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The Dhammapada · 3 of 5 · tr. F. Max Müller

Chapter XXVI, Section 1c

405. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who finds no fault with other beings, whether feeble or strong, and does not kill nor cause slaughter. 406. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who is tolerant with the intolerant, mild with fault-finders, and free from passion among the passionate. 407. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a from whom anger and hatred, pride and envy have dropt like a mustard seed from the point of a needle. 408. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who utters true speech, instructive and free from harshness, so that he offend no one. 409. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who takes nothing in the world that is not given him, be it long or short, small or large, good or bad. 410. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who fosters no desires for this world or for the next, has no inclinations, and is unshackled. [405. On tasa and thâvara, see Childers, s.v., and D'Alwis, Nirvâ n a, p. 115. On da nd a, 'the rod,' see Hibbert Lectures, p. 355, note.] p. 93 411. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who has no interests, and when he has understood (the truth), does not say How, how? and who has reached the depth of the Immortal. 412. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who in this world is above good and evil, above the bondage of both, free from grief from sin, and from impurity. 413. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who is bright like the moon, pure, serene, undisturbed, and in whom all gaiety is extinct. 414. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who has traversed this miry road; the impassable world and its vanity, who has gone through, and reached the other shore, is thoughtful, guileless, free from doubts, free from attachment, and content. 415. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who in this world, leaving all desires, travels about without a home, and in whom all concupiscence is extinct. 416. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who, leaving all longings, travels about without a home, and in whom all covetousness is extinct. 417. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who, after leaving all bondage to men, has risen above all [411. Akatha n kathi is explained by Buddhaghosa as meaning, 'free from doubt or hesitation.' He also uses katha n kathâ in the sense of 'doubt' (verse 414). ln the Kâvyâdar s a, III, 17, the commentator explains akatham by kathârahitam, nirvivâdam, which would mean, 'without a kathâ, a speech, a story without contradiction, unconditionally.' From our passage, however, it seems as if katha n kathâ was a noun derived from katha n kathayati, 'to say How, how?' so that neither the first nor the second element had anything to do with kath, 'to relate;' and in that case akatham, too, ought to be taken in the sense of 'without a Why.' 412. See verse 39 . The distinction between good and evil vanishes when a man has retired from the world, and has ceased to act, longing only for deliverance.] p. 94 bondage to the gods, and is free from all and every bondage. 418.
Themes
◆Body As Obstacleanthropology

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

The passage describes leaving desires for this world and bondage to men, implying the material world hinders spiritual liberation.

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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.

Verses 409, 410, and 415 emphasize letting go of interests, desires, and attachments as a core requirement for the Brahmana.

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◆Divine Lighttheology

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

Verse 413 describes the liberated person as 'bright like the moon,' symbolizing inner illumination.

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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.

Verses 408 and 410 explicitly define the Brahmana by true speech and freedom from desires that align with Zoroastrian ethical principles.

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◆Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

Verse 413 describes the liberated person as bright like the moon, indicating an internal luminous quality.

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◆Love Of Neighbourethics

Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.

Verse 405 emphasizes finding no fault with other beings and being tolerant of the intolerant.

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◆Mystical Unionsoteriology

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

Verse 414 mentions reaching the depth of the Immortal and being above good and evil, indicating union with the divine.

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◆Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

Verses 412 and 414 state that the Brahmana is above good and evil and has reached the depth of the Immortal.

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◆Paradox As Teachingethics

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

The text uses paradoxical statements such as being above good and evil to destabilize ordinary moral categories.

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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).

Verse 410 describes the Brahmana as having no interests or inclinations, aligning with the concept of radical emptiness.

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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.

Verse 414 describes traversing the miry road to reach the other shore and rise above all bondage.

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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.

Verse 411 mentions understanding the truth as a key attribute of the Brahmana.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

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

Verse 414 describes traversing the miry road to reach the other shore and rise above all bondage.

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