Dhammapada Commentary ( Dhammapada Atthakatha )
Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala
16 — Piya Vagga
Affection
Apply Oneself to the Holy Life
1. Ayoge yuñjam attānaṃ, yogasmiñca ayojayaṃ
Atthaṃ hitvā piyaggāhī, pihet’attānuyoginaṃ.209
1. Applying oneself to what should be avoided, not applying oneself to what
should be pursued, and giving up the quest, one who pursues affection
envies those who exert themselves.
Give Up Affection
2. Mā piyehi samāgañchi, appiyehi kudācanaṃ
Piyānaṃ adassanaṃ dukkhaṃ, appiyānañca dassanaṃ.210
2. Consort not with the loved, never with the unloved;
not seeing the loved and seeing the unloved are both painful.
Hold Nothing Dear
3. Tasmā piyaṃ na kayirātha, piyāpāyo hi pāpako
Ganthā tesaṃ na vijjanti, yesaṃ natthi piyāppiyaṃ.211
3. Hold nothing dear, for separation from the loved is bad;
bonds do not fetter those for whom loved and unloved don’t exist.
Three Who Went Forth
A youth, beloved by his parents, entered the Saṅgha without their approval.
Later, the parents also entered the Saṅgha. Yet they could not live separated from
one another, and could not give up their affection. Hearing their story, the
Buddha uttered these verses.
From Endearment Springs Grief
4. Piyato jāyatī
1 soko, piyato jāyatī
1 bhayaṃ
Piyato vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayaṃ?212
4. From endearment springs grief, from endearment springs fear; for him
who is wholly free from endearment there is no grief, whence fear?
A Father’s Grief
A father was grieving over the death of his son. Seeing that he was ready to
attain Stream-winning, the Buddha visited him and consoled him, reciting the
above verse.
From Affection Springs Grief
5. Pemato jāyatī soko, pemato jāyatī bhayaṃ
Pemato vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayaṃ?213
5. From affection springs grief, from affection springs fear;
for him who is wholly free from affection there is no grief, whence fear?
Visākhā’s Grand-daughter
Visākhā lost a beloved grand-daughter. When she visited the monastery the
Buddha asked her how many people lived in Sāvatthī, and how many died every
day, to remind her how death is inevitable. Then he recited the above verse.
From Passion Springs Grief
6. Ratiyā jāyatī soko, ratiyā jāyatī bhayaṃ
Ratiyā vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayaṃ?214
6. From passion springs grief, from passion springs fear; for him who is
wholly free from passion there is no grief, much less fear.
1
jāyati
The Licchavī Princes
While walking for alms one day the Buddha told the monks to look at
1 some
Licchavī princes who were on their way to the pleasure gardens dressed in their
best clothes to enjoy themselves for the day with a prostitute. The Buddha
compared them to the devas of Tāvatiṃsa. The princes becoming jealous and
started fighting over the prostitute, and many of them were killed. After the
meal, the monks returned and saw the dead Licchavī princes being carried away
on stretchers. The Buddha spoke on the evil consequences of sexual pleasures,
reciting the above verse.
From Lust Springs Grief
7. Kāmato jāyatī soko, kāmato jāyatī bhayaṃ
Kāmato vippamuttassa natthi, soko kuto bhayaṃ?215
7. From lust springs grief, from lust springs fear; for him who is wholly
free from lust there is no grief, whence fear?
Anitthigandha Kumāra’s Grief
A deity passed away from the Brahma realm and was reborn as the son of a
millionaire in Sāvatthī. From birth he had a strong aversion to women and cried
whenever they picked him up. As he grew up his parents wanted to arrange a
marriage for him, but he wasn’t interested. They persisted, so he summoned
goldsmiths and had them create an image of a beautiful young woman in gold.
He told his parents that if they could find a woman looking like that he would
agree to marry. They gave the golden image to Brahmins, sending them on a
mission to find such a woman. They located a beautiful sixteen year old girl at
Sāgala in the kingdom of Madda who looked just like the image. They sent news
that they had located a girl even more beautiful than the image, and made
arrangements for the marriage.
The millionaire’s son, hearing the news, became full of desire thinking about
the prospect of meeting his beautiful young bride, whom he had not yet seen. As
she was being brought to be given in marriage to the prince, she died on the long
journey, as she was so delicate. On hearing this news, the youth was overcome
1
While walking for alms, monks do not look around here and there, but keep their eyes
downcast, looking at the ground a few paces ahead. The Buddha knew what would
happen, so he told the monks to look, to highlight the dangers of sensual pleasures.
with grief, and became depressed. Knowing that the youth was ready to attain
Stream-winning, the Buddha came to his house for alms, and consoled him by
uttering the above verse.
