Today, the 8th waxing day of Nattaw, it is the turn of the 8th gæthæ. Yo vandati
manti nunnameyya, The bhikkhu must not be proud because people make obeisance to him. It is customary that people make obeisance to all the monks. If a bhikkhu thinks that people make obeisance to him, and so feels pride, he must not be proud. He must not think highly of himself simply because people pay respects to him. DON’T BE ANGRY AT ABUSE AND ACCUSATION The bhikkhu must not be angry when people abuse him or level charges against him. He must not react to people’s lack of respect for him with anger or malice. These two passages, taken together, mean that the bhikkhu must not be affected by the favourable or unfavourable behaviour of people. He must be able to ignore both accolade and accusation. To remain unaffected by respect and recrimination is not an easy matter, and only arahantas can do that perfectly. Those of the strict observers of søla among the ordinary monks can do so to a considerable extent. The Buddha’s sermon was directed to the arahantas, but it is also appropriate or the ordinary monks. To remain so unaffected, one must go into constant meditation and eschew pride or anger. Even if one cannot go into meditation constantly, one should react with caution. Receiving respects is concerned with the monk. In those days kings and high officials also received obeisance in the form of kowtow. At present, however, high-rankers get only salute of one from or another. As for receiving abuse, it concerns also the lay people. So this sermon should be noted by them, too. They will have to restrain their pride and anger. The bhikkhu must not be vain about the abundance of gifts he receives from people. Monks do not have to worry about their living. All they require in the way of clothing (the robes) food and shelter (monastery), charitable lay people are ready to provide. For the monks who are well known and influential, these things are in abundance. Such monks who are so endowed possibly feel vain. They think that it is they who have received such an abundance of property. But they mustn’t be vain. In reference to the admonition that monks should not be proud or peeved about people’s respect or lack of it, the Buddha said in Alagaddupamä Sutta: “Bhikkhus, I had been giving sermons on misery and cessation of misery. So I was abused, threatened and slandered merely to provoke me to anger and unhappiness. But I did not feel anger, distress or dissatisfaction. And those who understood my sermon properly made obeisance and paid respects to me. But I did not feel pleased, or glad, or elated. “Bhikkhu’s, when people make obeisance to me. I feel in this way. I who am composed of the five sensorial aggregates have become the Buddha, knowing all that is to know, and those of laity who understand me, make obeisance to me. This is how I feel.” That is the Buddha’s attitude toward the good and bad behaviour of others. The Buddha did not feel that the obeisance was not Him, and for His delight, but it was for the five aggregates which received the obeisance. He felt that way because He had already known the truth about things when He gained enlightenment under the sacred Bo tree. At that time and since, the Buddha and the three pariñæs (exact knowledge), namely: Ñatapariññæ which means knowledge that there are only næma and rþpa and that there are only causes and effects. This understanding is derived from constant noting of the changing phenomena of physical and mental properties. Tiranapariññæ which means, knowledge of the anicca, dukkha and anatta nature of things and beings. This is derived also from the meditation practice. Pahænapariññæ which means, knowledge which enables one to discard the wrong beliefs of permanence, pleasure and self and all the defilements emanating from them. The three perfect understandings were acquired by the Buddha during the period from His Prospective-Buddhahood to His final Enlightenment. The understanding continued, of course, during His tenure of Buddhahood, but it may be noted that these comprehensive understandings had been acquired at an early stage. The Buddha would have the bhikkhus strive for purification of their minds by acquisition of three perfect understanding. So he instructed them thus: “Bhikkhus, you must not feel disgruntled at the irrespectful attitude of people or elated by their respectful attitude. Do not labour under the mistaken notion of: “They are worshipping me. I am enjoying the reverence.” You must know; in accordance with the three Pariññæs, that they are worshipping the five sensorial aggregates.” This admonition is addressed to those of the monks who had not yet been arahantas. Arahantas did not have to have such admonition. In fact, this admonition was meant as a reminder to the nonarahantas that they were to work for achievement of that highest stage of purity. It is indeed important for the ordinary monks to work for the ultimate goal. Those who have not yet achieved the state of an arahanta, should appropriately strike an attitude to the effect that people worship the five sensorial aggregates and not themselves. That attitude could be acquired through the practice of meditation. If that attitude were struck, there would not be any cause or occasion for vanity. Just as one waters a flower plant tenderly not to be vain about it, because the plant is not oneself, so also the five aggregates are not oneself, and paying respects to them is not paying respects to oneself, and so there is no reason to be vain about the honour. CONTEMPLATING FOOD WHILE TAKING IT The other method is to take food while contemplating it. How to contemplate? The monk must eat his meal not for enjoyment. In the secular world, people eat to gain strength and vigour so that they can enjoy life. Some take aphrodisiacs as food. The monks take food not for such purposes, not to gain virility and youthful vigour. Nor for growing stout or for making the body beautiful. Then why do they take food? For continued existence of the body, for allaying hunger and for being able to let the body function normally. And all these for the performance of brahmacariya (religious duties). That, briefly, is how to contemplate the food that is being taken. Similar contemplation must be made while using the saffron robes and the monastery. They are used for protection of the body from cold and heat, from attacks mosquitoes, scorpions, snakes, etc. If a monk so contemplates, he will not need food, good robes and a grand monastery; nor will he need many of them. He uses them because he cannot do without them for his life sustenance. He will not, therefore, be vain about the good ones and the many things he may have received. Another method of eschewing vainty is to contemplate the 32 parts of one’s body. He will see, if he contemplates intensely, the loathsome characteristics of these parts; he will realise that feeding this loathsome body is equally loathsome; so is providing clothing and shelter. There is nothing anywhere to feel pleasant about, to feed gratified. There is, therefore, nothing to be vain about. To contemplate in this manner is for those who have not attained the stage of an arahanta. They have already done this kind of contemplation and reached the ultimate stage of purity; there is no need for them to do such contemplation because they have already discarded vanity. The Buddha’s admonition was directed toward those who had not reached that final stage. So the last line of the gæthæ says that the bhikkhu who have no attachment lives properly in this world. This eighth gæthæ was addressed to the monks, but the lay people who adore them should also take a lesson from it and strive to rid themselves of pride and vanity, anger and malice. May they, too, be able to work for the attachment of Nibbanæ. Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu! End of Part VII
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