Deep Commentary

The six verses above were taught by the Buddha at Trúc Lâm Monastery and relate to the story of a young sow. One day, while entering the city of Vesali for alms, the Buddha encountered a young sow that habitually wallowed in a pile of filth. The Buddha smiled, and a radiant light emanated from his teeth. Ananda asked why the Buddha smiled, and the Buddha recounted the sow’s previous lives. During the time of Buddha Kakusandha, this sow had been a hen near a meditation hall. By attentively listening to a monk chanting the meditation subject, the hen’s mind became concentrated, and she was reborn in the royal palace as Princess Ubbari. While observing the wriggling maggots in a pile of dung, her mind attained calm, and she entered the first jhana. After her life as a princess, she was reborn into a Brahmin family but committed evil deeds and was eventually reborn as the young sow. The Buddha smiled knowingly at the sight. Other monks, overhearing this, were deeply moved. The Buddha then explained the foolishness of attachment and recited the six verses.

The sow experienced thirteen lifetimes, alternating between suffering as animals and luxury as humans. In one life, she became the wife of a prime minister and was recognized by Elder Anula, who informed the monks. Upon hearing this, she recalled her past lives and gained clairvoyance. She then renounced the world and became Bhikkhuni Pancabalaca, attaining arahantship. She recounted her many rebirths to others and advised them to practice mindfulness and effort for liberation, moving the audience deeply. She later entered parinirvana.

Verse 338 teaches that eliminating craving is like cutting down a tree. To prevent new shoots from sprouting, one must uproot the roots. If any root remains, the tree will continue to sprout. Similarly, to eliminate craving, one must uproot it completely; even a small lingering desire can result in rebirth within the cycle of suffering. The Buddha instructed that to end rebirth and suffering, the practitioner must eradicate craving at its root.