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: "Reaching the final end, there is no 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. When we penetrate the reality of existence, all anxieties and fears immediately dissolve. Understanding dependent origination and the selflessness of all phenomena, what is there to fear? The Buddha said that when one reaches the final end, there is no 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. In Verse 352, the Buddha clearly explains being free from craving without attachment, but the condition is thoroughly understanding the Four Unhindered Eloquence (catasra-pratisaṃvidah). Only arahants and bodhisattvas have the power to break through all defilements and attain the bliss of Nibbana. The Four Unhindered Eloquence are: (1) Unhindered understanding of meaning (artha-pratisaṃvid)—the ability to understand completely all meanings, worldly and transcendental. (2) Unhindered understanding of phenomena (dharma-pratisaṃvid)—the ability to understand completely all phenomena. (3) Unhindered understanding of language (nirukti-pratisaṃvid)—the ability to understand and master all languages. (4) Unhindered eloquence in teaching (pratibhāna-pratisaṃvid)—the ability to explain and teach delightfully and freely. The Buddha said that one who thoroughly understands and correctly practices the sequence of the sacred texts is a person of great wisdom, a great person, bearing only this final body, never to be reborn. For arahants, there is no further birth, as they have eliminated all defilements of views and passions. However, bodhisattvas may still be reborn, but they are reborn according to their vows to liberate beings, not under the power of karma to experience suffering. This is the vastly different meaning of two kinds of rebirth.