DHAMMA PADETHA – 9. A REMINDER BY LORD BUDDHA
DHAMMA PADETHA – A REMINDER BY LORD BUDDHA
Once, while Lord Buddha was residing at Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the monks were assembled to listen to the dhamma discourse. Lord Buddha went to the place and picking up some dust from the earth and putting it on his thumb nail asked the monks.
“O monks if the dust on my thumb nail is compared to the whole earth, which is more,” the Lord Buddha asked (though knowing the answer).
(Monks are generally of two categories: Those who just wear the robes and eat, after going round for alms-food, and those who fear the sufferings of samsara. Here it concerns both the categories.)
The monks replied “O, Lord, the dust which is on your thumb nail, if compared to the whole earth is so little that it cannot be accounted for. The dust on the earth is much too abundant.”
When the monks thus replied, the Enlightened One continued to say “Monks, according to the example given, when people die and leave this existence those who are reborn as human beings are so few that they may be compared to the dust on my nail.
After leaving this human abode, people who are reborn in hell or become animals, ghosts, demons in the lower planes are as numerous as the dust on earth. Thus, the Lord gave a discourse that to become a human being is very difficult. (Sam 1/454)
Motto:
Born in the human abode
compared to the dust on the nail.
Born as creatures in the apaya are numerous as the whole earth.
After the discourse Lord Buddha continued to remind the monks, since it is so difficult to be a human being, as little as the dust on my finger nail, do not forget to practise dhamma while there is sasana.
When there was no time to give a discourse Lord Buddha would remind “Do not forget, practise dhamma.” This was the usual reminder. In some places “Appamadena Sampadetha” “Be vigilant, practise and perfect yourselves” This is the usual utterance by Lord Buddha.
In saying “Do not forget, perfect yourselves in practising dhamma” does not mean to do ordinary merit so as to get the happiness of human beings, celestial beings and brahmas”. What the Lord Buddha meant was to practise Satipatthana Vipassana so as to reach nibbana.
Why did the Lord Buddha remind us to practise Satipatthana Vipassana? To become Enlightened, Lord Buddha had practised dhamma for four incalculables (asankheyya) and a hundred thousand world cycles (kappas) without caring for His physical body and life. The purpose is not for all beings to get the happiness of human life, celestial life and brahma. This is not the aim in perfecting Himself without caring for His life and physical body.
It is for Himself and all beings to be free from apaya and all kinds of suffering and reach nibbana, that He accumulated merit. That is why He said do not forget to practise satipatthana vipassana to reach nibbana.
