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Who in this world does overcome
Contemptible craving hard to cross,
From him do sorrows fall away
Like water-drops from a lotus-leaf.

(Dhp. 336)

Today, for the increase of awareness and wisdom this verse, which will be explained, has been chosen as subject for this Dhammadesana. Spoken by Lord Buddha as a reproach to an insolent monk, it now forms part of the collection known as the Dhammapada. To get at the full meaning of what has been said here, we shall take the verse phrase by phrase and examine it.

First, there is the subject of the whole verse represented here merely by the word 'Whoso'. Generally, this word will cover everyone, that is all human beings, with the exception of those who have committed one of the five great evils: murder of mother, or of father, or of an Arahant, the shedding of a Buddha's blood and causing a schism in the Sangha. Those who have committed these deeds, which are very serious evil kamma, cannot make progress in the way of Dhamma as they have blocked their own path. Other people, the vast majority, consist of Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Among those who follow other religions, if they are really serious in their practice, there is no reason why craving should not also fall away from them, for in all religions it is declared that attachment to worldly possessions is a hindrance to growth in religion. For example, there is the famous inscription of the liberal Muslim Moghul Emperor Akbar who quotes the Koran on the subject of Jesus: "Jesus Son of Mary (on whom be peace) said: "The world is a bridge; pass over it, but build no house upon it..." One could scarcely find any stronger teaching upon non-attachment. So, the opening word of this verse certainly refers to all good people whatever religion they profess. In fact, it depends not upon their profession of faith but upon their practice.

As far as Buddhists are concerned, the four groups of people comprising the Buddhist -religion are meant here. These are the Bhikkhus or monks, the Bhikkhunis or nuns, then the Upasaka or laymen with the Upasika or laywomen. "Who in this world does overcome contemptible craving hard to cross"-refers to all of them, for all may win the fruits of happiness from overcoming craving, provided that the effort is made. These fruits are not restricted by Lord Buddha only to those who lead an ascetic life in the forest but are just restricted by our own craving. Next, in the verse we note the words, "in this world." Here, "this world" means "this very life." It means that one should not, if one wishes to see those fruits of happiness, wait until some other life. We have only now to 'live, we never live either in the dream-like past nor in the mirage-like future. Therefore "this world" refers to our present life as human beings. People in all religions are apt to think that salvation lies, somewhere else and in the future. For instance, we may hear even Buddhists speak of waiting for the coming of Ariya Metteyya, the future Buddha, or if they are Mahayana Buddhists, they may speak of being born in the Buddha Amitabha's Pure Land called Sukhavati. They picture that at such times and in such places that it will be much easier to practice the Dhamma than it is now. This is truly just delusion and craving at work. It is like St Augustine's prayer that he might be pure 'but not yet'. But even if we should succeed in getting to the favored times and places for religious practice, what do we have? Still there is a mind and still there is a body. Still the mind has craving for them and wherever we get to, that place will be just the present moment when we experience it. In fact, at those 'favored times' we may not be able to understand the word of that Buddha. When we think of all the Discourses taught by Lord Buddha after hearing which people merely "rejoiced in what the Lord had said" and then went away without any intention to practice and not seeing their own needs and advantage, it becomes obvious that the delaying into the future what should be done now, is indeed foolish.

"This world" means also not the world of objects 'out there' but the way in which we perceive them. This is important to understand. "This' world" is then not a great impersonal globe spinning through space with a cargo of assorted creatures but my world or your world. Although it is said that we live in the same world, this is not really true for the world varies considerably according to our own perception of it. This should be clear from our own experience. When we are in good humor, the world and the people on it seem pleasant while the reverse is true of times when our minds are clouded with anger, and so on. Everyone has, therefore, his own world in which to overcome craving if he wishes.

