Dhammapada Commentary - Atta Vagga

Dhammapada Commentary ( Dhammapada Atthakatha )

Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala


12 — Atta Vagga
The Self
Be Vigilant
1. Attānañce piyaṃ jaññā, rakkheyya naṃ surakkhitaṃ
Tiṇṇam aññataraṃ yāmaṃ, paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.157
1. If one holds oneself dear, one should protect oneself well.
At least in one of the three ages of life a wise man should be vigilant.
Prince Bodhi’s Story
On the completion of his palace, Prince Bodhi spread the floors with mats
and carpets, inviting the Buddha and the Saṅgha for alms. When the Buddha
arrived, the prince paid homage, took his bowl, and invited him in. However, the
Buddha refused to enter, even when invited a third time. The Venerable Ānanda
took one look at the Buddha, and told Prince Bodhi to roll up the carpets. Then
Prince Bodhi led the monks into the palace and served the meal. After the meal,
the prince asked the Buddha why he had refused to tread on the carpets. The
Buddha asked him why he had laid them down. The prince said that he had done
so thinking, “If I am destined to obtain a son or a daughter, the Teacher will step
on these carpets.” The Buddha said that was the very reason why he did not step
on them, explaining the cause in the past:
The Couple Who Ate Birds’ Eggs
At one time a ship was wrecked in mid-ocean. The only two survivors were a
man and his wife who clung to a plank. They landed on an island inhabited only
by birds, and survived by eating the birds’ eggs and young chicks. The Buddha
explained that the reason they were destined to remain childless was because not
even once, during their youth, middle-age, or old age, did they feel any remorse
about eating the eggs.
Then he uttered the above verse, advising that one should be heedful of the
Dhamma, at least during one period of life.


Advisers Should Set A Good Example
2. Attānam eva paṭhamaṃ, patīrūpe nivesaye
Ath’aññam anusāseyya, na kilisseyya paṇḍito.158
2. Let one first establish oneself in what is proper, and then instruct others.
Such a wise man will not be defiled.
The Elder Upananda
The Elder Upananda was a skilled preacher, and went from monastery to
monastery, preaching the Dhamma and greedily gathering any gifts offered to
him. One day he met two young monks who could not divide between themselves
two robes and a costly blanket. The elder settled the dispute by giving a robe to
each of them and taking the blanket for himself. The disgruntled young monks
reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha told a story of the past, when two otters
quarrelled over a fish, and a jackal divided it for them, taking the best portion for
himself.
He admonished Upananda, consoled the young monks, and said that advisers
should set a good example.
Act As You Instruct Others
3. Attānaṃ ce tathā kayirā, yathaññamanusāsati
Sudanto vata dametha, attā hi kira duddamo.159
3. As he instructs others so should he act. Fully self-controlled, he could
control (others); for oneself is difficult to control.
Elder Tissa the ‘Striver’
The Elder Tissa urged the other monks to practise meditation diligently, then
went to sleep. When they came into the monastery to rest, he woke up and
chased them out to practise some more. They got no sleep, and were disgusted
when they watched him and found out what he was doing. The Buddha advised
instructors to act as they instruct others.
Self is One’s Refuge
4. Attā hi attano nātho, ko hi nātho paro siyā
Attanā’va sudantena, nāthaṃ labhati dullabhaṃ.160


4. Oneself is one’s own refuge, what other refuge could there be? With
oneself well controlled one obtains a refuge hard to gain.
The Mother of Kumāra Kassapa
She was the daughter of a millionaire in Rājagaha, and as soon as she was old
enough to think for herself, she asked to go forth as a nun. Her parents refused,
and she was married as soon as she was old enough. While living with her
husband, she soon got pregnant, but didn’t know it. With his permission, she
went forth as a nun. When the nuns found out that she was pregnant, they took
her to Devadatta, who was their teacher. He wanted to expel her, but she begged
the nuns to take her to the Teacher. The Buddha summoned King Pasenadi,
Anāthapiṇḍika and his son, and Vesākhā, and gave instructions to the the Vinaya
master, Venerable Upāli, to clear the nun of any blame. Visākhā drew a curtain
around her, and examined her, computing the days and months since her going
forth to establish her innocence. The Venerable Upāli announced her innocence
in the assembly.
She gave birth to a son, and King Pasenadi adopted him. Having come of age,
the boy learned who his mother was, and at once asked to became a novice, and
was granted the going forth. After becoming a full bhikkhu, he obtained a
meditation object from the Teacher, and retired to the Blind Man’s Grove, where
he attained Arahantship.
1 The nun could not give up her affection for her son.
One day she met him on the street going for alms. She approached him with
affection, but he spoke harshly to her. She abandoned her affection towards him
and attained Arahantship. Hearing of her realisation the Buddha explained that
the best refuge is oneself.
By Oneself is Evil Done
5. Attanā hi
2 kataṃ pāpaṃ, attajaṃ attasambhavaṃ
Abhimatthati
3 dummedhaṃ,
vajiraṃ v’asmamayaṃ maṇiṃ.161
5. By oneself is evil done; it is self-born, it is self-caused.
Evil grinds the unwise as a diamond grinds a hard gem.

