
"Now I will tell you the layman's duty. Following it a
lay-disciple would be virtuous; for it is not possible for one
occupied with the household life to realize the complete bhikkhu
practice (dhamma).
"He should not kill a living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor
should he incite another to kill. Do not injure any being, either
strong or weak, in the world.
"A disciple should avoid taking anything from anywhere knowing it
(to belong to another). He should not steal nor incite another to
steal. He should completely avoid theft.
"A wise man should avoid unchastity as (he would avoid falling
into) a pit of glowing charcoal. If unable to lead a celibate life,
he should not go to another's wife.
"Having entered a royal court or a company of people he should not
speak lies. He should not speak lies (himself) nor incite others to
do so. He should completely avoid falsehood.
"A layman who has chosen to practice this Dhamma should not
indulge in the drinking of intoxicants. He should not drink them nor
encourage others to do so; realizing that it leads to madness.
Through intoxication foolish people perform evil deeds and cause other
heedless people to do likewise. He should avoid intoxication, this
occasion for demerit, which stupefies the mind, and is the pleasure of
foolish people.
"Do not kill a living being;
do not take what is not given;
do not speak a lie;
do not drink intoxicants;
abstain from sexual intercourse;
do not eat food at night, at the wrong time;
do not wear flower-garlands nor use perfumes;
use the ground as a bed or sleep on a mat.
"This is called the eight-factored observance made known by the
known by the Awakened One who has reached the end of suffering.
With a gladdened mind observe the observance day (uposatha),
complete with its eight factors, on the fourteenth, fifteenth and
eighth days of the (lunar) fortnight and also the special holiday of
the half month. In the morning, with a pure heart and a joyful mind,
a wise man, after observing the uposatha, should distribute suitable
food and drink to the community of bhikkhus. He should support his
mother and father as his duty and engage in lawful trading. A layman
who carries this out diligently goes to the devas called
"Self-radiant."[7]
-- vv. 376-378, 383-404
Notes:
[1] Gotama is the Buddha's clan or family name.
[2] According to the commentary, the Pali term "gati"
translated here as "behavior" means either "trend of
character" or "the destination of beings after death.
[3] "Vasava" is one of the several names for Sakka, ruler of
the devas or gods. This is a poetical way of saying they
should listen very attentively.
[4] The right time for going into the village to collect
alms-food is in the forenoon. If a bhikkhu went about
indiscriminately, "at the wrong time," he might see things
or have experiences that would endanger his life of purity
and cause him to revert to the lay life.
[5] Literally, "they send the mind far."
[6] Sugata, literally "well-gone," sometimes translated as the
"Happy One," is an epithet of the Buddha.
[7] A class of heavenly beings (deva). A layman who practices
this will, after death, be reborn as one of them.
* * *
2. WRONG CONDUCT
"The practice of Dhamma,[1] the practice of continence,[2] mastery of
this is said to be best if a person has gone forth from home to the
homeless life. But if he is garrulous and, like a brute, delights in
hurting others, his life is evil and his impurity increases.
"A quarrelsome bhikkhu shrouded by delusion, does not comprehend
the Dhamma taught by the Awakened One when it is revealed. Annoying
those practiced in meditation, being led by ignorance, he is not aware
that his defiled path leads to Niraya-hell. Falling headlong, passing
from womb to womb, from darkness to (greater) darkness, such a bhikkhu
undergoes suffering hereafter for certain.
"As a cesspool filled over a number of years is difficult to
clean, similarly, whoever is full of impurity is difficult to make
pure. Whoever you know to be such, bhikkhus, bent on worldliness,
having wrong desires, wrong thoughts, wrong behavior and resort,
being completely united avoid him, sweep him out like dirt, remove him
like rubbish. Winnow like chaff the non-recluses. Having ejected
those of wrong desires, of wrong behavior and resort, be pure and
mindful, dwelling with those who are pure. Being united and prudent
you will make an end to suffering."
-- vv. 274-283
Notes:
[1] Dhammacariya.
[2] Brahmacariya, the divine-life, the practice of purity or
chastity. Dhammacariya and Brahmacariya are two closely
related terms. "Dhamma" being used here in the sense of
virtue or good conduct.
* * *
3. RIGHT CONDUCT
"By developing what habit, what conduct, what actions may man be
correctly established in and arrive at the highest goal?
"He should respect his elders and not be envious of them. He
should know the right time for seeing his teacher.[1] If a talk on
Dhamma has started he should know the value of the opportunity and
should listen carefully to the well-spoken words.[2]
"When the time is right let him go to his teacher's presence,
unassuming, putting aside stubbornness. Let him keep in mind and
practice (what he has learned): the meaning and the text (of the
Teaching), self-control and (the other virtues of) the Holy Life.[3]
Delighting in the Dhamma, devoted to the Dhamma, established in the
Dhamma, skilled in investigating the Dhamma,[4] let him not indulge in
talk harmful to the (practice of) Dhamma. Let him be guided by
well-spoken truths.
"Abandoning the uttering of laughter and lamentations; giving up
anger, fraud, hypocrisy, longing, conceit, violence, harshness, moral
taints and infatuation; let him live without pride, self controlled.
Understanding is essential (for listening) to a well-spoken word.
Learning and understanding are essential to meditation, but a man who
is hasty and heedless does not increase his wisdom and learning.
