Dhammapada Verse 270
Balisika Vatthu
Na tena ariyo hoti
yena panani himsati
ahimsa sabbapapnam
"ariyo" ti pavuccati.
Verse 270: He who harms living beings is, for that reason, not an ariya (a
Noble One); he who does not harm any living being is called an ariya1.
1. ariya: one who has realized one of the four maggas.
The Story of a Fisherman Named Ariya
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (270) of
this book, with reference to a fisherman named Ariya.
Once, there was a fisherman who lived near the north gate of Savatthi. One
day through his supernormal power, the Buddha found that time was ripe for the
fisherman to attain Sotapatti Fruition. So on his return from the alms-round,
the Buddha, followed by the bhikkhus, stopped near the place where Ariya was
fishing. When the fisherman saw the Buddha, he threw away his fishing gear and
came and stood near the Buddha. The Buddha then proceeded to ask the names of
his bhikkhus in the presence of the fisherman, and finally, he asked the name of
the fisherman. When the fisher man replied that his name was Ariya, the Buddha
said that the Noble Ones (ariyas) do not harm any living being, but since the
fisherman was taking the lives of fish he was not worthy of his name.
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
| Verse 270: He who harms living beings is, for that
reason, not an ariya (a Noble One); he who does not harm any living
being is called an ariya.
|
At the end of the discourse the fisherman attained Sotapatti Fruition.