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The Dhammapada


tariki

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Anyway, a further quote from Thomas Cleary's commentary on the current chapter, said in relation to the final few verses......

 

When the inner qualities developed in the course of the Lesser Journey develop to the point where they are inwardly registered by others, wherever they are to be found, then the Lesser Journey has subtly merged into the Greater Journey, in the most harmonious possible way.

 

As has been said elsewhere....."by their fruits shall you know them."

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The Monk

  • Good is restraint over the eye;
    good is restraint over the ear;
    good is restraint over the nose;
    good is restraint over the tongue.
  • Good is restraint in the body;
    good is restraint in speech;
    good is restraint in thought.
    Restraint everywhere is good.
    The monk restrained in every way
    is freed from all suffering.
  • He who has control over his hands,
    feet and tongue;
    who is fully controlled,
    delights in inward development,
    is absorbed in meditation,
    keeps to himself and is contented —
    him do people call a monk.
  • That monk who has control over his tongue,
    is moderate in speech, unassuming
    and who explains the Teaching
    in both letter and spirit —
    whatever he says is pleasing.
  • The monk who abides in the Dhamma,
    delights in the Dhamma,
    meditates on the Dhamma,
    and bears the Dhamma well in mind —
    he does not fall away
    from the sublime Dhamma.
  • One should not despise
    what one has received,
    nor envy the gains of others.
    The monk who envies the gains of others
    does not attain to meditative absorption.
  • A monk who does not despise
    what he has received,
    even though it be little,
    who is pure in livelihood
    and unremitting in effort —
    him even the gods praise.
  • He who has no attachment whatsoever
    for the mind and body,
    who does not grieve for what he has not —
    he is truly called a monk.
  • The monk who abides in universal love
    and is deeply devoted
    to the Teaching of the Buddha
    attains the peace of Nibbana,
    the bliss of the cessation
    of all conditioned things.
  • Empty this boat, O monk!
    Emptied, it will sail lightly.
    Rid of lust and hatred,
    you shall reach Nibbana.
  • Cut off the five, abandon the five,
    and cultivate the five.
    The monk who has overcome the five bonds
    is called one who has crossed the flood.
  • Meditate, O monk! Do not be heedless.
    Let not your mind whirl on sensual pleasures.
    Heedless, do not swallow a red-hot iron ball,
    lest you cry when burning, "O this is painful!"
  • There is no meditative concentration
    for him who lacks insight,
    and no insight for him
    who lacks meditative concentration.
    He in whom are found both
    meditative concentration and insight,
    indeed, is close to Nibbana.
  • The monk who has retired
    to a solitary abode
    and calmed his mind,
    who comprehends the Dhamma with insight,
    in him there arises a delight
    that transcends all human delights.
  • Whenever he sees with insight
    the rise and fall of the aggregates,
    he is full of joy and happiness.
    To the discerning one
    this reflects the Deathless.
  • Control of the senses, contentment, restraint
    according to the code of monastic discipline —
    these form the basis of holy life
    here for the wise monk.
  • Let him associate with friends
    who are noble, energetic, and pure in life,
    let him be cordial and refined in conduct.
    Thus, full of joy,
    he will make an end of suffering.
  • Just as the jasmine creeper
    sheds its withered flowers,
    even so, O monks,
    should you totally shed lust and hatred!
  • The monk who is calm in body,
    calm in speech,
    calm in thought,
    well-composed
    and who has spewn out worldliness —
    he, truly, is called serene.
  • By oneself one must censure oneself
    and scrutinize oneself.
    The self-guarded and mindful monk
    will always live in happiness.
  • One is one's own protector,
    one is one's own refuge.
    Therefore, one should control oneself,
    even as a trader controls a noble steed.
  • Full of joy, full of faith
    in the Teaching of the Buddha,
    the monk attains the Peaceful State,
    the bliss of cessation of conditioned things.
  • That monk who while young devotes himself
    to the Teaching of the Buddha
    illumines this world like the moon
    freed from clouds.

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Apparently, by the lifetime of the Buddha, the "monk" (Bhikkhu) and the life lived by such had become more of a career choice, and a "worldly" career at that. So here, the Buddha seeks to redefine the life lived in terms of character and spiritual qualities rather than ritual usage and social status.

 

He who has no attachment whatsoever

for the mind and body,

who does not grieve for what he has not —

he is truly called a monk.

 

Cleary comments that attachment to mind and body - or as other translations say, "possessiveness towards names and forms" - means greed for status, title, reputation, power over others, etc.

 

Empty this boat, O monk!

