Dhammapada Commentary ( Dhammapada Atthakatha )
Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala
4 — Puppha Vagga
Flowers
1. Ko imaṃ paṭhaviṃ vicessati,
1
yamalokañca imaṃ sadevakaṃ
Ko dhammapadaṃ sudesitaṃ,
kusalo puppham’iva pacessati44
2. Sekho paṭhaviṃ vicessati
1
yamalokañca imaṃ sadevakaṃ.
Sekho dhammapadaṃ sudesitaṃ
kusalo puppham’iva pacessati45
Who Will Comprehend this Earth?
1. Who will comprehend this earth, and this realm of Yama, and this world
together with the devas? Who will investigate the well taught Path to
Truth, even as an expert (garland maker) will pick flowers?
2. A disciple in training, will comprehend this earth, and this realm of
Yama together with the realm of the devas. A disciple in training will
investigate the well-taught Path to Truth even as an expert (garland-
maker) will pick flowers.
Talking About the Earth
Five hundred monks gathered and were talking about the earth in various
villages. The Buddha advised them to meditate on the earth-element within their
own bodies.2
1
vijessati
2
The insight meditation method analyses the body as composed of four elements:
solidity, fluidity, temperature, and motion.
Like A Mirage is this Body
3. Pheṇūpamaṃ kāyamimaṃ viditvā,
marīcidhammaṃ abhisambudhāno
Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni,
adassanaṃ maccurājassa gacche.46
3. Knowing that this body is like bubbles, and fully understanding its
illusory nature, one should destroy the flower-shafts of Māra, and pass
beyond the sight of the king of death.
The Elder Who Meditated on A Mirage
Having obtained a meditation object from the Teacher, a monk was striving
to attain Arahantship in the forest, but was not able to. Intending to get further
instruction, he set off to see the teacher. On the way he saw a mirage and then
bubbles in a mountain torrent. Spurred on by these perceptions, he contemplated
impermanence. The Buddha read his thoughts and, appearing before him,
confirmed his views.
Sensualists Are Swept Away by Death
4. Pupphāni h’eva pacinantaṃ, byāsattamanasaṃ naraṃ
Suttaṃ gāmaṃ mahogho’va, maccu ādāya gacchati.47
4. The man who gathers flowers (of sensual pleasure), whose mind is
distracted, death carries off as a great flood sweeps away a sleeping
village.
The Vengeance of King Viṭaṭūbha
This long story is worth telling, at least in brief, as it tells us something of the
history of the Buddha’s relatives, and shows the serious problems caused by pride
of birth and racial prejudice. The Sākyans and the Kosalans were neighbours on
opposite banks of the Rohinī river. Sāvatthī was the capital of the Kosalans to the
west of the Rohinī, and Kapilavatthu was that of the Sākyans to the east. South of
the Sākyan kingdom lay that of the Mallas who had their capital at Kusināra. Far
to the north-west lay the university city of Takkasila, in present-day Pakistan.
Prince Pasenadi, the son of the King of Kosala, lived at Sāvatthī, Prince
Mahālī of the Licchavī clan lived at Vesālī, and Prince Bandhula, the son of the
Malla king, lived at Kusināra. These three princes studied under a famous teacher
at Takkasila, and became friends. After mastering the royal arts they returned to
their respective kingdoms. Prince Pasenadi was anointed king, Prince Mahālī
went blind, and was appointed as a teacher to the Licchavīs, and Prince Bandhula
became King Pasenadi’s general after his parents dissuaded him from killing the
other Malla princes to become king. He established a residence in Sāvatthī,
brought his parents, and later married Mallikā, the daughter of the Malla king.
One day, King Pasenadi saw many monks passing through the street, and was
told that they were going for alms at the houses of Anāthapiṇḍika, his son,
Visākhā, and Suppavāsā. The king decided that he too should offer alms to the
Saṅgha and so invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha. He served them with his own
hand for seven days in succession, then on the seventh day asked the Buddha
always to come with five hundred monks. The Buddha declined, but agreed to
send another monk in his stead, giving the duty to the Elder Ānanda.
The king served the monks personally for seven more days, but then
neglected to do so for three days. By the third day only the Elder Ānanda
remained and the king was angry that the food prepared had been left
untouched, so he went to complain to the Buddha. The Buddha explained the
nine reasons why monks are not obliged to visit householders, or if they do visit,
are not obliged to sit down: they do not rise to greet them, they do not pay
homage, they do not offer a suitable seat, they conceal what they possess, they
give little though they have much, they give inferior quality food, they do not
offer the food respectfully, they do not sit to listen to the Dhamma, they do not
speak in a pleasing manner. For the opposite nine reasons it is proper for monks
to visit householders and to sit down.
