Dhammapada Verse 407
Mahapanthakatthera Vatthu
Yassa rago ca doso ca
mano makkho ca patito
sasaporiva aragga
tamaham brumi brahmanam.
Verse 407: Him I call a brahmana, from whom
passion, ill will, pride and detraction have fallen off like a mustard seed from
the tip of an awl.
The Story of Thera Mahapanthaka
While residing at the Veluvana
monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (407) of this book, with reference to Thera
Mahapanthaka, elder brother of Culapanthaka*.
Thera Mahapanthaka was already an
arahat when his younger brother Culapanthaka joined the Order. Culapanthaka was
born a dullard because he had made fun of a very dull bhikkhu in one of his past
existences. Culapanthaka could not even memorize one verse in four months' time.
Mahapanthaka was disappointed with his younger brother and asked him to leave
the monastery as he was not worthy of the Order.
It was in this connection that,
on one occasion, the bhikkhus asked the Buddha why Mahapanthaka, even though he
was an arahat, turned his younger brother Culapanthaka out of the monastery.
They also added "Do the arahats still lose their temper? Do they still have
moral defilements like ill will in them?" To them the Buddha replied,
"Bhikkhus! Arahats have no moral defilements like passion and ill will in
them. My son Mahapanthaka acted as he did with a view to benefiting his brother
and not out of ill will."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as
follows:
Verse 407: Him I call
a brahmana, from whom passion, ill will, pride and detraction have
fallen off like a mustard seed from the tip of an awl. |
* See also Verse 25: The
Story of Culapanthaka, Chapter II.