Dhammapada 2.5: 5. Mahākassapattheravatthu

2.5.p1

Pamādaṃ appamādenāti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto mahākassapattheraṃ ārabbha kathesi.

_When the wise man banishes heedlessness by heedfulness._ This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the Elder Mahā Kassapa.

2.5.p2

Ekasmiñhi divase thero pipphaliguhāyaṃ viharanto rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṃ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto ālokaṃ vaḍḍhetvā pamatte ca appamatte ca udakapathavīpabbatādīsu cavanake upapajjanake ca satte dibbena cakkhunā olokento nisīdi. Satthā jetavane nisinnakova ‘‘kena nu kho vihārena ajja mama putto kassapo viharatī’’ti dibbena cakkhunā upadhārento ‘‘sattānaṃ cutūpapātaṃ olokento viharatī’’ti ñatvā ‘‘sattānaṃ cutūpapāto nāma buddhañāṇenapi aparicchinno, mātukucchiyaṃ paṭisandhiṃ gahetvā mātāpitaro ajānāpetvā cavanasattānaṃ paricchedo kātuṃ na sakkā, te jānituṃ tava avisayo, kassapa, appamattako tava visayo, sabbaso pana cavante ca upapajjante ca jānituṃ passituṃ buddhānameva visayo’’ti vatvā obhāsaṃ pharitvā sammukhe nisinno viya hutvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

For on a certain day, while the Elder was in residence at Pipphali Cave, he made his round of Rājagaha for alms, and after he had returned from his round for alms and had eaten his breakfast, he sat down and developed Insight, surveying with Supernatural Vision all living beings, both heedless and heedful, in the water, on the earth, on the mountains, and elsewhere, both coming into existence and passing out of existence.

The Teacher, seated at Jetavana, exercised Supernatural Vision and pondered within himself, “With what is my son Kassapa occupied to-day?” Straightway he became aware of the following, “He is contemplating the rising and falling of living beings.” And he said, “Knowledge of the rising and falling of living beings may not be compassed even with the Knowledge of a Buddha. Living beings pass from one existence to another and obtain a new conception in a mother’s womb without the knowledge of mother or father, and knowledge thereof may not be compassed. To know them is beyond your range, Kassapa, for your range is very slight. It comes within

range of the Buddhas alone to know and to see in their totality the rising and falling of living beings." So saying, he sent forth a radiant image of himself, and as it were sitting down face to face with Kassapa, pronounced the following Stanza,

2.5.28

‘‘Pamādaṃ appamādena, yadā nudati paṇḍito;

28. When the wise man banishes heedlessness by heedfulness,
He climbs the terrace of wisdom, and free from sorrow, looks upon the sorrowing folk of the world.
Steadfast, as though standing on a mountain-top, he gazes upon the simpletons standing on the ground below.

2.5.28_2

Paññāpāsādamāruyha, asoko sokiniṃ pajaṃ;
Pabbataṭṭhova bhūmaṭṭhe, dhīro bāle avekkhatī’’ti.

2.5.28_3

Tattha nudatīti yathā nāma pokkharaṇiṃ pavisantaṃ navodakaṃ purāṇodakaṃ khobhetvā tassokāsaṃ adatvā taṃ attano matthakamatthakena palāyantaṃ nudati nīharati, evameva paṇḍito appamādalakkhaṇaṃ brūhento pamādassokāsaṃ adatvā yadā appamādavegena taṃ nudati nīharati, atha so panunnapamādo accuggatatthena parisuddhaṃ dibbacakkhusaṅkhātaṃ paññāpāsādaṃ tassa anucchavikaṃ paṭipadaṃ pūrento tāya paṭipadāya nisseṇiyā pāsādaṃ viya āruyha pahīnasokasallatāya asoko, appahīnasokasallatāya sokiniṃ pajaṃ sattanikāyaṃ cavamānañceva upapajjamānañca dibbacakkhunā avekkhati passati. Yathā kiṃ? Pabbataṭṭhova bhūmaṭṭheti pabbatamuddhani ṭhito bhūmiyaṃ ṭhite, uparipāsāde vā pana ṭhito pāsādapariveṇe ṭhite akicchena avekkhati, tathā sopi dhīro paṇḍito mahākhīṇāsavo asamucchinnavaṭṭabīje bāle cavante ca upapajjante ca akicchena avekkhatīti.

2.5.28_4

Gāthāpariyosāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni sacchikariṃsūti.

2.5.28_5

Mahākassapattheravatthu pañcamaṃ.