Dhammapada Chapter XVII — Anger (vv. 221–234)

N=1 fine-grained distillation. Source: Müller, SBE X (1881), Gutenberg #2017. Quote anchors are working text pending Phase 7 char-for-char verification. Methodology & tags: ../00-methodology.md.

Chapter role

The Kodha-vagga treats anger (kodha) as a defilement to be relinquished rather than expressed. It pairs the renunciation of anger with self-mastery over the three doors of action — body, tongue, mind — and adds a realist coda: blame is universal, so equanimity, not approval-seeking, is the aim.

Atomic statements

Ch17-C1: Leave anger and pride; the unattached, who calls nothing his own, suffers no ill. (FOUNDATIONAL / CRAVING+SELF)

Dhp 221: "Let a man leave anger, let him forsake pride, let him overcome all bondage! No sufferings befall the man who is not attached to name and form, and who calls nothing his own."
Stance: assert · Importance: core · Note: "name and form" renders nāma-rūpa; non-clinging to it relates to anattā.

Ch17-C2: Holding back rising anger is the mark of true self-mastery — the real "driver." (OPERATIONAL / DISCIPLINE+MIND)

Dhp 222: "He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins."
Stance: assert · Importance: core

Ch17-C3: Overcome anger by love, evil by good, greed by giving, the liar by truth. (FOUNDATIONAL / ETHICS)

Dhp 223: "Let a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth!"
Stance: assert · Importance: core · Note: "love" renders non-hatred/avera; cf. mettā.

Ch17-C4: Truthfulness, non-anger, and generosity are the three steps toward the gods. (OPERATIONAL / ETHICS+KARMA)

Dhp 224: "Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods."
Stance: assert · Importance: supporting

Ch17-C5: Sages who harm none and control the body reach the unchangeable place (Nirvana) and suffer no more. (FOUNDATIONAL / LIBERATION+ETHICS)

Dhp 225: "The sages who injure nobody, and who always control their body, they will go to the unchangeable place (Nirvana), where, if they have gone, they will suffer no more."
Stance: assert · Importance: core · Untranslatable: nibbāna (Müller: "Nirvana").

Ch17-C6: The ever-watchful who strive after Nirvana end their passions. (OPERATIONAL / MIND+LIBERATION)

Dhp 226: "Those who are ever watchful, who study day and night, and who strive after Nirvana, their passions will come to an end."
Stance: assert · Importance: supporting · Depends on: Ch17-C5

Ch17-C7: Blame is universal and inescapable — none is only blamed, none only praised. (EXHORTATION / MIND)

Dhp 227–230: "…there is no one on earth who is not blamed." / "There never was, there never will be… a man who is always blamed, or a man who is always praised." / "…he whom those who discriminate praise continually… who would dare to blame him…"
Stance: assert · Importance: supporting

Ch17-C8: Guard and control the three doors — body, tongue, mind; the wise so controlled are well controlled. (FOUNDATIONAL / DISCIPLINE+ETHICS)

Dhp 231–234: "Beware of bodily anger, and control thy body!… Beware of the anger of the tongue… Beware of the anger of the mind… The wise who control their body, who control their tongue, the wise who control their mind, are indeed well controlled."
Stance: assert · Importance: core

Step 4 — Clusters

Cluster	Atomic statements	Intent
Relinquish anger	C1, C2	Anger is to be released, not vented; restraint is mastery
Overcome by opposites	C3, C4	Counter each vice with its virtue (anger by love, etc.)
Non-harm to liberation	C5, C6	Harmlessness + watchfulness ends passion, reaches Nirvana
Equanimity toward blame	C7	Praise/blame are universal; do not be governed by them
The three doors	C8	Control body, tongue, and mind alike

Step 5 — Internal tensions

None genuine. The "near the gods" reward (C4) and the "unchangeable place / Nirvana" goal (C5–C6) operate at different soteriological registers (heavenly rebirth vs. liberation) but are presented as a graded path, not a contradiction.

Step 6 — Synthesized chapter principles

Ch17-P1: Anger is to be relinquished, not expressed

Leaving anger and pride, and holding back rising anger, is the mark of true self-mastery; the unattached who clings to nothing suffers no harm.

Tier: FOUNDATIONAL · Domain: CRAVING+DISCIPLINE · Covers: C1, C2 · Evidence: Dhp 221–222 · Untranslatable: "name and form" (nāma-rūpa); non-clinging relates to anattā.

Ch17-P2: Conquer each vice by its opposing virtue

Anger is overcome by love, evil by good, greed by giving, falsehood by truth; truthfulness, non-anger, and generosity lead upward.

Tier: FOUNDATIONAL · Domain: ETHICS · Covers: C3, C4 · Evidence: Dhp 223–224 · Untranslatable: avera/mettā, rendered "love."

Ch17-P3: Harmlessness and watchfulness lead to liberation

The sage who injures none and controls the body, ever watchful and striving, ends all passion and reaches the unchangeable place.

Tier: FOUNDATIONAL · Domain: LIBERATION+ETHICS · Covers: C5, C6 · Evidence: Dhp 225–226 · Untranslatable: nibbāna ("Nirvana").

Ch17-P4: Master the three doors; stay equanimous toward blame

Control body, tongue, and mind together; and since blame and praise are universal and inescapable, do not let them govern you.

Tier: OPERATIONAL · Domain: DISCIPLINE+MIND · Covers: C7, C8 · Evidence: Dhp 227–234

Step 7 — Traceability

Principle	Atomic statements	Verses
Ch17-P1	C1, C2	Dhp 221–222
Ch17-P2	C3, C4	Dhp 223–224
Ch17-P3	C5, C6	Dhp 225–226
Ch17-P4	C7, C8	Dhp 227–234

Step 8 — Quality

Coverage: 14/14 verses captured by ≥1 atomic statement (100%).
Orphaned: 0%.
Principles: 4 (within the 3–12 range).
Traceability: 100%.

Step 9 — Validation

Standalone comprehension (frame-independent): Ch17-P1, P2, P4 read as intelligible ethical/psychological claims without presupposing Buddhist metaphysics — anger-as-relinquishment, vice-conquered-by-virtue, and equanimity toward reputation are broadly portable. Ch17-P3 carries frame-specific content: nibbāna as the "unchangeable place" where one "suffers no more" is a soteriological end-state, not merely virtue ethics — flagged for the Atlas as a case where the claim (non-harm conduces to liberation/peace) may converge cross-tradition while the warrant (extinction of craving, end of rebirth) diverges. The "near the gods" reward in C4 presupposes a cosmology of heavenly rebirth — note for the Atlas as frame-divergent warrant.