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Hello Mr Lal. Yes, I understand the concept of identity. It is the wrong belief in a permanent self that is in control of this world.
- One aspect of this false belief is the vision of eternity. After death, an eternal soul continues to live. It is a belief that is present in the vast majority of world religions. When I was in the Christian religion, I believed in it firmly. Thanks to Buddha Dhamma, I removed this belief.
- The other aspect is the belief in annihilation. This belief says that after the death of the body, there is a self that dies with the body.This belief is especially present among atheist people (those without religion).
However, sir Lal I don’t understand why this arises in a baby. Please help me to understand.
MAHĀ MĀLUNKYA SUTTA: LONGER DISCOURSE TO VEN. MĀLUNKYAPUTTA
The 152 discourses are divided into three parts consisting of 50, 50 and 52 discourses respectively. Mahā Mālunkya sutta is the 64th discourse included in the middle part. (1)
“And what, Ānanda, is the path, the practice for abandoning the five lower fetters?”
“Here, Ānanda, a monk secluded from attachments, by giving up unskilful qualities, and complete settling of bodily discomfort, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskilful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, accompanied by initial application and sustained application, rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. Whatever phenomena that are there connected with form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness, he contemplates them as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs his mind to the property of deathlessness: ‘This is peaceful; this is sublime; that is the stilling of all activities; the letting go of all attachments; the ending of craving; dispassion; extinguishment.’ Abiding in that, he attains the destruction of mental influxes. If he does not attain the destruction of the mental influxes because of this Dhamma passion and Dhamma delight, then with the destruction of the five lower fetters, they are reborn spontaneously. There, they attain extinguishment and are not subject to returning from that world. This, Ānanda, is the path, the practice, for abandoning the five lower fetters.”
“Venerable Sir, if this is the path, the practice, for abandoning the five lower fetters, then how is it that some monks here are liberated in mind while others are liberated by wisdom?”
“In that case, Ānanda, I say it is the difference in their faculties.”
In this sutta, Lord Buddha explains how to attain the anagami stage with each jhanas. Venerable Ananda asked: “How did some bhikkhus attain liberation through wisdom?” Lord Buddha replied: “It is the difference of faculties.”
How can we know which faculties are most appropriate for ourselves? I understand that only a Lord Buddha is able to give us the best training. Are there other ways that can bring us closer to the best?
Excuse me if I seem persistent and stubborn Sir.
I thought about these statements overnight. Saying that one can be sotāpanna for two sāsana contradicts the statement “A Lord Buddha is the first to discover the laws of nature in his time.” A sotāpanna has acquired knowledge of these laws. If so, then a Lord Buddha is not the first to discover these laws.
There is a Burmese monk who taught one of my masters. He said that there are two types of puthujunas those of good will and those who are mired in saṃsāra. Those of good will develop their paramis with a view to reaching a stage of magga phala in the near or distant future. They performed various meritorious deeds in sasanas of the past. These actions allowed them to avoid apāyas, for very long periods and to encounter a sasana where they would become ariyas.
All the 80 disciples and the many disciples who reached a stage of magga phala, during the time of Lord Buddha are examples. Arahant Anuruddha was king of devas for 30 kappa and 28 times kings of humans was not sotāpanna. It was these meritorious actions towards a Paccekabouddha Buddha that enabled him to avoid apayas and encounter the Dhamma.
The puthujunas who reside most of the time in the apayas are those who do not make any effort to develop the paramis and kusulas. They are fully mired in saṃsāra.
Some are in both. They perform anantariya kamma but they have done kusalas which will lead them to the state of arahant. Arahant Maha Mogallana committed anantariya kamma(He killed his parents in a past life. He suffered for a long time in Niraya hell, before seeing the Dhamma.). However, he quickly attained the state of arahant and became one of the main disciples of Lord Buddha, thanks to his kusalas. King Ajatasattu and Devadatta fall into this category. They both committed anantariya kammas but will become paccekabuddha.
