Who removes arisen anger as herbs a serpent’s venom spread; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who lust pulls up remainderless as in water, plants and blooms of lotuses; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who craving dams remainderless as drying of a river’s fierce and rapid flow; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who destroys conceit entire as a great flood a bridge of reeds so frail; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who in rebirths¹ no essence finds as a seeker of flowers on Udumbara trees; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who keeps no grudges inwardly but this “being-not being” has gone beyond; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
In who do thoughts no longer smoulder, internally curtailed, remainderless; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who neither goes too far nor lags behind, all mind-proliferation gone beyond; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who neither goes too far nor lags behind, who of the world has Known, “All is not thus”; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who neither goes too far nor lags behind, who free of greed has Known, “All is not thus”; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who neither goes too far nor lags behind, who free of lust has Known, “All is not thus”; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who neither goes too far nor lags behind, who free of hate has Known, “All is not thus”; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who neither goes too far nor lags behind, who delusion-free has Known, “All is not thus”; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
In whom are no latent tendencies at all— whose roots of evil completely are expunged; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
In whom is no anxiety at all to cause return to this existence here; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
In whom no attachment formed at all to cause return to all existences; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Who’s left behind five hindrances, serene then, crossed doubt, lacking inner barbs; a bhikkhu such leaves here and there as a serpent sloughs its worn-out skin.
Notes on the Serpent Sutta
A Sutta with many striking points, which perhaps determined the fact that it comes first in this collection. The half-verse refrain notes that it describes a bhikkhu with various attainments. As the great commentator Buddhaghosa explains bhikkhu should be taken to mean “anyone who practises mindfulness”, that is anyone who is devoted to maintaining mindfulness, the heart of Dharma, in their daily lives. These practitioners “leave here and there”: they have left attachment to “here”—this life—as well as “there”—any future life. The Pāli uses the compound word orapāra, which is literally “this shore or bank and the further shore”.
5: The fifth verse, which compares the one who finds no essence (sāra), with the lack of flowers upon fig-trees—udumbara, which the pts Dictionary informs us is Ficus glomerata—needs a little explanation. None of the 800 species of Ficus or fig seems to have flowers, though they all have fruits, one of which is the wellknown edible fig. But how could there be fruits without flowers first?The answer to this is that the receptacle, the small green figs, contain inside themselves the flowers which are pollinated there by small wasps, the eggs of which have been laid in there.
When pollination has been accomplished the unripe receptacles swell and eventually soften, releasing a generation of small wasps which carry this process on. Trying to find identifiable flowers on udumbara trees is a waste of time, a misleading venture as apart from the figs themselves there are no flowers. No “essential” flowers can be found.
6: The next verse which has the phrase: “this-being-not-being” (itibhavābhavataṁ) includes all kinds of being or existence, even non-existence. Some people may have craving for non-existence, holding nihilistic theories, rather than the more common craving for various sorts of existence which supports the many views of eternalism. God-worshiping religions generally have eternalist views.
8–13: These verses repeat their opening line, “Who neither goes too far nor lags behind” meaning one who does not resort to any sort of extreme. Extremes of views, speech and actions are popular in the world, now as they were in the Buddha’s time, while the Middle Way transcending all extremes is both hard to practise, and requires effort and mindfulness. Slipping into extremes is not hard, for the latent tendencies towards them are already embedded in our confused minds, with their conception of “I am” and “I want”. “Lags behind”—or in another translation, “hangs back”— refers to attachment to being, and hence to the wrong views of eternalism.
“Goes too far” or “overreaches” means the opposite: the extreme of non-being with its views on annihilation. (See the small Sutta at Itivuttaka 2.22). The second lines of these verses lists a number of areas in which it is possible to go too far or lag behind. In verse 8 this is “mind-proliferation”, papañca, which could not be cured by extreme means. A natural Dharmic cure of papañca is the Middle Way but most people, from heads of state round to nameless monks of various kinds, incline to extremes and so create for themselves and others more experience of saṁsāra, more suffering, more conflict.
“Mind-proliferation” is not just thinking too much but the indulging in extreme “solutions” based on ego, defiled mental states and of entrenched tendencies. Verses 9–13 have in their second lines “who of the world has known, “All is not thus”.This phrase “all is not thus” signifies that the world as it appears to most people is not as they commonly regard it. For instance, though change and impermanence are obvious in everything within the body and outside, yet generally people do not know and see this. They are blind to what they themselves are and blind to the world known through the senses.
Those who are free from greed, lust, hate, delusion—they see the world as it is , or All is thus. “All” (sabbaṁ/sarvaṁ), is defined by the Buddha as, eye and sights, ear and sounds, nose and smells, tongue and tastes, body and touches, mind and thoughts. This is the All and no other all can be found. (See SN 35.23, the All Sutta).
14: Speaks of latent tendencies (anusaya) which all unenlightened persons have. They are like Melbourne’s tram-tracks (or those of trams elsewhere). A tram must stick to its rails, it cannot turn left when the tracks go right. Its way is conditioned by the tracks and in the case of trams there is no possibility of changing that route unless the rails are re-laid. So we trundle along our tracks and never take a new way. We see and do what out latent tendencies permit us to see and do, a great limitation! But there are no limitations for those whose roots of evil (greed, hatred and delusion), “completely are expunged”. Anxiety and fear are part of the ever-turning wheel of birth and death. Where there is the state of saṁsāra there is fear. It is hard for us, enmeshed with fear and anxiety, even to imagine what the state of no-fear can be like. But to experience it we have to allow ego, the I-am view, to disappear. The same may be said for “attachment” in the next verse.
17: In the last, the five hindrances to deep meditation and spiritual experience have gone—serenity manifests and all doubts are allayed—for one who has Seen, what doubts could there be? With no “inner barbs” there is no obstacle to the heart’s opening of loving-kindness and compassion.
For an excellent and longer commentary upon this Sutta by Ven. Ñāṇapoṇika Thera, see “The Worn-out Skin”, The Wheel publication 241–242, published by Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
1.2 With the Cattle-owner Dhaniya Dhaniya Sutta
dhaniya Cooked is the evening rice, all milked the kine, by Mahī’s banks with friends, good cheer is mine, my house well-thatched, my fire glows bright and still, and so, rain on O sky, if such thy will! buddha Hatred and barrenness from me are gone, by Mahī’s banks I bide this night alone, my house unroofed, my fires in ashes lie: so, an it liketh thee, rain on O sky!
dhaniya No stinging gnats are here to tease and fret, my cattle crop the grasses lush and wet, and take no hurt though floods the valley fill: and so, rain on O sky, if such thy will! buddha The raft is bound and well together cast, the Further Shore attained, the flood o’erpassed; of well-made raft what further need have I? so, an it liketh thee, rain on O sky!
dhaniya Attentive is my wife, no wanton she, long have I lived with her full happily, nor ever heard of her a breath of ill: and so, rain on O sky, if such thy will! buddha My mind attentive is, from passion freed, long trained in wisdom’s way, well-tamed indeed: evil in me, what searcher can espy? so, an it liketh thee, rain on O sky!
dhaniya My needs are met by my own body’s hire, my sturdy boys sit round my own house fire, nor do I hear of them one word of ill: and so, rain on O sky, if such thy will! buddha No hireling I; to servile bonds inclined, I walk all worlds with what I’ve earned in mind, of wage or hire no smallest need have I: so, an it liketh thee, rain on O sky!
dhaniya Cattle have I, yea, cows in milk are mine, and cows with calf, and tender rising kine, and lordly bulls whose ways the herds fulfil: and so, rain on O sky, if such thy will! buddha Cattle I’ve none nor cows in milk are mine nor cows with calf, nor tender rising kine, nor lordly bulls to lead the herds have I: so, an it liketh thee, rain on O sky!
dhaniya The stakes all deeply driven, set firm and sure, the newly-plaited ropes of grass secure. No frenzied beast can break by any skill: and so, rain on O sky, if such thy will! buddha Like bull, bursting the bond of plaited twine, or elephant breaking free from stinky-vine, ne’er again I’ll enter in a womb to lie: so, an it liketh thee, rain on O sky! narrator And now the furious showers came down amain in pouring floods that covered hill and plain, and, listening to the beating of the rain Dhaniya, faithful, thus found voice again.
dhaniya Surely our gain is great and to be praised, whose eyes upon the Radiant One have gazed! O Seeing One, we for refuge go to thee! O Mighty Sage do Thou our Teacher be! ₃₁ Attentive, lo! We wait my wife and I, to live the goodly life, the pathway high, that leads beyond all birth and death to know and win the final end of every woe.
māra He who has boys rejoices in his boys, he who has kine, of kine are all his joys. Man’s assets surely are his chiefest treasure, who has not assets how shall he have pleasure? buddha Whoso has boys, has sorrow of his boys, whoso has kine, by kine come his annoys. Man’s assets, these of all his woes are chief. Who has no assets, nevermore has grief. ₃₄ (Snp 18–34)
Notes on the Dhaniya Sutta
This translation is based on the work of Ven. Sīlācāra, an English bhikkhu (1871–1950). His translation, slightly amended here, reads well besides being accurate. I first read it in the library of Wat Bovoranives in Bangkok among the volumes of The Buddhist Review published by Luzac & Co for the Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland before the first World War. Ven. Sīlācāra, at that time the Editor, lived in Burma. I have enjoyed reading it at various times and places and would like to honour his memory by including it. To be a bhikkhu at that time was to brave the disapproval of the prevailing imperial culture. May this translation of his at least live on!
This Sutta has three characters: Dhaniya, a wealthy owner of cattle who speaks of his domestic and farming concerns; the Buddha, whose verses contrast in the ways of Dharma; and Māra, who raises his head only to speak one verse but a very important one. Beside this there is one narrative verse to give a picture of the monsoon rains as background to the dialogue.
There are a few interesting points in these verses which call for comments. In the first verse spoken by the Buddha, his statement “my house unroofed, my fires in ashes lie” is striking and memorable. As these words were spoken during the monsoon when protection from the elements is most necessary, how could the Buddha say “my house unroofed”?
This phrase puts one in mind of a verse found in the Vinaya (Cullavagga, IX, 1): Rain soddens when the roof is on But never when it’s opened upon Uncover then what is concealed Lest it be soddened by the rain.
This Vinaya quotation refers to the modern idea of a “cover-up”, that certain facts about oneself should not be known and how those who practise this kind of immorality will become sodden and hence rotten. Buddhas have removed all their concealing coverings for they have nothing left to conceal. It’s fine that the roof is off! Similar teachings are contained in the Sanskrit term āvaraṇa, translated by Conze as “thought-coverings”, though I prefer “obscurations of mind”—the complications and weavings together of all sorts of thoughts: true and false, purified and defiled, open and concealed.