"Those who are devoted to the Dhamma made known by the Noble Ones
(ariya) are unsurpassed in speech, thought and action. They are
established in peace, gentleness and concentration, and have reached
the essence of learning and wisdom."
-- vv. 324-330)
Notes:
[1] That is when needing their advice for dispelling mental
defilements.
[2] The phrase "well-spoken" (//subhasita//) is a technical
term in the Pali Canon. It refers to saying connected
with Dhamma and concerning one's well-being, happiness and
progress on the path.
[3] The rendering follows the Commentary.
[4] Or, "having discriminative knowledge of the Dhamma."
* * *
4. ON FRIENDSHIP
"One who, overstepping and despising a sense of shame, says, 'I am
your friend,' but does not take upon himself any tasks he is capable
of doing, is to be recognized as no friend. One who speaks amiably to
his companions, but whose actions do not conform to it, him the wise
know for certain as a talker not a doer. He is no friend who,
anticipating conflict, is always alert in looking out for
weaknesses.[1] But he on whom one can rely, like a child sleeping on
its mother's breast, is truly a friend who cannot be parted from one
by others.
"One who bears the human burden of responsibility, with it fruits
and blessings in mind, he cultivates a cause[2] of joy and happiness
worthy of praise. Having tasted the flavor of solitude and peace one
is free from fear and wrong-doings imbibing the rapture of Dhamma."
-- vv. 253-257
Notes:
[1] Such a person dislikes to be reproved, and when an
occasion for this occurs he would wish to have a weapon
with which to retaliate, and therefore, he takes note of
one's weaknesses.
[2] According to the Commentary, this joy-producing cause is
strenuous effort (viriya).
* * *
5. THE SIMILE OF THE BOAT
"He from whom a person learns the Dhamma should be venerated, as the
devas venerate Inda, their Lord.[1] He, (a teacher) of great
learning, thus venerated, will explain the Dhamma, being well-disposed
towards one. Having paid attention and considered it, a wise man,
practicing according to Dhamma, becomes learned, intelligent and
accomplished by associating himself diligently with such a teacher.
"But by following an inferior and foolish teacher who has not
gained (fine) understanding of the Dhamma and is envious of others,
one will approach death without comprehending the Dhamma and
unrelieved of doubt.
"If a man going down into a river, swollen and swiftly flowing, is
carried away by the current -- how can he help others across?
"Even so, he who has not comprehended the Dhamma, has not paid
attention to the meaning as expounded by the learned, being himself
without knowledge and unrelieved of doubt -- how can he make others
understand?
"But if (the man at the river) knows the method and is skilled and
wise, by boarding a strong boat equipped with oars and a rudder, he
can, with its help, set others across. Even so, he who is experienced
and has a well-trained mind, who is learned and dependable,[2] clearly
knowing, he can help others to understand who are willing to listen
and ready to receive.[3]
"Surely, therefore, one should associate with a good man who is
wise and learned. By understanding the meaning of what one has learnt
and practicing accordingly one who has Dhamma-experience[4] attains
(supreme) happiness."[5]
-- vv. 316-323
Notes:
[1] "Inda" (Sanskrit "Indra") is another name for Sakka, the ruler
of the gods.
[2] He has a character which remains unperturbed by the vicissitudes
of life (Comy).
[3] Possessing the supporting conditions for attaining the
Paths and Fruits of Stream-winning, Once-returning,
Never-returning and Final Sainthood (Arahatta).
[4] One who has fully understood or experienced the Dhamma by
penetrating to its essence through the practice taught by
a wise teacher (Comy).
[5] The transcendental happiness of the Paths and Fruits and
of Nibbana.
* * *
6. ADVICE TO RAHULA
"Renouncing the five pleasures of sense that entrance and delight the
mind, and in faith departing from home, become one who makes an end of
suffering!
"Associate with good friends and choose a remote lodging,
secluded, with little noise. Be moderate in eating. Robes,
alms-food, remedies and a dwelling, - do not have craving for these
things; do not be one who returns to the world. [1] Practice
restraint according to the Discipline,[2] and control the five
sense-faculties.
"Practice mindfulness of the body and continually develop
dispassion (towards it). Avoid the sign of the beautiful connected
with passion; by meditating on the foul[3] cultivate a mind that is
concentrated and collected.
"Meditate on the Signless[4] and get rid of the tendency to
conceit. By thoroughly understanding and destroying conceit[5] you
will live in the (highest) peace."
In this manner the Lord repeatedly exhorted the Venerable Rahula.
-- vv. 337-342
Notes:
[1] By being dragged back to it again by your craving for
these things (Comy).
[2] The Vinaya, or disciplinary code of the community of
Bhikkhus.
[3] The "foul", or //asubha-kammatthana//, refers to the
practice of contemplating a corpse in various stages of
decay and the contemplation on the thirty-two parts of the
body, as a means of developing detachment from body and
dispassion in regard to its beautiful (or, "the sign of
the beautiful", subha-nimitta).
[4] The Signless (//animitta//) is one of the three
Deliverances (//vimokkha//) by which beings are liberated
from the world. The other two are Desirelessness
(//appanihita//) and Emptiness (//sunnata//). The
Signless is connected with the idea of impermanence of all
conditioned things (cf. Visuddhi Magga, XXI 67f).
