Chapter 15. Happiness; Sukhavaggo (Dhp.197-208), Parallel Reading (paragraph granularity) of The Buddha's Path of Wisdom-- Dhammapada (Dhp.)

(Ven. Nārada 15-05) Here Saṃkhāra is used in the sense of khandha, the five Aggregates - namely: the body (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental states (saṃkhārā), and consciousness (viññāṇa).

The so-called being is composed of these five constituent parts. Both khandha and saṃkhārā are used to denote these five conditioned things. Excluding feeling and perception, the remaining fifty mental states are implied by the term saṅkhāra in the five Aggregates.

(DLMBS Commentary V197) On the bank of the river Rohini there was the town of Kapilavatthu, where the Buddha's own relatives, Sākyans, lived. On the other side of that river there was the town of Koliya, where lived the Koliyans, who were also related to Sākyans. Both towns and farms around it used the water from Rohini River.

One year there was a severe draught. There was not enough water for everybody. Both sides started to quarrel because of water. No compromise could be found so both sides prepared to fight.

The Buddha found out about this and decided to stop the bloodshed. As both armies assembled on the riverbanks, the Buddha appeared in the middle. He then admonished them, that for the sake of water, which has little value, they were willing to sacrifice their lives, which were so precious and priceless! He further told them this verse and the two following ones (DhP 198, DhP 199). Both sides became ashamed and reached a compromise. Thus the war did not happen.

(DLMBS Commentary V200) The Buddha once saw that a group of young girls from Pañcasāla village was very close to attaining the first stage of Awakenment. One day, when the girls were returning from the bath at the river, the Buddha entered the village for almsfood. However, the villagers were influenced by Māra and gave him nothing.

When the Buddha left the village, he met Māra who asked him if he has received enough almsfood. The Buddha, knowing that Māra influenced the villagers, admonished him for doing such a wrong deed. Māra wanted to make further fun of the Buddha and so told him to go back to the village to ask for almsfood again.

When the Buddha returned to the village, the girls came back from their bath and paid their homage to him. Māra appeared again and asked the Buddha if he was not quite hungry, not having eaten anything that day. The Buddha replied with this verse, saying that even if he did not get any food at all, he would sustain himself on joy and satisfaction, like the Radiant Gods, who live in constant joy and happiness.

(DLMBS Commentary V201) King Ajātasattu was the son of King Bimbisāra and Queen Vedehi, the sister of the King of Kosala. Ajātasattu and the King of Kosala went to war three times. The King of Kosala was always defeated. Because of this, he was very depressed. He lamented that it was a terrible disgrace; he was not able to defeat Ajātasattu, who was very young and inexperienced. The King refused to eat and just stayed in his bed all the time.

When the Buddha learned about this, he admonished him with this verse. The King realized there was no victory in war and became the Buddha's devoted follower.

(DLMBS Commentary V202) Once the Buddha was invited for almsfood to a house on the day the daughter of the family was getting married. Her bridegroom was very excited when he was observing her bringing almsfood and as a result he was not able to pay any attention to what the Buddha said.

The Buddha knew both the bride and the bridegroom were very close to realizing the Dharma and so he willed for the bridegroom not to see the bride and vice versa. Both young people then were able to pay attention to the Buddha's words. He told them this verse.

Reflecting on the meaning of the verse both the bride and the bridegroom realized the Dharma and became lay followers of the Buddha.

(DLMBS Commentary V203) Once the Buddha came to the village of Ālavi. On that day, one poor man had lost his ox and he spent the whole morning looking for it everywhere.

The villagers offered almsfood to the Buddha and monks. After the meal, everybody got ready to listen to the Dharma, but the Buddha waited for the poor man, because he knew the man was very close to attaining the first stage of Awakenment.

When the man found his ox, he came back to the village. He was very tired and hungry. So the Buddha directed the villagers to let him eat first and only then he expounded the Dharma. At the end of the discourse, the poor man attained the first stage of Awakenment.

Later the monks asked the Buddha why he waited for the man before he delivered the discourse. The Buddha told them that the man was very hungry and very tired and if he had not eaten, he might not be able to comprehend the Dharma fully and reach the first stage of Awakenment.

(DLMBS Commentary V204) The King Pasenadi of Kosala once came to the monastery to hear the Dharma. But on that day he ate too much and as a result he was sleepy, did not pay much attention and was only sitting there and nodding.

Seeing him, the Buddha advised him not to overeat, because moderation in food brings comfort to the body. Pasenadi did as he was told and after a time he lost some weight, was more fit and began to feel much better.

The Buddha then told him this verse, saying that health is the greatest gain and we should do everything to attain it.

(DLMBS Commentary V205) The Buddha announced that in four months he would attain his final Parinirvana (death of a Buddha or any fully Awakened person). Many monks who had not yet attained the Awakenment were sad and depressed. They all came to the presence of the Buddha and paid him their respects.

But Venerable Tissa decided that he would pay the highest honor to the Buddha by attaining the Awakenment while he was still alive. Therefore he went to the secluded place in the forest and practiced meditation diligently.

Other monks did not understand his intentions and reported to the Buddha that Tissa had no respect for him and kept to himself instead of coming to pay his respects to the teacher.

The Buddha told them that Tissa was striving to attain Awakenment before the teacher died and then explained that this was the best way to honor the Buddha. The best salutation to the Buddha is practicing the Dharma diligently. At the end, the Buddha told the monks this verse.

(DLMBS Commentary V206) Ten months before he reached the Parinirvana, the Buddha was staying at the village of Beluva. While he was there, he got sick. He suffered from dysentery. Sakka, the King of the Gods, personally came to attend to him. The Buddha told him there were many monks who could help him around, but Sakka insisted on helping the Buddha personally.

The monks were very surprised to find Sakka attending to the Buddha. The Buddha told them there was nothing surprising about this. In his previous life, Sakka heard the Dharma just for a short while, moments before he died. As a result, he was born as the present Sakka, the King of the Gods. Then the Buddha told the monks this verse and two following ones (DhP 207, DhP 208).

(DLMBS Commentary V207) The story for this verse is identical with the one for the previous verse (DhP 206) and the following one (DhP 208).

The company of fools is not good for someone who wants to achieve his spiritual goal. In the company of fools we will learn nothing new, nothing important or good. We will only stagnate and eventually we will become just one of the fools.

(DLMBS Commentary V208) The story for this verse is identical with the one for the two previous verses (DhP 206 and DhP 207).

As the moon follows and "associates with" the stars on the night sky, so should people who want to reach the highest goal follow and associate with only the best companions, who can teach one a lot on the way to the spiritual progress.