These “coverings” are also related to the famous Buddhist term papañca, multiplicity of thoughts or conceptual proliferation. Finally in this group of related matters dealing with coverings, there is the image of the Buddha Samantabhadra, always depicted naked—nothing covered up and skyblue in colour symbolizing space. He may or may not be accompanied by his consort, also naked and joined in bliss, the union of wisdom and compassion with nothing to hide. The second of the Buddha’s verses contains reference to the famous raft simile which appears complete at MN 22.
The raft made up of Dharma learned and practised and bound up with actions of body and speech which lead out of bondage is to be paddled across from this shore of saṁsāra to the further shore of Nirvāṇa. When that has been experienced the raft is no longer needed, it should be left on the Nirvāṇa shore or set adrift there—not carried around any longer. The Dharma liberates even from its own concepts. It liberates from all attachments, even from attachment to the Dharma. Of course this does not mean that one then neglects one’s teachers, or disowns the Dharma by which one has crossed over. Others will need the raft for their own journeys, while a natural gratitude for the Dharma manifests in those who have seen it for themselves.
The rendering of MN 22 in the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha by Bhikkhus Ñāṇamoḷi and Bodhi unfortunately contains a mistranslation of the important last sentence of the simile (par. 14), which should read, “When you know the Dharma to be similar to a raft, you should abandon even the Dharma, how much more so not-dharma”. The published version is based upon the Commentaries of Buddhaghosa and is not what the Pāli text says. “Of well-made raft what further need have I?”—indeed! “Evil in me, what searcher can espy?” The Pāli plainly rendered would translate as “evil in me cannot be found”.
However, the translation used here reminds us of MN 47, “The Inquirer”, with its question, “are there found in the Tathāgata, or not, any defiled states cognizable through the eye or through the ear?” “I walk all the worlds with what I’ve earned in mind.” The venerable’s translation has “I walk the world content with what I find”. The Pāli text has “all worlds (sabbaloke)” while the verb (carati) has the meaning both of “travel, journey” and of “progress along a spiritual path”. Buddhas are able to review or investigate all states of existence though we usually have access only to the human and animal realms and even of these know little enough. “In mind” is not found in the Pāli though the Buddha’s “earnings” are certainly in mind, not of worldly gains. The two lines beginning, “Like bull”, have been retranslated. The “stinky-vine” is some tough and malodorous Liana in the forest.
The third line originally reads, “No more shall I put on mortality” which is not a great rendering of the Pāli , so I have replaced it with “Ne’er again I’ll enter in a womb to lie”. Coming now to the last two verses of the Sutta, the first two lines of each of them have not been revised except to replace “hath” with “has”. The second pair of lines concern upadhi, a Pāli word conveying the meaning of “basis” or “support”. Pāli Commentaries have elaborated the meanings of this word and given it a far greater range. The original translator used “being” as a rendering of upadhi, but this is too loose. Ven. Ñāṇamoli has suggested “assets” as a possible translation and this is fine so long as we remember that “assets” must include what we think we own in body, in mind as well—My body, My mind—as well as external possessions.
“Man’s assets, these of all his woes are chief, who has no assets nevermore has grief.”
1.3 The Rhino Horn: A Teaching for the Hermitminded Khaggavisāṇa Sutta
Put by the rod for all that lives, tormenting not a single one; long not for child, how then for friend? fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Attraction comes from meetings with, and from attraction dukkha’s born; see danger of attraction then, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
One full of ruth for friends well-loved with mind attached, neglects the good, seeing this danger in association, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Tangled as the crowding bamboo boughs is fond regard for partner, child: as the tall tops are tangle-free, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
The deer untethered roams the woods going where’er it wants to graze: seeing its liberty, wise one, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
’Mong friends one’s asked for this or that, when resting, standing, going on tour, seeing the liberty few desire, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
’Mong friends there’s sexy playfulness, and love for children’s very great, while loath to part from those beloved, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Resentment none to quarters four, and well-content with this and that, enduring dangers undismayed, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Some home-forsakers ill consort, as householders who live at home; be unconcerned with others’ kids! fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Let fall the marks of householder, as Koviḷāra’s parted leaves; a hero, having house-ties cut, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
For practice if one finds a friend— prudent, well-behaved, and wise, mindful, joyful, live as one all troubles overcoming.
But if you do not find a friend— prudent, well-behaved, and wise, then like a king who leaves his conquered lands, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Surely we praise accomplished friends— choose friends who’re equal, or the best; not finding these, live blamelessly, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
See golden bangles on an arm, well-burnished by the goldsmith’s art, clash together, the two of them, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
When there’s for me “a second one” with intimate talk and curses both, seeing this fear in future time, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Sense-things so sweet, so varied, in diverse forms disturb the mind; seeing the bane of sense desires fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
They are a plague, a blain, distress, disease, a dart and danger too: seeing this fear in sense-desires fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
The heat and cold, and hunger, thirst, wind, sun, mosquitoes’ bites and snakes’; enduring one and all of these, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
As elephant bull of noble mien, full-grown, the flock forsakes and lives in forests as it pleases him, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
“Who loves to live in company e’en timely freedom cannot find”; so Kinsman of the Sun declared— fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
View-contortions gone beyond, right method won, the path attained, “I Know! No other is my guide!” fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
No greed, no guile, no thirst, no slur, and blown away by delusion’s fault; wantless in all the world’s become, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Shun the evil friend who sees no goal, convinced in crooked ways, serve not at will the wanton one, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Follow that friend who’s deeply-learned, Dharma-endowed and lucid, great, knows meaning leading out of doubts, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
In playful love and sensual joys find no reward—no longer long; embellish not but speak the truth, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Partner, children, parents too, kin and wealth—things bought with it, leaving all sense-desires behind, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
“They are but bonds and brief their joys, and few their sweets and more their ills. Hooks in the throat!” This knowing well, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Do snap the fetters, as a net by river denizen is broke. As fire to waste comes back no more, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
With downcast eyes, not loitering, with guarded sense, warded thoughts, with mind that festers not nor burns, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Discard householder’s finery, as shed their leaves the Coral Trees; go forth in kāsāya robes, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Crave not for tastes but free of greed for alms food walk, omitting none, and unattached ’mong families, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Abandoned mind’s five hindrances, set aside defilements all, affection-blemish having cut, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Let go of pain and happiness, with previous joys and sorrows too, gained poise and calm and purity, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Resolved to win the Ultimate, not slack in mind, nor slothful ways, but steady, strong in body and mind, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Seclusion, jhāna—do not cease but what’s in line with Dharma do, with mastered existential fears, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Alert, aspiring craving’s end, clear-voiced and learned, mindful too, striven, true Dharma having known, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
As lion is unafraid of sounds, like wind not caught within a net, as lotus not by water soiled, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
As lion strong-toothed, the king of beasts, subdues them all, so overcome by use of practice-place remote, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Frequent the mettā-mind, and ruth at times, poised mind and joyful too — unhindered mind by all the world. fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Lust, hatred and delusion gone, all the fetters having snapped, then at life’s end, one trembles not, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
They serve and following having aims— folk cunning, selfish-aimed and foul, friends seeking nought are scarce today, fare singly as the rhino’s horn.
Notes for the Rhino Horn Sutta
This excellent Sutta is famous throughout Buddhist traditions in various forms and deserves a good metric translation. In general few notes are needed as its meaning is clear, direct and straight to the point. This point is repeated in the fourth line of most verses, but will not appeal to those who do not esteem, even for part of their lives, its eremitic message.
Though there are still monks who prefer the solitary life they are few compared to those who live in monastic settlements. And some lay scholars too may find shelter from the world’s assaults for their study and practice and become “single-horned rhinos”. The rhinoceros is remarkable in India for its single horn as opposed to the twin horns of cattle, deer and so on. It is not that one should be “single as the rhinoceros” as some translators have it. In fact the animals are usually found in groups, but their horns are only one.
I am very much in debt to E.M. Hare’s translation of the Sutta Nipāta in Woven Cadences and have borrowed many of his good ideas, though modifying them, and in his honour one whole verse, Snp 57. This Sutta does not identify the teacher who composed and recited it. Presumably these were the Buddha’s words! The first Sutta in the book also records no speaker. The few notes below are preceded by their Snp verse number.
44: Koviḷāra trees are these days called Bauhinia species.Their leaves are remarkable for their two leaflets joined at a single point. Many species open and close these two as the sun rises and sets. So their “parting” is demonstrated every day. 49: “A second one”, literally “with a second” is a Pali idiom for a wife, the use of which here reminds me of “me old trouble (and strife)”! 50: Both “sense-objects” and “sense-desires” are translations of the Pāli word kāma. This word is explained in the commentary of the Kāma Sutta, Snp 4.1 or verses 773–778.
54: “E’en timely freedom cannot find” refers to kāla-vimutti, a freedom found temporarily and usually explained as the experience of jhāna. This contrasts with a vimutti or freedom beyond time, a liberation from all bondage. The “Kinsman of the Sun”, Ādiccabandhu, is an epithet of the Buddha.
58: There seems to be, in this verse, a conflict between having a friend who is deeply learned and practised—a teacher in fact, and the refrain on faring singly. However, if one has the good fortune to meet and perhaps stay with such a teacher then when it is time to practise alone, one’s retreat will be much more fruitful. With or without a teacher in our minds, we still have to “fare singly as the rhino’s horn”.
64: Another tree, the Parichatta, is today known as the Erythrina indica, the species in general called Coral Trees. Most have spectacular red flowers borne on deciduous branches. They shed leaves before flowers appear. The leaves are here compared to the possessions of ordinary people (who are usually attached to them!), while the magnificent flowers which follow are hinted at by the words of the third line. Kāsāya robes refers to various vegetable dyes which will give robes of a yellow (many monks in Sri Lanka), reddish-brown (as in Burma) or yellowish-brown colour as used by the forest meditation monks of Thailand. These earthy colours remind practitioners of their connection with the earth-element.
69: “What’s in line with Dharma do” tries to translate the frequently occurring dhammānudhammapatipatti, literally, “practising the Dharma according to the Dharma” and is opposed to the commonly held path of “practising the Dharma according to oneself ”, a very different kettle of fish. The Dharma which should be accorded with is the Dharma of what is true without any belief being necessary.
Examples: “All conditioned things are impermanent, All conditioned things are dukkha, All dharmas are not-self (and empty).”
These self-evident truths may have to be pointed out first but after deep insight (vipassanā) practice will be known from a practitioner’s meditative experience. “Practising Dharma” is the best practice of generosity, moral conduct, loving kindness and compassion with all beings near and far, human and nonhuman. That becomes “according to the Dharma” with awakening or breakthrough experiences. No views of any kind are held, grouped, or believed by those who have seen things as they really are, not even “Buddhist” views. …“and mastered existential fears” translates also as the fears of being or becoming.
