Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala
1 — Yamaka Vagga
The Twin Verses
Suffering is Mind-made
1. Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā
Manasā ce paduṭṭhena, bhāsati vā karoti vā
Tato naṃ dukkhamanveti, cakkaṃ ’va vahato padaṃ.1
1. Mind is the forerunner of (all evil) states.
Mind is chief; and they are mind-made.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind,
Suffering follows as the wheel follows the hoof of the ox.
The Elder Cakkhupāla
A monk named Cakkhupāla determined not to lie down for the entire Rains
Retreat. He contracted an eye infection and the doctor told him that he must lie
down to take the medicine. He refused to lie down, so the disease got worse. He
realised Arahantship, but simultaneously went blind.
As he was pacing up and down, he unintentionally killed many insects.
Visiting monks noticed the trampled insects on the elder’s walking meditation
path, and told the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha explained that the monk
had killed them unintentionally and that he was an Arahant.
The monks then asked the cause of his blindness.
The Buddha related how, in a previous life as a doctor, he had treated a poor
woman’s eyes. She promised to become his servant if her eyesight was restored.
The treatment worked, but the woman pretended that her eyesight was getting
worse. The doctor retaliated by giving her another medicine, which blinded her.
Due to that evil action Cakkhupāla became blind.
Happiness is Mind-made
2. Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā, manoseṭṭhā manomayā
Manasā ce pasannena, bhāsati vā karoti vā
Tato naṃ sukhamanveti, chāyā’va anapāyinī.2
2. Mind is the forerunner of (all good) states.
Mind is chief, and they are mind-made.
If one speaks or acts with a pure mind,
happiness follows as one’s own shadow that never leaves.
The Miser Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī
The only son of a miserly millionaire was on the verge of death because his
father was too mean to call a doctor, and tried to treat his son himself. The
Buddha saw the dying boy with his Divine Eye, and stood for alms in front of his
house. Seeing the Buddha, Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī was delighted. Dying with a mind full
of faith in the Buddha he was reborn in the celestial realm. After his son’s death,
the millionaire was grief-stricken. Every day he went to the cemetery crying for
his son.
The deity appeared before his father in a form like his son, and stood
weeping. The millionaire saw the youth and asked him why he was crying. The
deity replied that he wanted two wheels for his chariot, but could not get them.
The millionaire offered to buy him whatever chariot wheels he wanted. The deity
said that he wanted the sun and the moon for his chariot wheels. The millionaire
told the youth that his wish was folly as it was impossible to obtain the sun and
the moon. The deity admonished the millionaire, “You are even more foolish
than me in crying for your dead son. At least I can see the sun and the moon, but
you cannot even see your dead son.” The millionaire realised that the youth was
his own son, and gained some faith in Dhamma. The next day, he offered alms to
the Saṅgha and the deity appeared, telling the assembly how he had gained such
bliss just by revering the Buddha in his mind.
Hatred is Never Appeased By Hatred
3. Akkocchi maṃ avadhi maṃ, ajini maṃ ahāsi me
Ye ca taṃ upanayhantim, veraṃ tesaṃ na sammati.3
4. Akkocchi maṃ avadhi maṃ, ajini maṃ ahāsi me
Ye ca taṃ na upanayhanti, veraṃ tesūpasammati.4
3. “He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,”
in those who harbour such thoughts hatred is not appeased.
4. “He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,”
in those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred is appeased.
The Elder Tissa
The Elder Tissa, a cousin of the Buddha, did not pay due respect to the senior
monks. When they admonished him, he threatened them, and complained to the
Buddha. The Buddha urged him to apologise, but Tissa was obstinate. The
Buddha related a story to show that Tissa had been just as obstinate in a previous
life. He had to ask forgiveness from the senior monks.
Hatred is Conquered by Love
5. Na hi verena verāni, sammantī’dha kudācanaṃ
Averena ca sammanti, esa dhammo sanantano.5
5. Hatred never ceases through hatred in this world;
through love alone does it cease. This is an eternal law.