Emptied, it will sail lightly

 

The image of the "empty boat" has a long history.................in many Faiths and teachings.

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The Holy Man

  • Exert yourself, O holy man!
    Cut off the stream (of craving),
    and discard sense desires.
    Knowing the destruction
    of all the conditioned things,
    become, O holy man, the knower
    of the Uncreated (Nibbana)!
  • When a holy man has reached
    the summit of two paths
    (meditative concentration and insight),
    he knows the truth
    and all his fetters fall away.
  • He for whom there is neither this shore
    nor the other shore, nor yet both,
    he who is free of cares and is unfettered —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who is meditative, stainless and settled,
    whose work is done and who is free from cankers,
    having reached the highest goal —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • The sun shines by day,
    the moon shines by night.
    The warrior shines in armor,
    the holy man shines in meditation.
    But the Buddha shines resplendent
    all day and all night.
  • Because he has discarded evil,
    he is called a holy man.
    Because he is serene in conduct,
    he is called a recluse.
    And because he has renounced his impurities,
    he is called a renunciate.
  • One should not strike a holy man,
    nor should a holy man,
    when struck, give way to anger.
    Shame on him who strikes a holy man,
    and more shame on him who gives way to anger.
  • Nothing is better for a holy man
    than when he holds his mind back
    from what is endearing.
    To the extent the intent to harm wears away,
    to that extent does suffering subside.
  • He who does no evil in deed, word and thought,
    who is restrained in these three ways —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • Just as a brahman priest
    reveres his sacrificial fire,
    even so should one devoutly revere
    the person from whom one has learned
    the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.
  • Not by matted hair, nor by lineage,
    nor by birth does one become a holy man.
    But he in whom truth and righteousness exist —
    he is pure, he is a holy man.
  • What is the use of your matted hair,
    O witless man?
    What of your garment of antelope's hide?
    Within you is the tangle (of passion);
    only outwardly do you cleanse yourself.
  • The person who wears a robe made of rags,
    who is lean, with veins showing all over the body,
    and who meditates alone in the forest —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • I do not call him a holy man
    because of his lineage or high-born mother.
    If he is full of impeding attachments,
    he is just a supercilious man.
    But who is free from impediments and clinging —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who, having cut off all fetters,
    trembles no more, who has overcome
    all attachments and is emancipated —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who has cut off the thong (of hatred),
    the band (of craving),
    and the rope (of false views),
    together with the appurtenances
    (latent evil tendencies),
    he who has removed the crossbar (of ignorance)
    and is enlightened —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who without resentment endures abuse,
    beating and punishment;
    whose power, real might, is patience —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who is free from anger, is devout,
    virtuous, without craving, self-subdued
    and bears his final body — him do I call a holy man.
  • Like water on a lotus leaf,
    or a mustard seed on the point of a needle,
    he who does not cling to sensual pleasures —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who in this very life realizes for himself
    the end of suffering,
    who has laid aside the burden
    and become emancipated —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who has profound knowledge, who is wise,
    skilled in discerning the right or wrong path,
    and has reached the highest goal —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who holds aloof
    from householders and ascetics alike,
    and wanders about with no fixed abode
    and but few wants —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who has renounced violence
    towards all living beings, weak or strong,
    who neither kills nor causes others to kill —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who is friendly amidst the hostile,
    peaceful amidst the violent,
    and unattached amidst the attached —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He whose lust and hatred,
    pride and hypocrisy have fallen off
    like a mustard seed from the point of a needle —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who utters gentle,
    instructive and truthful words,
    who imprecates none —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who in this world takes nothing
    that is not given to him,
    be it long or short,
    small or big, good or bad —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who wants nothing
    of either this world or the next,
    who is desire-free and emancipated —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who has no attachment,
    who through perfect knowledge
    is free from doubts
    and has plunged into the Deathless —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who in this world has transcended
    the ties of both merit and demerit,
    who is sorrowless, stainless and pure —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He, who, like the moon, is spotless and pure,
    serene and clear,
    who has destroyed the delight in existence —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who, having traversed
    this miry, perilous and delusive round of existence,
    has crossed over and reached the other shore;
    who is meditative, calm, free from doubt,
    and, clinging to nothing, has attained to Nibbana —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who, having abandoned sensual pleasures,
    has renounced the household life
    and become a homeless one;
    has destroyed both sensual desire
    and continued existence —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who, having abandoned craving,
    has renounced the household life
    and become a homeless one,
    has destroyed both craving
    and continued existence —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who, casting off human bonds
    and transcending heavenly ties,
    is wholly delivered of all bondages —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who, having cast off likes and dislikes,
    has become tranquil,
    is rid of the substrata of existence
    and like a hero has conquered all the worlds —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who in every way knows
    the death and rebirth of all beings,
    and is totally detached,
    blessed and enlightened —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He whose track no gods, no angels, no humans trace,
    the arahant who has destroyed all cankers —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who clings to nothing
    of the past, present and future,
    who has no attachment
    and holds on to nothing —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He, the Noble, the Excellent,
    the Heroic, the Great Sage,
    the Conqueror, the Passionless,
    the Pure, the Enlightened one —
    him do I call a holy man.
  • He who knows his former births,
    who sees heaven and hell,
    who has reached the end of births
    and attained to the perfection of insight,
    the sage who has reached the summit
    of spiritual excellence —
    him do I call a holy man.

