Satirical teachings of the Buddha

Satirical teachings of the Buddha

            Satire is a genre of literature in which vices, follies, abuse and short comings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals and society itself, into improvement.

            It is one sentiment of nava rasa. Actually teachings of sentiments were started from Sanskrit literature. There are nine sentiments. i.e. -

1.      SruNgAra - erotic

2.      HAsya - satirical

3.      KaruBA - pathetic

4.      Rudra - anger

5.      VIra - valorous

6.      BhayAnaka - terrible

7.      VIbhatsa - odious

8.      Adbhuta - marvelous

9.      Shanta - serene

            Even the teachings of sentiments were started from Sanskrit literature there were much more sentimental elements in Pali literature. But Pali literatures are not dependent on these sentiments. Later on Pali literatures also improved to find the sentiments in Pali canon. The result of examine in Pali canon has confirmed that there are some of teachings with the 9 sentiments. Mostly there are the sentiments of serene. But it does not mean that there are not sentiments of others. Among them there are some satirical teachings too. In various occasions Buddha himself had uttered the satirical ideas by sentences or verses. And also there are some stories which can say as the satire.

            Satirical teachings has used in various places in Pali canon, to explain the elements, to ridicule certain people etc. Following instances are the usage of satirical teachings.

            “dissanti kho pana assalAyana brAhmaBAnaM brAhmaBiyo utuniyopi gabbhaniyopi vijAyamAnApi pAyamAnApi. te ca brAhmaBA yonijAva samAnA, evamAhaMsu- brAhmaBAva seTThA vaBBo, hIno aGGo vaBBo, brAhmaBAva sukko vaBBo, kaBho aGGo vaBBo, brAhmaBAva sujjhanti, no abrAhmaBA, brAhmaBAva brahmuno puttA orasA mukhato jAtA brahmajA brahmanimmitA brahmadAyAdA”

                                                                             (MN, AssalAyana sutta)

Meaning - “Assalayana, there are the wives of Brahmins who had menses, pregnant, give birth to the child, giving milk. Brahmins themselves born from vagina, says thus - ‘Brahmins are high classed, others are lower classed, Brahmins are fair, others are dark, Brahmins are pure, others are impure, Brahmins are the sons of Brahma, legitimates, born from mouth, born from Brahma, created by Brahma, dowry of Brahma.’”

            In India at the period of Buddha there were the Brahmins who use to say they were only the caste of pure and higher others were lower caste. There had a teaching that Brahmins were born from the mouth of Brahma, kshatriya (royals) were born from two shoulders, vaisya were born form two thighs and sudras were born form the foot.

“BrAhmanoshya mukhamasId - bAhurAjaByah krutah

UrUtadasya yad vaishyaM - padbhyaM shudro ajAyata”

        In DIgha NikAya VAseTTha sutta, Buddha had preached that Brahmin caste was not the pure and higher caste, but royal caste was the higher and pure caste. And Buddha had proved by above quotation from AssalAyana Sutta that Brahmins’ teaching was a fake. There Buddha gives an exact explanation that Brahmins also born from mothers’ vagina. Wives of Brahmins also get menses, pregnant, give birth to child, give milk; then how Brahmins born from the mouth of Brahma. If it is so, then Brahma’s mouth will similar to vagina of lady Brahmins. Here Buddha had ridiculed to the teachings of Brahmins relative to the caste.

“SaggaM nUna gamissanti - sabbe maBDuka kacchapA

nakkA ca suMsumArAca - ye cage udake carA”

“OrabbhikA sUkarikA - macchakA migabandhakA

  corA ca vajjhaghAtA ca - yecaGGepApakammino

  dakAbhisecanA tepi - pApakammA pamuccare”

                                                                           (PuBBA therIgAthA)

Meaning - “Frogs, tortoise, turtle, crocodiles and all the animals who live in water will go to heaven.

Goat killers, pig killers, fish killers, deer killers, thieves, hangman and other sinners also will escape from sins if they bath from river.”

