3.

The Book of the Threes

1.

The Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja

219-221. In the Book of Threes, "Unwisely seeking purity" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, thirty-one cosmic cycles ago from now, in the time of the Blessed One Sikhī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher walking for almsfood, with a gladdened mind, having paid homage with the fivefold prostration, raised his joined palms. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in the house of a brahmin endowed with wealth in a city named Ukkaṭṭha near the Himalayas, having received the name Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja, having come of age, having attained accomplishment in the sciences and crafts, through his disposition towards renunciation, having gone forth into the going forth of a wandering ascetic, practising austere asceticism for immortality, going about here and there, having seen the Fully Self-Enlightened One wandering on a journey through the country, with a gladdened mind, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having abandoned that wrong asceticism, having gone forth in the Dispensation, doing the work of insight, before long became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, dwelling in the bliss of liberation, out of compassion for his relatives, having gone to his native land, having established many relatives in the refuges and in the precepts, having turned back from there, dwelling in a forest not far from a market town named Kuṇḍiya in the Kuru country, having gone to the Ugga park on some business, having met with brahmin acquaintances who had come from the northern region, when asked by them "Friend Bhāradvāja, having seen what did you abandon the doctrine of the brahmins and take up this doctrine?" showing them that outside of this Buddha's teaching there is no purity -

219.

Therein, "ayoni" means unwisely, by wrong means. "Purity" means purification from the round of rebirths, escape from existence. "Seeking" means searching. "I tended the fire in the forest" means with the intention "this is the path of purity," having made a fire room in a fire-offering hall in a forest haunt, making oblations, I tended the fire god, I venerated it according to the method stated in the Vedas. "Not knowing the path of purity, I practised austere asceticism for immortality" means not knowing the path of purity, the path to Nibbāna, thinking "this is the path of purity," I practised, I conducted, I proceeded along the pursuit of self-mortification such as the five-fold burning asceticism and so on, just like fire-worship.

Thus the elder, as if going from hermitage to hermitage, having practised fire-worship and so on according to the method stated in the Vedas, having shown the absence of purity outside by the fact of not having attained purity, now showing "in this very Dispensation purity has been attained by me" -

220.

Therein, "that" means that for the sake of which, seeking purity, not knowing the path to it, I tended the fire, I practised austere asceticism for immortality - that happiness of Nibbāna was obtained by me through happiness, through the pleasant practice of serenity and insight meditation, without resorting to the pursuit of self-mortification. "See the excellence of the Teaching as Teaching" means see, know, the excellence of the Teacher's Teaching of the Dispensation, the intrinsic nature of the Teaching that is undistorted and leading to liberation. He speaks by way of addressing the Teaching, or he addresses himself. But showing the fact of its having been obtained -

He said; that is just the meaning already stated. Thus, because purity has been attained, showing "henceforth I am a brahmin in the ultimate sense" -

221.

Its meaning is - Before this, merely by birth, because of the state of being a brahmin, by the convention of brahmins, I was called a kinsman of Brahma. But because of having warded off evil, now indeed, through the achievement of arahantship, I am in the ultimate sense a brahmin as well. Before this, through the study of the three knowledges termed the Vedas, which produce the accumulation of existence, having been called a possessor of the threefold knowledge by mere designation, now, by the power of the true knowledge that produces the destruction of existence, because of having attained the three true knowledges, I am in the ultimate sense a possessor of the threefold true knowledge as well. Likewise, before this, through the accomplishment of the bathing rite bound to the gratification of existence, having been called one who has bathed by mere designation, now, because the stain of mental defilements has been thoroughly washed away by the water of the eightfold path, I am in the ultimate sense one who has bathed as well. Before this, through the meditative absorption of incantations from which the gratification of existence is unliberated, having been called a learned one merely by conventional expression, now, through the meditative absorption of the Teaching from which the gratification of existence is well liberated, I am in the ultimate sense a learned one as well. Before this, merely by having gone through the Vedas whose evil qualities have not been renounced, having been called one who has attained the highest knowledge, now, because of having gone to the far shore, having attained, having known, by path knowledge termed veda, the great flood of saṃsāra, the veda, and the four truths, I have become in the ultimate sense one who has attained the highest knowledge. Having heard that, the brahmins declared lofty confidence in the Dispensation.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Aṅgaṇikabhāradvāja is finished.

2.

The Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Paccaya

222-224. "Five days since I went forth" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Paccaya. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit in this and that existence, ninety-one cosmic cycles from now, in the time of the Blessed One Vipassī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher going on the bank of a river named Vinatā, with a gladdened mind, having plucked large fig fruits of delightful appearance, offered them. He, by that meritorious action, wandering only in fortunate destinations, in this fortunate cosmic cycle, when the Blessed One Kassapa had arisen in the world, when the excellent wheel of the Teaching had been set in motion and he was giving assistance to those accessible to instruction, having gone forth in his Dispensation, having established insight, devoting himself to meditation, one day, having reflected on the suffering of the round of rebirths,

with a sense of urgency very much arisen, seated in the monastery, having determined in his mind "Without attaining arahantship I shall not go out from here," striving, because of the immaturity of knowledge, was not able to arouse zeal for insight. He, having died, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family of the warrior caste in the city of Rohita, having received the name "Paccaya," having come of age, after his father's passing, established in the kingdom, one day began to perform a great royal offering. There the great multitude gathered together. At that assembly, for the purpose of arousing confidence in him, the Teacher, while the great multitude was looking on, having sat down on a jewelled lion-throne in a jewelled gabled mansion created by Vessavaṇa in the sky, taught the Teaching. There was full realization of the teaching for a great crowd of people. Having heard that Teaching, King Paccaya too, having abandoned the kingdom, urged by his former cause, went forth. He, just as he had made the acknowledgment in the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, having made such an acknowledgment, having entered the monastery, developing insight, because his knowledge had reached maturity, at that very moment attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, declaring final liberating knowledge by way of praising his own practice -

222.

223.

224.

She spoke these three verses.

Therein, "five days since I went forth" means five days I, having gone forth five days, the fifth day from the day of going forth is completed - this is the meaning. "A trainee who has not attained his goal" means a trainee because of training in the training in higher morality and so on. "Mānaso" means that which completely cuts off conceit without remainder, the highest path; "mānasaṃ" means that which has come from that mānaso produced by it, arahantship; that, or he who has not attained by this - thus "one who has not attained his goal." "Having entered my dwelling, there arose an aspiration of mind" means thus for me, a trainee, having entered the dwelling-place where I lived, the inner chamber, being mindful, such an aspiration of mind arose in the manner now being stated; thus the mind was directed by me - this is the meaning.

By "I shall not eat" and so on, he shows the aspiration of mind. Therein, "I shall not eat" means I shall not consume, I shall not eat whatever food - while the dart of craving lodged in my heart is not rooted out, not removed - thus it should be connected in all terms. "I shall not drink" means whatever is fit to be drunk, I shall not drink. "I shall not leave the dwelling" means from this inner room where I am now seated, I shall not go out. "Nor shall I lay down my side" means of the two sides of my body, I shall not lay down even one side for the purpose of dispelling bodily fatigue; I shall not lie down even on one side - this is the meaning.

"For me dwelling thus" means for me, having thus directed the mind, having made a determination of firm energy, dwelling by way of the pursuit of insight. "See the exertion of energy" means see, know, the effort that has become enthusiasm, which has received the name "energy" because it is to be exerted in due method, and "endeavour" because of stepping upon successive stages. "By the power of which the three true knowledges have been attained by me, the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled" - this is just the meaning already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Paccaya is finished.

3.

The Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Bākula

225-227. "He who formerly should be done" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Bākula. What is the origin? It is said that this one too, in the past, at the summit of more than one hundred thousand cosmic cycles plus one incalculable period, even before the arising of the Blessed One Anomadassī, having been reborn in a brahmin family, having come of age, having learnt the three Vedas, not seeing any substance therein, thinking "I shall seek the welfare pertaining to the future life," having gone forth in the going forth of sages, dwelling at the foot of a mountain, having become an obtainer of the five direct knowledges and the eight meditative attainments, dwelling thus, having heard of the arising of a Buddha, having gone to the Teacher's presence, having heard the Teaching, having become established in the refuges, when a stomach illness arose in the Teacher, having brought medicines from the forest, having relieved that, having diverted the merit therein for the purpose of health, having passed away from there, having been reborn in the Brahma world, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans for one incalculable period, in the time of the Buddha Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain monk in the foremost position among those with few illnesses, himself desiring that position of rank, having made an aspiration, having accumulated wholesome deeds for as long as life lasted, wandering only in fortunate destinations, even before the arising of the Blessed One Vipassī, having been reborn in a brahmin family in the city of Bandhumatī, in the former method just so, having gone forth in the going forth of sages, having become an obtainer of meditative absorptions and direct knowledges, dwelling at the foot of a mountain, having heard of the arising of a Buddha, having gone to the Teacher's presence, having heard the Teaching, having become established in the refuges, when a grass-flower disease arose among the monks, having relieved that, having remained there as long as life lasted, having passed away from there, having been reborn in the Brahma world, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans for ninety-one cosmic cycles, in the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, having been reborn in a family home in Bārāṇasī, living the household life, having seen a certain old great monastery that was perishing, having had all the public rest-houses built there including the Observance hall and so on, having supplied all medicine for the community of monks there, having done wholesome deeds for as long as life lasted, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans for one interval between Buddhas, even before the arising of our Blessed One, he was reborn in a millionaire's house in Kosambī. He, while being bathed in the great river Yamunā for the sake of health, was swallowed by a fish from the nurse's hand; when the fish had come into the fisherman's hand, when it had been sold to the wife of the Bārāṇasī millionaire and taken, even while being split open, by the power of merit he was healthy indeed, and being taken by her as a son and being nourished; having heard that news, when the pursuit was made by his birth parents, his mother and father, saying "This is our son, give us our son," because the king, having made the judgment by the status of heir to both families, saying "Let him be common to both," established him thus, he received the name Bākula; having come of age, experiencing great success, having become eighty years old, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth, he was a worldling for only seven days; at the eighth dawn, together with the analytical knowledges, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, one day, when the Teacher was establishing his own disciples in successive positions, he was established in the foremost position among those with few illnesses. He, at the time of final Nibbāna, in the midst of the Community, declaring the final liberating knowledge by way of exhortation to the monks -

225.

226.

227.

Therein, "he who wishes to do afterwards what should be done before" means whatever person, formerly, earlier, at the very time when one is not yet overcome by ageing, disease and so on, not having done through negligence the deeds to be done that bring about one's own welfare and happiness, afterwards, having passed beyond the time when they should be done, wishes to do them. "So" is merely a particle. But at that time, because of being overcome by ageing, disease and so on, he is unable to do them; and being unable, "he falls from a state of happiness, and afterwards he repents" means that person, falling away from a state of happiness, from heaven and from Nibbāna, because of not having produced the means for that, afterwards feels remorse by way of "good was not done by me" and so on, and incurs regret. The syllable "ma" serves as a word-connector. But showing "Having done what should be done, I thus speak to you," he spoke the second verse beginning with "what one would do."

Therein, "fully understand" means they know by delimiting "this one is of such extent"; they do not think much of him - this is the meaning. For by way of right practice, only one who acts as he speaks shines, not otherwise. Now, in order to show in its own form the meaning stated in common terms by way of what should be done, he spoke the third verse beginning with "very happy indeed." Its meaning is - Nibbāna, taught by the Blessed One, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, because of having perfectly and by himself awakened to all phenomena; sorrowless because of the complete absence of causes of sorrow; stainless because of being free from the defilement of lust and so on; secure because of being untroubled by the four mental bonds - is well happy indeed. Why? Because in that Nibbāna, where the entire suffering of the round of rebirths ceases, is absolutely appeased.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Bākula is finished.

4.

The Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Dhaniya

228-230. "If one wishes to live happily" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Dhaniya. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Sikhī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, made an offering with a garland of reeds. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a potter's family in Rājagaha, having received the name Dhaniya, having come of age, lives by the potter's craft. And at that time the Teacher, having sat down in the potter Dhaniya's hall, taught the Discourse on the Analysis of the Six Elements to the son of good family Pukkusāti. He, having heard that, had performed his obligations. Dhaniya, having heard of his state of having attained final Nibbāna, having gained faith thinking "The Buddha's Dispensation is indeed leading to liberation, where even by the acquaintance of a single night one is able to be freed from the suffering of the round of rebirths," having gone forth, dwelling engaged in the adornment of huts, having been blamed by the Blessed One on account of the building of huts, dwelling in lodgings belonging to the monastic community, having developed insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, those monks who, having exalted themselves by the undertaking of ascetic practices, while accepting meals for the Community and so on, despise other monks - by way of giving exhortation to them, declaring the final liberating knowledge -

228.

229.

230.

Therein, "if one wishes to live happily, expectant in the ascetic life" means: if one who is expectant in the ascetic life, in the state of an ascetic, having become one with keen respect for the training, should wish to live happily, having abandoned wrong ways of earning, if one desires to live with the happiness of asceticism - this is the meaning. "One should not despise what belongs to the monastic community, robe, drink and food" means one should not despise the robe and food brought from the monastic community. The material gain arising for the monastic community is of pure origin - thus for one who consumes that, through the origination of purity of livelihood, the happiness of asceticism has come into one's possession - this is the intention. "Like a snake a rat's hole" means one should resort to, should frequent, a lodging like a snake frequents a hole dug by a rat. Just as a snake, without making a dwelling place for itself, having dwelt in a dwelling place made by a rat or by another, departs wherever it wishes, just so a monk, without incurring defilement from the making of a lodging himself, having dwelt wherever anywhere, should depart - this is the meaning.

