Indian stream·Pāli Tipiṭaka·Dhammapada·Chapter IV. Flowers.

Source context

Theme

the mind as source of defilement or purity, and the wise man's cultivation of virtue as a gardener cultivates flowers

Soul-faculty

Intellectual Soul

Steiner

not engaged in the GA corpus

Cross-tradition

• Vedanta / Upanishadic thoughtThe metaphor of the mind as a field to be cultivated — producing either poison or fragrance — parallels the Upanishadic distinction between the purified (śuddha) and impure (aśuddha) manas as determinants of liberation or bondage.
• Stoic ethicsThe chapter's insistence that external garlands and flowers matter less than inner moral fragrance shows cross-tradition congruence with the Stoic principle that virtue (aretē) alone, not external ornament, constitutes the good.
• Kabbalah / Mussar traditionThe image of gathering merit as one gathers flowers before they wither shows cross-tradition congruence with the Mussar emphasis on cultivating middot (character-virtues) as active, time-sensitive inner work.

Chapter IV. Flowers.

CHAPTER IV.

FLOWERS [1] .

44Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of the departed), and the world of the gods? Who shall find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower?

45The disciple will overcome the earth, and the world of Yama, and the world of the gods. The disciple will find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower.
[1. See Beal, Dhammapada, p. 75. 44, 45. If I differ from the translation of Fausböll and Weber, it is because the commentary takes the two verbs, vi*g*essati and pa*k*essati, to mean in the end the same thing, i.e. sa*kkh*i-karissati, 'he will perceive.' I have not ventured to take vi*g*essate for vi*g*anissati, though it should be remembered that the overcoming of the earth and of the worlds below and above, as here alluded to, is meant to be achieved by means of knowledge. Pa*k*essati, 'he will gather' (cf. vi-*k*i, Indische Sprüche, 4560), means also, like 'to gather' in English, 'he will perceive or understand,' and the dhammapada, or 'path of virtue,' is distinctly explained by Buddhaghosa as consisting of the thirty-seven states or stations which lead to Bodhi. (See Burnouf, Lotus, p. 430; Hardy, Manual, p. 497.) Dhammapada might, no doubt, mean also 'a law-verse,' and sudesita, 'well taught,' and this double meaning may be intentional here as elsewhere. Buddha himself is called Mârga-dar*s*aka and Mârga-de*s*ika (cf. Lal. Vist. p. 551). There is a curions similarity between these verses and verses 6540-41, and 9939 of the *S*ânti-parva: Pushpâ*n*îva vi*k*invantam anyatragatamanasam, Anavâpteshu kâmeshu m*ri*tyur abhyeti mânavam. 'Death approaches man like one who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is turned elsewhere, before his desires have been fulfilled.' Supta*m* vyâghra*m* mahaugho vâ m*ri*tyur âdâya ga*kkh*ati, Sa*ñk*invânakam evaina*m* kâmânâm avit*ri*ptikam. 'As a stream (carries off) a sleeping tiger, death carries off this man who is gathering flowers, and who is not satiated in his pleasures.' This last verse, particularly, seems to me clearly a translation from Pâli, and the kam of sa*ñk*invânakam looks as if put in metri causâ.]

46He who knows that this body is like froth, and has learnt that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage, will break the flower-pointed arrow of Mâra, and never see the king of death.

47Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers and whose mind is distracted, as a flood carries off a sleeping village.

48Death subdues a man who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is distracted, before he is satiated in his pleasures.

49As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its colour or scent, so let a sage dwell in his village.

50Not the perversities of others, not their sins
[46. The flower-arrows of Mâra, the tempter, are borrowed from Kâma, the Hindu god of love. For a similar expression see Lalita-vistara, ed. Calc. p. 40, l. 20, mâyâmarî*k*isad*ri*sâ vidyutphenopamâ*s* *k*apalâ*h*. It is on account of this parallel passage that I prefer to translate marî*k*i by 'mirage,' and not by 'sunbeam,' as Fausböll, or by 'solar atom,' as Weber proposes. The expression, 'he will never see the king of death,' is supposed to mean Arhatship by Childers, s.v. nibbâna, p. 270.

47See Thiessen, Die Legende von Kisâgotamî, p. 9.

48Antaka, 'death,' is given as an explanation of Mâra in the Amarakosha and Abhidhânappadîpika (cf. Fausböll, p. 210).

49See Beal, Catena, p. 159, where vv. 49 and 50 are ascribed to Wessabhu, i.e. Vi*s*vabhû. See also Der Weise und der Thor, p. 134.]
of commission or omission, but his own misdeeds and negligences should a sage take notice of.

51Like a beautiful flower, full of colour, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly.

52But, like a beautiful flower, full of colour and full of scent, are the fine and fruitful words of him who acts accordingly.

53As many kinds of wreaths can be made from a heap of flowers, so many good things may be achieved by a mortal when once he is born.

54The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor (that of) sandal-wood, or of Tagara and Mallikâ flowers; but the odour of good people travels even against the wind; a good man pervades every place.

55Sandal-wood or Tagara, a lotus-flower, or a Vassikî, among these sorts of perfumes, the perfume of virtue is unsurpassed.

56Mean is the scent that comes from Tagara and sandal-wood;--the perfume of those who possess virtue rises up to the gods as the highest.

57Of the people who possess these virtues, who live without thoughtlessness, and who are emancipated
[51. St. Matthew xxiii. 3, 'For they say, and do not.'

54Tagara, a plant from which a scented powder is made. Mallaka or mallikâ, according to Benfey, is an oil vessel. Hence tagaramallikâ was supposed to mean a bottle holding aromatic powder, or oil made of the Tagara. Mallikâ, however, is given by Dr. Eitel (Handbook of Chinese Buddhism) as the name of a flower now called Casturi (musk) on account of its rich odour, and Dr. Morris informs me that he has found mallikâ in Pâli as a name of jasmine. See also Childers, s.v.; Notes, p. 6 ; and Beal, Dhammapada, p. 76.]
through true knowledge, Mâra, the tempter, never finds the way. 58., 59. As on a heap of rubbish cast upon the highway the lily will grow full of sweet perfume and delight, thus the disciple of the truly enlightened Buddha shines forth by his knowledge among those who are like rubbish, among the people that walk in darkness. [58, 59. Cf. Beal, Dhammapada, p. 76.]

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