Arahantavaggo : Chapter 7. The Arahant
This chapter is the last of the basics of the Buddha’s teachings. It describes what will happen if the training is completed.
What is “Arahanta” ?
“Arahanta = Arahant” means deserving, worthy, one who has attained the nibbāna．
Before Buddhism used as honorific title of high officials like the English “His Worship” ; at the rise of Buddhism applied popularly to all ascetics
DhP.7-90
Gataddhino visokassa, completed-journey free-from-grief vippamuttassa sabbadhi; set-free every-where Sabbaganthappahīnassa, all-bond-abandoned pariḷāho na vijjati. suffering not to-be-found
People who have completed their journey
and are free from grief.
Who have been liberated in all places.
Who have left all bondage behind.
No anguish is to be found.
explanation
pariḷāha means heat distress, but it is an affliction of the mind that burns the body.
sabbadhi: Means every where. This is not just a place, but in all situations and circumstances in life, including places.
DhP.7-91
Uyyuñjanti satīmanto, departure mindful-one na nikete ramanti te; no home enjoyable he Haṃsāva pallalaṃ hitvā, swan-as pond to-leave okamokaṃ jahanti te. habitation-habitation abandon they
Aware people are ordained and
find no pleasure in their homes.
They can leave all their places
like a swan leaves a pond.
explanation
“Sati” is very Important word. Means mindfulness, intentness of mind, active state of mind. The mind is always aware of what it is doing. Arahant is constantly aware of his actions, words and thoughts.
Uyyuñjati: Means departure, active, to exert oneself. It is similar to pabbajati (to be ordained; becomes a monk), but regardless of whether or not one is actually ordained, it means that the mind departs completely from home, without depending on home or family, even if one lives with the family.
For us, having a “place to stay” is essential for peace of mind. Arahant, however, is a person who can abandon all his/her places. Home, society, everything. This does not mean that he/she lives in complete isolation.
It means that they are not dependent on anywhere or anyone and can live in harmony with the places wherever or whoever they meet. They do not keep a ‘my place‘ where they can live in peace.
It is difficult to understand this in terms of the world’s values, but those who can do this are truly strong-minded people. So they do not need “my place“.
DhP.7-92
Yesaṃ sannicayo natthi, their hoarding there-is-not ye pariññātabhojanā; they well-understood-meal Suññato animitto ca, empty no-sign and vimokkho yesaṃ gocaro; deliverance their place-to-go Ākāse va sakuntānaṃ, sky like bird gati tesaṃ durannayā. destination its difficulty-course
They do not hoard and fully understand ‘eating’.
Their aim is to be liberated and
empty of signs (of craving, hatred and straying).
It is difficult to follow that path
like the course of a bird in the sky.
analysis
In this verse there are three key words.
- Vimokkha: Release, escape, deliverance; release from existence; arhatship.
- Suññata: empty, void; devoid of lusts, evil dispositions, and karma, but especially of soul, ego. Here, craving, hatred and ignorance disappear and the mind becomes empty.
- Ākāsa: air, sky. The sky as empty space.
explanation
Bhojana means eating. Intake of food and drink.
For us, eating is a pleasure. We could even say that we live to eat. We want to eat and be satisfied. When we are dissatisfied, we eat what we like to eat to calm our minds. By eating and being satisfied, the mind is under the illusion that dissatisfaction has been eliminated.
But monks are different. Eating is the minimum intake of nutrients to keep life going, not to satisfy the mind. More so, Arahant would give his ‘food‘ (and in some cases himself) if he saw hunger in front of him.
Eating more than we need on this planet means that some life may not be able to eat that much. Therefore, Arahant, who understands very well what it means to ‘eat‘, does not store anything. If there is nothing to eat, he can take it as it is (yathā-bhūta).
DhP.7-93
Yassāsavā parikkhīṇā, his-taints wasted āhāre ca anissito; food and Independent Suññato animitto ca, empty no-sign and vimokkho yassa gocaro; deliverance their place-to-go Ākāse va sakuntānaṃ, sky like bird padaṃ tassa durannayaṃ. footprint its difficulty-course
Untainted in mind,
they are not attached to food.
Their aim is to be liberated and
empty of signs (of craving, hatred and straying).
It is difficult to follow that path
like the trace of a bird in the sky.
explanation
Āhāra means food, nourishment.
All humans always live by eating something. When we say ‘food‘ we immediately think of ‘provisions‘, but there are four types of ‘food’. One is nourishment for the body and the other three are nourishment for the mind.
- Food (material by mouth): We eat and digest from a variety of sources.
- Impression (sensation by contact): Our minds are constantly seeking impression in order to gain pleasure.
- Desire (volition by thought): We always keep seeking what is good for us.
- Craving (mind by consciousness): Desire for more of the above three foods to be available. The fact that humans are alive means that they are conscious. It is about keeping the mind rotating. It requires a craving that moves the mind.
We live on the support not only of food but also of pleasant stimuli and the ever-expanding availability of our own convenience.
Once, the Buddha undertook an extreme fasting practice in an attempt to cut off the source of his wanderings. However, he realised that he could not attain liberation in this way and abandoned it. He was treated as a dropout by his fellow practitioners.
After eating the kheer(milk-rice pudding) offered by Sujata, he attained perfect enlightenment through meditation.
In other words, we cannot be liberated by denying the food that sustains us. Nor does that mean that we fully affirm it. The Buddha realised that it is the ‘middle way‘, not the extremes, and that if the four types of food are properly controlled, liberation is possible.
