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 paṭibhānavā³;

Nivātavutti⁴ atthaddho⁵, tādiso labhate yasaṃ.

Uṭṭhānako analaso, āpadāsu na vedhati;

Acchinnavutti⁶ medhāvī, tādiso labhate yasaṃ.

Saṅgāhako mittakaro, vadaññū vītamaccharo⁷;

Netā vinetā anunetā, tādiso labhate yasaṃ.

Dānañca peyyavajjañca, atthacariyā ca yā idha;

Samānattatā⁸ ca dhammesu, tattha tattha yathārahaṃ⁹;

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 conduct, intelligent thus improves his good repute.

Of early rising and industrious, he does not get unsettled by distress

Of impeccable conduct, ingenious thus improves his good repute.

Full of sympathy; upholding friendship, affable and bountiful

He guides, steers and gives council, thus improves his good repute.

Distributing gifts, of kind speech and of supportive conduct,

He maintains impartiality properly in all respect.

Based on such sympathy the world rotates, like any wheel around its axle turns.

While the previous selection with the quotation from this 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 matutinal 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 with 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 behind’ – ‘anubandhanavasena¹² pacchimā¹³ disāti’ -; ‘one’s friends and companions as the north because they help to cross suffering and difficulties’ – ‘nissāya te te dukkhavisese¹⁴ 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 unfolding and developing these ‘directions’ in accordance to the wholesome practices and demands for an ariyasāvako the Buddha describes a set of healthy virtues. If they were performed by the majority of mankind social life would nourish peace and harmony throughout!

Whether related to children, parents, husband or wife, workers and employees, friends and ascetics - the base of all recommendations is deep sympathy and goodwill that aim at the wellbeing of others. The prevailing attitude is expressed in the usage of the verb - anukampanti – which literally means to ‘shake, tremble along with’: to sympathize, to have pity, being filled with benevolence and compassion. Even so some of these guidelines may appear dubious to a modern¹⁵, sceptical and reformist citizen at a first glance¹⁶, closer, unbiased scrutiny will uncover profound desire to devotion, compassion and empathy towards one’s neighbourhood, surroundings and environment. This profound yearning to do good  provides a base for a spirit of salubrious social evolvement, peace and harmony.

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 lay-follower.¹⁷ As a result of the avoidance of these fourteen evils, by paying proper respect to the six directions in the mode an Arian disciple would do, Siṅgālaka was not only to live a comfortable life in this world and the next, but also after the breaking of the body he would, 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.

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 world – may peace and harmony prevail in the world of today!