Dhammapada 2.8: 8. Aññatarabhikkhuvatthu

2.8.p1

Appamādarato bhikkhūti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto aññataraṃ bhikkhuṃ ārabbha kathesi.

*A monk who delights in heedfulness.* This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a certain monk.

2.8.p2

So kira satthu santike yāva arahattā kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathāpetvā araññaṃ pavisitvā ghaṭento vāyamanto arahattaṃ pattuṃ nāsakkhi. So ‘‘visesetvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathāpessāmī’’ti tato nikkhamitvā satthu santikaṃ āgacchanto antarāmagge mahantaṃ dāvaggiṃ uṭṭhitaṃ disvā vegena ekaṃ muṇḍapabbatamatthakaṃ abhiruyha nisinno araññaṃ ḍayhamānaṃ aggiṃ disvā ārammaṇaṃ gaṇhi – ‘‘yathā ayaṃ aggi mahantāni ca khuddakāni ca upādānāni ḍahanto gacchati, evaṃ ariyamaggañāṇaggināpi mahantāni ca khuddakāni ca saṃyojanāni ḍahantena gantabbaṃ bhavissatī’’ti. Satthā gandhakuṭiyaṃ nisinnova tassa cittācāraṃ ñatvā, ‘‘evameva, bhikkhu, mahantānipi khuddakānipi upādānāni viya imesaṃ sattānaṃ abbhantare uppajjamānāni aṇuṃthūlāni saṃyojanāni, tāni ñāṇagginā jhāpetvā abhabbuppattikāni kātuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti vatvā obhāsaṃ vissajjetvā tassa bhikkhuno abhimukhe nisinno viya paññāyamāno imaṃ obhāsagāthamāha –

The story goes that this monk obtained from the Teacher a Subject of Meditation leading to Arahatship and retired to the forest. Although he strove and struggled with might and main, he was unable to attain Arahatship. Thereupon he said to himself, "I will ask the Teacher to give me a Subject of Meditation better suited to my needs." So he departed from his place of residence and set out to return to the Teacher. On the way he saw a great forest fire raging. Accordingly he climbed up to the top of a bald mountain and sat down. As he watched the fire consume the forest, he concentrated his mind on the following thought, "Even as this fire advances, consuming all obstacles both great and small, so also ought I to advance, consuming all obstacles both great and small by the Fire of Knowledge of the Noble Path."

The Teacher, even as he sat in his Perfumed Chamber, became aware of the course of his thoughts and spoke as follows, "Monk, this is precisely true. Even as fire consumes all obstacles both great and small, so also is it necessary with the Fire of Knowledge to consume and utterly destroy all Attachments both small and great which arise within these living beings." And sending forth a luminous image of himself, present, as it were, sitting face to face with that monk, he pronounced the following Apparition-Stanza,

2.8.31

‘‘Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassi vā;
Saṃyojanaṃ aṇuṃ thūlaṃ, ḍahaṃ aggīva gacchatī’’ti.

31. A monk who delights in heedfulness and views heedlessness with fear
Advances like a fire, consuming Attachments both small and great.

2.8.31_2

Tattha appamādaratoti appamāde rato abhirato, appamādena vītināmentoti attho. Pamāde bhayadassi vāti nirayuppattiādikaṃ pamāde bhayaṃ bhayato passanto, tāsaṃ vā uppattīnaṃ mūlattā pamādaṃ bhayato passanto. Saṃyojananti vaṭṭadukkhena saddhiṃ yojanaṃ bandhanaṃ pajānaṃ vaṭṭe osīdāpanasamatthaṃ dasavidhaṃ saṃyojanaṃ. Aṇuṃ thūlanti mahantañca khuddakañca. Ḍahaṃ aggīva gacchatīti yathā ayaṃ aggī etaṃ mahantañca khuddakañca upādānaṃ ḍahantova gacchati. Evameso appamādarato bhikkhu appamādādhigatena ñāṇagginā etaṃ saṃyojanaṃ ḍahanto abhabbuppattikaṃ karonto gacchatīti attho.

2.8.31_3

Gāthāpariyosāne so bhikkhu yathānisinnova sabbasaṃyojanāni jhāpetvā saha paṭisambhidāhi arahattaṃ patvā ākāsenāgantvā tathāgatassa suvaṇṇavaṇṇaṃ sarīraṃ thometvā vaṇṇetvā vandamānova pakkāmīti.

At the conclusion of the Stanza that monk, even as he sat there, consumed all the Attachments and attained Arahatship, together with the Supernatural Faculties. And straightway, soaring through the air, he approached the Teacher, praising and glorifying the golden body of the Tathāgata. And when he had done him homage, he departed.

2.8.31_4

Aññatarabhikkhuvatthu aṭṭhamaṃ.