These are experienced indirectly through reports in newspapers and other media of murder, wars, plagues, starvation, and all manner of inhumane conduct; or they may sometimes touch more closely on one’s life. Many fears indeed! Being or becoming are also illustrated by the famous Indian painting (now Tibetan) of the Wheel of birth and death, showing the various realms of being and what one may, by making appropriate karma, experience there.
73: To pack the four Divine Abidings (Brahma-vihāra) into two short lines is not easy! Mettā, or loving-kindness as it is usually translated, has been left in the Pāli for obvious reasons. Next, karuṇā or compassion has had to be expressed by the little-used “ruth”. (Maybe it is a comment on this world that we still employ “ruthless” but have forsaken “ruth”?) The third of these meditative abidings is joy but particularly the joy with others’ happiness, a reflection for which we have no English word. (Does this mean we are singularly envious people?) The Pāli word is muditā. Last, upekkhā or equanimity is squashed into the second line as “those poised”. Still, being equanimous, it will not mind being so treated.
1.4 The Farmer Bhāradvaja Kasībhāradvāja Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One was dwelling among the Magadhans at South Mountain near the brahmin village of Ekanāḷā. Now at that time the brahmin Kasī-Bhāradvāja had five hundred ploughs fastened to their yokes at the time of “planting”. Then in the morning the Radiant One dressed and, taking bowl and robe, went to the place where the brahmin Kasī-Bhāradvāja was working.
As that time the brahmin Kasī-Bhāradvāja’s food distribution was happening. Then the Radiant One approached the place for the distribution of food and stood to one side. The brahmin Kasī-Bhāradvāja saw the Radiant One standing for alms and said to him: “Samaṇa, I plough and plant, and when I have ploughed and planted, I eat. You too, samaṇa, ought to plough and plant; then when you have ploughed and planted, you will eat.”
“But I too, brahmin, plough and plant, and when I have ploughed and planted, I eat.” “But we do not see Master Gotama’s yoke or plough or ploughshare or goad or oxen; yet Master Gotama says, “I too brahmin, plough and plant, and when I have ploughed and planted, I eat.”
Then the brahmin Kasī-Bhāradvāja addressed the Radiant One in verse: kasībh. A ploughman, so you claim to be but we see not your ploughmanship. If you’re a ploughman, answer me, make clear your ploughmanship! buddha “With faith as seed and practice, rain and learning as my yoke and plough; my plough-pole, conscientiousness, memory, goad and ploughshare both.
My body’s guarded, so is my speech, Restrained is my belly’s food, The act of Truth is my cutting-off, Gentleness is my release.
My harnessed ox is energy— draws safe for yoking’s end, goes to where no sorrow is and turns not back again.
In this way is my ploughing ploughed towards the crop of Deathlessness — who finishes this ploughing’s work from all dukkha will be free.
Then Kasī-Bhāradvāja had a large bronze bowl filled with milkrice and brought to the Radiant One. “May it please Master Gotama to eat the milk-rice, Master Gotama is a ploughman, since he does the ploughing that has the Deathless as its crop.”
buddha Chanting sacred verses for comestibles³ is not done by me; for those who rightly See, Brahmin, it accords not with Dharma. Chanting sacred verses thus is rejected by the Buddhas, such is the Dharma, Brahmin, such is their practice.
A great seer with Final Knowledge, conflicts stilled. one who has exhausted taints, is wholly free-- make offerings of food and drink to such a one: the certain field for one who merit seeks.
When this was said the brahmin Kasī-Bhāradvāja exclaimed to the Radiant One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! The Dharma has been clarified by Master Gotama in many ways, as though he was righting what had been overturned, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dharma and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May Master Gotama remember me as an upāsaka who from today has gone for Refuge for life.” (Snp 76–82)
Notes on the Farmer Bhāradvaja Sutta
This famous small Sutta appears twice in the Pāli canon, once here and again in the Saṁyutta-nikāya, where it has been translated in the Connected Discourses of the Buddha, SN 7.11). This present translation varies from that one, necessitating some notes. First of these concerns the cultivation of rice. Most of my readers will be aware that unlike other grain crops—wheat, oats, barley, maize, etc.—which are planted with dry seed straight into the prepared field, rice requires first to be planted into a flooded nursery bed and then when the seedlings are ready, re-planted in small clumps in a flooded field.
Water must be maintained at the proper level throughout its growth, only beginning to dry out with the ripening of the grain. The prose introduction of this Sutta informs us that the farmerbrahmin, a wealthy landowner able to muster “five hundred” ploughmen and oxen,⁴ was that time celebrating vappakāla, the time (kāla) of vappa. But what is meant by vappa? The pts Dictionary, followed by all translators gives “sowing”, but as we have seen above, rice is not sown in the way of other grains. If a religious celebration involving many men and oxen with chanting by Brahmins and the offering of cooked milk-rice is called for, this seems to be the planting of the seedlings rather than the ploughing of the land.
The verb for “ploughing” is kasati, though in the case of rice this is more than the initial breaking of the soil with ploughs. The mud of the field must be smooth and without lumps, so it is harrowed. This is all kasati—to prepare the soil. It is followed by vapati, planting or sowing, though the former is not mentioned in pts Dictionary. In this translation “sowing” is not mentioned, its place being taken by “planting”. So at this vappakāla what is going on? Fields had already been flooded, ploughed, with perhaps harrowing in progress. The backbreaking work of planting—traditionally women’s work, though this is not mentioned here—would be in progress. The wealthy farmer dressed in his best and newest white cloth would be issuing orders and coordinating the whole operation, while also superintending the rituals ensuring that there would be a good crop.
A large amount of milk-rice had been prepared for the various religious “wanderers” and also for Brahmins. Part of this would also be set aside for the labourers. The Buddha’s first verse of explanation begins “With faith as seed … ” The Pāli word which translates as “faith” is saddhā (Skt. śraddhā). To most people faith means “belief ”, but this is not the Buddhist sense. Belief involves accepting certain formulations of words as representing the truth. And in this world there are many such “truths” (see Snp 893–895) underlain by belief, none of them verifiable, many of them at odds with others and hence the basis for many conflicts between believers, political or religious, even for persecution, torture and wars. Throughout the Suttas the Buddha emphasised that attachment to views (even Buddhist ones), departs from the path of Dharma.
One must know through personal experience involving wisdom, not merely believe. Saddhā, therefore, is a tricky word to translate and sometimes “faith” must be used. Other possibilities are “confidence” and “assurance” but neither has quite the range of meaning of saddhā. Tapo, translated “practice”, means to a brahmin “severe austerities”, or at least a very austere mode of life. Buddhists have softened the word to mean steady Dharma practice.
As the Buddha is teaching a brahmin who would not understand the higher meanings of pañña/prajña I have not translated it as “wisdom”. But suta-mayāpaññā—the wisdom acquired by listening or learning—one of the three steps of paññā, is a feature of all Indian religions and well-known to the brahmin. In the last line of this verse “memory” is a possible translation of sati/smṛti, another word well-known to brahmins. Also smṛti, “that which is remembered” is used in Hindu tradition as a name for the commentarial corpus, as opposed to the holier god-given corpus of Vedas and Upanishads known as śruti, “that which has been heard”.
My knowledge of horticulture or perhaps agriculture has aided the translation of the second verse. I have paid little attention to the Pāli Commentary’s suggestions as these do not make much sense. The third verse is beautiful and its profound, but straightforward in meaning and very moving. “Yoking’s End” is liberation. It is not surprising that the brahmin is greatly impressed by these four spontaneous verses. He has been convinced that the Buddha is also a cultivator who ploughs and plants, but that his crop (literally “fruit”) is the Deathless (amata/amṛta). He wishes then to offer some special milk-rice to the Buddha in a large copper bowl as a mark of his respect. But to this invitation the Buddha replies in an unexpected way, saying that he does not chant sacred verses to gain food—presumably a thing done by many brahmins. Actually, this would be inconvenient to present-day monks who, if they kept to the Buddha’s practice, would lose many a good morning meal.⁵
The meaning of this verse is very straightforward. This cannot be said of the second verse, which appears to mean that Awakened persons are fit recipients of food and will be a “certain field for one who merit seeks”—in other words, donors will make good karma by offerings given to such people. Perhaps this verse was added later by monks to mitigate the impact of the previous verse. In any case there is conflict between these two verses. I have chosen the shorter version of this Sutta from the Saṁyuttanikāya.
The Snp version adds an incident in which the good brahmin asks to whom he could offer the rice. The Buddha replies that he knows not a single person who could receive it and advises the brahmin to put it in water or in the bush where it can harm no living thing. The brahmin finds that as it is poured into water it boils, sizzling and hissing with much steam, so he trembles and his hair stands on end. Finally the brahmin does not ask for the Refuges and become an upāsaka, but requests the leaving home with ordination as a bhikkhu. It seems likely that the Snp version is an expansion of a more ancient and simpler original now found in the Saṁyutta-nikāya. The magical addition of boiling milk-rice tipped into a stream seems a glorification of the Buddha done by later hands.
This decided me not to translate the Snp version. Portions of the Commentary’s explanations are translated into English in the Connected Discourses of the Buddha, see note 446 following on p. 446.There are rather astonishing remarks in these “explanations”, for the Pāli commentator has apparently had access to the Buddha’s thoughts (!) no doubt a very useful trick for ascertaining the truth of any problematic statement in the Suttas. To preface any “explanation” with the words “This was his (the Buddha’s) thought” is a claim to know precisely what an Awakened One was thinking. How could the truth be found in this way?
