Hindu Materialism (Digha Nikaya)

The following passage from the Digha Nikaya is cited as "typical of Hindu materialist attitudes to the present day" (Julius Lipner, 1994, Hindus: Their religious beliefs and practices, Routledge, p. 168; citing A.L. Basham, 1967, The Wonder that was India, 299). Whether it is or not, the passage below certainly contains striking poetic images. The matching of the lines is probably a off a little since many of the words aren't in the dictionary, so the text as a whole is given at the end.


Parallel Pali and English:

‘‘evaṃ vutte, bhante,
When this was said,

ajito kesakambalo maṃ etadavoca –
Ajita Kesakambalin said to me,

‘natthi, mahārāja, dinnaṃ , natthi yiṭṭhaṃ, natthi hutaṃ,
'Great king, there is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed.

natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko,
There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions.

natthi ayaṃ loko paraloko (syā.),
There is no this world, no next world,

natthi mātā, natthi pitā,
no mother, no father,

natthi sattā opapātikā,
no spontaneously reborn beings;

natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā samaggatā (ka.), samaggatā (syā.) sammāpaṭipannā, ye imañca lokaṃ parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti.

no priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly known and realized it for themselves.

cātumahābhūtiko ayaṃ puriso,
A person is a composite of four primary elements.

yadā kālaṅkaroti,
At death,

pathavī pathavikāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati,
the earth (in the body) returns to and merges with the (external) earth-substance.

The fire returns to and merges with the external fire-substance.

āpo āpokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati,
The liquid returns to and merges with the external liquid-substance.

tejo tejokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati,
The wind returns to and merges with the external wind-substance.

vāyo vāyokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, ākāsaṃ indriyāni saṅkamanti.
The sense-faculties scatter into space.

āsandipañcamā purisā mataṃ ādāya gacchanti.
Four men, with the bier as the fifth, carry the corpse.

yāvāḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti.
Its eulogies are sounded only as far as the charnel ground.

kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti,
The bones turn pigeon-colored.

bhassantā āhutiyo.
The offerings end in ashes.

dattupaññattaṃ yadidaṃ dānaṃ.
Generosity is taught by idiots.

tesaṃ tucchaṃ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṃ vadanti.
The words of those who speak of existence after death are false, empty chatter.

bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti,
With the break-up of the body, the wise and the foolish alike are annihilated, destroyed.

na honti paraṃ maraṇā’ti.
They do not exist after death.'


Full translation:

"When this was said, Ajita Kesakambalin said to me, 'Great king, there is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions. There is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly known and realized it for themselves. A person is a composite of four primary elements. At death, the earth (in the body) returns to and merges with the (external) earth-substance. The fire returns to and merges with the external fire-substance. The liquid returns to and merges with the external liquid-substance. The wind returns to and merges with the external wind-substance. The sense-faculties scatter into space. Four men, with the bier as the fifth, carry the corpse. Its eulogies are sounded only as far as the charnel ground. The bones turn pigeon-colored. The offerings end in ashes. Generosity is taught by idiots. The words of those who speak of existence after death are false, empty chatter. With the break-up of the body, the wise and the foolish alike are annihilated, destroyed. They do not exist after death.'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html


Full Pali:

171. ‘‘evaṃ vutte, bhante, ajito kesakambalo maṃ etadavoca – ‘natthi, mahārāja, dinnaṃ , natthi yiṭṭhaṃ, natthi hutaṃ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko, natthi ayaṃ loko paraloko (syā.), natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā samaggatā (ka.), samaggatā (syā.) sammāpaṭipannā, ye imañca lokaṃ parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti. cātumahābhūtiko ayaṃ puriso, yadā kālaṅkaroti, pathavī pathavikāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, āpo āpokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, tejo tejokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, vāyo vāyokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, ākāsaṃ indriyāni saṅkamanti. āsandipañcamā purisā mataṃ ādāya gacchanti. yāvāḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti. kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti, bhassantā āhutiyo. dattupaññattaṃ yadidaṃ dānaṃ. tesaṃ tucchaṃ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṃ vadanti. bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti, na honti paraṃ maraṇā’ti.

Locative Case Meanings (Pali)

Time, Place, Situation, and Society

at place X
at time X
in situation X
in society X

Reference

about X
regarding X
in reference to X

Establishment, Confidence

established in X
confidence in X

Reason

on account of X
because of X

Examples

Place

dhammā raññe
qualities in a king

Nāḷandāyaṃ viharanto
dwelling in Nālandā

rukkhamūle nisinnaṃ
seated at the root (foot) of a tree

devatā ākāse
deities in the sky

Time

tasmiṃ samaye vedanaṃ vedeti
he feels a sensation on that occasion

vassānaṃ pachime māse
in the last month of the rainy season

Situation

tasmiṃ yaññe ... na rukkhā chijjimsu
in that sacrifice..ṇo trees were cut down

āpadāsu na vijahati
he does not abandon (him) in misfortune

Society

Māgadhesu viharati
among the Maghadesans
(he lives in Maghada)