A Story of Jealousy
A husband had two wives, one barren, the other fertile. Due to jealousy, the
barren wife put a drug in her rival’s food and caused two successive abortions. On
the third occasion the potion caused the death of both mother and child. The
dying woman vowed to take revenge, and fulfilled her resolve. The other too did
likewise. Thus both women avenged themselves in the course of two successive
births. In their third birth they met the Buddha, who pacified them by advising
them not to retaliate.
Quarrels Destroy Both Parties
6. Pare ca na vijānanti, mayamettha yamāmase
Ye ca tattha vijānanti, tato sammanti medhagā.6
6. The others know not that in this quarrel we perish;
those who realise it, have their quarrels calmed thereby.
The Dispute at Kosambī
Two teachers, one teaching Dhamma, the other teaching Vinaya, lived at
Kosambī, each teaching a group of monks. One day, the Dhamma teacher forgot
to replace the rinsing water in the toilet. The Vinaya teacher reminded the
Dhamma teacher that this was a minor offence. The Dhamma teacher
acknowledged his offence, explaining that he just forgotten to do it. The Vinaya
teacher then said that there was no offence as it was unintentional. So, when it
came to the time for confession, the Dhamma teacher didn’t confess any offence.
The Vinaya teacher told his pupils that the Dhamma teacher hadn’t confessed his
offence. The Dhamma teacher told his pupils that the Vinaya teacher didn’t know
what was an offence or what was not an offence, and the pupils quarrelled.
The quarrelsome monks would not listen even to the Buddha, so he left
Kosambī and spent the rainy season in the forest. The laity were disappointed
and stopped offering alms. The monks made up and asked the Buddha for
forgiveness.
The Weak Succumb to Temptation
7. Subhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ, indriyesu asaṃvutaṃ
Bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṃ, kusītaṃ hīnavīriyaṃ
Taṃ ve pasahati māro, vāto rukkhaṃ ’va dubbalaṃ.7
8. Asubhānupassiṃ viharantaṃ, indriyesu susaṃvutaṃ
Bhojanamhi ca mattaññuṃ, saddhaṃ āraddhavīriyaṃ
Taṃ ve nappasahati māro, vāto selaṃ ’va pabbataṃ.8
7. Whoever lives contemplating pleasant things, with senses unrestrained,
in food immoderate, indolent, inactive, Māra1 overthrows, as the wind
(overthrows) a weak tree.
8. Whoever lives contemplating repulsive things, with senses restrained, in
food moderate, full of faith, full of sustained energy, Māra does not
overthrow, as the wind (does not overthrow) a rocky mountain.
The Elders Mahākāḷa and Cūḷakāḷa
Three brothers were merchants. The eldest and youngest fetched goods from
the villages around Sāvatthī for their brother to sell. One day, the elder brother
saw a crowd of people going to listen to the Dhamma. He told his young brother
to look after their goods and went to the Buddha. He gained faith in Dhamma
and wanted to become a monk. His brother couldn’t dissuade him, so he ordained
too, hoping to make his elder brother return to lay-life later. The elder brother
meditated in the cemetery and soon gained Arahantship. The younger monk was
ridiculed by his two former wives, who took his robes off him, so he left the
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There are five kinds of Māra: i. the five Aggregates (khandha), ii. Volitional activities
(abhisaṅkhāra), iii. Death (maccu), iv. Defilements (kilesa), and v. Māra the deity. Here,
Māra is used in the sense of mental defilements
Saṅgha. The eight former wives of the elder monk thought they would be able to
entice him to disrobe, but he escaped by using his psychic powers.
The Impure Are Not Worthy of the Robe
9. Anikkasāvo kāsāvaṃ, yo vatthaṃ paridahissati
Apeto damasaccena, na so kāsāvam arahati.9
10. Yo ca vantakasāv’assa, sīlesu susamāhito
Upeto damasaccena, sa ve kāsāvam arahati.10
9. Whoever, unstainless, without self control and truthfulness,
should don the yellow robe, is not worthy of it.
