In the present while the monks are in a park the small son of a gardener destroys the baskets his father makes as he drops them. The Buddha tells a similar story from the past in which monkeys destroyed the gardener’s baskets.

1. Addhā hi nūna migarājā puṭakammassa kovido,
Tathā hi puṭaṁ dūseti, aññaṁ nūna karissatī ti.

Certainly the king of beasts is skilled in making baskets, therefore he does spoil the basket, he surely will make another.

In this connection, the king of beasts, he speaks praising the monkey.

In making baskets means in making flower baskets.

Skilled means clever.

But here this is the meaning in brief: this king of beasts I think is surely skilled in making baskets, so he spoils the baskets as they fall, he surely will make another more pleasant than that.

2. “Na me mātā vā pitā vā puṭakammassa kovido,
Kataṁ kataṁ kho dūsema, evaṁ dhammam-idaṁ kulan-ti.”

“Neither my mother or my father are skilled in making baskets, having made baskets we spoil them, such is our clan’s character.”

[There is no word commentary to this verse.]

3. “Yesaṁ vo ediso dhammo, Same verse as at 271:3, the commentary is brought in from there. adhammo pana kīdiso?
Mā vo dhammaṁ adhammaṁ vā addasāma kudācanan-ti!”

“For whoever such is natural, what would be unnatural? Don’t let me see your natural or unnatural any time!”

In this connection, don’t (let me see) your, do not let us see your natural or unnatural at any time.

 

last updated: November 2022