Deep Commentary

These two verses were taught by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery, relating to judges. According to the story, "One day, the monks went for alms at the northern gate of Savatthi and returned to the monastery passing through the city center. At that time, rain began to fall, so the monks took shelter in a courthouse. There they saw judges accepting bribes and unlawfully confiscating people's property. The monks thought to themselves: 'These officials are unjust; we had thought they were just and incorruptible judges.' When the rain stopped, the monks returned to the monastery, went to the Buddha, and told him what they had just witnessed. The Buddha taught: 'Monks, a person who succumbs to base desires and judges arbitrarily cannot be called just. Only those who thoroughly investigate the wrongs in a case and deal with those wrongs rightly, without arbitrariness, are called just.' And on that occasion the Buddha spoke these two verses." (Excerpt from The Dhammapada Story Collection, Volume III, Vien Chieu, p. 85) This chapter is called "Established in Dhamma" (Dhammattha). To be established in Dhamma means to act rightly, to abide in and serve the Dhamma; hence it is also translated as "serving the Dhamma." Rashness (sahasa) includes the meanings of carelessness, impetuosity, and arbitrariness. Here it refers to wrong views arising from the influence of greed, hatred, delusion, and fear. If a practitioner engages in rash, wrongful actions, speaks carelessly, lacks humility and respect, and does not use loving speech in conduct and communication, then that person is not yet a true practitioner. It shows that they still have many coarse, evil habitual tendencies. Living unrestrained, without any moral discipline – how can such a person be worthy of being a practitioner? A true practitioner must earnestly practice pure precepts, with conduct corresponding to realization, constantly abide in mindfulness and right contemplation, and always purify body and mind. Above all, they must cultivate wisdom to distinguish right from wrong, true from false. The Buddha said that a wise person must live in accordance with the true Dhamma. To live in accordance with the true Dhamma, a practitioner needs to respect and maintain the precepts they have received. Otherwise, they cannot attain a stable, happy life for themselves and others. The above story shows that even in the Buddha's time, unjust judgments occurred. The judges of that time already knew how to take bribes from the people. Clearly, these judges lacked practice and training in meditation and mindfulness. They relied on the law being in their hands, with full power to use it as they wished. They could bend or straighten, turn it in any direction. Punishment depended on the amount of money. Whoever skillfully bribed them more would win the case. Those without money had to swallow their bitterness. Even if a person was completely in the right, these judges would still rule against them unlawfully. They judged by jungle law, according to the power of money. That was the case in ancient times; what about today? People in the past, after all, had more moral conscience than today, yet such injustices still occurred! No wonder that today, people value moral conscience less than cotton wool! This shows how desires blind reason. Clearly, the corrupt blood of bribery has been transmitted from ancient times. When humans appeared on earth, this corrupt blood already existed. But perhaps in the past, before civilization, bribery and corruption were not as sophisticated and hidden as today. After witnessing that unjust judgment, the monks reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha said: "A person who succumbs to base desires and judges arbitrarily cannot be called just. Only those who thoroughly investigate the wrongs in a case and deal with those wrongs rightly, without arbitrariness, are called just." With this teaching, the Buddha warned those who exploit loopholes in the law to distort and punish unjustly. This is a great danger for the governance and administration of a country's government. Let judges and magistrates read carefully the Buddha's words above, so that in judging, they may hold the scales and apply the ink evenly, in accordance with just laws – for that is the expression of both their function and their human conscience. If they do so, the common people, those of low status and weak voice, will be deeply grateful to them.