            This also was ridiculed one of the activity of Brahmins. As the teachings of the Brahmins they teach that if someone takes bath from Ganges, Aciravati etc. rivers they can escape from the sins they have done in their life. Buddha’s teaching had rejected this kind of activities too. But here in this instance it was not the Buddha himself rejecting the activity of Brahmins. It was one of the nun disciple of Buddha named PunnA. While she was wandering for the alms she saw a Brahmin man who was going down and coming up in the river at the winter season. Then, PunnA the nun disciple of Buddha asked him “What are you doing in water with shivering in this winter season?” Then that Brahmin said that he was escaping his sins that he done. Then nun PunnA uttered above stanzas as ridicule to him. If sins can remove by bathing in the river then the animals that live in water, they must be pure naturally and will born in heaven. But why they are still in water? Why they are suffering in realm of animal? And also, if sins can removed by bathing in the river then all peoples will do evil things and they will come to bath in river, then they also could born in heaven and could be pure. Furthermore, another fact is that, if sins could removed by bathing in river, merits also could removed by bathing in river. Why only sins removed by water? And why it only could remove by bathing in those specific rivers? Why cannot remove by bathing in well of own house? Lot of questions arises in the teaching of Brahmins. So, here nun PunnA showed him the right view by ridiculing the Brahmin caste. By this kind of instances it is clear that satirical teachings were not only used to criticize or to ridicule society, but it also had used to explain the right views and elements of doctrine in Buddhism.

            Dhammapada is the handbook of Buddhist peoples. It includes in the Khuddaka Nikaya. There are 26 chapters (vaggas) and 423 stanzas. There also can find satirical teachings. Some of the stanzas I have quoted here.

“AppasutAyaM puriso - balivaddova jIrati

maMsAni tassa vaDDhanti - paGGA tassa na vaDDhati”

                                                                           (Dhp, JarAvagga)

Meaning - “The man of little learning grows old like the ox. His muscles grow; his wisdom grows not.”

          In this stanza, the man who learns little had been equaled to the ox. Because oxen have huge body, muscles but no wisdom. So, here it has ridiculed to the people those who have less wisdom. Above stanza was recited concerning to the Ven. LAludAyi who was dim-witted and very tactless. He could never say things which were appropriate to the occasion, although he tried hard. Thus, on joyful and auspicious occasions he would talk about sorrow, and on sorrowful occasions he would talk about joy and happiness. Buddha recited above stanza not to ridicule him, but to advice to the other monks not to be so.

“KonuhAso kimAnando - niccaM pajjalite sati

  andhakArena onaddhA - padIpaM na gamessatha”

                                                                                              (Dhp, JarAvagga)

Meaning - “What is laughter, what is joy, when the world is ever burning? Shrouded by darkness, would you not seek the light?”

            This stanza also quoted from JarAvagga, Dhammapada. According to above stanza it is ridicule those who do not seek wisdom although one himself knowing there are fire of lust within him. Here burning and shrouded by darkness means burning of lust within oneself. Seeking the light means seeking the wisdom to escape from the ignorance or fire of lust. Above stanza was recited concerning to the ladies who were drunk the intoxicant liquor. They were full of burning of the lust and ignorance. Buddha advised them to seek the light or wisdom.

            Following stanza also quoted from Yamakavagga, of Dhammapada. There it says that though one know the dhamma, it is useless if he do not follow to that dhamma. Those kinds of people are just like the cowherd who counts others’ cows. Because cowherd does not gain fruits of his kindly take careing of the cows. Although he take care the cows as own life he cannot be owner of them.

“Bahumpi ce sahitaM bhAsamAno - natakkaro hoti naro pamatto

gopovagAvo ganayaM paresaM - na bhAgavA sAmaGGassa hoti”

                                                                                              (Dhp, Yamakavagga)

Meaning - “Though much he recites the sacred texts, but acts not accordingly, that needless man is like a cowherd who counts others’ cows. He has no share in the fruits of the holy life.”

            This stanza was recited concerning the monk who was well-learned but not practiced. There was a monk who was well-learned the tripitaka. He was the instructor of some group of monks. And there was another monk who knows the little of sacred text, but acts in accordance with the teaching. He could gain the ultimate goal as the result of strive activity. Then, one day they met and well-learned monk decided to ask him some question on the Dhamma having thinking he knew very little of the sacred Dhamma. The Buddha knew about his unkind intention and he also knew that as a result of seeking to ridicule a noble disciple the learned monk would have to suffer. So, out of compassion, the Buddha visited the two monks to prevent the learned monk from ridiculing his friend. The Buddha himself asked a question about jhana and magga to the learned monk. He could not give the proper answer but Arahant monk gave the exact answer.

            Therefore only learned is not enough to gain any fruits of holy life, but also should be practice. Only learned one is just like a cowherd who takes care of the others’ cows. Here ridiculed to those who do not practice the learned doctrines.