1.5 To the Smith Cunda Cunda Sutta
cunda I ask of the Sage abundantly wise, Buddha, Lord of Dharma, one who’s craving-free, Best among men, charioteer beyond compare, Please do tell me what sorts of samaṇas there are. buddha Asked by you personally I shall explain: Four are the samaṇas, not a fifth is found— Won to the Path, of the Path the Indicator, Who lives upon the Path, as well the Path-polluter.
cunda Who do the Buddhas say is winner of the Path? How will the Path-teacher be incomparable? Tell about that one who lives upon the Path, Also the one who is the Path-polluter?
buddha Whoso has passed beyond the dart of doubts, Nirvāṇa-delighted, no greediness at all, Leader of the world together with the gods, is Such, the Path-winner, so the Buddhas say. Who knows the Best as what is best indeed, then teaches Dharma and analyses it, a sage all doubt severed, one undisturbed, they call bhikkhu number two, indicator of the Path. Who lives on the Way, the well-taught Dharma Path, one well-trained and mindful as well, whatever’s unobstructing, a practitioner of that they call bhikkhu number three, one who lives the Path. Making a semblance of those with good vows, deceitful one, worthless and quite unrestrained, Insolent, braggart and family-defiler, who goes in disguise is polluter of the Path. A noble disciple who’s recognised each and every one, and knowing that among them, all are not alike, this having seen, that person’s faith does not decrease. For how with the corrupt can the uncorrupted be compared? Or those purified with those who are impure? ₉₀ (Snp 83–90)
A Few Words
A rather strange little Sutta in which the Buddha answers the questions of the smith Cunda. He wishes to be clear about what sorts of monks there are. In the Buddha’s days there were a great variety of monks, some of who wandered in groups, others who were solitary, some who had monasteries, others who dwelt in caves or hollow trees. Their doctrines varied even more and in the Discourses of the Buddha these are examined as diṭṭhi or views and sometimes revealed as “wrong views”. The Buddha on this occasion limits the sorts of monks to his own samaṇas, further limiting them to four and rather oddly adding “not a fifth is found”.
This of course acknowledges the four sorts of monk, which the Buddha knows exist among his own Saṅgha. One may assume that what is true of the first three kinds of monks—bhikkhus, plus the fourth who is really not a bhikkhu, may also be found among the bhikkhunīs. Stories of recalcitrant monks and nuns may be found in plenty in the Vinaya for both bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. The four sorts of monks are briefly described below.
1. Won to the Path. This appears to be a practitioner who has for the first time experienced what is truly the Noble Path (ariyamagga). They are beyond doubt and have lost all greed. Also, lost is ownership for though these monks who have won to the Path they do not own it. In fact, having experienced suchness, the way all things really are, they can let go of everything.
2. Indicator of the Path is the best of teachers of Dharma—they teach Dharma out of their deep experience of it. Who knows the best is truly awakened. He teaches with clarity, as those of his students know well and is a man who analyses accurately so that no misunderstanding can occur. They no longer have doubts about things that to ordinary persons seem either worth no understanding or are taken for granted. They point to matters most obvious, like impermanence, which in general are not noticed.
3. Who lives on the Way, the well-taught Dharma Path. This kind of monk is learned and his actions agree with the teachings in the Suttas as well as those of those famous living Teachers. So whether from their Teachers or from Suttas the Dharma is “well taught”. This expression means that at first it is derived from the Buddha and his disciples: all of their uttered words are derived from the Enlightenment—Bodhi. They had woken up and spoke the non-basis of Awakening. Their truth is not that of speculations and “views”.
4. Those who pretend to be bhikkhus but are corrupted. That this type of monk is included with the other three shows the honesty of the Buddha. If he had referred to monk number four as only to be found among the ascetics of other teachers that would have been a sort of dishonesty, but the Buddha knew quite well that he had corrupt monks in his Saṅgha. Though it is hard to believe that corrupt monks could live near to the Buddha’s presence, because of course he had the power of reading the minds of others, still some monks were (and are) shameless and thoroughly corrupt in their dealings. It is not so surprising that such monks can be found in our days. The Buddha points them out with these characteristics-- a) They “pretend” by copying the ways of those who keep their precepts, b) They are “deceitful”, and trying to corrupt others, c) “Worthless” of receiving the gifts of honest practitioners, d) “Quite unrestrained” means that they indulge even in the pleasures usually sanctioned by society, e) “Insolent and braggarts”, hardly needs any comments, f ) “Family-defilers”, leaves one’s mind to many possibilities.
1.6 Disaster Parābhava Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant one was dwelling at Jeta’s Grove in the park of Anāthapiṇḍika near Sāvatthī. Then as the night was ending a deva of surpassing radiance, illuminating the whole of Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Radiant One and stood to one side after saluting him. Standing there that deva addressed the Radiant One with a verse:
deva To ask the lord we come here, from Gotama we wish to know; That one who goes disaster way— what’s the way to disaster’s woes? buddha The wise one does develop well, the unwise to disaster bound; the lover of Dharma develops well, Dharma-hater to disaster’s round. deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s first to disaster’s woe; second, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha The untrue, they are dear to me, true persons, they’re not dear, so the untrue teaching one prefers— that’s the way to disaster’s woe.
deva We clearly understand this much, second that way’s to disaster’s woe; thirdly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Lethargic and gregarious— whoever is of effort low, lazy and anger marked— that’s the way to disaster’s woe. deva We clearly understand this much, third that way’s to disaster’s woe; fourthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Though wealth’s enough one does not help, mother and father who aged grow, though long their youth is left behind— that’s the way to disaster’s woe.
deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s fourth to disaster’s woe; fifthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Whether with priest or monk as well, one likes to lie and cheat, also deceiving other wanderers— that’s the way to disaster’s woe. deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s fifth to disaster’s woe; sixthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha A person of great property, with wealth and food they overflow, and yet enjoy its sweets alone— that’s the way to disaster’s woe.
deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s sixth to disaster’s woe; seventh, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Proud of birth and proud of wealth, so of their families they crow, but meeting, slight their relatives— that’s the way to disaster’s woe. deva We clearly understand this much, seventh that way’s to disaster’s woe; eighthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Debauched in drink, with women too, by dice debauched; such a fellow, little by little his assets waste— that’s the way to disaster’s woe.
deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s eighth to disaster’s woe; ninthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Unsatisfied with his own wife, with others’ wives he’s seen in tow, corrupted too with prostitutes— that’s the way to disaster’s woe. deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s ninth to disaster’s woe; tenthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha A man no longer young still weds a girl with apple breasts—and lo! for jealousy he cannot sleep— that’s the way to disaster’s woe.
deva We clearly understand this much, that way’s tenth to disaster’s woe; may the Lord eleventh advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha Whoever, whether woman or man, drunken, dissolute, wealth does blow; then in position of power is placed— that’s the way to disaster’s woe. deva We clearly understand this much, eleventh that way’s to disaster’s woe; twelfthly, may the Lord advise— what’s the way to disaster’s woe? buddha When, from noble family sprung with little wealth, great craving though, and still one wants to rule the realm— that’s the way to disaster’s woe. The one who’s wise well knows the way within this world to disaster’s woe; and then that Noble, insight pure, to a blessed state one such does go. ₁₁₅ (Snp 91–115)
Commentary
This translation was first published in the newsletter, Bodhi Leaf, of Wat Buddha Dhamma, Vol. 2, No. 4, 1986. I enjoyed translating it, partly because of its rhyme—the Pāli original has no rhyme—and partly the contents, the truths of which are not confined to the Buddha’s days!The setting of this Sutta reminds me of the Sagātha-vagga, the Book with Verses, which is the first part of the Saṁyutta-nikāya, the Connected Discourses. There, as in the present discourses, a deva asks questions of the Buddha. In this case it is within a stylised framework of the deva’s acknowledging the Buddha’s replies and asking further advice on, “what’s the way to disaster’s woe?”
This particular repeated line in Pāli (kim parābhavato mukhaṁ) has a nice swing to it which I sought to repeat. However, parābhavato mukhaṁ is not easily translated. Mukha means entrance, mouth, face, while parābhava has the sense of decline or disaster, so the entrance or way to disaster. The whole Sutta, though it contains very straightforward advice, is like a game between the playful deva and the Buddha, who frames his replies in verses which end “that’s the way to disaster’s woe”. This fits with what we know of devas, who traditionally are taught the Dharma by singing and acting it. The “lower” devas of the Sense-realm at any rate, were used to pleasures and could only respond to Dharma teaching through singing it playfully as in this Sutta.
Presumably, since conditions in this world are infinitely variable, the Buddha could have gone on all day with this numerical game, but perhaps he thought that the deva had enough material on the causes of dukkha (not many devas, or even human beings for that matter, are much interested in this), to be getting along with. The Sutta closes with the twelfth way to disaster’s woe. The content of the Sutta—from Dharma and its teachers, through family and social considerations, to the corruption of politicians— is wide-ranging, and it would be possible to write a long commentary with stories from the Suttas, Dhammapada Commentary, and the Jātakas as well as from our own times on these ways to disaster.
The rhyme, which I think adds to its colour and swing, and helps learning by heart, was possible given the pattern of the Sutta’s verses. I have not attempted rhyme elsewhere in this translation.
1.7 Who is the Outcaste? Vasala Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then in the morning the Radiant One dressed and, taking bowl and robes, entered Sāvatthī for almsfood. At that time the sacrificial fire was burning in the house of the brahmin Aggika-Bhāradvāja and the offering was held aloft. Then the Radiant One walking in almsround, house by house within Sāvatthī, came to the house of brahmin Aggika-Bhāradvāja. The brahmin saw the Radiant One coming from a distance and called out this to him: “Stop there, mere shaveling, stop there, vile ascetic, stop there, foul outcaste!”
When this was said, the Radiant One said to the brahmin: “Do you know, brahmin, what an outcaste is or what things make a person ‘outcaste’?” “I do not know good Gotama what an outcaste is or what things make one an outcaste. It would be good for me if the venerable Gotama were to teach me Dharma, so that I might know an outcaste and what things make an outcaste.”
“Then listen, brahmin, pay attention and I shall tell you.” “Yes, venerable sir”, replied the brahmin.
buddha An angry person, rancorous, with evils of hypocrisy, deceitful and of fallen views, as “outcaste” such a one is known. Whether once or twice-born then if one should living beings harm, compassion for them—none at all, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Who kills in towns and villages, destruction brings, and then behaves oppressively —well-known for that, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoso in forest or in town steals whatever is not given, from others to whom it’s valuable, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoever does a debt contract but urged to repay, then retorts, “No debt have I to you indeed”, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Who, for a trifle that’s desired from traveller along the road, kills, that trifle to possess, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoso for self or others’ wealth, or else for benefit of wealth when questioned on this, falsehood speaks, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoso is “seen” with others’ wives, of relatives and friends, those consenting mutually or forced, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoso towards their mum or dad whose youth is gone and age attained, though prosperous, supports them not, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoever strikes, or utters hate against mother, father, brother too, sister or a mother-in law, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Who, asked for good advice responds by giving bad advice, and then giving advice with a hidden agenda,⁶ as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoever evil karma makes wishing others may not know, and then conceals these actions bad, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Who, gone to another’s house, enjoys fine hospitality, then honours not the other back, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoever, brahmin, samaṇa, or even indigents who beg, deceives with false and lying speech, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoso when mealtime has arrived abuses brahmins, samaṇas and then gives not a thing to them, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
As blanketed, delusion-wrapped, who predicts untruthful things desiring even trifling gain, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoever does exalt themselves while looking down on others, though inferior, caused by self-conceit, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Provocative and selfish too, of evil wishes, miserly, cunning, shameless, no remorse, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Whoso the Buddha does revile, insulting his disciples too whether left home or laity, as “outcaste” such a one is known.
