Dhammapada Commentary - Papa Vagga

Dhammapada Commentary ( Dhammapada Atthakatha )

Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala


9 — Pāpa Vagga
Evil
Make Haste in Doing Good
1. Abhittharetha kalyāṇe, pāpā cittaṃ nivāraye
Dandhañhi karoto puññaṃ, pāpasmiṃ ramatī mano.116
1. Make haste in doing good, restrain your mind from evil, for the mind of
him who is slow in doing good delights in evil.
The Brahmin with Only One Garment
A man and his wife had only one under garment each and only one upper
garment between them. His wife went to listen to the Dhamma during the day,
and the man went at night. While listening to the Buddha, he thought to offer his
upper garment, but meanness overcame him. Throughout the night he battled
with his thoughts. In the third watch of the night he mastered his meanness, and
offered the garment, shouting, “I have conquered! I have conquered! I have
conquered!”
King Pasenadi sent a man to ask about it, and hearing the reason, sent him a
pair of garments. The man presented them to the Buddha. The king sent two
pairs of garments, then four, then eight, then sixteen, but the man presented
them all to the Buddha. Then the king sent thirty-two pairs, with a message to
keep two pairs for himself. The man presented thirty pairs of garments to the
Buddha, and kept two pairs for himself and his wife. Then the king sent two
expensive blankets. The man set up one as a canopy in the Buddha's perfumed
chamber, and one at his own house, where the monks took their meals. The next
day, when the king visited the Buddha, he saw the canopy and made ‘A Gift of
Fours’ to the man: four elephants, four horses, four thousand gold coins, four
women, four men, four female slaves, and the income from four villages.
When the monks were talking about the wonderful results of the man’s gift of
a single garment, the Buddha explained that had he conquered his meanness in
the first watch of the night, he would have received ‘A Gift of Sixteens,’ or had he


done so in the middle watch, he would have received ‘A Gift of Eights.’ Saying
this, he uttered the verse saying that one should make haste in doing good.
Do Not Do Evil Repeatedly
2. Pāpañce puriso kayirā, na naṃ1 kayirā punappunaṃ
Na tamhi chandaṃ kayirātha, dukkho pāpassa uccayo.117
2. If a person commits evil, let him not do it repeatedly;
he should not delight in it, for the accumulation of evil is painful.
The Elder Seyyasaka
The Elder Seyyasaka became discontented with the monk’s life. His co-
resident, the elder Lāḷudāyī, advised him to masturbate to relieve his sexual
frustration. Then the Elder Seyyasaka fell into the same offence repeatedly. The
Buddha reproved him and uttered the above stanza.
Do Good Again and Again
3. Puññañce puriso kayirā, kayirā naṃ2 punappunaṃ
Tamhi chandaṃ kayirātha, sukho puññassa uccayo.118
3. If a person performs merit, let him do it repeatedly;
he should delight in it: for the accumulation of merit is blissful.
The Fried Corn Deity
A devout woman offered fried corn as alms to the Elder Mahākassapa. After
being bitten by a snake, she died and was reborn in Tāvatiṃsa. Wishing to make
more merit, she came early in the morning to clean the elder’s hut. When he
returned from alms early he saw who had been cleaning his hut, and ordered her
to stop coming. She was upset, and stood crying. The Buddha heard her and
consoled her, uttering the above verse, and the deity attained Stream-winning.
Good and Evil Are Known by Their Effects
4. Pāpo pi passati bhadraṃ, yāva pāpaṃ na paccati
Yadā ca paccati pāpaṃ, atha pāpo pāpāni passati.119

