Dhammapada · Chapter 16 of 26 · verses 209 to 220
How attachment to the dear gives rise to sorrow and fear.
Piyavagga
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In this chapter the Buddha examines what happens when we cling to what is dear. A refrain repeated five times teaches that sorrow and fear arise from what we hold dear, from attachment, delight, lust and craving, and that one free of these has no sorrow, let alone fear. Buddhists understand this not as a call to stop caring, but to loosen possessive clinging. The chapter also praises the person of virtue and insight whom people naturally love, and ends with the image of good deeds welcoming a person into the next world like relatives greeting a traveller home.
CravingEthicsWisdom
The commentary tells that a young granddaughter of Visakha, the great lay supporter at Savatthi, died, and Visakha came to the Buddha weeping.
The Buddha asked whether she would like as many children and grandchildren as there were people in Savatthi. She said yes.
He then asked how many people die in Savatthi each day. She admitted someone dies almost every day.
She saw she would never stop grieving. The Buddha then spoke verse 213: sorrow and fear spring from attachment.
Ayoge yuñjamattānaṁ,yogasmiñca ayojayaṁ;Atthaṁ hitvā piyaggāhī,pihetattānuyoginaṁ.
अयोगे युञ्जमत्तानं,योगस्मिञ्च अयोजयं ।अत्थं हित्वा पियग्गाही,पिहेतत्तानुयोगिनं ॥
Applying yourself where you ought not, neglecting what you should be doing, forgetting your goal, you cling to what you hold dear, jealous of those devoted to their heart’s goal.
Mā piyehi samāgañchi,appiyehi kudācanaṁ;Piyānaṁ adassanaṁ dukkhaṁ,appiyānañca dassanaṁ.
मा पियेहि समागञ्छि,अप्पियेहि कुदाचनं ।पियानं अदस्सनं दुक्खं,अप्पियानञ्च दस्सनं ॥
Don’t ever get too close to those you like or dislike. For not seeing the liked is suffering, and so is seeing the disliked.
Tasmā piyaṁ na kayirātha,piyāpāyo hi pāpako;Ganthā tesaṁ na vijjanti,yesaṁ natthi piyāppiyaṁ.
तस्मा पियं न कयिराथ,पियापायो हि पापको ।गन्था तेसं न विज्जन्ति,येसं नत्थि पियाप्पियं ॥
Therefore don’t hold anything dear, for it’s bad to lose those you love. No ties are found in they who hold nothing loved or loathed.
Piyato jāyatī soko,piyato jāyatī bhayaṁ;Piyato vippamuttassa,natthi soko kuto bhayaṁ.
पियतो जायती सोको,पियतो जायती भयं ।पियतो विप्पमुत्तस्स,नत्थि सोको कुतो भयं ॥
Sorrow springs from what we hold dear, fear springs from what we hold dear; one free from holding anything dear has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Pemato jāyatī soko,pemato jāyatī bhayaṁ;Pemato vippamuttassa,natthi soko kuto bhayaṁ.
पेमतो जायती सोको,पेमतो जायती भयं ।पेमतो विप्पमुत्तस्स,नत्थि सोको कुतो भयं ॥
Sorrow springs from attachment, fear springs from attachment; one free from attachment has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Ratiyā jāyatī soko,ratiyā jāyatī bhayaṁ;Ratiyā vippamuttassa,natthi soko kuto bhayaṁ.
रतिया जायती सोको,रतिया जायती भयं ।रतिया विप्पमुत्तस्स,नत्थि सोको कुतो भयं ॥
Sorrow springs from relishing, fear springs from relishing; one free from relishing has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Kāmato jāyatī soko,kāmato jāyatī bhayaṁ;Kāmato vippamuttassa,natthi soko kuto bhayaṁ.
कामतो जायती सोको,कामतो जायती भयं ।कामतो विप्पमुत्तस्स,नत्थि सोको कुतो भयं ॥
Sorrow springs from desire, fear springs from desire; one free from desire has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Taṇhāya jāyatī soko,taṇhāya jāyatī bhayaṁ;Taṇhāya vippamuttassa,natthi soko kuto bhayaṁ.
तण्हाय जायती सोको,तण्हाय जायती भयं ।तण्हाय विप्पमुत्तस्स,नत्थि सोको कुतो भयं ॥
Sorrow springs from craving, fear springs from craving; one free from craving has no sorrow, let alone fear.
Sīladassanasampannaṁ,dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavedinaṁ;Attano kamma kubbānaṁ,taṁ jano kurute piyaṁ.
सीलदस्सनसम्पन्नं,धम्मट्ठं सच्चवेदिनं ।अत्तनो कम्म कुब्बानं,तं जनो कुरुते पियं ॥
One accomplished in virtue and vision, firmly principled, and truthful, doing oneself what ought be done: that’s who the people love.
Chandajāto anakkhāte,Manasā ca phuṭo siyā;Kāmesu ca appaṭibaddhacitto,Uddhaṁsototi vuccati.
छन्दजातो अनक्खाते,मनसा च फुटो सिया ।कामेसु च अप्पटिबद्धचित्तो,उद्धंसोतोति वुच्चति ॥
One eager to realize the ineffable would be filled with awareness. Their mind not bound to pleasures of sense, they’re said to be heading upstream.
Cirappavāsiṁ purisaṁ,dūrato sotthimāgataṁ;Ñātimittā suhajjā ca,abhinandanti āgataṁ.
चिरप्पवासिं पुरिसं,दूरतो सोत्थिमागतं ।ञातिमित्ता सुहज्जा च,अभिनन्दन्ति आगतं ॥
When a man returns safely after a long time spent abroad, family, friends, and loved ones celebrate his return.
Tatheva katapuññampi,asmā lokā paraṁ gataṁ;Puññāni paṭigaṇhanti,piyaṁ ñātīva āgataṁ.Piyavaggo soḷasamo.
तथेव कतपुञ्ञम्पि,अस्मा लोका परं गतं ।पुञ्ञानि पटिगण्हन्ति,पियं ञातीव आगतं ॥पियवग्गो सोळसमो ॥
Just so, when one who has done good goes from this world to the next, their good deeds receive them there, as family welcomes home one they love.
According to verses 212 to 216, what two things spring from what we hold dear?
Which word appears in verse 216 as a source of sorrow and fear?
Verse 210 says not seeing the liked is suffering. What else is suffering?
According to verse 217, whom do people love?
In verse 218, one whose mind is not bound to sense pleasures is said to be heading where?
In verses 219 and 220, what welcomes a good person into the next world?
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Pali (Mahāsaṅgīti edition) and English by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0) from SuttaCentral. Hindi and Marathi meanings, summaries and stories: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by a Buddhist scholar.
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