Reply To: Useful Essays from DRARISWORLD and Other Websites – Part 2

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Jittananto
Participant

Hatred can be pacified only by not harbouring thoughts of hatred

The background story of verses 3 and 4

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana Monastery in Sāvatti which was donated to the Buddha by the chief benefactor Anāthapindika.

At that time, a monk named Tissa was also staying at the Jetavana Monastery. He happened to be the son of the sister of the Buddha’s father King Suddhodana, and had been ordained as a monk during his old age. It is said that he was fat and used to wear robes that were always very smooth. He used to pose as a senior monk and sat in the centre of the monastery hall at the Jetavana Monastery. He was very happy when monks visiting the monastery offered to do some services for him, but he failed to do the duties that he was expected to perform as a junior monk. He often used to quarrel with the younger monks and if he was told off by them for some reason, he would get upset and run to the Buddha complaining about the other monks.

One day some monks visited the Jetavana Monastery to see and pay homage to the Buddha and believing the monk Tissa to be a senior monk, offered to rub his feet which he accepted by remaining quiet. When those monks asked him how many rain retreats he had spent, he said none and disclosed to them that he was ordained as a monk in his old age. Having heard that, the visiting monks got angry and told him off by saying that he was a wretched old monk who overestimated his importance and that he did not show the slightest regret for his wrong behaviour. As usual, he went to the Buddha upset and weeping, to complain about the visiting monks. The visiting monks too went to the Buddha, paid homage to the Buddha and sat to one side. When the Buddha asked the monk Tissa as to why he was upset, he said that those visiting monks were abusing him. The visiting monks also complained to the Buddha calling monk Tissa an obstinate old monk. The Buddha then told them not to harbour thoughts of hatred, because hatred can only be pacified by not harbouring thoughts of hatred.

The Buddha then recited the following two verses which are recorded as the verses 3 and 4 of the Dhammapada.

Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ,

  ajini maṁ ahāsi me,

  ye ca taṁ upanayhanti,

  veraṁ tesaṁ na sammati.”

“He abused me, he beat me,

  he overcame me, he robbed me,

  in those who harbour such thoughts,

  hatred is not appeased.”

Akkocchi maṁ avadhi maṁ,

  ajini maṁ ahāsi me,

  ye ca taṁ na upanayhanti,

  veraṁ tesūpasammati.”

“He abused me, he beat me,

  he overcame me, he robbed me,

  in those who do not harbour such thoughts,

  hatred is appeased.”

 

Tissatthera Vatthu

At the end of the discourse, one hundred thousand bhikkhus attained Sotapatti Fruition.

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