According to the Digha Commentary, (i.237-8) Ajātasattu was born in the Lohakumbhiya niraya after his death. He will suffer there for 60,000 years, and later will reach nibbana as a Pacceka Buddha named Viditavisesa (Vijitāvī). Ajātasattu’s crime of parricide is often given as an example of an upacchedaka-kamma which has the power of destroying the effect of meritorious deeds (E.g., AA.i.369). He is also mentioned as the worst kind of parricide (E.g. AA.i.335).
As his end drew near, he wished to see the Buddha, though the latter had declared that it would not be possible in this life. Devadatta, however, started the journey on a litter, but on reaching Jetavana, he stopped the litter on the banks of the pond and stepped out to wash. The earth opened and he was swallowed up in Avīci, where, after suffering for one hundred thousand kappas, he would be reborn as a Pacceka Buddha called Atthissara. (The Saddharmapundarika (chap.xi.) says he will be a Buddha named Devarāja). It is said (DhA.i.147; see also Mil.108) that at the moment of being swallowed by the earth, Devadatta uttered a stanza in which he declared that he had no refuge other than the Buddha. It is this last act of Devadatta’s which the Buddha had in view when he agreed to ordain Devadatta. (He was one of five people who were swallowed by the earth in the Buddha’s time. Mil.101).
Devadatta although he fell into hell, performed meritorious deeds. He paid homage to Lord Buddha, towards the end of his life. The Buddha said that Devadatta will soon attain enlightenment as Paccekabuddha named Atthissara, after his punishment in the apayas.
Imagine going from hell to the paccekabouddha stage. All this by the simple fact of having sincerely paid homage to Lord Buddha. A paccekabuddha is the second supreme person after a SammāsamBuddha. They are far superior to the arahants. It is said that “even 100 arahants like Sariputta and Maha Mogallana are not worth the qualities of a paccakabuddha”. They can achieve enlightenment as quickly as people like arahant Santati and Bahiya. Not only do they attain enlightenment, but also all jhanas and supernormal powers.
It’s pretty incredible!! Devadatta was in the worst bhava of Samsarā and here he ends his last life in glory.
It was just an aside to support my point. The kusulas that we accumulate do not lead us directly to magga phala. It can take eons, as in the case of Devadatta.
This affirmation also contradicts the statement that “The sasana will disappear when the last jati sotāpanna dies. As soon as the relics of Lord Buddha disappear there are no ariyas remaining in the kāma loka. The only ariyas remaining are those living in the five pure abodes of the anagamis (These are the ariyas with several Lord Buddha).
THE DURATION OF GOTAMA SASANA (DISPENSATION
The Buddha said that after his parinibbaana, only for 1,000 years can monks acquire analytical knowledge (Patisambhida), or what we call Arahanthship or profound knowledge. Then, over time, they will only be able to reach Anagami (Non Returner). And then only Sakadagami (Once returned), and finally, only Sotapanna (Entered the flow). With the death of the last disciple who reached Sotapanna, the achievements will disappear.
With these examples I don’t think it is possible for a sotāpanna from the past sāsana to arise in a new one. A sotāpanna will reach Nibbāna much earlier. If this sotāpanna becomes an anagami brahma then it is okay. But in all cases, the kāma loka is empty of ariya before the arrival of a Buddha Lord.
In Padumuttara Buddha’s time he had been a rich householder. Hearing one of the monks declared best among possessors of the celestial eye, he wished for a similar honour for himself in the future. He did acts of great merit towards that end, including the holding of a great feast of light in front of the Buddha’s tomb. In Kassapa Buddha’s age he was born in Benares; one day he placed bowls filled with clarified butter all round the Buddha’s tomb and lighted them, himself walking round the tomb all night, bearing on his head a lighted bowl.
Later he was reborn in a poor family in Benares and was named Annabhāra (lit. “food-bearer”). One day, while working for his master, the banker Sumana, he gave his meal to a Pacceka Buddha, Uparittha. The banker, having heard from the deity of his parasol of Annabhāra’s pious deed, rewarded him and set him up in trade. The king, being pleased with him, gave him a site for a house, the ground of which, when dug, yielded much buried treasure. On account of this great accretion of wealth he was given the rank of Dhanasetthi (ThagA.ii.65ff.; Thag.910; DhA.iv.120ff).