From Craving Springs Grief
8. Taṇhāya jāyatī soko, taṇhāya jāyatī bhayaṃ
Taṇhāya vippamuttassa, natthi soko kuto bhayaṃ?216
8. From craving springs grief, from craving springs fear; for him who is
wholly free from craving there is no grief, whence fear?
A Certain Brahmin’s Loss
Knowing that a certain Brahmin would soon be ready to attain Stream-
winning the Buddha visited the field that he was clearing and asked him what he
was doing. The Brahmin replied that he was clearing the field. The Buddha did
likewise on successive days, and on being asked what he was doing, the Brahmin
replied that he was ploughing the field, planting the seed, clearing the weeds, etc.
The Brahmin told the Buddha that he would share the harvest with him if the
crop prospered. In due course the crop prospered, and the Brahmin made
arrangements for it to be harvested the following day. However, a sudden storm
destroyed the crop. The Brahmin became depressed because he would not be able
to fulfil his promise. The Buddha consoled him, uttering the above verse about
the disadvantages of craving.
The Virtuous Are Dear to All
9. Sīladassanasampannaṃ, dhammaṭṭhaṃ saccavedinaṃ
Attano kammakubbānaṃ, taṃ jano kurute piyaṃ.217
9. Whoever is perfect in virtue and insight, established in the Dhamma, has
realised the Truths, and fulfilled his duties — people hold him dear.
Five Hundred Youths Offer Cakes
On a festival day, while the Buddha was walking for alms in Rājagaha with
eighty great elders and five hundred monks, some youths carrying cakes paid
homage to the Buddha, but did not invite even a single monk to accept a cake.
However, when they saw the Elder Kassapa coming along behind, they took an
instant liking to him, paid homage to him, and offered him some cakes. The
Elder advised them to offer some to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, who were then
sitting nearby. Some monks were annoyed that the youths had shown favouritism
to the Elder Kassapa, and not the Buddha. The Buddha said that the Elder Kassapa
was dear even to the gods and uttered the above verse.
The Unattached Are Bound Upstream
10. Chandajāto anakkhāte, manasā ca phuṭo siyā
Kāmesu ca appaṭibaddhacitto, uddhaṃsoto’ti vuccati.218
10. He who has cultivated a wish for the ineffable (nibbāna), he whose mind
is thrilled (with the three Fruits), he whose mind is not bound by
material pleasures, such a person is called “Bound-upstream.”
The Non-returner Elder
Some pupils asked their preceptor, who had attained Non-returning, whether
he had attained any stage of the Path. The preceptor did not reply, thinking to
wait until he attained Arahantship. Before he could attain Arahantship he died
and was reborn in the Pure Abodes (Suddhāvāsa).
1 The pupils went to the Buddha
weeping. The Buddha remarked that death was inevitable. They replied that they
were sad as the preceptor had died without answering their question. The Buddha
told them their preceptor’s attainment and uttered the above verse.
Merit Welcomes the Doers of Good
11. Cirappavāsiṃ purisaṃ, dūrato sotthim āgataṃ
ñātimittā suhajjā ca, abhinandanti āgataṃ.219
12. Tath’eva katapuññam pi asmā lokā paraṃ gataṃ
Puññāni patigaṇhanti piyaṃ ñātiṃ ’va āgataṃ.220
11. A man long absent and returned safe from afar, his kinsmen, friends,
and well-wishers welcome on his arrival.
12. Likewise, good deeds will welcome the doer of good who has left this
world for the next, as kinsmen welcome a dear relative on his return.
Nandiya’s Story
A devout and wealthy young man of Benares performed many good deeds.
When his parents died they left him great wealth. He had a four-roomed hall
1
Where Non-returners take birth until they attain Arahantship
erected for the Saṅgha in the monastery at Isipatana. As he was pouring the
libation water to dedicate the building, a palace full of celestial nymphs arose in
Tāvatiṃsa. The Elder Moggallāna asked the deities for whom the palace had
arisen. They told him that it was for the devotee Nandiya who had just donated a
hall to the Saṅgha. The Elder asked the Buddha to confirm this, and the Buddha
uttered the above verses, commenting on Nandiya’s good deeds and his future
destiny.
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