Deep Commentary

This verse originates from the story of Thera Padhanika Tissa, a teacher who instructed 500 monks to practice meditation earnestly in the forest while he himself secretly sought a quiet place to sleep. Whenever the monks returned exhausted, he would scold them and send them back to meditate, only to go back to sleep. When the monks discovered his hypocrisy, they reported him to the Buddha. The Buddha rebuked him, teaching that one cannot guide others without first mastering oneself. The commentary highlights the universal flaw of hypocritical leadership—demanding discipline and hard work from subordinates while indulging in laziness and comfort oneself. True leadership requires leading by example; without personal integrity and self-discipline, any attempt to instruct others is not only ineffective but deeply destructive to the community.