Now, showing that the happiness of asceticism comes only through contentment with whatever is obtained regarding both the mentioned and unmentioned requisites, and not otherwise, he said "one should be content with whatsoever," meaning one should arrive at contentment with whatever requisite obtained, whether inferior or superior - this is the meaning. "One thing" means the state of diligence, for indeed for one who devotes oneself to that, all blameless mundane happiness and supramundane happiness has come into one's possession. Therefore the Blessed One said - "For the diligent one, meditating, attains abundant happiness."

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Dhaniya is finished.

5.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Mātaṅgaputta

231-233. "Too cold" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Mātaṅgaputta. What is the origin? This one, it is said, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, near the Himalayas, beneath a great natural lake, in a great serpent realm, having become a king of serpents of great might, was reborn; one day, having gone out from the serpent realm, while going about, having seen the Teacher going through space, with a gladdened mind, he made an offering with the gem from his own head. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn as the son of a householder named Mātaṅga in the Kosala country, became known as Mātaṅgaputta. He, having attained discretion, having become lazy by nature, not doing any work, blamed by relatives and others, desiring a comfortable life thinking "These ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, live comfortably," having become acquainted with the monks, having approached the Teacher, having heard the Teaching, having gained faith, having gone forth, having seen other monks possessing supernormal power, having aspired to the power of supernormal ability, having taken a meditation subject in the Teacher's presence, devoting himself to meditation, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, censuring idleness by way of a person as standpoint, and praising his own arousal of energy -

231.

232.

233.

Therein, "too cold" means exceedingly cold due to snowfall, hailstorms, and so on; the connection is made by bringing in "thus it was." "Too hot" means exceedingly hot due to the burning heat of the sun and so on; by both of these he states the basis for idleness by way of climate. "Too late in the evening" means too late in the evening due to the decline of the day; and here by the mention of evening, morning is also included; by both of these he states the basis for idleness by way of time. "Thus" means in this manner. By this he includes the basis for idleness stated beginning with "Here, monks, a monk has work to be done." "Those who abandon their work" means those who have given up their exertion and work. "Moments" means the opportunities for abiding by the holy life, beginning with the arising of a Buddha. "Pass by" means they pass beyond. "The young man" means beings. "Regards as no more than grass" means does not regard as above grass, regards as like grass; having overcome cold and heat, he does what should be done by himself. "Doing" means while doing. "A man's duties" means those things to be done by a heroic man, pertaining to one's own welfare and the welfare of others. "From happiness" means from happiness; the intention is from the happiness of Nibbāna. The meaning of the third verse has been stated above.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Mātaṅgaputta is finished.

6.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Khujjasobhita

234-236. "Those who are brilliant speakers, very learned" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Khujjasobhita. What is the origin? This one, it is said, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Blessed One going together with a large Community of monks, with a gladdened mind, praised him with ten verses. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in a brahmin family in the city of Pāṭaliputta. His name was "Sobhita." But because of being slightly humpbacked in nature, he became known as Khujjasobhita. He, having come of age, when the Teacher had attained final Nibbāna, having gone forth in the presence of the Elder Ānanda, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, at the time of the First Great Rehearsal, being commanded by the monastic community assembled at the Sattapaṇṇi Cave at Rājagaha saying "Address the Venerable Ānanda," having dived into the earth, having arisen before the Elder, having reported the message of the monastic community, he himself went first through the sky and reached the entrance of the Sattapaṇṇi Cave. And at that time a certain deity, sent by the host of gods for the purpose of warding off Māra and those belonging to Māra's retinue, was standing at the entrance of the Sattapaṇṇi Cave. To her, the Elder Khujjasobhita, telling of his arrival -

234.

Therein, "brilliant speakers" means variegated Teaching speakers; the meaning is those who are habitually disposed to teaching the Teaching in conformity with the dispositions of others by various methods such as summarising, elaborating, making profound, making clear, removing uncertainty, and establishing in the Teaching, and so on. "Very learned" means very learned through the fulfilment of great learning in the Scriptures and penetration. "Ascetics" because of having calmed evil in every respect. "Dwelling in Pāṭaliputta, one of them" means dwelling in Pāṭaliputta because of residing in the city of Pāṭaliputta; one of them; this venerable one is long-lived, the Venerable. "Stands at the door" means stands at the door of the Sattapaṇṇi Cave; the meaning is to enter with the permission of the monastic community. Having heard that, that deity, announcing the arrival of the Elder to the monastic community -

235.

"Those who are brilliant speakers, etc. stands at the door, stirred by the wind." She spoke the second verse.

Therein, "stirred by the wind" means stirred by the wind produced by the mind of supernormal power; the meaning is he came by the power of supernormal power.

Thus, having been given permission by the monastic community through the announcement of that deity, the Elder, going to the presence of the monastic community -

236.

By this third verse he declared the final liberating knowledge.

Therein, "by fighting well" means by fighting well against the mental defilements in the preliminary stage by way of abandoning through substitution of opposites and suppression. "By sacrificing well" means by the gift of suitable Teaching given now and then by good friends. "And by victory in battle" means and by the victory in battle obtained through the crushing of all mental defilements and volitional activities in every respect by way of abandoning through eradication. "By practising the holy life" means by the holy life of the highest path that was practised. "Thus this one thrives in happiness" means thus, in the way above explained, this Khujjasobhita thrives in, experiences, the happiness of Nibbāna and the happiness of fruition attainment - this is the meaning.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Khujjasobhita is finished.

7.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Vāraṇa

237-239. "Whoever among humans" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Vāraṇa. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, performing meritorious deeds in this and that existence, ninety-two cosmic cycles ago from now, even before the arising of the Blessed One Tissa, having been reborn in a brahmin family, having become one who had gone beyond the brahminical sciences and crafts, having gone forth in the going forth of sages, dwelt teaching the sacred texts to fifty-four thousand pupils. And at that time, by the descent of the Blessed One Tissa, who was the Bodhisatta, having passed away from the Tusita realm, into his mother's womb in his final existence, there was a great earthquake. Having seen that, the great multitude, frightened and agitated, having approached that sage, asked the cause of the earthquake. He, having explained that "The Great Bodhisatta has descended into his mother's womb; therefore this earthquake; therefore do not be afraid," thus having spoken of it as being an advanced sign of the arising of a Buddha, consoled them, and announced the rapture having the Buddha as its object. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in the Kosala country, having received the name "Vāraṇa," having come of age, having heard the Teaching in the presence of a certain forest-dwelling elder monk, having gained confidence, having gone forth, practises the ascetic duty. He, one day, while going to attend upon the Buddha, on the way, having seen a snake and a mongoose that had fought with each other and died, having become agitated in mind thinking "These beings have reached the destruction of life through mutual hostility," went to the Blessed One's presence. The Blessed One, having known the disposition of his mind, giving exhortation conforming with that -

237.

238.

239.

Therein, "whoever among humans" means among humans here, whoever - whether a warrior or a brahmin or a merchant or a worker or a householder or one gone forth. And here, the mention of humans should be seen as an illustration of superior beings. "Harms other living beings" means kills other beings and afflicts them. "From this world" means from this world here. "From the next" means from the world beyond. "From both falls to ruin" means falls from both; the meaning is one declines from the welfare and happiness included in both worlds. "Man" means a being.

Having thus shown the evil quality characterised by the oppression of others, now showing the wholesome quality characterised by the cessation of oppression of others, he spoke the second verse beginning with "but whoever with friendliness." Therein, "with a mind of friendliness" means with a mind associated with friendliness, whether one that has attained absorption or any other whatsoever. "Has compassion for all living beings" means one shows friendliness towards all living beings as if they were one's own legitimate sons. "Such a person indeed generates much merit" means that such a person who abides in friendliness generates, obtains, attains much, great, not trifling wholesome merit.

Now, urging him towards the mental states of serenity and insight meditation together with their constituents, he spoke the third verse beginning with "in well-spoken speech" and so on. Therein, "one should train in well-spoken speech" means one should train in the well-spoken Scriptures of such divisions as talk on fewness of wishes and so on, by way of hearing, retention, interrogation and so on. "And in the attendance upon ascetics" means one should train in approaching from time to time the ascetics who have calmed evil, the good friends, the lay followers, and in attending upon them and in conducting oneself near them in practice. "And in sitting alone in a secret place, and in the appeasement of the mind" means one who is alone, without a companion, developing bodily seclusion, should train in sitting, in the seated posture, in a secret place by way of the pursuit of the meditation subject. Thus, devoting oneself to the meditation subject and bringing meditation to its summit, one should train in the appeasement of the mind from mental defilements by way of eradication. By which trainings in higher morality and so on the mental defilements are absolutely allayed and abandoned, for one training in those trainings of the path and fruition, the mind is absolutely called allayed. At the conclusion of the verse, having developed insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Vāraṇa is finished.

8.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Vassika

240-242. "Even one with faith, wise" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Vassika. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, performing meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Atthadassī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, gave fruits of the wave-leafed fig tree. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in the Kosala country, having received the name "Vassika," having come of age, having seen the Twin Miracle of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth, practising the ascetic duty, became sick. Then his relatives, having attended on him with a method of medicine prescribed by a physician, made him well. He, having emerged from that illness, being stirred with a sense of urgency, having aroused zeal in meditation, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, having gone through the sky to the presence of his relatives, standing in the sky, having taught the Teaching, he established them in the refuges and in the precepts. Among them, some who had died, because of being established in the refuges and in the precepts, were reborn in heaven. Then the Teacher asked him, who had come to attend upon the Buddha, "How is the health of your relatives, Vassika?" He, relating to the Teacher the assistance done by himself for his relatives -

240.

241.

242.

He spoke three verses.

Therein, this is the meaning of the first verse - Whoever is faithful by way of faith in the fruit of action and faith in the Triple Gem, and for that very reason wise through the application of knowledge of the ownership of action and so on, righteous because of being established in the Teacher's teaching of exhortation and in the nine supramundane states, accomplished in morality by way of the morality of good conduct, path-morality, and fruition-morality, he, even one alone, among those who are faithless due to the absence of the aforesaid faith, here in this world, of relatives in the sense of being known as "these are ours," and likewise of kinsmen who have obtained the name "kinsmen" in the sense of binding through the bond of affection, is for the benefit and welfare of them.

Thus, in order to show by applying to oneself the meaning stated in common terms, the remaining verses were spoken beginning with "having restrained" and so on. Therein, "having restrained with compassion, my relatives were urged by me" means having rebuked them, saying "Even now you are in unfortunate states, not having done wholesome deeds, you will experience affliction again in the future," my relatives were exhorted by me. "With love for relatives and kinsmen" means through the affection that arose as "this is our kinsman," being unable to go beyond my exhortation because of that affection, having done service to the monks, having become those with confident minds, having made honour and respect to the monks through the giving of requisites such as robes and through attendance, they passed away and died, having departed from this world. "Puna te" is merely a particle. "The celestial abode of happiness" means happiness included in the world of the gods, or they attained the celestial abode, which is desirable happiness. He said "But who are they?" "My brothers and mother rejoice, those who desire sensual pleasures." The meaning is that they delight, having become endowed with sensual pleasures consisting of objects of desire as they wished.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Vassika is finished.

9.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Yasoja

243-245. "Resembling a black bamboo joint" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Yasoja. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Vipassī, having been reborn in a family of park keepers, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Blessed One Vipassī going through space, with a gladdened mind, gave a breadfruit.

He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn as the son of a fisherman who was the headman of five hundred families in a fishermen's village at the gate of the city of Sāvatthī; they gave him the name Yasoja. He, having come of age, together with his own companions who were fishermen's sons, cast a net in the river Aciravatī for the purpose of catching fish. Therein one great fish of golden colour entered inside the net. They showed it to King Pasenadi. The king, thinking "The Blessed One knows the reason for the colour of this golden-coloured fish," having had the fish taken, showed it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, having said "This one, having gone forth when the Dispensation of Kassapa, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, was declining, practising wrongly, having caused the Dispensation to decline, was reborn in hell, having been tormented in hell for one interval between Buddhas, having passed away from there, was reborn as a fish in the Aciravatī," and having had that very one tell of the state of his sisters being reborn in hell and the state of his brother elder monk having attained final Nibbāna, on this occasion taught the Kapila Discourse.

Having heard the Teacher's teaching, Yasoja, being stirred with a sense of urgency, together with his own companions, having gone forth in the presence of the Blessed One, dwelling in a suitable place, one day together with his following went to Jeta's Grove to pay homage to the Blessed One. Upon his arrival, there was loud noise and great noise in the monastery due to the preparation of lodgings and so on. Having heard that, "the Blessed One dismissed Yasoja together with his following" - all this should be understood according to the method that has come in the Udāna. But the Venerable Yasoja, having been dismissed, like a good thoroughbred horse struck by a whip, with an agitated mind, together with his following, dwelling on the bank of the river Vaggumudā, striving and endeavouring, having developed insight, during the rainy season itself became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But the Teacher, having summoned the Venerable Yasoja together with his following, who was now a possessor of the six higher knowledges, extended a friendly welcome with the imperturbable attainment. He lived having undertaken all the ascetic practices. On account of that his body was lean, rough, and discoloured; the Blessed One, praising him for his supreme fewness of wishes -

243.