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So, the final chapter.

 

Good to emphasise once again that here the definitions given for exactly what constitutes "holiness" was revolutionary at the time, a time when "holiness" was often identified purely with hereditary caste, virtually a state one was born into.

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When a holy man has reached

the summit of two paths

(meditative concentration and insight),

he knows the truth

and all his fetters fall away.

 

Thomas Cleary comments that as well as "meditative concentration and insight", the two paths can also be understood as "knowledge and action", referring to the integration of perceptive and active facets of enlightenment.

 

 

He who in this world has transcended

the ties of both merit and demerit.

 

Cleary:- to transcend merit and demerit does not mean to be inactive, but to pass beyond the state of expecting and demanding to be rewarded for virtue. As has been said......"They have their reward"!!

 

And Cleary's final words, for the very last verse......."this is not the end of the Dhammapada. The Dhammapada is a wheel, not a line, Now go back to the "beginning".

Edited by tariki
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  • 4 months later...

I have been running a thread on the Dhammapada on another forum, and that thread has lead to me posting the following, given its context, but thought it might be worth posting here......

 

 

I said in the OP that in fact the Theravada path (which the Dhammapada represents) of "self power" was not my home ground. The Dhammapada is for the "sage", while my own Pure Land path is for the foolish self that sees enlightenment as totally problematic given the reality of our lives, as lived and experienced each day.

 

Though I do love the various texts (sacred or not!) of the world of Faiths, more and more I gain inspiration from the actual lives of individuals. And individuals from all walks of life, and from their writings and their lives as actually lived, how they have lived them. So it is Shinran, a 12th century Japanese guy, who I look to in Pure Land, rather than any particular text.

 

Shinran has left behind him a lot of words, and in his various letters I can see his heart. The Dhammapada, in this latest chapter, speaks of the fool. Its next chapter will speak of the wise. It is easy to identify ourselves with the wise, the lovers of pearls, and turn upon others when we hear of the fools, calling them swine. Yet Shinran, in his deep confessional way, identified himself well and truly with the "fool". He lamented, at a ripe old age, that he found no love in himself but self love. Lamented that, even so, he sought to teach others as though he were wise and capable of doing so. Took pride in doing so though at heart he knew he had no wisdom. And when a fellow devotee spoke to him, saying that they did not even look forward to the "pure land" because their heart so loved the fallen world and its temptations, Shinran sympathised and told him that he was the very same.

 

So it needs to be asked, why did he not despair? It was simply because, as far as Shinran was concerned, it was the infinite compassion, the untiring light, of Amida (Reality-as-is) that revealed his true heart to him. And that being so, the pure land path is revealed. A simple dialectic, lived and breathed each and every minute of each and every day. The greater the light, the deeper the shadow, the deeper the shadow, the greater the light. And experience - not conjecture or allegiance to the dictates of a text - reveals that such a life does not lead to a state of both light and darkness, or hatred of oneself, or of condemnation of others......but to the melting of the ice of our passions into the very waters of enlightenment (to use Shinran's own words)

 

So our side of the bargain is to see the darkness and acknowledge it, and Other Power does the rest.

 

Yet as another Pure Land saint Saichi has said, when asked to speak of "Other Power"......

 

Yes, but there is neither self power not Other Power.

What is, is the graceful acceptance only.

 

Our "acceptance" of the light (by whatever means, in fact by infinite means) is the lights acceptance of us. Duality is resolved in lived experience. THIS world is the Pure Land.

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Our "acceptance" of the light (by whatever means, in fact by infinite means) is the lights acceptance of us. Duality is resolved in lived experience. THIS world is the Pure Land.

 

This to me much follows the deep teachings of Jesus concerning forgiveness, mercy, love, and judgement. Lived experience is to me its fulfillment. This is the kingdom of God/Heaven here in this world.

 

Joseph

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