[5] The word "//mana//" means both conceit and misconceiving.
* * *
7. THE TRAINING
"Violence breeds misery;[1] look at people quarreling. I will
relate the emotion agitating me.
"Having seen people struggling and contending with each other like
fish in a small amount of water, fear entered me. The world is
everywhere insecure, every direction is in turmoil; desiring an abode
for myself I did not find one uninhabited.[2] When I saw contention
as the sole outcome, aversion increased in me; but then I saw an
arrow[3] here, difficult to see, set in the heart. Pierced by it,
once runs in every direction, but having pulled it out one does not
run nor does one sink.[4]
"Here follows the (rule of) training:
"Whatever are worldly fetters, may you not be bound by them!
Completely break down sensual desires and practice so as to realize
Nibbana for yourself!
"A sage should be truthful, not arrogant, not deceitful, not given
to slandering others, and should be without anger. He should remove
the evil of attachment and wrongly directed longing; he should
conquer drowsiness, lassitude and sloth, and not dwell in indolence. A
man whose mind is set on Nibbana should not be arrogant. He should
not lapse into untruth nor generate love for sense objects. He should
thoroughly understand (the nature of) conceit and abstain from
violence. He should not delight in what is past, nor be fond of what
is new, nor sorrow for what is disappearing, nor crave for the
attractive.
"Greed, I say, is a great flood; it is a whirlpool sucking one
down, a constant yearning, seeking a hold, continually in movement;[5]
difficult to cross is the morass of sensual desire. A sage does not
deviate from truth, a brahmana[6] stands on firm ground; renouncing
all, he is truly called 'calmed'.
"Having actually experienced and understood the Dhamma he has
realized the highest knowledge and is independent.[7] He comports
himself correctly in the world and does not envy anyone here. He who
has left behind sensual pleasures, an attachment difficult to leave
behind, does not grieve nor have any longing; has has cut across the
stream and is unfettered.
"Dry out that which is past,[8] let there be nothing for you in
the future.[9] If you do not grasp at anything in the present you
will go about at peace. One who, in regard to this entire mindbody
complex, has no cherishing of it as 'mine,' and who does not grieve
fro what is non-existent truly suffers no loss in the world. For him
there is no thought of anything as 'this is mine' or 'this is
another's'; not finding any state of ownership, and realizing,
'nothing is mine,' he does not grieve.
"To be not callous, not greedy, at rest and unruffled by
circumstances -- that is the profitable result I proclaim when asked
about one who does not waver. For one who does not crave, who has
understanding, there is no production (of new kamma).[10] Refraining
from initiating (new kamma) he sees security everywhere. A sage does
not speak in terms of being equal, lower or higher. Calmed and
without selfishness he neither grasps nor rejects."
-- vv. 935-954
Notes:
[1] //Attadanda bhayam jatam//: "Violence" (//attadanda//,
lit.: "seizing a stick" or "weapons") includes in it all
wrong conduct in deeds, words and thoughts.
//Bhaya// is either a subjective state of mind, "fear," or
the objective condition of "fearfulness," danger, misery;
and so it is explained in the Comy. as the evil
consequences of wrong conduct, in this life and in future
existence.
[2] Uninhabited by decay and death, etc. (Comy).
[3] The arrow of lust, hate, delusion and (wrong) views.
[4] That is, sink into the four "floods" of sensual desire,
continual becoming, wrong views and ignorance. These are
the two contrasting dangers of Samsara, i.e., restless
//running//, ever seeking after sensual delights, and
//sinking//, or passively clinging to the defilements,
whereby one is overwhelmed by the "flood." In the first
discourse of the Samyutta-nikaya the Buddha says: "If I
stood still, I sank; if I struggled, I was carried away.
Thus by neither standing still nor struggling, I crossed
the flood."
[5] According to the commentary these four phrases, beginning
with a "whirlpool sucking down," are all synonyms for
craving (//tanha//) or greed (//gedha//) called the "great
flood".
[6] In Buddhism the title "Brahmana" is sometimes used for one
who has reached final deliverance. The Buddha himself is
sometimes called "the Brahmana".
[7] Independent of craving and views.
[8] "Dry out" (//visodehi//) your former, and not your matured
kamma, i.e., make it unproductive, by not giving room to
passions that may grow out of the past actions.
[9] Do not rouse in kamma-productive passions concerning the
future.
[10] Volitional acts, good or bad, manifesting in deeds of
body, speech and mind leading to a future result.
* * *
8. ON VIGILANCE
"Rouse yourself! Sit up! What good is there in sleeping? For those
afflicted by disease (suffering), struck by the arrow (craving), what
sleep is there?
"Rouse yourself! Sit up! Resolutely train yourself to attain
peace.[1] Do not let the king of death,[2] seeing you are careless,
lead you astray and dominate you.
"Go beyond this clinging,[3] to which devas and men are attached,
and (the pleasures) they seek. Do not waste your opportunity. When
the opportunity has passed they sorrow when consigned to Niraya-hell.
"Negligence is a taint, and so is the (greater) negligence growing
from it. By earnestness and understanding withdraw the arrow (of
sensual passions)."
-- vv. 331-334
Notes:
[1] "Peace" is a synonym for Nibbana, the final goal.