Wishing to win back the confidence of the monks, the king thought it would
help to introduce a Sākyan princess into his household, so he sent a message to
the Sākyans. They discussed what to do. King Pasenadi of Kosala was their enemy
and could destroy them if they refused, but they did not regard him as of equal
birth to themselves, so no one was willing to give their daughter in marriage.
Then Mahānāma said he had a beautiful daughter by a slave-woman. So they told
Pasenadi that she was the daughter of Mahānāma the Sākyan, who was the son of
the younger brother of the Blessed One’s father. King Pasenadi accepted her as his
chief consort, and in due course Prince Viṭaṭūbha was born.
When he came of age he went to visit his maternal grandfather. The Sākyans
sent all the younger princes away so that no one had to pay homage to him, but
otherwise they showed him all hospitality. After he left, the seat he used was
ritually washed. One or his men, who returned to collect a sword he had left
behind, saw this and heard the servant cursing Viṭaṭūbha as the son of a slave
woman. When he heard this Prince Viṭaṭūbha vowed to wreak vengeance on the
Sākyans, and to wash his seat with the blood of their throats. When King Pasenadi
heard the news he removed all royal gifts from Viṭaṭūbha and his mother,
reducing them to slaves, but reinstated them after after being advised by the
Buddha.
Meanwhile at Kusināra, Mallikā, the daughter of the Malla King, and wife of
King Pasenadi’s general, Bandhula, became pregnant and longed to bathe in the
lotus tank of the Licchavīs. Bandhula took her there, drove away the guards, tore
down the iron railings, and allowed her to bathe, afterwards bathing there
himself. The Licchavīs were enraged. Their teacher, Mahālī, advised them not to
pursue Bandhula, but could not dissuade them. Five hundred Licchavīs pursued
Bandhula, but he killed them all. Bandhula brought Mallikā to Sāvatthī, where
Mallikā gave birth to twins. As time went by Mallikā bore sixteen sets of twins,
and Bandhula won public acclaim by overturning unjust decisions and removing
the corrupt judges. The former judges told King Pasenadi that Bandhula was
planning an insurrection. The simple-minded king believed them and had
Bandhula and his thirty-two sons slaughtered, appointing Bandhula’s nephew,
Dīghakārāyana, as his general. Mallikā was offering alms to five hundred monks
with the two chief disciples when she was given a letter bearing the news that her
husband and sons had been decapitated. She remained equanimous, advising her
daughters-in-law not to grieve or hate the king, as their husbands had to endure
the results of their previous kamma. The Elder Sāriputta gave the teaching of the
Salla Sutta, (Suttanipāta v 579ff), “Life is uncertain, death is certain, but
unpredictable.”
When King Pasenadi heard about this, he was overcome with remorse at his
evil deed, and begged Mallikā for forgiveness. She gave it, and asked to be sent
back to her family home with her daughters-in-law. The new general,
Dīghakārāyana, bode his time for a while, but when the opportunity arose he
took the king’s sword and turban while he was talking to the Buddha and left
him. He returned quickly to the palace, appointing Prince Viṭaṭūbha as king. King
Pasenadi rode to Rājagaha to enlist the help of his nephew, King Ajātasattu, but
died from exhaustion outside the walls of the city.
1
Now that Viṭaṭūbha was king, he lost no time in wreaking vengeance on the
Sākyans, and slaughtered them all except his grandfather, Mahānāma and his
relatives, whom he captured. Mahānāma decided it was better to commit suicide
than to eat with the son of a slave-woman.
2 On the return journey Viṭaṭūbha
camped with his followers by a river, but ants troubled them so those who had
done evil deeds in the past moved down onto the river bed. At night a flash flood
swept them out to sea. Hearing of their tragic end, the Buddha remarked that
people come to ruin without accomplishing their aims, and uttered the verse “…
death carries off as a great flood sweeps away a sleeping village.”
On being asked why the Sākyans were slaughtered, the Buddha related how in
a past life they had conspired to dispose of poison in the river, killing all the fish.
