Episode Details

Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.

In today's session, we look at Dhammapada Verses 113, 288-289 and the STORY OF PATACARA THERI, who suffered a great tragedy and through meeting the Buddha, was able to come out of the sorrow, grief and despair and realise stream entry, then after ordaining and practising as a bhikkhuni, she realised final liberation.   

She was declared by the Buddha as the foremost nun disciple in memorizing the monastic discipline (vinayadharānaṁ) i.e. an expert in the Vinaya – Pañcamavagga (AN 1.238). She is certainly one of our role models on the Noble Eightfold Path.  

What's very interesting is the teaching the Buddha specifically gave to her, which was to contemplate the arising and passing away of the five aggregates. This coincides with our recent study of the Samādhi-bhāvanā Sutta (SN 22.5). 

The Buddha's words: 

“Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve,
apassaṁ udayabbayaṁ;
Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo,
passato udayabbayaṁ.”  

“Better than living one hundred years
without seeing arising and dissipation,
is living one day,
seeing arising and dissipation.” – (Dhp 113)  

Other suttas that are mentioned directly or indirectly in this talk: 

• – Paṭācārātherīgāthā (Thig 5.1) 
• – Candātherīgāthā (This 5.12) 
• – Pañcasatamattātherīgāthā (Thig 6.1) 
• – Uttarātherīgāthā 
• – Pañcamavagga (AN 1.238) 
• – Paṭācārātheriapadāna (Thi Ap 20)

To read the full chapter (Sahassa Vagga) of the Dhammapada - https://suttacentral.net/dhp90-99/en/feldmeierOR the  full chapter (Magga Vagga) of the Dhammapada - https://suttacentral.net/dhp273-289/en/feldmeier 

The video of this talk has been published to the Sutta Meditation YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLWx1jZwkAU AND on Spotify as a video podcast

Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai