Dhammapada 2.6: 6. Pamattāpamattadvesahāyakavatthu

2.6.p1

Appamatto pamattesūti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto dve sahāyake bhikkhū ārabbha kathesi.

Heedful among the heedless. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to two brethren.

2.6.p2

Te kira satthu santike kammaṭṭhānaṃ gahetvā āraññakavihāraṃ pavisiṃsu. Tesu eko kira kālasseva dārūni āharitvā aṅgārakapallaṃ sajjetvā daharasāmaṇerehi saddhiṃ sallapanto paṭhamayāmaṃ visibbamāno nisīdati. Eko appamatto samaṇadhammaṃ karonto itaraṃ ovadati, ‘‘āvuso, mā evaṃ kari, pamattassa hi cattāro apāyā sakagharasadisā. Buddhā nāma sāṭheyyena ārādhetuṃ na sakkā’’ti so tassovādaṃ na suṇāti. Itaro ‘‘nāyaṃ vacanakkhamo’’ti taṃ avatvā appamattova samaṇadhammamakāsi. Alasattheropi paṭhamayāme visibbetvā itarassa caṅkamitvā gabbhaṃ paviṭṭhakāle pavisitvā, ‘‘mahākusīta, tvaṃ nipajjitvā sayanatthāya araññaṃ paviṭṭhosi, kiṃ buddhānaṃ santike kammaṭṭhānaṃ gahetvā uṭṭhāya samaṇadhammaṃ kātuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti vatvā attano vasanaṭṭhānaṃ pavisitvā nipajjitvā supati. Itaropi majjhimayāme vissamitvā pacchimayāme paccuṭṭhāya samaṇadhammaṃ karoti. So evaṃ appamatto viharanto na cirasseva saha paṭisambhidāhi arahattaṃ pāpuṇi. Itaro pamādeneva kālaṃ vītināmesi. Te vuṭṭhavassā satthu santikaṃ gantvā satthāraṃ vanditvā ekamantaṃ nisīdiṃsu. Satthā tehi saddhiṃ paṭisanthāraṃ katvā, ‘‘kacci, bhikkhave, appamattā samaṇadhammaṃ karittha, kacci vo pabbajitakiccaṃ matthakaṃ patta’’nti pucchi. Paṭhamaṃ pamatto bhikkhu āha – ‘‘kuto, bhante, etassa appamādo, gatakālato paṭṭhāya nipajjitvā niddāyanto kālaṃ vītināmesī’’ti. ‘‘Tvaṃ pana bhikkhū’’ti. ‘‘Ahaṃ, bhante, kālasseva dārūni āharitvā aṅgārakapallaṃ sajjetvā paṭhamayāme visibbento nisīditvā aniddāyantova kālaṃ vītināmesi’’nti. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘tvaṃ pamatto kālaṃ vītināmetvā ‘appamattomhī’ti vadasi, appamattaṃ pana pamattaṃ karosī’’ti āha. Puna pamāde dose, appamāde ānisaṃse pakāsetuṃ, ‘‘tvaṃ mama puttassa santike javacchinno dubbalasso viya, esa pana tava santike sīghajavasso viyā’’ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

It appears that these two monks obtained a Subject of Meditation from the Teacher and retired to a forest hermitage. Early in the morning one of them brought firewood, prepared the charcoal-dish, and during the first watch sat and chatted with the probationers and novices. The other, a heedful monk, engaged in meditation, thus admonished his friend, "Brother, do not act thus. For a monk that is heedless stand ready four states of suffering, as if they were his own house. The favor of the Buddhas may not be won by double-dealing." When the lazy monk paid no attention to his admonition, the zealous monk said, "This monk cannot endure to be spoken to." Having failed to spur his comrade to greater effort, the zealous monk, abiding in heedfulness, resumed his meditations.

The slothful Elder, having warmed himself during the first watch, entered the monastery just as his friend, having finished his walk, entered his cell. Said the slothful monk to the zealous monk, "Slothful one, you entered the forest for the purpose of lying down and sleeping. Seeing that you obtained a Subject of Meditation from the Buddhas, ought you not rather to rise and devote yourself to the practice of meditation?" So saying, he entered his own place of residence, lay down, and went to sleep. But his friend, after walking up and down during the first watch and resting during the second watch, rose in the last watch and devoted himself to the practice of meditation. Living thus the life of heedfulness, in no long time he attained Arahatship,

together with the Supernatural Faculties. The other monk, however, spent his time in utter heedlessness.

When the two monks had completed residence, they went to the Teacher, paid obeisance to him, and sat down respectfully on one side. The Teacher exchanged friendly greetings with them and queried, “I trust that you have lived the life of heedfulness and that you have devoted yourselves earnestly to the practice of meditation. I trust that you have reached the goal of the Religious Life.” The heedless monk replied, “Reverend Sir, how can this monk be said to be heedful? From the time he left you he has done nothing but lie and sleep.” “But _you_, monk?” “I, Reverend Sir, betimes in the morning brought firewood and prepared the charcoal-dish, and during the first watch I sat and warmed myself, but I did not spend my time sleeping.” Then said the Teacher to the slothful monk, “You who have spent your time in heedlessness say, ‘I am heedful.’ You mistake heedlessness for heedfulness. Compared with my son, you are like a decrepit hack; but he, compared with you, is like a racer.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,

2.6.29

‘‘Appamatto pamattesu, suttesu bahujāgaro;
Abalassaṃva sīghasso, hitvā yāti sumedhaso’’ti.

29. Heedful among the heedless, watchful among the sleeping,
Even as a racer outstrips a hack, even so goes a wise man.

2.6.29_2

Tattha appamattoti sativepullappattatāya appamādasampanne khīṇāsavo. Pamattesūti sativosagge ṭhitesu sattesu. Suttesūti satijāgariyābhāvena sabbiriyāpathesu niddāyantesu. Bahujāgaroti mahante sativepulle jāgariye ṭhito. Abalassaṃvāti kuṇṭhapādaṃ chinnajavaṃ dubbalassaṃ sīghajavo sindhavājānīyo viya. Sumedhasoti uttamapañño. Tathārūpaṃ puggalaṃ āgamenapi adhigamenapi hitvā yāti. Mandapaññasmiñhi ekaṃ suttaṃ gahetuṃ vāyamanteyeva sumedhaso ekaṃ vaggaṃ gaṇhāti, evaṃ tāva āgamena hitvā yāti. Mandapaññe pana rattiṭṭhānadivāṭṭhānāni kātuṃ vāyamanteyeva kammaṭṭhānaṃ uggahetvā sajjhāyanteyeva ca sumedhaso pubbabhāgepi parena kataṃ rattiṭṭhānaṃ vā divāṭṭhānaṃ vā pavisitvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ sammasanto sabbakilese khepetvā neva lokuttaradhamme hatthagate karoti, evaṃ adhigamenapi hitvā yāti. Vaṭṭe pana naṃ hitvā chaḍḍetvā vaṭṭato nissaranto yātiyevāti.

2.6.29_3

Gāthāpariyosāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti.

2.6.29_4

Pamattāpamattadvesahāyakavatthu chaṭṭhaṃ.