Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(98):Abhaya2
Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids.
Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala
Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'.
Chapter I.
Single Verses[]
98. Abhaya (2)[]
Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī in a brahmin(priest) family, he was called Abhaya. After he had heard the Lord(Buddha) teach and had entered the Monk’s order, he went one day for alms into the village[1] and saw a woman attractively dressed. This disturbed his mental composure, so that he returned to the Vihara(monastery) thinking: 'Looking on a visible object has corrupted me. I have done amiss.' Thus repudiating that consciousness, he so developed insight as to win arahantship(enlightenment).
Upon that he reviewed his moral slip and his recovery in this verse:
[98] Rūpaɱ disvā sati muṭṭhā piyanimittaɱ manasikaroto,||
Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhosa tiṭṭhati,||
Tassa vaḍḍhanti āsavā bhavamūlā bhavagāmino'ti.|| ||
[98] Sight of fair shape bewildering self-control,[2]
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow
And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow
The deadly sins[3] that bring new living near.
[1] So in XIX. and XXIX. This is clearly not the Abhaya of XXVI.
[2] Sati - mindfulness, heedfulness, control of thought.
[3] Āsavā. Cf. verses 794 ff.; Saɱy., iv. 78.
1.10-8[98] Commentary on the stanza of Abhayatthera[]
The stanza starting with Rūpaṃ disvā sati muṭṭhā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Abhaya. What is the origin? He also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from round of repeated rebirths, (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Sumedha. On having attained the age of intelligence, he happened to see the Blessed One Sumedha, one day, became pious-minded and made reverential offering of sweet-scented saḷaḷa-flowers to Him. On account of that act of merit, he was reborn among divine beings, and having done meritorious deeds, now and then, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths but in excellent existences, and was reborn in a brahmin family, in Sāvatthi, when this Buddha arose. He gained the name Abhaya. On having attained the age of intelligence, he went, one day, to the monastery being urged (codiyamāno) by his prosperity (sampatti) of cause (hetu), listened to the truth (dhamma) taught by the Master, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, had his preliminary duties (pubbakicca) done, did deeds for developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and lived on. Then, when one day, while he had entered the village for alms food, he happened to have seen a village lady well-dressed and decorated with adornments (alaṅkatapaṭiyattaṃ), and there arose in him lustful longing (chandarāga) in connection with (ārabbha) her beauty (rūpa) under the influence of (vasena) unwise (ayoniso) mindedness (manasikāra). He entered the monastery and having said to himself thus: “There has arisen my depravity (kilesa), in the sense-object (ārammana) of physical beauty (rūpa), in having a look after having released awareness (sati); an unbefitting act (ayuttaṃ) had been done by me,” he restrained (niggnhāti) his own mind, there and then increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna.--
“The invincible (aparājita) self-become
Buddha (sayambhū), known by the name of
Sumedha, in order to devote himself
(anubrūhanto) to detachment (viveka),
penetrated (ajjhogahi) into the deep
forest (mahāvanaṃ).
On having seen the Saḷaḷa tree blooming
I made a head-ornament (vaṭaṃsaka) after
having fastened the flowers together
it face to face to Buddha, the leader of
the world.
It was thirty thousand aeons (kappa) ago,
that I made my flower-offering; I do not
remember any evil existence, this is the
fruitful result of making reverential
offering (pūjā) to Buddha.
Nineteen (ūnavīsa) hundred aeons (kappa)
ago, there arose sixteen very strong
world-kings, (named) Sunumitta (well-
created), endowed with seven gems.
My depravity had been burnt. …
Buddha’s instruction had been carried
out.”
Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke a stanza in order to show thus:– “To one who makes himself follow the dictates (anuvattentassa) of depravity (kilesa), there does not even exist (n’atthi’eva) the throwing up (ukkhipana) of his head (sīsa) from the distress (dukkha) of the circle of repeated rebirths; so for as I am concerned, I did not follow their dictates,” with the example (nidassana) of the arising (uppatti) of his own depravity.
98. ”On having seen physical beauty (rūpaṃ),
awareness (sati) escaped (muṭṭhā). To
him who makes himself minded (manasikaroto)
of pleasant (piya) characteristic sign
(nimitta), he experiences (vedeti) im-
passioned (sāratta) mindedness (citto);
he stands clinging to (ajjhosa) it also,
the cankers (āsava) of that man who goes
towards (upagamino) the root of (mūla)
existence (bhava) increase.
There, rūpa means the pleasurable (rajjaniya) abode of physical beauty (rūpāyatana); here, however, it signifies (adhippetaṃ) beautiful female form (itthirūpa). Disvā means:– having seen by means of eye; having caught hold of it by way of discernment (sallakkhanā) of characteristic signs (nimitta) and supplementary marks (anubyañjana), in accordance with (anusārena) the eye door (cakkhudvāra). The cause (hetu) of likewise catching hold (tathāgahana) of it; thus, is the meaning. Satimuṭṭha means the occurrence (pavattana) of awareness (sati) even as: “asubha (unpleasant)” in the body which is unpleasant naturally (asubhasabhāva) has been spoilt (naṭṭhā). According as, however, the awareness has been spoilt after having seen physical beauty (rūpaṃ); in order to show it he said: “Piyaṃ nimittaṃ manasikaroto. The awareness of a man, who minded himself (manasikaroto) with unwise (ayoniso) mindedness (manasikāra), after having made pleasant (piya) characteristic sign (nimitta) the sense-object (āramanaṃ) according as it stood towards him (yathā upaṭṭhitaṃ) as: “Subhaṃ sukhaṃ, pleasant and blissful,” and so on, has escaped; thus, is the interpretation. Having but become likewise, sāratta citto vedeti means: having well become passioned (ratta) minded (citto), he experiences (anubhavati), he specially takes delight in (abhinandati) that sense-object of physical beauty (rūpārammana); specially delighting, however, tañca ajjhosa tiṭṭhati means: attached to (ajjhosāya) that sense-object (ārammanaṃ), he swallows (gilati) and moves on even, after having brought it to an end; tassavaḍḍhanti āsavā bhavamūlopagāmino means: the four cankers beginning with cankers of sensual pleasures (kāmāsava), which have the nature of going towards (upagamanasabhāva) the condition of being the root and cause of existence (bhava) and rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) of one who had become in this manner, but increase higher and higher (uparupari) above that individual; they do not decrease (hāyanti) ;on the other hand, while I stood suitably penetrating into the noble truths (saccāni paṭivijjhanta), having stood in intent mindfulness (paṭisaṅkhāna) and having increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā), by means of the serially staged right path (magga paṭipāṭi); those four cankers also are totally forsaken and all round exhausted (parikkhīnā); thus, is the significance.
The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Abhaya is complete.