1
See the Vammika Sutta, Majjhimanikāya, Sutta 3.
2
’va
3
Abhimanthati


The Lay Disciple Mahākāḷa
This devout layman, having listened to the Dhamma throughout the night,
was washing his face at the monastery’s pond in the morning. At that time, a
thief who was being pursued, threw his stolen goods near him and fled. The
owners, mistaking Mahākāḷa for the thief, beat him to death. When the young
monks found his dead body, and reported it to the Buddha, they said that he did
not deserve to die like that. The Buddha explained that it was due to his past evil
kamma.
The Soldier and the Beautiful Wife
The king of Benares posted a soldier at a frontier town, with orders to escort
travellers through a forest where there were robbers. One day, a man and his
wife arrived. On seeing the man’s wife, the soldier fell in love with her at first
sight. In spite of the man’s protests, he had the carriage turned back, and
arranged for them to be lodged for the night. During the night, the soldier hid a
precious jewel in the travellers’ carriage, and made a noise as if thieves had
broken in. In the morning he ‘discovered’ the theft, and sent his men to search
for the thieves. When the man and his wife left in the morning, their carriage
was searched, the gem discovered, and the headman of the village had the man
led away and beaten to death. After the soldier died, he was reborn in hell, and
during the Buddha’s time he was reborn as Mahākāḷa.
Having told this story of Mahākāḷa’s past life, the Buddha uttered the above
verse.
The Corrupt Ruin Themselves
6. Yassa accantadussīlyaṃ, māluvā sālam iv’otataṃ
Karoti so tathattānaṃ, yathā naṃ icchatī diso.162
6. He who is exceedingly corrupt, like a māluvā creeper strangling a sal
tree, does to himself just what an enemy would wish.
The Elder Devadatta
The Buddha uttered the above verse concerning the evil nature of the Elder
Devadatta, who had made several unsuccessful attempts to kill Him.


Evil is Easy to Do
7. Sukarāni asādhūni, attano ahitāni ca
Yaṃ ’ve hitañca sādhuñca, taṃ ve paramadukkaraṃ.163
7. Easy to do are things that are harmful to oneself,
but to do what is beneficial and good is very difficult.
Devadatta Creates A Schism
While he was walking for alms in Rājagaha, the Venerable Ānanda met
Devadatta, who announced that he would perform the Pāṭimokkha separately.
When Venerable Ānanda reported this to the Buddha, he uttered the above verse.
Do Not Scorn the Noble
8. Yo sāsanaṃ arahataṃ, ariyānaṃ dhammajīvinaṃ
Paṭikkosati dummedho, diṭṭhiṃ nissāya pāpikaṃ
Phalāni kaṭṭhakass’eva, attaghātāya1 phallati.164
8. The stupid man, who, on account of false views, scorns the teaching of
the Arahants, the Noble Ones, and the Righteous, ripens like the fruit of
the kāshta reed, only for his own destruction.
The Elder Kāla
The elder tried to dissuade his supporter from hearing the Dhamma from the
Buddha, fearing that she would no longer take care of his needs. In spite of his
attempts the woman went to see the Buddha. Hearing about this from her
daughter he went to the Buddha and suggested that he modify his sermon and
preach on charity and morality, as the woman was too stupid to understand
anything more profound. The Buddha, knowing his evil intention, uttered the
above verse.
Purity and Impurity Depend on Oneself
9. Attanā hi
2 kataṃ pāpaṃ, attanā saṃkilissati
Attanā akataṃ pāpaṃ, attanā’va visujjhati
Suddhi asuddhi paccattaṃ, n’āñño aññaṃ3 visodhaye.165

1
attaghaññāya
2
’va
3
n’āññomañño


9. By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left
undone; by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend on
oneself. No one purifies another.
The Lay Disciple Cūḷakāḷa
A devout layman, having listened to the doctrine throughout the night, set
out on the road to Sāvatthī. At that moment, a thief, who was being pursued,
threw his stolen goods near him and fled. The owners of the goods beat him,
thinking that he was the thief. Some prostitutes who were passing that way, saved
him. He went and told the monks what had happened. When the monks told him
about this, the Buddha uttered the above verse.
Strive for Your Spiritual Welfare
10. Attadatthaṃ paratthena, bahunā’pi na hāpaye
Attadattham abhiññāya, sadatthapasuto siyā.166
10. For the sake of others’ welfare, however great, let one not neglect one’s
own welfare. Clearly perceiving one’s own welfare, let one be intent on
one’s own goal.
The Elder Attadattha
After the Buddha announced that he would pass away within four months, his
disciples flocked from far and near to pay their last respects. Instead of joining
them, a certain elder retired to his cell and meditated diligently. The other
monks reported this to the Buddha. When asked about his conduct, the elder
replied. “Lord, as you would be passing away soon I thought the best way to
honour you would be by attaining Arahantship during your lifetime itself.” The
Buddha praised him for his exemplary conduct and remarked that one’s own
spiritual welfare should not be neglected for the sake of others.