The Story of the Ascetic Paveyya (Dhammapada 4 : 50)

IV. Puppha Vagga – Blossoms

Verse 50:
One should not consider the faults of others,
nor their doing or not doing good or bad deeds.
One should consider only whether one has done
or not done good or bad deeds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (50) of this book, with reference to the ascetic Paveyya and a rich lady.

A rich lady of Savatthi had adopted Paveyya, an ascetic, as a son and was looking after his needs. When she heard her neighbours talking in praise of the Buddha, she wished very much to invite him to her house to offer him alms-food. So, the Buddha was invited and choice food was offered. As the Buddha was expressing appreciation (anumodana), Paveyya, who was in the next room, fumed with rage. He blamed and cursed the lady for venerating the Buddha. The lady heard him cursing and shouting and felt so ashamed that she could not concentrate on what the Buddha was saying. The Buddha told her not to be concerned about those curses and threats, but to concentrate only on her own good and bad deeds.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

"na paresaṃ vilomāni, na paresaṃ katākataṃ

attano va avekkheyya katāni akatāni ca”

One should not consider the faults of others,

nor their doing or not doing good or bad deeds.

One should consider only whether

one has done or not done good or bad deeds.

At the end of the discourse the rich lady attained Sotapatti Fruition.

IV. Puppha Vagga – Blossoms

Verse 49:
As the bee collects nectar and flies away without damaging the flower
or its colour or its scent, so also,
let the bhikkhu dwell and act in the village
(without affecting the faith and generosity or the wealth of the villagers).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (49) of this book, with reference to the Chief Disciple Maha Moggallana and the miserly rich man, Kosiya.

In the village of Sakkara, near Rajagaha, there lived a miserly rich man by the name of Kosiya, who was very reluctant to give away even the tiniest part of anything belonging to him. One day, to avoid sharing with others, the rich man and his wife were making some pancakes in the uppermost storey of their house, where no one would see them.

Early in the morning, on that day, the Buddha through his Dibbacakkhu (supernormal power), saw the rich man and his wife in his vision, and knew that both of them would soon attain Sotapatti Fruition. So he sent his Chief Disciple Maha Moggallana to the house of the rich man, with instructions to bring the couple to the Jetavana monastery in time for the midday meal. The Chief Disciple, by supernormal power, reached Kosiya's house in an instant and stood at the window. The rich man saw him and asked him to leave; the Venerable Maha Moggallana just stood there without saying anything. In the end, Kosiya said to his wife, "Make a very small pancake and give it to the bhikkhu." So she took just a little amount of dough and put it in the pan, and the cake filled up the whole pan. Kosiya thought his wife must have put in too much, so he took just a pinch of dough and put it into the pan; his pancake also swelled into a big one. It so happened that however little dough they might put in, they were unable to make small pancakes.

At last, Kosiya asked his wife to offer one from the basket to the bhikkhu. When she tried to take out one from the basket it would not come off because all the pancakes were sticking together and could not be separated. By this time Kosiya has lost all appetite for pancakes and offered the whole basket of pancakes to Maha Moggallana. The Chief Disciple then delivered a discourse on charity to the rich man and his wife. He also told the couple about how the Buddha was waiting with five hundred bhikkhus at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, forty-five yojanas away from Rajagaha. Maha Moggallana, by his supernormal power, then took both Kosiya and his wife together with their basket of pancakes, to the presence of the Buddha. There, they offered the pancakes to the Buddha and the five hundred bhikkhus. At the end of the meal, the Buddha delivered a discourse on charity, and both Kosiya and his wife attained Sotapatti Fruition.

Next evening, while the bhikkhus were talking in praise of Maha Moggallana, the Buddha came to them and said, "Bhikkhus, you should also dwell and act in the village like Maha Moggallana, receiving the offerings of the villagers without affecting their faith and generosity, or their wealth."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

“yathā’pi bhamaro pupphaṃ

vaṇṇagandhaṃ aheṭhayaṃ

paleti rasam ādāya

evaṃ gāme munī care”

As the bee collects nectar and flies away

without damaging the flower or its colour or its scent,

so also, let the bhikkhu dwell and act in the village

(without affecting the faith and generosity or the wealth of the villagers).

--------


Notes :

* Dibbacakkhu (dibba = divine, cakkhu = eye) : divine eyes, super eyes, esp ; the ability to see to see other worlds and see other’s karmic destinations, etc.

Early morning, The Buddha surveyed all direction to see if there is someone who has potential to reach enlightenment and needs help to achieve it.

