Atta Vagga — The Chapter on the Self

Verse 157

This verse was spoken to Prince Bodhi, who was deeply concerned for his own welfare.

The Buddha pointed out that if anyone knows that the self is dear to the self, he should guard it well. Yet true guarding is not pampering the body for comfort, but sustaining oneself along the path of goodness. He divided the watches—that is, the stages of life—into three: the early years, the middle years, and the later years. The wise should use at least one of these stages to accumulate goodness, and not let the whole of life pass in vain.

Reflection: If you truly love yourself, do not let time slip by without merit. Any stage of life is still not too late—only begin to do good this very day.

Verse 158

This verse was spoken to two young monks, on the occasion of the Elder Upananda the Sakyan, who instructed others but did not practice what he taught.

The Buddha taught that the wise—one who wishes to guide others in virtue, such as contentment with little or the practice of the noble lineage—must first establish himself in that virtue, and only then instruct others. If a layperson, he cultivates giving and moral conduct; if one who has gone forth, he applies himself to the study of the scriptures and the practice of meditation. Having thus made himself firm, he is not tainted—that is, no one can find fault with him.

Reflection: Do not be merely one who points out a path he has never walked. Make yourself good first, and then your teaching will carry weight and be beyond reproach.

Verse 159

This verse was spoken to about five hundred monks, on the occasion of the Elder Padhānikatissa, who kept urging others to strive while he himself remained lazy.

The Buddha stressed that as one instructs another, so should one act oneself. Only one who has trained himself well is fit to train others, for in truth the self is exceedingly hard to tame—harder than to master anything else in the world. One who first conquers his own mind has strength enough to guide others.

Reflection: Before demanding effort from anyone, first ask your own heart whether you have done what you preach. Taming oneself is the first gate and the hardest of all.

Verse 160

This verse was spoken to the monks, on the occasion of the mother of the Elder Kumārakassapa.

The Buddha set forth a crucial principle: the self is the refuge of the self—what other person could be a true refuge? For the merit that leads to heaven, and the path and fruit that lead to Nibbāna, must all be done by oneself; no one can do them in another's place. One who is well tamed gains the noblest refuge—the fruit of arahantship—a refuge exceedingly hard to gain.

Reflection: Do not wait for others to come and free you from suffering. Train and develop yourself, for the most steadfast refuge lies in your own hands.

Verse 161

This verse was spoken to the monks, on the occasion of the lay disciple Mahākāla.

The Buddha pointed out that evil is a thing done by oneself, born within oneself, and having oneself as its source. Once done, it returns to crush the one of poor wisdom who created it—just as a diamond, though formed within stone, grinds down and destroys that very stone, or destroys a gem. Evil therefore does not come from outside; it grows from our own mind and deeds.

Reflection: Beware greatly of doing evil, for its result returns to wear down the doer first of all. There is no need to wait for an enemy from anywhere—the evil one commits oneself is the nearest danger of all.

Verse 162

This verse was spoken to the monks, on the occasion of Devadatta, whose misconduct brought ruin upon himself.

The Buddha compared utter lack of virtue to something that binds fast the life of the immoral one, as a creeper slowly winds and coils around a sāla tree until at last the great tree falls dead. The immoral person brings himself to ruin, as though carrying out the wish of an enemy who desires his destruction—yet in truth that fearsome enemy is his own corrupt conduct.

Reflection: Small evils, allowed to accumulate, will in the end coil around one's life until it collapses. Guard your virtue firmly, and give no opening for immorality to creep in and gnaw at the heart.

Verse 163

This verse was spoken to Ānanda, on the occasion of Devadatta's attempt to divide the Sangha.

The Buddha revealed a truth about the human heart: deeds that are bad and of no benefit to oneself are, on the contrary, easy to do, for they flow along with the defilements and old habits. But deeds that are good and beneficial are exceedingly hard to do, for they require going against the grain, against the current of craving—just as Devadatta chose the path of dividing the Sangha, a grievous evil, instead of cultivating goodness.

Reflection: What is easy to do is often not what ought to be done. Remind your heart to strive at the good that is hard yet of worth, and to shun the evil that is easy yet ruinous.

Verse 164

This verse was spoken to the Elder Kāla and the people, on the occasion of a monk who reviled the teaching of the noble ones.

The Buddha pointed out that the one of poor wisdom, relying on wrong view—that is, mistaken opinion—reviles the teaching of the noble ones who are arahants living in accordance with the Dhamma. That reviling and that mistaken view ripen for his own destruction, like the fruit of the bamboo—when the bamboo flowers and bears fruit, the plant then withers and dies where it stands. Wrong view that grows in the mind destroys its owner in just that way.

Reflection: To scorn the holders of the Dhamma with one's own views harms no one but oneself. Keep a heart that is humble and open to right teaching, and do not let wrong view turn into a danger that rebounds upon you.

Verse 165

This verse was spoken to the lay disciple Cūḷakāla.

The Buddha set forth the principle that kamma is one's own alone: one who does evil by oneself is defiled by oneself—that is, one must go to experience suffering in the four realms of misery: the hells, the animal birth, the realm of ghosts, and the realm of demons. And when one does no evil, one is purified by oneself. Purity and defilement are therefore each person's own affair; no one can purify another in his place.

Reflection: No one can wash away your evil or bestow purity upon you. Everything depends on your own deeds. Choose to do only good kamma, for you alone are the one who receives its fruit.

Verse 166

This verse was spoken to the Elder Attadattha, who devoted himself to striving for the attainment of his own goal before the Buddha's final passing.

The Buddha approved of that action, saying that one should not let one's own true good be lost for the sake of another's good, however great it may be. Having clearly known what is one's own true good—here meaning the noble fruit, the supreme goal, and by devoting oneself chiefly to the practice of meditation—one should be intent upon that true good to its very end.

Reflection: This verse does not teach selfishness, but teaches us not to neglect the development of our own mind until the chance is gone. Once you know the true goal of life, resolve to fulfill it, for only when you are firmly grounded in the Dhamma can you truly be a refuge to others.