法句經 第六、智者品 多譯本對讀(段層次) Dhammapada (Dhp.) 6. Paṇḍitavaggo

〔明法尊者註06-01〕 一位老婆羅門羅陀(Rādha)出家後，很守規矩，很快就證得阿羅漢果。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，六～一、 證得阿羅漢果的可憐人 (偈 076) 。

〔明法尊者註06-02〕 善人敬愛能訓誡與教示的人，惡人則憎惡此人。比丘阿濕具、富那婆修 (Assaji-Punabbasukabhikkhū) 及弟子住在迦羅賴精舍 (Kīṭāgiri)時，為了私利，種果樹，也犯一些小戒，使精舍吵鬧不停，妨礙其他比丘的修持。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，六～二、 不守戒律的比丘 (偈 077) 。

〔明法尊者註06-03〕 高尚士 ：purisuttama，最勝人、上人、聖人。本偈為世尊勸導車匿長老的話。車匿長老是傲慢的釋迦族人，他在世尊滅度後才證到阿羅漢果。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，六～三、 頑倔不馴的車匿 (偈 078) 。

〔明法尊者註06-05〕 摩訶劫賓那 (Mahākappinatthera) 曾當國王，第一次聞佛說法，就證得阿羅 漢果，出家為比丘。之後，不分晝夜，常自言自語︰“aho sukhaṁ aho sukhan”ti (快樂得不得了！快樂得不得了！) 諸比丘誤以為他想起以前當王的快樂時光，而向佛陀報告，佛陀說出此偈。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，六～四、 國王和大臣們證得聖果 (偈 079) 。

〔明法尊者註06-06〕 智者自調御 ：attānaṁ damayanti paṇḍitā，各類匠師擅長他們各自的工作，而有智慧的人善於自我調伏。此偈為班迪達沙彌(Paṇḍitasāmaṇera)的故事，他思惟︰如果無心的水可以任人引至任何地方；無心且彎曲的竹子可以撫直；無心的木材也可以做成有用的東西。那麼，擁有心識的我，為什麼無法控制我的內心，修行清淨止觀呢？而在第八天證得阿羅漢果。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，六～五、 年輕沙彌的修行成就 (偈 080) 。

〔明法尊者註06-08〕 佛陀受某婆羅門的邀請，到鞞蘭若(Verañja)雨安居，但是那位婆羅門後來就忘光了，那一次雨安居，佛陀及諸比丘每天只吃少許的馬麥維生。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，六～八、 智者不為得失所動 (偈 083) 。

(DLMBS Commentary V076) A poor old man named Rādha was staying in the monastery doing manual work, like sweeping, cutting the grass etc. He wanted to become a monk, but the elders were not willing to admit him.

One day the Buddha saw that Rādha had a potential to become an arahant, so he called the monks and asked them if any of them recollects a good deed done by Rādha. Venerable Sāriputta said that Rādha once offered him some rice. The Buddha then asked if it wasn't proper to repay the kindness by accepting the man into the Order and show him the way out of suffering. So Rādha became a monk under Venerable Sāriputta. He strictly followed Sāriputta's guidance and in a very short time he attained arahantship.

When the Buddha heard about this he explained by this verse that a monk should always be attentive to guidance by his betters and not resent rebukes for his faults.

(DLMBS Commentary V077) There were two monks, Assaji and Punabhasuka, staying in the village of Kitāgiri together with their disciples. They planted trees for personal gain and violated some other minor monks' precepts. Thus, the monastery became noisy and not suitable for spiritual development.

When the Buddha heard about it, he sent Sāriputta and Moggallāna to advise these monks. After the admonition from the two Buddha's chief disciples, most of the monks changed their way of life. But some of them were not happy and returned to the household life.

The Buddha reacted with this verse, saying that admonishing and instructing is always fine with the good ones, whereas the bad ones never agree to being advised.

(DLMBS Commentary V078) Channa was Prince Siddhattha's servant before he renounced the world. When he left the palace and went to homelessness, Channa accompanied him part of the way. After he became the Buddha, Channa also left the worldly life and became a monk. But on account of his close connection with the Buddha, he was very proud and arrogant. He used to scold Sāriputta and Moggallāna, envying them their positions as two Buddha's chief disciples.

The Buddha admonished him several times, but Channa still continued to abuse as before. This went on for a long time. Just before the Buddha passed away, he told Ānanda that after his death, a special punishment should be imposed on Channa - nobody was to talk to him, nobody was to associate with him.

When Channa learned about this, he felt a deep remorse for his behavior. He admitted his mistake and apologized. After that he changed his ways, practiced diligently and soon he became an Arahant.

(DLMBS Commentary V079) King Mahākappina ruled in Kukkutavati. Once he heard from some merchants about the Buddha and his teachings. He and several of his ministers immediately left for Sāvatthi, where the Buddha was staying at that time.

They met the Buddha sitting under a tree on the bank of a river. After listening to his teachings, they immediately realized the Dharma and became monks.

When he did not return, his queen and wives of the ministers followed them to Sāvatthi. When they arrived there, the Buddha hid the former king and his ministers, because he knew that if the women saw their husbands in yellow robes and with their heads shaved, it would be impossible for them to realize the Dharma. So he just told them to sit down and listen to what he had to say, their husbands would join them soon. He then delivered a discourse. At the end the king and his ministers (they were sitting nearby) attained arahantship and the queen and the wives of the ministers attained the first stage of awakenment. The ladies also joined the Order and soon became arahants too.

Venerable Mahākappina would often exclaim: "Oh, what happiness!" When the other monks asked the Buddha what he meant, he replied with this verse, explaining that Mahākappina tasted the nectar of the Dharma and found it extremely sweet. He therefore lives happily, with a bright mind.

(DLMBS Commentary V080) Venerable Sāriputta once had a very young novice. On the eighth day after becoming a novice he was with Sāriputta on an alms-round. He observed irrigators irrigating the fields, arrow-makers making their arrows and carpenters working with wood. He asked Venerable Sāriputta if those things, which have no mind, could be guided to wherever one wishes. Sāriputta replied that it is so. The young novice then thought, "If those things, which have no mind, could be guided to wherever one wishes, then why could not I master myself?"

He then asked permission from Sāriputta, returned to the monastery and diligently practiced. Very soon he attained the third stage of awakenment and was very close to attaining full arahantship.

Sāriputta then returned and was going towards the novice's hut. The Buddha saw this and he also saw that the novice was just about to attain the goal, so he met Sāriputta outside and prevented him from going to the novice's hut by asking him various questions. The novice indeed attained arahantship very soon and the Buddha explained that the reason, why he kept Sāriputta outside, was to enable the young novice to attain his goal without being interrupted.

(DLMBS Commentary V081) At the Jetavana monastery lived a monk named Bhaddiya. Because he was very short, other monks would often tease him. Younger monks would pull his nose or pat him on the head and ask, "Uncle, how are you? Are you bored with your life as a monk?"But Bhaddiya was extremely good-natured and he never retaliated in anger.

Somebody once mentioned Bhaddiya's patience in front of the Buddha. The Buddha replied by this verse and he added, that Arahants are like that - they never loose temper for whatever reason. They are like mountain rocks - unmovable by the "wind" of praise or blame. Only then did the other monks understand, that this funny short Bhaddiya was actually an Arahant.

(DLMBS Commentary V082) In one village there lived a woman named Kāṇa Mātā. She was a devout lay disciple of the Buddha. She had a daughter Kāṇa who was married to a man from another village. Once she was staying with her mother and her husband sent for her. But her mother told her to wait, because she wanted to send some cakes to her husband.

But the next day some monks came to the house and Kāṇa Mātā gave the cakes to them. Kāṇa had to wait for her mother to prepare new cakes and she could not return to her husband. This happened every day for three following days. All the cakes were given to the monks. Kāṇa's husband then took another wife. Kāṇa accused the monks that they have ruined her marriage and became very bitter. She would insult and abuse the monks, wherever she saw them.

The Buddha then set a new rule for the monks, not to take advantage of the devotion of the lay disciples. He went to Kāṇa Mātā's house and asked Kāṇa if the monks took what was given or what was not given. Kāṇa replied that they took only what was given to them and realized that she was wrong. The Buddha then gave a discourse. At the end, Kāṇa attained the first stage of Arahantship.

King Pasenadi of Kosala heard about this, summoned Kāṇa to the palace and one of his ministers adopted her as his daughter. Every day she gave offerings to holy people who came to her door.

The Buddha then noted that Kāṇa's mind, originally confused and "muddy" became clear as a lake after listening to the Dharma.