Therein, "resembling a black bamboo joint" means having limbs resembling the joints of a tooth-stick creeper, due to the body parts being poorly formed and emaciated through the disappearance of the accumulation of flesh; therefore he said "emaciated, with veins spread over him." "Emaciated" means thin in body through the fulfilment of the practice of moral perfection. "With veins spread over him" means with body covered by veins, with body spread over by prominent tendons and sinews due to having little flesh and blood. "Moderate" means knowing the measure in seeking, accepting, consuming, and distributing. "With undepressed mind" means with mind not sluggish, with conduct not lazy, because of not being overcome by idleness and so on. "Man" means a person; the intention is that he is endowed with the characteristics of manliness, a man fit to bear the burden, because of bearing the burden of manliness.

Thus the elder, having been praised by the Teacher, in a manner befitting his praised state, teaching the Teaching to the monks by way of extolling his own endurance, patience, arousal of energy, and delight in seclusion -

244.

245.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "like an elephant at the head of battle" means just as a thoroughbred noble elephant, having endured the blows of swords, spears, lances, and so on on the battlefield, destroys the enemy army, so a monk in the forest in a great wood, in the wilderness, should endure the dangers of gadflies and so on, mindful and fully aware, and having endured, should destroy the force of Māra by the power of meditative development.

"As Brahmā" means just as Brahmā dwells alone, free from mental irritation, always happy through the happiness of meditative absorption, so "one alone" means a monk too, alone, without a companion, cultivating the happiness of seclusion, dwells in happiness. For it has been said: "The happiness of asceticism for one alone is sublime." By this he gives the exhortation that a monk who dwells alone is "equal to Brahmā." "As a god, so are two" means just as among the gods there might be mental irritation now and then, so in the living together of two monks there might also be friction; thus a monk living with a companion is said to be "equal to a god." "As a village, so are three" means in this very passage the intention is that the living together of three monks is similar to village life and is not a life of seclusion. "Beyond that is uproar" means the communal life of many beyond those three is uproar, similar to a gathering of a great multitude with loud noise and great noise; therefore the intention is that one should be a dweller alone.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Yasoja is finished.

10.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sāṭimattiya

246-248. "You had faith before" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Sāṭimattiya. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Siddhattha, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, gave a palm-leaf fan. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in the country of Magadha, having received the name Sāṭimattiya, having come of age, because of being accomplished in the supporting conditions, having gone forth in the presence of forest-dwelling monks, doing the work of insight, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, he exhorts and instructs monks, and having taught the Teaching to many beings, he established them in the refuges and in the precepts. And he made a certain faithless and undevoted family faithful and devoted. Because of that, the people in that family were devoted to the elder. There a certain girl, lovely and beautiful, carefully served the elder who had entered for almsfood with food. Then one day Māra, having thought "Thus this one's disgrace will increase, he will be without support," having gone in the form of the elder, seized that girl by the hand. The girl knew "This is not a human touch," and had her hand released. Having seen that, the household generated distrust towards the elder. On the following day, the elder, not reflecting upon that reason, went to that house. There the people showed disrespect. The elder, reflecting upon that reason, having seen the deed of Māra, having determined "Let a dog's carcass be fastened around his neck," having made Māra, who had approached for the purpose of being freed, confess the deed done on the previous day, having threatened him, dismissed him. Having seen that, the householder, having asked forgiveness saying "Forgive us, venerable sir, for the transgression," said "From this day forth, venerable sir, I myself shall attend upon you." The elder, teaching him the Teaching -

246.

247.

248.

He spoke three verses.

Therein, "you had faith before, that is not found in you today" means: lay follower, before this you had faith in me by way of "the noble one is a practiser of righteousness, a practiser of evenness" and so on; that faith of yours is not found in you now at present. Therefore "what is yours is yours alone" means the giving of the four requisites - let that be yours alone, I have no need of that; for the intention is that a gift should be given with a rightly devoted mind. Or alternatively, "what is yours is yours alone" means whatever disrespect towards me has occurred from you today, that is yours alone; its fruit is to be experienced by you alone, not by me. This is the meaning. "There is no misconduct of mine" means but there is no such thing as misconduct of mine, because the mental defilements that are the causes of misconduct have been utterly eradicated by the path itself.

"For faith is impermanent, unsteady" means because the faith of a worldling is impermanent, not absolute, and for that very reason unsteady, like a gourd placed on a horse's back, and like a small post buried in a heap of chaff, unsettled. "Thus indeed it has been seen by me" means and that faith, being thus, has been seen by me in you, known from direct experience. "They become attached and become detached" means because of its very unsettled nature, these beings sometimes somewhere, by way of association with a friend, become attached and even develop affection, and sometimes become detached and have dispassionate minds. "Therein what does the sage lose" means in that attachment and detachment of worldlings, what does the sage, the one gone forth, lose? What is his deterioration? This is the meaning.

Showing "Do not think thus: 'If you do not accept my requisites, how will you sustain yourselves?'" he spoke the verse beginning with "is cooked." Its meaning is: the food of the sage, the one gone forth, is cooked from family to family, from house to house, day after day, little by little, and not only in your house. "I shall walk for almsfood, I have strength in my legs" means I have strength in my legs; I am not one with broken legs, nor lame, nor afflicted with a foot disease; therefore I shall walk for almsfood, for mixed alms; he shows that having walked for almsfood according to the method stated by the Teacher beginning with "just as a bee with a flower," I shall sustain myself.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sāṭimattiya is finished.

11.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Upāli

249-251. "Having gone forth through faith" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Upāli. What is the origin? This one too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, one day, while hearing the Teacher's Teaching, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain monk in the foremost position among experts in monastic discipline, having performed the preparatory action, he aspired to that position of rank. He, having done wholesome deeds for as long as life lasted, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, took conception in a barber's house; they gave him the name Upāli. He, having come of age, having become the barber of the six warriors beginning with Anuruddha, when the Tathāgata was dwelling in the Anupiya mango grove, having gone forth together with the six warriors who were going forth for the purpose of ordination, he went forth. The procedure of his going forth has come in the canonical text itself.

He, having gone forth and been fully ordained, having taken a meditation subject in the Teacher's presence, said "Venerable sir, allow me dwelling in the forest." "Monk, for you dwelling in the forest, only one charge will grow; but for one dwelling near us, both the charge of scriptural study and the charge of insight will be fulfilled." The elder, having accepted the Teacher's word, doing the work of insight, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

For the purpose of confessing my transgression, I approached the Self-Become One.

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

For there the Teacher himself taught him the entire Canon of monastic discipline. He afterwards judged these three cases: the Bhārukacchaka case, the Ajjuka case, and the Kumārakassapa case. The Teacher, having given applause at each judgment, making those three judgments the occasion, established the Elder in the foremost position of those who are experts in monastic discipline. He afterwards, on a certain Observance day, at the time of the recitation of the Pātimokkha, exhorting the monks -

249.

250.

251.

Therein, "through faith" means on account of faith, not for the purpose of livelihood - this is the meaning. Or "through faith" means having believed in the fruits of action and the virtues of the Triple Gem. "Having gone forth" means having gone out from the household life. "Newly ordained" means having become new, one who has gone forth; one who has gone forth in the first stage of life itself. "A novice" means one who is new and young in the training in the Dispensation. "One should associate with good friends, those of pure livelihood, not lazy" means one should associate with, should approach, good friends possessing the characteristics stated beginning with "dear, respected, esteemed"; those of pure livelihood through the avoidance of wrong livelihood; those not lazy through putting forth strenuous energy; one should attend upon them by way of receiving their exhortation and instruction. "Dwelling in the Community" means dwelling in the Community, in the assembly of monks, by way of fulfilling all kinds of duties. "Being wise, should train in the monastic discipline" means having become well skilled in the knowledge of understanding, one should train in the scriptural learning of the monastic discipline. For the monastic discipline is the life span of the Dispensation; when it stands, the Dispensation stands. Some also read "buddho"; the meaning is the same. "In what is allowable and not allowable" means skilled in what is allowable and what is not allowable, subtle and clever by way of the rule and by way of conformity with the rule. "Without being led" means not being led by craving and so on, not expecting honour from any quarter whatsoever, one should dwell.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Upāli is finished.

12.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Uttarapāla

252-254. "Indeed, though I was wise" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Uttarapāla. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit in this and that existence, had a bridge built on the path of departure of the Blessed One Vipassī. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthī, having received the name "Uttarapāla," having come of age, having seen the Twin Miracle, having gained faith, having gone forth, practises the ascetic duty. One day, through unwise attention, as he was recollecting a previously experienced object, sensual lust arose in him. He, at that very moment, as if seizing a thief caught in the act, having restrained his own mind, being stirred with a sense of urgency, having suppressed the mental defilements by attention to the opposite, doing the work of insight, having aroused zeal in meditation, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed his own practice, roaring a lion's roar -

252.

253.

254.

He spoke three verses.

Therein, "indeed, though I was wise" means me who was accomplished in wisdom by the power of wisdom born of learning and reflection. "Fully capable of considering what is beneficial" means capable of considering the benefit and welfare of oneself and others; or one who has fully learnt, a considerer of the meaning; or one capable of destroying the mental defilements, a seer of the meaning - all this the elder says because of being one in his final existence. "The five types of sensual pleasure" means the five portions of sensual pleasure beginning with forms. "In the world" is showing the place of their occurrence. "Through confusion" means the sign of confusion, the cause of unwise attention. Or "through confusion" means confusing, causing confusion. "Made me fall" means they made the wise one fall from his steadfast state; or the meaning is they made me fall in the world, me who wished to rise above the world.

"Having sprung forward" means having entered into. "Into Māra's domain" means into the domain of mental defilements, the place where the Māra of mental defilements operates; the intention is that one has come under his control. Or having entered into and standing in the place of sovereignty of the Māra who is a son of a god. "Equipped with a firm dart" means firm, steady; or equipped with a firm dart, pierced having struck the heart with the dart of lust. "I was able to free myself from the snare of the King of Death" means by the pincers of the highest path, while pulling out completely the dart of lust and so on, I was able to be released from the snares of the King of Death, reckoned as the bondage of lust; from that I freed myself.

And precisely because of that, "all sensual pleasures have been abandoned by me, all existences have been destroyed" means all defilement sensual pleasures, divided into many distinctions by the distinction of basis, object, and so on, have been abandoned by me by way of eradication through the noble path. For when defilement sensual pleasures have been abandoned, object sensual pleasures too are indeed abandoned. Likewise, all existences such as sensual existence, kammic becoming, and so on have been destroyed and demolished by the sword of path knowledge. For when kammic becomings have been destroyed, the becomings of rebirth are indeed destroyed. Thus, precisely because of the destruction of kammic becomings, the cycle of birth and wandering is eliminated, there is now no more rebirth. Its meaning has been stated above. And this itself was the elder's declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Uttarapāla is finished.

13.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Abhibhūta

255-257. "Listen, all you relatives" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Abhibhūta. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Vessabhū, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, through dependence on such a good friend, became devoted to the Dispensation. He, when the Teacher had attained final Nibbāna, while the great assembly was making an endeavour to collect his relics, himself before all others extinguished the funeral pyre with scented water. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a royal family in the city of Veṭhapura, having received the name "Abhibhūta," after his father's passing, exercised kingship. And at that time, the Blessed One, wandering on a journey through the country, gradually arrived at that city. Then that king, having heard "The Blessed One, it is said, has arrived at my city," having gone to the Teacher's presence, having heard the Teaching, on the second day carried on a great gift. The Blessed One, having finished eating, while giving thanksgiving suited to the disposition of that king, taught the Teaching in detail. He, having heard the Teaching, having gained confidence, having abandoned the kingdom, having gone forth, realised arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But when he, having attained arahantship, was dwelling in the bliss of liberation, his relatives, ministers, councillors, citizens and country-folk - all having assembled together, lamented "Venerable sir, why have you gone forth making us destitute?" The Elder, having seen those people lamenting with relatives at the head, speaking the Teaching to them by way of explaining the reason for his own going forth -

255.

256.

257.

Therein, "listen" means attend; the meaning is "now, with ears inclined, reflect upon what is being said by me by following the ear-door." "Relatives" is a term of address to all of them with relatives at the head; therefore he said "all, as many as are assembled here"; the meaning is as many as, however many, are at this assembly here, or have assembled on account of my going forth.

Now, with reference to which the word of command to hear "listen" was made, having promised that "I will teach you the Teaching," he began to teach beginning with "painful is birth again and again." Therein, "painful is birth again and again" means this birth is painful because of being the foundation of manifold suffering of the kind beginning with that rooted in conception in the womb and of the kind beginning with ageing. That, occurring again and again, is exceedingly painful.

But showing that effort should be made for the purpose of overcoming that birth, he said beginning with "begin." Therein, "begin" means make the energy termed the element of instigation. "Go forth" means, because of having gone out from the side of idleness, make the further energy termed the element of persistence. "Engage in the Buddha's teaching" means since for those established in these qualities - restraint by morality, guarding the doors of the sense faculties, moderation in eating, and mindfulness and full awareness - the elements of instigation and persistence succeed by way of the pursuit of wakefulness, therefore, being thus, be properly engaged in the Blessed One's Dispensation, which is termed serenity and insight meditation, or which is termed the training in higher morality and so on. "Shake off the army of Death, as an elephant a hut made of reeds" means thus practising, that which is termed the army of the King of Death, the lord of the three elements, who leads beings under his control - that which is weak and feeble - just as an elephant possessed of strength and power destroys in a moment a house made of reeds, even so shake off, destroy, demolish the host of mental defilements - this is the meaning.

But showing that for one making effort in the Buddha's teaching, the transcendence of the suffering of birth is definite, he spoke the third verse beginning with "whoever in this." That is easily understood.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Abhibhūta is concluded.

