Three Types of Appamāda Dhamma

Sāmāvatī Vatthu (The Story of Sāmāvatī)

Appamādo amatapadaṁ,
Pamādo maccuno padam;
Appamattā na mīyanti,
Ye pamattā yathā matā.
[Mindfulness is the way to the Deathless (Nibbana),
Unmindfulness is the way to Death;
Those who are mindful do not die;
Those who are not mindful are as if already dead.]
Do you know what is the meaning of this verse and why did the Buddha
utter this verse?

This verse was spoken in relation to two incidents which occurred at the
time of the Buddha.

In the first incident, Sāmāvatī and her group of five hundred maids were
burnt alive at the arrangement of Māgandiyā. In the second incident,
Māgandiyā and her group of relatives were also burnt alive by the order of
King Udena. The entire Sāmāvatī group and the entire Māgandiyā group died
from the two incidents.

After these two incidents had happened, the Bhikkhus asked the
Buddha: "Bhante, among these two groups of people who were burnt, who
were those who died, and who were those who did not die?"

The Buddha answered thus: "Those who are mindfully accumulating

wholesome kamma do not die. But those who are heedless and do not
accumulate wholesome kamma are already dead, even if they were to live for
a hundred years."

The Buddha continued, "The chief queen Sāmāvatī and her five hundred
maids were those who did not die. On the other hand, Māgandiyā and her
realtives were as good as dead even if they had lived for a hundred years."

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 Why did the Buddha answer as such? I would like to explain to you the
summary of this story.

At the time of the Buddha, Udena was the king of Kosambī. King Udena
had three chief queens, namely Sāmāvatī, Māgandiyā, and Vāsula.

Sāmāvatī had five hundred maids staying with her at the palace. She also
had a maidservant called Khujjuttarā. The maid Khujjuttarā had to buy flowers
for Sāmāvatī from the florist Sumana everyday.

On one occasion, Khujjuttarā had the opportunity to listen to a religious

discourse delivered by the Buddha, at the home of Sumana. She attained
Sotāpatti Fruition.

As Sāmāvatī would like to listen to the discourse of the Buddha,

Khujjattarā repeated the discourse to Sāmāvatī and the five hundred maids.
They all attained Sotāpatti Fruition. From that day, Khujjattarā did not have to
do any menial work. She assumed the role of mother and teacher to Sāmāvatī.
She would listen to the discourses of the Buddha, and repeated them to
Sāmāvatī and her maids. In due course, Khujjattarā had mastered the Tipitaka.

From then on, Sāmāvatī and her five hundred maids would listen to the
discourses of the Buddha as repeated by Khujjatarā, and they would practice
meditation diligently. They were accumulating a lot of wholesome kamma.

At that time, King Udena had another chief queen by the name of
Māgandiyā. She was the daughter of a Brahmin named Māgandiyā.

One day, after seeing the Buddha, the Brahmin thought that the Buddha
was the only person who was worthy of his very beautiful daughter.

So he hurriedly went off to fetch his wife and daughter. They offered to
give their daughter in marriage to the Buddha. To this, the Buddha answered,
"Even after seeing Taṇhā, Arati and Ragā, the three daughers of Māra, I did not
feel any desire in me for sensual pleasures. What more now, Māgandiyā, with
your daughter who is filled with urine and filth. I do not wish to touch her even
with my foot."

On hearing those words of the Buddha, both the Brahmin and his wife
attained Anāgāmi Magga and Phala. They entrusted their daughter to the care
of her uncle, and they became Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni in the Buddha's Sāsanā.
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 Eventually, they attained Arahantship. The Buddha knew from the
beginning that the Brahmin and his wife were destined to attain Anāgāmi
Fruition that very day, hence his reply to the Brahmin in the above manner.

However, his daughter Māgandiyā became very bitter and sore. She
vowed to take revenge if and when an opportunity arose.

Later, her uncle presented Māgandiyā to Kind Udena and she became
one of his chief queens. At that time, the Buddha and his disciples arrived in
Kosambī. So Māgandiyā planned to take her revenge on the Buddha, as well as
on Sāmāvatī and her maids who were ardent devotees of the Buddha.

Firstly, she gave money to some drunken and foolish men to cause
disturbances to the Buddha. However, upon hearing discourses from the
Buddha, many of these foolish men became devotees of the Buddha.

Since she could not inflict harm on the Buddha, she planned instead to
take her revenge on Sāmāvatī and her maids who were ardent devotees of the
Buddha.

She targeted various kinds of slandering speech at Sāmāvatī. Finally, King

Udena believed Māgandiyā that Sāmāvatī was trying to kill him. The King was
furious. He commanded Sāmāvatī to stand and all her maids to line up behind
her. Then he aimed and shot a poisonous arrow at them.

