THE WISE DO NOT REACT TO UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE
The background story of verse 83
At one time the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatti which was donated to the Buddha by the chief benefactor Anāthapindika.
The Buddha accompanied by five hundred monks went to a place called Verañjā to spend the rain retreat. A brahmin from Verañjā had invited the Buddha to Verañjā and had offered to look after the Buddha and the monks during the rains retreat. But the Brahmin had forgotten about his invitation and did not provide the requisite for the Buddha and the five hundred monks. At that time, there was a famine in Verañjā, and when the monks went on their alms round to the villages, they received very little food. Some horse traders who were also staying in Verañjā offered small amounts of shrivelled grain to the monks daily and the monks remained contended with whatever food they received. When the rains retreat was over, the Buddha and the five hundred monks returned to Jetavana Monastery in Sāvatti and they were welcomed by the devotees who offered choice food of all kinds.
A group of people who lived with the monks ate whatever food was left over by the monks greedily and went to sleep after having their food. When they woke up, they began shouting, singing and dancing thus becoming a nuisance to others. In the evening the Buddha came to the congregation of the monks when they reported to the Buddha about the unruly behaviour of those people. The monks said to the Buddha that those people were quite decent and well-behaved when they were facing the famine and the food shortage in Verañjā, but that when they had enough good food here in Sāvatti, they were shouting, singing and dancing thus becoming a nuisance to others. They also said that the monks were behaving here just as they behaved in Verañjā.
The Buddha said to them:
“It is like the foolish to be full of sorrow and become depressed when things go wrong and to be full of gladness and become elated when things are going well. The wise can withstand the ups and downs of life.”
Then the Buddha recited the following verse which is recorded as the 83rd verse of the Dhammapada.
“Sabbattha ve sappurisā cajanti,na kāmakāmā lapayanti santo,sukhena phutthā atha vā dukhena, na uccāvacaṁ pandit dassayanti.”
“Indeed, the virtuous people renounce all,
the virtuous do not talk with sensual desire,
when faced with pleasure or suffering,
the wise show neither elation nor depression.”