Verse 32. The Heedful
Advances To Nibbana

The
bhikkhu liking heedfulness,
seeing fear in heedlessness,
never will he fall away,
near is he to Nibbana.

Explanation:
The monk as the seeker after the truth, see fear in lack of mindfulness. He
will certainly not fall back from any spiritual heights he has already
reached. He is invariably in the proximity of Nibbana.

Dhammapada
Verse 32
Nigamavasitissatthera Vatthu

Appamadarato bhikkhu
pamade bhayadassi va
abhabbo parihanaya¹
nibbanasseva santike.

Verse
32: A bhikkhu who takes delight in mindfulness and sees danger in negligence
will not fall away; he is, indeed, very close to Nibbana.

1. abhabbo
parihanaya: Unable to fall away; here it means, unable to fall away from
the practice of Tranquillity and Insight Development and the benefits
thereof, i.e., Magga and Phala. (The Commentary)

The
Story of Thera Nigamavasitissa

While
residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (32) of this
book, with reference to Thera Nigamavasitissa.

Nigamavasitissa
was born and brought up in a small market town near Savatthi. After becoming
a bhikkhu he lived a very simple life, with very few wants. For alms-food, he
used to go to the village where his relatives were staying and took whatever
was offered to him. He kept away from big occasions. Even when Anathapindika
and King Pasenadi of Kosala made offerings on a grand scale, the thera did not
go.

Some
bhikkhus then started talking about the thera that he kept close to his
relatives and that he did not care to go even when people like Anathapindika
and King Pasenadi were making offerings on a grand scale, etc. When the
Buddha was told about this, he sent for the thera and asked him. The thera
respectfully explained to the Buddha that it was true he frequently went to
his village, but it was only to get alms-food, that when he had received
enough food, he did not go any further, and that he never cared whether the
food was delicious or not. Whereupon, instead of blaming him, the Buddha
praised him for his conduct in the presence of the other bhikkhus. He also
told them that to live contentedly with only a few wants is in conformity
with the practice of the Buddha and the Noble Ones (Ariyas), and that all
bhikkhus should, indeed, be like Thera Tissa from the small market town. In
this connection, he further related the story of the king of the parrots.

Once
upon a time, the king of the parrots lived in a grove of fig trees on the
banks of the Ganges river, with a large number of his followers. When the
fruits were eaten, all the parrots left the grove, except the parrot king,
who was well contented with whatever was left in the tree where he dwelt, be
it shoot or leaf or bark. Sakka, knowing this and wanting to test the virtue
of the parrot king, withered up the tree by his supernormal power. Then,
assuming the form of geese, Sakka and his queen, Sujata, came to where the
parrot king was and asked him why he did not leave the old withered tree as
the others had done and why he did not go to other trees which were still
bearing fruits. The parrot king replied, “Because of a feeling of
gratitude towards the tree I did not leave and as long as I could get just
enough food to sustain myself I shall not forsake it. It would be ungrateful
for me to desert this tree even though it be inanimate.”

Much
impressed by this reply, Sakka revealed himself. He took water from the
Ganges and poured it over the withered fig tree and instantly, it was
rejuvenated; it stood with branches lush and green, and fully decked with
fruits. Thus, the wise even as animals are not greedy; they are contented
with whatever is available.

The
parrot king in the story was the Buddha himself; Sakka was Anuruddha.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

At
the end of the discourse, Thera Tissa attained arahatship.

*
will not fall away: It means, will not fall away from Tranquillity and
Insight Development Practice and is assured of attaining Magga and Phalla.
(The Commentary)

End
of Chapter Two: Mindfulness (Appamdavagga)

§ 61. {Iti 3.12; Iti 52}   

This was said by the
Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “There are these three eyes. Which three? The eye of
flesh, the divine eye [clairvoyance], & the eye of discernment. These are
the three eyes.”

The eye of flesh, the eye divine, the eye of
discernment unsurpassed: these three eyes were taught by the Superlative
Person. The arising of the eye of flesh is the path to the eye divine. When
knowledge arises, the eye of discernment unsurpassed: whoever gains this eye
is — from all suffering & stress — set free.

Verse 33. The Wise Person Straightens The Mind

Mind agitated, wavering,
hard to guard and hard to check,
one of wisdom renders straight
as arrow-maker a shaft.

Explanation: In the
Dhammapada there are several references to the craftsmanship of the fletcher.
The Buddha seems to have observed the process through which a fletcher
transforms an ordinary stick into an efficient arrow-shaft. The disciplining
of the mind is seen as being a parallel process. In this stanza the Buddha
says that the wise one straightens and steadies the vacillating mind that is
difficult to guard, like a fletcher straightening an arrow-shaft.