Verses 87, 88 and 89

Dhammapada Verses 87, 88 and 89

The Story of Five Hundred Visiting Bhikkhus

Five hundred bhikkhus who had spent the vassa in Kosala came to pay homage to the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery, at the end of the vassa.

The Buddha uttered the following three verses to suit their various temperaments:

Kanham dhammam vippahaya
sukkam bhavetha pandito
oka anokamagamma¹
viveke² yattha duramam.

Tatrabhiratimiccheyya
hitva kame akincano³
pariyodapeyya attanam
cittaklesehi⁴ pandito.

Verses 87 & 88: The man of wisdom, leaving the home of craving and having Nibbana as his goal, should give up dark, evil ways and cultivate pure, good ones. He should seek great delight in solitude, detachment and Nibbana, which an ordinary man finds so difficult to enjoy. He should also give up sensual pleasures, and clinging to nothing, should cleanse himself of all impurities of the mind.

Yesam sambodhiyangesu⁵
samma cittam subhavitam
adanapatinissagge
anupadaya ye rata
khinasava⁶ jutimanto⁷
te loke parinibbuta.⁸

Verse 89: Those, with mind well-developed in the seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga), having rid themselves of all craving, rejoice in their abandonment of attachment. Such men, with all moral intoxicants eradicated, and powerful (with the light of Arahatta Magganana), have realized Nibbana in this world (i.e., with Khandha aggregates remaining).

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1. oka anakamagamma; lit., having gone from home to the homeless. In this context interpreted as leaving the seat of craving and having Nibbana as a goal.
2. viveke: solitude, detachment, Nibbana.
3. akincano: lit., having nothing; clinging to nothing. (The term kincana may include any of the kilesas or defilements such as passion, ill will, ignorance, etc; it also means clinging or attachment to the world.)
4. cittaklesehi: citta kilesa: impurities of the mind.
5. sambodhiyangesu: sambojjhanga: the Factors of Enlightenment or requisites for attaining Magga Insight.
6. khinasava: one in whom human passions are extinguished; an arahat.
7. jutimanta: one endowed with the power of Arahatta Magganana.
8. te loke parinibbuta: the realization of Nibbana in the realm of the five aggregates (khandhas), or in other words, in this world. But according to the Commentary, in this context, both Sa-upadisesa and Anupadisesa Nibbana are meant. Sa-upadisesa or Kilesa Nibbana is Nibbana with groups of existence or khandhas remaining; it is realized by an arahat on the attainment of arahatship. Anupadisesa or Khandha Nibbana is Nibbana without groups of existence or khandhas remaining. It takes place on the death of an arahat.