[2] The king of death (maccuraja), or Mara (death), is the
personification of everything that binds us to this world
and prevents the gaining of deliverance.
[3] This clinging to pleasures of the senses.
* * *
9. THE GREAT STRUGGLE
"When, near the river Neranjara, I exerted myself in meditation for
attaining to security from bondage,[1] there came Namuci[2] speaking
words of compassion:
"'You are emaciated and ill-looking, you are near to death! A
thousand parts of you belong to death and only a fraction of you is alive.
Live, good Sir! It is better to live. Living you may perform
meritorious deeds. From practicing celibacy and tending the sacrificial
fire much merit is made, but what is obtained from striving? It is
difficult to enter the path of exertion, it is difficult to do,
difficult to maintain.'"
Mara spoke these words whilst standing in the presence of the
Awakened One. To Mara speaking thus, the Lord replied:
"You who are the friend of the negligent, O Evil One, for what
reason have you come here? Those who still have use for merit Mara
may consider worthwhile addressing. I have faith and energy and
wisdom. Being thus bent on striving why do you ask me to live? This
wind will wither the currents of the rivers, why should not my
exertion dry up even the blood? When the blood dries up, the bile and
phlegm wither. On the wasting away of the flesh the mind becomes more
and more serene and my mindfulness, wisdom and concentration are
established more firmly. In me, who abides enduring such an extreme
experience, the mind does not long for sensual pleasures. See the
purity of a being!
"Sensual desire is your first army, the second is called
discontent, the third is hunger and thirst, the fourth craving, the
fifth sluggishness and laziness, the sixth fear, the seventh
indecision, and the eighth disparagement of others and stubbornness:
gain, fame, honor, prestige wrongly acquired and whoever praises
himself and despises others -- these, Namuci, are your armies, the
Dark One's[3] striking forces. A lazy, cowardly person cannot
overcome them, but by conquering them one gains bliss.
"I wear munja-grass![4] Shame on life here in this world! It is
better for me to die in battle than to live defeated. Some recluses
and brahmanas are not seen (exerting themselves) here, so immersed are
they (in worldliness). They are not aware of that path by which those
of perfect conduct walk.
"Seeing the surrounding army ready and Mara mounted (on his
elephant), I am going out to fight so that he may not shift me from my
position. This army of yours which the world together with the devas
is unable to subdue, that I will destroy with wisdom, like an unbaked
clay-bowl with a stone. Having mastered the mind and firmly
established mindfulness I shall wander from country to country guiding
many disciples. And they will be diligent and energetic in practicing
my teaching, the teaching of one without sensual desire, and they will
go where, having gone, one does not grieve."
Mara: "For seven years I followed the Lord step by step but did
not find an opportunity to defeat that mindful Awakened One. A crow
flew around a stone having the colour of fat: 'Can we find even here
something tender? May it be something to eat?'
"Not finding anything edible the crow left that place. As with the
crow and the stone, we leave Gotama, having approached and become
disheartened."
Overcome by sorrow his lute fell from his arm and thereupon the
unhappy spirit disappeared from that place.
-- vv. 425-449
Notes:
[1] //Yogakkhema//, a name for Nibbana.
[2] Namuci, meaning "He who does not let go" (his hold over
beings easily) is a name for Mara, the Evil One.
[3] The "Dark One" or Kanha (Sanskrit: Krishna), is another
name for Mara. He is the Indian Cupid (Kamadeva) and
personifies sensual passions. He carries a lute
(//vina//), mentioned at the close, with which he
captivates beings by his playing. His other equipment
includes a bow, arrows, a noose and a hook.
[4] Indian warriors used to wear a tuft of a certain grass,
called //munja//, on their head or headgear, for
indicating that they were prepared to die in battle and
determined not to retreat.
* * *
10. ON DECAY
"Short indeed is this life, this side of an hundred years one dies;
whoever lives long even he dies from old age. People grieve for
things they are attached to, yet there exist no permanent possessions
but just a state of (constant) separation. Seeing this one should no
longer live the household life. That which a man imagines to be his
will disappear at death. Knowing this a wise man will have no
attachment (to anything).
"As a man awakened from sleep no longer sees what happened in his
dream, similarly one does not see a loved one who is dead. Those
people who were seen and heard and called by their names as such and
such, only their names remain when they have passed away. Those
greedy for objects of attachment do not abandon sorrow, grief and
avarice, but sages having got rid of possessions, live perceiving
security. For a bhikkhu with a detached mind, living in a secluded
dwelling, it is right, they say, that he no longer shows himself in
the abodes (of existence).[1]
"A sage who is completely independent does not make close friends
or enemies. In him sorrow and selfishness do not stay, like water on
a lotus leaf. As a lotus is not wetted by water, so a sage is not
affected by what is seen or heard, nor by what is perceived by the
other senses. A wise man is not deluded by what is perceived by the
senses. He does not expect purity by any other way.[2] He is neither
pleased nor is he repelled (by the six sense-objects)."
-- vv. 804-813
Notes:
[1] There is a play on words here: "bhavana," besides meaning
"an abode of existence" also means "a house". So as well
as saying, he is not reborn into any realm of existence,
the passage also indicates, he lives secluded and does not
associate with people in the village.
[2] By any way other than the Noble Eightfold Path (Comy).