Who, though not an Arahant, yet pretends to be—is Thief-- in this world with Brahmin gods, the lowest outcaste of them all, These indeed are “outcaste” called as I’ve declared to you.
One’s not an outcaste caused by “birth”, not by “birth” a brahmin is; caused by karma one’s outcaste, a brahmin is by karma caused.
Know this is true according to the example following here: An outcaste boy well-known to you as Mātaṅga of the Sopakas.
Mātaṅga gained the highest fame, so hard a thing for him to gain; then warriors, brahmins, others too, many came to serve him.
Upon the way to deva-worlds, set forth along the spotless path and cleansed of sense-desired, attained to Brahma’s world, they say; unhindered he by “birth” at all he won to Brahma-worlds.
Though born in Veda-chanting clan, brahmins with mantras as their kin, frequently indeed they’re seen while making evil karmas,
Even in this world they’re blamed, the next for them’s a painful bourn; birth hinders not a painful bourn, nor from being blamed.
One’s not an outcaste caused by “birth”, not by “birth” a brahmin is; caused by karma one’s outcaste, a brahmin is by karma caused.
When this was said, the brahmin Aggika-bhāradvāja exclaimed to the Radiant One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! The Dharma has been clarified by the Master Gotama in many ways, as though he was righting what was overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes can see forms. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dharma and to the Saṅgha. May Master Gotama remember me as an upāsaka who from today has Gone for Refuge for life.” (Snp 116–142)
Commentary
“Vasala”, the name of this Sutta, is one of the many words in Pāli and Sanskrit for “outcastes”, those people which tradition, and in the past, highcaste laws, declared to be beneath the four basic castes or vaṇṇa/varna. These four, brāhmaṇa (priests with cattle), khattiya/kṣatriya (warrior nobility, kings), vessa/ vaiṣya (merchants, traders) and sudda/ śūdra (workers) are proclaimed by Hindu Law books to be a God-given ordering of society. Outcastes of various sorts were considered below even the śūdras.
As to the state of these outcastes, a passage from my earlier book “Noble Friendship” (p. 39), outlines some of the terrible disabilities: Many barbarous rules made by the higher castes featured in a Dalit’s (outcaste’s) life. They could not even pass in front of Hindu temples, much less enter them; they had to wear cast-off rags, never good clothes; they had the duty of clearing away dead animals as well as removing human excrement; in some places they were forced to wear clay pots round their necks so that their spittle would not reach the ground, while their footsteps were obliterated by a broom tied to their waists; their women folk were compelled to wear non-precious jewellery of iron or pottery; their children had to be given “ugly” names, and finally they could not venture outdoors when the shadows were long lest their shadow fall on a high-caste person and pollute him.
This fear of ritual pollution, very characteristic of Caste Hindus, underlies all these suppressive rules. It is easy to understand that people who have been so treated for hundreds of years, with no chance for education or selfimprovement, would feel that their lives were a hopeless round of degradation. Brahmins emphasized that they had been born into such “low” births because of their sins—in other words, they were to be humble menials, do the dirty work, and say nothing. Some groups of outcastes were so polluting to the eyes of Hindus that they were not only untouchable but “unseeable” as well.
There was bitter saying among the outcaste groups deriding caste hypocrisy that goes as follows: male Untouchables are always untouchables but female Untouchables, untouchable by day, became touchable by night. Perhaps the most suppressive rule of them all forbade low-caste people and Untouchables to have any religious education or practice. Religion, largely controlled by the Brahmins, involved the learning of Sanskrit, and as this reckoned to be the “root-language” spoken by the Hindu gods, it was utterly forbidden for outcastes to even to hear it, let alone learn it. Even worse was the penalty prescribed for outcastes who heard brahmins chanting in Sanskrit: molten lead was to be poured into their ears.
Whatever religion outcastes had was their own mixture of ritual, their own mantras (presumably not in Sanskrit) administered by their own priests who will rarely have been literate: a sort of low-grade Hinduism. Whereas in Hinduism there is a widespread dread of ritual pollution caused by exterior factors such as low-caste persons as mentioned above, also by restrictive brahminical injunctions, such as the rule that those of high caste will lose their “purity” by crossing the ocean, the Buddha’s teaching on purity emphasize that this depends on the karmas made by body, speech and mind, and ultimately by mind. So in this Sutta we see the Buddha listing all the actions which make one an “outcaste”, all them amoral, harmful to others and generally censured by the world. Thus, one may have high-caste brahmins who by the Buddha’s standards are “outcaste”, as well as those born as “outcastes” who in fact are people of great nobility of character, such as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
The Buddha did occasionally say that such people were brāhmaṇa or “Brahmins”, meaning Awake or Enlightened. (See the verses in the Vāseṭṭha Sutta, Snp 3.9, verses 600–662). Mere words of praise and blame have no ultimate truth. Words must be accompanied by compassionate actions. The introductory prose section shows the Buddha going on almsround with his bowl “house by house”, that is, he stopped briefly before each door to see if anyone wished to give alms of cooked food. This practice shows clearly that he had none of the Hindu prejudice that cooked by low-caste persons would be “polluted” and its consumption the cause of high-caste, such as brahmins, losing their status.
The well-known brahmin Aggikā-bhāradvāja, as he later addressed the Buddha as Gotama, knew who he was and that he came from a highcaste warrior-noble family. At that time this brahmin was engaged in a fire-sacrifice ritual (notice the aggika, “of fire”, in his name) and had lifted the portion to be placed in the sacred fire when he saw the Buddha approaching. The latter was abused by the brahmin who feared that the benefits of the sacrifice would be lost due to the presence of a man who accepted food from low-caste and outcaste people. “Mere shaveling” (muṇḍaka) was abusive as brahmins kept some or all of their hair and looked down upon those, like Buddhist monks and nuns, who shaved it off.
(Whether the Buddha shaved his head is rather a disputed matter as attested by all the images of the Buddha showing him with hair). “Vile ascetic” (samaṇaka) showed brahmin disapproval of those who left home and had a wandering religious life. Some of these will have been low-caste people as there were in the Buddha’s Saṅgha. Lastly, vasalaka as a word of abuse emphasizing low-casteness, means literally “little man”, hence an insignificant person. When the Buddha in reply asks him whether he knows who is an outcaste or what are the qualities which make a person so, the brahmin, rather surprisingly, says that he does not. Moreover, he addresses the Buddha quite politely as “venerable Gotama” though this is a familiar speech as to an equal.
What could have brought about this sudden change in attitude? We should leave aside the possibility that the Buddha used one of his powers or abilities to influence the brahmin. He preferred not to employ these unless there was a situation in which ordinary means would not serve. See for instance his remarks in Dīgha-nikāya 11, Kevaddha Sutta. As it seems unlikely that this brahmin’s attitude was changed by super-natural means we have to fall back upon what could be generally described as “the Buddha’s presence”. This is well illustrated by what happened as the Buddha approached the five monks who were to be his first disciples soon after his Awakening. Though they had made a pact with each other that they would no longer treat him as a Teacher (because he had given up starvation and was again eating), as he approached, they all rose and performed the duties of pupils towards teachers. We may assume that the Buddha’s presence, regardless of the brahmin’s prejudices about food, turned his mind to civility. The Buddha was praised for his handsome features, radiant complexion and height (see verses 554–559 in Sela Sutta, Snp 3.7).
Towards the end of this Sutta occurs the famous verse, twice repeated: One’s not an outcaste caused by “birth”, not by “birth” a brahmin is; caused by karma one’s outcaste, a brahmin is by karma caused.
Brahmins in the Buddha’s days and some maybe even now, were wont to say that they were pure back through seven generations in both the mother’s and the father’s family. All of these people, they were claiming, had married only into other brahmin families and hence they were “pure”. The Buddha by no means agreed with this estimation of purity and has, in the Suttas, made fun of brahmin arrogance. To know one’s ancestors back through seven generations on both mother’s and father’s sides is quite unusual even now, unless one comes from an aristocratic family, so brahminical claims for so-called purity ring rather hollow. This claim of superiority through birth is not confined to brahmins in the Buddha’s time, as we can attain from the radio and television news of notions of superiority and the conflicts arising from it in our own time.
It is related to the claim to be an ariya—those who are noble by race.The Buddha again does accept such claims, the likes of which have lasted in our time, notably in the causes of WWII and the slaughter of millions of people. One is noble by practising the Noble Eightfold Path, one is ennobled by Dharma, not by lineage or race. The Sutta concludes with one of the stylised passages which are characteristic of orally-transmitted works. Presumably the brahmin of this Sutta was impressed and praised the Buddha’s teaching.There is no reason to suppose that he spoke exactly the words exactly translated here which appear hundreds of time at the end of Suttas. Whether he went to for refuge in the formula quoted here, or indeed, whether he went in any sense for refuge at all is something that we shall never know.
Three points in the Sutta may be remarked upon: one a minor matter and the others weightier. Verse 118 mentions the term “twice born”. This means a man from high castes who has not only been born in the normal way, but has also received a “second birth” in the ceremony of being invested with a sacred thread, usually at puberty. Brahmins, for instance are “twice born”. The rest of us remain “once born” and so of lower status. Workers and outcastes (and those not touched by the Indian caste-system) are merely “once born”. Of greater importance in the next verse which declares very straightforwardly (for the ears of heads of state or generals) that if they behave, as they have commonly done in history, by invasion of other lands and slaughter, they should be known as outcastes.
One or two notable examples will make clear this Buddhist attitude to war. We have an Alexander who is even honoured with the epithet “Great”. By the standards of verse 119, he should be known as “Alexander the Outcaste”. As for modern times, one may choose from a long list which will no doubt include Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and Mao Zedong— outcastes all. Also in verse 127 there is the line “teaching in obscurities”, a phrase covering a multitude of errors. It may mean teaching which will confuse others while promoting the so-called teacher’s ego, implying he or she has Dharma attainments which do not exist. Or this may mean teaching an obscure and useless subject from the viewpoint of Dharma.
As an example there is the brahmin “science” of marks or characteristics to be found on animals or people. Such “marks”, such as a mole on the cheek, are claimed to be characteristic of those who cheat and lie. Such “science” (vijjā/vidyā) is not based on any cause and effect considerations. Connected to this in modern times, there is a small Pāli treatise in verse, on the marking upon cats, a playful and unusual subject, written by a Saṅgharāja of what was then Siam and now Thailand! Elephants have also been the subject of such a “science” of markings and their meanings. These matters are not exactly essential Dharma, and may well be regarded as obscurities.
