Deep Commentary

These two verses were taught by the Buddha at the Jetavana Monastery, concerning Venerable Lakuntaka Bhaddiya. According to the story, at one time the Blessed One was at Jetavana when a number of monks came to visit Him. After paying homage, they respectfully took their seats aside. At that moment, Venerable Lakuntaka Bhaddiya passed by nearby. The Buddha, perceiving the precise minds of the monks, looked at Lakuntaka and said to the assembly: 'Look there! That monk has slain father and mother and has freed himself from suffering.' The monks were astonished and asked, 'Bhante, what do You mean?' The Buddha then explained the meaning through these two verses. After listening, the monks attained arahantship. The core teaching of these verses is that those seeking liberation must eliminate ignorance and craving, for these are the forces driving beings to create karma and undergo rebirth in the cycle of suffering. The Buddha also taught to 'destroy the two Brahmin lineages,' meaning to overcome two extreme wrong views: 'eternalism' which posits an immortal soul, and 'annihilationism' which claims complete extinction after death. 'Destroy the kingdom' refers to severing attachment to the twelve sense bases: the six faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and the six sense objects (form, sound, smell, taste, touch, phenomena). 'Subjects' indicates worldly pleasures. 'Turning toward the Brahmin free of sorrow' points to arahantship. 'Destroy the tiger of doubt' means to eliminate the fifth of the five mental hindrances—doubt—along with craving, aversion, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, which obstruct meditation practice. Particularly, doubt obstructs confidence in realizing truth. Though the story may seem simple, the actual practice is extremely challenging. When the Buddha pointed to Lakuntaka as one who had slain father and mother, the monks were initially shocked, as such acts are considered the gravest of offenses. Yet upon hearing the full teaching in these verses, their minds became clear, all doubt was dispelled, and they immediately attained arahantship.