Saturday 23 July 2011

The Story of Thera Mahakassapa (Dhammapada 2 : 28)

II. Appamada Vagga – Mindfulness

Verse 28:
The wise one dispels negligence by means of mindfulness;
he ascends the tower of wisdom and being free from sorrow looks at the sorrowing beings.
Just as one on the mountain top looks at those on the plain below, so also,
the wise one (the arahat) looks at the foolish and the ignorant (worldlings).
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While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (28) of this book, with reference to Thera Mahakassapa.

On one occasion, while Thera Mahakassapa was staying at Pipphali cave, he spent his time developing the mental image of light (aloka kasina) and trying to find out through Divine Vision, beings who were mindful and beings who were negligent, also those who were about to die and those who were about to be born.

From his monastery, the Buddha saw through his Divine Vision what Thera Mahakassapa was doing and wanted to warn him that he was wasting his time. So he sent forth his radiance and appeared seated before the thera and exhorted him thus: "My son Kassapa, the number of births and deaths of beings is innumerable and cannot be counted. It is not your concern to count them; it is the concern only of the Buddhas."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

"Pamādaṃ appamādena yadā nudati paṇḍito
paññāpāsādaṃ āruyha asoko sokiniṃ pajaṃ
pabbataṭṭho va bhummaṭṭhe dhīro bāle avekkhati."

The wise one dispels negligence by means of mindfulness;
he ascends the pinnacle of wisdom and being free from sorrow looks at the sorrowing beings. 
Just as one on the mountain top looks at those on the plain below, so also,
the wise one (the arahat) looks at the foolish and the ignorant (worldlings).
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Notes :

Only a Buddha can see infinite numbers of rebirth, therefore can accurately investigate which action causes the result. A mere arahat does have the capability to know rebirth of beings albeit very limited compare to the Buddha’s knowledge. Arahats’ capability to see the rebirth are limited to certain span of time, not infinite, therefore it may not be as accurate.

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