Sensualists Die Unsatiated
5. Pupphāni h’eva pacinantaṃ, byāsattamanasaṃ naraṃ
Atittaññeva kāmesu, antako kurute vasaṃ.48
5. Who gathers the flowers (of sensual pleasure), whose mind is distracted,
and who is insatiate in desire, the Destroyer brings under his sway.
Husband Worshipper
A deity in Tāvatiṃsa died while gathering flowers. She was reborn in a good
family of Sāvatthī. When she came of age she married and had four sons. Daily,
she offered alms to the monks and always prayed to be reunited with her
husband, since she remembered her husband of the previous life. One day, after
offering alms in the morning, she died in the evening, and was reborn in
Tāvatiṃsa as she had wished. The deities had barely noticed her absence because
one day in Tāvatiṃsa is equivalent to five hundred years of human life, so forty
1
These events are told in the Dhammaceti Sutta of the Majjhimanikāya, Sutta 89.
2
Mahānāma was easily captured by Viṭaṭūbha’s army as the Sākyans preferred to die
rather than to kill others. Remarkable, then, that Mahānāma was too proud to eat with his
grandson when he was not too proud to sleep with Viṭaṭūbha’s grandmother. He was also
dishonest enough to deceive King Pasenadi by being economical with the truth, though
these latter two events happened before he heard the Dhamma!
years seemed like just a few hours. They wondered why human beings were so
heedless when their life was extremely short.
The monks who were not without attachment were grief-stricken when they
discovered her death, and reported this to the Buddha. He explained that she had
been reborn in Tāvatiṃsa as she had wished, and spoke on the fleeting nature of
life, adding that people succumb to death with insatiate desires while picking the
flowers of sensual pleasures.
Cause No Inconvenience to Anyone
6. Yathā’pi bhamaro pupphaṃ, vaṇṇagandham aheṭhayaṃ
Paḷeti rasam’ādāya, evaṃ gāme munī care.49
6. As a bee without harming the flower, its colour or scent, flies away,
collecting only the honey, even so should the sage wander in the village.
A Miserly Millionaire
On the Buddha’s advice, the Elder Moggallāna used his psychic powers to
bring a miserly millionaire and his wife to the presence of the Buddha, thus they
gained faith in the Dhamma. The monks praised the Elder Moggallāna. The
Buddha remarked that good monks like him inspired confidence in the Teacher,
without causing inconvenience to any.
Disregard the Faults of Others
7. Na paresaṃ vilomāni, na paresaṃ katākataṃ
Attano’va avekkheyya, katāni akatāni ca.50
7. Disregard the faults of others, things left done and undone by others, but
examine the deeds done and not done by oneself.
The Naked Ascetic from Pāvā
A jealous naked ascetic told his lay supporter not to go to listen to the
Buddha. She sent her son to invite the Buddha to her house. The naked ascetic
told her son not to go there. He said he had to go or face a scolding from his
mother. The ascetic told him to go, but not to say where his house was, and to
arrive and leave from a different direction, then the two of them would enjoy the
food prepared for the Buddha. The Buddha, of course, didn’t need any directions
to find the house. The woman greeted him respectfully, offered alms, and
listened to the Dhamma. When she showed her deep appreciation for the
Buddha’s teaching, the ascetic — who was sitting in the back room with her son
— couldn’t bear it, and suddenly burst in, abusing both her and the Buddha. He
ran off, but the woman was too upset by this outburst to concentrate on the
Dhamma. The Buddha advised her to disregard the faults of others and only to
reflect on her own.
Practice is Better Than Teaching
8. Yathā’pi ruciraṃ pupphaṃ, vaṇṇavantaṃ agandhakaṃ
Evaṃ subhāsitā vācā, aphalā hoti akubbato.51
9. Yathā’pi ruciraṃ pupphaṃ, vaṇṇavantaṃ sugandhakaṃ1
Evaṃ subhāsitā vācā, saphalā hoti kubbato2.52
8. As a lovely flower that is beautiful, but scentless, the well-spoken word of
one who does not practise is fruitless.
9. As a lovely flower that is beautiful and fragrant, the well-spoken word of
one who practises it bears fruit.
