ධම්ම පදය 13 - 14

Lust Penetrates Untrained Mind

Yathā’gāraṃ ducchannaṃ, vuṭṭhi samativijjhati
Evaṃ abhāvitaṃ cittaṃ, rāgo samativijjhati.

යථා'ගාරං දුච්ඡන්නං - වුට්ඨි සමතිවිජ්ඣති
ඒවං අභාවිතං චිත්තං - රාගෝ සමතිවිජ්ඣති

Even as the rain does penetrate
a house that's badly thatched,
likewise lust does penetrate
the mind uncultivated.

Explanation: It is quite necessary that a house should have a well-thatched roof. If the thatching is weak, rain seeps through the house. Just as a badly thatched roof lets in the rain, the uncultured temperament too is open to passions. The temperament that is not

cultured is penetrated easily by lust.



Yathā’gāraṃ succhannaṃ, vuṭṭhi na samativijjhati
Evaṃ subhāvitaṃ cittaṃ, rāgo na samativijjhati.

යථා'ගාරං සුච්ඡන්නං - වුට්ඨි න සමතිවිජ්ඣති
ඒවං සුභාවිතං චිත්තං - රාගෝ න සමතිවිජ්ඣති

As rain does never penetrate
a house that is well-thatched,
so lust does never penetrate
the mind well cultivated.

Explanation: When the house is well protected by a well-thatched roof, it is not harmed by the rain, because rain-water cannot seep though it. In the same way, the well-cultured temperament too does not allow passion to come through. Therefore, the well-cultured temperament cannot be penetrated by passions.
Prince Nanda
While at Kapilavatthu, the Buddha and the Saṅgha were invited for the prenuptial
wedding feast of the Buddha’s step-brother, Prince Nanda. After the meal,
the Buddha left his almsbowl in the hands of Prince Nanda, and returned to the
monastery. The young prince was obliged to follow him all the way back to the
monastery to return the almsbowl. The Buddha asked Nanda if he would go forth
as a monk. Out of respect for the teacher, Nanda was obliged to say yes. So he
was ordained. As he was constantly thinking of his fiancée, Nanda was very
dissatisfied. The Buddha used his psychic powers to take him to the Tāvatiṃsa
heaven, where he showed him the celestial nymphs. The Buddha promised Nanda
that he could get these nymphs if he meditated well.
Nanda no longer thought about his fiancée, but meditated diligently in the
hope of acquiring the celestial nymphs. The other monks teased him about this,
and called him a “paid labourer.” Being a prince of noble lineage, Nanda’s sense
of shame was piqued by being compared to a hired labourer. He strove hard in
his meditation and soon attained Arahantship.
The Buddha compared his former lustful state of mind to an ill-thatched
house and his newly acquired mental purity to a well-thatched house.