The Treasure of the Gods

Commentary on the Dhammapada–by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

He the gods hold dear

“When a man’s senses have come to peace, like horses well broken by the trainer, when he is rid of conceit and without inflowing thoughts–even devas envy such a well set man” (Dhammapada 94). Narada Thera renders it better: “He whose senses are subdued, like steeds well-trained by a charioteer, he whose pride is destroyed and is free from the corruptions–such a steadfast one even the gods hold dear.”

* He whose senses are subdued, like steeds well-trained by a charioteer.

“Senses also have joy in their marriage with things of the senses, sweet at first but at last how bitter: that pleasure is poison” (Bhagavad Gita 18:38). “When senses touch objects the pleasures therefrom are like wombs that bear sorrow” (Bhagavad Gita 5:22). This is true of every sentient being, but for human beings there is a much worse effect: “The wind turns a ship from its course upon the waters: the wandering winds of the senses cast man’s mind adrift and turn his better judgment from its course” (Bhagavad Gita 2:67).

The way out of this dilemma is also given by the Gita: “The senses are said to be higher than the sense-objects. The mind is higher than the senses. The intelligent will is higher than the mind. What is higher than the intelligent will? The Atman Itself” (Bhagavad Gita 3:42). Therefore: “The truly admirable man controls his senses by the power of his will” (Bhagavad Gita 3:7).

Both the Gita and Buddha tell us that the man of wisdom has gained mastery over his senses by intense effort–that such control does not come about spontaneously, but only through will, which is the highest faculty we possess.

* He whose pride is destroyed.

The only way to destroy pride is to destroy its source: the ego. And the only way to destroy the ego–the not-self–is to dispel it by the light of the true Self.

* Free from the corruptions.

Actually, “corruptions” is not a very good term. “Inflows (or influences) is better, for it means external stimuli that provoke a response from the individual, as contrasted with the perfect stability of one whose mind cannot be affected in any manner by the outside world.

* Such a steadfast one even the gods hold dear.

Such a person not only has harmonized himself, he brings harmony to the world around him. That is why Patanjali says that in the presence of someone perfected in non-violence no violence can arise. Buddha was a perfect example of this. Since the devas’ whole intent is the harmonious movement of the cosmos, such a one is greatly valued by them. Yogis are blessed by them.

Like the earth

“Like the earth he is not disturbed, like a great pillar he is firmly set and reliable, like a lake he is free from defilement. There are no more rebirths for such a well set man” (Dhammapada 95).

* Like the earth he is not disturbed.

The earth is often cited in Indian writings as an example of patience.

* Like a great pillar he is firmly set and reliable.

The man of wisdom is established and profoundly stable–and therefore reliable. Jesus spoke of “a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock” (Luke 6:48). Those who dig deep and establish themselves firmly upon the bedrock of Self-knowledge remain unshaken by any outer conditions.

* Like a lake he is free from defilement.

This was written before the days of chemical pollution, and refers to the fact that dirt thrown into a lake merely settles to the bottom and the water does not become dirty at all. As long as we live in this world, dirt will be flying around, but even if it “enters” the wise, it is “digested” by the fires of wisdom and his mind remains as unclouded as before.

* There are no more rebirths for such a well set man.

It is when we can live in this world and be totally unaffected by it that we are ready to graduate to a higher level of existence and be freed from rebirth.

At peace

“Freed by full realization and at peace, the mind of such a man is at peace, and his speech and action peaceful” (Dhammapada 96).

No need for comment.

The ultimate man

“He has no need for faith who knows the uncreated, who has cut off rebirth, who has destroyed any opportunity for good or evil, and cast away all desire. He is indeed the ultimate man” (Dhammapada 97).

* He has no need for faith who knows the uncreated.

Obviously faith, however positive a force it may be, is not the desired end. Rather, knowing supersedes believing–“when faith is lost in sight.” But it is not just any kind of knowing that Buddha is speaking about. He means knowledge of “the Uncreated”–knowledge of Brahman which is attained only by the merging of consciousness in Consciousness, the union of the finite with the Infinite. Buddha also referred to this principle of enlightenment as “the Birthless” and “the Deathless.” In other words, he is quite unequivocally proclaiming the existence of the jivatman (individual Self) and the Paramatman (Supreme Self). Further, he is making it clear that they can be known by those that reach the end of the evolutionary process in which we are all presently engaged–some consciously, but most unconsciously. Yet all sentient beings are involved in this process and shall eventually realize its ultimate aim: Nirvana.

* Who has cut off rebirth.

Until the Absolute is known: “Death is certain for the born. Rebirth is certain for the dead” (Bhagavad Gita 2:27). But once Knowing arises, rebirth is permanently ended.

* Who has destroyed any opportunity for good or evil.

The enlightened act is perfect accordance with their divine nature; they do nothing because it is “good” and avoid nothing because it is “evil.” They have no compulsion to either, nor are they in any way influenced by those concepts. Instead, they see things in terms of Real and Unreal. They look upon themselves as neither good nor evil. They simply ARE. When the first person who met Buddha after his enlightenment asked him who he was, he replied: “I am awake.” So it is.

* And cast away all desire.

Nirvana being total fulfillment, desire is completely impossible to the Knower.

* He is indeed the ultimate man.

He is the end, the pinnacle, the zenith of Being Itself.

“Whether in the village or the forest, whether on high ground or low [mountain or valley], wherever the enlightened live, that is a delightful spot” (Dhammapada 98).

This has two meanings, one internal and one external. Wherever the enlightened live is delightful to them, for their consciousness is not external, but internal–in the realm of boundless freedom. Also, wherever the enlightened live is a delight to those who meet them there. Even if it be in a desolate place devoid of outer comfort, those who encounter them there will always remember it fondly as a place of greatest happiness. Those of us who met him there know very well how right it was for Swami Sivananda to name his little house by the Ganges “Ananda Kutir”–the Above of Bliss. In Bengal I met a saint at a train stop–not a station, just an ugly rectangle of crumbling cement–yet even now in my mind’s eye I see it and feel great joy, whereas the memory of great scenic beauty spots or architectural monuments evoke no response at all–they are only mental images devoid of life. They are past, but the saints are ever-present.

“Delightful for them are the forests where men find no delight. The desire-free find delight there, for they seek no sensual joys” (Dhammapada 99). The psychology of the wise is vastly different from that of the worldly ignorant. As the Gita says: “The recollected mind is awake in the knowledge of the Atman which is dark night to the ignorant: the ignorant are awake in their sense-life which they think is daylight: to the seer it is darkness” (Bhagavad Gita 2:69).

Once I was taken by a prison psychologist to meet a holy Carmelite nun. She had never left the monastic enclosure for nearly forty years, except once when she and the mother superior attended a conference of Carmelite nuns. She spoke to us sitting behind a grill. Since egotists cannot stop talking about themselves no matter where they are, or with whom, the psychologist began recounting in great detail about all the electric doors that he had to hear banging behind him when he went to work. When he finally stopped, I looked at the sister and said: “That may seem terrible to people in the world, but think how we would like it.” She agreed, but he was miffed because we did not feel sorry for him, and even envied him a bit. I was thinking vividly of how wonderful it had been when I sat in my tiny hut on the bank of the Ganges in holy Haridwar, happy in the thought that New Delhi with all its “stuff” was far away.