1 00:00:00,537 --> 00:00:04,141 Hello, and welcome back to our study of the Dhammapada. 2 00:00:04,161 --> 00:00:08,866 Today we continue on with verse 136, which reads as follows. 3 00:00:16,334 --> 00:00:29,008 Which means, when an evil deed 4 00:00:30,575 --> 00:00:36,725 When one commits an evil deed, the fool does not realize it. 5 00:00:37,927 --> 00:00:52,009 But by those evil deeds, the fool, the unwise person, 6 00:00:53,862 --> 00:00:58,731 is burnt by a fire. 7 00:01:05,183 --> 00:01:08,188 So the back story of this one is quite interesting actually. 8 00:01:09,851 --> 00:01:16,343 Perhaps hard to believe for the skeptics. 9 00:01:17,605 --> 00:01:19,810 But it's a ghost story. 10 00:01:20,011 --> 00:01:23,119 And we have many ghost stories in the Buddhist teachings. 11 00:01:23,199 --> 00:01:30,617 But ghost stories in Buddhism are not about how fearsome the ghost is. 12 00:01:31,660 --> 00:01:33,825 They're more about how fearsome it is to be a ghost. 13 00:01:36,269 --> 00:01:53,347 So the story goes that Moggallana, when he was going down from Gijakut, a vulture's peak in Rajgaha, which you can still go see if you visit, he was going with his attendant or his assistant, Lakkhana, and suddenly he smiled. 14 00:01:56,530 --> 00:01:58,452 And Lakkhana asked him, why are you smiling? 15 00:01:59,593 --> 00:02:04,318 And he said, better wait until we get to see the Buddha before I tell you. 16 00:02:06,847 --> 00:02:10,573 So curious, but respectful, Lakkana waited. 17 00:02:10,653 --> 00:02:22,030 And when they had gone for alms round and eaten, I guess, and went to see the Buddha, Lakkana asked Moggallana again, Why are you smiling? 18 00:02:24,694 --> 00:02:26,697 And Moggallana explained to him in front of the Buddha. 19 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:32,145 He said, While we were walking, I saw a ghost. 20 00:02:34,049 --> 00:02:49,054 in the form of a boa constrictor with flames proceeding from his head, going from its head to its tail and back from its tail to its head, and flames on either side, completely engulfed by flames. 21 00:02:51,413 --> 00:02:57,324 I said, but I didn't say anything because I didn't think you might believe me, thought you might not believe me. 22 00:02:58,346 --> 00:03:01,271 Even Moggallana was wary of skeptics. 23 00:03:01,932 --> 00:03:10,688 But the Buddha reaffirmed it and said, I've seen that ghost before, but I also didn't want to say anything because I wanted to wait until I had a witness as well, otherwise people might be skeptical. 24 00:03:19,797 --> 00:03:23,542 So there was this ghost. 25 00:03:23,622 --> 00:03:27,006 And why was this ghost in the form, why was this ghost being burnt? 26 00:03:27,126 --> 00:03:35,937 And the point here is that it was in pain, wailing and being tortured by these flames actually burning up. 27 00:03:35,997 --> 00:03:37,379 This wasn't a comfortable state. 28 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:39,261 This wasn't a fearsome ghost. 29 00:03:39,301 --> 00:03:45,028 This was a pitiful state. 30 00:03:47,354 --> 00:03:53,660 So the monks asked the Buddha, what could someone have possibly done to be born in such a state? 31 00:03:54,681 --> 00:03:56,182 And so here is the reply. 32 00:03:57,483 --> 00:04:04,089 In the past, there was a rich man named Sumangala in the time of the Buddha Kasapa. 33 00:04:05,371 --> 00:04:10,595 And he was much like the great lay disciples of the Buddha's time, building monasteries. 34 00:04:11,876 --> 00:04:16,821 In the Buddha's time, we have this man, Anattapindika, who built Jetavana. 35 00:04:16,801 --> 00:04:23,217 the monastery where the Buddha spent most of his career. 36 00:04:24,901 --> 00:04:29,546 And he did it in order to buy it because Jeta wasn't going to sell Jetavana. 37 00:04:30,607 --> 00:04:33,390 He had to cover the space with gold coins. 38 00:04:35,052 --> 00:04:41,179 And that's what Jeta said, figuring that Anantapindika would never do such a thing, would never pay such an exorbitant amount. 39 00:04:41,199 --> 00:04:48,006 But Anantapindika was determined and so he paid the price. 