Deep Commentary

This verse was taught by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery, relating to a monk disciple of Venerable Sariputta. According to the story, Venerable Sariputta had a disciple who had renounced – a handsome young man from a silversmith's family. Knowing that his disciple had a strong tendency toward lust, the Venerable instructed him to always meditate on the subject of "foulness" (asubha). Obeying his teacher, the monk went deep into the forest to practice. After more than a month, he made no progress. He returned and reported this to his teacher. The teacher encouraged him to try harder. But after more than three months of further meditation practice, he still saw no progress. Although he was a very sharp-minded person, he did not understand why his practice was not successful. Naturally, the teacher had to think of a way to help his disciple. After some thought, the master and disciple went to report to the Buddha. The Buddha perceived that this monk's disposition was not suited to the subject of foulness contemplation. Because he had spent many past lives as a silversmith, he was accustomed to beautiful things. Therefore, the Buddha instructed him to meditate on a lotus flower. The monk broke off a lotus from a pond and planted it firmly in a pile of sand. The Buddha told him to focus his mind and contemplate deeply on that lotus. To contemplate the difference between a lotus in water and a lotus on sand – naturally, the lotus in water remained fresh and vibrant, while the lotus on sand gradually withered and decayed. Because the Buddha taught a meditation object that suited the monk's disposition, he came to clearly understand the nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self of all phenomena. When the Buddha knew that he had achieved results, his mind purified, all defilements eradicated, the Buddha appeared before him and spoke the above verse. Hearing it, the monk attained arahantship.