According to the Dhammapada Commentary (i.113), as a result of his gift to the Pacceka Buddha, Anuruddha never lacked anything he desired – such had been the wish he expressed. A charming story is related in this connection. Once when playing at ball with his friends he was beaten and had to pay with sweets. His mother sent him the sweets, but he lost repeatedly until no more sweets were to be had. His mother sent word to that effect, but he did not know the meaning of the words “there isn’t.” When his mother, to make him understand, sent him an empty bowl, the guardian deity of the city filled it with celestial cakes, so that he should not be disappointed. Thereafter, whenever Anuruddha sent for cakes, his mother would send him an empty vessel, which became filled on the way. See also DhA.iv.124ff.
The Apadāna (i.35) mentions another incident of his past. Once, in Sumedha Buddha’s time, Anuruddha, having seen the Buddha meditating alone at the foot of a tree, set up lights round him and kept them burning for seven days. As a result he reigned for thirty kappas as king of the gods, and was king of men twenty-eight times. He could see a distance of a league both by day and night.
This is another proof that meritorious actions can temporarily protect puthujunas from the apayas. I strongly doubt that Arahant Sāriputta was sotāpanna for 30 kappa as king of devas and 28 times as universal monarch. That’s a lot of good bhavas without being sotāpanna.A sotāpanna attains Nibbāna in a maximum of 7 Bhava. It is impossible to go beyond this number.
So sir, that means a person can become sotāpanna in this sāsana and become arahant in the time of Lord Buddha Metteya?? I believed that one cannot become sotāpanna until a Lord Buddha appears. The only ariyas who can see several Lord Buddha are the anagami brahmas.
The fact that they were born as humans cannot be true proof that they have reached the sotāpanna stage. One can be puthujunas and grasp several human bhavas and deva. Cultivating paramis can be a temporary protection against apayas.
Simply teaching the 5 worldly precepts is very meritorious. Offering the 4 necessities to monks, practicing the 10 meritorious actions and practicing the 10 paramis are temporary protections against bad rebirths. Of course reaching the sotāpanna stage is a permanent protection. In the suttas, we can find the example of many disciples of Lord Buddha who tell how their meritorious deeds led them to the Dhamma.
Arahant Santati narrated how during the time of Lord Buddha Vipassi, he was a teacher of the precepts. Lord Vipassi is the first of the 7 Buddhas. I very much doubt that one can be sotāpanna for such a long period of time.
Therefore, the Teacher said to Santati the king’s minister, “Well then, explain to us all the meritorious deeds you did in a previous state of existence. Do not, however, reveal it to us standing on the ground, but explain it to us poised in the air. “Very well,” replied Santati the king’s minister.
Then he saluted the Teacher once more and rising gradually into the sky, he seated himself cross-legged in the air, and said, “Listen, Reverend Sirs, to the meritorious deed I performed in a previous state of existence.” So saying, he related the following
Story of the Past: The preacher of the Dhamma and the King
Ninety-one eons ago, in the dispensation of the Buddha Vipassī, I was reborn in a certain household in a city named Bandhumati.
I decided to live without troubling and harming nor disturbing anyone and decided to preach Dhamma.
I taught the Buddha’s teachings: “Please do meritorious deeds…protect the precepts. Practice generosity. Respect the triple gem.” I taught Dhamma in many ways.
And the following thought occurred to me, “What action will do away with the want and sufferings of others?” While I was pondering this thought, I observed the actions of those who went about proclaiming the Dhamma, and from that time forth I worked at that very task. I encouraged others to perform works of merit, and I performed works of merit myself.
On uposatha days I took upon myself the obligations of the uposatha: I gave alms. I listened to the Dhamma. And I went about proclaiming, “There are no jewels comparable to the Three Jewels which are named the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha; therefore do honor to the Three Jewels.”
Now the great King Bandhumati, father of the Buddha Vipassī, hearing my voice, sent for me and asked, “Friend, on what business are you going about?“I replied, “Your majesty, I am going about proclaiming the virtues of the Three Jewels, and encouraging the populace to perform works of merit.”
