Deep Commentary

This verse was taught by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery, concerning the deity King Sakka (Indra). One day, the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three gathered and raised four questions: "What is the most precious thing?" "What is the highest taste?" "What is the supreme happiness?" "Why is the destruction of craving the most important action?" None of the devas could answer. They traveled everywhere but found no satisfactory answer. Finally, they went to the Four Great Kings, who also could not answer. Then they all went to Sakka, who admitted his inability and said only the Blessed One could answer. They all went to the Buddha at Jetavana. The Buddha answered: "The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts; the taste of Dhamma excels all tastes; the delight in Dhamma excels all delights. Craving destroyed conquers all suffering." Sakka then requested that the Buddha dedicate the merit of this Dharma gift to them. The Buddha assembled the monks and declared that from then on, at the end of all Dharma teachings, they should dedicate the merit of the Dharma gift to all beings. Among all forms of giving that benefit beings, only Dharma giving has the power to lead beings to awakening and liberation. The Buddha's teachings, though varying according to each being's capacity, all aim at a single purpose: to reveal the Buddha's wisdom so that all beings may realize complete liberation. Dharma taste is the flavor of realizing truth. Living according to truth, even if not yet fully, brings peace far greater than chasing after worldly illusions that only create turmoil. Worldly tastes lead only to attachment and suffering. Dharma delight is the genuine, light, and peaceful joy that arises from hearing the Dharma or realizing the wonderful truth of existence. Worldly happiness, according to the Buddha's teaching, never reaches the true, good, and beautiful. All worldly happiness is merely sensory pleasure, and the nature of all sensory pleasure is suffering. Academic degrees, wealth, status, mansions, beautiful spouses and children—do these truly bring perfect bliss? According to Buddhism, the path that leads beings to the horizon of happiness is the path of mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Mindfulness is knowing clearly what is happening in the present moment. Concentration is the stilling of all discursive thoughts. Wisdom is clear, pure discernment in accordance with truth. Only this path leads beings to awakening, peace, and liberation, and that is truly reaching the summit of genuine happiness. Finally, why is destroying craving the most important action? Because craving is the root of all suffering. Destroying craving ends all suffering. The Buddha repeated this many times, as the essence of this chapter is to reveal all aspects of craving so that we may recognize its dangers and urgently eliminate it. Only then can we hope to escape the cycle of birth and death.