40 00:04:47,986 --> 00:05:16,390 So in this time, Sumangala is said to have done the same sort of thing and spent at least as much money building an actual monastery and then spent an equal amount of money, a third portion of money, giving a festival, giving celebration and ceremonies and feeding the monks and feeding people and celebrating this event of opening the monastery. 41 00:05:17,551 --> 00:05:23,173 So he was a great man, a great Buddhist, a great supporter of the Buddha Kastapa. 42 00:05:25,297 --> 00:05:40,470 And one day when he was on his way to see the Buddha, he noticed in a rest house by the side of the road this man with his feet all spattered with mud and his clothes drawn up over his head. 43 00:05:41,771 --> 00:05:52,039 And he said out loud, oh, this man with feet all spattered with mud must be some kind of night prowler, probably a robber kind of thing, in hiding. 44 00:05:53,621 --> 00:05:55,202 Because it looked like he didn't want to be seen. 45 00:05:56,431 --> 00:06:04,905 And the thief heard this and he conceived of a grudge towards the treasurer. 46 00:06:05,476 --> 00:06:14,427 And you've got to wonder whether there might be something karmic going on here because you would think that such a person would have a thick enough skin not to be. 47 00:06:15,348 --> 00:06:20,734 Well, it's just that it's funny what triggers us because this really triggered him. 48 00:06:21,756 --> 00:06:27,062 And you might wonder whether there was some karma involved where he was just waiting to get back. 49 00:06:27,042 --> 00:06:32,368 as soon as he heard these harsh words of the treasure, which weren't really harshly intended. 50 00:06:32,408 --> 00:06:36,392 It was more speaking out loud to himself, not realizing the thief was going to hear it. 51 00:06:37,914 --> 00:06:42,238 But he conceived a grudge, got very angry, and he said, I know what to do to you. 52 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,343 And he proceeded to do an incredible amount of evil. 53 00:06:47,264 --> 00:06:55,092 He burnt the rich man's fields seven times, cut off the feet of his cattle seven times, 54 00:06:56,506 --> 00:07:04,440 which is in and of itself an inconceivable sort of cruelty, and burnt his house seven times. 55 00:07:05,618 --> 00:07:08,461 So he did nasty, nasty things again and again. 56 00:07:09,882 --> 00:07:13,305 But in spite of this, he was unable to satisfy his grudge towards the treasurer. 57 00:07:13,365 --> 00:07:26,316 He was still angry, which, you know, kind of makes you, in and of itself is a lesson that appeasing your grudge doesn't actually assuage, doesn't actually make it feel better. 58 00:07:27,217 --> 00:07:34,984 It just makes you more and more inclined towards cruelty and anger, makes you a more and more coarse individual. 59 00:07:34,964 --> 00:07:38,049 And he said, what am I going to do? 60 00:07:38,890 --> 00:07:44,058 Well, I got to do something, find something that will really make him upset because he's not even upset. 61 00:07:44,078 --> 00:08:03,807 The treasure or the rich man was still able to live his life and rebuild his house and be patient because, of course, he was a Buddhist and probably a meditator and able to be at peace no matter what happened, which was also a very good example for us. 62 00:08:05,103 --> 00:08:08,286 And then he realized, the thief realized, I know what I can do. 63 00:08:08,546 --> 00:08:13,050 And because he saw that he was going to see the Buddha all the time, he thought, what if I destroy the Buddha's house? 64 00:08:14,271 --> 00:08:17,834 And so he went to the Buddha's hut when the Buddha was away and burnt it to the ground. 65 00:08:18,955 --> 00:08:24,581 And everything, smashed everything up and set it on fire. 66 00:08:26,562 --> 00:08:35,110 And everyone was, when the people saw this, they ran around yelling, oh, the Buddha's kuti is on fire. 67 00:08:35,090 --> 00:08:46,662 And the rich man, when he heard it, he ran immediately, or not ran, but he immediately went to where the Buddha's kuti was. 68 00:08:47,703 --> 00:08:50,025 And he was quiet. 69 00:08:50,045 --> 00:08:52,248 And he looked at the ashes. 