➥ yamāmase:

• for yamāmase:
  • we face [the ever-present possibility of] death

‘We face [the ever-present possibility of] death’

Yamāmase occurs just five times in the scriptures, always in this one verse:

• Others do not understand that we here face [the ever-present possibility of] death; but those who understand it, their quarrels cease.

Pare ca na vijānanti mayamettha yamāmase
Ye ca tattha vijānanti tato sammanti medhagā. (Tha 275 etc)

The verse also occurs at MN iii 154; Dhp 6; Tha 498; and Vin.1.349.

Our interpretation of yamāmase is primarily supported by Tha 276 which develops the theme of Tha 275 in the following way:

• And whilst those who do not understand it behave as though they were immortal, those who understand the nature of reality are spiritually unailing amidst the spiritually ailing.

Yadā ca avijānantā iriyantyamarā viya;
Vijānanti ca ye dhammaṁ āturesu anāturā. (Tha 276)

So if Tha 276 concerns people who behave as though they were immortal, then Tha 275 concerns people who understand that we here face [the ever-present possibility of] death.

Etymology of yamāmase

The etymology of yamāmase is unknown, but it can be interpreted in two ways, either following PED’s Yama1 or Yama2:

Yama1) This Yama comes from yam- to restrain. Yamāmase here is in the reflective voice i.e. the object of the verb is the same as the subject. This would give the meaning ‘We must restrain ourselves.’

Yama2) This Yama is linked to Vedic Yama, the ruler of the kingdom of the dead. This would give the meaning ‘We face [the ever-present possibility of] death.’

Meaning of yamāmase: Norman

Norman has accepted both interpretations, translating them as follows:

• Others do not know that we should restrain ourselves here

Pare ca na vijānanti mayamettha yamāmase. (Dhp 6)

• Others too do not know that we come to an end here

Pare ca na vijānanti mayamettha yamāmase. (Tha 275)

He explains his divergent translations like this:

• ‘The Commentary gives alternative explanations. In Tha 275 I followed the first of these interpretations… and translated “we come to an end here” because there seemed to be a contrast with Tha 276, where the ignorant act as though they are immortal. In Dhp 6 I translate yam- as “restrain” because it seems to suit the context better… (Word of the Doctrine p.62).

When he says ‘it seems to suit the context better,’ he likely means that there is no verse in the Dhammapada corresponding to Tha 276. But context has many aspects. Let us consider the broader context.

Context of Dhammapada Verse 6 in Vinaya

Dhammapada verse 6 concerns the bhikkhus of Kosambī, who, when asked by the Buddha to stop quarrelling, told him:

• Bhante, let the Blessed One, the Lord of Truth, abide at ease devoted to pleasant states of meditation in this lifetime. We are the ones who will take responsibility for this quarrelling, arguing, disputing, and contentiousness.

Āgametu bhante bhagavā dhammassāmi appossukko bhante bhagavā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāraṁ anuyutto viharatu. Mayametena bhaṇḍanena kalahena viggahena vivādena paññāyissāmāti. (Vin.1.341)

So the Buddha told them the story of Dīghāvu, the moral of which is:

• Unfriendly deeds are not stopped by unfriendliness. Unfriendly deeds, dear Dīghāvu, are stopped by friendliness.

na hi tāta dīghāvu verena verā sammanti. Averena hi tāta dīghāvu verā sammantī ti. (Vin.1.347)

When the Kosambī bhikkhus rejected these good words, the Buddha recited the reflection we are now considering:

• Others do not understand that we here face [the ever-present possibility of] death; but those who understand it, their quarrels cease.

Pare ca na vijānanti mayamettha yamāmase
Ye ca tattha vijānanti tato sammanti medhagā. (Vin.1.349)

The story of Dīghāvu story does not decisively indicate the meaning of yamāmase. It effectively says that quarrelsomeness can be overcome through friendliness. But whether this friendliness is the result of self-restraint, or of reflecting on death, is left unclear. So let us further consider the broader context.