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taṃ
2
h’etaṃ


5. Bhadro’pi passati pāpaṃ, yāva bhadraṃ na paccati
Yadā ca paccati bhadraṃ, atha bhadro bhadrāni passati.120
4. Even an evil-doer sees good as long as evil doesn’t ripen;
but when it bears fruit, then he sees the evil result.
5. Even a good person sees evil so long as good doesn’t ripen;
but when it bears fruit then the good one sees the good result.
Anāthapiṇḍika the Chief Supporter
The millionaire Anāthapiṇḍika supported the Saṅgha so generously that he
used the greater part of his fortune. A guardian deity of his house criticised him
for his extravagant almsgiving, and advised him to devote himself more to his
business. He banished the deity from his house and continued giving only cheap
almsfood. Unable to find anywhere to live, the deity approached Sakka, who
advised her to make amends. She recovered some buried treasure, and told some
debtors to repay their loans. Anāthapiṇḍika became wealthy again, and the deity
begged for forgiveness. Anāthapiṇḍika took her to the Buddha, who uttered these
verses to show the results of both good and evil deeds.
Do Not Disregard Evil
6. Māvamaññetha pāpassa, na maṃ taṃ1 āgamissati.
Udabindunipātena, udakumbho’pi pūrati Bālo pūrati
2 pāpassa,
thokathokam pi ācinaṃ.121
6. Do not disregard evil, saying, “It will not come to me”; by the falling of
drops even a water-jar is filled; likewise the fool, gathering little by little,
fills himself with evil.
The Careless Monk
A certain monk left beds and chairs he had used outside so that they got
damaged by the rain and white ants. When admonished by other monks he said it
was nothing to worry about. This was reported to the Buddha. The Buddha
admonished him and told him not to disregard even a slight wrong. He then laid
down a training rule to put away beds and chairs before leaving.3

1
mantaṃ
2
pūrati bālo
3
Should any monk set a bed, bench, mattress, or stool belonging to the … contd. on p.78


Do Not Disregard Merit
7. Māvamaññetha puññassa, na maṃ taṃ āgamissati.
Udabindunipātena, udakumbho’pi pūrati
Dhīro pūrati
1 puññassa, thokathokam pi ācinaṃ.122
7. Do not disregard merit, saying “It will not come to me”; by the falling of
drops even a water-jar is filled; likewise the wise man, gathering little by
little, fills himself with good.
The Millionaire ‘Cat-foot’
On hearing the Buddha’s teaching on the benefits of giving alms and urging
others to give, a wise layman invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha for the next
day’s meal. He went from door to door urging everyone to give alms according to
their means, inviting them to assemble the next day to prepare and offer the
meal. At a certain shop, the wealthy owner, thinking that the layman should only
offer what he himself could give, contributed a very small amount. Because of
this, the wealthy shop-keeper became known as “Cat-foot.” The layman kept his
frugal offerings to one side. The shop-keeper sent a servant to see what the
layman did with his offerings, and the servant reported that the man had put a
grain of rice or a bean in each of the pots of food being cooked.
The shop-keeper went to the alms offering the next day with the intention of
killing the wise man if he should blame him. However, the wise man thanked all
equally and wished them great happiness. The shop-keeper felt ashamed and
asked the wise man for forgiveness. Hearing of this, the Buddha praised the
benefit of even small gifts.
Shun Evil Like A Perilous Road
8. Vāṇijo’va bhayaṃ maggaṃ, appasattho mahaddhano
Visaṃ jīvitukāmo’va , pāpāni parivajjaye.123
8. As a merchant, with a small escort and great wealth, avoids a perilous
route, as one who loves life avoids poison, even so should one shun evil
things.

contd. from p.77 Community out in the open, or have it set out, and then on departing
neither put it away nor have it put away, or should he go without taking leave, it is to be
confessed. (Pācittiya 14)
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pūrati dhīro


The Wealthy Merchant
A band of robbers tried, but failed, to gain entry to the house of a wealthy
merchant. The merchant loaded five hundred carts and invited any monks who
wished to accompany him to his destination, promising to provide their needs on
the journey. When he stopped for a while at a certain place, the robbers sent a spy
to find out when he would set out, and by which route, intending to waylay him.
To protect the monks, a friend of the spy warned the merchant, so he changed
his plans, then when he heard that the robbers had heard of his new plans, he
decided to stay where he was. The monks left the merchant and returned to
Sāvatthī, and told the Buddha why they had returned. The Buddha urged the
monks to shun even the slightest evil, and they all attained Arahantship.
No Evil Without Bad Intention
9. Pāṇimhi ce vaṇo n’āssa, hareyya pāṇinā visaṃ
Nābbaṇaṃ visam anveti, natthi pāpaṃ akubbato.124
9. If there is no wound on one’s hand, one may carry poison. Poison does
not harm one who has no wound. There is no evil for him who thinks no
evil.
The Hunter Kukkuṭamitta
A rich man’s daughter, who was a Stream-winner, fell in love with a hunter at
first sight, and eloped with him. She gave birth to seven sons, and they all grew
up and married.
One day, the Buddha saw that the hunter and his relatives were ready to
realise the Dhamma. He went to the hunter’s forest, left his footprint by one of
the hunter’s nets and went to sit under a tree. Finding his nets empty, and seeing
the footprint, the hunter was angry. On finding the Buddha, he drew his bow to
shoot him, thinking, “This monk released all of my animals.” Due to the Buddha’s
psychic power, he was unable to release the arrow or put down the bow, but
stood rooted to the spot. Since he was late returning, his sons came looking for
him, and thinking the Buddha must be their father’s enemy, they also drew their
bows, and also became rooted to the spot, unable to shoot or to put down their
bows.
Then their mother came with her daughters-in-law, and seeing her husband
and sons standing there, aiming their bows at the Buddha, she cried out, “Do not
shoot my father.” Hearing her pleas, the heart of the hunter softened, thinking,