The Story of Patipujika Kumari (Dhammapada 4 : 48)

IV. Puppha Vagga – Blossoms

Verse 48:
Like one who picks and chooses flowers,
a man who has his mind attached to sensual pleasures
and is insatiate in them
is over powered by Death.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (48) of this book, with reference to Patipujika Kumari.

Patipujika Kumari was a lady from Savatthi. She married at the age of sixteen and had four sons. She was a virtuous as well as a generous lady, who loved to make offerings of food and other requisites to the bhikkhus. She would often go to the monastery and clean up the premises, fill the pots and jars with water and perform other services. Patipujika also possessed Jatissara Knowledge through which she remembered that in her previous existence she was one of the numerous wives of Malabhari, in the deva world of Tavatimsa. She also remembered that she had passed away from there when all of them were out in the garden enjoying themselves, plucking and picking flowers. So, every time she made offerings to the bhikkhus or performed any other meritorious act, she would pray that she might be reborn in the Tavatimsa realm as a wife of Malabhari, her previous husband.

One day, Patipujika fell ill and passed away that same evening. As she had so ardently wished, she was reborn in Tavatimsa deva world as a wife of Malabhari. As one hundred years in the human world is equivalent to just one day in Tavatimsa world, Malabhari and his other wives were still in the garden enjoying themselves and Patipujika was barely missed by them. So, when she rejoined them, Malabhari asked her where she had been the whole morning. She then told him about her passing away from Tavatimsa, her rebirth in the human world, her marriage to a man and also about how she had given birth to four sons, her passing away from there and finally her return to Tavatimsa.

When the bhikkhus learned about the death of Patipujika, they were stricken with grief. They went to the Buddha and reported that Patipujika, who was offering alms-food to them early in the morning, had passed away in the evening. To them the Buddha replied that the life of beings was very brief; and that before they could hardly be satiated in their sensual pleasures, they were overpowered by Death.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

“pupphāni h’eva pacinantaṃ vyāsattamanasaṃ naraṃ

atittaṃ yeva kāmesu antako kurute vasaṃ”

Like one who picks and chooses flowers,

a man who has his mind attached to sensual pleasures

and is insatiate in them

is over powered by Death.

The Story of Vidudabha (Dhammapada 4 : 47)

IV. Puppha Vagga – Blossoms

Verse 47:
Like one who picks and chooses flowers,
a man who has his mind attached to sensual pleasures
is carried away by Death,
just as a great flood sweeps away a sleeping village.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (47) of this book, with reference to Vidudabha, son of King Pasenadi of Kosala.

King Pasenadi of Kosala, wishing to marry into the clan of the Sakyans, sent some emissaries to Kapilavatthu with a request for the hand of one of the Sakyan princesses. Not wishing to offend King Pasenadi, the Sakyan princes replied that they would comply with his request, but instead of a Sakyan princess they sent a very beautiful girl born of King Mahanama and a slave woman. King Pasenadi made that girl one of his chief queens and subsequently she gave birth to a son. This son was named Vidudabha. When the prince was sixteen years old, he was sent on a visit to King Mahanama and the Sakyan princes. There he was received with some hospitality but all the Sakyan princes who were younger than Vitatubha had been sent away to a village, so that they would not have to pay respect to Vitatubha. After staying a few days in Kapilavatthu, Vidudabha and his company left for home. Soon after they left, a slave girl was washing with milk the place where Vitatubha had sat; she was also cursing him, shouting, "This is the place where that son of a slave woman had sat". At that moment, a member of Vitatubha's entourage returned to fetch something which he had left at the place and heard what the slave girl said. The slave girl also told him that Vidudabha 's mother, Vasabhakhattiya, was the daughter of a slave girl belonging to Mahanama.

When Vidudabha was told about the above incident, he became wild with rage and declared that one day he would wipe out the whole clan of the Sakyans. True to his word, when Vidudabha became king, he marched on the Sakyan clan and massacred them all, with the exception of a few who were with Mahanama and some others. On their way home, Vitatubha and his army encamped on the sandbank in the river Aciravati. As heavy rain fell in the upper parts of the country on that very night, the river swelled and rushed down with great force carrying away Vitatubha and his army into the ocean.