The Parasol-bearer
Chatthapāṇi (Parasol-in-hand) was a Non-returner and well-versed in the
Tipiṭaka. One day, as he was sitting listening to the Buddha, King Pasenadi
arrived. He didn’t rise from his seat to greet the king, thinking this would show
disrespect to the Buddha. The king was angry, but paid his respects to the Buddha
and sat down. The Buddha extolled the virtues of Chatthapāṇi, and the king’s
anger was allayed. Later, the king saw Chatthapāṇi walking by the palace and had
him summoned. He laid aside his sandals and parasol, and paid respect to the
king. The king was pleased that he now showed him respect and asked him to
teach Dhamma to his consorts. Chatthapāṇi refused, saying it was improper for
householders to perform the duty of monks. The king therefore asked the
Buddha, and he arranged for the Elder Ānanda to teach the king’s consorts —
Mallikā and Vāsabhakhattiyā, the daughter of Mahānāma the Sākyan by a slave-
woman.
The two royal consorts studied the Dhamma under the Elder Ānanda. Mallikā
studied well, but Vāsabhakhattiyā made little progress. When asked by the
1
sagandhakaṃ
2
sakubbato
Buddha, the Elder Ānanda reported that Mallikā studied well, but that the
Buddha’s relative, Vāsabhakhattiyā, did not study carefully, nor recite by heart,
nor learn well. The Buddha declared that like a scentless flower, the Dhamma is
fruitless to one who makes no effort to study it properly.
Much Good Should Be Done
10. Yathā’pi puppharāsimhā, kayirā mālāguṇe bahū
Evaṃ jātena maccena, kattabbaṃ kusalaṃ bahuṃ.53
10. As from a heap of flowers many a garland is made, even so, many good
deeds should be done by one born a mortal.
Visākhā, Migāra’s Mother
Visākhā, the daughter of a millionaire of Bhaddiya, married into the family
of Migāra, a millionaire of Sāvatthī, who was a supporter of the naked ascetics.
When he offered alms to the naked ascetics he called on his new daughter-in-law
to come and pay respects to the “Arahants.” On seeing the naked ascetics, she
thought, “Surely, these shameless men are not Arahants” so she took offence and
left. Migāra was offended, but made allowances for her young age.
On another occasion, Migāra was eating his breakfast when a monk came for
alms. Visākhā, seeing that Migāra didn’t want to give anything, told the monk,
“Please pass on venerable sir, my father-in-law is eating stale fare.” This was too
much for Migāra, and he ordered her to be thrown out of the house. However,
Visākhā put her case to her kinsmen who had been sent with her, and when she
explained that her father-in-law was enjoying the benefits of previous good
kamma, without doing any fresh good kamma, they decided that Migāra was
wrong to send her away. Now that she had been cleared, she decided to leave
anyway. Then Migāra apologised and permitted her to invite the Buddha and the
Saṅgha for alms. In spite of the protests of the Naked Ascetics, Migāra listened to
the Dhamma and became a Stream-winner. From that day he regarded Visākhā as
his mother, thus she became known as “Migāra’s Mother.” He had an expensive
gift made for her, and thenceforth she could invite the monks whenever she
wished.
Visākhā had ten sons and ten daughters, and numerous grand-children, and
great-grand-children. She retained her youthful looks into old age, and became
the chief benefactress of the Buddha and the Saṅgha.
After she erected a monastery at great expense, so great was her delight that,
with her children and grandchildren, she went around the monastery reciting
verses of joy. The monks wondered if she had lost her mind, but when this was
reported to the Buddha he remarked that Visākhā was overjoyed because she had
at last fulfilled a long cherished aspiration.
Morality Blows Against the Wind
11. Na pupphagandho paṭivātam eti
na candanaṃ tagaramallikā1
Satañca gandho paṭivātam eti
sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati.54
12. Candanaṃ tagaraṃ vā’pi,
uppalaṃ atha vassikī
Etesaṃ gandhajātānaṃ,
sīlagandho anuttaro.55
11. The perfume of flowers blows not against the wind, nor does the
fragrance of sandalwood, tagara and jasmine, but the fragrance of the
virtuous blows against the wind; the virtuous man pervades every
direction.
12. Sandalwood, tagara, lotus, jasmine: above all these kinds of fragrance,
the perfume of virtue is by far the best.
The Elder Ānanda’s Question
The Elder Ānanda asked the Buddha if any fragrance wafted against the
wind. The Buddha replied that if one takes refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and
Saṅgha, observed the five precepts, and dwelt free from miserliness, delighting in
giving, then the fragrance of one’s virtue wafts in all directions.
Morality is the Best Fragrance
13. Appamatto ayaṃ gandho, yvāyaṃ tagaracandanaṃ2
Yo ca sīlavataṃ gandho, vāti devesu uttamo.56
1
vā
2
yā’yaṃ tagaracandanī
13. Of little account is the fragrance of tagara or sandal; the fragrance of the
virtuous, which blows even among the gods, is supreme.
Sakka Gives Alms to Mahākassapa
Sakka king of the gods, disguised as a poor weaver, offered alms to the Elder
Mahākassapa, who was looking for a poor person to whom he might grant the
privilege of offering alms. The Buddha stated that Sakka, attracted by the
perfume of virtue of the Elder Kassapa, offered him alms.
Arahants Cannot Be Traced
14. Tesaṃ sampannasīlānaṃ, appamādavihārinaṃ
Sammadaññāvimuttānaṃ, māro maggaṃ na vindati.57
14. Māra finds not the path of those who are virtuous, careful in living, and
freed by right knowledge.
The Elder Godhika Commits Suicide
The Elder Godhika, impeded from gaining mental absorption by a certain
disease, cut his throat with a razor; but immediately before his death he cultivated
insight and realised nibbāna. Māra searched to see where his relinking-
consciousness had arisen. The Buddha remarked that Māra cannot trace the
relinking-consciousness of an Arahant.
The Wise Outshine Blind Worldlings
15. Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṃ, ujjhitasmiṃ mahāpathe
Padumaṃ tattha jāyetha, sucigandhaṃ manoramaṃ.58
16. Evaṃ saṅkārabhūtesu, andhabhūte puthujjane
Atirocati paññāya, sammāsambuddhasāvako.59
15-16. As upon a heap of rubbish thrown by the highway, a fragrant and lovely
lotus may grow, even so among worthless beings, a disciple of the Fully
Enlightened One outshines the blind worldlings in wisdom.
Sirigutta and Garahadinna
Two friends lived at Sāvatthī. Sirigutta was the Buddha’s disciple, while
Garahadinna was a disciple of the naked ascetics. The naked ascetics urged
Garahadinna to tell his friend to offer alms to them instead of to the Buddha.
Garahadinna kept asking his friend why he bothered to offer alms to the Buddha,
instead of to his own teachers. Sirigutta kept his peace for a while, but eventually
lost his patience, asking, “What do your teachers know?” Garahadinna said that
his teachers knew everything in the past, present, and future; that they knew
everyone’s thoughts, words, and actions. So Sirigutta said to his friend, “Why did
you not tell me before about your teachers’ great powers? Please invite them for
alms in my name.”
While Garahadinna went to invite the naked ascetics, Sirigutta had a pit dug
by his house, had it filled with filth, with a rope fixed to support one side of the
seats while the other side rested on the ground. As soon as the ascetics sat down
they would fall into the pit. In his house, he had empty pots prepared so that they
looked like they were full of food. When the naked ascetics arrived for the meal,
he paid homage to them and thought to himself, “If you know the future do not
enter my house as there is no food prepared, and I will have you all flung into a
pit of filth and beaten with sticks. He invited them all to sit down at once, and
they all fell into the pit. As they climbed out, he had them beaten with sticks,
ridiculing them, “Why don’t you know all about the past, present, and future!”
The naked ascetics complained to Garahadinna that he had ruined them, and
Garahadinna complained to the king, who had Sirigutta summoned to impose a
heavy fine. Then Sirigutta explained what he had done and the king (Pasenadi)
had a fine inflicted on Garahadinna instead. Now Garahadinna was more angry
than ever, and didn’t speak to Sirigutta for a fortnight. Then he thought, “This
doesn’t achieve anything” and made up with his friend.
After some time Sirigutta said to Garahadinna, “What is the use of offering
alms to your teachers. Why don’t you invite the Buddha and his disciples for
alms?” This was just the opportunity Garahadinna was waiting for. He asked,
“What does your teacher know?” Sirigutta replied, “He knows all about the past,
present, and future, and all the thoughts of others.” So Garahadinna asked
Sirigutta to invite him. Meanwhile he prepared a hidden pit of burning charcoal.
When the Buddha arrived, Garahadinna asked him to enter alone first. As he
placed his foot over the charcoal pit he used his psychic powers to create great
lotus flowers, and the monks sat down on the seats prepared by his powers. The
empty vessels that Garahadinna had prepared became full of food. Garahadinna
gained faith in the Buddha, and many followers of the heretics were also
converted to the Buddhist faith.
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