Dharma Lessons

Chapter XXV: The Bhikkhu (Bhikkhuvagga)

Verses 360-361

The Story of Five Bhikkhus

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (360) and ( 361) of this book, with reference to five bhikkhus.

Once there were five bhikkhus in Savatthi. Each of them practised restraint of just one out of the five senses and each of them claimed that what he was practising was the most difficult. There were some heated arguments over this and they could not come to an agreement. Finally, they went to the Buddha to ask for his decision. The Buddha said to them, "Each of the senses is just as difficult to control as the other; but all bhikkhus must control all the five senses and not just one. Only those who control all the senses would escape from the round of rebirths."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 360. Restraint in the eye is good, good is restraint in the ear; restraint in the nose is good, good is restraint in the tongue. Verse 361. Restraint in body is good, good is restraint in speech; restraint in mind is good, good is restraint in all the senses. A bhikkhu restrained in all the senses is freed from all ills (Samsara dukkha).

Verse 360. Sense Discipline

Right is restraint in the eye,
restraint in the ear is right,
right is restraint in the nose,
restraint in the tongue is right.

Explanation: It is good to be disciplined in the eye. It is good to be disciplined in the ear. It is good to be disciplined in the nose. To be disciplined in the tongue is good.

Verse 361. Suffering End With All-Round Discipline

Right is restraint in the body,
restraint in speech is right,
right is restraint in the mind,
everywhere restraint is right.
The bhikkhu everywhere restrained 
is from all dukkha free.

Explanation: It is good to be disciplined in body. It is good to be disciplined in words. It is good to be disciplined in mind. The monk who is disciplined in all these areas will achieve freedom from all suffering.

Verse 379-380

The Story of Thera Nangalakula

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (379) and (380) of this book, with reference to Thera Nangala.

Nangala was a poor field labourer in the service of a farmer. One day, a bhikkhu, seeing him ploughing a field in his old clothes, asked him if he would like to become a bhikkhu. When he replied in the affirmative, the bhikkhu took him along to the monastery and made him a bhikkhu. After the admission to the Order, as instructed by his teacher, he left his plough and his old clothes in a tree not far away from the monastery. Because the poor man had left his plough to join the Order, he was known as Thera Nangala (nangala = plough). Due to better living conditions at the monastery, Thera Nangala became healtheir and soon put on weight. However, after some time, he grew tired of the life of a bhikkhu and often felt like returning to home-life. Whenever this feeling arose in him, he would go to the tree near the monastery, the tree where he had left his plough and his old clothes. There he would reproach himself saying, "O you shameless man! Do you still want to put on these old rags and return to the hard, lowly life of a hired labourer ?" After this, his dissatisfaction with the life of a bhikkhu would disappear and he would go back to the monastery. Thus, he went to the tree at an interval of every three or four days, to remind himself of the wretchedness of his old life.

When other bhikkhus asked him about his frequent visits to the tree, he replied, "I have to go to my teacher." In course of time, he attained arahatship and he stopped going to the tree. Other bhikkhus, noticing this, asked him teasingly, "Why don't you go to your teacher now?" To those bhikkhus, he replied, "I used to go to my teacher because I had need of him; but now, I have no need to go to him." The bhikkhus understood what he meant by his answer and they went to the Buddha and reported, "Venerable Sir! Thera Nangala claims to have attained arahatship. It cannot be true; he must be boasting, he must be telling lies."To them the Buddha said,"Bhikkhus! Do not say so; for Nangala is not telling lies. My son Nangala, by reproaching himself and correcting himself, has indeed attained arahatship."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 379: O bhikkhu, by yourself exhort yourself, and examine yourself; thus guarding yourself and being mindful, you will live in peace. Verse 380: One indeed is one's own refuge, (how could anyone else be one's refuge?) One indeed is one's own heaven; therefore, look after yourself as a horse dealer looks after a thoroughbred.

Verse 379. He Who Guards Himself Lives Happily

By yourself exhort yourself!
By yourself restrain yourself!
So mindful and self-guarded too,
happily, bhikkhu, will you live.

Explanation: One’s own self must prod one’s self. You must assess and examine yourself. O monk, this way, you must guard yourself. Be perpetually mindful. This way, live in bliss.

Verse 380. Your Are Your Own Saviour

Oneself is refuge of oneself
and one is a haven for oneself,
therefore one should check oneself
as a merchant with a splendid horse.

Explanation: Your own self is your own refuge. You yourself are your own guide. Therefore, exert discipline over yourself as a merchant would cherish and retrain a noble horse.

Eight Worldly Dharmas

The 8 worldly Dharmas are also known as 8 worldly concerns. Avoiding these 8 mental states is considered quite important in Buddhist practice. They describe the ceaseless activities we develop towards short-term pleasures, which often not even result in pleasure...
The Eight Worldly Dharmas are being concerned with:

Gain - to be attached to having things go your way

Loss - to be disturbed by unpleasant things or things not going your wy

Pleasure - to be attached to receiving pleasure

Pain - to be upset at having pain

Praise - to be attached to having good words said about you or your actions

Blame - to be displeased when you are blamed or slandered

Fame - to be attached to having fame

Obscurity - to be displeased about being not well known

Getting what you want, and avoiding getting what you do not want
Wanting (instant) happiness, and not wanting unhappiness
Wanting fame, and not wanting to be unknown
Wanting praise, and not wanting blame.

From the point of view of karma, we usually behave contrary to our goals, because in order to receive what we want, we need to give others what they want. To avoid getting what we do not want, we should avoid giving others what they do not want and so on.
This is a very good subject for meditation; you can ask yourself for example:

- Do I often give others happiness or unpleasant experiences?
- Do I help others who are unhappy?
- How often do I blame people instead of praising them?
- What can I do with fame, what will it really bring me?
- What will be useful when I am about to die?

"Spiritual practice is difficult in the beginning. You wonder how on earth you can ever do it. But as you get used to it, the practice gradually becomes easier. Do not be too stubborn or push yourself too hard. If you practice in accord with your individual capacity, little by little you will find more pleasure and joy in it. As you gain inner strength, your positive actions will gain in profundity and scope."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama