Deep Commentary

These two verses were taught by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery, concerning the evil one (Mara). One day, many elder monks came to Jetavana Monastery at an unusual hour. They entered Venerable Rahula's dwelling and woke him up. Finding no place to sleep, the Venerable went to the Buddha's perfumed chamber. This venerable elder, though only eight years old, had already attained arahantship. Mara Vasavatti saw this and thought: "The son of the ascetic Gotama is lying before the perfumed chamber, and the ascetic Gotama is resting inside. If the son's finger were pinched, the ascetic would feel the pain as if his own were pinched." Then he transformed into a giant elephant king, approached the elder, wrapped his trunk around the Venerable's head, and roared loudly. The Blessed One saw everything from within the perfumed chamber and said: "Evil one, even a hundred thousand like you cannot frighten Rahula. This person is without fear, for he has destroyed craving. He is mighty, heroic, and possessed of great wisdom." The Buddha then spoke these two verses. After hearing them, many people attained stream-entry, once-return, and non-return. The evil one said to himself, "The ascetic Gotama sees me," and then vanished. In Verse 351, the Buddha said: "He who has reached the goal is without fear." Fear is a universal experience. There is rational fear based on ordinary thinking, such as fear of suffering, sickness, death, etc., but also irrational fear without cause, such as fear of ghosts and spirits. In truth, we have never seen a ghost, but when others talk about them, we imagine and become terrified. This is fear born of our own magnified delusions. Living in this delusive state, we constantly experience suffering. We lack the strength to recognize truth, even though the reality of truth is plainly manifest before us. We are obscured by ignorance and distorted perceptions, unable to see clearly. When we gain penetrating insight into the reality of all phenomena, all anxieties and fears immediately dissolve. This marks our progress on the path of awakening. Understanding dependent origination and the selflessness of all phenomena, what is there to fear? Recognizing that all phenomena are neither arising nor ceasing, their nature is tranquil and luminous, free from all traces, abiding eternally in true reality—the Buddha said this is reaching the goal without fear. We remain mired in the swamp of defilements because we harbor so much selfish craving. To escape this swamp, we need right view and correct understanding of truth. When truth is realized, the temptations of craving naturally disappear. This is being free from craving without defilement, like removing an arrow deeply embedded in the body—the arrow of birth and death, never to undergo further birth. Only then is one called greatly wise, a great person.