Verses and Stories of Dhammapada : Dhammikaupasaka Vatthu

Idha modati pecca modati

Katapunno ubhayattha modati

So modati so pamodati

Disva kammavisuddhimattano.

He rejoices here, he rejoices hereafter, in both worlds the well-doer rejoices. He rejoices, exceedingly rejoices, seeing his own pure deeds.

Story

Upasaka named Dhammika, the devout man, led a religious life. While lying on his death-bed, he saw  good visions. After dying peacefully, he was taken by gods to a heaven.

Verses and Stories of Dhammapada:Cundasukarika Vatthu

Idha socati pecca socati

Papakari ubhayattha socati

So socati so vihannati

Disva kammakilitthamattano.

He grieves here, he grieves hereafter, in both worlds the evil-doer grieves. He mourns, he is afflicted, beholding his own foul deeds.

Story

Cunda, the pork-butcher, lived by killing many pigs throughout his lifetime. He was subject to much suffering in his last days. Before dying, he rolled on the floor like a pig. After death he was born in a woeful state.

Verses and Stories of Dhammapada:Nandatthera Vatthu

Yathagaram ducchannam

Vutthi samativijjhati

Evam abhavitam cittam

Rago samativijjhati.

Yathagaram succhannam

Vutthi na samativijjhati

Evam subhavitam cittam

Rago na samativijjhati.

As rain gets into an ill-thatched house, so lust penetrates an undeveloped mind.

As rain gets not into a well-thatched house, so craving gets not into a well-developed mind.

Story

Prince Nanda was admitted by the Buddha into the Sangha on his wedding day. As he was thinking of his bride instead of meditating, the Buddha used an effective means  whereby Nanda renounced his former thoughts and finally attained Arahantship. The Buddha compared his former state of mind to an ill-thatched house and his pure state of mind to a well-thatched house.

Verses and Stories of Dhammapada:Sanjaya Vatthu

Asare saramatino

Sare casaradassino

Te saram nadhigacchanti

Micchasankappagocara.

Saranca sarato natva

Asaranca asarato

Te saram adhigacchanti

Samma sankappagocara.

Those who mistake the false for the true, and the true for the false,--they who abide in the pasture-ground of wrong thoughts, - never arrive at the real.

Those who know the true as the true, and the false as the false, who abide in right-mindedness, they arrive at the real.

Story

Venerable Sariputta and Venerable Moggallana told the Buddha that they could not persuade Sanjaya, their former teacher, to see the Buddha and listen to his teachings as he did not want to be the follower of the Buddha. The Buddha then explained the difference between those who thought rightly and those who thought wrongly and the result of such thinking.

Verses and Stories of Dhammapada:Devadatta Vatthu

Anikkasavo kasavam

Yo vattham paridahessati

Apeto damasaccena

Na so kasavam arahati.

Yo ca vantakasavassa

Silensu susamahito

Upeto damasaccena

Sa ve kasavam arahati.

Whosoever, not freed from blemish, lacking in self-restraint and truth, should don the yellow robe he is not worthy of it.

He who has thrown away all impurities, firm-fixed in morals, possessed of self-control and truth, is indeed worthy of the yellow robe.

Story

Once the people on a majority vote gave a high price robe to Venerable Devadatta, in preference to Venerable Sariputta, the chief disciple of the Buddha. Some monks, seeing him wearing it, commended that he was not worthy of it. Buddha then pointed out that in his previous life he had done likewise and explained who was worthy of wearing the yellow robe of the holy disciples.

Verses and Stories of Dhammapada:Chulakalamahakala Vatthu

Subhanupassim viharantam

Indriyesu asamvutam

Bhojanamhi amattannum

Kusitam hinaviriyam

Tam ve pasahati maro

Vato rukkhamva dubbalam.

Asubhanupassim viharantam

Indriyesu susamvutam

Bhojanamhi ca mattannum

Saddham araddhaviriyam

Tam ve nappahahati maro

Vato selamva pabbatam.

Whosoever lives delighting in visual forms, with senses un-subdued, immoderate in food, sluggish and inert, -- him verily does Mara overthrow as the wind a weak tree.

Whosoever lives taking no delight in one's own body or outer things, with senses restrained, moderate in food, full of confidence and strenuous, --him verily Mara does overthrow any more than the wind a mountain rock.

Story

It was  a story of two brothers who both became monks, the elder by conviction and the younger without any faith. The younger monk constantly thought of material pleasures and succumbed to the temptations of his former wives and finally disrobed. The elder monk tried hard and finally attained Arahantship. His former wives tried in vain to force him to disrobe.

Verses and Stories of Dhammapada:Kosambika Vatthu

Pare ca na vijananti

Mayamettha yamamase

Ye ca tattha vijananti

Tato sammanti medhaga.

Many never realized that all of us here shall one day die.

But those who realize that have their quarrels calmed thereby.

Story

Some trivial incident led to a serious dispute among the monks in the city of Kosambi. The disputed monks did not obey the Buddha’s suggestion. Finally the Buddha went to a forest and spent the rainy retreat there. Being forced by the laity, the monks went to the Buddha and invited him to the city. The Buddha then taught them this verse of Dhammapada.