Dhammapada 14.4: 4. Ānandattherapañhavatthu

14.4.p1

Sabbapāpassa akaraṇanti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto ānandattherassa pañhaṃ ārabbha kathesi.

The shunning of all evil. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a question asked by Elder Ānanda.

14.4.p2

Thero kira divāṭṭhāne nisinno cintesi – ‘‘satthārā sattannaṃ buddhānaṃ mātāpitaro āyuparicchedo bodhi sāvakasannipāto aggasāvakasannipāto aggasāvakaupaṭṭhākoti idaṃ sabbaṃ kathitaṃ, uposatho pana akathito, kiṃ nu kho tesampi ayameva uposatho, añño’’ti? So satthāraṃ upasaṅkamitvā tamatthaṃ pucchi. Yasmā pana tesaṃ buddhānaṃ kālabhedova ahosi, na kathābhedo. Vipassī sammāsambuddho hi sattame sattame saṃvacchare uposathaṃ akāsi. Ekadivasaṃ dinnovādoyeva hissa sattannaṃ saṃvaccharānaṃ alaṃ hoti. Sikhī ceva vessabhū ca chaṭṭhe chaṭṭhe saṃvacchare uposathaṃ kariṃsu, kakusandho koṇāgamano ca saṃvacchare saṃvacchare. Kassapadasabalo chaṭṭhe chaṭṭhe māse uposathaṃ akāsi. Ekadivasaṃ dinnovādo eva hissa channaṃ māsānaṃ alaṃ ahosi. Tasmā satthā tesaṃ imaṃ kālabhedaṃ ārocetvā ‘‘ovādagāthā pana nesaṃ imāyevā’’ti vatvā sabbesaṃ ekameva uposathaṃ āvi karonto imā gāthā abhāsi –

We are told that as the Elder sat in his day-quarters, he thought to himself, "The Teacher has described the mothers and fathers of the Seven Buddhas, their length of life, the tree under which they got Enlightenment, their company of disciples, their Chief Disciples, and their principal supporter. All this the Teacher has described. But he has said nothing about their mode of observance of Fast-day. Was their mode of observance of Fast-day the same as now, or was it different?" Accordingly he approached the Teacher and asked him about the matter.

Now in the case of these Buddhas, while there was a difference of time, there was no difference in the Stanzas they employed. The Supremely Enlightened Vipassī kept Fast-day every seven years, but the admonition he gave in one day sufficed for seven years. Sikhī and Vessabhū kept Fast-day every six years; Kakusandha and Koṇāgamana, every year; Kassapa, Possessor of the Ten Forces, kept Fast-day every six months, but the admonition of the latter sufficed for six months. For this reason the Teacher, after explaining to the Elder this difference of time, explained that their observance of Fast-day was the same in every case. "These are the very Stanzas they employed in giving admonition," said he, quoting the following Stanzas,

14.4.183

‘‘Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ, kusalassa upasampadā;
Sacittapariyodapanaṃ, etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.

183. The shunning of all evil, the doing of good, The cleansing of the heart: this is the Religion of the Buddhas.

14.4.184

‘‘Khantī paramaṃ tapo titikkhā,
Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ vadanti buddhā;
Na hi pabbajito parūpaghātī,
Na samaṇo hoti paraṃ viheṭhayanto.

184. Patience, long-suffering, is the highest form of asceticism.
Nibbāna the Buddhas declare to be the highest of all things.
For one who strikes another is no true religious,
Nor is he a monk who injures another.

14.4.185

‘‘Anūpavādo anūpaghāto, pātimokkhe ca saṃvaro;
Mattaññutā ca bhattasmiṃ, pantañca sayanāsanaṃ;
Adhicitte ca āyogo, etaṃ buddhāna sāsana’’nti.

185. Not blaming, not harming, restraint under the Law,
Moderation in food, a remote lodging,
Dwelling on lofty thoughts, this is the Religion of the Buddhas.

14.4.185_2

Tattha sabbapāpassāti sabbassa akusalakammassa. Upasampadāti abhinikkhamanato paṭṭhāya yāva arahattamaggā kusalassa uppādanañceva uppāditassa ca bhāvanā. Sacittapariyodapananti pañcahi nīvaraṇehi attano cittassa vodāpanaṃ. Etaṃ buddhāna sāsananti sabbabuddhānaṃ ayamanusiṭṭhi.

14.4.185_3

Khantīti yā esā titikkhāsaṅkhātā khantī nāma, idaṃ imasmiṃ sāsane paramaṃ uttamaṃ tapo. Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ vadanti buddhāti buddhā ca paccekabuddhā ca anubuddhā cāti ime tayo buddhā nibbānaṃ uttamantī vadanti. Na hi pabbajitoti pāṇiādīhi paraṃ apahananto viheṭhento parūpaghātī pabbajito nāma na hoti. Na samaṇoti vuttanayeneva paraṃ viheṭhayanto samaṇopi na hotiyeva.

14.4.185_4

Anūpavādoti anūpavādanañceva anūpavādāpanañca. Anūpaghātoti anūpaghātanañceva anūpaghātāpanañca. Pātimokkheti jeṭṭhakasīle. Saṃvaroti pidahanaṃ. Mattaññutāti mattaññubhāvo pamāṇajānanaṃ. Pantanti vivittaṃ. Adhicitteti aṭṭhasamāpattisaṅkhāte adhicitte. Āyogoti payogakaraṇaṃ. Etanti etaṃ sabbesaṃ buddhānaṃ sāsanaṃ. Ettha hi anūpavādena vācasikaṃ sīlaṃ kathitaṃ, anūpaghātena kāyikasīlaṃ, ‘‘pātimokkhe ca saṃvaro’’ti sīlaṃ kathitaṃ, anūpaghātena kāyikasīlaṃ, ‘‘pātimokkhe ca saṃvaro’’ti iminā pātimokkhasīlañceva indriyasaṃvarañca, mattaññutāya ājīvapārisuddhi ceva paccayasannisitasīlañca, pantasenāsanena sappāyasenāsanaṃ, adhicittena aṭṭha samāpattiyo. Evaṃ imāya gāthāya tissopi sikkhā kathitā eva hontīti.

14.4.185_5

Desanāvasāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti.

14.4.185_6

Ānandattherapañhavatthu catutthaṃ.