Exploring the Path: Introduction to 3.7.2: ālasāyanuyoge ādīnavā versus āraddhavīriyo ārakkhagocaro - Beware of the Dangers of Idleness by Keeping up Unyielding Energy!
Introduction to 3.7.2: ālasāyanuyoge ādīnavā versus āraddhavīriyo ārakkhagocaro - Beware of the Dangers of Idleness by Keeping up Unyielding Energy!
Beware of the Dangers of Idleness by Keeping up Unyielding Energy!
iti vissaṭṭhakammante1, khaṇā accenti2 māṇave.
karaṃ purisakiccāni, so sukhā na vihāyati4.
People who say this, shirking their work, thus the moment passes them by.
And performs his manly duties thus won’t fall away from ease.
Spear grass, roots, reeds and bulrush, cultivating my mindset towards seclusion.
A certain landowner in Kosala by the name of Mātaṅga had a son, who was idle, lazy and slothful. Often his father and relatives reprimanded him for his idleness, lazyness and easygoing ways. When he came in contact with the Bhikkhus he got attracted by their seemingly ‘happy’ life: ‘‘sukhajīvino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā’’ti and he desired to follow them. He got especially thrilled by the iddhi of the Bhikkhus he encountered and he aspired for the same.10 Further inspired by a discourse of the Buddha he took robes, was known as Mātaṅgaputtatthera—the Elder, son of Mātaṅga—developed dilligence and effort and attained arahantship. After his attainment of the chaḷabhiñño11 he uttered the verses quoted as an introduction to this lesson - may they serve as inspiring example!
“I do not see a single thing, Bhikkhus, that leads to greater damage than heedlessness. Heedlessness, Bhikkhus, leads to great damage”.
‘‘Nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ mahato anatthāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, kosajjaṃ. Kosajjaṃ, bhikkhave, mahato anatthāya saṃvattatī’’ti.
“I do not see a single thing, Bhikkhus, that leads to greater damage than slothfulness. Slothfulness, Bhikkhus, leads to great damage”.
“I do not see a single thing, Bhikkhus, that causes unarisen wholesome qualities to arise and arisen unwholesome qualities to diminish like unyielding energy. Through unyielding energy, Bhikkhus, unarisen wholesome qualities arise and arisen unwholesome qualities diminish”.
When pointed out: ‘Bhikkhus, this Dhamma is for those of unyielding energy, this Dhamma is not for those being lazy!’ in what respect it has been said? Here a Bhikkhu dwells striving persisitently to abandon unwholesome mental states and to aquire wholesome mental states, resolute, steadfastly stiving he applies to the wholesome states not laying down his burden to develop wholesome qualities! The statement: ‘Bhikkhus, this Dhamma is for those of unyielding energy, this Dhamma is not for those being lazy!’ has been said in this respect!
The Venerable Nagasena, on being asked to give an illustrating simile compares vīriya with a ridge pole that supports a house that is about to fall apart – similar all the wholesome states being supported by vīriya will not diminish: - ‘‘Opammaṃ karohī’’ti. ‘‘Yathā, mahārāja, puriso gehe patante20 aññena dārunā upatthambheyya, upatthambhitaṃ santaṃ evaṃ taṃ gehaṃ na pateyya. Evameva kho, mahārāja, upatthambhanalakkhaṇaṃ vīriyaṃ, vīriyūpatthambhitā sabbe kusalā dhammā na parihāyantī’’ti.
5 dabbaṃ kusaṃ poṭakilaṃ, usīraṃ muñjapabbajaṃ—these are different kinds of grass, reed, roots etc.