“How do you do that?” asked the King. I replied, “I travel about on my two legs, your majesty.” Thereupon the King said, “Friend, it is not fitting that you should go about in that fashion. Decorate yourself with this string of flowers and seat yourself on the back of a horse and go about in this fashion. “So saying, he gave me a string of flowers similar in appearance to a string of pearls, and at the same time he gave me a horse.
After the King had done me this kindness, I went about as before proclaiming the teachings of The Buddha. Thereupon the King called me again and asked me, “Friend, on what business are you going about?” “The same as before, your majesty,“I replied. “Friend,” said the King, “A horse is not good enough for you; sit herein as you go about. “So saying, he presented me with a chariot drawn by four horses. In this way I went about preaching Dhamma.
Again, a third time the King heard my voice, whereupon he sent for me and asked me, “Friend, on what business are you going about?” “The same as before, your majesty,” I replied. “Friend,” said the King, “A chariot is not good enough for you.” And right away he presented me with a mansion, great wealth and a splendid set of jewels and at the same time he gave me an elephant.
Accordingly, I decorated myself with all my jewels and seated myself on the back of the elephant, and in this manner for eighty-four thousand years I went about performing the meritorious work of proclaiming The Buddha’s Dhamma.
And during all that time there was diffused from my body the fragrance of sandal and from my mouth the fragrance of the lotus.
“This was my meritorious deed in a previous state of existence.”
As Santati the king’s minister thus related the story of his meritorious deed in a previous state of existence, sitting cross-legged in the air, he applied himself to meditation on the element of heat and entered therein and straightway passed into Nibbāna.
Lord Buddha does not do things in vain. He told Arahant Santati to tell this story because it would benefit the listeners. He wanted to show them how a merit can be so powerful that it lasts 91 kappas. It is this merit that allowed Arahant Santati to achieve Nibbāna in a few verses. This merit probably protected him from the apayas for a long period of time. Of course these cases apply to puthujunas who have encountered a sāsana and who have made a lot of effort to develop their paramis. The vast majority sink into the apayas.
Yes that’s exactly what I said Yash !! The lokuttaras cittas followed one another with incredible speed.
I completely agree. Much of the work comes from the paramis of our past lives. Okay, I’m starting to understand. I don’t have much knowledge in the Abhidamma but, I made a connection with your statement. Knowing that the cittas follow one another by the billions in a second, the lokuttaras cittas of each stage of the magga phala followed each other at incredible speed, in the case of Venerable Sariputta.
So that means that in the example of arahant Bahiya he went through the 4 stages in a few seconds. It happened so quickly that it seems like he just became an arahant without the other steps of the magga phala.Lord Buddha said that “the mind is the fastest thing in existence.”
I don’t know if that’s what you meant sir. This connection with the Abhidamma just allowed me to understand this point.
But sir, I don’t understand how it’s impossible to skip the steps? A person can have a spiritual breakthrough right? The texts do not mention that he reached the sakadagamin and anagami stages. They only say that he became an arahant by listening to a speech.
The progression in magga phala can be compared to someone climbing the stairs by skipping steps, right? How can we explain the case of Arahant Bahiya who went from the puthujunas stage to an arahant??
Now while he was in seclusion, this reflection arose in the mind of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth: “Am I one of those in the world who are arahats or who have entered the path to arahatship?”
Then a devata who was a former blood-relation of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth understood that reflection in his mind. Being compassionate and wishing to benefit him, he approached Bahiya and said: “You, Bahiya, are neither an arahant nor have you entered the path to arahatship. You do not follow that practice whereby you could be an arahant or enter the path to arahatship.”
A third time Bahiya said to the Lord: “It is difficult to know for certain… Teach me Dhamma, Sugata, so that it will be for my good and happiness for a long time.”
“Herein, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: ‘In the seen will be merely what is seen; in the heard will be merely what is heard; in the sensed will be merely what is sensed; in the cognized will be merely what is cognized.’ In this way you should train yourself, Bahiya.