14.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Gotama

258-260. "Wandering" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Gotama. What is the origin? This one, it is said, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, performing meritorious deeds in this and that existence, when the Blessed One Sikhī had attained final Nibbāna, while gods and humans were venerating his funeral pyre, venerated the funeral pyre with eight champaka flowers. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in the Sakyan royal family, having received the name marked by his clan alone as "Gotama," having come of age, having gained faith at the Teacher's gathering of relatives, having gone forth, doing the work of insight, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, dwelling in the bliss of liberation, one day, when asked by relatives "Why, venerable sir, having abandoned us, did you go forth?" making known both the suffering experienced by himself in the round of rebirths and the happiness of Nibbāna now attained -

258.

259.

260.

With three verses he taught them the Teaching.

Therein, "wandering" means wandering in the beginningless round of rebirths, wandering again and again in the five destinations by way of passing away and rebirth through action and mental defilements - this is the meaning. "Hi" is merely a particle. "I went to hell" means I approached by way of conception the eightfold great hell beginning with Sañjīva, and the sixteenfold minor hell beginning with Kukkuḷa. "Again and again" should be brought here as well. "The realm of ghosts" means the sphere of ghosts, the individual existence as a ghost distinguished by hunger, thirst, and so on - this is the meaning. "I went" means I approached by way of conception, I was reborn. "Again and again" means repeatedly. "In suffering too" means even though it was difficult to bear with the sufferings of being struck by sharp whips, goads, and so on mutually. For this is said by way of change of gender as "in suffering too." "In the animal realm" means in the animal realm distinguished by deer, birds, and so on. "In many ways indeed" means in many kinds and many times - as camels, oxen, donkeys, and so on, and as crows, cranes, hawks, and so on - for a long time, a long stretch of time, I dwelt, constantly experiencing suffering by way of a terrified mind and so on. Here "long" is said for the purpose of showing that a being reborn in the animal realm, due to great delusion, revolves again and again right there for a further long time.

"And human existence was attained" means human existence was attained, accomplished, and obtained by me through the combination of such wholesome action. The Simile of the Blind Turtle Sutta should be cited here. "I went to the heavenly assembly again and again" means I went, by way of being reborn from time to time, to the group of sensual-sphere gods reckoned as the heavenly destination, again and again. "In the fine-material sphere elements" means in fine-material existences ending with the highest existence of a worldling; "in the immaterial sphere elements" means in immaterial existences. "Among those neither percipient nor non-percipient, and among the non-percipient I stood established" means in the fine-material and immaterial sphere elements, not only among percipient beings, but also having been reborn and established among neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient beings and among non-percipient beings - "by me" should be brought in and connected. By the inclusion of "neither percipient," the neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient existence is here taken. Even if these two existences are included by the inclusion of the fine-material and immaterial sphere elements alone, yet those outsiders who hold the perception of permanence and the perception of deliverance through existence therein - it should be seen that they are taken separately for the purpose of showing the wrong nature of that perception of theirs.

Thus, having shown with two verses his own experience of the suffering of the round of rebirths in the beginningless cycle of existence due to the unbroken continuity of the root of becoming, now showing the experience of the happiness of the end of the round of rebirths through the cutting off of that, he spoke the third verse beginning with "comings into being." Therein, "comings into being" means existences. For sensual existence and so on indeed come into being through the combination of causes and conditions - thus here they are called "comings into being." "Well understood" means well understood by path wisdom together with insight wisdom. "Coreless" and so on is the showing of the manner in which they were understood. Therein, "coreless" means devoid of the substance of permanence and other such substances. "Conditioned" means made by conditions having come together and combined. "Shaken" means because of being conditioned, shaken by arising, ageing, and so on in their various modes, unsettled. "Set in motion" means always, at all times, set in motion by dissolution; the meaning is short-lived, tending towards dissolution, perishable. "Having known that, of great self-origination" means having known that aforesaid conditioned nature as self-originated, arisen within oneself, dependent on oneself, not dependent on others by way of a creator and so on, by way of the full realisation of full understanding, I, having become mindful through the mindfulness of path wisdom, attained, reached that which is its opposite, peace itself, Nibbāna itself, arrived at through the development of the noble path. Thus the elder, by way of teaching the Dhamma to his relatives, declared the final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Gotama is completed.

15.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Hārita

261-263. "He who formerly should be done" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Hārita. What is the origin? This one too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, when the Teacher had attained final Nibbāna, when the offering at his funeral pyre was being made, made an offering with fragrance. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthī, having received the name "Hārita," having come of age, in dependence on the conceit of birth, addressed others with the term 'outcast'. He, having gone to the presence of the monks, having heard the Teaching, having gained faith, even though he had gone forth, because of long familiarity, did not give up the behaviour of calling others outcasts. Then one day, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, with a sense of urgency arisen, having established insight, investigating the course of his own consciousness, having seen that it was seized by conceit and restlessness, having abandoned that, having aroused zeal in insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a Worthy One, experiencing the bliss of liberation, he declared the final liberating knowledge by way of giving exhortation to the monks with three verses beginning with "He who formerly should be done." Their meaning has been stated above.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Hārita is completed.

16.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Vimala

264-266. "Evil friends" is the verse of the Venerable Elder Vimala. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, when the Teacher had attained final Nibbāna, after the days of sacred festivities had passed, while the lay followers were going to the cremation place having taken the Teacher's body, having reflected upon the Teacher's virtues, with a gladdened mind, made an offering with jasmine flowers. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in Bārāṇasī, having received the name Vimala, having come of age, in dependence on the Elder Somamitta, having gone forth in the Dispensation, encouraged by him, having established insight, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, giving exhortation to his own friend, a monk -

264.

265.

266.

He spoke three verses.

Therein, "evil friends" means bad friends, bad persons, those of inferior energy. "Having avoided" means having avoided them from afar by way of not associating with them. "One should associate with the highest person" means one should attend upon a good person, a wise person, a good friend, by way of receiving exhortation and instruction. "And one should stand firm in his exhortation" means one should stand firm in this good friend's exhortation and admonition by way of practising in accordance with the advice. "Aspiring" means wishing for. "Unshakeable happiness" means the happiness of Nibbāna and the happiness of fruition. For that too is called "unshakeable" because of its unshakeable nature. The remainder has the meaning already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Vimala is completed.

The commentary on the Book of Threes is concluded.

4.

The Book of the Fours

1.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nāgasamāla

267-270. "Adorned" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Nāgasamāla. What is the origin? This one too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, in the summer season, having seen the Teacher going on ground scorched by the heat of the sun, with a gladdened mind, gave an umbrella. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in the Sakyan royal family, having received the name Nāgasamāla, having come of age, having gained faith at the gathering of relatives, having gone forth, was for some time an attendant of the Blessed One. He, one day, having entered the city for almsfood, having seen a certain dancing girl, adorned and prepared, dancing on the highway while musical instruments were being played, thinking "This material body turned this way and that by the diffusion of the air element through the activity of consciousness - alas, impermanent are activities!" - having established contemplation of destruction and passing away, having aroused zeal in insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship -

267.

268.

269.

270.

With four verses he declared final liberating knowledge by way of praising his own practice.

Therein, "adorned" means one whose body is decorated with ornaments such as hand-ornaments and so on. "Well-dressed" means beautifully dressed, clothed in beautiful garments. "Garlanded" means wearing garlands, bedecked with flower garlands. "Full of sandalwood" means one whose body is anointed with sandalwood unguent. "In the middle of the highway, a woman, a dancing girl dances to music" means in the aforesaid place, one woman, a dancing girl, an actress, dances in the middle of the city street while the five-part musical ensemble is being played; she performs the dance as it was arranged.

"For almsfood" means for alms. "Having entered" means I having entered the city. "Going I looked at her" means going along the city street, looking along the street for the purpose of avoiding dangers, I looked at that dancing girl. Like what? "Like a snare of Death laid out" means just as form and so on, which has become a snare of Death, of the King of Death, laid out, having wandered about in the world and remained, is assuredly bringing harm to beings, so too she is said to be similar to a snare of Death because she assuredly brings harm to blind worldlings who remain without reflection.

"Then" means therefore, because of being similar to a snare of Death. "Me" means for me (mayhaṃ). "Wise attention arose" means thus wise attention arose: "This is a collection of bones, bound together by sinews, smeared with flesh, covered by skin, repulsive with impurity, bad smell, and loathsomeness, subject to impermanence, rubbing, massaging, breaking up, and destruction - it will display such changes." "Danger became manifest" means thus, by way of ascertaining the intrinsic nature of the body, and while attending to the rise and fall and the momentary dissolution of consciousness and mental factors dependent on it, and when these presented themselves as fearful like demons and goblins and so on, therein the danger of many kinds, the fault, became manifest to me. And as the opposite of that, the benefit in Nibbāna. "Disenchantment was established" means the knowledge of disenchantment, the disenchanting accomplished through the power of the contemplation of danger, was established in my heart; not even for a moment was there a mind for grasping those material and immaterial phenomena; on the contrary, by way of the desire for release and so on, it became merely indifferent towards them - this is the meaning.

"Thereupon" means after the insight knowledge. "My mind was liberated" means while the supramundane meditation was occurring, by the succession of paths, my mind was liberated from all mental defilements. By this he shows the arising of fruition. For at the moment of the path, mental defilements become liberated, at the moment of fruition they are liberated. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Nāgasamāla is concluded.

2.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Bhagu

271-274. "I, by torpor" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Bhagu. What is the origin? This one, it is said, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, when the Teacher had attained final Nibbāna, venerated his relics with flowers. He, by that meritorious action, having been reborn among the Nimmānaratī gods, wandering again and again among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in the Sakyan royal family, having received the name "Bhagu," having come of age, having gone forth together with Anuruddha and Kimila, having gone forth, dwelling in the village of Bālakaloṇaka, one day, in order to dispel the overcoming of sloth and torpor, having come out from the dwelling, ascending the walking path, having fallen, having made that very thing his goad, having dispelled sloth and torpor, having developed insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, spending his time in the happiness of fruition and the happiness of Nibbāna, when the Teacher had approached to give thanks for his solitary dwelling - being asked "Are you, monk, dwelling diligently?" making known his own dwelling in diligence -

271.

272.

273.

274.

He spoke these four verses.

Therein, "overcome by torpor" means overpowered by torpor, which is reckoned as bodily laziness, having the intrinsic nature of lack of energy and vexation. "From the dwelling" means from the lodging. "Went out" means I went out to walk up and down. "Right there I fell to the ground" means right there on the steps of the walking path, through being overcome by sleep, I fell down on the ground. "Having rubbed my limbs" means having wiped down one's own bodily parts that had become soiled with dust from the falling on the ground. "Having ascended the walking path again" means without falling into contraction thinking "I have now fallen," having climbed up to the walking place once again. "Internally well concentrated" means the explanation is: having become well concentrated with a fully focused mind through the suppression of the mental hindrances in the meditation subject within the resort of one's own domain, he walked up and down. The remainder is according to the method already stated. And this itself was the elder's declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Bhagu is concluded.

3.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sabhiya

275-278. "Others" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Sabhiya. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Kakusandha, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher going for the day residence, with a gladdened mind, gave sandals. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, when the Blessed One Kassapa had attained final Nibbāna and a golden shrine had been established, being the seventh himself together with six sons of good family, having gone forth in the Dispensation, having taken a meditation subject, while dwelling in the forest, being unable to produce a distinction, said to the others - "We, going for almsfood, are concerned about life, and it is not possible for one concerned about life to attain the supramundane Teaching; and death as a worldling is suffering. Come, let us, having tied a ladder, having ascended a mountain, without longing for body and life, practise the ascetic duty." They did so.

Then their great elder, because of being endowed with decisive support, on that very day, having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, brought almsfood from Uttarakuru. The others - "You, venerable sir, have done what was to be done; even mere conversation with you is an obstruction; we shall practise only the ascetic duty; you devote yourself to the pleasant abiding in the present life" - having said this, they rejected the almsfood. The elder, being unable to make them accept, departed.

Thereupon one of them, after the elapse of two or three days, having realised the fruition of non-returning together with the retinue of direct knowledges, having spoken in the same way, being rejected by them, departed. Among them, the elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions attained final Nibbāna; the non-returner arose in the Pure Abodes. The others, having died as worldlings, having experienced divine success in forward and reverse order in the six sensual heavens, in the time of our Blessed One, having passed away from the heavenly world, one took conception in a Malla royal family, one in a Gandhāra royal family, one in a foreign country, one took conception in the womb of a certain young woman of good family at Rājagaha. The other took conception in the womb of a certain female wandering ascetic. She, it is said, was the daughter of a certain warrior; her mother and father - "Let our daughter learn another doctrine" - handed her over to a certain wandering ascetic. Then one wandering ascetic committed sin together with her. She conceived an embryo by him. Having seen her pregnant, the wandering ascetics drove her out. She, going elsewhere, gave birth on the road in a rest-house. On account of that she gave him the name "Sabhiya." He, having grown up, having gone forth into the going forth of a wandering ascetic, having learnt various scriptures, having become a great debater, wandering about engaged in debate, not seeing anyone equal to himself, having had a hermitage built at the city gate, teaching crafts to warrior princes and others, while dwelling there, his mother, having been disgusted with the state of being a woman, having produced meditative absorption, having been reborn in the Brahma world, having prepared and given twenty questions, having taken them, he asked those various ascetics and brahmins. And they were not able to explain the meaning of those questions to him. But in the commentary on the Sabhiya Sutta it has come thus: "A Pure Abode Brahmā, having prepared those questions, gave them."

