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The Dhammapada · 3 of 3 · tr. F. Max Müller

Chapter XVIII, Section 1c

As to bahira, I should take it in the sense of 'external,' as opposed to adhyâtmika, or 'internal;' and the meaning would be, 'a Sama n a is not a Sama n a by outward acts, but by his heart.' D'Alwis translates (p. 85): 'There is no footprint in the air; there is not a Sama n a out of the pale of the Buddhist community.' Prapa ñk a, which I have here translated by 'vanity,' seems to include the whole host of human weaknesses; cf. v. 196 , where it is explained by ta m hâdi tth imânapapa ñk a; in our verse by ta m hâdisu papa ñk esu: cf. Lalita-vistara, p. 564, anâlaya m nishprapa ñk am anutpâdam asambhavam (dharma k akram). As to Tathâgata, a name of Buddha, cf. Burnouf, Introd. p. 75.] p. 63 delights in vanity, the Tathâgatas (the Buddhas) are free from vanity. 255. There is no path through the air, a man is not a Sama n a by outward acts. No creatures are eternal; but the awakened (Buddha) are never shaken. [255. Sa n khâra for sa m skâra; cf. note to verse 203 . Creature does not, as Mr. D'Alwis (p. 69) supposes, involve the Christian conception of creation.]
Themes
◆Detachment Gelassenheitpraxis

Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.

The passage emphasizes being free from vanity and not relying on outward acts or external status.

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◆Good Thought Word Deedethics

The Zoroastrian triad of right thought, right speech, and right action as the foundation of ethical life; truth-in-living.

The passage contrasts outward acts with inner heart condition, aligning with the Zoroastrian triad of right thought and action.

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◆Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

The text states a Sama n a is not a Sama n a by outward acts but by his heart, emphasizing internal authenticity over external form.

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◆Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

The text uses the paradoxical statement that there is no path through the air to convey spiritual truth.

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◆Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics

Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.

The passage centrally argues that one is not a Sama n a by outward acts or vanity, rejecting external religious observance without inner transformation.

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◆Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The text identifies the true state of a Sama n a as being defined by his heart rather than outward actions.

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Related passages · 2 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 2, Section 1i
“The Godhead is not a Whole because it is indivisible, nor a Part because there is nothing, on the ultimate plane, outside It. Yet It is a Whole because It includes the true existence of all things, and is Partitive because It contains the…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the ultimate reality (Buddha/Tathagata in Passage A and the Godhead in Passage B) and emphasize the internal, transcendent qualities over external, superficial aspects. They both highlight the idea of being beyond ordinary distinctions and the importance of inner transformation.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 4, Section 1c
“The Good is beyond this distinction, for nothing (on the ultimate plane) is outside It. See Intr., p. 5. and Lifelessness an excess of Life and Its Mindless state is an excess of Wisdom, 252 252 This apparently profitless speculation rea…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of inner transformation and the transcendence of external acts or worldly wisdom. They highlight the ultimate reality or good as being beyond ordinary distinctions and the necessity of self-abandonment or self-sacrifice.