1.8 Loving-kindness Mettā Sutta
What should be done by one who is skilled in wholesomeness, to gain the State of Peacefulness is this: One should be able, upright, straight and not proud, easy to speak to, mild and well content,
easily satisfied and not caught up in too much bustle, and frugal in one’s ways, with senses calmed, intelligent, not bold, not being covetous when with other folk,
not even doing little things that other wise ones blame. (And this the thought that one should always hold): “May beings all live happily and safe, and may their hearts rejoice within themselves.
Whatever there may be with breath of life, whether they be frail or very strong, without exception, be they long or short, or middle-sized, or be big or small,
or dense, or visible or invisible, or whether they dwell far or they dwell near, those that are here, those seeking to exist— may beings all rejoice with themselves.”
Let no one bring about another’s ruin and not despise in any way or place; let them not wish each other any ill from provocation or from enmity.
Just as a mother at the risk of life loves and protects her child, her only child, so one should cultivate this bondless love to all that live in the whole universe—
extending from a consciousness sublime upwards and downwards and across the world, untroubled, free from hate and enmity.
And while one stands and while one sits or when one lies down still free from drowsiness, one should be intent on this mindfulness— this is divine abiding here they say.
But when one lives quite free from any view, is virtuous, with perfect insight won, and greed for selfish desires let go, one surely comes no more to be reborn. (Snp 143–152)
Commentary
The State of Peacefulness appears at the opening of this Sutta and is implied in the last verse. Elsewhere it is called Nirvāṇa, liberation and so on. In between the first and last verses a number of conditions are mentioned for attainment of the Peaceful State.There is no trace in this Sutta of a “method” for attainment of this goal, such as the Pāli commentary presents and which is also explained in the Visuddhimagga, “The Path of Perfection”, a fact that we shall return to later. In the Sutta’s first line there is a clear indication of what is needed for experience of the Peaceful State: skill in wholesomeness, in other words, good conduct with body, speech and mind.
This is followed by fifteen requirements—things that one should work on and make effort with—but as they are straightforward little needs to written about them, though the following remarks may be useful. “Able” refers to a person who can do and is willing to try. “Upright” and “straight” refer, we are told, respectively to the moral behaviour with body and speech, and the same with mind. However, they may also be taken as emphasising the importance of general honesty. With mention of “well content, easily satisfied and frugal in one’s ways” we come to factors more easily practised by monks, or while on retreat. These three go against the current of worldliness and materialism.
The ministers in charge of economic development in various countries would not be happy if their populations began to practice them! Not being “bold” means foolishly over-estimating one’s capacity and taking big steps which one cannot follow, based on pride and delusion. Not wanting what others have is good for peace of mind, so not being covetous when visiting others’ houses is very helpful. Wise ones, like spiritual teachers, have developed their minds and are aware of the consequences of doing “little things”. Their “blame” is expressed to their unwise students often in private.
This does not refer to wholesale condemnations. The line in brackets is not part of the text but is needed to link the fifteen requirements with the next part upon the various kinds of beings to which mettā should be extended. They are defined by having “breath of life”, though this does not mean only those having lungs or gills as the Pāli word pāna (prāna in Sanskrit) means not only breathing but also living. Examples of creatures fitting the following list of adjectives can easily be thought of, until we come to “dense or visible or invisible”. This could be rendered “those which are substantial, those that can be seen and those that cannot”. In the context of Dharma the last means, “those that the human eye cannot see.” Rationalists might want this to mean “those that require a microscope”, and though this would be a possible it is not in accordance with tradition.
This definitely means “those with bodies too refined for the human eye to see”, devas for instance or ghosts. Awareness of such beings increases with depth of meditation practice. “Dwelling far or near” may be taken to mean “those beings whose bodies (or non-bodies in the case of the formlessrealm devas) are remote from our experience”, while “near” signifies those whose existence overlaps our own experience (as with animals), or are “near” to us because of former relationships, as with some ghosts and devas which may act as guides or protectors. Next comes an interesting line: “those that are here, those seeking to exist”.
Strict Theravāda philosophy upon life after death departs from the main line of Indian Buddhist teaching. The Theravāda Abhidhamma analyses all experience into momentary dharmas, a doctrine which rationalizes the teaching of not-self and defends the notion that no being (which contradicts the idea of not-self ) goes from life to life. The trouble is that often no distinction is drawn between the two kinds of truth: conditional and ultimate. Rebirth belongs to the realm of conditional truth within which we usually live. To say that “so-and-so has gone to heaven” may be quite correct according to conditional and dualistic truth. The phrase may seem to imply that this person will be the same there as he or she was here except that they have a new and less visible body.
This view would be on the side of eternalism, one of two extremes which the Buddhist Dharma-in-the-Middle avoids. Moreover, such a view ignores the first of the three characteristics (lakkhaṇa) of all conditioned things: impermanence. So a phrase like “Go to Hell!”, despite showing little loving-kindness and a good deal of hate, is true within its dualistic limitations: someone goes to Hell. Ultimate truth in its Abhidhamma form says that there are no beings, only moments of experience, so no one goes from one life to another. This theory denies that there is anyone who goes and comes, perilously near to the other extreme of nihilism. It has led Theravāda scholars to deny that there is any experience between lives.
The concept of the “between-life” or antarabhava, usually known these days by the convenient Tibetan translation, Bardo, is a agglomeration of common sense, esp, memory of past lives and vision of famous living teachers. The common sense (or conditional truth) is that so-and-so died and because this person made karma of some kind, will be reborn accordingly. The extra-sensory perception will be the visions and sensations of that being who has died by those who were close to him or her, that suggest that the deceased is still in some way present. Memory of past lives and the periods that link them may be experienced by some people, a recollection which comes with clarity of mind, quite different from the confusions of desire and imagination.
The visions of living Teachers may explore the processes of being reborn during the intermediate state and give disciples instructions upon how to practise, even achieve liberation in that state. Teachings on the Bardo are mostly about the latter. Though it is useful to have books explaining perception after human death, the transmission of that practice from living teacher is really required. So “those that are here” are all the beings that we can be aware of in our present life. “Those seeking to exist” are those in the Bardo seeking existence through the limitations of their karmas. Buddhaghosa, the Pāli commentator who lived about a thousand years after the Buddha, strenuously denies this obvious truth and makes implausible suggestions as to the meaning of this line (see Minor Readings and Illustrator, pp. 286–7). This is not the only case where the classical commentators try to defend an “orthodox”Theravāda position and so distort the straightforward meaning of the Pāli texts.
The words of Pāli commentators should be carefully examined. Why does a verse upon anger/hatred/resentment follow next? The Sutta has already emphasized that mettā should be extended to all kinds of beings, classified in less poetic terms elsewhere as “the footless, two-footed, four-footed and many-footed; those with perception, those with no perception, and those with neither perception nor nonperception” (AN 4.34). But for effective practice these must not remain abstract categories towards which one plays at extending mettā. Particular beings, especially “difficult” humans or animals which evoke fear, must be involved. Real mettā then arises naturally through understanding one’s fears.
This verse is here so that the practitioner does not fool him or herself: “Now my practice of limitless love, unconditional love, flows to all beings!” Better look at how one feels with those one fears or does not like! In mettā-practice beings come first, directions and direction-less practice follow. This order prevents self-deception. There follows the famous simile of a mother’s love for her child and how one’s mind becoming limitless with mettā should resemble this. For most of us, loving all beings in that way is not going to be easy. “Boundless love” becomes possible through the experience ofjhāna and while a few people will have spontaneous experience of this relaxed but concentrated state of meditation, most require to be diligent with regular meditation practice.
Jhāna has no good English translation and for that reason is left untranslated. Meditation, concentration or contemplation are all Latin-based words which do not have the clear meaning of the Pāli word jhāna. This word does not occur in the Sutta but is implied by such expressions as “boundless”, “consciousness sublime”, “upwards and downwards and across the world”. Other religious traditions outside the Buddha’s teaching have also what is known as “saints” and mystics who experience jhāna.
The last but one verse indicates the practice of mindfulness, how one should not drift and attach to rapture of jhāna but rather cultivate a mental state near to wisdom (paññā/prajna). This union of calm and clarity characterises the four Divine Abidings, which are frequently referred to in the Suttas. The words “they say” refer in general to wise meditative persons, not specially to Buddhist teachers. The last verse however restricts these people to those who are “quite free from any view” that is, they are free from mere or blind belief which cannot be verified by practice with an unclouded mind. They are free even from the Buddhist assumptions which everyone will have when they start regular and sustained meditation practice.
Such people are not keen to label themselves “Theravāda”, “Vipassanā”, “Mahāyāna”, “Vajrayāna”, “Zen” for these are the playthings of those who do not Know. The truly liberated are not imprisoned by such limitations though they may use such words in the instruction of others. The verse reminds us that to find this liberation we need to act in a way that neither harms others or ourselves—“virtuous” (sīlavā), have access to insight-wisdom (dassana), and have more moderate sensedesires and let them go, the famous or infamous kāma which limits the mind’s freedom, so that we arrive at the state of not being ever again being driven into birth. No methods of meditation are offered in the Pāli Suttas. For these, in ancient times and still in present, one consulted one’s teacher.
Teachers in the Buddha’s time would have had direct Knowledge of the Dharma and so needed to learn no methods. Teachers in later times, if they have no direct knowledge would consult the Path of Purification, the compendium of Theravāda Buddhist knowledge complied by Buddhaghosa. This is still highly revered, both teacher and book, in Theravāda lands. Some more recent teachers out of their own experience have taught methods that differ somewhat from this tradition. If one wishes to consult the traditional Pāli sources explaining this Sutta, they are available in the translation of the Paramatthajotikā, The Illustrator of Ultimate Meaning, by translator Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, published by the Pāli Text Society. The present translation is based, though with many corrections, upon that of David Maurice, in the long out-of-print anthology, “The Lion’s Roar”.
1.9 The Buddha teaches Sātāgira and Hemavata the Yakkhas Hemavata Sutta
Sātāgira Today’s the lunar fifteenth day— uposatha—a night divine arrived; Let’s go to the Teacher Gotama, him of high repute. hemavata Is the mind of such a one towards all beings well-disposed? Within his power are his thoughts towards the wished, the unwished too? sātāgira Yes, the mind of such a one towards all beings well-disposed. Within his power are his thoughts towards the wished and unwished too. hemavata Is he the one who does not steal? To beings he’s restrained? Is he far from indolence? Does jhāna he neglect?
sātāgira He is one who does not steal, to beings he’s restained. Buddha’s far from indolence; jhāna he never neglects. hemavata Is he not one who falsely speaks? Does he use harsh or violent words or employ slanderous ones? Or a user of meaningless speech? sātāgira He’s not one who falsely speaks, nor uses harsh or violent words; nor utters words of slander, but wisdom speaks which benefits. hemavata Does he not desire, indulge, In mind he’s unattached? Has delusion overcome? ’Mong Dharmas has he Eyes?
sātāgira He does not desire, indulge, for his mind is unattached. Delusions all he’s overcome— ’Mong Dharmas, Buddha’s Eyed. hemavata Has true knowledge he attained? Is his conduct perfect, pure? Are his inflows now extinct? Is he not again to be? sātāgira Indeed true knowledge he’s attained and his conduct’s perfect, pure, for him all inflows are extinct, so he’ll not again become. Accomplished is the Sage’s mind, his actions and his ways of speech, of true Knowledge and conduct he’s possessed— rightly he is praised. Accomplished is the Sage’s mind, his actions and his ways of speech, of true Knowledge and conduct he’s possessed— rightly you rejoice.