Now there are the words: "overcome contemptible craving". It is no use going round repeating the words 'I shall overcome craving' for although one might become more mindful as a result, one would have no method of actually overcoming the craving. Lord Buddha was a practical teacher who always taught how a step of training was to be accomplished. Before reaching the overcoming of craving there are accordingly certain steps of practice upon which one should set one's feet. These are outlined for the training of a Bhikkhu but they are an outline also for the layman's practice. The training for the overcoming of craving begins with Moral Conduct or sila. This does not mean simply taking a number of precepts but should be understood as the restraint of all bodily and verbal actions, which run contrary to Dhamma. The five, eight, ten and other groups of precepts are just guideposts to help one accomplish this. While the numbers of the precepts may be very small, the range of moral conduct is as great as one's whole life which one must try to permeate with this moral conduct. Only when one's bodily and verbal expression have been restrained and governed to some extent will it be possible to start upon the restraint of the third door of action, that of the mind.

From this restraint of body and speech, it is but a step to the restraint of the senses. This means that the eye, ear and so on are guarded so that neither the general outward appearance not the details of anything perceived rouse desire or repulsion. But this covetousness and grief are in fact the so-called 'normal' reactions to anything either liked or disliked.

So through the senses and their restraint, a beginning is made upon the control of the mind, the sixth sense in Buddhist psychology. The mind-door should also be guarded as well as the five outer doors, go that thoughts connected with covetousness, desire, greed and so on, cannot gain entry thereby giving rise to further mental states dominated by greed. Nor can thoughts connected with aversion enter, thereby preventing the mind from being dominated by hatred and dislike.

This Guarding of the Senses having been developed, Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension become more easy to develop. This comprises clear understanding and awareness of whatever one is doing while one is doing it. Instead of the mind running wild here and there so that one trips up while walking, or one forgets what one was going to say while talking, or one does something clumsily, one comes gradually to understand clearly and less discursively whatever one is doing.

The training of the mind continues with the culture of contentment. Mindfulness, and luxury which is usually an expression of many desires, do not go together, but mindfulness and contentment are splendid companions. Contentment is more stressed for the Bhikkhu than for the layman since the householder is expected to require more things for his livelihood. But contentment makes for happiness even among householders. These days when material progress has advanced so greatly, everyone knows how tiring and frustrating is that game of 'keeping up with the Joneses'. Lack of contentment and therefore the presence of many desires, means unhappiness and un-peacefulness, disturbance and worry. So householders as well as Bhikkhus should see that they do not have the worry of unrestrained desires.

A person who can accomplish all this will likely be very successful in meditation, for the next step, according to Lord Buddha's discourse, is the freedom of the mind from certain hindering factors. These normally prevent a person from gaining complete concentration of mind: they are, sensual desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and skeptical doubt. When these are banished, the mind will become so concentrated that there is no longer any consciousness of things perceived through the five outer senses. The mind will be full of awareness, joy, happiness and tranquility. The more that these states are cultivated, the more equanimity and mindfulness increase and the sharper becomes the mind's one-pointed-ness.

When these states have been well practiced, then the powers and direct knowledge鈥檚 arise. Of interest to us here is the last one; the exhaustion of the pollutions, since these pollutions are synonymous with craving. One may talk about the exhaustion of craving, or of the exhaustion of the pollutions or asava but it is all the same. The pollutions to be exhausted are: the sensuality-pollution, the existence-pollution, the false views pollution and the ignorance-pollution. The destruction of these pollutions takes place through the arising of investigating wisdom while one's mind is very concentrated and once they have been destroyed, they can never arise again. Just "a palm tree with its crown of leaves cut off never grows again", so these pollutions when seen and destroyed can never again flow into and defile the mind. This is the path pointed out by Lord Buddha to the destruction of contemptible "craving". Another verse from the Dhammapada emphasizes this: "Whoso in this world is overcome by contemptible craving poison-filled, for him do sorrows ever grow as birama grass well rained upon" (Dhp. 335). According to the verse with which we are dealing this craving is said to be 'hard to cross'. Very often craving is represented in Buddhist works as a great river in full spate, roaring along and dragging everything near to it into its terrible flood. Or it is a huge ocean in which no bank or shore can be seen from where one stands. Beset by whirlpools and habited by ferocious monsters (of greed and lust) how can it be crossed? The only way to cross over this great expanse of water is by using Dhamma. Dhamma may be regarded as the raft which one puts together to help one across the flood. Or it may be a great ocean-going ship, which sails to the Further Shore of Nibbana. Or perhaps it is the bridge using which one crosses over the rushing floodwaters. In any case, whatever simile is used, one's own effort is most necessary. The ship has to be boarded, the bridge stepped upon, the raft bound up and paddled across. The stronger are the mental stains and the less the effort, the more difficult will it be to cross over craving. The weaker those stains of greed, aversion and delusion, the greater the effort made under the guidance of a good teacher, the easier will be the crossing over of craving.