Further context of Dhammapada Verse 6: Majjhima Nikāya

The Majjhima Nikāya explains the story of the Kosambī bhikkhus differently. It says the Buddha told the Kosambī bhikkhus that there are six principles of cordiality, but:

• ‘the chief, the most cohesive, the most unifying of these principles is [having a shared] view that is noble, and which leads to deliverance [from suffering], and which leads the one who practises it to the complete destruction of suffering.’

Imesaṁ kho bhikkhave channaṁ sārāṇīyānaṁ dhammānaṁ etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātanikaṁ yadidaṁ yāyaṁ diṭṭhi ariyā niyyātikā niyyāti takkarassa sammā dukkhakkhayāya. (MN i 322)

We parenthesise ‘[having a shared]’ because the sutta affirms this previously, by saying that:

• Whatever view is noble, and which leads to deliverance [from suffering], and which leads the one who practises it to the complete destruction of suffering, a bhikkhu abides united in a view such as this with his companions in the religious life, both in public and in private

bhikkhu yāyaṁ diṭṭhi ariyā niyyānikā niyyāti takkarassa sammā dukkhakkhayāya tathārūpāya diṭṭhiyā diṭṭhisāmaññagato viharati sabrahmacārīhi āvī ceva raho ca. (MN i 322)

Therefore, having a shared noble view is the foremost key to cordiality amongst bhikkhus. So we will now consider whether the view that we face [the ever-present possibility of] death can be regarded as a noble view. And we meanwhile note that having a shared perception ‘that we should restrain ourselves’ will play no further part in this argument because it is simply unheard of in the suttas. The argument that quarrels might cease through restraint would be stronger if it meant restraint of the sense faculties, but that interpretation is denied here because the verb is in the reflective voice.

The perception of [the ever-present possibility of] death: a noble view?

That the perception of [the ever-present possibility of] death is a noble view, and therefore the chief way to overcome quarrelsomeness, is clear from these quotes:

1) Bhikkhus, there is one thing if developed and cultivated leads to complete disillusionment [with originated phenomena], non-attachment [to originated phenomena], the ending [of originated phenomena], inward peace, transcendent insight, enlightenment, the Untroubled. What one thing? Mindfulness of [the ever-present possibility of] death.

Ekadhammo bhikkhave bhāvito bahulīkato ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati. Katamo ekadhammo? Maraṇasati. (AN i 30)

2) Bhikkhus, mindfulness of [the ever-present possibility of] death, when developed and cultivated is of great fruit and benefit, having the Deathless as its culmination and conclusion.

maraṇasati bhikkhave bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānāti. (AN iii 307)

So the broader context does not indicate that yamāmase should be interpreted differently in Dhp 6 than in Tha 275. If the bhikkhus of Kosambī had cultivated the perception of [the ever-present possibility of] death, their quarrels would have ceased.

• Others do not understand that we here face [the ever-present possibility of] death; but those who understand it, their quarrels cease.

Pare ca na vijānanti mayamettha yamāmase
Ye ca tattha vijānanti tato sammanti medhagā. (Tha 275 etc)

Cultivating the perception of [the ever-present possibility of] death

Mindfulness of [the ever-present possibility of] death is developed like this:

• Bhikkhus who develop mindfulness of [the ever-present possibility of] death thus: ‘If I could live just so long as it takes to swallow only one mouthful or just so long as it takes to breathe in and out in order to contemplate the Blessed One’s word, much could be done by me’ those bhikkhus are said to live diligently. Keenly they develop mindfulness of [the ever-present possibility of] death.

Ime vuccanti bhikkhave bhikkhū appamattā viharanti tikkhaṁ maraṇasatiṁ bhāventi. (AN iii 306)

• In this regard, bhante, such is my thought: If I could live just a night and day in order to contemplate the Blessed One’s word, much could be done by me (aho vatāhaṁ rattindivaṁ jīveyyaṁ bhagavato sāsanaṁ manasikareyyaṁ bahuṁ vata me kataṁ assā ti).