“When, Bahiya, for you in the seen is merely what is seen… in the cognized is merely what is cognized, then, Bahiya, you will not be ‘with that.’ When, Bahiya, you are not ‘with that,’ then, Bahiya, you will not be ‘in that.’ When, Bahiya, you are not ‘in that,’ then, Bahiya, you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of suffering.”
Now through this brief Dhamma teaching of the Lord the mind of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth was immediately freed from the taints without grasping. Then the Lord, having instructed Bahiya with this brief instruction, went away.
A sotāpanna is on the path to becoming an arahant right? If this brahma says that Bahiya is not even on the path leading there then he was not even sotāpanna right?
(This brahma is an anagami who lives in a pure abode and was a friend of arahant Bahiya during the time of Lord Buddha Kassapa. This version says he is a deva but he is a Brahma anagami.)
Story of Venerable Arahant Sariputta:
But the Venerable Sariputta continued to stay near the Master, at a cave called the Boar’s Shelter (Sukarakhata-lena), depending on Rajagaha for his almsfood. Half a month after his ordination the Blessed One gave a discourse on the comprehension of feelings[6] to the Venerable Sariputta’s nephew, the wandering ascetic Dighanakha. The Venerable Sariputta was standing behind the Master, fanning him. While following with his thoughts the progress of the discourse, as though sharing the food prepared for another, the Venerable Sariputta on that occasion reached the acme of “knowledge pertaining to a disciple’s perfection and attained to Arahatship together with the fourfold analytical knowledge (patisambhida-ñana).”[7] And his nephew, at the end of the sermon, was established in the Fruition of stream-entry.[8]
Unless I missed a crucial point Sir.
VITTHĀRA PATIPADĀ SUTTA: DISCOURSE ON MODES OF PRACTICE IN DETAIL
The collection of numerical discourses (anguttara nikāya) contains the discourses in eleven groups (nipātas), grouped numerically from one to eleven, based on the number of facts discussed by the Buddha in each discourse. Vitthāra patipadā sutta is included in the Patipadā vagga of the fourth group of the discourses in the Anguttara Nikāya. (1)
Content of Vitthāra Patipadā sutta
[There is no back ground story to this discourse to indicate where the Buddha delivered this discourse to the monks or the circumstances that led the Buddha to deliver it.]
“Monks, there are these four modes of practice.”
“ What are the four?
1. Painful practice with slow direct knowledge
2. Painful practice with quick direct knowledge
3. Pleasant practice with slow direct knowledge
4. Pleasant practice with quick direct knowledge”
[In the Pali language, in which the discourse is recorded, the above four modes of practice are recorded as follows:
1. Dukkhā patipadā dandhābhiññā
2. Dukkhā patipadā khippābhiññā
3. Sukhā patipadā dandhābhiññā
4. Sukhā patipadā khippābhiññā]
“And what, monks, is the painful practice with slow direct knowledge? Here, monks, a certain person is normally of strong passion and constantly experiences pain and distress born of passion. Or he is normally of strong hatred and constantly experiences pain and distress born of hatred. Or he is normally of strong delusion and constantly experiences pain and distress born of delusion. These five faculties: the faculty of faith, the faculty of effort, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration and the faculty of wisdom appear weak in him. Because these five faculties appear weak in him, he attains the immediacy that leads to the destruction of the cankers only slowly. This, monks, is the painful practice with slow direct knowledge.”
[Passion (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha) are the three unwholesome roots (akusala mūla). These three unwholesome roots are the basis for the development of all the other mental defilements that cause suffering and keep sentient beings in the cycle of birth and death. The three roots are deeply embedded in the mind of unenlightened beings acting as the driving force to make them perform unwholesome deeds resulting in suffering to themselves. The degree of the intensity of these roots may vary from mild to intense resulting in varying degrees of unpleasant results. (2)
The five faculties refer to the five spiritual faculties also known as controlling faculties (pancha indriya). They are five positive qualities of the mind that one is expected to develop up to their maturity during one’s spiritual journey towards the final enlightenment.