* * *
11. THE ARROW
"Unindicated and unknown is the length of life of those subject to
death. Life is difficult and brief and bound up with suffering.
There is no means by which those who are born will not die. Having
reached old age, there is death. This is the natural course for a
living being. With ripe fruits there is the constant danger that they
will fall. In the same way, for those born and subject to death,
there is always the fear of dying. Just as the pots made by a potter
all end by being broken, so death is (the breaking up) of life.
"The young and old, the foolish and the wise, all are stopped
short by the power of death, all finally end in death. Of those
overcome by death and passing to another world, a father cannot hold
back his son, nor relatives a relation. See! While the relatives are
looking on and weeping, one by one each mortal is led away like an ox
to slaughter.
"In this manner the world is afflicted by death and decay. But
the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world. You
do not know the path by which they came or departed. Not seeing
either end you lament in vain. If any benefit is gained by lamenting,
the wise would do it. Only a fool would harm himself. Yet through
weeping and sorrowing the mind does not become calm, but still more
suffering is produced, the body is harmed and one becomes lean and
pale, one merely hurts oneself. One cannot protect a departed one
(//peta//) by that means. To grieve is in vain.
"By not abandoning sorrow a being simply undergoes more suffering.
Bewailing the dead he comes under the sway of sorrow. See other men
faring according to their deeds! Hence beings tremble here with fear
when they come into the power of death. Whatever they imagine, it
(turns out) quite different from that. This is the sort of
disappointment that exists. Look at the nature of the world! If a
man lives for an hundred years, or even more, finally, he is separated
from his circle of relatives and gives up his life in the end.
Therefore, having listened to the Arahant,[1] one should give up
lamenting. Seeing a dead body, one should know, "He will not be met
by me again." As the fire in a burning house is extinguished with
water, so a wise, discriminating, learned and sensible man should
quickly drive away the sorrow that arises, as the wind (blows off) a
piece of cotton. He who seeks happiness should withdraw the arrow:
his own lamentations, longings and grief.
"With the arrow withdrawn, unattached, he would attain to peace of
mind; and when all sorrow has been transcended he is sorrow-free and
has realized Nibbana.
-- vv. 574-593
Note:
[1] The Perfect One, i.e., the Buddha.
* * *
12. ON PURITY
"'Here I see one who is pure, entirely free of sickness. By seeing him
a man may attain to purity!'
"Convinced of that and thinking it 'the highest,' he believes it
to be knowledge when he contemplates 'the pure one.'[1] But if by
sights man can gain purification or if through such knowledge he could
leave suffering behind, then, one who still has attachments could be
purified by another.[2] However, this is merely the opinion of those
who so assert.
"The (true) brahmana[3] has said one is not purified by another,
nor by what is seen, heard or perceived (by the other senses), nor, by
the performance of ritual observances. He (the true brahmana) is not
defiled by merit or demerit. Having given up what he had (previously)
grasped at, he no longer engages in producing (any kamma). Having
left a former (object) they attach themselves to another, dominated by
craving they do not go beyond attachment. They reject and seize, like
a monkey letting go of a branch to take hold of another.
"A person having undertaken a ritual act goes this way and that,
fettered by his senses. But one with a wide wisdom, having understood
and gone into the Dhamma with his experience, does not go this way and
that. For a person indifferent towards all conditions, whatever is
seen, heard or cognized, he is one who sees it as it really is and
lives with clarity (of mind). With what could he be identified in the
world?
"They do not speculate nor pursue (any notion), they do not claim
perfect purity. Loosening the knot (of clinging) with which they are
bound, they do not have longing anywhere in the world. The (true)
brahmana who has gone beyond limitations, having understood and seen
there is no longer any assumption for him, he is neither disturbed by
lust nor agitated by revulsion. For him there is nothing upheld as
'the highest'."
-- vv. 788-795
Notes:
[1] This refers to the old Indian belief in "auspicious sights"
(//dittha-mangala//), the belief that by merely beholding
something or someone regarded as a holy object or person,
purity, or whatever else is desired, may be gained.
[2] By another method, other than that of the Noble Eightfold
Path (Comy.); but it could also mean, "by the sight of
another person".
[3] I.e., the Buddha.
* * *
13. ON VIEWS
"A person who associates himself with certain views, considering them
as best and making them supreme in the world, he says, because of
that, that all other views are inferior; therefore he is not free
from contention (with others). In what is seen, heard, cognized and
in ritual observances performed, he sees a profit for himself. Just
by laying hold of that view he regards every other view as worthless.
Those skilled (in judgement)[1] say that (a view becomes) a bond if,
relying on it, one regards everything else as inferior. Therefore a
bhikkhu should not depend on what is seen, heard or cognized, nor upon
ritual observances. He should not present himself as equal to, nor
imagine himself to be inferior, nor better than, another. Abandoning
(the views) he had (previously) held and not taking up (another), he
does not seek a support even in knowledge. Among those who dispute he
is certainly not one to take sides. He does not [have] recourse to a
view at all. In whom there is no inclination to either extreme, for
becoming or non-becoming, here or in another existence, for him there
does not exist a fixed viewpoint on investigating the doctrines
assumed (by others). Concerning the seen, the heard and the cognized
he does not form the least notion. That brahmana[2] who does not
grasp at a view, with what could he be identified in the world?