“ParittaM dAru mAruyha - yathA sIde mahaBBave

evaM kusIta mAgamma - sAdhu jIvIpi sIdati

tasmA taM parivajjeyya - kusItaM hIna vIriyaM”

                                                                                          (Somamitta theragAthA, duka nipAta,)

Meaning - “As a man submerge, having getting on a tiny timber; because of an indolent people well liver will submerge in existence. Therefore throw away that indolence, devoid of braver.”

            According to this stanza it has ridiculed to an indolent people. Well liver or those who live pleasure life they may submerge in the existence by associating the indolent people. There are certain characteristics of the lazy people mentioned in SingAlovAda sutta. They do not do their own work having saying that it is very sunny, it is very cool, it is raining, I am belly-full today, I am hungry etc. and not let to do any works to others too. So, one who associate the lazy people with those characteristics he could not make his life pleasure though he was lived his life pleasure. Therefore, one should throw away the indolence and also the lazy people to live a good life.

            In PAyAsirAjaGGa Sutta Ven. KumAra Kassapa thero explains exist of another world to the Prince PAyAsi. There he explains by giving parables. Among them one of the parables is quoted here.

“There was a swineherd who was wondering another village. There he saw a heap of dry dung. He thought it will be the food for his pigs. So, he spread out his cloak, gathered up the dung in it, made it into a bundle and put it on his head and went to his place. Unfortunately there was a very heavy rain. But he didn’t care about rain and went on his way be spattered with oozing, dripping dung to his finger tips and still carrying his load of dung. People said him crazy. While people said him crazy, he replied them ‘I am not a crazy you people are crazy. This heap of dung is food for my pig.”

                                                                                                (MN, PAyAsirAjaGGa Sutta)

            According to PAyAsirAjaGGa Sutta prince PAyAsi do not accept reverence’s view. Therefore reverend tells this parable and tells him that he is just like the swineherd that comes in this story. Because in this story swineherd do not accept others saying, he only hold his own view. As well as swineherd, prince PAyAi also do not accept reverend’s right view, but only hold his own wrong view.

           What a shame and foolishness is, carrying the load of dung in the rain having spattered with oozing, dripping dung to finger tips in front of the society. Even society tried to explain the right view he do not accept, he just hold his own wrong view. One who take only one view and do not accept and examine others view he falls to the annihilationism or eternalism. One who fall in one of those wrong view he cannot gain ultimate goal, one cannot understand the doctrine properly. Therefore this kind of satirical teachings has helped to hold a right view those who were holding the wrong view.

            Following instance also quoted from the same sutta. Here also explains satirically what happens to one who hold own one and only wrong view.

“Once, two friends went another village to find wealth. While they were wandering in the street, they saw a pile of hemp. Both friends discussed and made a bundle and carried it off. Then further in next village they found some hemp-thread. One of them throws away the bundle of pile of hemp and carried hemp-thread. Another friend didn’t take the new founded stuff. Then again in next village they found hemp-cloth. First one throws away the hemp-thread and carried on the hemp-cloth. Another friend still didn’t take the new founded stuff. Gradually, they found pile of flax, linen-thread, linen-cloth, cotton, cotton-thread, cotton-cloth, iron, copper, tin, lead, silver, gold. First friend throws away invaluable stuffs and carried more valuable stuff. Another friend didn’t change his carried stuff. So, at last, when they come to their own village one that came with gold could make pleasure his family, other friends and himself too. And one that came with a pile of hemp couldn’t make pleasure his family, other friends and himself too.”

                                                                                                (MN. PAyAsirAjaGGa Sutta)

            According to this story one who take the valuable thing more than he had he can gain more pleasure. If one do not accept valuable thing, having being in his own view he cannot gain pleasure. In this story the friend who took the gold could make his parents and friends happy. Another friend who did not accept other valuable things and just took a pile of hemp could not make parents and friends happy. Ven. KumAra Kassapa thero told to Prince PAyAsi that you are the same of the friend who just hold a pile of hemp in this story. Because he also hold his own view and he did not accept the right view which was shown by Reverend. He was not like to accept other view because he had reputation, fame, honour. If he accepts other view then he may reduce those reputations. But what the Buddha’s teachings was, even a lower people show your mistake, if it is fault you should accept it and make it correct. So, there is no any excuse as reputation or higher class. He had shown it by his own activity by accepting some rules made by peoples. Likewise satirical teachings were included in Pali canon for explain the elements. Here I have quoted few examples to point out satirical teachings of the Buddha as reflected in Pali cannon.

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