10. He who is purged of all stain, is well-established in morals
and endowed with self-control and truthfulness,
is worthy of the yellow robe.
The Wicked Monk Devadatta
A group of people voted to present a costly robe to Devadatta, in preference
to the Elder Sāriputta. Some devout followers, seeing him wearing it, remarked
that he was not worthy of it. The Buddha explained that Devadatta had done
likewise in a previous life and explained who was worthy of wearing the robe of
the Buddhas.
Right Thought Leads to Realisation
11. Asāre sāramatino, sāre cāsāradassino
Te sāraṃ nādhigacchanti, micchāsaṅkappagocarā.11
12. Sārañca sārato ñatvā, asārañca asārato
Te sāraṃ adhigacchanti, sammā saṅkappagocarā.12
11. In the unreal they imagine the real, in the real they see the unreal —
they who entertain (such) wrong thoughts never realise the essence.
12. What is real they regard as real, what is unreal they regard as unreal —
they who entertain right thoughts realise the essence.
The Elders Sāriputta and Moggallāna
The Elder Sāriputta and Moggallāna could not persuade Sañcaya, their former
teacher, to meet the Buddha. The Buddha explained that different results were
inevitable for those who think rightly and those who think wrongly.
Lust Penetrates an Undeveloped Mind
13. Yathā’gāraṃ ducchannaṃ, vuṭṭhi samativijjhati
Evaṃ abhāvitaṃ cittaṃ, rāgo samativijjhati.13
14. Yathā’gāraṃ succhannaṃ, vuṭṭhi na samativijjhati
Evaṃ subhāvitaṃ cittaṃ, rāgo na samativijjhati.14
13. Even as rain penetrates as ill-thatched house,
so does lust penetrate an undeveloped mind.
14. Even as rain does not penetrate a well-thatched house,
so does lust not penetrate a well-developed mind.
Prince Nanda
While at Kapilavatthu, the Buddha and the Saṅgha were invited for the pre-
nuptial wedding feast of the Buddha’s step-brother, Prince Nanda. After the meal,
the Buddha left his almsbowl in the hands of Prince Nanda, and returned to the
monastery. The young prince was obliged to follow him all the way back to the
monastery to return the almsbowl. The Buddha asked Nanda if he would go forth
as a monk. Out of respect for the teacher, Nanda was obliged to say yes. So he
was ordained. As he was constantly thinking of his fiancée, Nanda was very
dissatisfied. The Buddha used his psychic powers to take him to the Tāvatiṃsa
heaven, where he showed him the celestial nymphs. The Buddha promised Nanda
that he could get these nymphs if he meditated well.
Nanda no longer thought about his fiancée, but meditated diligently in the
hope of acquiring the celestial nymphs. The other monks teased him about this,
and called him a “paid labourer.” Being a prince of noble lineage, Nanda’s sense
of shame was piqued by being compared to a hired labourer. He strove hard in
his meditation and soon attained Arahantship.
The Buddha compared his former lustful state of mind to an ill-thatched
house and his newly acquired mental purity to a well-thatched house.
Evil-doers Grieves Here and Hereafter
15. Idha socati pecca socati, pāpakārī ubhayattha socati
So socati so vihaññati, disvā kammakiliṭṭham attano.15
15. Here he grieves, hereafter he grieves.
In both states the evil-doer grieves.
He grieves, he is tormented,
perceiving the impurity of his own deeds.
Cunda the Pork-butcher
Cunda, who lived near the Bamboo grove monastery at Rājagaha, killed pigs
mercilessly throughout his life, skinning them alive. In the final week of his life,
he went mad and crawled on the floor squealing like a pig. His wife shuttered all
the doors and windows, but his cries still disturbed the neighbours day and night.
After his death he was reborn in hell.
The Good Rejoice Here and Hereafter
16. Idha modati pecca modati, katapuñño ubhayattha modati
So modati so pamodati, disvā kammavisuddhim attano.16
16. Here he rejoices, hereafter he rejoices.
In both states the doer of good rejoices.