"They do not speculate nor pursue (any notion); doctrines are not
accepted by them. A (true) brahmana[2] is beyond, does not fall back
on views."
-- vv. 796-803
Notes:
[1] I.e., the Buddhas and their disciples who have realized
the goal.
[2] I.e., a perfected one.
* * *
14. AJITA'S QUESTIONS
//The Venerable Ajita//: "By what is the world enveloped? Because of
what is it not known? With what do you say it is soiled? What is its
great fear?"
//The Lord//: "The world is enveloped by ignorance, Ajita. Because of
wrongly directed desire and heedlessness it is not known (as it really
is). It is soiled by longings and its great fear is suffering."
//Ajita//: "Everywhere flow the streams.[1] What is the obstruction
for the streams, tell me the restricting of them, by what are they cut
off?"
//The Lord//: "Whatever streams are in the world, it is mindfulness
that obstructs them and restricts them, and by wisdom they are cut
off."
//Ajita//: "It is just wisdom and mindfulness. Now mind-and-body,
sir, explain this: where does it cease?"
//The Lord//: "This question you have asked, Ajita, I will answer for
you: where mind-and-body completely cease. By the cessation of
consciousness they cease."[2]
//Ajita//: "Those who have fully understood the Dhamma, those who are
training and the other individuals here,[3] explain their (rule of)
conduct."
//The Lord//: "Not craving for sensual pleasures and with a mind that
is pure and tranquil[4] a bhikkhu should mindfully go forth, skillful
in all situations."
-- vv. 1032-1039
Notes:
[1] "The streams" are cravings flowing out towards pleasurable and
desirable objects in the world.
[2] This question and answer refers to the doctrine of
dependent-arising (//paticca-samuppada//). Where
rebirth-consciousness (//pati-sandhi-vinnana//) does not
arise there is no establishment of an individual
(mind-and-body, //namarupa//) in a realm of existence, nor
the consequent appearance of old age and death and the
other sufferings inherent in life.
[3] "Those who have fully understood" are Arahants (perfected
ones) who have reached the highest goal. "Those who are
training" are those noble beings (//ariya//) who are
working towards and are assured of that goal. The other
individuals are ordinary beings (//puthujjana//) who have
not yet reached assurance.
[4] The word //anavilo// means pure, clear, tranquil, unagitated,
unmuddied, etc. In the Dhammapada v. 82, the wise are
compared to a deep lake with this quality.
* * *
15. PUNNAKA'S QUESTIONS
//The Venerable Punnaka//: "To him who is free from craving, who has
seen the root (of things)[1] I have come with a question: for what
reason did sages, warriors, brahmanas and other men prepare, here in
this world, various sacrificial gifts for the gods (devata)? I ask
the Lord this, let him tell me the answer."
//The Lord//: "Whatever sages, warriors, brahmanas and other men,
Punnaka, prepared various sacrificial gifts for the gods, they did so
in the hope of this or that (future) existence, being induced by (the
fact of) old age and decay."
//Punnaka//: "By preparing various sacrificial gifts for the gods,
being zealous in sacrificing, do they cross beyond birth and decay,
Lord?"
//The Lord//: "They hope and extol, pray and sacrifice for things of
the senses, Punnaka. For the sake of such reward they pray. These
devotees of sacrifice, infatuated by their passion for existence,[2]
do not cross beyond birth and decay, I say."
//Punnaka//: "If these devotees of sacrifice do not cross beyond
birth and decay through sacrifice, Sir, then by what practice does one
cross beyond birth and decay in this world of gods and men?"
//The Lord//: "He who has comprehended in the world the here and the
beyond, in whom there is no perturbation by anything in the world, who
is calm, free from the smoldering fires,[3] untroubled and
desireless, -- he has crossed beyond birth and decay, I say."
-- vv. 1043-1048
Notes:
[1] "The root of unwholesome actions, etc." (Comy). There are
six roots or basic conditions in a person leading to the
performance of unwholesome (unskilled) and wholesome
(skilled) actions: greed, aversion, delusion, non-greed
(renunciation, detachment), non-aversion (love) and
non-delusion(wisdom). The Buddha has seen and understood
this as it really is.
[2] Or, "burning with lust for life".
[3] The three "fires" of greed, aversion and delusion. This is
a punning reference, also to be seen in the previous note,
to the brahmana's sacrificial fire.
* * *
16. METTAGU'S QUESTIONS
//The Venerable Mettagu//: "I ask the Lord this question, may he tell
me the answer to it. I know him to be a master of knowledge and a
perfected being. From whence have arisen these many sufferings
evident in the world?"
//The Lord//: "You have asked me the source of suffering. Mettagu, I
will tell it to you as it has been discerned by me. These many
sufferings evident in the world have arisen from worldly attachments.
Whoever ignorantly creates an attachment, that stupid person comes
upon suffering again and again. Therefore a man of understanding
should not create attachment, seeing it is the source of suffering."
//Mettagu//: "What I did ask you have explained, now I ask another
question. Come tell me this: how do the wise cross the flood, birth
and old age, sorrow and grief? Explain it thoroughly to me, O sage,
for this Dhamma has been understood[1] by you."