70 00:08:52,428 --> 00:08:56,512 When he got there it was too late and it was burnt to the ground and there was just ashes remaining. 71 00:08:57,954 --> 00:08:59,275 And he was quiet for a second. 72 00:09:04,570 --> 00:09:10,756 And then it says he did something that I don't quite understand, but it's something like this. 73 00:09:11,837 --> 00:09:16,361 I don't know, there was some, something that they did was equivalent to clapping their hands. 74 00:09:16,401 --> 00:09:17,803 He clapped his hands basically. 75 00:09:18,543 --> 00:09:20,565 But the way it's described here is a little bit odd. 76 00:09:21,967 --> 00:09:26,171 But he clapped his hands together and smiled in joy. 77 00:09:26,211 --> 00:09:29,454 And you know why? 78 00:09:29,494 --> 00:09:32,957 They asked him, why are you, 79 00:09:33,393 --> 00:09:35,476 You're the one who paid all the money to build this. 80 00:09:35,536 --> 00:09:41,424 Why are you so joyful at seeing it burnt to the ground?" 81 00:09:42,645 --> 00:09:49,074 And he said, you know, I was able to, I had the incredible opportunity to build this once. 82 00:09:50,075 --> 00:09:58,426 Now I've got this incredible rare opportunity to do the same thing all over again, to make the same amount of merit. 83 00:09:59,187 --> 00:10:01,510 And so I'm overjoyed by this opportunity. 84 00:10:03,937 --> 00:10:16,697 This is sort of Pollyanna levels of goodness or good intentions, positivity anyway. 85 00:10:18,466 --> 00:10:26,237 So again, he spent the same amount of money rebuilding the Buddha's Kuti and presented it to the Buddha. 86 00:10:27,098 --> 00:10:32,005 The thief saw this and found out that he had actually made the rich man happier. 87 00:10:32,025 --> 00:10:42,499 He said, you know, I guess there's nothing I can do to him except the one final thing that I can do and that's kill him. 88 00:10:43,627 --> 00:10:55,645 And so he determined that that's what he would do and he decided, he strapped a knife to his belt and 89 00:10:56,317 --> 00:10:58,019 followed the treasurer wherever he went. 90 00:10:58,059 --> 00:11:08,573 But he didn't get an opportunity because the rich man was busy with the ceremonies of giving this new kuti. 91 00:11:08,593 --> 00:11:12,237 And so he was surrounded by monks and lay people. 92 00:11:12,898 --> 00:11:16,603 So for seven days, he didn't get an opportunity. 93 00:11:18,136 --> 00:11:43,367 Until the seventh day, finally, he was watching from the crowd and he was listening and he heard the rich man tell the Buddha, Venerable Sir, seven times, a certain man, there's a certain man out there, I don't know who he is, but he burnt my fields, cut the feed off my cows, and burnt down my house seven times. 94 00:11:43,803 --> 00:11:47,609 He must have probably been the same person who burnt down the Buddha's Kuti. 95 00:11:48,330 --> 00:12:05,035 So in response to this, I would please ask that to dedicate the merit, the first fruit, the first portion of this offering, the first portion of the merit, the goodness of doing this deed, I would like to dedicate it to him. 96 00:12:12,170 --> 00:12:18,796 And this finally, finally touched this wretched man who had done these awful deeds. 97 00:12:19,757 --> 00:12:22,240 And he came up and he prostrated himself before the rich man. 98 00:12:22,260 --> 00:12:23,221 He said, what's the meaning of this? 99 00:12:23,281 --> 00:12:24,642 And he said, I'm the one who did this. 100 00:12:25,383 --> 00:12:27,945 I'm the one who did those things to you. 101 00:12:27,965 --> 00:12:28,726 And he said, please. 102 00:12:29,867 --> 00:12:31,128 He said, well, why did you do that? 103 00:12:31,148 --> 00:12:32,049 I've never seen you before. 104 00:12:32,069 --> 00:12:33,170 He said, no, you saw me. 105 00:12:33,871 --> 00:12:37,114 I was that man that you said I was a thief. 106 00:12:37,134 --> 00:12:39,536 He said, ah, yes, I did say that. 107 00:12:39,596 --> 00:12:40,337 Please forgive me. 108 00:12:42,173 --> 00:12:43,897 We asked forgiveness from the guy. 109 00:12:48,307 --> 00:12:51,294 He said, please forgive me. 110 00:12:51,314 --> 00:12:52,356 The thief said, please forgive me. 111 00:12:52,457 --> 00:12:53,679 He said, yes, I forgive you. 112 00:12:53,699 --> 00:12:54,461 Go your way. 113 00:12:55,363 --> 00:12:57,187 And he said, please let me be your slave. 