In the second half of this verse, the advantage of all this effort is very clearly stated: "From him do sorrows fall away". Who indeed is there who does not wish that sorrows would fall away from him so that he might know unalloyed happiness? It is the aim, consciously or unconsciously, of all beings, but human beings are in the fortunate position of knowing how this may be done, that is, if they give ear to those who have already seen the way. The Buddha has seen, has known, and both knowing and seeing, he teaches the Way to others who wish to know, who wish to see. From the practice of Dhamma, which is this Way, three sorts of happiness may be obtained. For those content with the lowest of them there is the happiness of pleasures sensual resulting from the ready acquisition of people and things according to one's desires. This kind of happiness is the most insecure, the most liable to change and therefore the least satisfactory. Where happiness depends on exterior people and things, that happiness is fleeting and unreliable. Better is the second kind of happiness, resulting from the doing or making of Punna, that is, good, kindly and noble deeds which purify the mind of the doer. This species of happiness, a resultant or fruit of good kamma, may be experienced either as mental joy, lightness and purity of mind, or it may manifest in body, as good health, long life free from disease, a painless death, and so on. This happiness of having done noble deeds and spoken kindly words is much-praised by Lord Buddha. He has said: "O Bhikkhus, do not fear good deeds. It is another name for happiness, for what is desired, beloved, dear and delightful-this word 'good deeds' ". This was said to those who had set their hearts upon discovering Nibbana and who might therefore think that the path to any lesser happiness was futile for them. But it is good deeds, which make possible the treading of the highest path to Nibbana. In this life, in this world, even if one does not take the path to Nibbana, it is goodness beginning with giving and generosity, helpfulness and gentleness, kindliness of speech and a humbleness of heart which will certainly bring happiness here and now. The worldly path of Dhamma-practice brings the second kind of happiness. It is the path to Nibbana, which fruits in the third, the highest sort of happiness. Of this Lord Buddha says: "There is, 0 King, no other benefit of a monk's life visible in this his very life better and higher than this" (that is, the realization of Arahantship). Nibbana is called the Supreme Happiness although 'happiness' has here a very different meaning compared to the two previous sorts. Those kinds of happiness relied upon conditions to support them, in one case, exterior conditions such as people and things, while in the other the conditions were the doing of kindly and noble deeds. These happiness鈥檚, therefore, as they rely upon conditions for their arising, are bound to decline according to the Dhamma-principle: "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." The final aim of Buddhists is to seek and find that which neither arises nor passes away, that which is beyond all conditions, for in the experience of that there lies the Sublime Happiness of Nibbana. So when this craving is overcome, sorrows fall away "as water-drops from a lotus-leaf". This is one feature of the lotus-plant, which was not mentioned in last month's discourse. Water, however dirty, cannot stain the lotus-leaf, which is protected by a special kind of soapy substance all over the leaf. In the same way, craving cannot stain the mind of one who has wisdom well developed. He is protected, not by a layer of wisdom, but by being wisdom, by being permeated with wisdom. At one end of the scale there is the ignorant worldly person whose actions, by mind, speech and body are permeated with craving and who has to suffer because of this, in many ways, while at the other end stands the Victor, the Hero, who brandishes the sword of wisdom which has cut off the stains and cravings.

Thus it is that the All-Seeing one who with the Eyes of Wisdom has known what should be known, has said:

Who in this world is overcome
By contemptible craving poison-filled,
For him do sorrows ever grow
As Birana-grass well rained upon.
Who in this world does overcome
Contemptible craving hard to cross
From him do sorrows fall away
Like water-drops from a lotus-leaf.

(Dhp. 335-336)

EVAM

Thus indeed it is.