At that time, Sāmāvatī and her maids sent metta towards the king. Due
to the power of metta, the arrow turned back towards the king. Then the king
realised that Sāmāvatī was innocent. So he gave Sāmāvatī the chance to fulfill
her wish, which was to invite the Buddha and His disciples to the palace for
alms food and for delivery of discourses.

Seeing that her plan has again failed, Māgandiyā sent a message to her
uncle. She instructed him to go to Sāmāvatī's place and burn down the building
with Sāmāvatī and all her maids inside.

As the house was burning, Sāmāvatī and her five hundred maids kept on
meditating. Thus, some of them attained Sakadāgāmi Fruition, and the rest
attained Anāgāmi Fruition before they died.

Because of this evil deed, Māgandiyā and her uncle, as well as their
relatives were seized and burnt at the order of the king.
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 When the Buddha was told about these two incidents, He said, "Those
who are mindful do not die; but those who are neligent are as good as dead
even while they are living."

Then the Buddha spoke the following verse:

Appamādo amatapadaṁ,
Pamādo maccuno padam;
Appamattā na mīyanti,
Ye pamattā yathā matā.
[Mindfulness is the way to the Deathless (Nibbana),
Unmindfulness is the way to Death;
Those who are mindful do not die;
Those who are not mindful are as if already dead.]
There are actually three types of Appamāda Dhamma (Mindfulness
Dhamma) expounded by the Buddha. The above refers to the first type of
Appamāda Dhamma – where mindfulness determines if one is on the way to
the Deathless, or as good as dead even while they are still living.

The second type of Appamāda Dhamma is what the Buddha would

admonish the Bhikkhu Sangha whenever He returned from His daily piṇḍapāta.
The Buddha would admonish them everyday as follows:

Bhikkhave, appamādena sampādetha.

1) Dullabho buddhuppādo lokasmiṃ.
2) Dullabho manussattapaṭilābho.
3) Dullabhā saddhāsampatti.
4) Dullabho pabbajjā.
5) Dullabhaṃ saddhammassavana’nti.
Bhikkhus, strive on diligently.
1) Difficult to obtain is the arising of a Buddha in the world.
2) Difficult to obtain is the acquisition of the human state.
3) Difficult to obtain is the attainment of faith.
4) Difficult to obtain is the going forth.
5) Difficult to obtain is hearing the True Dhamma.
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 These five things are difficult to obtain, very difficult: they are very rare.
Hence, everyday the Buddha reminded all His disciples of these rare
opportunities and urged them to practice and strive on mindfully and
diligently.

Even though these are very rare to obtain, you still live at a time when
they are all within your reach.

1) The Buddhasāsana still exists.

2) You have obtained the human state.
3) You have faith.
4) You can go forth into the holy life, and ordain to be Bhikkhu,
Samanera, or Sayalay.
5) And even though the Buddhasāsana is declining, it is still possible to
hear the True Dhamma. The Tipitaka still exists. Teachers who
understand and teach according to the Tipitaka still exist.

Therefore you should take full advantage of these rare opportunities and
heed Buddha’s advice to strive on mindfully and diligently
everyday.Appamādena sampādetha.

The third type of Appamāda Dhamma was in fact the last teachings by
the Buddha before He entered into Parinibbāna. The last words of the Buddha
were:
Vayadhammā sankhārā.
Appamādena sampādetha.
All conditioned things are of a nature to decay.
Strive on diligently.
The Buddha had been urging all His disciples to strive on mindfully and
diligently everyday. And just before He entered into Parinibbāna, The Buddha
once again admonished all His disciples with a fitting conclusion to His forty
five years of teachings.

All conditioned things arise subject to causes and conditions. And they
cease to exist subject to causes and conditions. Our bodies, our families, our
loved ones, all human beings, all living beings, and everything around us –

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living or non-living things – all are conditioned things and all are of a nature to
decay. Nothing exists permanently.

Realizing this, we should constantly practice mindfully and strive on

diligently.

Therefore, we should always remember these three types of Appamāda

Dhamma:

1) Firstly, Those who are mindful do not die;

Those who are not mindful are as if already dead.

2) Secondly, remember the five rare opportunities available to us.

We have the Buddhasāsana; we have the human birth; we have
faith; we can lead the holy life; and we can hear the True
Dhamma. So, strive on and practice mindfully and diligently.
3) Thirdly and finally, the last instruction from the Buddha to all
students of the Buddha, which include all of us here:

Vayadhammā sankhārā.

Appamādena sampādetha.

All conditioned things are of a nature to decay.

Strive on diligently and mindfully.

May you all practice mindfully, strive on diligently, and attain Nibbāna in
this very life!

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