Introduction
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.5.12 Aṅkurapetavatthu
Not Even Harming a Tree
Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,1
suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;2
Tameva bālaṃ pacceti pāpaṃ,
sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṃva khitto.3,4
One who wrongs an impeccable man,
A pure person without any blemish,
Upon that same foolish one the wicked deed rebounds,
Like fine dust thrown against the wind.
Ankura, a prince from the Khattiyā caste, was one of eleven royal children—ten brothers and one sister,5 who through their skill in warfare, gained control over all of Jambudīpa (sakalajambudīpe). After dividing the empire among themselves, the brothers realized they had forgotten to give their sister, Añjanadevī, an equal share. To fix this, Ankura volunteered to give up his portion of the kingdom, choosing instead to live as a simple trader so that his sister could have a share.
Aṅkura had been a righteous and upright man by nature. In one of his journeys when he came in contact with a formerly related person, he uttered the verses presented in this lesson. This former contemporary was reborn as a powerful yakkha6 or peta7 and through their communication, Aṅkura discerned the results of the peta’s previous wholesome acts. Learning from this encounter about the benefits of giving, Aṅkura became determined to be more generous in order to achieve a more wholesome rebirth.
As a simple trader on his way to Kamboja along the uttarāpatha,8 the high road to the North of those days, with a fellow merchant, they led a large caravan of about 500 carts each. They got lost in a desert, which happened to be the home of the previously mentioned powerful yakkha. Out of compassion to his former benefactor Aṅkura,9 the yakkha showed them the way to his Banyan tree where he provided all the animals and men in the caravan with ample shade, food and drink.
Recognizing the ability of this yakkha, Aṅkura’s partner tried to persuade Aṅkura that they should either ask for the yakkha's help or force him to show them the way out of the desert. The partner's goal was to get back to Dvāraka quickly believing that the yakkha could grant all the ambitions they had hoped to achieve in Kamboja.
Yassa atthāya gacchāma, kambojaṃ dhanahārakā;10 ayaṃ kāmadado yakkho, imaṃ yakkhaṃ nayāmase. Imaṃ yakkhaṃ gahetvāna, sādhukena pasayha vā; yānaṃ āropayitvāna,11 khippaṃ gacchāma dvāraka’nti.
Upset with these cruel and unwholesome intentions, Aṅkura uttered those stirring verses expressing empathy, peace and harmony towards one’s fellow beings and environment. To convince his partner to stay morally genuine and sincere, he used the expression: ‘mittadubbho12 hi pāpako’ – ‘betraying a friend thus is wicked indeed’.
The commentary specifies this term:
Mittadubbhoti mittesu dubbhanaṃ tesaṃ anatthuppādanaṃ.13 Pāpakoti abhaddako mittadubbho. Yo hi sītacchāyo rukkho ghammābhitattassa14 purisassa parissamavinodako,15 tassāpi nāma pāpakaṃ na cintetabbaṃ, kimaṅkaṃ pana sattabhūtesu.
Injuring a friend: injuring a friend means causing them harm. It would be wicked: Injuring a friend would be wicked. Because when a tree has given coolness and shade to man by dispelling his fatigue, one should not even think of performing anything wicked towards it, even much less towards a living being.
His partner could not be convinced and maintained his antagonistic, ignorant16 attitude in spite of further warnings from Aṅkura.17
Later Aṅkura had the chance to ask the peta about the enormous power of his arm—the very one that could grant all desires! The peta explained that in his past life, he was a poor tailor who couldn't support others. However, he would happily and joyfully with his right hand point mendicants toward places where they could get help. That was what gave him the strength to fulfill desires in his current life. Hearing this, Aṅkura's own good intentions were deeply stirred:
So hi nūna ito gantvā, anuppatvāna dvārakaṃ; dānaṃ paṭṭhapayissāmi, yaṃ mamassa sukhāvahaṃ. Dassāmannañca18 pānañca, vatthasenāsanāni ca; papañca udapānañca, dugge saṅkamanāni cā’ti.
When gone from here and having returned to Dvāraka I will give alms which will bring me happiness. I intend to give food and drink, clothes and dwelling, water places, wells and bridges where it is hard to cross.
Because of this realization, Aṅkura fulfilled his vow of generosity to an extreme degree. As a result, he was reborn in Tāvatiṃsadeva, the realm of the thirty-three gods,19 where he lived a life of great splendour. However, during a visit by the Buddha to this heavenly realm, Aṅkura shared an important insight he had gained: The act of giving is not enough on its own. It is essential to give with careful consideration—not just what you give, but also how and to whom you give it.20
This short account of Aṅkura is a stirring example of how a wholesome determination, followed by the right actions, can create a good kammic base and lead to a positive future.
Pecca so labhate sukhanti yo khantimettānuddayasampanno21 ‘yathāhaṃ sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo, evaṃ sabbepī’ti cintetvā sampattaviratiādīsu22 ṭhito vuttanayena kenaci daṇḍena sabbānipi bhūtāni na hiṃsati na bādhati, so puggalo paraloke manussabhūto manussasukhaṃ, devabhūto dibbasukhaṃ, ubhayaṃ atikkamanto nibbānasukhaṃ labhatīti.23
He will attain happiness thereafter: A person, being established in tolerance, loving kindness and compassion considers thus: ‘As I myself am desiring happiness and loath misery, so likewise do all’ – and steadfast in abstaining he doesn’t hurt any being with a stick; nor harm or afflict any, will attain happiness as a human being or heavenly happiness in the heavenly fields or even go beyond to attain the happiness of Nibbāna.
Thus this chapter (3.5), which aimed to inspire the reader toward wholesome conduct using the words of the Buddha's from the Dhammapada:24
Idha socati pecca socati, … Idha modati pecca modati
is now concluded.
1. dussati: offend, wrong.
2. anaṅgaṇassa: an + aṅgaṇassa: not, free + stain, blemish.
3. khitto: khipati (pp.): cast, throw discharge, upset (upset a mind-cittaṃ khipati).
4. Pāpavaggo, Dhammapadapāḷi, Khuddakanikāye.
5. ekādasa khattiyā ahesuṃ.
6. …nigrodharukkhe bhummadevatā hutvā nibbatti, tassa dakkhiṇahattho sabbakāmadado ahosi: he arose as a terrestrial devatā in a banyan tree and was provided with a right hand that granted all desires.
7. A peta, as described in the stories of the Petavatthupāḷi, is an unfortunate being, a ghost, a departed spirit that arises as a result of having never given charity. Such a being has been especially heedless donating to members of the Saṅgha. While beings that support the Saṅgha can hope to arise in the heavenly fields and encounter a pleasant existence by possessing a mansion (vimāna) the petas are to experience a miserable existence as a ghost. Stories about their respective existence are told in the Vimānavatthupāḷi or respectively in the Petavatthupāḷi. It is said that petas are of four kinds: some who live on the gifts of others; some remain hungry and thirsty; some are driven by craving and others have black ears. See also footnote at 3.4.6 Cundasuttaṃ and 1.3.5 Maṇḍūkadevaputtavimānavatthu.
8. The uttarāpatha is the northern road. The Pāli name is explained: ‘Kambojanti kambojaraṭṭhaṃ’ – ‘Kamboja is: the realm, country, land, district of kamboja’. Peter Masefiled points out: The great northern road known as the great trunk road or as Raz-i Azam connected the principal capitals and trading centers like Tampari, Campa, Pataliputta, Varanasi, Kausambi, Kanyakubja, Mathura, Hastinapura, Srunghna, Sakala, Takasila, Puskalavati, Kapisi, Bamyan, Mahlika and Kamboja; the greatest overland route of those days.
9. He had been a tailor who, when his father had died at his birth, had received some financial help from Aṅkura, so he could make a livelihood, till he also passed away before Aṅkura did.
10. dhanahārakā: dhana + hārakā: wealth + getting, taking.
11. āropayitvāna: āropeti: aruhati (caus., ger.): make go, put on, take up to.
12. Old Students of the ten-day Vipassana meditation courses will be listening to this word mittadubbho during the morning chanting of day eight, when the Mittānisaṃsasutta is recited. While fulfilling the necessary conditions for enlightenment in his birth as prince Temiya in the Mūgapakkhajataka, the Bodhisatta spoke about the advantage of dear friendship to his charioteer named Sunanda, who was appointed to be his executioner.
Prince Temiya had been pretending to be deaf and mute in order not to become king after he realized that he had to get involved in unwholesome actions as part of the duty in this position. He understood as successor of the throne, he would need to punish his subjects in certain situations, even with death. So he decided to avoid this.
In the Mittānisaṃsasutta the bodhisatta enumerates the manifold benefits that would befall someone who as a true friend would never betray his friends, starting with:
“Pahūta-bhakkho bhavati, vippavuttho sakā gharā, bahūnaṃ upajīvanti, yo mittānaṃ na dūbhati, … Yaṃ yaṃ janapadaṃ yāti, nigame rājadhāniyo, sabbattha pūjito hoti, sabbattha pūjito hoti … yo mittānaṃ na dūbhati …” “Well-feasted when absent from his home, for many he provides support, …In whatever land he goes, small town or royal city, everywhere he is honoured ……he who does not betray friends……”
13. anatthuppādanaṃ: an + attha + uppādanaṃ: no + fortune: misfortune + causing, producing.
14. ghammābhitattassa: ghammo + abhitatta: abhitapati: (pp.) + assa: heat, sweat + exhausted by, tortured, tormented.
15. parissamavinodako: parissama + vinodako: fatigue, exhaustion + dispelling.
16. Later on the peta was about to punish him by letting all his goods disappear. Though only through the comforting words of Aṅkura, who stepped in on behalf of his partner, the peta finally returned them.
17. samūlampi taṃ abbuhe, attho ce tādiso siyā.
18. dassāmannañca: dassāmi + annaṃ + ca: I will give + food + and.
19. So hitvā mānusaṃ dehaṃ, tāvatiṃsūpago ahū ti so aṅkuro āyupariyosāne manussatthabhāvaṃ pahāya paṭisandhiggahaṇavasena tāvatiṃsadevanikāyūpago ahosi.
20. The continuation of this motivating story is related in the chapter on generosity, lesson 4.2.3 Aṅkurapetavatthu - Giving with the Proper Attitude and Proper Measure.
21. Khantimettānuddayasampanno: khanti + metta + anuddaya + sampanno: tolerance + loving kindness + compassion, pity + established, endowed with.
22. sampattaviratiādīsu: sampatta + virati + ādīsu (loc.): arrived at, reached + abstinence + starting from. The three – ādī - abstinences here referred to are sampattavirati, samādhānavirati and samucchedavirati: habitual abstinence, abstinence of undertaking, putting together and of extirpation, uprooting.
23. Daṇḍasuttavaṇṇanā, Mucalindavaggo, Udāna-aṭṭhakathā.
24. 3.5.0 Sammākammanto – Right Actions – Introduction.