//The Lord//: "I will set forth the Dhamma, Mettagu, a teaching to be
directly perceived,[2] not something based on hearsay, by experiencing
which and living mindfully one may pass beyond the entanglements of
the world."
//Mettagu//: "I rejoice in the thought of that highest Dhamma, great
sage, by experiencing which and living mindfully one may pass beyond
the entanglements of the world."
//The Lord//: "Whatever you clearly comprehend, Mettagu, above,
below, across and in between, get rid of delight in it. Rid yourself
of habitual attitudes[3] and (life affirming) consciousness.[4] Do
not continue in existence. Living thus, mindful and vigilant, a
bhikkhu who has forsaken selfish attachments may, by understanding,
abandon suffering, birth and old age, sorrow and grief, even here in
this life."
//Mettagu//: "I rejoice in the words of the great sage. Well
explained, O Gotama, is the state of non-attachment.[5] The Lord has
surely abandoned suffering as this Dhamma has been realized by him.
They will certainly abandon suffering who are constantly admonished by
you, O Sage. Having understood, I venerate it, Noble One. May the
Lord constantly admonish me also."
//The Lord//: "Whom you know as a true brahmana, a master of
knowledge, owning nothing, not attached to sensual (-realm) existence,
he has certainly crossed this flood. Having crossed beyond he is
untainted and freed from doubt. One who has discarded this clinging
(leading) to renewal of existence is a man who has realized the
highest knowledge. Free from craving, undistressed, desireless, he has
crossed beyond birth and old age, I say."
-- vv. 1049-1060
Notes:
[1] The Pali word "vidito" also means, found out, discovered.
[2] Ditthe dhamme: to be seen for oneself in this life or here
and now. It is an expression used of Nibbana.
[3] Or, "fixed views".
[4] Or, "kamma-producing consciousness".
[5] I.e., Nibbana.
* * *
17. FURTHER QUESTIONS
"From what arise contentions and disputes, lamentations and sorrows,
along with selfishness and conceit, and arrogance along with slander?
From where do these various things arise? Come tell me this."
"From being too endeared (to objects and persons) arise contentions
and disputes, lamentations and sorrows along with avarice, selfishness
and conceit, arrogance and slander. Contentions and disputes are
linked with selfishness, and slander is born of contention."
"What are the sources of becoming endeared in the world? What are the
sources of whatever passions prevail in the world, of longings and
fulfillments that are man's goal (in life)?"
"Desires are the source of becoming endeared (to objects and persons)
in the world, also of whatever passions prevail. These are the
sources of longings and fulfillments that are man's goal (in life)."[1]
"Now what is the source of desire in the world? What is the cause of
judgements[2] that arise; of anger, untruth, doubts and whatever
other (similar) states that have been spoken of by the Recluse (i.e.,
the Buddha)?"
"It is pleasant, it is unpleasant," so people speak in the world; and
based upon that arises desire. Having seen the appearing and
disappearing of material things a man makes his judgements in the
world.[3] Anger, untruth and doubts, these states arise merely
because of the existence of this duality.[4] Let a doubter train
himself by way of insight to understand these states as taught by the
Recluse."
"What is the source of thinking things as pleasant or unpleasant? When
what is absent are these states not present? What is the meaning of
appearing and disappearing? Explain the source of it to me."
"The pleasant and the unpleasant have their source in
sense-impression. When this sense-impression is absent, these states
are not present. The idea of appearing and disappearing is produced
from this, I say."
"What is the source of sense-impression? From what arises so much
grasping? By the absence of what is there no selfish attachment? By
the disappearance of what is sense-impression not experienced?" --
"Sense-impression is dependent upon the mental and the material.
Grasping has its source in wanting (something). What not being
present there is no selfish attachment. By the disappearance of
material objects sense-impression is not experienced."
"For whom does materiality disappear? How do pleasure and
discomfort cease to be? Tell me how it ceases so that I may be satisfied
in my mind that I have understood it."
"His perception is not the ordinary kind, nor is his perception
abnormal;[5] he is not without perception nor is his perception (of
materiality) suspended.[6] -- to such an one immateriality ceases.[7]
Perception is indeed the source of the world of multiplicity." --
"What we asked, you have explained. We now ask another question. Tell
us the answer to it. Do not some of the learned declare purification
of the spirit[8] as the highest state to be attained? And do not
others speak of something else as the highest?"
"Some of the learned do declare purification of the spirit as the
highest. But contrary to them some teach a doctrine of annihilation.
-- those clever ones declare this to be (final liberation) without
basis of life's fuel remaining. Knowing that these (theorists) rely
on (mere opinions for their statements) a sage investigates that upon
which they rely. Having understood and being free (from theories) he
will not dispute with anyone. The wise do not enter into any
existence."
-- vv. 862-877
Notes:
[1] Man's longings, hopes and aspirations and their
satisfaction are his refuge giving him an aim in life.
[2] Judgements or evaluations of things motivated by craving
for them or by opinions of them as being desirable or
otherwise.
[3] The "appearing" of the pleasant and the "disappearing" of
the unpleasant is judged to be "good". The "appearance"
of the unpleasant and the "disappearance" of the pleasant
is judged to be "bad".
[4] I.e., of the pleasant and the unpleasant.
[5] He is neither insane nor mentally disturbed (Comy).
