Dahara Sutta: Discourse on the Young
By Dr. Ari Ubeysekara
Introduction
All of the discourses delivered by the Lord Gautama Buddha, who lived and preached in India during the 6th and 5th century BC, were grouped into five collections at the first Buddhist council that was held three months after the passing away of the Buddha in 483 BC.
- Collection of long discourses (dīgha nikāya)
- Collection of middle length discourses (majjhima nikāya)
- Collection of connected discourses (samyutta nikāya)
- Collection of numerical discourses (anguttara nikāya)
- Collection of minor discourses (khuddaka nikāya)
The collection of the connected discourses (samyutta nikāya), consist of the Buddha’s discourses on related topics grouped into five sections called Vaggas. They are named Sagātā Vagga, Nidāna Vagga, Khanda Vagga, Salāyatana Vagga and Mahā Vagga. Each Vagga is further sub-divided into groups called samyuttas, containing a number of discourses on related topics. Each samyutta is again sub-divided into smaller units called vaggas, each containing around ten discourses. Dahara sutta is included in the Pathama vagga, of the Kosala samyutta of the Sagātā Vagga. (1)
Content of Dahara sutta
Thus have I heard.
[All the discourses of the Buddha contained in the five collections were narrated by Venerable Arahant Ānanda from memory at the first Buddhist council that was held three months after the Buddha’s passing away. He was the chief attendant of the Buddha and was known as the “guardian of the Dhamma” due to his excellent skill in remembering the Buddha’s discourses. At the Buddhist council, each discourse was begun by him with the same phrase found at the beginning of this discourse too, “evaṁ me sutaṁ” meaning “Thus have I heard”.]
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatti in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapindika’s monastery.
[At the time that this discourse was delivered, the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatti which was built and donated to the Buddha by the chief benefactor Anāthapindika. It was named Jetavana, as the land on which it was built was bought from a prince named Jeta. Sāvatti was a favourite residence of the Buddha and it is recorded that the Buddha spent twenty five rainy retreats at Sāvatti.]
One day, King Pasenadi of Kosala went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with the Buddha. After the conclusion of the courteous and friendly exchanges, the king sat to one side. Having sat to one side, the king said to the Buddha: “Does Master Gotama also claim that he has attained the supreme enlightenment?”
“Great King, If anyone should rightly be said to have attained the supreme enlightenment, it should be me. Great King, I have attained the supreme enlightenment.”
“But, Master Gotama, there are recluses and brahmins who are group leaders, teachers of groups, knowledgeable, well known and popular founders of religions regarded as holy by many people, that is: Pūrana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigantha Nātaputta, Sañjaya Belattha Putta, Pakuda Kaccāyana and Ajita Kesakambala. I asked them too whether they claim that they have attained the supreme enlightenment, but they did not make such a claim. But, why do you, Master Gotama, still young in age and only recently gone forth?”
[There were six sectarian teachers in India who were contemporary to the Lord Gautama Buddha during the 6th and 5th century BC. They were: Pūrana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigantha Nātaputta, Sañjaya Belattha Putta, Pakuda Kaccāyana and Ajita Kesakambala. They belonged to the generation of wandering ascetics who were dissatisfied with Brahmanism that was the predominant religion in India at that time. They were against the orthodox religious practice that included such things as the animal sacrifice and a strict caste system. They renounced householder’s life and became wandering ascetics in search of the truth and spiritual freedom. Eventually, they gathered large groups of similar minded followers from different parts of India. It appears from the king’s question that the six sectarian teachers were older than the Buddha and had been practising ascetism longer than the Buddha.]
“These four, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“What four?”
“A noble warrior, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“A snake, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“A fire, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“A monk, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“These four, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
This is what the Blessed One said. The Blessed One, having said that, further said:
“A high born prince of noble birth, who is famous, should not be looked down upon for being young. No one should disparage him. For, it is possible that one day he will become a king, be the lord of the people and gain power. An angry king can order a royal punishment for the one who disparaged him. Therefore, one would avoid it for the sake of one’s own life.”
“If one sees a young snake in a village or a forest, one should not look down upon it for being young, No one should disparage it. A deadly venomous snake can move along in various shapes. The angry snake can chase after the foolish man or woman who disparaged it and bite them. Therefore, one would avoid it for the sake of one’s own life.”
“A fire can burn great many things leaving only a black trail. One should not look down upon a small fire. No one should disparage it. For, when it gets fuel, it can become a large fire. It can lash out and burn the foolish man or woman who disparaged it. Therefore, one would avoid it for the sake of one’s own life.”
“When a forest is burnt down by fire, it leaves a blackened trail with small flames. More flames will come from the small flames with the passing days and nights.”
“In the same way, one who disrespects a monk who is of high moral virtue, that one will not get any children or assets. He will not inherit any wealth. He will have no children or an heir. His life will be destroyed like a cut palmyra stump which can never grow again.”
“Therefore, a wise person, considering his own good, would always properly treat a snake, a fire, a popular prince, and a monk of high moral virtue.”
When the Blessed One said this, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha:
“Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama! Just as one were to set upright what had been overturned, or what had been closed is opened, or were to show the way to one who has lost his way, or as one who holds an oil lamp in the dark so that those with eyes may see things, in similar manner, by the Buddha, in various ways, the Dhamma has been declared. I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. May Master Gotama accept me as a lay follower who has taken refuge from today onwards till the end of my life.”
King Pasenadi was the king of the Kingdom of Kosala with Sāvatti as it’s capital. In this discourse, the king has addressed the Buddha as “Master Gotama”, which indicates that at the time of the meeting between the Buddha and the king recorded in this discourse, the king has not been a disciple of the Buddha. It is possible that this is perhaps the very first meeting between the Buddha and the King Pasenadi of Kosala. He became a disciple of the Buddha after listening to this discourse by taking refuge in the Triple Gem: The Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha. King Pasenadi of Kosala eventually became a devoted lay disciple and a great supporter of the Buddha. This was facilitated to a large extent by the positive influence and inspiration that he received from his chief consort Queen Mallikā, who was a great devotee of the Buddha and had a good understanding of the Buddha’s teaching. Since becoming a disciple of the Buddha, the king used to visit the Buddha on a regular basis to listen to the Buddha’s sermons as well as to discuss and receive counselling on other matters. Some of the discussions between the Buddha and the king are recorded in the Kosala samyutta of the Samyutta Nikāya in which there are twenty five discourses. The essential message from this discourse is the fact that one should not look down on someone or something just because they happen to be young, as they may have the potential to become great and powerful in the future.
References
- Bhikkhu Bodhi 1999, Dahara sutta, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, A Translation of the Samyutta Nikāya, Wisdom Publications.
End.
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