“So, this is my father-in-law” and the sons likewise thought, “This is my
grandfather.” They throw aside their bows, and asked for forgiveness. The
Buddha taught them the Dhamma, and all fifteen family members attained
Stream-winning.
The Buddha continued on his round for alms, and when he returned late, the
Elder Ānanda asked him where he had been. The Buddha related what had
happened.
The monks discussed what these events, and wondered whether the hunter’s
wife had committed an evil deed by giving bows and arrows to her husband to go
hunting. The Buddha explained that she was blameless as she just obeyed her
husband and had no evil intention to kill any animals.
On another occasion, the monks discussed what the hunter’s family had done
in a previous life to gain nibbāna in this life, so the Buddha told this story of the
past.
The Two Bankers
At one time the people constructed a pagoda for the relics of the Buddha
Kassapa. When they came to the stage of making the jewelled casket for the relics
they needed a huge amount of money. The village banker offered ten million if
the people would appoint him as the president of their pagoda building
association. Then the city banker offered twenty million. The village banker
offered thirty million, but the city banker offered forty million. When the city
banker offered eighty million the village banker thought, “I have only ninety
million, but the city banker has four hundred million. If I offer ninety million I
will be reduced to poverty.” So he offered eighty million, and the services of
himself and his wife and children as servants of the pagoda.
The people considered that was better than any amount of money, so they
appointed him as their president, and completed the pagoda with the money they
had raised. Although granted their freedom by the people, the family passed the
remainder of their life in the service of the pagoda. After enjoying celestial bliss
until the time of the Buddha Gotama, the wife of the village banker was reborn as
the daughter of a millionaire of Sāvatthī, and the banker was reborn as a hunter.
Thus due to their long association in the past, the young woman fell in love with
the hunter at first sight.


Through past association, or present advantage;
Affection springs up again, like a lotus in water. (Jā.ii.235)
Their sons in the previous life were reborn as their sons, and their daughters-
in-law were reborn and became their daughters-in-law in the present life again.
By the merit of caring for the pagoda, they all attained Stream-winning.
Who Harms the Innocent Comes to Grief
10. Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,
suddhassa posassa anaṅganassa
Tam eva bālaṃ pacceti pāpaṃ,
sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṃ ’va khitto.125
10. Whoever harms a harmless person, one pure and innocent, upon that
very fool the evil recoils like fine dust thrown against the wind.
Koka the Hunter
Koka hunted with dogs. On the way to hunt, he met a certain monk, and
thought it was a bad omen. The hunter caught nothing the entire day. On his
return he met the same monk, so he set his dogs on him. The monk climbed a
tree to save himself. The hunter pierced the monk’s feet with his arrows. As the
monk was struggling in agony, his upper robe fell on the hunter, covering him.
The dogs, thinking that the monk had fallen, tore their own master to pieces.
The monk later approached the Buddha and asked if he had done any wrong
to cause the man’s death. The Buddha cleared his doubts and described the evil
consequences of harming an innocent person.
Birth Depends on Actions
11. Gabbham eke uppajjanti, nirayaṃ pāpakammino
Saggaṃ sugatino yanti, parinibbanti anāsavā.126
11. Some are born in a womb; evil-doers (are reborn) in hell;
the virtuous go to heaven; the Arahants attain nibbāna.
The Elder Tissa and the Lapidary
For twelve years, the Elder Tissa visited the house of a lapidary, whose wife
prepared alms for him daily. One day, King Pasenadi sent a precious gem with
instructions to polish and pierce it. The lapidary had been handling meat, so the


gem was smeared with blood. He put it in a basket and went to wash his hands. A
pet heron smelt the blood and swallowed the gem. The lapidary, not finding the
gem, asked the elder, who denied taking it. The lapidary suspected the elder so
bound him, and beat him — ignoring his wife’s pleas. Blood flowed from the
elder’s head, nose, and ears. The heron came to drink the blood. The enraged
lapidary kicked the bird hard, killing it. Then the elder revealed what had
happened. The lapidary ripped open the heron’s stomach, finding the gem. He
begged the elder’s forgiveness. The elder forgave him, saying that it was the
result of his own kamma. The lapidary begged him to take alms in his house as
usual, but the elder declined, vowing never to enter a house again.
The heron was reborn in the womb of the lapidary’s wife. The elder soon
died from his injuries and attained parinibbāna. When the lapidary died, he was
reborn in hell. When his wife died, she was reborn in heaven. When the monks
asked about their destinies, the Buddha said how actions determine rebirth.
Nobody Can Escape the Effects of Kamma
12. Na antaḷikkhe na samuddamajjhe,
na pabbatānaṃ vivaraṃ pavissa
Na vijjatī
1 so jagatippadeso,
yatthaṭṭhito mucceyya pāpakammā.127
12. Not in the sky, nor in mid-ocean, nor in a mountain cave, is found that
place on earth where abiding one may escape from (the consequences) of
one’s evil deed.
Three Stories of Travellers
Three groups of monks came to visit the Buddha. On their way, one group
saw a crow fly into a burning bundle of thatch, and get burnt to death.
A second group came by ship. When the ship was becalmed mid-ocean for
several days, lots were drawn and the captain’s beautiful young wife drew the
short straw three times in succession. The captain ordered her jewels to be
removed and to cast her overboard with a bag of ballast tied to her neck, so that
he wouldn’t have to hear her screams as she struggled. Sharks and turtles came at
once, and consumed her body.

1
vijjati


The third group of seven monks stayed in a cave overnight, but were trapped
by a fallen boulder. They suffered severe hunger and thirst for seven days until
the boulder could be removed. The travellers asked the Buddha the reason for
these strange events, so he told these stories of the past:
Burning an Ox
The Buddha related how that crow, as a farmer in a previous birth, being
unable to tame an ox, had wrapped it’s body in straw and burnt it to death.
Drowning a Dog
A dog, who had been her husband in a previous life, followed a woman
everywhere. Some youths teased her, and she drove the dog away with sticks and
stones, but it kept following her. She filled a vessel with sand, tied it with a rope
to the dog’s neck and drowned the dog in a pool.
Imprisoning an Iguana
The seven monks, born as cowherds in a previous life, had imprisoned an
iguana in an anthill. They forgot about it for seven days, but released it and let it
go when they remembered. They escaped falling into hell, but suffered from
starvation for seven days in each of fourteen successive lives.
The Buddha added that no one is exempt from the consequences of his or her
past evil deeds.
Death Cannot Be Overcome
13. Na antaḷikkhe na samuddamajjhe,
na pabbatānaṃ vivaraṃ pavissa
Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso,
yatthaṭṭhito1 nappasahetha maccu.128
13. Not in the sky, nor in mid-ocean, nor in a mountain cave, is found that
place on earth where abiding one will not be overcome by death.
King Suppabuddha Obstructs the Buddha
King Suppabuddha, Princess Yasodharā’s father, hated the Buddha for two
reasons: he had renounced his daughter, and having ordained his son, was hostile

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yatthaṭṭhitaṃ


towards him.
1 King Suppabuddha blocked the way when the Buddha went for
alms, and sat in the street drinking strong liquor. Though told repeatedly that the
teacher had come, he refused to let him pass, saying that the Buddha was not
older than himself. The Buddha turned back with the Saṅgha.
When asked by the Elder Ānanda, the Buddha predicted that Suppabuddha
would be swallowed up by the earth in seven days at the door of his own palace.
When told of this by a spy, King Suppabuddha did everything he could to avert it,
but died exactly as predicted by the Buddha, and fell into Avīci hell.

1
The Buddha had no enmity for anyone, but he treated Devadatta in the way that he
deserved, rejecting his request to hand over the leadership of the Saṅgha with harsh
words, referring to Devadatta as spittle (i.e. as something that should be rejected).