Accomplished is the Sage’s mind, his actions and his ways of speech, of true Knowledge and conduct he’s possessed— it’s good that we see Gotama. Who limbed like antelope and lean, wise, with no greed and having little food, Sage in the woods who meditates alone— let us go see Gotama. The Great One like a lion who lives alone, among all pleasures he’s expectation-free, let us draw near that we may ask of him how to escape from the snarefulness of death. O proclaimer of the Dharma, expounding it too, one who’s beyond all dharmas’ Further Shore, all fear and hatred you’ve utterly overcome both of us then of Gotama inquire--
hemavata What co-arises with the world? With what’s it make acquaintance? The world grasps after what indeed? Why’s the world afflicted? buddha Six with the world do co-arise, with six becomes acquainted, the world’s attached to six indeed, so, world’s by six afflicted. hemavata The grasping—what is it then by which the world’s afflicted? When asked about this, please do speak: how to be free from dukkha?
buddha The sensual pleasures five are taught in the world with mind as six, having let go of all desire for those, be thus from dukkha free. This for the world’s the leading out, its “as-it-is” declared to you, and this to you I do declare: be thus from dukkha free. hemavata Here, who goes across the flood, who goes across the sea, No standpoint or support, who in the deep sinks not? buddha That person ever virtuous, with wisdom, concentrated well, with mind turned inward, mindful— crosses the flood that’s hard to cross. Detached from thoughts of sense-desire, all fetters overpassed, delight-in-being quite destroyed— who in the deep sinks not.
hemavata Behold the Great Seer of wisdom deep, of subtle meanings Seer, one owning nought, unattached to sensual being, free in every way, proceeding along the pathway of the gods. Behold the Great Seer of perfect repute, of subtle meanings Seer, of wisdom the imparter, unattached to the senses’ basis and greatly wise, all-knower, treading the path of the Noble Ones. Well-viewed by us today indeed, well-dawned upon us, well-arisen: the Awaken One we’ve seen, crossed the flood, from inflows free. These ten hundred Yakkhas here of great power and renown, all of them for refuge go — You are our Teacher unexcelled! both Village to village we shall roam, mount to mount revering him, the Fully Awakened One, as well the Dharmaness of Perfect Dharma. ₁₈₂ (Snp 153—182)
A few notes
Yakkha: who or what are they? They were, in the Buddha’s day, believed to be semi-spiritual beings who were powerful and rather easily angered, living in wild places. Possibly they were members of aboriginal tribes who had proficiency in magical matter or were believed to possess these. They were certainly feared. 153: mentions “the lunar fifteenth day” which requires a little explanation. In the Buddha’s days the calendar was counted by the moon’s action rather than the sun. “Months” of about 28 days, thirteen of such lunar months approximating to a solar year at 364 days needed to be augmented to complete the sun year. New Moons and Full Moons were important for these days measured the uposatha days. The uposatha day was (and is) the gathering of disciples who reconfirmed their dharma-practice twice every year on these two days by celebrating the chanting of the Pātimokkha rules.
154: Hemavata asks whether Gotama’s mind is well-disposed towards all beings—he is in fact asking about mettā/loving kindness. While in the second two lines his enquiry regards wisdom, paññā. He seems to be well-informed since these words cover both necessary approaches for awakening. “Within his power, are his thought towards the wished, the unwished too”. Though it is possible to talk about “thought within one’s own power”, this is only a way of speaking fit for the awakened. For who is this assumed person who possesses thoughts and can label them “mine”? It is not that anything is owned, not even thoughts are owned by the Awakened!
161: “Among dharmas Buddha (is) Eyed”: Dharmas are the qualities, virtuous and otherwise which manifest in mind, flit though it in a constant stream always changing. Many of these mindpatterns are disregarded, neglected or repressed by ordinary people but their understanding of themselves sharpens as they begin to practice mindfulness. With the maturity of mindfulness practice they can be called “Eyed”, those with insight, with deep understanding of the way things really are. More upon Eyes will be found at AN 3.29 where the eyeless, the one-eyed and the two-eyed are explained.
162: “Are his inflows now extinct?” Inflows (āsava) are usually said to be the inflow of sensual desire, the inflow of being/existence, and that of ignorance, to which is occasionally added the inflow of views. These are the deepest level of confused mind and are frequently explained in the Suttas. Sātagira rightly remarks: “for him all inflows are extinct, so he will not again become”. Notice that “extinction” applies to the inflows which are conditioned and are therefore impermanent. The Buddha, though, will not be driven into becoming this or that sort of being again. This does not mean that a Buddha will disappear into a mysterious Nirvāṇa which is neither existence or non-existence. His condition is neither and beyond either the extremes of nihilism and eternalism. Three verses all opening with “Accomplished is the Sage’s mind” have interesting final lines:
164: “Rightly he is praised”: He’s praised for his actions and speech which cause no suffering but bring benefit—they are never harmful. The true Knowledge that he is possessed of is usually described as the threefold knowledge (tevijjā) consisting of the knowledge of past lives, the knowledge of the future results of karmas made, and should we not praise a person like this with such virtues, though recommending him to others, or chanting his praises in pujas, if we did not what sort of practitioners would we be?
165: “Rightly you rejoice”—why would one do that? “Rejoice” here means to rejoice in the knowledge—all the good things—of the Teacher. Not to do so might mean that one was too proud to acknowledge these virtues of the Teacher. Anumodanā, to rejoice in another’s merits is to make very good karma indeed, while not to do so points to a narrow egocentric mind. 166: “It’s good that we see Gotama”: “seeing” a Teacher is a traditional Dharma practice in India. “Seeing” a Teacher may be only glimpsing him/her with the expectation that one will receive a blessing in which case it is called dharshan (dassana in Pāli, a verb related to the passāma, we see, which is found in the Snp text). More deeply committed pupils will want to have closer connection to their teacher: to see more than a brief glimpse, to understand how to practice, or even to See or realise for themselves.
170: Hemavata, obviously a very intelligent yakkha, eventually asks the Buddha a subtle question: “What co-arises with the world?” etc. This line and others that he speaks shows his awareness, for instance, that he knows that the world’s arising, in whatever way one thinks of “world”, is according to Dharma, co-production— produced from many causes. The second question poses difficulties which most translations have not solved, while mine is just a shot in the dark. The third is straightforward, while the fourth question treats the results of the third. The verse with its four questions is partly a least a riddle.
171: On this occasion, the Buddha answers riddle with riddle and does not really explain his reply to Hemavata’s questions. All he seems to have done is add the number “six”—to each line in the verse. It would be surprising if these two Yakkhas had obtained the fullest satisfaction with this “explanatory” verse, for the Buddha explained nothing. The Snp Commentary has tried to account for this strange situation and “explains” what the various sixes are. Buddhist understanding of creation is not that there is a creating force beyond the world which somehow brings forth in the world. Creation comes about as all necessary factors arise for a world, those factors must “arise together”, or as I have translated, “co-arise”.
1.10 With the Yakkha Āḷavaka Āḷavaka Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Lord dwelt at Āḷavī in the haunt of the yakkha Āḷavaka. Then the latter went to the Lord’s dwelling and spoke to him as follows: “Monk, come out!” “Very well, friend” said the Buddha (and came out). “Monk, go in!” “Very well, friend” said the Buddha and entered his dwelling. He repeated these demands twice, but on the fourth demand the Buddha said: “I shall not come out to you, friend, do what you will.” “Monk, I shall ask you a question and if you cannot answer it I shall either overthrow your mind, split your heart, or seizing you by the feet, throw you to the other side of the Ganges river.” “I do not see, friend, anyone in the world with its devas, Māras and Brahmās, in this generation with its monks and brahmins, princes and men who can either overthrow my mind, or split my heart, or seize me by the feet and throw me to the other side of the Ganges river. However, friend, ask what you will.”
āḷavaka For humans here what wealth is best? What often done brings happiness? What surely has the sweetest taste? How living do they say “life’s best”? buddha Faith the wealth for humans best, Dharma done brings happiness, Truth surely has the sweetest taste, “Lived with wisdom” this life’s best. āḷavaka How can the flood be overcrossed? How overcrossed the sea? How dukkha can be overcome? How win to purity?
buddha By faith the flood is overcrossed. By vigilance the sea. By effort dukkha’s overcome. By wisdom, purity. āḷavaka How wisdom will be won with riches also found? How attain to fame and bring together friends? When passing from this world, to next, how does one not grieve? buddha One with faith in arahats’ Dharma for attainment of Nirvāṇa diligent, wishing to listen, and discerning, wisdom wins. One who acts appropriately, who’s steady and industrious, finds wealth and fame, attained by truth; by giving, friends are gained. A faithful household seeker has attained these four: truthfulness, virtue, courage, generosity too, and so grieves not when passing hence. Now if you wish, ask others too, numerous monks and brahmins-- if truth, generosity, taming self, patience too—what’s better than these?
āḷavaka Why should I consult with these monks and brahmins numerous, when now for myself I know who brings my future’s benefit? For my benefit truly He came here, the Buddha visiting Āḷavī. Now do I know where a gift bestowed will bear great fruit. Village to village I shall roam, town to town revering him— the Full Awakened One, and the Dharmaness of perfect Dharma. ₁₉₄ (Snp 183–194)
1.11 Victory Over Fascination with Bodies Vijaya Sutta
Whether walking or standing still, down one sits or lays it down, bends it in or stretches it— it’s just the body’s movement. This body by bones and sinews bound, bedaubed by membranes, flesh and covered all over by skin— not seen as it really is: Filled with guts, with stomach filled, with bladder, liver-lump with heart and lungs it’s filled, with kidneys too and spleen.
Liquids like spittle and snot together with sweat and fat, with blood and oil for the joints, with bile and grease for the skin. Then by the streaming nine impurity oozes out: from the eye there’s dirt of eyes, from ears, wax—dirt of ears, Snot-mucuses from nose, vomit at times from the mouth, sometimes phlegm’s spewed forth, and from the body sweat and dirt.
