Today, the full moon day of Tazaungmon, we will have a discourse on the fourth gæthæ. Vipi¥¥hikatvæna
pesu¼æni, “The bhikkhu should turn his back on the other person’s gossip and slander and eschew anger and malice. He should also reject prejudice and hatred. Such a bhikkhu lives properly in the world.” The meaning of this gæthæ is that the bhikkhu must reject anger, prejudices, indulgences and attachments and their opposites, annoyances and hatred. And that such a bhikkhu will have no attachment in the world and will therefore be able to live cleanly, peacefully and happily. In the six suttas of the Mahæ Samaya Sutta, one gæthæ is sufficient for the purpose but several more were given by way of repetition. Those who have enough intelligence will wonder why there should be such repetition. The reason is that the devas and brahmæs who had sufficient intelligence to understand with the first gæthæ gained realisation soon after it was enunciated, and those with inferior intelligence understood the meaning after enunciation of the second or third gæthæ, as the case may be. So it must be that the Buddha taught his Dhamma in similar gæthæs bearing the same meaning. In the previous gæthæ the Buddha taught that one must reject kæma ræga and overcome and surpass the three worlds. If one has rejected kæma ræga it goes without saying that one has rejected all the kilesæ such as dosa, moha, mæna, di¥¥hi etc. In the present gæthæ the advice is to reject gossips, anger, malice and prejuidces. Compared to the previous gæthæ, this one which refers to gossips may seem inferior but this was meant for devas whose intelligence was inferior. This point we must note. Gossip is meant to create misunderstanding between those who love and respect one another. To tell someone or other some faults of one or more persons, whether the allegations are correct or not. Or, like the bræhmin Vassakæra, to make one doubt about another’s motives and thus create misunderstanding between them. This has been referred to in my discourse on Sallekha Sutta. Gossip and slander must be got rid of by means of anægæm, magga (as referred to in Visuddhi magga). We must try to attain anægæmi magga in order to get rid of the habit of gossip and slander. As it has been said that when one reached the stage of sotæpatti magga, one would not resort to any misdeed that would pull one down to hell, a sotæpanna would not tell white lies. The object of the slander is to alienate, two persons who love and respect each other, and if such persons are so alienated, the purpose of the slanderer is achieved. That sin will, however, pull the slanderer down to the hell or one of the nether regions. A satæpanna will never commit such a sin. Although one may not have yet become an anægami, it is best to avoid telling about other persons faults or demeaning others. By avoiding such sins, one should work hard to attain to the stage of anægami in due course. Anger, too, can be completely got rid of only when one reaches the stage of anægami magga. But if one could reject anger as much and as often as possible before attaining that exalted stage, it would be very much better. When anger arise; one should dispel it either by making a mental note of it or by discerning it. It should be nipped in the bud, or it would assume such proportions that the angry person might resort to foul speech or even physical act of rudeness. One should, therefore, nip anger in the bud before it becomes visible to others through one’s speech and action. We should develop this practice of eschewing anger till we reach the stage of anægami magga. UNCHARITABLENESS MUST BE REJECTED Uncharitableness or envy, should also be eschewed. A monk could be uncharitable, (1) in connection with the monastery; (2) in connection with the intimate dæyaka and dæyika (lay man and lay woman); (3) in connection with alms and gifts; (4) in connection with religious treatises; (5) in connection with prestige. An uncharitable act is an attempt to deter others from sharing the things that are in one’s possession. Commentaries say that this attitude is eschewed when one reaches the stage of sotæpatti magga. Even if one has not yet reached this stage, one should reject uncharitable attitude through meditational practice. Uncharitableness should be eschewed in one’s relationship particularly with those who are engaged in the practice of søla. In short, I’d say “Turning ones back on gossip, one must eschew anger and envy”. Turning one’s back on gossip means, of course, abandoning the habit of gossiping. “Turning ones back on slander” is in fact, a direct translation from Pæ¹i. ACQUIESCENCE AND OPPOSITION SHOULD BE REJECTED It is good and proper to acquiesce in the wishes of another person in his interest and for his good. Acquiescence, which should be avoided, we mean complying with the wishes of another person with lascivious intent and for gratification of lust. Opposition is a demonstration of anger and hatred; that should be avoided. Anger and hatred are synonymous. Anger can be completely rejected only when one attains the stage of anægæmi magga. Compliance with the wishes of another under the instigation of desire and lust is, of course, the work of ræga and ræga is eliminated only when one attains the final stage of purity, that is arahatta magga. We should work hard for the attainment of the final stage. With the elimination of ræga on attainment of arahatta magga one dispels all kilesæ. Thus, one is free from all attachment, and can live properly in this world. May this audience be able to work hard in their meditational practice in order to dispel such uncharitable attitudes as slander, gossip and eventually ræga, and achieve the ultimate goal of nibbæna. Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu! End of Part III
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