Deep Commentary

This Dhammapada verse was taught by the Buddha at Bamboo Grove Monastery in connection with Venerable Jotika. According to the story, after killing his father, King Ajātasattu also wanted to seize the treasurer’s jeweled mansion. When he led his army there, the king saw his own reflection and the reflection of his troops shining on the jewel-inlaid walls. Mistaking these reflections for enemy forces prepared for battle, he did not dare approach. On that day, the treasurer had purified himself through observance and had gone to the monastery to hear the Buddha teach. Meanwhile, King Ajātasattu was rebuked and struck by the guardian spirit at the gate, which terrified him. He fled into the monastery and unexpectedly met the treasurer. The king was astonished, and the two began to argue. The king wanted to take all the treasurer’s wealth, while the treasurer challenged him to remove the twenty rings from his fingers. The king tried with all his strength but failed. Seeing the king’s conduct, the treasurer became weary of worldly life and asked the Buddha for permission to go forth. After ordaining, Jotika practiced diligently and soon attained Arahatship. When he attained realization, all his precious jewels and wealth disappeared, and the deities took his wife Satulakāyī back to Uttarakuru. One day the monks asked Venerable Jotika, “Friend Jotika, do you miss your mansion or your wife?” He replied, “No, friends.” The monks reported to the Buddha, saying that this monk must be lying. The Buddha said, “Monks, it is true: he has no longing for those things.” Human ambition is bottomless. No one can ever completely fill the vast emptiness of greed. People usually want more, not less. Even knowing that the more one craves, the more one suffers, people often choose suffering rather than stopping. King Ajātasattu is an example of such ambition. The ambition of rulers can be far greater than that of ordinary people. Though they may sit in positions of great authority, they are often the poorest of all in contentment, because they never feel satisfied. Only wise and virtuous rulers, those who practice the Dharma and care for the people more than for themselves, can master their own greed. Such rulers seek the welfare of the many rather than personal gain. Others, driven by self-interest and the desire for power, seek only their own enjoyment. Ajātasattu wanted to seize the treasurer’s property, but in the end he was stopped. On the surface, the story may sound miraculous, yet if we reflect carefully, its meaning is profound. Greed can never be satisfied. The guardian spirit may be understood as the symbol of discerning wisdom, warning us to stop before the consequences become unbearable. The king entered the monastery and met the treasurer, then tried to take even the rings from his hands, yet he failed. This shows that worldly power cannot compare with the power of wisdom. Only the light of wisdom can dispel the thick darkness of ignorance and craving. When wisdom shines, one sees the illusory nature of worldly life. Seeing clearly the king’s greed and the ways people use power to seize what belongs to others, the treasurer became disenchanted with worldly affairs and resolved to renounce everything to follow the Buddha. With that firm determination to let go of all things, he soon attained Arahatship. In this verse, the Buddha teaches us to abandon all bonds, not only those of the human realm but also those of heavenly existence. Only by letting go of every attachment can the practitioner realize true freedom and peace.