And then within its hollow head bundled brains are stuffed-- the fool thinks all is beautiful, by ignorance led on. But when it’s lying dead, bloated and livid blue, cast away in the charnel-ground kin care for it not.
Then dogs devour, jackals too, wolves and worms dismember it, crows and vultures tear at it, and other creatures too. A monk who’s wise, having heard the Buddha’s teaching, understands that, for he sees it as it really is.
Contemplate: this living body, that corpse was once like this and as that corpse is now so will this body be — for body then discard desire, whether within or without. Such a monk who’s wise, desire and lust discarded utterly, attains to Deathlessness, to peace, Nirvāṇa, the unchanging state. But this foetid, foul, two-footed thing, is pampered, though filled with varied sorts of stench, as well with oozing here and there.⁷ Whoever such a body has, but thinks to exalt themselves, or to despise another— what’s this but wisdom’s lack? (Snp 195–208)
Comments upon the Vijaya Sutta
Apart from attachments to one’s “own” mind, the next strongest bond is to the body, one’s “own” of course but by extension to other bodies. This is a Sutta fit for two sorts of persons: one who wishes to practise renunciation as a member of a monastic saṅgha; or second, one whose sexual desires are very powerful. The teachings of this Sutta are not so appropriate to those living a non-monastic life, or to people whose desires are of less power. Still, everyone will benefit from an occasional perusal of this Sutta’s teachings, a reminder of the nature of this body which we identify as “ours”.
The first verse conveys the way the body really is, its movements just movements, neither refined nor gross. The movements are not “mine” or “yours” they are merely the body’s. Leaving aside the embellishments, so much advertised and flaunted in our times, as well as the repulsive aspects of bodies—they are all just as they are, neither good nor bad, neither beautiful or ugly, neither attractive nor repulsive. Of course, this is advice to those who meditate and who wish to have some success with their practice. Others may not understand. Verse two starts to specify medicine for minds too much swayed by lust. This Dharma-medicine will seem to the attached as rather bitter in flavour.
The body, one’s own and others’, not seen as it really is, is sketched in outline, bones, sinews, membranes, flesh, and skin and reminds one of the famous five: hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth and skin. These five are first in the list of 32 parts recommended for meditation and summarize precisely what we see when looking at another person. These are listed in the Khuddaka-pātha, whose commentary discusses the 32 parts. A few more choice ingredients of the body appear in verse 197. These are parts and liquids that in general people are not happy to see, especially when they are their own. But where should we be without bones and sinews, or how to exist lacking guts and belly? We only look on the outside of our own or others’ bodies and take for granted that other more or less unpleasant hidden parts exist.
Rather a one-sided view of the body! Continuing the list with emphasis on liquids, as found also in the 32 parts: “bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, (skin) grease, spit, snot, oil-for-the-joints, piss”. The whole list may be a pre-Buddhist medical list of the body’s contents, though surprisingly it ignores semen. The nine streams or impurity are explained in the next verse. These are what flows from: 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth, plus the body. This adds up to eight. “Mouth” could be counted twice as two sorts of impurity are mentioned: vomit and phlegm. Or “sweat” and “dirt” may count as two from the body. The Pāli Commentary does not clarify this. In other texts the body’s openings are counted as 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, mouth, urinary exit plus anus, making nine. Here, the last two are absent, rather strange if “impurities” are being counted.
While it may seem to us that many people have hollow heads without any “bundled brains”, the real function of the brain was not appreciated in ancient India though many other parts of the body had functions known to Ayurveda (medical) treatises. The following verse, number 203, turns attention from internal body bits to the body’s death. “Cast away in the charnel ground” refers to a common way of recycling bodies in the Buddha’s days. A portion of forest was declared both a crematory and a disposal point for bodies. Cremating bodies cost more—trees to be felled or wood to be scavenged, while taking the body to this secluded and forested area and leaving it there after due rites was more economical. It is unlikely that the latter will recommend itself to local councils, though ours are the days of recycling.
Perhaps we are more sentimentally attached to the corpse of a dear one than were Indians of those times. This seems to have been the case as “kin care for it not” and of course they do not care for the corpse because there was no refrigeration then, so that its “bloated and livid blue”, and most importantly what the text takes for granted, its stench, is unbearable. However, it was still attractive to some creatures who were very happy to recycle it, as the next verse recalls. Susāna, the charnelground, was not a place for the faint-hearted. Those who delivered bodies to be dealt with by fire, or by decay or by creatures, did not hang about there. Only some yogis/yoginīs and occasional bhikkhus/bhikkhunīs would be bold enough to stay there, especially through the night. Most people would have found, and would find today, such serious reminders of impermanence too stark but serious Dharma practitioners lived there without fear.
This tradition from pre-Buddhist times, through the Buddha’s lifetime about 2500 years ago, lasted in India at least another 1500 years. We know this through the gory descriptions of such “boneyards” found in Buddhist Tantras.These documents, some earlier around 500 ce and some as late as 1000 ce, paint pictures of some fairly wild characters dwelling in these places. They were at home not only with the ghastly sights but also with various spiritual protectors as well as demonic forces that dwelt there. There is no doubt that these practitioners, for instance some of the famous 84 Siddhas, lived for long periods there to their great benefit. A “bhikkhu” praised in the next verse, should be understood to include any devoted practitioner. Of course, there are bhikkhus and bhikkhus, a few wise but many without much practice and certainly no insight. It is sad to say this but the mere fact of a man (or woman) having shaven head and robes on does not guarantee spiritual awareness.
There are so many people who assume otherwise and then lose all faith when their robed guru turns out to have worse than clay feet. Knowing the body “as it really is” means that most of us do not have thorough knowledge of it. Somehow we muddle on with a decaying body and only wake up a little when our bodies are in their last drawnout struggles. It is better to see how it really is long before that time. Verse 205 has been expanded in this translation. Literally the first two lines read: As this (is) so (was) that, as that (is), so (will be) this, Though the Pāli meaning is clear, such brevity conveys little in English. Those susāna were used for such reflection and helped to discard desires whether for one’s own or others’ bodies. Notice that the emphasis in this Sutta is upon using bodily bits and corpses to see things as they truly are. It is uncharacteristic of early Buddhist works to stir up hatred for the body, and accordingly there is no trace of such hatred here. Other religious traditions, and to some extent later Buddhist works, do emphasize hatred against the body. This may be seen in some Pāli Commentaries as well as in some Mahāyāna works; see for instance Chapter 8 of the Bodhicāryavatāra.
1.12 The Sage Inwardly Silent Muni Sutta
From familiarity fear is born, from household life arises dust; no household, no familiar life— such is the vision for the sage. Who, cutting down what has grown up, plants not again, supplies no means for growth, they call that Sage who fares alone; great-seeker-seen-the-place-of-peace.
Who has surveyed the grounds and lost the seeds, and supplied no means for further growth, is Sage seen to the end of birth and death, l ogic abandoned and beyond reckoning.
Truly have been known all resting-places with no desires at all for any there — that sage indeed, free from crowing, greed, struggles not, gone to the further shore. Who is intelligent, knowing All, All overcome among all the dharmas, one who cannot be sullied, who All has abandoned, freed by craving’s end — that one do the wise proclaim as a sage.
In wisdom strong, in virtuous conduct established, in concentration and enjoying jhāna, free from all ties, aridity and the inflows— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage. The vigilant sage who practises alone, who unshaken is by blame or praise, is as a lion that trembles not at sounds, or as wind within a net cannot be caught, or like a lotus flower by water not defiled, leading other people but not by others led — that one do the wise proclaim as a sage.
Who though oppressed, is unmoving as a pile-post, when others about oneself use speech extreme; that one free from lust, sense-faculties restrained— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage.
Who is straight-minded as shuttle straightly moves, and who conduct examines both the rough and the smooth, and so who turns away from evil karma-making— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage.
Who with a mind restrained, evil does not do, whether young, middle-aged or sage self-controlled, who cannot be provoked nor others does provoke— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage. Who lives upon almsfood by others donated, receiving the first, the middle, or remainders at the end, who then sings not owned praises, or hurtfully speak— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage.
The sage not practising indulgence in sex, who even when youthful was not tied to anyone, not indulgence in madness of wanton ways but free— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage. True Knower of the universe, Seer of highest truth, crossed the ocean’s flood, One Thus and unattached, One who’s knots are cut, with no inflows left— that one do the wise proclaim as a sage.
The householder with wife, and the “not-mine-maker” of strict practices —their living-ways not the same: house-livers not restrained from taking others’ lives, but the sage always guards other beings’ lives.
In flight the crested peacock, turquoise-necked, never the swiftness of the swan attains, so a house-liver cannot match a bhikkhu, a sage meditating in the woods.⁸ ₂₂₃ (Snp 209–223)
On muni, mona, munāti and other matters
There are a group of related words in Pāli with meanings that cannot be covered by a similar linguistic group in English. This can be seen from the list below. muni: (noun) sage, or perhaps a word not be translated. mona: (noun) silence, solitary practice. munāti: (verb) to be wise, specifically because of solitary life. Originally, the person referred to was not a bhikkhu in the Buddhist sense though the later Pāli Commentaries maintain that muni = solitary bhikkhu. Evidence in the Suttas suggests that some disciples of the Buddha lived as solitaries in the forest or in caves without the burden of the monk’s rules, the Vinaya.
This tradition of receiving instructions from a teacher and then retiring for practice in solitude pre-dates the Buddha. What we now call Hinduism had, and still has, many holy men who practised among other things, silence to varying degrees. The most extreme would never speak and lived in solitary places so that they never had any cause to do so. There is, in Buddhist records an example of bhikkhus who decide that during their first Rains Retreat they will refrain from talking. At the end of this three or four months they return to visit the Buddha who asked them how their retreat has been been.
They tell him of their silence. He rebukes them that they should practise silence like animals do.⁹ Human beings should communicate and not act as they do for lack of speech. To this day, what they wanted to practise was and is called mauna.The verb munāti is not so common in Pāli but its existence demonstrates a further meaning: wisdom derived from long periods of contemplation without much conversation. The last verse perhaps is not entirely true of our own times when educated practitioners may be found among the laity.
Many years ago in my work on Vinaya (Moss on the Stones, unpublished), I had made another and more elegant, translation of this verse: As the peacock, azure-necked, never rivals flight of swans, so householders are no match for forest sage who meditates.
Finally, though it is not found in Pāli Buddhist tradition, there is the well-known mantra for the praise of our great teacher when he is called Śākyamuni: Om Muni, Muni, Mahāmuni, Śākyamuni Svāha!