Deep Commentary

This Dhammapada verse was taught by the Buddha at the palace of Migara's mother, concerning Venerable Ananda. According to the story, on the day of Pavarana (the invitation ceremony), King Pasenadi of Kosala came to the monastery adorned with brilliant jewels. At that time, Venerable Kaludayi was in meditative absorption, his entire body radiating a blissful, golden-like light. The sun was about to set, and the moon was just rising. Venerable Ananda gazed at the rising moonlight shining on the king's jewels, as well as the radiance surrounding Venerable Kaludayi, but when he looked at the Buddha, the radiance from the Buddha's body outshone them all. Seeing this, Venerable Ananda approached the Buddha and said: 'Venerable World-Honored One, today I have observed the lights of those bodies and objects, yet only the Buddha's radiance satisfies me completely, for your body shines far more brilliantly than all other lights.' The Buddha said: 'Ananda, the sun shines by day, the moon shines by night, a king shines when splendidly adorned, arahants shine when in transcendent meditation. But only the Buddhas shine constantly, day and night, five times more brilliantly.' (End of story summary). In the verse above, the Buddha compares various kinds of light to conclude with the Buddha's light. Sunlight and moonlight—though they illuminate everywhere, still have limitations. The light of weapons and the king's jeweled ornaments are merely insignificant material lights. The light emanating from the power of meditative concentration, though possessing profound inner strength that eradicates defilements and gives rise to the wisdom of arahants, is still incomparable to the light radiating from the Buddha. The Buddha's aura shines everywhere, day and night, without limit. These are the lights of moral virtue, wisdom, compassion, majestic power, etc. The Buddha's moral virtue has the power to outshine unwholesome things. His virtue has the power to outshine faults. The light of wisdom overshadows ignorance. And the power of right conduct overshadows wrong conduct. It is precisely the Buddha's light that gave Venerable Ananda complete satisfaction.