He rejoices, he exults, perceiving the purity of his own deeds.
Dhammika the Devout Lay Supporter
Dhammika gave alms generously throughout his life, and urged others to
give. The monks came to his house to recite the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta as he lay on his
death-bed. Dhammika saw celestial beings come to invite him, each to their own
realm, and, not wishing to interrupt the recitation, he told them to wait. The
monks thought he was speaking to them, so they stopped reciting and returned to
the monastery. His children were upset until Dhammika was able to explain what
had happened. After a peaceful death, he was reborn in Tusita.
Evil-doers Lament Here and Hereafter
17. Idha tappati pecca tappati, pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati
“Pāpaṃ me katan”ti tappati, bhiyyo tappati duggatiṃ gato.17
17. Here he laments, hereafter he laments. In both states the evil-doer
laements. “I have done evil,” he laments. He laments again, having gone
to a woeful state.
Devadatta Causes a Schism
Six Sakyan princes went forth as monks together: Bhaddiya, Anuruddha,
Ānanda, Bhagu, Kimilo, and Devadatta, and so did their barber, Upāli. Devadatta
made good progress in meditation at first, and gained some mystic powers, but
he did not become famous like the other five Sakyan princes. He used his mystic
powers to impress Prince Ajātasattu, the son of King Bimbisāra of Rājagaha, and
thus came to receive lavish offerings, and became highly conceited.
When the Buddha was getting old, Devadatta asked him to retire and appoint
him as the leader of the Saṅgha. The Buddha replied, “I would not appoint even
Sāriputta or Moggallāna, let alone a piece of phlegm like you.” Devadatta hated
the Buddha for this, and made several unsuccessful attempts to kill him. Before he
died he repented and wished to see the Buddha, but while being carried to see the
Buddha, he was swallowed up by the earth, and was reborn in hell.
The Good Are Happy Here and Hereafter
18. Idha nandati pecca nandati, katapuñño ubhayattha nandati
“Puññaṃ me katan”ti nandati, bhiyyo nandati suggatiṃ gato.18
18. Here he is happy, hereafter he is happy.
In both states the doer of good is happy.
“Good have I done” (thinking thus), he is happy.
Furthermore, he is happy, having gone to a blissful state.
Sumanā, the Daughter of Anāthapiṇḍika
Before she passed away, Sumanā, the youngest daughter of Anāthapiṇḍika,
addressed her father as “younger brother.” He was upset to think that his
daughter was speaking incoherently at the time of her death. He told the Buddha,
who explained that she had attained the stage of a Once-returner while
Anāthapiṇḍika was only a Stream-winner.
Learning Without Practice is No Use
19. Bahum pi ce saṃhita1 bhāsamāno,
na takkaro hoti naro pamatto
Gopo’va gāvo gaṇayaṃ paresaṃ,
na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.19
20. Appam pi ce saṃhita1 bhāsamāno,
dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī
Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṃ,
sammappajāno suvimuttacitto
Anupādiyāno idha vā huraṃ vā,
sa bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.20
19. Though much he recites the sacred texts, but acts not accordingly, that
heedless man is like a cowherd who counts others’ kine. He has no share
in the fruits of the holy life.
20. Though little he recites the sacred texts, but acts in accordance with the
teaching, forsaking lust, hatred and ignorance, truly knowing, with mind
well freed, clinging to nothing here and hereafter, he shares the fruits of
the holy life.
Two Companion Monks
Of the two companions, one was a worldling, but learned, the other was an
Arahant though he knew only a little about the teachings. The learned monk did
not practise meditation, but his companion realised nibbāna. Being conceited,
the learned monk intended to embarrass the other by asking some questions in
the presence of the Buddha. Knowing his ulterior motive, the Buddha asked some
practical questions about the Dhamma. The Arahant answered them all from his
personal experience, but the learned monk could not, as he had not attained
anything. The Buddha praised the Arahant who had practised and understood the
Dhamma well.
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sahitaṃ
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