Deep Commentary

This Dhamma verse was taught by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery, relating to the Venerable Sariputta. According to the account, Venerable Sariputta, along with five hundred monks, spent the three-month rainy retreat at the monastery. Devout laypeople pledged to offer alms throughout the retreat. After the Uposatha ceremony, some offerings remained uncollected. Before leaving the monastery to meet the Buddha, Sariputta instructed the remaining monks to distribute the offerings meant for the younger monks and novices. Having given these instructions, he departed. Hearing of this, some monks speculated that Sariputta still harbored a slight desire to retain all the offerings for himself. The Buddha, noticing their discussion, asked what they were talking about. They explained the situation. The Buddha said: 'Monks, my son is free of desire. In his mind, he only thinks: may the donors not lose their merit, and may the younger monks and novices not miss out on the precious alms.' Therefore, he gave the instructions as he did. Worldly pleasures are universally tempting: wealth, beauty, reputation, food, and sleep are the five pleasures most humans crave. When desires are unfulfilled, frustration and anger arise. Only those who have attained spiritual realization see worldly things as illusory and transient, like clouds blown by the wind or dreams. Such insight prevents attachment; one lives amidst the world but is not swept away by it. This is the state of 'living in the world without being defiled by it,' transcending the compulsions of the five desires. Ordinary people, weighed down by defilements, succumb to every worldly craving, knowing well that excessive desire brings suffering, yet remaining enslaved to it. Only those whose hearts are pure as snow can claim to be free of desire. Such persons, the Buddha says, are truly noble. Despite Sariputta having attained Arahantship and being free of defilements, others mistakenly believed he still had desire. He did not keep any offerings for himself; he instructed fair distribution, especially to younger monks and novices. Even in receiving offerings, he ensured equitable sharing, reflecting one of the six principles of harmony taught by the Buddha, known as 'harmonizing benefits.' Nevertheless, his conduct was still misinterpreted and criticized by others. If even a disciplined practitioner is misunderstood, how much more so ordinary people. Thankfully, the Buddha clarified and affirmed Sariputta's freedom from desire, ending the gossip. This is a lesson: do not project your own tendencies onto others and commit grave error by assuming desire where there is none.