Reference

idam pi 'ssa hoti sīlasmiṃ
he has this regards (moral) character

citte cittānupassī viharati
with reference to the mind,
he lives observing the mind

dhammesu...ñāṇaṃ
knowledge of (about) phenomena

kaṇkhā..ḍhamme
doubt about the doctrine

jīvite apekhaṃ
hope for life

Establishment

pettike ṭhāne ṭhapesi
appointed (him) in his father's place

satipaṭṭhānesu supatiṭṭhitacitta
(whose) mind is well-stablished in the conditions of self-possession
(sati = mindfulness)

Confidence

passano ahaṃ bhagavati
I have confidence in the fortunate one
(loc. sing. bhagavant)

dhamme pasannā
she has confidence in the doctrine

bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ caritvā
having lived the god-like life under the fortunate one

Disappearing

brahmaloke antarahito
vanished from God's world
(and appeared on earth)

The Locative Case (Sattamī) Narada

1. The Locative Case denotes the place
or time where anything is or happens

Manussā gharesu vasanti,
men live in houses.

Thāliyaŋ odanaŋ pacati
he cooks rice in a pot.

Khīresu jalaŋ
there is water in milk.

2. The Locative denotes also the time
when an action takes place

Tasmiŋ samaye
at that time.

Sāyaṇhasamaye āgato
he came in the afternoon.

Phussamāsamhā tīsu māsesu vesākhamāso, three months from Phussa month [i.e., after the month called Phussa] is the month of Vesākha.

Ito satasahassamhi kappe,
one hundred thousand aeons hence.

3. The reason is sometimes expressed
by the Locative

Dīpi cammesu haññate,
the tigers are killed on account of their skin.

Musāvāde pācittiyaŋ,
one commits a pācittiya offence, there is a

pācittiya
with regard to a lie or through falsehood.

4. The group or class from which a person or thing is distinguished or separated is put in the Locative; e.g.,

Manussesu khattiyo sūratamo,
the warrior is the bravest of men.

Addhikesu dhāvato sīghatamo,
the runner is the fastest of travellers.

Āyasmā Ānando arahantesu aññataro,
Venerable Ānanda is one of the Arahants.

5. The Locative or the Genitive is used
with the words adhipati, lord; dāyāda, heir;
issara, lord; kusala, skill; patibhū, bail; pasuta,
born of; sakkhi, witness; and sāmi, master; e.g.,

Lokasmiŋ or (lokassa) adhipati,
lord of the world.

Kammasmiŋ or (kammassa) dāyādo,
heir of action.

Paṭhaviyaŋ or (paṭhaviyā) issaro,
lord of the earth.

Gītasmiŋ or (gītassa) kusalo,
skill in singing.

Dassanasmiŋ or (dassanassa) paṭibhū,
surety for appearance.

Gosu or (gavaŋ) pasuto,
born of cows.

Adhikaraṇasmiŋ or (adhikaraṇassa) sakkhi, witness in a case.

Dhammasmiŋ or (Dhammassa) sāmi,
master of Truth.

(From Warder and Narada)

Anger as fire metaphor (Pali)

This is one of the most poignant passages of poetry in Pali that I have seen to-date:

A man conquered by anger is in a mass of darkness.
He takes pleasure in bad deeds as if they were good,
but later, when his anger is gone,
he suffers as if burned with fire.
He is spoiled, blotted out,
like fire enveloped in smoke.


A PROVERB:

pacchaa so vigate kodhe,
aggida.d.dhova tappati

Pacchā so vigate kodhe,
aggidaḍḍhova tappati.

Later when his anger is gone,
he suffers as if burned with fire

When his anger is later spent
he suffers as if seared by fire

Proverb: After anger comes burning remorse.

(From: Buddhist Proverbs, In Pali, Thai, and English, 2550 Languages, Thammasapa & Bunluentham Institution, 1/4-5 BaromRajchaChonnani Rd., Thaviwatthana, Bangkok, 10170)

(From: Sattakanipātapāḷi [Group of Sevens], 6. Abyākatavaggo {AN 7.60}, Kodhana Sutta — An Angry Person {A iv 94} Seven dangers of giving in to anger, 11. Kodhanasuttaṃ)


SURROUNDING TEXT:

Andhatamaṃ tadā hoti, yaṃ kodho sahate naraṃ.
‘‘Yaṃ kuddho uparodheti, sukaraṃ viya dukkaraṃ;
Pacchā so vigate kodhe, aggidaḍḍhova tappati.
‘‘Dummaṅkuyaṃ padasseti [sadasseti (sī.), paṭhamaṃ dasseti
(syā.)], dhūmaṃ dhūmīva pāvako;

1. Bhikku Bodhi translation:
http://www.vipassana.com/canon/anguttara/an7-60.php
Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.060.than.html

A man conquered by anger is in a mass of darkness.
He takes pleasure in bad deeds as if they were good,
but later, when his anger is gone,
he suffers as if burned with fire.
He is spoiled, blotted out,
like fire enveloped in smoke.


2. ~Nanamoli Thera translation:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.060.nymo.html

So wrapped in darkness, as if blind,
Is he whom anger dogs.
Someone a man in anger hurts;
But, when his anger is later spent
With difficulty or with ease,
He suffers as if seared by fire.
His look betrays the sulkiness
Of some dim smoky smoldering glow.