On hearing about these two tragic incidents, the Buddha explained to the bhikkhus that his relatives, the Sakyan princes, had in one of their previous existences, put poison into the river killing the fishes. It was as a result of that particular action that the Sakyan princes had to die en masse. Then, referring to the incident about Vidudabha and his army, the Buddha said, "As a great flood sweeps away all the villagers in a sleeping village, so also, Death carries away all the creatures hankering after sensual pleasures."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

"pupphāni h’eva pacinantam

byāsatta-mānasam naram

suttam gāmam mah’ogho’va

maccu ādāya gacchati"

Like one who picks and chooses flowers,

a man who has his mind attached to sensual pleasures

is carried away by Death,

just as a great flood sweeps away a sleeping village.

--------

Notes:

King Pasenadi has 2 wives / chief queens. The first queen is Queen Mallika, with whom he has a daughter, Princess Vajiri. The second is Queen Vasabha with whom he has a son, Prince Vidudabha.

The Story of the Bhikkhu who Contemplates the Body as a Mirage (Dhammapada 4 : 46)

IV. Puppha Vagga – Blossoms

Verse 46:
One who knows that this body is impermanent like froth,
and comprehends that it is insubstantial like a mirage,
will cut the flowers of Mara (i.e., the three kinds of vatta or rounds),
and pass out of sight of the King of Death.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (46) of this book, with reference to a certain bhikkhu.

On one occasion, a certain bhikkhu, after taking a subject of meditation from the Buddha, went to the forest. Although he tried hard he made little progress in his meditation; so he decided to go back to the Buddha for further instruction. On his way back he saw a mirage, which, after all, was only an illusive appearance of a sheet of water. At that instant, he came to realize that the body also was insubstantial like a mirage. Thus keeping his mind on the insubstantiality of the body he came to the bank of the river Aciravati. While sitting under a tree close to the river, seeing big froths breaking up, he realized the impermanent nature of the body.

Soon, the Buddha appeared in his vision and said to him, "My son, just as you have realized, this body is impermanent like froth and insubstantial like a mirage."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

“pheṇūpamaṃ kāyam imaṃ viditvā

marīcidhammaṃ abhisambudhāno

chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni

adassanaṃ maccurājassa gacche”

One who knows that this body is impermanent like froth,

and comprehends that it is insubstantial like a mirage

will cut the flowers of Mara (i.e., the three kinds of vatta or rounds),

and pass out of sight of the King of Death.

At the end of the discourse the bhikkhu attained arahatship.

--------

Notes:

* papupphakāni = flowers or flower-tipped arrows of Mara. These flowers or arrows of Mara represent the tivattam or the three kinds of vattam (rounds); kilesavattam (the round of moral defilements), kammavattam (the round of volitional action) and vipakavattam (the round of resultant effects). According to the Commentary, this chain or round is broken when cut by the sword of ariya magga nana.

* adassanam maccurājassa gacche : In this context, out of sight of the King of Death means the realization of Nibbana.

The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus (Dhammapada 4 : 44-45)

IV. Puppha Vagga – Blossoms

Verse 44:
Who shall examine this earth (i.e., this body),
the world of Yama (i.e., the four Apayas) and the world of devas?
Who shall examine the well-taught Path of Virtue (Dhammapada)
as an expert florist picks and chooses flowers?

Verse 45:
The Ariya Sekha shall examine this earth (i.e., the body),
the world of Yama (i.e., the four Apayas) and the world of devas.
The Ariya Sekha shall examine the well-taught Path of Virtue (Dhammapada)
as an expert florist picks and chooses flowers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (44) and (45) of this book, with reference to five hundred bhikkhus.

Five hundred bhikkhus, after accompanying the Buddha to a village, returned to the Jetavana monastery. In the evening, while the bhikkhus were talking about the trip, especially the condition of the land, whether it was level or hilly, or whether the soil was clayey or sandy, red or black, etc., the Buddha came to them. Knowing the subject of their talk, he said to them, "Bhikkhus, the earth you are talking about is external to the body; it is better, indeed, to examine your own body and make preparations (for meditation practice)."

The Buddha then spoke in verse as follows:

“ko imaṃ paṭhaviṃ vijessati

yamalokaṃ ca imaṃ sadevakaṃ?

ko dhammapadaṃ sudesitaṃ

kusalo puppham iva-ppacessati

sekho paṭhaviṃ vijessati

yamalokaṃ ca imaṃ sadevakaṃ

sekho dhammapadaṃ sudesitaṃ

kusalo puppham iva-ppacessati “

Who shall examine this earth (i.e., this body)' the world of Yama (i.e., the four Apayas) and the world of man together with the world of devas?

Who shall examine the well-taught Path of Virtue (Dhammapada) as an expert florist picks and chooses flowers?

The Ariya Sekha shall examine this earth (i.e., the body), the world of Yama (i.e., the four Apayas) and the world of man together with the world of devas.