But when the Blessed One, having set in motion the excellent wheel of the Teaching, having come gradually to Rājagaha, dwelt at the Bamboo Grove, then Sabhiya, having gone there, having approached the Teacher, asked those questions. The Teacher answered those questions for him - all this should be understood according to the method given in the Sabhiya Sutta. But Sabhiya, when those questions had been answered by the Blessed One, having gained faith, having gone forth, having established insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a Worthy One, when Devadatta was striving for schism in the Community, giving exhortation to the monks who were supporters of Devadatta -

275.

276.

277.

278.

He taught the Teaching with four verses.

Therein, "others" means setting aside the wise, the others apart from them - Those engaged in contention by way of illustrating matters making for schism beginning with "what is not the Teaching is the Teaching" and "what is the Teaching is not the Teaching" are called "others." They, making contention therein, do not know "we are perishing, we are ceasing, we are being destroyed, we are constantly, continuously going near to Death." "Those who understand this" means those who are wise therein - They understand "we are going near to Death." "Thereby their quarrels are appeased" means for thus knowing, having aroused wise attention, they proceed towards the appeasement of quarrels and disputes. Then by that practice of theirs, those quarrels are appeased. Or alternatively, "others" means those who, by not accepting the Teacher's exhortation and instruction, are outsiders to the Dispensation - they are "others." So long as they do not understand "We, having taken up a wrong grasp, here in this world are perishing, striving by the suppression of the Dispensation," so long contentions are not appeased. But when, by way of the relinquishing of that grasp, those who therein among those engaged in contention understand as it really is what is not the Teaching and the Teaching and so on, from what is not the Teaching and the Teaching and so on, then from their presence, in dependence on those wise persons, the quarrels reckoned as contentions are appeased. Thus the meaning here should be understood.

"When" means at whatever time. "Not understanding" means not knowing the means for the appeasement of contention, or not knowing as they really are what is the Teaching and what is not the Teaching. "Behave as if immortal" means as if immortal, as if having surpassed ageing and death, having become agitated, arrogant, fickle, garrulous, and of loose speech, they exist, they walk, they wander about - then the contention is simply not appeased. "But those who understand the Teaching, are free from affliction among the afflicted" means those who know as it really is the Teaching of the Teacher's Dispensation, they dwell free from affliction, free from mental defilements, free from trouble, among beings afflicted by the disease of mental defilements. By their influence, the contention is absolutely appeased - this is the intention.

"Whatever lax action" means whatever wholesome action done with slackness, having made a loose grip through performing with sluggishness. "Defiled" means the taking up of a religious vow defiled by frequenting improper resorts such as prostitutes and so on, or by wrong livelihood beginning with scheming. "Suspicious" means to be remembered with suspicions; having heard something improper in the monastery - that should not be suspected by others as "surely this was done by such and such a one"; having seen the Community assembled even on account of a certain function among the Observance ceremony functions and so on, thinking "Certainly these, having known my conduct, have assembled wishing to suspend me" - thus remembered with one's own suspicions, suspected and doubted. "That is not" means that holy life of such a kind, the practising of the ascetic's duties, is not of great fruit for that person. Precisely because it is not of great fruit for him, it is also not of great fruit for those who give him requisites. Therefore one should be of austere practice. The intention is that for one of austere practice there is simply no opportunity for contention.

"Respect is not found" means for whatever person there is no respect, no honouring, towards fellow monks in the holy life who should be respected, through the state of not receiving instruction respectfully. "He is far from the Good Teaching" means such a person is far from the Good Teaching of practice and also from the Good Teaching of penetration; for teachers do not train him, and not being trained, paying no heed, he does not proceed; not proceeding, how will he penetrate the truths? Therefore he said - "He is far from the Good Teaching." Like what? "As the sky from the earth" means just as the sky, space, is far from the earth, the solid element, by intrinsic nature. Never is there a state of being mixed. Therefore he said -

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sabhiya is concluded.

4.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nandaka

279-282. "Shame on you" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Nandaka. What is the origin? This one too, it is said, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been a millionaire of great wealth in the city of Haṃsavatī, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain monk in the foremost position among exhorters of nuns, having aspired to that position of rank, having venerated the Blessed One with a cloth worth a hundred thousand, he made an aspiration, and he also carried on a lamp offering at the Teacher's Bodhi tree. He, thenceforth wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in the time of the Blessed One Kakusandha, having become an Indian cuckoo, chirping a sweet song, circumambulated the Teacher. Afterwards, having become a peacock, at the door of the dwelling cave of a certain Individually Enlightened One, with a gladdened mind, day after day he uttered a sweet cry three times. Thus, having performed meritorious deeds here and there, in the time of our Blessed One, having been reborn in a family home in Sāvatthī, having received the name "Nandaka," having come of age, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth, having developed insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a Worthy One, spending his time in the bliss of liberation, being commanded by the Teacher for the exhortation of nuns, on a certain Observance day, he brought five hundred nuns to arahantship by a single exhortation alone. Therefore the Blessed One established him in the foremost position among exhorters of nuns. Then one day, a certain former wife, having looked at the elder walking for almsfood in Sāvatthī under the influence of defilements, laughed. The elder, having seen that action of hers, speaking the Teaching by way of making clear the repulsiveness of the body -

279.

280.

281.

282.

Therein, "dhī" is an indeclinable particle in the sense of disgust; "ratthū" - the letter "ra" serves as a word-connector; the meaning is: fie on you, I loathe you, may contempt be upon you. "Pūre" and so on are terms of address illustrating her contemptible nature. "Pūre" means completely filled with exceedingly loathsome various corpse-like things and various kinds of impurities. "Duggandhe" means of foul odour by intrinsic nature, precisely because of being filled with corpse-like matter. "Mārapakkhe" means because a disagreeable object, by serving as the basis for unwise attention in blind worldlings, increases the Māra of mental defilements, and gives an opportunity entered upon to the Māra who is a son of a god. Therefore it is on Māra's side. For that reason it was said "on Māra's side." "Avassute" means filled with desire through the constant flowing of mental defilements and through the discharge of impurities here and there. Now "nine streams in your body, which flow always" shows the place of discharge of impurity stated by the method beginning with "from the eye, eye-filth."

But thus, knowing as it really is the body with nine openings, constantly flowing, filled with impurity - "do not imagine the old" means do not imagine the laughter, talk, and play that occurred during the former time of not knowing; do not think "even now he will behave thus." "Do not insult the Tathāgatas" means just as the former disciples of the Buddha came through the achievement of decisive support, or just as they went forth and practised through right practice, and just as they arrived at, attained, and understood the true characteristic of material and immaterial phenomena and the noble truths regarding the true phenomena - "these too likewise" - thus, despising the Tathāgatas, the noble disciples, in the meaning of "thus come" and so on, as though they were ordinary beings, and approaching them under the power of mental defilements - do not insult them. He states the reason for their not being to be insulted. "Even in heaven they find no pleasure, how much less then in human pleasures" means even in heaven, whose happiness cannot be brought to completion by description even by an omniscient Buddha, those enlightened as noble disciples find no pleasure; because the danger in activities has been well seen, they do not generate lust; how much less then in human types of sensual pleasure, which are like a heap of excrement - there is nothing at all to be said about their not finding pleasure there.

"Ye ca kho" means those who are foolish through the practice of folly, imprudent through the absence of wisdom nourished by the Teaching, ill-counselled through wrongly devised thinking by way of observing beauty in the unattractive, wrapped in delusion through the state of consciousness being altogether concealed by delusion and not knowing - such blind worldlings of that kind, there in that which is designated as a woman, in the snare cast by Māra, in the trap laid by Māra, they find pleasure - they remain lustful, greedy, bound, infatuated, and immersed.

"Virājitā" means for those who have eliminated the mental corruptions, lust whose intrinsic nature is difficult to remove like the dye of oil-collyrium, hate whose intrinsic nature is to corrupt when it has gained an opportunity like a foe, and ignorance whose intrinsic nature is not knowing - these have been altogether faded away, abandoned, and eradicated through the dispassion of the noble path; such ones, with the thread of craving for existence cut by the knife of the highest path, and for that very reason unfettered because of the absence of bondage anywhere - they find no pleasure there in that aforesaid snare of Māra. Thus the elder, having taught the Teaching to that woman, departed.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Nandaka is completed.

5.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Jambuka

283-286. The verses of the Venerable Elder Jambuka beginning with "Fifty-five." What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Tissa, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, having faith in the Teacher's perfect enlightenment, having paid homage to the Bodhi tree, he venerated it with a fan. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, having gone forth in the Dispensation, having become a resident in a monastery built by a certain lay follower, he dwells being attended upon by him. Then one day a certain elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions, wearing coarse robes, was coming from the forest facing towards the village for the purpose of having his hair removed; having seen him, that lay follower, having become confident in his deportment, having had his hair and beard shaved off by a barber, having fed him with sumptuous food, having given him beautiful robes, saying "Dwell right here, venerable sir," made him dwell there. Having seen that, the resident, overcome by jealousy and stinginess, said to the elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions - "Better for you, monk, than dwelling here thus being attended upon by this evil lay follower, would be to pull out your hair with your fingers, being naked, living on a diet of excrement and urine." And having said thus, at that very moment, having entered the toilet, as if serving up milk-rice, having kneaded and kneaded excrement with his hand, he ate as much as he liked, and drank urine. Having remained in this manner as long as life lasted, having died, having been tormented in hell, again having lived on a diet of excrement and urine, by the remainder of the result of that very action, even though reborn among humans, for five hundred births he became a Jain and was one who fed on excrement.

Again, in this arising of a Buddha, even though being reborn in a human womb, by the power of having insulted a noble one, having been reborn in a poor family, when being given breast milk or cow's milk or ghee to drink, having rejected that, he drank only urine; when being fed cooked rice, having rejected that, he ate only excrement. Thus growing up by the consumption of excrement and urine, even when he had come of age, he consumed that very same thing. People, being unable to prevent him from that, abandoned him. He, abandoned by his relatives, having gone forth into the naked going forth, does not bathe, wearing dust and dirt, having pulled out his hair and beard, having rejected the other postures, stands on one foot, does not consent to an invitation, having determined a monthly fast, food given by those desirous of merit he takes once a month with the tip of a blade of kusa grass and licks it with the tip of his tongue during the day; but at night, thinking "Wet excrement contains living beings," not eating that, he eats only dry excrement. As he was doing thus, fifty-five years had passed, and the great multitude, thinking "He is of great austerity and supremely of few wishes," slanting towards that and sloping towards that, became devoted to him.

Then the Blessed One, having seen the decisive support for arahantship blazing within his heart like a lamp inside a pot, himself having gone there, having taught the Teaching, having established him in the fruition of stream-entry, having given him full ordination by the "Come, monk" ordination, having aroused zeal in insight, established him in arahantship. This is the summary here. But the detail should be understood according to the method stated in the commentary on the verse "Month after month with the tip of kusa grass" in the Dhammapada. But having become established in arahantship, at the time of final Nibbāna, showing "What is to be attained by a disciple in dependence on the Fully Self-Enlightened One has been attained by me, even though I practised wrongly from the very beginning" -

283.

284.

285.

286.

He spoke these four verses.

Therein, "for fifty-five years, I bore dust and dirt" means by undertaking naked asceticism, through rejecting bathing, for fifty years plus five, I bore on my body dust, reckoned as external particles stuck to the body, and dirt, reckoned as bodily stain. "Eating a monthly meal" means eating excrement at night, for the purpose of deceiving the world, having become a so-called monthly faster, eating food given by those desirous of merit once each month by way of touching it to the tip of the tongue; "I plucked out" means by the throwing in of such ashes, I caused the hair and beard, loosened at the roots, to be plucked out with the fingers.

"I stood on one foot, I avoided sitting" means I avoided sitting, the seated posture, in every respect altogether; and while standing, having raised both hands, I stood on just one foot. "Uddesa" means invitation. Some say "udissakata" (specially prepared). "Did not consent" means I did not accept, I rejected - this is the meaning.

"Having done such, leading to many bad destinations" means having done and generated such, of such a kind, much evil action producing results and leading to bad destinations, in former births and here. "Being carried along by the great flood" means being dragged towards the ocean of misery by the great flood beginning with the flood of sensuality, especially by the flood of views; "I went to the Buddha for refuge" means through such a gap in meritorious action, having obtained human existence with difficulty, now by the power of merit I approached the Buddha as "refuge," with unwavering confidence thinking "The Blessed One is the Fully Self-Enlightened One," I gained confidence in the Teacher. "See the going for refuge, see the excellence of the Teaching as Teaching" means see my going for refuge that has reached its plane, and see the excellence of the Teaching of the Dispensation, in that even though I had thus wrongly practised, I was brought to such achievement by the Teacher through a single exhortation alone. By "the three true knowledges" and so on, he shows that achievement; therefore he said -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Jambuka is concluded.

6.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Senaka

287-290. "Indeed welcome" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Senaka. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Sikhī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, venerated the Blessed One with a peacock-feather fan. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family, was reborn in the womb of the sister of the Elder Uruvelakassapa. His name was Senaka Tissa. He, having come of age, having attained accomplishment in the brahminical sciences and crafts, lived the household life. And at that time, the great multitude, year after year, in the month of Phagguṇa, on the Uttaraphagguṇa constellation, experiencing a festival, performed the ceremonial ablution at the ford at Gayā. Therefore they call that festival "Gayā-Phaggu." Then the Blessed One, on such a festival day, out of compassion for those accessible to instruction, dwelt near the ford at Gayā, and the great multitude too, with the intention of the ceremonial ablution at the ford, approached that place from here and there. At that moment, Senaka too, having gone to that place for the purpose of the ceremonial ablution at the ford, having seen the Teacher teaching the Teaching, having approached, having heard the Teaching, having gained faith, having gone forth, doing the work of insight, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed his own practice, with pleasure arisen, by way of an inspired utterance -

287.

