Verse 40

Dhammapada Verse 40

The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

Five hundred bhikkhus from Savatthi, after obtaining a subject of meditation from the Buddha, travelled for a distance of one hundred yojanas away from Savatthi and came to a large forest grove, a suitable place for meditation practice. The guardian spirits of the trees dwelling in that forest thought that if those bhikkhus were staying in the forest, it would not be proper for them to live with their families in the trees. So they descended from the trees, thinking that the bhikkhus would stop there only for one night. But the bhikkhus were still there at the end of a fortnight; then it occurred to them that the bhikkhus might be staying there till the end of the vassa. In that case, they and their families would have to be living on the ground for a long time. So, they decided to frighten away the bhikkhus, by making ghostly sounds and frightful apparitions. They showed up with bodies without heads, and with heads without bodies, etc. The bhikkhus were very upset and left the place and returned to the Buddha, to whom they related everything. On hearing their account, the Buddha told them that this had happened because previously they went without any weapon and that they should go back there armed with a suitable weapon. So saying, the Buddha taught them the entire Metta Sutta (discourse on Loving-Kindness) beginning with the following stanza:

Karaniyamattha kusalena
Yanta santam padam abhisamecca
Sakko uju ca suhuju ca
Suvaco c'assa mudu anatimani.

[The above stanza may be translated as: "He who is skilled in (acquiring) what is good and beneficial, (mundane as well as supra-mundane), aspiring to attain Perfect Peace (Nibbana) should act (thus): He should be efficient, upright, perfectly upright, compliant, gentle and free from conceit."]

The bhikkhus were instructed to recite the sutta from the time they came to the outskirts of the forest grove and to enter the monastery reciting the same. The bhikkhus returned to the forest grove and did as they were told. The guardian spirits of the trees receiving loving-kindness from the bhikkhus reciprocated by readily welcoming and not harming them. There were no more ghostly sounds and ungainly sights. Thus left in peace, the bhikkhus meditated on the body and came to realize its fragile and impermanent nature.

From the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha, by his supernormal power, learned about the progress of the bhikkhus and sent forth his radiance making them feel his presence. To them he said, "Bhikkhus just as you have realized, the body is, indeed, impermanent."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Kumbhupamam kayamimam viditva
nagarupam cittamidam thapetva
yodhetha maram panna vudhena
jitanca rakkhe anivesano siya¹.

Verse 40: Knowing that this body is (fragile) like an earthern jar, making one's mind secure like a fortified town, one should fight Mara with the weapon of Knowledge. (After defeating Mara) one should still continue to guard one's mind, and feel no attachment to that which has been gained (i.e., jhana ecstasy and serenity gained through meditation).

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1. anivesano siya: not to be attached; in this Context not to be attached to jhana ecstasy and serenity gained through meditation, but to proceed further with Insight meditation practices until the attainment of arahatship. (The Commentary)

Flowers : Verses 44 and 45

Dhammapada Verses 44 and 45

The Story of 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 imam pathavim vicessati
yamalokanca imam sadevakam
ko dhammapadam sudesitam¹kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.

Verse 44: 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?

Sekho pathavim vicessati
yamalokanca imam sadevakam
sekho dhammapadam sudesitam
kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.

Verse 45: The Ariya Sekha² 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.

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1. dhammapadam sudesitam: the well-taught Path of Virtue; here it means the thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dhamma).
2. sekho/sekhapuggala: one who is practising the Dhamma, and has entered the Path, but has not yet become an arahat. The term is applied to the first seven ariyapuggalas, the eighth or arahat being asekho.

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

Verse 83

Dhammapada Verse 83

The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

At the request of a brahmin from Veranja, the Buddha was, on one occasion, staying at Veranja with five hundred bhikkhus. While they were at Veranja, the brahmin failed to look after them. The people of Varanja, who were then facing a famine, could offer very little to the bhikkhus when they went on their rounds for alms-food. In spite of all these hardships, the bhikkhus were not disheartened; they were quite contented with the small amount of shriveled grain which the horse-traders offered them daily. At the end of the vasa, after informing the brahmin from Veranja, the Buddha returned to the Jetavana monastery, accompanied by the five hundred bhikkhus. The people of Savatthi welcomed them back with choice food of all kinds.

