Indian stream·Pāli Tipiṭaka·Dhammapada·Chapter XXII. The Downward Course.
Niraya — the downward course to hell
Fourteen verses on the consequences of evil. 'He who says what is not goes to hell, and also he who having done a thing says, I have not done it; both after death they are equal — men of base actions.'
Source context
- Theme
- moral deterioration and the soul's descent through negligence, craving, and wrongdoing
- Soul-faculty
- Sentient Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Aristotle — ethical habituationAristotle's account of moral decline through repeated vicious acts (Nicomachean Ethics II) parallels the Dhammapada's structural claim that the downward course is cumulative, each transgression deepening the soul's disposition toward further degradation.
- Kabbalah — the qliphothic descentKabbalistic teaching on the qliphoth describes a progressive withdrawal of the soul from divine light through accumulated transgression, structurally congruent with the Dhammapada's depiction of the downward course as a self-reinforcing diminishment of inner life.
- Vedanta — tamasic predominanceIn Vedantic anthropology, the dominance of tamas (inertia, obscuration) over rajas and sattva produces a condition structurally corresponding to the Dhammapada's downward course, wherein clarity and right action become increasingly inaccessible to the soul.
Chapter XXII. The Downward Course.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE DOWNWARD COURSE.
306He who says what is not, goes to hell; he also who, having done a thing, says I have not done it. After death both are equal, they are men with evil deeds in the next world.
307Many men whose shoulders are covered with the yellow gown are ill-conditioned and unrestrained; such evil-doers by their evil deeds go to hell.
308Better it would be to swallow a heated iron ball, like flaring fire, than that a bad unrestrained fellow should live on the charity of the land.
309Four things does a wreckless man gain who covets his neighbour's wife,--a bad reputation, an uncomfortable bed, thirdly, punishment, and lastly, hell.
[306. I translate niraya, 'the exit, the downward course, the evil path,' by 'hell,' because the meaning assigned to that ancient mythological name by Christian writers comes so near to the Buddhist idea of niraya, that it is difficult not to believe in some actual contact between these two streams of thought. See also Mahâbh. XII, 7176. Cf. *G*âtaka, vol. ii. p. 416; Suttanipâta, v. 660. 307, 308. These two verses are said to be taken frorn the Vinaya-pi*t*aka I, 4, 1; D'Alwis, Nirvâ*n*a; p. 29.
308The charity of the land, i.e. the alms given, from a sense of religious duty, to every mendicant that asks for it.
309, 310. The four things rnentioned in verse 309 seem to be repeated in verse 310. Therefore, apu*ññ*alâbha, 'bad fame,' is the same in both: gati pâpikâ must be niraya; da*nd*a must be nindâ, and râtî thokikâ explains the anikâmaseyya*m*. Buddhaghosa takes the same view of the meaning of anikâmaseyya, i.e. yathâ i*kkh*ati eva*m* seyyam alabhitvâ, ani*kkh*ita*m* parittakam eva kâla*m* seyya*m* labhati, 'not obtaining the rest as he wishes it, he obtains it, as he does not wish it, for a short time only.']
310There is bad reputation, and the evil way (to hell), there is the short pleasure of the frightened in the arms of the frightened, and the king imposes heavy punishment; therefore let no man think of his neighbour's wife.
311As a grass-blade, if badly grasped, cuts the arm, badly-practised asceticism leads to hell.
312An act carelessly performed, a broken vow, and hesitating obedience to discipline, all this brings no great reward.
313If anything is to be done, let a man do it, let him attack it vigorously! A careless pilgrim only scatters the dust of his passions more widely.
314An evil deed is better left undone, for a man repents of it afterwards; a good deed is better done, for having done it, one does not repent.
315Like a well-guarded frontier fort, with defences within and without, so let a man guard himself. Not a moment should escape, for they who allow the right moment to pass, suffer pain when they are in hell.
316They who are ashamed of what they ought not to be ashamed of, and are not ashamed of what they ought to be ashamed of, such men, embracing false doctrines enter the evil path.
317They who fear when they ought not to fear, and fear not when they ought to fear, such men, embracing false doctrines, enter the evil path.
[313. As to ra*g*a meaning 'dust' and 'passion,' see Buddhaghosha's Parables, pp. 65, 66.]
318They who forbid when there is nothing to be forbidden, and forbid not when there is something to be forbidden, such men, embracing false doctrines, enter the evil path.
319They who know what is forbidden as forbidden, and what is not forbidden as not forbidden, such men, embracing the true doctrine, enter the good path.
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