114 00:12:57,288 --> 00:12:59,112 Let me do something to atone for it. 115 00:12:59,172 --> 00:12:59,693 And he said, 116 00:13:01,175 --> 00:13:11,398 Look, it was because of what I said that you did all this, but honestly, I don't see how we could possibly be friends after all the bad things you've done. 117 00:13:11,458 --> 00:13:13,322 It really just wouldn't be possible. 118 00:13:13,382 --> 00:13:14,806 So I pardon you freely. 119 00:13:14,866 --> 00:13:16,770 Please go your way, friend. 120 00:13:18,488 --> 00:13:25,059 totally unmoved, unangry, but also wise, circumspect. 121 00:13:25,079 --> 00:13:30,447 You normally think of people who do good deeds that they're somehow gullible and naive. 122 00:13:32,771 --> 00:13:34,574 That's the sort of feeling that we get. 123 00:13:34,734 --> 00:13:44,310 We think that anyone who is worldly, who is wise and knowledgeable, would never be so good, because they would know that people would take advantage, etc. 124 00:13:44,290 --> 00:14:05,016 But here's an example, maybe you would argue or be skeptical and think such a person couldn't possibly exist, but here's an example of someone who is incredibly beneficent, incredibly noble and kind and charitable, but at the same time wise and circumspect. 125 00:14:04,996 --> 00:14:12,545 So he's perfectly willing to freely let this guy go on his way and without any grudge for all the terrible things that he did. 126 00:14:12,945 --> 00:14:14,787 But at the same time, he wants to have nothing to do with him. 127 00:14:16,049 --> 00:14:23,898 He realizes that he's clear that it's not that I'm... It's called forgiving but not forgetting, which is, I think, an important Buddhist practice. 128 00:14:25,259 --> 00:14:27,262 It's a good example for us. 129 00:14:27,322 --> 00:14:30,025 It's a nice story, I think. 130 00:14:31,540 --> 00:14:32,603 So that's the story. 131 00:14:32,683 --> 00:14:42,192 And you'd think, well, it's good that he asked forgiveness, but unfortunately, asking forgiveness for the bad things you've done 132 00:14:43,842 --> 00:14:44,843 isn't enough really. 133 00:14:45,003 --> 00:14:53,233 I mean there is no way to prevent the un... I mean there's no way to prevent the power of unwholesome deeds. 134 00:14:53,874 --> 00:14:58,820 The only thing you can do is to mitigate them and offset them by good deeds. 135 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:08,051 So if he had then dedicated his life to doing good deeds there's a potential that he could have somehow found his way back into a wholesome state of mind. 136 00:15:08,151 --> 00:15:11,976 But it seems that he didn't and 137 00:15:11,956 --> 00:15:18,102 As a result, he was born in hell for many eons and a long time. 138 00:15:18,182 --> 00:15:30,454 And after being born in hell for a long period, because it wasn't yet exhausted, he was born as a ghost, being tortured by fire on Vulture's Peak. 139 00:15:30,474 --> 00:15:32,256 Vulture's Peak apparently has lots of ghosts. 140 00:15:32,936 --> 00:15:40,984 It's the kind of place, if you ever go there, you get a feeling that it is the sort of place that would have lots of tortured spirits. 141 00:15:40,964 --> 00:15:49,784 Or maybe it was because the Buddha lived there that the tortured spirits would come to visit, hoping to make some form of merit and goodness. 142 00:15:51,147 --> 00:15:52,510 And so then the Buddha taught this verse. 143 00:15:55,207 --> 00:15:56,609 So what this has to do with us? 144 00:15:57,290 --> 00:16:08,864 Well, I think it's neat to see the contrast between Moggallana and the ghost, first of all, and then the rich man and the thief. 145 00:16:09,865 --> 00:16:13,189 So the contrast between Moggallana, what does he do? 146 00:16:13,610 --> 00:16:16,253 What's his first response when he 147 00:16:16,233 --> 00:16:19,438 when he sees this ghost. 148 00:16:19,478 --> 00:16:26,670 It's not to feel horrified or sad or even to have some sort of compassionate response towards this ghost. 149 00:16:26,690 --> 00:16:27,371 He smiles. 