THE STORY OF MAHAKALA THERA - Dhammapada Verses 7-8

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

Today we look at Dhammapada Verses 7 and 8 - Mahakalatthera Vatthu about two brothers who, after hearing a teaching of the Buddha, ordain into the Sangha with different intentions, practice and outcomes. It is in The Chapter about Pairs (Yamaka Vagga). In this saying, the Buddha highlights:

• specific bad qualities (contemplating the pleasant with wrong view, lack of sense restraint, laziness, lack of energy) that hinder one's practice and make one weak and susceptible to Mara's forces and
• specific good qualities (contemplating the unpleasant with right view, sense restraint, conviction, energetic) that support one's practice and make one strong, resolute and firm against Mara's forces.

We can learn a great deal from the different circumstances of these brothers, as well as taking note of Mahakala Thera as a worthy role model having developed good qualities that enabled him to realise full awakening.

The verses in Pali:

“Subhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,
indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ;
Bhojanamhi cāmattaññuṁ,
kusītaṁ hīnavīriyaṁ;
Taṁ ve pasahati māro,
vāto rukkhaṁva dubbalaṁ.
Asubhānupassiṁ viharantaṁ,
Indriyesu susaṁvutaṁ;
Bhojanamhi ca mattaññuṁ,
Saddhaṁ āraddhavīriyaṁ;
Taṁ ve nappasahati māro,
Vāto selaṁva pabbataṁ.”

Other suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk:

• – Sekha-Patipada Sutta (MN 53)
• – Dukkhavihāra Sutta (Iti 22)
• – Sukhavihāra Sutta (Iti 23)
• – Aparihāniya Sutta (AN 4.37)
• – Apaṇṇaka Sutta (AN 3.16)
• – Pasenadikosala Vatthu (Dhp 325)
• – Nagaropama Sutta (AN 7.67)

To read the full chapter (Yamaka Vagga) of the Dhammapada - https://suttacentral.net/dhp1-20/en/feldmeier

A video with presentation slides for this talk has been published to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzfTXy0FVvM AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai