Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṃ vatvāna sugato athāparaṃ etadavoca satthā¹ –
‘‘Mātāpitā disā pubbā, ācariyā dakkhiṇā disā;
Puttadārā disā pacchā, mittāmaccā ca uttarā.
Dāsakammakarā heṭṭhā, uddhaṃ samaṇabrāhmaṇā;
Etā disā namasseyya, alamatto² kule gihī.
Paṇḍito sīlasampanno, saṇho ca paṭibhānavā;³
Nivātavutti⁴ atthaddho,⁵ tādiso labhate yasaṃ.
Uṭṭhānako analaso, āpadāsu na vedhati;
Acchinnavutti⁶ medhāvī, tādiso labhate yasaṃ.
Saṅgāhako mittakaro, vadaññū vītamaccharo;⁷
Netā vinetā anunetā, tādiso labhate yasaṃ.
Dānañca peyyavajjañca, atthacariyā ca yā idha;
Samānattatā⁸ ca dhammesu, tattha tattha yathārahaṃ;⁹
Ete kho saṅgahā loke, rathassāṇīva¹⁰ yāyato. …

Thus spoke the Bhagavā. After the Sugato had revealed this, the teacher added further:

 
“Mother and father (should be understood) as the east; teachers as the south;
Wife and children as the west; friends and colleagues as the north.
Servants and workers are below; ascetics and Brahmins dwell above;
This is the proper mode an ideal clansman should venerate the directions.
A wise one, well established in Sīla, benign and of ready wit,
Of humble behaviour, intelligent, thus one improves one’s good repute.
Of early rising and industrious, he does not get unsettled by distress
Of impeccable conduct, ingenious, thus one improves one’s good repute.
Full of sympathy; upholding friendship, affable and bountiful
One guides, steers and gives council, thus one improves one’s good repute.
Distributing gifts, of kind speech and of supportive conduct,
One maintains impartiality properly in all respect.
Based on such sympathy the world rotates, like any wheel around its axle turns.

While the previous selection of the quotation from the Siṅgālasutta in the last lesson focussed on the aspect of avoiding the unwholesome (vārittaṃ), this selection as its second part highlights the aspect of cārittaṃ: embracing the wholesome through positive, beneficial company and actions.

The text first revisits the sutta’s opening, the situation where the Buddha encountered Siṅgālako performing his mutational practices of paying respect to the six directions – chaddisāpaṭicchādanakaṇḍaṃ – and takes his opportunity to investigate these from the perspective of an ariyasāvako.

The Buddha modifies: ‘One’s mother and father should be understood as the eastern quarter (puratthimā disā mātāpitaro veditabbā); one’s teachers as the southern quarter (dakkhiṇā disā ācariyā veditabbā ); one’s wife and children as the west (pacchimā disā puttadārā veditabbā); one’s friends and companions as the north (uttarā disā mittāmaccā veditabbā); one’s servants (and employees) as the nadir (heṭṭhimā disā dāsakammakarā veditabbā); and ascetics and Brahmins as the zenith’ (uparimā disā samaṇabrāhmaṇā veditabbā).

The explanation of the commentary highlights an interesting play of words: ‘One’s mother and father should be understood as the eastern quarter because they are the first supporters’

pubbupakāritāya¹¹ puratthimā disāti veditabbā;

one’s teachers as the southern quarter because they are worthy of offerings

dakkhiṇeyyatāya dakkhiṇā disāti;

one’s wife and children as the west because they follow behind¹²

anubandhanavasena¹³ pacchimā¹⁴ disāti;

one’s friends and companions as the north because they help to cross suffering and difficulties

nissāya te te dukkhavisese¹⁵ uttarati, tasmā uttarā disāti;

one’s servants (and employees) as the nadir because they ‘stand at one’s feet’ (below)

pādamūle patiṭṭhānavasena heṭṭhimā disāti;

and ascetics and Brahmins as the zenith because they classify higher through their moral virtues

guṇehi upari ṭhitabhāvena uparimā disāti veditabbā.

By the end of the discourse Siṅgālaka pays his respects to the Buddha, praises the detailed and enlightening explanation and requests to be accepted as a lay follower.¹⁶ As a result of the avoidance of these fourteen evils, by paying proper respect to the six directions in the mode an ariyan disciple would do, Siṅgālaka not only lived a comfortable life in this world and the next, but he would also after death rise to the pleasant spheres and the heavenly fields:

Yato kho, gahapatiputta, ariyasāvakassa, so evaṃ cuddasa pāpakāpagato chaddisāpaṭicchādī ubholokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti. Tassa ayañceva loko āraddho hoti paro ca loko. So kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapajjati.

Even though some of these guidelines as portrayed by the Buddha may not seem quite in line with the contemporary world,¹⁷ it is the spirit of compassionate intention, sympathetic support and mutual upkeep that echoes through these words. Even though they may give rise to some scepticism, a modern citizen must acknowledge that if everyone were to apply them, the resulting global atmosphere would create a less troublesome foundation for this millennium.

May Siṅgālaka and the advice given to him by the Buddha shine forth as a true model for more and more people of today’s troubled societies – may peace and harmony prevail in the world of today!