Five spiritual faculties:
1.Faith or conviction (saddhā)
2.Energy or effort (viriya)
3.Mindfulness (sati)
4.Concentration (samādhi)
5.Wisdom (paññā)] (3)
“And what, monks, is the painful practice with quick direct knowledge? Here, monks, a certain person is normally of strong passion and constantly experiences pain and distress born of passion. Or he is normally of strong hatred and constantly experiences pain and distress born of hatred. Or he is normally of strong delusion and constantly experiences pain and distress born of delusion. These five faculties: the faculty of faith, the faculty of effort, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration and the faculty of wisdom appear strong in him. Because these five faculties appear strong in him, he attains the immediacy that leads to the destruction of the cankers quickly. This, monks, is the painful practice with quick direct knowledge.”
“And what, monks, is the pleasant practice with slow direct knowledge? Here, monks, a certain person does not normally have strong passion and does not constantly experience pain and distress born of passion. Or he does not normally have strong hatred and does not constantly experience pain and distress born of hatred. Or he does not normally have strong delusion and does not constantly experience pain and distress born of delusion. These five faculties: the faculty of faith, the faculty of effort, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration and the faculty of wisdom appear weak in him. Because these five faculties appear weak in him, he attains the immediacy that leads to the destruction of the cankers only slowly. This, monks, is the pleasant practice with slow direct knowledge.”
“And what, monks, is the pleasant practice with quick direct knowledge? Here, monks, a certain person does not normally have strong passion and does not constantly experience pain and distress born of passion. Or he does not normally have strong hatred and does not constantly experience pain and distress born of hatred. Or he does not normally have strong delusion and does not constantly experience pain and distress born of delusion. These five faculties: the faculty of faith, the faculty of effort, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration and the faculty of wisdom appear strong in him. Because these five faculties appear strong in him, he attains the immediacy that leads to the destruction of the cankers quickly. This, monks, is the pleasant practice with quick direct knowledge.”
“These, monks, are the four modes of practice.”
In the Vitthāra patipadā sutta, the Buddha has described four modes of spiritual practice of those disciples who cultivate the Buddhist path of liberation from suffering. The four modes are based on two sets of negative and positive factors. The negative factors are the three unwholesome roots of passion (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha), while the positive factors are the five spiritual faculties of faith or conviction (saddhā), energy or effort (viriya), mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā). The strength and weakness of the three unwholesome roots that lead to constant pain and distress will determine whether the progress is painful or pleasant. The strength or weakness of the five spiritual faculties will determine whether the progress is quick or slow.
If I understand correctly these situations can apply to both ariyas and puthujunas. There are puthujunas who become ariyas very quickly. Some even become arahants on the first try. Arahant Santati and Arahant Bahiya are examples. The panchas indriyas in these beings were extremely powerful. They needed a helping hand from Lord Buddha to help them. They are among those who do not constantly experience problems and who have very low moha dosa and lobha. Obviously, it would be necessary to have previously developed the 10 paramis over many, many lifetimes.However, most puthujunas fall into the first category.
Among the ariyas, we can see this especially with the sotāpanna stage. A sotāpanna will be free in a maximum of 7 bhava. A human bhava can contain thousands of births (jati). The most careless sotāpanna will attain nibbāna on the 7th bhava.
The monk Pandita, a 7-year-old samanera (novice bhikkhu) and student of Venerable Sariputta, became anagami and arahant in the same day. Venerable Arahant Sariputta became sotāpanna by listening to a single verse. It took him a few weeks to become an arahant. He dodged the other two stages of the magga phala. Venerable Arahant Ananda had been a sotāpanna for over 25 years. It was only after the parinibbãna of Lord Buddha that he became an arahant.
Sakadagamin become arahant in a deva world, most of the time. Otherwise, they move on to the anagami stage and are reborn in a pure land. There are 5 pure land and the higher you go, the longer the lifespan are. Life in the highest pure abode (suddhavasa akanittha) lasts 16,000 kappas!!! These beings see different Lord Buddha. Brahma Sahampatti had become anagami during the time of Lord Kassapa Buddha. It’s Brahma Sahampatti who came to encourage Lord Gautama to taught the Dhamma, during his awakening.
