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The Dhammapada · 2 of 2 · tr. F. Max Müller

Chapter XXV, Section 1b

Nâmarûpa is here used again in its technical sense of mind and body, neither of which, however, is with the Buddhists âtman, or 'self.' Asat, 'what is not,' may therefore mean the same as nâmarûpa, or we may take it in the sense of what is no more, as, for instance, the beauty or youth of the body, the vigour of the mind, &c. 368. See Childers, Notes, p. 11. 371. The swallowing of hot iron balls is considered as a punishment in hell; see verse 308 . Professor Weber has perceived the right meaning of bhavassu, which can only be bhâvayasva, but I doubt whether the rest of his rendering is right, for who would swallow an iron ball by accident?] p. 87 372. Without knowledge there is no meditation, without meditation there is no knowledge: he who has knowledge and meditation is near unto Nirvâ n a. 373. A Bhikshu who has entered his empty house, and whose mind is tranquil, feels a more than human delight when he sees the law clearly. 374. As soon as he has considered the origin and destruction of the elements (khandha) of the body, he finds happiness and joy which belong to those who know the immortal (Nirvâ n a). 375. And this is the beginning here for a wise Bhikshu: watchfulness over the senses, contentedness, restraint under the law; keep noble friends whose life is pure, and who are not slothful. 376. Let him live in charity, let him be perfect in his duties; then in the fulness of delight he will make an end of suffering. 377. As the Vassika plant sheds its withered flowers, men should shed passion and hatred, O ye Bhikshus! 378. The Bhikshu whose body and tongue and mind are quieted, who is collected, and has rejected the baits of the world, he is called quiet. 379. Rouse thyself by thyself, examine thyself by thyself, thus self-protected and attentive wilt thou live happily, O Bhikshu! 380. For self is the lord of self, self is the refuge of self; therefore curb thyself as the merchant curbs a good horse. [372. Cf. Beal, Catena, p. 247. 375. Cf. Suttanipâta, v. 337 .] p. 88 381. The Bhikshu, full of delight, who is calm in the doctrine of Buddha will reach the quiet place (Nirvâ n a), cessation of natural desires, and happiness. 382. He who, even as a young Bhikshu, applies himself to the doctrine of Buddha, brightens up this world, like the moon when free from clouds. [381. See verse 368 . D'Alwis translates, 'dissolution of the sa n khâras (elements of existence).']
Themes
◆Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

The passage explicitly discusses the elements of the body and their impermanence as a path to Nirvana.

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◆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 text advocates for rejecting the 'baits of the world' and living in charity without attachment.

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◆Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The moon metaphor is used to describe the brightening effect of applying the doctrine of Buddha.

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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.

Verse 375 explicitly lists contentedness, restraint under the law, and noble friends as required spiritual practices.

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◆Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

Multiple verses (372, 381) explicitly state that meditation is necessary for knowledge and leads to Nirvana.

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◆Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The goal described is reaching the 'quiet place (Nirvana)' and cessation of desires.

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◆Paradox As Teachingethics

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

Verse 372 uses a paradoxical relationship between knowledge and meditation.

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◆Poverty Of Spiritanthropology

Eckhart's radical reading of Matthew 5:3 — the saint as one who wants nothing, knows nothing, and has nothing, having emptied even the will and the self with which to receive God; distinct from renunciation_of_wealth (material poverty).

The text describes the Bhikshu as one who has entered his empty house and rejected the baits of the world.

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◆Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The passage describes reaching Nirvana as a destination through spiritual practices like meditation and charity.

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◆Self Examinationpraxis

Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.

Verse 379 commands the practitioner to 'Rouse thyself by thyself, examine thyself by thyself'.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The text outlines a path of purification and knowledge that leads to the attainment of Nirvana.

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◆Sunyata Emptinesssoteriology

The Buddhist doctrine that all phenomena lack independent self-nature; emptiness as the positive recognition that things arise only in dependence on conditions — distinct from kenoma's mere deficiency.

The passage defines Nâmarûpa as 'what is not' and emphasizes entering an empty house.

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Related passages · 2 parallels
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 138
“Section 16 16. Then Matter is simply Alienism [the Principle of Difference]? No: it is merely that part of Alienism which stands in contradiction with the Authentic Existents which are Reason-Principles. So understood, this non-existent has…”
Both passages explore the nature of existence and non-existence, with Passage A discussing the Buddhist concepts of nâmarûpa and Nirvâna, and Passage B discussing the Neoplatonic concepts of Matter and Privation. Both texts delve into the idea of the self and the path to enlightenment or authentic existence, showing a genuine conceptual parallel.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 677
“Section 38 38. And yet this "He Is" does not truly apply: the Supreme has no need of Being: even "He is good" does not apply since it indicates Being: the "is" should not suggest something predicated of another thing; it is to state identit…”
Both passages explore the nature of the ultimate reality and the path to attaining it. Passage A discusses the Buddhist concept of Nirvana and the practices leading to it, while Passage B delves into the nature of the Supreme in Neoplatonism and the limitations of human understanding in describing it. Both emphasize the transcendence of the ultimate reality beyond ordinary concepts and the importance of self-awareness and discipline.