A Teaching from the Dhammapada
Dhammapada Verses 227, 228, 229 and 230
Atula Upasaka Vatthu
Poranametam Atula
netam ajjatanamiva
nindanti tunhimasinam
nindanti bahubhaninam
mitabhanimpi nindanti
natthi loke anindito.
Na cahu na ca bhavissati
na cetarahi vijjati
ekantam nindito poso
ekantam va pasamsito.
Yam ce vinnu pasamsanti
anuvicca suve suve
acchiddavuttim medhavim
pannasilasamahitam.
Nikkham jambonadasseva*
ko tam ninditumarahati
devapi nam pasamsanti
brahmunapi pasamsito.
Verse 227: It is not new, O Atula! It has always been done from ancient times. They blame one who is silent, they blame one who speaks much, they blame one who speaks little. There is no one in this world who is not blamed.
Verse 228: There never has been, there never will be, nor is there now, anyone who is always blamed or always praised.
Verses 229 - 230: If the wise praise one day after day, knowing one to be truly faultless, wise and endowed with knowledge and virtue, who would blame them, who is like a nikkha of pure gold? The devas praise that one; they are praised even by the great Brahmas.
*nikkham jambonadasseva: like a nikkha of jambonada gold. Jambonada gold which comes from Jambu river is the finest gold. A nikkha can be a weight-unit of gold, an ornament or a coin.
The Story of Atula the Lay-disciple
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (227) to (230) of this book, with reference to Atula and his companions.
Once, Atula and his companions numbering five hundred, wishing to listen to words of dhamma, went to Thera Revata. The thera however was very aloof like a lion; he did not say anything to them. They were very much dissatisfied and so they went to Thera Sariputta. When Thera Sariputta learned why they had come, he expounded exhaustively on the Abhidhamma. He also was not to their liking, and they grumbled that Thera Sariputta had been too lengthy and too profound.
Next, Atula and his party approached Thera Ananda. Thera Ananda expounded to them the bare essentials of the Dhamma. This time, they remarked that Thera Ananda had been too brief and too sketchy. Finally they came to the Buddha and said to him, "Venerable Sir, we have come to listen to your teaching. We have been to other teachers before we come here, but we are not satisfied with any of them. Thera Revata did not bother to teach us and he just kept silent; Thera Sariputta was too exhaustive and the Dhamma he taught us was too difficult for us. As for Thera Ananda, he was too brief and too sketchy. We do not like any of their discourses."
To them the Buddha said, "My disciples, blaming others is not something new. There is no one in this world who is never blamed; people would blame even a king, or even a Buddha. To be blamed or to be praised by a fool is of no consequence; one is truly blamed only when he is blamed by a wise man, and truly praised only when praised by a wise man."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 227: It is not new, O Atula! It has always been done from ancient times. They blame one who is silent, they blame one who speaks much, they blame one who speaks little. There is no one in this world who is not blamed.
Verse 228: There never has been, there never will be, nor is there now, anyone who is always blamed or always praised.
Verses 229 - 230: If the wise praise him day after day, knowing him to be truly faultless, wise and endowed with knowledge and virtue, who would blame him, who is like a nikkha of pure gold? The devas praise him; he is praised even by the great Brahmas.
At the end of the discourse Atula and his companions attained Sotapatti Fruition.