[6] He has not attained the state of cessation of perception
[of perception] and feeling (//sanna-vedayita nirodha//)
nor the immaterial absorptions (//arupajjhana//) (Comy).
In the former perception completely ceases, but in the
latter there is still the perception of an immaterial
object.
[7] According to the commentary what remains after these four
negations is the state of one who has reached the highest
of the fine-material absorptions (//rupajjhana//) and is
in the process of attaining the first immaterial
absorption. This answers the question "for whom does (the
perception of) materiality disappear?" And as "pleasure
and discomfort" have previously been stated to "have their
source in sense-impression," in other words, the
Perception of material objects, the second question is
answered too.
[8] The term "spirit" (//yakkha//) is equivalent here to
"being" or "man".
[9] An alternative rendering of this sentence could be: "Do
not some of the learned declare (the immaterial
attainments) as the highest state, as man's purification?"
* * *
18. MOGHARAJA'S QUESTION
//The Venerable Mogharaja//: "Twice have I asked Sakka[1] but the
Seeing One has not answered me. I have heard a divine sage replies
when asked a third time. I do not know the view of the greatly famous
Gotama concerning this world, the next world and the Brahma-world with
its deities. To him of supreme vision I have come with a question:
how should one regard the world so that one is not seen by the King
of Death?"
//The Lord//: "Look upon the world as empty,[2] Mogharaja, ever
mindful; uprooting the view of self you may thus be one who overcomes
death. So regarding the world one is not seen by the King of Death."
-- vv. 1116-1119
Notes:
[1] The name "Sakka" is used here as a title for the Buddha. It
means, "a man of the Sakya clan." The Buddha is also
sometimes called Sakyamuni, "the sage of the Sakyas."
[2] In the Samyutta-nikaya (vol. iv, p. 54) the Venerable
Ananda asks: "How is the world empty, venerable sir?" And
the Lord replies: "Because, Ananda, it is empty of a self
or what belongs to a self, therefore it is said, 'the
world is empty.'"
The "world," here and elsewhere, is not to be
understood in the way we usually think of it, but is
defined as the five aggregates (khandha) of material form,
feeling, perception, activities and consciousness, or as
the eye and visible objects, the ear and sounds, etc., that
is to say, the whole of our subjective and objective
experience.
* * *
19. PINGIYA'S REQUEST
//The Venerable Pingiya//: "I am old and feeble, the comeliness of
youth has vanished. My sight is weak and I am hard of hearing. I do
not wish to perish whilst still confused. Teach me the Dhamma by
understanding which I may abandon birth and decay."[1]
//The Lord//: "Seeing heedless people afflicted and suffering through
their bodies, Pingiya, you should be heedful and renounce body so as
to not come again to birth."
//Pingiya//: "In the ten directions -- the four quarters, four
between, and those above and below -- there is nothing in the world
not seen, heard, sensed or understood by you. Teach me the Dhamma by
understanding which I may abandon birth and decay."
//The Lord//: "Seeing men caught in craving, Pingiya, tormented and
afflicted by old age,[2] you should be heedful and renounce craving so
as to not come again to birth."
-- vv. 1120-1123
Notes:
[1] Jara: decay, decrepitude, old age.
[2] The Noble Ones or //ariya// are the Buddhas and their
disciples.
* * *
20. THE NOBLE ONE'S TEACHING
"See how the world together with the devas has self-conceit for what
is not-self. Enclosed by mind-and-body it imagines, 'This is real.'
Whatever they imagine it to be, it is quite different from that. It
is unreal, of a false nature and perishable. Nibbana, not false in
nature, that the Noble Ones[2] know as true. Indeed, by the
penetration of the true, they are completely stilled and realize final
deliverance.
"Forms, sounds, tastes, scents, bodily contacts and ideas which
are agreeable, pleasant and charming, all these, while they last, are
deemed to be happiness by the world with its devas. But when they
cease that is agreed by all to be unsatisfactory. By the Noble Ones,
the cessation of the existing body[1] is seen as happiness. This is
the reverse of the outlook of the whole world.
"What others call happiness, that the Noble Ones declare to be
suffering. What others call suffering, that the Noble Ones have found
to be happiness. See how difficult it is to understand the Dhamma!
Herein those without insight have completely gone astray. For those
under the veil (of ignorance) it is obscured, for those who cannot see
it is utter darkness. But for the good and the wise it is as obvious
as the light for those who can see. Even though close to it, the
witless who do not know the Dhamma, do not comprehend it.
"By those overcome by attachment to existence, those who drift with
the stream of existence, those in the realm of Mara, this Dhamma is
not properly understood. Who other than the Noble Ones, are fit to
fully understand that state, by perfect knowledge of which they
realize final deliverance, free from defilements?[2]
-- vv. 756-765
Notes:
[1] The "existing body" (//sakkaya//) is a term for the five
aggregates as objects of grasping.
[2] //Anusava//; the defilements or //asava//, literally
"out-flows," are dissipations of energy in the form of
sensual desire, becoming (the perpetuation of existence),
views and ignorance and are the same as the four "floods"
mentioned earlier. One who has destroyed the defilements
(//khinasava//) is another name for an Arahant or Perfected
One.
* * * * * * * *
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or
The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
Lockwood Road
Barre, MA 01005 USA
Tel: (508) 355-2347
[end]