Paṇḍita Vagga — The Chapter on the Wise

Verse 76

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Rādha, a monk who received admonition with gladness. The Blessed One therefore taught the monks to value one who is willing to point out faults.

He compared a wise person who points out faults and offers reproof to one who reveals a hidden treasure, for the one who shows us our own shortcomings, though unpleasant to hear, is in truth bestowing a priceless gift: the chance to correct and better ourselves.

The lesson is: do not resent those who warn us, but rejoice as though we had found a treasure, for keeping company with such a person brings only growth, never decline. Those who flatter and please us lead us into the abyss, while those who dare to warn us are the very ones who lift us up.

Verse 77

This verse was spoken concerning the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka, monks who behaved improperly and grew displeased when admonished. The Blessed One therefore pointed out the nature of instruction.

He said that one who gives counsel, instructs, and restrains others from evil is dear to the good, that is, to virtuous people who know the value of admonition, but is not dear to the wicked, the fools who resent being restrained.

The lesson is: to know whether someone is good or not, observe their reaction to admonition. The good receive it with gratitude, while the fool grows angry. One who wishes others well should therefore not lose heart in warning people, even though some may take offense.

Verse 78

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Channa, to teach the monks about choosing friends.

The Blessed One gave a short yet profound principle: do not keep company with evil friends and base persons, but keep company with good friends (kalyāṇamitta) and noble persons, for friends are a mirror and a mold that shapes one's life. Whatever sort of person we associate with, we tend to become.

The lesson is: choosing those around us matters far more than we suppose, for a good friend leads us toward the wholesome, warning and supporting us so that we grow, while an evil friend drags us into decline. One who hopes for progress in life and in the Dhamma must therefore be discerning in choosing whom to befriend.

Verse 79

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Mahākappina, who, having attained the Dhamma, was filled with joy in practice. The Blessed One therefore held up the happiness that arises from the Dhamma.

He said that one who drinks deeply of the Dhamma, whose mind is immersed in the flavor of the Dhamma, has a serene mind and dwells happily. In the commentary this refers to one who attains the nine supramundane states: the four paths, the four fruits, and the one Nibbāna—a happiness surpassing all worldly pleasures.

The lesson is: happiness from sensual pleasures is fleeting and mixed with suffering, while the happiness from hearing and practicing the Dhamma proclaimed by the noble ones is cool, peaceful, and lasting. The wise therefore ever delight in the Dhamma, never wearying of it.

Verse 80

This verse was spoken concerning the novice Paṇḍita, to teach about the training of oneself.

The Blessed One drew a comparison from the crafts: as the irrigator guides water along the path he wishes, as the fletcher straightens the arrow, as the carpenter hews the wood into shape, so too the wise tame themselves.

The lesson is: by nature, all things must be bent, hewn, and trained before they become useful. So too our mind: if left to follow the defilements, it grows crooked, but if diligently trained with virtue, concentration, and wisdom, it becomes straight and fit for work. The wise therefore do not wait for anyone to compel them, but take up the training of themselves constantly.

Verse 81

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya, who, being small of stature, was often mocked, yet remained unshaken. The Blessed One therefore held him up as an example.

He compared a solid mass of rock, which is not shaken by the force of the wind, to the wise, who are unmoved by blame or praise, for a mind firm in the Dhamma is steadfast as stone.

The lesson is: blame and praise are but passing gusts of speech. If our mind is fragile, we suffer endlessly over the words of others, but if we train the mind to be firm, understanding that these things belong to the world, we can stand serene—neither overjoyed when honored, nor overly grieved when criticized.

Verse 82

This verse was spoken concerning the mother of Kāṇā, to show the benefit of hearing the Dhamma.

The Blessed One compared the mind of the wise who have heard the Dhamma to a lake deep, clear, and undisturbed, for when the Dhamma is heard, wisdom arises, doubt and defilement fade, and the mind becomes serene. In the commentary, serene refers to the attainment of that state in which the mind is freed from the defilements of clinging through the power of the path of stream-entry and the rest.

The lesson is: shallow water is easily muddied and easily stirred, while deep water is still and clear. So too the mind trained in the Dhamma is calm, deep, and not muddied by passing moods. One who diligently hears and reflects upon the Dhamma grows ever more serene of mind.

Verse 83

This verse was spoken concerning five hundred monks, to show the qualities of the good and the wise.