(DLMBS Commentary V083) The Buddha and many monks once stayed for the Rain Retreat in the village of Veranja at a request of a Brahmin from that village. But for some reason the Brahmin did not look after them. Moreover, there was a famine in the region and people could not support them very well. But the monks were all contented and happy. Some horse traders offered them grain every day and they lived on that food and continued to practice meditation diligently.

When the Rains were over, the Buddha and the monks returned to Savatthi. At that time, a certain group of people was permitted to stay in the monastery. They only ate greedily, slept and played on the bank of the river. There was a lot of noise in the monastery and around it.

When monks remarked to the Buddha that people were so depressed during the famine and now, when it was over, they were so elated. The Buddha replied with this verse, adding that only the foolish are full of sorrow when things do not go well and extremely happy when everything is fine. The wise is always calm and equanimous whether they have to face good or bad things.

(DLMBS Commentary V084) In the city of Savatthi, there lived a man with his pregnant wife. He wanted to become a monk so he asked his wife for permission. She told him to wait after the baby is born. When it happened, she again asked him to stay until the child could walk. When the man finally got to be a monk, he took a subject of meditation, practiced diligently and soon attained arahantship.

A few years later he visited his house in order to teach Dharma to his family. His son became a monk too and soon he also became an Arahant. The wife thought, "If both my husband and my son entered the Order, I'd better go too." So she left the house and became a nun. Eventually she too attained arahantship.

The Buddha was told how the whole family attained arahantship and he replied by this verse. He added, that a wise man works for his liberation and helps others towards the same goal. The awakenment can be realized only after much effort.

(DLMBS Commentary V085) One day, a group of people came to the monastery to give offerings to the monks and listen to the discourses. It was arranged that they could stay the whole night and listen to the monks explaining the Dharma.

But some of them did not have enough energy and they returned home early. Some stayed for the night, but were sleepy and did not pay much attention to what was being said. Only a few were able to listen attentively to the discourses.

In the morning the Buddha was told about what happened. He replied by this verse, saying that most people are too attached to this world, only a few are able to reach the other shore and attain Nirvana.

He reminded the monks to strive diligently for the goal; only those who will do se will be able to reach the perfection of mind.

(DLMBS Commentary V086) The story for this verse is identical to the story for the previous one.

It is not easy to reach the Nirvana, even if we practice diligently for a long time. Most people, although they listen to the discourses, read books and meditate, are not able to really cut the ties to "this shore" and realize the arahantship. Only when one is really living the Dharma for a long time and fully, one is able to achieve this goal.

(DLMBS Commentary V087) A group of monks came to see the Buddha and asked him for advice on meditation. The Buddha advised them with this verse and with the two following ones (DhP 88, DhP 89).

In order to be able to devote oneself completely to the practice of meditation, one must "give up the bad states". These are evil deeds, evil thoughts. Then one must develop "good states", or good deeds and good thoughts. If one wants to practice wholeheartedly, it is very good to "go the houselessness", or in other words to became a monk or a nun and meditate diligently in solitude. That is extremely difficult, because in solitude there is nothing "to enjoy", nothing for our mind to occupy itself with, we are left only with ourselves and have to concentrate on the practice.

(DLMBS Commentary V088) A group of monks came to see the Buddha and asked him for advice on meditation. The Buddha advised them with this verse and with the preceding and the following one (DhP 87, DhP 89).

In order to reach the awakenment, one must abandon all cravings and "have nothing", or in other words, not cling to anything. One must also purify the mind from the "impurities", or greed, hate, delusion, conceit, speculative views, skeptical doubt, mental torpor, restlessness, shamelessness and lack of moral dread.

This way, one will reach the state of arahantship and then one can truly find delight in solitude.

(DLMBS Commentary V089) A group of monks came to see the Buddha and asked him for advice on meditation. The Buddha advised them with this verse and with the two preceeding ones (DhP 87, DhP 88).

In order to reach the awakenment, one must fully develop the "constituents of awakenment". They are seven: mindfulness (sati), investigation of the Dharma (dhammavicaya), energy (viriya), joy (piti), tranquility (passadhi), concentration (samadhi) and equanimity (upekkha). We also must not cling to anything and take delight in renouncing all the attachments. Most importantly, we must "remove the taints". Traditionally, these four taints (asava) are mentioned in the texts: sense desire (kama), desiring eternal existence (bhava), wrong views (ditthi) and ignorance (avijja). If we remove these taints, we will "shine" with wisdom and be truly completely emancipated from the suffering.