Dhammapada 3.1: 1. Meghiyattheravatthu

3.1.p1

Phandanaṃ capalaṃ cittanti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā cālikāya pabbate viharanto āyasmantaṃ meghiyaṃ ārabbha kathesi.

Thoughts, unsteady, fickle. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he resided on Cālikā mountain with reference to Venerable Meghiya. (For the story of this Elder, the entire Meghiya Suttanta should be related in detail.)

3.1.p2

Tassa vatthuṃ vibhāvanatthaṃ sabbaṃ meghiyasuttantaṃ (udā. 31) vitthāretabbaṃ. Satthā pana tīhi vitakkehi anvāsattatāya tasmiṃ ambavane padhānaṃ anuyuñjituṃ asakkuṇitvā āgataṃ meghiyattheraṃ āmantetvā, ‘‘atibhāriyaṃ te, meghiya, kataṃ ‘āgamehi tāva, meghiya, ekakomhi yāva aññopi koci bhikkhu āgacchatī’ti maṃ yācantaṃ ekakaṃ pahāya gacchantena bhikkhunā nāma evaṃ cittavasikena bhavituṃ na vaṭṭati, cittaṃ nāmetaṃ lahukaṃ, taṃ attano vase vattetuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti vatvā imā dve gāthā abhāsi –

Once upon a time, by reason of attachment to the Three Evil Thoughts, Lust, Hatred, Delusion, Elder Meghiya was unable to practice Exertion in this mango-grove and returned to the Teacher. The Teacher addressed him as follows, “Meghiya, you committed a grievous fault. I asked you to remain, saying to you, ‘I am now alone, Meghiya. Just wait until some other monk appears.’ But despite my request, you went your way. A monk should never leave me alone and go his way when I ask him to remain. A monk should never be controlled thus by his thoughts. As for thoughts, they are flighty, and a man ought always to keep them under his own control.” So saying, the Teacher pronounced the two following Stanzas,

3.1.33

‘‘Phandanaṃ capalaṃ cittaṃ, dūrakkhaṃ dunnivārayaṃ;
Ujuṃ karoti medhāvī, usukārova tejanaṃ.

33. Thoughts, unsteady, fickle, difficult to guard, difficult to control,
A wise man makes straight, even as a fletcher his arrow.

3.1.34

‘‘Vārijova thale khitto, okamokataubbhato;
Paripphandatidaṃ cittaṃ, māradheyyaṃ pahātave’’ti.

34. Like a fish thrown up on dry land from his watery home,
These thoughts writhe and quiver in their efforts to shake off the power of Māra.

3.1.34_2

Tattha phandananti rūpādīsu ārammaṇesu vipphandamānaṃ. Capalanti ekairiyāpathena asaṇṭhahanto gāmadārako viya ekasmiṃ ārammaṇe asaṇṭhahanato capalaṃ. Cittanti viññāṇaṃ, bhūmivatthuārammaṇakiriyādivicittatāya panetaṃ ‘‘citta’’nti vuttaṃ. Dūrakkhanti kiṭṭhasambādhe ṭhāne kiṭṭhakhādakagoṇaṃ viya ekekasmiṃ sappāyārammaṇeyeva duṭṭhapanato dūrakkhaṃ. Dunnivārayanti visabhāgārammaṇaṃ gacchantaṃ paṭisedhetuṃ dukkhattā dunnivārayaṃ. Usukārova tejananti yathā nāma usukāro araññato ekaṃ vaṅkadaṇḍakaṃ āharitvā nittacaṃ katvā kañjiyatelena makkhetvā aṅgārakapalle tāpetvā rukkhālake uppīḷetvā nivaṅkaṃ ujuṃ vālavijjhanayoggaṃ karoti, katvā ca pana rājarājamahāmattānaṃ sippaṃ dassetvā mahantaṃ sakkārasammānaṃ labhati, evameva medhāvī paṇḍito viññū puriso phandanādisabhāvametaṃ cittaṃ dhutaṅgāraññāvāsavasena, nittacaṃ apagataoḷārikakilesaṃ katvā saddhāsinehena temetvā kāyikacetasikavīriyena tāpetvā samathavipassanālake uppīḷetvā ujuṃ akuṭilaṃ nibbisevanaṃ karoti, katvā ca pana saṅkhāre sammasitvā mahantaṃ avijjakkhandhaṃ padāletvā, ‘‘tisso vijjā, cha abhiññā, nava lokuttaradhamme’’ti imaṃ visesaṃ hatthagatameva katvā aggadakkhiṇeyyabhāvaṃ labhati.

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Vārijovāti maccho viya, thale khittoti hatthena vā pādena vā jālādīnaṃ vā aññatarena thale chaḍḍito. Okamokataubbhatoti ‘‘okapuṇṇehi cīvarehī’’ti ettha (mahāva. 306) udakaṃ okaṃ, ‘‘okaṃ pahāya aniketasārī’’ti ettha (su. ni. 850) ālayo, ettha ubhayampi labbhati. ‘‘Okamokataubbhato’’ti hi ettha okamokatoti udakasaṅkhātā ālayāti ayamattho. Ubbhatoti uddhaṭo. Paripphandatidaṃ cittanti yathā so udakālayato ubbhato thale khitto maccho udakaṃ alabhanto paripphandati, evamidaṃ pañcakāmaguṇālayābhirataṃ cittaṃ tato uddharitvā māradheyyasaṅkhātaṃ vaṭṭaṃ pahātuṃ vipassanākammaṭṭhāne khittaṃ kāyikacetasikavīriyena santāpiyamānaṃ paripphandati, saṇṭhātuṃ na sakkoti. Evaṃ santepi dhuraṃ anikkhipitvā medhāvī puggalo taṃ vuttanayeneva ujuṃ kammaniyaṃ karotīti attho. Aparo nayo – idaṃ māradheyyaṃ kilesavaṭṭaṃ avijahitvā ṭhitaṃ cittaṃ so vārijo viya paripphandati, tasmā māradheyyaṃ pahātave, yena kilesavaṭṭasaṅkhātena māradheyyeneva paripphandati, taṃ pahātabbanti.

3.1.34_4

Gāthāpariyosāne meghiyatthero sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhito, aññepi bahū sotāpannādayo jātāti.

At the conclusion of the Stanzas Elder Meghiya was established in the Fruit of Conversion and many others in the Fruits of the Second and Third Paths.

3.1.34_5

Meghiyattheravatthu paṭhamaṃ.