A group of people living with the bhikkhus, eating whatever was left over by the bhikkhus, ate greedily like true gluttons and went to sleep after their meals. On waking up, they were shouting, singing and dancing, thus making themselves a thorough nuisance. When the Buddha came in the evening to the congregation of bhikkhus, they reported to him about the behaviour of those unruly persons, and said, "These people living on the leftovers were quite decent and well-behaved when all of us were facing hardship and famine in Veranja. Now that they have enough good food they are going about shouting, singing and dancing, and thus make themselves a thorough nuisance. The bhikkhus, however, behave themselves here just as they were in Veranja".

To them the Buddha replied, "It is in the nature of the foolish to be full of sorrow and feel depressed when things go wrong, and to be full of gladness and feel elated when things go well. The wise, however, can withstand the ups and downs of life."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Sabbattha ye sappurisa cajanti
na kamakama lapayanti santo
sukhena phuttha atha va dukhena
na uccavacam pandita dassayanti.

Verse 83: Indeed, the virtuous give up all (i.e., attachment to the five khandhas, etc.); the virtuous (lit., the tranquil) do not talk with sensual desire; when faced with joy or sorrow, the wise do not show elation or depression.

Verse 170

Dhammapada Verse 170

The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

On one occasion, five hundred bhikkhus, after taking a subject of meditation from the Buddha, went into the forest to practise meditation. But they made very little progress; so they returned to the Buddha to ask for a more suitable subject of meditation. On their way to the Buddha, seeing a mirage they meditated on it. As soon as they entered the compound of the monastery, a storm broke out; as big drops of rain fell, bubbles were formed on the ground and soon disappeared. Seeing those bubbles, the bhikkhus reflected "This body of ours is perishable like the bubbles", and perceived the impermanent nature of the aggregates (khandhas).
The Buddha saw them from his perfumed chamber and sent forth the radiance and appeared in their vision.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Yatha pubbulakam passe
yatha passe maracikam
evam lokam avekkhantam¹
maccuraja na passati.

Verse 170: If a man looks at the world (i.e., the five khandhas) in the same way as one looks at a bubble or a mirage, the King of Death will not find him.

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1. evam jokam avekkhantam: one who looks at the world in the same way, i.e., looks at the world as being impermanent as a bubble and as non-material as a mirage.

The Path :: Verses 273, 274, 275 and 276

Dhammapada Verses 273, 274, 275 and 276

The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

Five hundred bhikkhus, after accompanying the Buddha to a village, returned to the Jetavana monastery. In the evening they talked about the trip, especially the nature of the land, whether it was level or hilly, clayey or stony, etc. The Buddha came to them in the midst of their conversation and said to them, "Bhikkhus, the path you are talking about is external to you; a bhikkhu should only be concerned with the path of the Noble Ones (ariyas) and strive to do what should be done for the attainment of the Ariya Path (Magga) that leads to the realization of the Perfect Peace (Nibbana)."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Magganatthangiko¹ settho
saccanam caturo pada²
virago settho dhammanam³
dvipadananca cakkhuma.

Verse 273: Of paths, the Path of Eight Constituents is the noblest; of truths, the Four Noble Truths are the noblest; of the dhammas, the absence of craving (i.e., Nibbana) is the noblest; of the two-legged beings, the All-Seeing Buddha is the noblest.

Eseva maggo natthanno
dassanassa visuddhiya
etanhi tumhe patipajjatha
marassetam pamohanam.

Verse 274: This is the only Path, and there is none other for the purity of vision. Follow this Path; it will bewilder Mara.

Etanhi tumhe patipanna
dukkhassantam karissatha
akkhato vo rnaya maggo
annaya sallakantanam.

Verse 275: Following this Path, you will make an end of dukkha. Having myself known the Path which can lead to the removal of the thorns of moral defilements, I have shown you the Path.

Tumhehi kiccamatappam
akkhataro tathagata
patipanna pamokkhanti
jhayino marabandhana.

Verse 276: You yourselves should make the effort; the Tathagatas (Buddhas) only can show the way. Those who practise the Tranquillity and Insight Meditation are freed from the bond of Mara.

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1. atthangiko: Ariya Atthangika Magga, or the Noble Path of Eight Constituents. This is the Path pointed out by the Buddha for liberation from the round of existences. The Eight Constituents are: right view, right thinking, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
2. caturo pada: Cattari Ariyasaccani, or the Four Noble Truths. These are the four Truths upon which the whole doctrine of the Buddha is based. They are: (a) the Noble Truth of Dukkha; (b) the Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha, i.e., craving; (c) the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha; and (d) the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of Dukkha. (N.B. Dukkha, in this context, means the five aggregates of attachment or Pancupadanakkhandha).
3. dhamma: both conditioned and unconditioned things.