The Blessed One said that the good relinquish everything—in the commentary this means possessing the knowledge of the path of arahantship, which abandons desire and attachment to the five aggregates—and do not prattle out of craving for sensual pleasures, and show no fluctuation whether they meet with happiness or suffering, that is, they are neither elated nor cast down when touched by the worldly conditions.

The lesson is: ordinary people are swayed by gain and loss—elated when they get what they want, downcast when disappointed—but the wise, whose minds are well trained, remain balanced: not carried away by happiness, not disheartened by suffering. Such steadiness of mind is the mark of one of true wisdom.

Verse 84

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Dhammika, to teach the principle of living righteously.

The Blessed One said that the wise commit no evil, whether for their own sake or for the sake of another, and do not desire son, wealth, kingdom, or their own success by unrighteous means, but should be virtuous, wise, and firmly established in the Dhamma.

The lesson is: success gained through wrongdoing is not worth it, for it is bought at the cost of the mind's decline and the results that follow. The wise are therefore willing to gain slowly but cleanly, refusing to trade what is right for anything—even for things people cherish and guard, such as children, wealth, or power. Virtue and steadfastness in the Dhamma are the true foundation of life.

Verse 85

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Dhammika, to show that those who reach the goal of the Dhamma are but few.

The Blessed One said that among human beings, those who reach the far shore are few—the far shore here meaning Nibbāna—while the rest of beings merely circle along this near shore, still sunk in the view of self (sakkāyadiṭṭhi) and the whirl of saṃsāra, unable to cross beyond.

The lesson is: the noble Dhamma has few who follow it, for it runs against the current of the defilements. Most people therefore choose to remain with the familiar on this near shore, but those who are truly resolute dare to set out for the far shore. Do not lose heart merely because you see that few practice, for the value of this path is not measured by the number of those who walk it.

Verse 86

This verse was spoken concerning the Elder Dhammika, continuing from the previous verse, to show the way to the far shore.

The Blessed One said that those who practice in accordance with the Dhamma well-proclaimed by Him, that is, who follow the nine supramundane states—the four paths, the four fruits, and the one Nibbāna—shall cross the round of rebirth, Māra's realm so hard to cross, and reach the far shore, which is Nibbāna.

The lesson is: knowing the Dhamma alone is not enough; one must also practice in accordance with the Dhamma, for merely hearing or memorizing it cannot carry one beyond suffering. Only those who earnestly put the teaching into practice can break through Māra's tenacious snare and at last attain liberation.

Verse 87

This verse was spoken concerning five hundred visiting monks who dwelt in the land of Kosala, to show the way of cultivating the wholesome and abandoning the unwholesome.

The Blessed One said that the wise should abandon the dark states and cultivate the bright. The dark states are unwholesome things such as bodily misconduct; the bright states are wholesome things such as bodily good conduct. They should also come from the round of rebirth to that beyond the round, that is, from the "watered" (oka) to the "waterless" (anoka), which is Nibbāna.

The lesson is: life ever presents a fork between dark and bright. Abandoning evil is the first step, but one must cultivate goodness to take its place in order to advance fully. The practitioner must therefore both refrain and act together, pressing on out of the old whirl toward the cool of peace.

Verse 88

This verse was spoken concerning five hundred visiting monks who dwelt in the land of Kosala, continuing from the previous verse.

The Blessed One said that when one has abandoned sensual pleasures and become free of all belongings, the wise should seek delight in seclusion, that quiet solitude which is hard to enjoy, and should cleanse themselves of the defilements of the mind, that is, purify away the defilements accumulated within the heart.

The lesson is: solitude is something ordinary people tend to shun in boredom, for their minds are still attached to turmoil and sensual pleasures. But those who have let go of anxious concern find that seclusion is a supreme flavor. This diligent cleansing of the mind of defilement, little by little, is itself the path to true serenity.

Verse 89

This verse was spoken concerning five hundred visiting monks who dwelt in the land of Kosala. It is the closing verse of the chapter, showing the highest fruit of practice.

The Blessed One said that those wise ones who rightly cultivate the mind in the factors of enlightenment—the enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga)—who, without clinging, delight in Nibbāna, the relinquishing of grasping, those wise ones are free of the taints, radiant, and have attained final Nibbāna in this world, that is, they have reached arahantship, wholly free of defilements.

The lesson is: this is the very summit of the path for those who follow the Dhamma. When one cultivates the mind with the factors of enlightenment to fullness and lets go of all clinging, one reaches the utter cool of quenching, shining with pure wisdom. This is the most excellent goal to which the Dhamma leads.