288.

289.

290.

He spoke four verses.

Therein, "indeed welcome it was for me" means it was indeed well come by me. Or, my coming was indeed beautiful. "At Gayā" means near the bathing place of Gayā. "During the Gayā-Phaggu festival" means at the Uttaraphaggunī constellation of the month of Phagguṇa, which obtained the conventional expression "Gayā-Phaggu." "That" and so on is the showing of the reason for the state of being welcome. Therein, "that" means because. "I saw" means I perceived. "The Self-enlightened One" means the Self-enlightened One because of having perfectly and by himself awakened to all phenomena. "Teaching the highest Teaching" means speaking the Teaching that is the highest, the foremost, the best of all, absolutely leading to liberation, in accordance with the disposition of those amenable to instruction.

"Of great radiance" means endowed with great radiance of body and radiance of knowledge. "Teacher of groups" means the teacher of groups such as the assembly of monks and so on, through the highest mastery and through training in good conduct. One who has attained the highest through the achievement of virtues such as morality and so on, which are the highest. The Guide, because of guiding gods, humans and so on through the supreme removal of defilements, and because of being himself devoid of a leader. Because of standing having overcome the entire world, being unvanquished by anyone; and because of having conquered even the five Māras, the Victor of the world with its gods, the supreme Victor in the world with its gods; of incomparable vision, because of the immeasurable vision and the matchless vision by the world with its gods, through the material body adorned with the thirty-two excellent marks of a great man, the eighty minor features and so on, and through the body of the Teaching adorned with virtues such as the ten powers, the four grounds of self-confidence and so on.

The great elephant, because of being similar to a great elephant through the achievement of gait, power, exertion and so on, and because of great might even among elephants, among those who have eliminated the mental corruptions. The great hero, because of crushing the army of Māra and because of great valour. "Of great effulgence" means of great splendour, of great power - this is the meaning. There are not even the four mental corruptions for him - thus "without mental corruptions." All mental corruptions together with their latent tendencies are completely eliminated for him - thus "one in whom all mental corruptions are eliminated." Granted that enlightened as noble disciples and Individually Enlightened Ones are indeed ones who have eliminated the mental corruptions, but only omniscient Buddhas exhaust the mental corruptions together with their latent tendencies - for the purpose of showing this, having said "without mental corruptions," again "one in whom all mental corruptions are eliminated" was said. Therefore it was said - "All mental corruptions together with their latent tendencies are completely eliminated for him - thus one in whom all mental corruptions are eliminated." The Teacher, because of instructing those amenable to instruction as is fitting through benefits pertaining to the present life, the future life, and the highest good; safe from every quarter, because of the absence of fear from anywhere through the self-confidence of the four grounds of self-confidence; because I saw such a Fully Self-Enlightened One, therefore indeed welcome it was for me - this is the explanation.

Now, showing the virtues attained by himself through seeing the Teacher, he spoke the fourth verse. Its meaning is - like a gourd filled with rice-gruel, like a pot filled with buttermilk, like a rag soaked with fat, defiled for a long time in the round of rebirths without discernible beginning by the bases of defilement. Like a dog bound by a leash to a post, bound and fettered to the post of identity by the chain of wrong view, by the bondage of wrong view, and releasing from that, from all mental knots beginning with covetousness, me, Senaka, by the hand of the noble path - "indeed that Blessed One, my Teacher, released me" - thus he declares his devotion towards the Blessed One.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Senaka is concluded.

7.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sambhūta

291-294. "He who hurries when he should delay" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Sambhūta. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, performing meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in a world devoid of a Buddha, was reborn in the realm of kinnaras on the bank of the river Candabhāgā. One day, having seen a certain Individually Enlightened One, with a gladdened mind, having paid homage, with joined palms, he made an offering with arjuna flowers. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family home, having received the name "Sambhūta," having come of age, after the final Nibbāna of the Blessed One, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the treasurer of the Teaching, having gained faith, having gone forth, practising the ascetic duty, having developed insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, dwelling in the bliss of liberation, when the Blessed One had attained final Nibbāna a hundred years ago, when the Vesālian Vajjiputtakas were standing having taken up the ten cases, when seven hundred who had eliminated the mental corruptions, encouraged by the Venerable Elder Yasa, the son of Kākaṇḍaka, having broken that view and upholding the Good Teaching, had made the compilation of the Teaching and Discipline, with a sense of religious urgency at the elucidation of those Vajjiputtakas' false teaching and false discipline, the elder -

291.

292.

293.

294.

Speaking these verses, he declared the final liberating knowledge.

Therein, "he who hurries when he should delay" means in any matter that ought to be done - When remorse concerning monastic discipline has arisen as "Is it allowable or is it not allowable?" as long as one does not dispel that remorse by asking a learned expert in monastic discipline, so long it is the time for delay; at the time when that task should be delayed, he hurries, trampling over it and commits a transgression. "And delays when he should hurry" means for the householder first, when the time has arrived for what should be hurried through, such as going for refuge, undertaking morality, and so on; for one gone forth, such as performing duties and counter-duties, and the pursuit of serenity and insight meditation, without quickly devoting oneself to that task - He might delay thinking "I shall do it in the coming month or fortnight," and might spend the time not doing that task at all. "Through unwise arrangement" means thus, hurrying when one should delay and delaying when one should hurry, through unskillful arrangement, through the absence of skillful arrangement, the fool, the person of dull understanding, undergoes suffering and harm both now and in the future.

"His benefits decline" means the benefits of that such person, classified as pertaining to the present life and so on, decline day by day, going to utter elimination and exhaustion, like the moon in the dark fortnight. By such statements as "Such and such a person is faithless, undevoted, lazy, lacking in energy" and so on. "Disgrace" means he obtains, he attains the state of being blameworthy by the wise. "And is hostile to friends" means by not accepting the exhortation of good friends who give advice saying "Practise thus, do not practise thus," thinking "We are not to be admonished," he is indeed called hostile.

The meaning of the remaining pair of verses should be understood by the reverse of what has been stated. Some, however, here - By taking the meaning of the terms "hurries" and "delays," they apply them to the exertion and restraint of the meditation consciousness. That is fitting in the latter verses. For the first two verses were spoken by the elder with reference to the Vajjiputtakas who, from the time of going forth, without practising the ascetic duty that should be practised, through acting badly with remorse, having set forth the ten bases, were expelled by the monastic community. But the latter verses concern those who, like himself, rightly practising, having accomplished their own purpose, stand firm.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sambhūta is concluded.

8.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Rāhula

295-298. "Accomplished in both" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Rāhula. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain monk in the foremost position among those eager to train, himself too having aspired to that position of rank, having performed lofty meritorious deeds such as cleaning and illuminating lodgings and so on, he made an aspiration. He, having passed away from there, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been born in the womb of Queen Yasodharā in dependence on our Bodhisatta, having received the name Rāhula, he grew up with a great retinue of warriors; the procedure of his going forth has come in the Khandhaka itself. He, having gone forth, well instructed in the presence of the Teacher by many discourse passages, with mature knowledge, having aroused zeal in insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed his own practice, declaring the final liberating knowledge -

295.

296.

297.

298.

He spoke four verses.

Therein, "accomplished in both" means accomplished, endowed with both accomplishments, namely the accomplishment of birth and the accomplishment of practice. "They knew me as Rāhula the Fortunate" means my fellows in the holy life perceive me as "Rāhula the Fortunate." For having heard the message of his birth, with reference to the words spoken by the Bodhisatta "A Rāhu is born, a bondage is born," the great King Suddhodana gave the name "Rāhula." Therein, taking just the exposition spoken by his father from the beginning, he said - "They knew me as Rāhula the Fortunate." And "Fortunate" is a word of praise.

Now, in order to show that twofold achievement, "that I am" and so on was stated. Therein, "that" means because. The word "ca" has the meaning of conjunction. "I am the son of the Buddha" means I am the legitimate son of the Fully Self-Enlightened One. "Regarding phenomena" means regarding mundane and supramundane phenomena; the meaning is regarding the phenomena of the four truths. "One with vision" should be connected thus: and I am one with vision through the eye of path wisdom.

Again, in order to show the twofold achievement in himself by yet other methods - He spoke the verse "and in that my mental corruptions are eliminated." Therein, "worthy of offerings" means deserving of offerings. "One who has seen the Deathless" means one who has seen Nibbāna. The remainder is easily understood.

Now, in order to show in himself that twofold achievement - of true knowledge and of liberation - through the absence of which the totality of beings revolves in the round of rebirths like fish caught in a fish-trap, he spoke the pair of verses beginning with "blinded by sensual pleasures." Therein, "blinded by sensual pleasures" means blind through sensual pleasures or blind regarding sensual pleasures. Made blind through defilement-sensual pleasures classified as "desire, lust" and so on, regarding objective sensual pleasures such as forms and so on, through not seeing the danger. "Covered by a net" means covered and enveloped in every way by the net of attachment that has spread over and stands covering the entire threefold existence. "Veiled by the veil of craving" means covered by the covering reckoned as craving from that very source, obstructed, completely covered over in every respect. "Bound by the kinsman of the heedless, like fish in the mouth of a trap" means just as fish bound in the mouth of a fish-trap, in the mouth of a fish-bag for catching fish, so these beings, bound by the bondage of sensual pleasure by Māra, the kinsman of the heedless, do not escape from that; they remain as if gone within the bondage.

Having abandoned that sensual pleasure of such a kind which has become a bondage, having given it up through the preliminary practice, having cut the bondage of the Māra of mental defilements, and again having completely destroyed it without remainder by the knife of the noble path, from that very source having pulled out and uprooted craving beginning with sensual craving together with its root, namely the root reckoned as ignorance, through the absence of the disturbance and fever of all mental defilements, become cool, quenched through the Nibbāna element with residue of clinging - the meaning is: I am.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Rāhula is concluded.

9.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Candana

299-302. "With gold" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Candana. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit in this and that existence, thirty-one cosmic cycles ago from now, having been reborn as a tree deity in a world devoid of a Buddha, having seen a Paccekabuddha named Sudassana dwelling in the mountain caves, with a gladdened mind, made an offering with kuṭaja flowers. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family accomplished in wealth at Sāvatthī, having received the name Candana, having come of age, living the household life, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, became a stream-enterer. He, having obtained one son, having abandoned the household life, having gone forth, having taken a meditation subject for insight, while dwelling in the forest, having come to Sāvatthī to pay homage to the Teacher, dwells in a cemetery. His former wife, having heard of his arrival, adorned and prepared, taking the child, goes with a great retinue to the elder's presence - "Having enticed him by feminine wiles and so on, I shall make him leave the Order." The elder, having seen her coming from afar, thinking "Now I shall be beyond her domain," having aroused zeal in the insight already undertaken, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, standing in the sky, having taught the Teaching to her, having established her in the refuges and in the precepts, he himself went to the very place where he had formerly dwelt. When asked by companion monks - "Your faculties are indeed very clear, friend; have the truths been penetrated by you?" -

299.

300.

301.

302.

Speaking of his own practice with these verses, he declared the final liberating knowledge.

Therein, "covered with gold" means one whose body was concealed by way of decoration with ornaments made of gold such as head ornaments and so on; the meaning is adorned with all ornaments. "Attended by a group of female slaves" means placed in front, surrounded by her own group of female slaves who were adorned and bedecked as is fitting; this is the meaning. "Having taken my son on her hip" means thinking "perhaps having seen the son too, he might find comfort attached to the household," having taken the son on her own hip.

"Coming" means the one who was coming. "The mother of my own son" means the mother of my legitimate son; the meaning is my former wife. All this the elder speaks esteeming highly his own eradication of sensual lust. "Arose wisely" means thus wise attention arose: "Even such prosperity is indeed overcome by ageing, disease, and death; alas, activities are impermanent, inconstant, without comfort." The remainder is the same as the method stated below.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Candana is concluded.

10.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Dhammika

303-306. "The Teaching indeed" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Dhammika. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Sikhī, having become a deer-hunter, one day in a forest haunt, while the Teacher was teaching the Teaching to an assembly of gods, he took a sign in the teaching "This is called the Teaching." He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in the Kosala country, having received the name "Dhammika," having come of age, having gained confidence at the acceptance of the Jeta Grove, having gone forth, having become a resident in a certain village residence, dwelling there, he was full of complaining and impatient regarding the duties great and small of visiting monks. Because of that, the monks abandoned that monastery and departed. He was all alone. The lay follower who was the owner of the monastery, having heard the reason, reported that incident to the Blessed One. The Teacher, having summoned that monk, having asked him about that matter, when he said "Yes, venerable sir" - Having said "This one is not impatient only now; in the past too he was impatient," being requested by the monks, having related the Rukkhadhamma Jātaka, giving him exhortation further above -

303.

304.

305.

306.

