Dhammapada Commentary - Loka Vagga

Dhammapada Commentary ( Dhammapada Atthakatha )

Edited by
Bhikkhu Pesala


13 — Loka Vagga
The World
Give Up Base Desires
1. Hīnaṃ dhammaṃ na seveyya, pamādena na saṃvase
Micchādiṭṭhiṃ na seveyya, na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.167
1. Do not serve mean ends, Do not live in heedlessness.
Do not embrace false views. Do not be a world-upholder.
The Young Monk
Visākhā’s grand-daughter was serving the monks. On seeing her reflection in
a water pot she laughed. A young monk looked at the reflection and also laughed.
She said, “A skinhead is laughing.” The young monk took offence at being called
a skinhead,
1 and abused her. She started crying and told her grandmother.
Visākhā and the elder monk were unable to pacify the young monk. The Buddha
took his side, asking Visākhā if it was proper to call his disciples ‘skinheads.’ Then
the Buddha uttered the above verse.
The Righteous Are Happy
2. Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, dhammaṃ sucaritaṃ care
Dhammacārī sukhaṃ seti, asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.168
3. Dhammaṃ care sucaritaṃ, na naṃ duccaritaṃ care
Dhammacārī sukhaṃ seti, asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.169
2. Do not be heedless in standing (for alms). Practice this righteous conduct
well. One who practices rightly, lives happily in this world and the next.
3. Scrupulously observe (this) practice. Do not observe it unscrupulously. He
who observes this practice lives happily both in this world and in the
next.

1
The text says a ‘cut-head,’ but ‘skinhead’ is the modern idiom.


King Suddhodana
When the Buddha visited his birthplace, Kapilavatthu, for the first time since
his enlightenment, he performed a miracle to subdue the pride of his kinsfolk. As
he taught the Dhamma, a shower of rain fell on them, and the Buddha related the
Vessantara Jātaka to show that the same had happened before. Having
worshipped the Buddha, his relatives departed, but not one of them invited him
for the next day’s meal. The king had food prepared, assuming that he would
come there. The next day, the Buddha walked for alms in the city. His father,
King Suddhodana, who was mortified on hearing that his son was begging for
alms, hastened to stop him. Thereupon the Buddha remarked that it was the
custom of his lineage to seek alms from door to door, and uttered the above
verses. On hearing the verse, the king attained Stream-winning.
Like A Bubble is this World
4. Yathā pubbuḷakaṃ1 passe,
yathā passe marīcikaṃ
Evaṃ lokaṃ avekkhantaṃ,
maccurājā na passati.170
4. Just as one would look upon a bubble, just as one would look upon a
mirage — if a person thus looks upon the world, the king of death sees
him not.
Five Hundred Vipassanā Monks
Not making much progress with their meditation, five hundred monks came
to the Buddha to request a more suitable meditation object. Reflecting on a
mirage and on bubbles of water, they attained Arahantship. Concerning their
attainment, the Buddha uttered the above verse.
The Wise Are Not Attached to the World
5. Etha passath’imaṃ lokaṃ, cittaṃ rājarathūpamaṃ
Yattha bālā visīdanti, natthi saṅgo vijānataṃ.171
5. This world is like an ornamented royal chariot.
Fools flounder in it, but for the wise there is no attachment.

1
bubbulakaṃ


Prince Abhaya
Prince Abhaya was entertained royally as a reward for suppressing a
rebellion. He was grief-stricken (just as in the story of the minister Santati, verse
142) on witnessing the death of a dancer, and sought consolation from the
Buddha. The Buddha consoled him and uttered the above verse.
The Heedful Illuminate the World
6. Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā, pacchā so nappamajjati
So imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti, abbhā mutto’va candimā.172
6. Whoever was heedless before and afterwards is not; such a one
illuminates this world like the moon freed from clouds.
The Sweeping Monk
A monk was constantly sweeping the rooms of the monastery. He criticised
the Elder Revata who was always meditating. The elder advised him to sweep the
monastery before almsround, and to spend the day in meditation, sweeping
again in the evening if he wished. He followed this advice and in due course
attained Arahantship. When rubbish started to accumulate, the other monks
asked him why he didn’t sweep any more. The elder replied that he was no longer
heedless, therefore he didn’t spend all his time sweeping. The monks wondered if
he had attained Arahantship and told the Buddha what he had said. Concerning
his change of attitude, the Buddha uttered the above verse.
Evil Can Be Erased by Good
7. Yassa pāpaṃ kataṃ kammaṃ, kusalena pidhīyati
1
So imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti, abbhā mutto’va candimā.173
7. Whoever, by a good deed, covers the evil done, such a one illuminates
this world like the moon freed from clouds.
The Elder Aṅgulimāla
As related in the Aṅgulimāla Sutta of the Majjhimanikāya, Aṅgulimāla was a
notorious murderer. One day, after the meal, the Buddha set out to meet him.
Though cowherds, goatherds, and farmers warned him not to go on, the Buddha
continued walking. On seeing the Buddha, Aṅgulimāla chased him, intending to

1
pitīyati


kill him. However, though he ran as fast as he could, he was unable to catch up
with the Buddha, who was only walking. He was amazed that though he could
catch an elephant, a horse, a chariot, or a deer, he could not catch up with the
Buddha. He stopped, and called out, “Stop recluse!” The Buddha replied,
“Aṅgulimāla, I have stopped. You should also stop.” Aṅgulimāla thought, “These
recluses who are sons of the Sākyans speak the truth, and are avowed to the truth.
I will ask the meaning of this.” So he asked the Buddha what he meant, and the
Buddha explained that he had stopped killing and injuring living beings while
Aṅgulimāla had not. Aṅgulimāla throw away his sword, worshipped the Buddha,
and begged for the going forth. The Buddha said, “Come Monk” and took the new
monk back to Sāvatthī.
King Pasenadi, having heard many complaints about Aṅgulimāla, set out with
five hundred soldiers to capture him. On the way he stopped to pay respects to
the Buddha who asked him if he had quarrelled with King Bimbisāra, or the
Licchavīs, or another minor king. The king replied that he was going to capture
Aṅgulimāla. Then the Buddha asked the king what he would do to Aṅgulimāla if
he had gone forth as a monk, and was dwelling virtuous and well-behaved. The
king replied that he would pay homage and support him, but how could such an
evil person become so virtuous? Then the Buddha stretched out his right hand,
pointing to Aṅgulimāla who was sat nearby. The king became afraid, trembling,
and horrified. The Buddha told him not to be alarmed, and the king paid homage
to Aṅgulimāla, asked him who his father and mother were, and offered to
provide the requisites for him.
Later, Aṅgulimāla attained Arahantship and passed away, attaining
parinibbāna. The monks wished to know how such a murderer could have
become an Arahant. In reply the Buddha uttered the above verse.
Blind is this World
8. Andhabhūto ayaṃ loko, tanuk’ettha vipassati
Sakuṇo1 jālamutto’va, appo saggāya gacchati.174
8. Blind is this world. Few are those who see clearly.
As birds escape from a net, few go to a blissful state.

1
Sakunto


The Weaver’s Daughter
One day, after being invited for the meal at Āḷavi, in his thanksgiving sermon
the Buddha taught about the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death. He
advised the people to meditate constantly on death, otherwise when death comes
one will be afraid and scream like someone who sees a poisonous snake.
However, if one meditates constantly on death, one is not afraid, like someone
who sees a snake when armed with a stick. Having heard the discourse, the
people soon resumed their normal business, but the sixteen-year-old daughter of
a weaver took his teaching to heart because her own mother had recently died.
Heedful of his advice, she meditated constantly on death for three years.
Seeing that she was now ready to realise the Dhamma, the Buddha set off
again for the Aggāḷava Vihāra at Āḷavi. When he arrived, the people of Āḷavi
invited him for alms, but after the meal the Buddha sat and waited in silence,
thinking, “The one for whose benefit I came is not yet here.” The girl’s father had
told her to fill the shuttle with thread for a cloth he was weaving, so she was
working hard in the spinning shed when she heard that the Buddha had come.
Having completed her allotted task, she decided to pay respects to the Buddha
first before going to give the shuttle to her father.
Seeing her come, the Buddha looked at her, so she put down her basket,
approached the Buddha, paid homage and stood up. He asked her, “Young girl,
where have you come from?” She replied, “I do not know, Lord.”
Then he asked her, “Young girl, where are you going?”
She replied, “I do not know, Lord.”
Then he asked, “Do you not know?”
“I know, Lord,” she replied.
“Do you know?” the Buddha asked again.
“I do not know, Lord” she replied.
Many people in the audience were annoyed and murmured, “This girl just
says whatever she likes. Why doesn’t she say that she came from the spinning
shed, and is going to the weaving shed?”
The Buddha silenced them and asked her why she had answered “I do not
know” when asked where she had come from. She explained that since he knew
that she had come from the spinning shed, he must be asking her if she knew


from which existence she had come to take rebirth in this one, so she answered “I
do not know.”
The Buddha praised her answer and asked her why she had said “I do not
know” when asked where she was going. She explained that he knew she was
going to the weaving shed, so he must have been asking her if she knew to which
existence she was going after death, so she replied, “I do not know.”
The Buddha praised her answer a second time, and asked her why she had
answered “I know” when asked “Do you not know?” She explained that she knew
she was going to die, so she replied “I know.”
The Buddha praised her answer a third time and asked her why she had said,
“I do not know” when asked “Do you know?” She explained that she did not know
when she would die, so she replied, “I do not know.”
Praising her answer a fourth time, the Buddha addressed the crowd saying
that not one of them had understood. Then the Buddha uttered the above verse
and the girl attained Stream-winning.
She picked up the shuttle and went to her father, who had fallen asleep at the
loom. Hearing her come in, he woke up and pulled the loom. A heavy beam
struck the girl’s chest and she died on the spot. Grief-stricken, her father came to
the Buddha, who told him not to grieve as the ocean of tears that he had shed
throughout saṃsāra at the death of beloved daughters was bigger than the four
great oceans. The man asked for the going forth, and soon attained Arahantship.
The Wise Escape From this World
9. Haṃsādiccapathe yanti, ākāse yanti iddhiyā
Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā, jetvā māraṃ savāhiniṃ.175
9. Swans wing along on the path of the sun. Mystics go through air by
psychic powers, The wise are led away from the world, having conquered
Māra and his host.
Thirty Foreign Monks
Some monks living in a foreign country came to see the Buddha and, having
heard the Dhamma, attained Arahantship with psychic powers. They departed by
flying through the air. The Elder Ānanda, who had seen them enter, waited
outside for some time before entering to attend on the Buddha. He asked the


Buddha by which way route they had left. At that moment some swans flew by.
The Buddha said that they had attained Arahantship after listening to the
Dhamma. He added that whoever had well developed the four bases of success
(iddhipāda) could fly through the air like swans.
There is No Evil A Liar Cannot Do
10. Ekaṃ dhammaṃ atītassa, musāvādissa jantuno
Vitiṇṇaparalokassa, natthi pāpaṃ akāriyaṃ.176
10. A liar who has transgressed the one law, and is indifferent to the other
world — there is no evil they cannot do.
Ciñca the Brahmin Woman
As the Buddha’s following grew, that of other ascetics diminished. They
plotted together to bring discredit to the Buddha. They asked a beautiful young
woman called Ciñca, the daughter of a Brahmin, to bring blame on the Buddha.
When people were returning from the Jeta grove in the evening she went in
the opposite direction, dressed up and wearing perfumes, saying that she was
going to see the recluse Gotama. She stayed overnight nearby, and in the
morning, when the people were going to offer alms, she returned telling them
that she had stayed the night in the monastery. After four months she pretended
to be pregnant. After eight months she tied up a plank with cloth under her
clothes and publicly blamed the Buddha for her condition, asking what
arrangements he had made for her. The Buddha replied that only the two of them
knew the truth of the matter, and she agreed. Sakka sent four devas as mice to
bite through the string so that the plank fell down, cutting off her toes. The
people beat her, spat at her, and drove her away. As she ran, the earth opened up
and swallowed her, and she fell into Avīci hell. Concerning her false accusation,
the Buddha uttered the above verse.
Misers Are Not Happy
11. Na ve kadariyā devalokaṃ vajanti,
bālā have nappasaṃsanti dānaṃ
Dhīro ca dānaṃ anumodamāno,
ten’eva so hoti sukhī parattha.177
11. Misers do not go to celestial realms. Fools do not praise generosity. The
wise rejoice in giving and thus become happy.


The Incomparable Almsgiving
King Pasenadi and the people competed in offering alms to the Buddha and
the Saṅgha, each trying to outdo the other. Finally, with the help of Queen
Mallikā, the king offered an incomparable almsgiving, spending 140 million, that
the people couldn’t improve on. One minister was displeased about it and another
was full of joy. Regarding their opposing attitudes, the Buddha addressed the
above verse to the King.
Stream-winning is Better Than Sovereignty
12. Pathabyā ekarajjena, saggassa gamanena vā
Sabbalokādhipaccena, sotāpattiphalaṃ varaṃ.178
12. Better than absolute sovereignty over the earth, better than going to
heaven, better even than lordship over all the worlds, is the Fruit of a
Stream-winner.
Kāla, the Son of Anāthapiṇḍika
Anāthapiṇḍika’s son, Kāla, had no interest in the Dhamma. Anāthapiṇḍika
offered him 100 gold coins if he would observe the Uposatha. His son did so, but
didn’t listen to the Dhamma. Then Anāthapiṇḍika offered him a thousand if he
would learn a single verse. The Buddha taught him the Dhamma in such a way
that he had to thoroughly understand the meaning of the verse before he could
remember it, and in so doing he became a Stream-winner. When the Buddha
came to Anāthapiṇḍika’s house for alms, Anāthapiṇḍika offered the money to
Kāla, but he refused it. Then the Buddha commented on the superiority of
Stream-winning over all worldly possessions.