150 00:16:28,212 --> 00:16:33,440 He smiles because he thinks to himself, isn't it wonderful that I'm free from all of this? 151 00:16:34,182 --> 00:16:39,490 Which seems somewhat like a cruel sort of thing to do, but 152 00:16:39,470 --> 00:16:47,659 It's only because we have this idea, we confuse compassion with, I guess, empathy. 153 00:16:49,221 --> 00:16:54,726 And empathy meaning in the sense of feeling the feelings of others, which is not really a beneficial thing. 154 00:16:54,767 --> 00:16:59,792 If someone is suffering and then you suffer because of that, it doesn't really do anyone any good. 155 00:17:00,513 --> 00:17:02,535 It's not what anyone would want for you. 156 00:17:02,555 --> 00:17:05,418 It doesn't make the other person suffering any less. 157 00:17:05,879 --> 00:17:09,122 It doesn't make you any better equipped to help the person. 158 00:17:09,102 --> 00:17:21,697 I mean, the fact is Moggallana was an incredibly compassionate person, constantly striving for the benefit of himself and others, helping the monks, helping people, even helping animals. 159 00:17:21,778 --> 00:17:23,460 He had an incredible amount of compassion. 160 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:27,825 But he wasn't moved to tears or even sadness by any of this. 161 00:17:27,865 --> 00:17:34,333 I mean, he had seen so much that he had this curious response that is common apparently to the Arahants. 162 00:17:34,313 --> 00:17:40,041 to smile out of peace, out of a sense of peace and happiness for what they have accomplished. 163 00:17:41,063 --> 00:17:46,671 Because Arahants are truly happy and truly at peace. 164 00:17:46,771 --> 00:17:53,501 And the other contrast is with the thief and the rich man. 165 00:17:54,262 --> 00:18:01,873 I mean, it's just a really good example for us to be beneficent, to be good even in the face of evil. 166 00:18:01,853 --> 00:18:04,256 and to not be moved by suffering. 167 00:18:06,159 --> 00:18:19,777 How quick the thief was to hold a grudge, and how impossible it was to create the same feelings of animosity in the rich man, no matter what happened to him. 168 00:18:22,220 --> 00:18:31,472 He was made to undergo great suffering, great loss anyway, without suffering, without reacting, without getting upset about it. 169 00:18:39,299 --> 00:18:52,374 and then focusing on the thief himself, we have to all see this potential danger for us in holding grudges and in the things that the grudges make us do. 170 00:18:53,175 --> 00:19:08,732 Even if we don't act on them, it will influence our anger, it will influence our speech, it will influence our thoughts, it will prevent us from cultivating meditation, becoming concentrated, it will certainly prevent us from seeing clearly and understanding the truth. 171 00:19:08,712 --> 00:19:25,330 It's very important that we cultivate things like loving-kindness and moreover that we cultivate an understanding of the anger and to see the anger as just an experience, not me, not mine, not something I should cling to. 172 00:19:25,390 --> 00:19:30,135 When someone says something nasty to you, it's not you that they're attacking. 173 00:19:31,336 --> 00:19:32,898 This you doesn't even exist. 174 00:19:33,078 --> 00:19:35,901 It's just words, it's just sounds. 175 00:19:35,881 --> 00:19:39,045 the you that they are attacking is not real. 176 00:19:39,085 --> 00:19:45,193 And to see that it's just an experience that's come and gone. 177 00:19:46,094 --> 00:19:51,080 The only thing that remains is your reaction and your clinging to it. 178 00:19:52,342 --> 00:20:00,792 If you can see that, and you can see the clinging as clinging, you can see the anger as anger, you can see the suffering as suffering, then you can let it go. 179 00:20:02,257 --> 00:20:02,899 and be free. 180 00:20:03,882 --> 00:20:07,010 Don't be consumed by your wicked deeds. 181 00:20:07,030 --> 00:20:12,726 If you are, you'll be like the fool who is burnt as though by a fire. 182 00:20:12,767 --> 00:20:18,984 That's the Dhammapada teaching for today. 183 00:20:19,044 --> 00:20:20,248 Thank you all for tuning in. 184 00:20:20,869 --> 00:20:21,852 Wishing you all the best.