The Ariya Sekha shall examine the well-taught Path of Virtue (Dhammapada) as an expert florist picks and chooses flowers.

At the end of the discourse those five hundred bhikkhus attained arahatship.

 --------

Notes :

* Ariya Sekha: one who practises the Dhamma and has entered the Path, but has not yet become an arahat.

Sekha = a learner; one who is in the course of perfection.

The Story of Soreyya (Dhammapada 3 : 43)

III. Citta Vagga – The Mind

Verse 43:
Not a mother, nor a father,
nor any other relative
can do more for the well-being of one
than a rightly-directed mind can.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (43) of this book, with reference to Soreyya, the son of a rich man of Soreyya city.

On one occasion, Soreyya accompanied by a friend and some attendants was going out in a luxurious carriage for a bath. At that moment, Thera Mahakaccayana was adjusting his robes outside the city, as he was going into the city of Soreyya for alms-food. The youth Soreyya, seeing the golden complexion* of the thera, thought, "How I wish the thera were my wife, or else that the complexion of my wife were like that of his." As the wish arose in him, his sex changed and he became a woman. Very much ashamed, he got down from the carriage and ran away, taking the road to Takkasilā. His companions missing him, looked for him, but could not find him.

Soreyya, now a woman, offered her signet ring to some people going to Takkasilā, to allow her to go along with them in their carriage. On arrival at Takkasilā, her companions told a young rich man of Takkasilā about the lady who came along with them. The young rich man, finding her to be very beautiful and of a suitable age for him, married her. As a result of this marriage two sons were born; there were also two sons from the previous marriage of Soreyya as a man.

One day, a rich man's son from the city of Soreyya came to Takkasilā with five hundred carts. Lady-Soreyya recognizing him to be an old friend sent for him. The man from Soreyya city was surprised that he was invited, because he did not know the lady who invited him. He told the lady-Soreyya that he did not know her, and asked her whether she knew him. She answered that she knew him and also enquired after the health of her family and other people in Soreyya city. The man from Soreyya city next told her about the rich man's son who disappeared mysteriously while going out for a bath. Then the Lady-Soreyya revealed her identity and related all that had happened, about the wrongful thoughts with regard to Thera Mahakaccayana, about the change of sex, and her marriage to the young rich man of Takkasilā. The man from the city of Soreyya then advised the lady-Soreyya to ask pardon of the thera. Thera Mahakaccayana was accordingly invited to the home of Soreyya and alms-food was offered to him. After the meal, the lady-Soreyya was brought to the presence of the thera, and the man from Soreyya told the thera that the lady was at one time the son of a rich man from Soreyya city. He then explained to the thera how Soreyya was turned into a female on account of his wrongful thoughts towards the respected thera. Lady-Soreyya then respectfully asked pardon of Thera Mahakaccayana. The thera then said, "Get up, I forgive you." As soon as these words were spoken, the woman was changed back to a man. Soreyya then pondered how within a single existence and with a single body he had undergone change of sex and how sons were born to him, etc. And feeling very weary and repulsive of all these things, he decided to leave the household life and joined the Sangha under the thera.

After that, he was often asked, "Whom do you love more, the two sons you had as a man or the other two you had as a wife?" To them, he would answer that his love for those born of the womb was greater. This question was put to him so often, he felt very much annoyed and ashamed. So he stayed by himself and with diligence, contemplated the decay and dissolution of the body. He soon attained arahatship together with the Analytical Insight. When the old question was next put to him he replied that he had no affection for any one in particular. Other bhikkhus hearing him thought he must be telling a lie. When reported about Soreyya giving a different answer, the Buddha said, "My son is not telling lies, he is speaking the truth. His answer now is different because he has now realized arahatship and so has no more affection for anyone in particular. By his well-directed mind my son has brought about in himself a well-being which neither the father nor the mother can bestow on him."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

“na taṃ mātā pitā kayirā aññe vāpi ca ñātakā

sammāpaṇihitaṃ cittaṃ seyyaso naṃ tato kare”

Not a mother, nor a father, nor any other relative

can do more for the well-being of one than a rightly-directed mind can.

At the end of the discourse many attained Sotapatti Fruition.

--------

Notes:

* In the time of Kassapa Buddha, Thera Mahakaccayana was a householder of Benares, and offered a golden brick, worth one hundred thousand, to the cetiya which was being built over the Buddha's remains, and then made a vow that in future births his body should be golden (ThagA.i.483f.; AA.i.117f)

End of Chapter Three: The Mind (Cittavagga)