Therein, "the Teaching" means the mundane and supramundane Teaching of good conduct. "Protects" means it protects from the suffering of the realms of misery, and being a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths, it indeed protects from the suffering of the round of rebirths as well. "One who practises the Teaching" means one who practises, who proceeds in, that Teaching. "Well practised" means well practised, accumulated carefully and with respect, having believed in the fruits of action. "Happiness" means mundane and supramundane happiness. Therein, firstly the mundane Teaching, classified as belonging to the sensual-sphere of existence and so on, brings and produces happiness each according to its own nature, either in this very life, or upon rebirth, or in some other subsequent existence. But the other, it is proper to say, practised while standing on the decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths, brings it through succession, because of the absence of that for one who is not a decisive support. "This is the benefit when the Teaching is well practised, one who practises the Teaching does not go to an unfortunate realm" means: a person who practises the Teaching, when the Teaching is well practised, does not go to an unfortunate realm on that account - thus this is the benefit when the Teaching is well practised, the yielding result. This is the meaning.

Since going to a fortunate destination is by the Teaching alone, and going to an unfortunate destination is by what is not the Teaching alone, therefore, in order to show that these - "the Teaching" and "what is not the Teaching" - have mutually unmixed results, he spoke the second verse beginning with "For the Teaching." Therein, "what is not the Teaching" means the opposite of the Teaching, misconduct. "Of similar result" means of similar resultant, of equal fruit.

"Therefore" means since this is the aforesaid distinction in result of the Teaching and what is not the Teaching, therefore. "Desire" means the desire to act. "Thus rejoicing with the Fortunate One, such a one" - the explanation is: thus, by the giving of exhortation in the way above explained, rejoicing, reaching satisfaction, with the Fortunate One who has gone to the right path, who is rightly practised, who is such a one through the attainment of the state of such-likeness towards desirable things and so on, who is named such, who is the cause - one should make desire for the teachings. Having shown the round of rebirths by this much, now showing the end of the round of rebirths, he said beginning with "established in the Teaching." Its meaning is - since the disciples of the Fortunate One, the excellent one, the excellent one among the Fortunate Ones, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, established in his Teaching, the wise, exceedingly going to the highest refuge, by the very state of being established in the Teaching termed going for refuge, are led out, escape even from the suffering of the entire round of rebirths, therefore one should make desire for the teachings.

Thus, when the Teaching was taught by the Teacher with three verses, in accordance with the teaching, just as he was seated, having developed insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

Thus he became established in arahantship. But having attained arahantship, making known to the Teacher the distinction attained by himself, he declared the final liberating knowledge with the last verse.

Therein, "burst open" means shaken off; the meaning is relinquished by path knowledge. "The root of the boil" means ignorance. For it festers, it flows. "'Boil', monk, this is a designation for these five aggregates of clinging" - thus, because of the connection with the root of suffering of what was stated by the Teacher, because of the oozing of the impurity of mental defilements, and because of being swollen, ripened, and burst open through arising, ageing, and dissolution, "the snare of craving has been uprooted" means the root, the cause of the fivefold aggregates of clinging designated as a boil - the net termed craving has been eradicated by the path. "He whose wandering in the round of rebirths is ended, there is no possession for him" means that I, through the state of having abandoned craving and ignorance, whose wandering in the round of rebirths is exhausted, precisely because the root of existence has been abandoned, there is not, and there is not found, any possession of lust and so on. "Like the moon on a moonlit full-moon night" means just as the moon, free from the faults of clouds, frost, and so on, at the time of fullness on the full-moon day, so I too, through the achievement of arahantship, rid of the possession of lust and so on, became one with a complete portion of the Teaching.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Dhammika is concluded.

11.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sappaka

307-310. "When the cranes" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Sappaka. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit in this and that existence, thirty-one cosmic cycles ago from now, having become a king of serpents of great might, was reborn; having taken a great lotus for the Individually Enlightened One named Sambhava who was seated in the open air in meditative attainment, holding it over the top of his head, he made an offering. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthī, having received the name "Sappaka," having attained discretion, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Blessed One, having gained faith, having gone forth, having taken a meditation subject, dwelling in the cave-mountain monastery on the bank of a river named Ajakaraṇī, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

He, having attained arahantship, having come to Sāvatthī to pay homage to the Teacher, being attended upon by his relatives, having dwelt there for a few days, having taught the Teaching, having established his relatives in the refuges and in the precepts, wished to go to the aforementioned place itself. His relatives requested him: "Right here, venerable sir, dwell; we shall look after you." He, having indicated the appearance of departing, standing, making known his delight in seclusion under the pretext of praising the place where he dwelt -

307.

308.

309.

310.

Therein, "when" means at whatever time. "Cranes" means crane birds. "With pure white wings" means with pure, clean, white wings. "Frightened by fear of the dark cloud" means dismayed and frightened by fear of rain from the thundering rainy season cloud, dark, resembling a collyrium mountain, laden with the weight of water. "Will fly away" means having flown up from the feeding ground, it will go. "An abode" means a dwelling place, one's own nest. "Seeking an abode" means wishing for settling there, for hiding itself. "Then the river Ajakaraṇī delights me" means at that rainy season time, the river named Ajakaraṇī, full of fresh water, able to carry things away, eroding the banks, delights me, pleases my mind. Thus, under the pretext of praising the distinctive features of the season and the place, he made known his delight in seclusion.

"Of well-purified white" means of well purified white colour, of unmixed colour, entirely white - this is the meaning. "Seeks" means searches for. "A shelter" means a dwelling place. "Not seeing a shelter" means not seeing a dwelling place. Previously, due to the absence of a regular dwelling place, she was one not seeing a shelter; now, in the rainy season, having conceived through the thunder of the clouds, she seeks a shelter - meaning she makes a nest as a regular dwelling place - this is the meaning.

"Whom indeed there" etc. "Behind" means behind my great cave where I dwell, at the rear part, on the river bank, on both banks of the river Ajakaraṇī, here and there, on this side and that, adorning, constantly with branches bent down by the weight of fruit, with glossy leaf-shade, the rose-apple trees in that place - what being indeed do they not delight? They delight all beings indeed.

"Well freed from the group of those intoxicated by the deathless" means the deathless is called medicine; those intoxicated by it are the deathless-intoxicated ones, that is, snakes; their group is the group of the deathless-intoxicated; well freed from that, departed. "Frogs" means female frogs; "with soft voices" means with melodious voices; "resound" means they fill that place with sound through sweet calling. "Today is not a time for separation from the mountain rivers" means today, at present, there is no time for separation from other mountain rivers either; but in particular, because it is free from fierce fish, crocodiles, and so on, the river Ajakaraṇī is secure. It is safe due to the achievement of beautiful level ground, fords, and sandy banks. It is well charming, delightful; therefore my mind delights right there - this is the intention.

But having said thus, having dismissed his relatives, he went to his own dwelling place. And by this illumination of delight in empty dwellings, this itself was the elder's declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sappaka is concluded.

12.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Mudita

311-314. The verses of the Venerable Elder Mudita beginning with "I went forth." What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Vipassī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, gave one bed. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a householder's family in the Kosala country, having received the name "Mudita," attained discretion. And at that time that family was obstructed by the king on account of some business. Mudita, frightened by fear of the king, having fled and entered the forest, approached the dwelling place of a certain elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions. The elder, having known his state of being frightened, consoled him saying "Do not fear." He, having asked "In how much time, venerable sir, will this fear of mine be appeased?" when it was said "After seven or eight months have passed" - "I am not able to endure for so long a time; I shall go forth, venerable sir, give me the going forth" - thus he requested the going forth for the purpose of protecting his life. The elder gave him the going forth. He, having gone forth, having gained faith in the Dispensation, even when the fear had been appeased, approving only of the ascetic duty, having taken a meditation subject, doing the work of insight - having made the acknowledgment beginning with "Without attaining arahantship I shall not go out from this dwelling room," having aroused zeal in insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, experiencing the bliss of liberation, when asked by companion monks about his attainment, relating the manner of his own practice -

311.

312.

313.

314.

He spoke four verses.

Therein, "for the sake of livelihood" means one desirous of livelihood, one whose purpose is livelihood. "Having gone forth here, fearless, with ease, without becoming weary, I shall live" - thus the meaning is he went forth for the sake of livelihood. "Having received full ordination" means first standing in the novice ordination, having obtained full ordination through a legal act at which a motion is put and is followed by three proclamations. "From that I gained faith" means from the time of full ordination onwards, associating with good friends, learning the two matrices, the three thanksgivings, certain discourses, the serenity meditation subject, and the method of insight, having seen the great might of the Buddha and so on - "The Blessed One is the Fully Self-Enlightened One, well proclaimed is the Teaching, the Community is practising well" - I gained faith in the Triple Gem. "With firm energy I strove" means having thus gained faith, doing the work of insight, before long, for the penetration of the truths, having become one of firm energy, of steady energy, I strove; I properly strove for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states.

But to show how he strove, "kāmaṃ" and so on was said. Therein, "kāmaṃ" means according to one's wish, or assuredly let it break. "This body" means this putrid body of mine; if it breaks by this ardour of energy, let it break, let it be cut and shattered. "The slices of flesh may fall apart" means if by this firm effort the slices of flesh fall apart from this body, let them fall apart, let them be demolished here and there. "Let both my calves fall from the knee joints" means together with both knee joints, let both my calves, my shins, having broken from the thigh binding, fall to the ground. "Ma" is also a reading; the meaning is the same. The remainder is the same as the method stated below.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Mudita is concluded.

The commentary on the Book of Fours is concluded.

5.

The Book of the Fives

1.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Rājadatta

315-319. In the Book of Fives, the verses beginning with "A monk, having gone to the charnel ground" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Rājadatta. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating merit as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, fourteen cosmic cycles ago from now, having been reborn in a family home in a world devoid of a Buddha, having attained discretion, one day, having gone to the forest's end on some business, having seen there a certain Individually Enlightened One seated at the root of a tree, with a gladdened mind, gave a very pure ambāṭaka fruit. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in a caravan leader's family at Sāvatthī. Because he had been obtained by having pleased the Great King Vessavaṇa, his mother and father gave him the name Rājadatta. He, having come of age, having taken goods with five hundred carts, went to Rājagaha by way of trade. And at that time at Rājagaha a certain courtesan, lovely and beautiful, by virtue of her supreme beauty, received a thousand day after day. Then that caravan leader's son, giving a thousand day after day to that courtesan, living together with her, before long, having spent all his wealth, having become destitute, not obtaining even so much as food and clothing, wandering here and there, was struck with religious emotion. One day he went together with lay followers to the Bamboo Grove.

And at that time the Teacher was seated teaching the Teaching, surrounded by a great assembly. He, having sat down at the edge of the assembly, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth, having taken upon himself the ascetic practices, dwells in a cemetery. At that time another caravan leader's son too, having given a thousand, was living together with that courtesan. And that courtesan, having seen a very costly jewel in his hand, having aroused greed, having had him killed by other rogue men, took that jewel. Then the men of that caravan leader's son, having heard that news, sent investigator men. They, at night, having entered that courtesan's house, without damaging the skin and so on, having killed her, threw her away at the charnel ground. The Elder Rājadatta, wandering in the cemetery to take the sign of foulness, having approached to attend to the corpse of that courtesan as repulsive, having attended wisely several times, because of its being recently dead, because the skin had not been damaged by dogs, jackals and so on, and because it was a subject of a different kind, attending unwisely, having aroused sensual lust therein, with a mind even more stirred with religious emotion, having rebuked his own mind, having stepped aside for a moment, having taken the very sign of foulness that had been present from the beginning, attending wisely, having produced meditative absorption, having made that meditative absorption the foundation, having established insight, at that very moment attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed his own practice, filled with joy and pleasure -

315.

316.

317.

318.

319.

He spoke these five verses.

Therein, "a monk, having gone to the charnel ground" means a monk because of seeing the danger in the round of rebirths, having approached the charnel ground for the purpose of the foulness meditation subject. "Monk" - and this the elder says himself with reference to himself. "A woman" means here the semen and blood are struck together in the manner of a being's continuity - thus "thī," a woman. And thus by way of natural language it is also called "itthī." But in the case of barren women and so on, that conventional expression is used because of similarity to that and because of not going beyond that intrinsic nature. "A woman" means he speaks of a woman's corpse. "Cast away" means abandoned, thrown aside precisely because of being despicable, thrown away through the state of indifference. "Being eaten, pervaded with worms" means having been filled with worms, being devoured.

"What some loathe, having seen the dead, evil thing" means whatever corpse that is dead through the departure of life, heat and consciousness, evil, low, inferior - some of pure nature loathe it, they do not even wish to look at it. "Sensual lust appeared" means due to the strength of unwise attention towards that carcass, sensual lust appeared, arose in me. "Like a blind man I was flowing" means through not seeing the impure nature of that corpse which flows, streaming with impurity through the nine doors, I was like a blind man. Therefore he said -

"Sensual desire, brahmin, is blinding, causing lack of vision" and so on. Some, however, here, having made the insertion of the letter "ta," explain the meaning as "one who is not in control due to the prepossession of mental defilement, or one who wields power over mental defilement." Others, stating the Pāḷi text as "andhova asati ahu," explain the meaning as "having become blind through sensual lust, he was devoid of mindfulness." But both of those are not in the canonical text.

"Within the time of cooking rice" means within the time of cooking rice; in the time it takes to cook rice from a measure of well-washed soaked rice grains, within that very time, even in a shorter time than that, dispelling lust; "from that place I departed" means from that place where lust arose in me while standing, from that place I departed, I withdrew. Having just departed, "mindful and fully aware, I" - having established the perception of being an ascetic, mindful by way of the attention of the establishment of mindfulness, and having become fully aware through the proper knowing of the intrinsic nature of phenomena, I sat down to one side, folding my legs crosswise I sat down. And for one seated, "then wise attention arose in me" and so on - all this is the same as the method stated below.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Rājadatta is concluded.