However, it is not necessary for us to wait for these immeasurable periods before becoming an arahant.Each of us has different levels of pānna, depending on our paramis. It is possible to go through all 4 stages in a single lifetime. One just have to make the effort to develop what needs to be developed.
AN ARAHANT HAS NO ANGER AND WILL NOT HARM ANY LIVING BEING
Dhammapada contains 423 verses said by the Buddha in different contexts. Most of the verses have been taken from the discourses of the Buddha. It has been noted that more than two-thirds of the verses are taken from the discourses contained in the two collections of the Buddha’s discourses known as the Samyutta Nikāya and Anguttara Nikāya. The 423 verses are divided into 26 chapters or Vaggas each with a particular heading. The twenty-sixth chapter is named “Brāhmana Vagga” meaning the chapter on “The Brāhmana,” which contains 41 verses said by the Buddha. The background story of the 405th verse, which is the 23rd verse of the Brāhmana Vagga, is about an Arahant monk during the time of the Buddha who was severely beaten up by an angry man but did not develop any anger towards the attacker.
The background story of verse 405
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 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 certain monk received instruction on a subject of meditation from the Buddha, and went away to stay in a forest and practise meditation. Having mediated on the chosen subject of meditation with diligence as advised by the Buddha, he gained enlightenment as an Arahant. Having become an Arahant, he decided to visit the Buddha in Sāvatti to pay homage and to show his gratitude to the Buddha. So one day, the Arahant monk began his journey, and on his way, he happened to walk through a certain village.
As he was walking through the village, a certain woman had a quarrel with her husband and decided to leave the house and return to her parents’ village. When the husband was out of the house, she left the house and began walking towards the village where her parents lived. As she was walking, she happened to see the Arahant monk who was also walking in the same direction and began walking closely behind him. The Arahant monk did not even look back at the woman.
When the husband returned home, he discovered that his wife has left and knew that she had left to go to her parents’ village. He decided to follow her and as he walked a certain distance, he saw his wife walking closely behind the Arahant monk. Thinking that the monk is taking his wife away, he shouted and threatened to beat the monk. His wife pleaded with him not to harm the monk saying that the monk has not spoken to her or even looked at her. This plea made the man become even more furious, and he gave a severe beating to the monk who received severe bruising to his body. The man then took his wife and left to return to their house.
The Arahant monk continued his journey and eventually arrived at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatti where the Buddha was residing. The other monks at the monastery noticed the severe bruising all over his body and having attended to the bruises, asked how he got them. When the Arahant monk gave the details of how he was beaten up, the monks asked him whether he did not get angry with the man who beat him up so severely. The Arahant monk said he did not have any anger at all towards the man, but the other monks did not believe him. They went to the Buddha and said:
“Venerable Sir, this monk says he was severely beaten up by a certain man, and when we asked him whether he got angry towards the man, he claims he did not get angry. He is lying to us and is not telling the truth.”
The Buddha listened to what they said and replied:
“Monks, Arahants have laid aside the stick and the sword.
They do not get angry, even if they are beaten.”
Thus, the Buddha confirmed to the monks that the monk had, indeed, become an Arahant.
The Buddha then recited the following verse, recorded as the 405th verse of the Dhammapada.
“Nidhāya dandaṁ bhūtesu,
tasesu thāvaresu ca,
yo na hanti na ghāteti,
tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmanaṁ.”
“Whoever has laid down the stick,
against fearful and fearless beings,
who neither hurts nor kills,
him I call a brahmana.”
The serenity of an arahant is incredible. He is assaulted, and not a single thought of hatred arises in their mind. Because of our distorted perceptions, we cannot even imagine such a state of mind. These deep-rooted defilements, from beginningless times, make us believe that it is impossible to achieve a mind free from all defilement. Even many bhikkhus at the time of Lord Buddha did not believe it was possible. Lord Buddha had to persuade them that this was the case. By understanding the Dhamma, one concludes that it is indeed possible to arrive at the undefiled mind. This story confirms Mr. Lal’s recent publications on vedana
Note: An Anagami is also free of all anger.
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