Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Na paro paraṃ nikubbetha,
nātimaññetha katthaci na kañci
byārosanā paṭighasanna,
nāññamaññassa dukkhamiccheyya.¹

Let none deceive another
or despise anyone anywhere;
filled with anger or ill-will,
let one not wish any harm for another.

Whenever any of those three constituents of micchāsaṅkappo arise, an attentive observer will easily notice that they are always accompanied by noticeable physical manifestations. Especially when byāpādasaṅkappo and vihiṃsāsaṅkappo arise, those thoughts filled with ill will, hatred and the wish to harm are obviously and visibly disturbing mental calm. They can even result in physical unease: breath may intensify, blood pulsation increases and even the facial features and muscles can stiffen.

Like any other language, Pāli makes use of different terms to express strong negativities based on anger to differentiate intensities or manifestations of similar kinds of sensations with the base of dosa (i.e., āghāto, byāpādo, īgho, kujjhano, kodho, kopo, paṭigho, roso, viddeso, virodho, veraṃ, etc.).² An ardent, attentive meditator will be able to understand by his detached observation how these strong negativities that arise in the mind find their counterpart in corresponding mental and physical reactions. They display themselves in sensations that arise, manifest, intensify, search for outbreak and, if simply observed rather than adhered to, eventually pass away. The Buddha advised his followers not only to overcome these tendencies but rather to delight in the absence of them as the way to develop their respective opposites: dwelling in goodwill and non-violence as well as cultivating and fostering compassionate love:

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, tumhepi abyāpajjhārāmā³ viharatha abyāpajjharatā.⁴ Tesaṃ vo, bhikkhave, tumhākaṃ abyāpajjhārāmānaṃ viharataṃ abyāpajjharatānaṃ eseva vitakko bahulaṃ samudācarissati⁵ – ‘imāya mayaṃ iriyāya na kiñci byābādhema tasaṃ vā thāvaraṃ vā⁶’ti.⁷

Therefore, Bhikkhus, you should dwell delighting in the absence of ill will, you should dwell finding joy in goodwill. While you, Bhikkhus, dwell delighting in the absence of ill will and developing joy in goodwill, to you similar kinds of thoughts will repeatedly ensue: ‘By this, our demeanour we will not afflict anyone neither weak nor strong!”

This present Āghātavatthusutta discloses the base, the reasons for anger and similar emotional reactions. If these reasons are intellectually analysed one realises that they arise from within. Once their validity is thus put into proper context, the deriving emotional push can be reduced by observing its rising and fading. Here one truly follows the teaching as described in the Dhammapada:

Akkocchi⁸ maṃ avadhi⁹ maṃ, ajini¹⁰ maṃ ahāsi¹¹ me;
Ye ca taṃ nupanayhanti,¹² veraṃ tesūpasammati.¹³

He abused me, he crushed me, defeated and deprived me
To those who do not cherish such grudges hatred gets pacified.