DhP.7-94
Yassindriyāni samathaṅgatāni, his-emotion be-settled-condition assā yathā sārathinā sudantā; mare like coachman well-tamed Pahīnamānassa anāsavassa, abandoned-pride no-stain devāpi tassa pihayanti tādino. angel-too him envy such
Arahant is as emotionally settled
as a well-trained mother horse,
who is free from egoism and
has no defilement in his mind.
Such a person is the envy of the angels.
explanation
As mentioned above, our mind uses four types of food as energy, which are taken in from the six sense organs (eyes ears nose tongue body and mind). We usually input in this energy without control, so the mind is always busy, noisy and restless.
It is said that in the case of humans, 70% of the total input information comes from the eyes, 20% from the ears and about 10% from the remaining sensory organs. So closing the eyes cuts 70% of the input information. Then, the activity of the mind through thoughts based on them is reduced. It shows the effect of meditation done in a quiet place with eyes closed.
DhP.7-95
Pathavisamo no virujjhati, earth-same not to-be-hostile indakhilupamo tādi subbato; gatepost-like such virtuous Rahadova apetakaddamo, lake-as gone-away mud saṃsārā na bhavanti tādino. reincarnation not existing such-man
The virtuous one
who is not hostile like the earth,
not attached like a gate.
Like a clear lake where the mud disappeared,
such a man is not reincarnated.
explanation
The earth is not pleased when flowers bloom and is not angry when there is rubbish.
The gatepost is not pleased when it is decorated, not angry when it is hit by a car. We want to be able to take it all in like the earth or gatepost.
DhP.7-96
Santaṃ tassa manaṃ hoti, calmed his mind to-be santā vācā ca kamma ca; calmed word and action and Sammadaññā vimuttassa, perfectly-understood released upasantassa tādino. tranquil such-man
Arahan’s mind is calm,
and his words and deeds are gentle.
A person who understands right wisdom
is tranquil no matter what.
Episode
The elder Tissa stayed at a monastery in a village, accompanied by the sāmaṇera (novice), who had become an arahant at the age of seven. Tissa slept, but the little arahant stayed awake all night beside old Tissa’s bed. Early in the morning, Tissa tried to wake the boy up and nudged him with a folding fan. Then the handle of the fan hit the boy’s eye and hurt his eye.
The little arahant hid his eye with one hand while he went about his works, taking water to wash Tissa’s face and mouth and sweeping the floor of the monastery. When the little arahant offered Tissa water with one hand, Tissa scolded him and told him to offer things with both hands.
Only then did Tissa realise that the little arahant had lost an eye. At the moment, Tissa realised how he had hurt a precious person and, feeling sorry and humiliated, he apologised to the little arahant.
But the little arahant said: ‘It was neither the elder’s fault nor mine, but only the result of a kamma (action), so the elder need not grieve.
explanation
Arahan does not get angry with anyone, no matter what. His senses are restrained, he is completely calm and composed. He can accept reality as it is (yathā-bhūta), without resisting anything.
Our minds become anxious when there is something we do not know or understand, and we become restless with the desire to know and understand.
Arahant understands everything with perfect wisdom, so there is nothing he does not know or understand. Therefore, no anxiety arises in the mind and the mind is always calm and quiet. This calmness is not something that can be achieved through effort, but it is said to happen naturally when the mind is untainted.
DhP.7-97
Assaddho akataññū ca, unbelieving ungrateful sandhicchedo ca yo naro; junction-cutting and whoever man Hatāvakāso vantāso, lost-occasion renounced-desire sa ve uttamaporiso. he really greatest-human
Not because he believes,
not because he thanks,
He did it himself,
he cut off the cycle,
good and evil were gone,
and he let out his craving.
Arahan is the truly the greatest of all.
explanation
coments
DhP.7-98
Gāme vā yadi vāraññe, village or if or-forest ninne vā yadi vā thale; lowlands or if or highland Yattha arahanto viharanti, where arahant living taṃ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṃ. that ground agreeable
In village or forest.
In valley or hill.
Wherever Arahan is present,
it is comfortable.
explanation
Ninna means lowland or wetland, Thala means highland or dryland.
DhP.7-99
Ramaṇīyāni araññāni, delightful forest yattha na ramatī jano; place not delight people Vītarāgā ramissanti, passionless delight-peace na te kāmagavesino. not they pleasure-searched for
The forest is a pleasant place.
For worldly people,
there is nothing pleasant.
For the greedless arahants,
it is a place where they enjoy peace
without seeking pleasure.
explanation
The forests of India are jungles, with ravenous beasts, poisonous snakes and dangerous flora and fauna, not places we would call “enjoy! “. It means that the enjoyment we seek is different from the enjoyment that Arahant seeks.
We feel joy and pleasure when our wishes and hopes are fulfilled. This is the joyful enjoyment of getting something. But there is also the joyful enjoyment of abandoning something. This is the refreshment, satisfaction and joy felt when cleaning and getting rid of unwanted items.
This concept focuses on the feeling of lightness and liberation in life when greed and attachment are abandoned.
Arahantavaggo sattamo niṭṭhito. arahant-chapter 7th finished
7. The arahant chapter ie ended.
The 99 verses from chapters 1 to 7 contained all the basic explanations of the Buddha’s teachings. From chapter 8 onwards, the teachings are applied. Enjoy!