2.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Subhūta

320-324. "Not exertion" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Subhūta. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, having been reborn in a very wealthy householder's family in Bārāṇasī, having attained discretion, one day, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, having become established in the refuges and in the precepts, month after month, eight times, had the Teacher's perfumed chamber heaped with four-fold fragrance. He, by that meritorious action, having become one with a fragrant body in whatever place he was reborn, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a householder's family in the country of Magadha, having received the name "Subhūta," having come of age, because of having the disposition of escape, having abandoned the household life, having gone forth among the sectarians, not finding substance there, having seen many ascetics and brahmins such as Upatissa, Kolita, Sela and others who had gone forth in the presence of the Teacher and were experiencing the happiness of asceticism, having gained faith in the Dispensation, having gone forth, having pleased his teachers and preceptors, having taken a meditation subject, dwelling in a secluded abode, having developed insight, he attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, having reflected upon the suffering of the pursuit of self-mortification attained by having gone forth among sectarians, and the happiness of meditative absorption and so on attained by having gone forth in the Dispensation, declaring final liberating knowledge by way of reviewing his own practice -

320.

321.

322.

323.

324.

He spoke these five verses.

Therein, "in what is not exertion" means in the two extremes that should not be engaged in, that should not be associated with. But here the meaning should be understood by way of the pursuit of self-mortification. "Engaging" means engaging oneself in that, yoking, thus proceeding accordingly. "Desiring what should be done" means desiring the function that brings welfare to both; if, as the opposite of that, one were practising, engaging in what is not exertion. "Would not attain" means the method is that one would not attain the welfare and happiness as intended. Therefore, that I, deceived by the doctrine of the sectarians, engaged in what is not exertion, that is my mark of misfortune, the nature of demerit. He shows: "Deluded by former action, he engaged in what is not exertion."

"Having pulled out what has gone to misery, conquered" means because of their nature of oppression, lust and so on are called miseries; the miseries themselves are what has gone to misery; the conquest of those gone to misery is the occurrence of the round of rebirths; their conquest is the overcoming by wholesome mental states. "What has gone to misery, conquered" is said without making the elision of the nasal. That which is pulled out, not inflated, by which, having made that pulled out from what has gone to misery, conquered, having become thus, without having completely cut off the mental defilements - this is the meaning. "If one should give up one" means if, because of being without a companion and because of striving, one should give up, should abandon the one thing - diligence or right exertion itself. That person would be like a loser, like a wretch. "If one should give up all" means if one should give up all the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom that bring liberation to maturity, if one should discard them through non-development, one would be like a blind man, from not seeing what is even and uneven.

"Just as" is an indeclinable particle in the sense of introducing a simile. "Beautiful" means splendid. "Colourful" means endowed with beauty of colour and form. "Scentless" means devoid of fragrance, of the variety of pālibhaddaka, girikaṇṇikā, jayasumana and so on. "Thus well-spoken words" means well-spoken words are the three Canons of the Buddha's teaching, similar to a flower endowed with beauty of colour and form. Just as indeed a scentless flower does not pervade the body of one who wears it with fragrance, so too this, whoever practises it with attentive hearing and so on, for that one who does not practise attentively, who does not do what should be done therein, it does not bring the fragrance of learning and the fragrance of practice; it is fruitless. Therefore it was said: "So well-spoken words are fruitless for one who does not practise them."

"Fragrant" means of the variety of jasmine, champaka, blue water-lily flowers and so on. "Thus" means just as the fragrance of that flower pervades the body of one who wears it, so too the well-spoken words reckoned as the three Canons of the Buddha's teaching - whoever does what should be done therein by attentive hearing and so on, for that person it is fruitful; because it brings the fragrance of learning and the fragrance of practice, it is of great fruit and great benefit. Therefore one should proceed according to the exhortation, and one should be one who speaks as one acts and acts as one speaks. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Subhūta is concluded.

3.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Girimānanda

325-329. The verses beginning with "The sky rains" are those of the Venerable Elder Girimānanda. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Sumedha, having been reborn in a family home, having come of age, living the household life, when his own wife and son had deceased, pierced by the dart of sorrow, having entered the forest, when the Teacher had gone there and taught the Teaching and the dart of sorrow had been pulled out, with a gladdened mind, having venerated with fragrant flowers, having paid homage with the fivefold prostration, having made a salutation with joined palms at his head, he praised.

He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn as the son of the chaplain of King Bimbisāra in Rājagaha. His name was Girimānanda. He, having attained discretion, having seen the majestic power of the Buddha during the Teacher's journey to Rājagaha, having gained faith, having gone forth, practising the ascetic duty, having dwelt for several days at a village residence, went to Rājagaha to pay homage to the Teacher. The great King Bimbisāra, having heard of his arrival, having approached, having invited him saying "Right here, venerable sir, dwell; I shall attend upon you with the four requisites," having departed, due to having much to do, did not remember. Thinking "The elder is dwelling in the open air," the deities prevented the rain out of fear of wetting the elder. The king, having observed the reason for the absence of rain, had a hut built for the elder. The elder, dwelling in the hut, having obtained concentration through the gain of suitable lodging, having applied evenness of energy, having aroused zeal in insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

Then, while the sky was raining as if full of mirth upon the elder's attainment of arahantship, declaring final liberating knowledge by way of urging that rain above -

325.

326.

327.

"The sky rains etc. therein I dwell without lust etc.

328.

"The sky rains etc. therein I dwell without hate etc.

329.

"The sky rains etc. Therein I dwell without delusion,

So if you wish, rain, O sky." He spoke these five verses.

Therein, "like a beautiful song" means conforming with a beautiful song; the meaning is conforming with its own beautiful cloud-song. For just as a rain cloud not thundering but only raining does not look beautiful, so too having arisen with a hundred layers and a thousand layers, thundering, roaring, even emitting lightning but not raining, it does not look beautiful; but having become of such a nature and raining, it looks beautiful - thus it is said "the sky rains like a beautiful song." Therefore he said - "Thunder forth, O Rain-God," and "one that thunders and also rains." "Therein I dwell" means in that hut I dwell with a posture of dwelling having the inner room of the noble abiding. "With calmed mind" means one whose mind is completely calmed through the concentration of the highest fruition.

Thus the rain-cloud deity, receiving with his head the elder's exhortation made on many occasions, filling both the low ground and the high, caused a great rain to fall.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Girimānanda is concluded.

4.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sumana

330-334. "Desiring that" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Sumana. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, ninety-five cosmic cycles ago from now, having been reborn in a family home in a world devoid of a Buddha, having attained discretion, having seen a certain Individually Enlightened One who was diseased, gave yellow myrobalan. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a householder's family in the Kosala country, having received the name "Sumana," grew up in happiness. Now his maternal uncle, having gone forth, having become a Worthy One, dwelling in the forest, when Sumana had come of age, having given him the going forth, gave him a meditation subject suitable to his temperament. He, practising exertion there, produced the four meditative absorptions and the five direct knowledges. Then the elder taught him the method of insight. And he, before long, having developed insight, became established in arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become established in arahantship, one day he went to the attendance upon the maternal uncle elder. The elder asked him about his achievement, and answering that -

330.

331.

332.

333.

334.

With these five verses, roaring a lion's roar, he declared the final liberating knowledge.

Therein, "desiring that among the teachings, my preceptor helped me. Longing for the Deathless" means among the blameless qualities such as serenity and insight meditation and so on, desiring and wishing for whatever teaching for me, the preceptor helped me, who was longing for the Deathless, Nibbāna, by way of giving exhortation. "What was to be done has been done by me" means the sixteenfold function beginning with full understanding, which was to be done for the purpose of that achievement, has been done and accomplished by me.

From that very, attained, achieved, the fourfold path state too has been realized. "The Teaching by oneself, not based on hearsay" means by oneself alone the Nibbāna state and the fruition state have been made not based on hearsay, undoubted, self-evident; the noble path proceeds precisely by cutting off the doubt reckoned as hearsay through the occurrence of "thus indeed, thus it seems." Therefore he said "with purified knowledge, without uncertainty" and so on. Therein, "with purified knowledge" means with purified knowledge through the purification from all defilements. "In your presence" means near you.

"One's own welfare" means arahantship. "Training" means the training in higher morality and so on. "Well heard" means well heard by way of the fulfilment of both great learning in the scriptures and great learning in penetration. "In your teaching" means of one established in your exhortation and admonition.

"With noble practice" means by the undertaking of well-purified morality and other observances. "I am a pupil who has been trained" means: by virtue of having lived the holy life in your presence, I am a pupil who has been trained, one who has completed the training in higher morality and so on.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sumana is concluded.

5.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Vaḍḍha

335-339. "Good indeed" and so on is the verse of the Venerable Elder Vaḍḍha. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a householder's family in the city of Bhārukaccha, having received the name "Vaḍḍha," gradually grows up. Then his mother, with religious emotion arisen regarding the round of rebirths, having handed over her son to relatives, having gone forth in the presence of nuns, doing the work of insight, having attained arahantship, at a later time gave the going forth to her son too, who had reached the age of discretion, in the presence of the Elder Veḷudanta. He, having gone forth, having learnt the word of the Buddha, having become very learned, a preacher of the Teaching, bearing the burden of scriptural study, one day went to the nuns' quarters thinking "Alone, with just my inner and outer robes, I shall see my mother." Having seen him, his mother reproved him: "Why have you come here alone, with just your inner and outer robes?" He, being reproved by his mother, with religious emotion arisen thinking "An inappropriate thing was done by me," having gone to the monastery, seated at his daytime resting place, having seen with insight, having attained arahantship, declaring final liberating knowledge by way of making known the achievement of his mother's exhortation -

335.

336.

337.

338.

339.

Therein, "Good indeed, truly my mother showed me the goad" means good indeed, my mother shows me the goad reckoned as exhortation; by that, arousing my energy, she pierced me on the head, the highest part, which is wisdom. "Whose" means of whose - of my mother. "Highest enlightenment" means arahantship. Here this is the construction - Admonished by my mother, having heard whose word that had become an instruction, I, putting forth strenuous energy, resolute, dwelling thus, attained the highest, the supreme fruition, the highest enlightenment, arahantship.

Because of being far from mental defilements, I am a Worthy One; because of being a field of merit, I am worthy of offerings, worthy of gifts. Because of having attained the triad of true knowledges beginning with the knowledge of past lives, I am a possessor of the threefold true knowledge; because of having realised Nibbāna, I am one who sees the Deathless; having conquered the army of the Destroyer Māra, the army of mental defilements, by the army of the factors pertaining to enlightenment, and precisely because of having conquered it, I dwell happily without mental corruptions.

Now, in order to make the meaning stated as "without mental corruptions" more obvious, he spoke the verse "internally and." Its meaning is - The mental corruptions based internally and based externally which existed in me, which were found before the achievement of the noble path, all those without remainder have been cut off, completely eradicated by the noble path, abandoned; now they would never arise again at any time, they will indeed never arise again.

Now, having made his mother's word a goad, because of having himself attained arahantship, praising his mother, he spoke the verse "confident." Therein, "confident indeed" means definitely free from timidity. Thus, proclaiming the state of being a true-born son of the Teacher through the achievement of arahantship by both his mother and himself, he addressed his mother as "sister." "She spoke this meaning" means she spoke this meaning which constituted an exhortation to me. But thus exhorting me, she was not merely confident, but surely without longing even towards me, towards your little son too without longing, without attachment I think; or what need is there of this supposition? "Craving is not found in you" - the craving beginning with ignorance does not exist at all in your continuity, you who urged me towards the elimination of existence - this is the intention.

Now, showing "I have practised in the very manner urged by you," he spoke the concluding verse "brought to an end"; its meaning is easily understood.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Vaḍḍha is concluded.

6.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nadīkassapa

340-344. "Indeed for my benefit" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Nadīkassapa. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher walking for almsfood, with a gladdened mind, gave one mango fruit the colour of red arsenic, the first to have appeared on a mango tree planted by himself. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having become the brother of Uruvelakassapa, was reborn in a brahmin family in the country of Magadha. Having come of age, because of having the disposition of escape, not wishing for the household life, having gone forth into the going forth as a hermit, together with three hundred hermits, having had a hermitage built on the bank of the river Nerañjarā, he dwells. Because of dwelling on the riverbank and because of his belonging to the Kassapa clan, his designation was "Nadīkassapa." To him, together with his following, the Blessed One gave full ordination by the "Come, monk" form. All that has come in the Khandhaka itself. He became established in arahantship through the Blessed One's teaching of the Discourse on the Burning. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become established in arahantship, afterwards, having reviewed his own practice, declaring final liberating knowledge by way of proclaiming the uprooting of views -

340.

341.

342.

343.

344.

He spoke these five verses.

Therein, "for my benefit indeed" means for my benefit indeed, for my welfare indeed. "The Buddha" means the omniscient Buddha. "Went to the river Nerañjarā" means he came to the river known as Nerañjarā; and the intention is that he approached the hermitage of my brother Uruvelakassapa on the bank of that river.

Now, in order to elucidate the aforesaid meaning, "whose I" and so on was said. "Whose" means of whichever Buddha, the Blessed One. "Having heard the Teaching" means having heard the Teaching connected with the four truths, having apprehended it by following the ear-door. "I abandoned wrong view" means I gave up the distorted vision proceeding in the manner beginning with "By sacrifices and so on there is purification."

In order to show in detail the meaning already stated by "I abandoned wrong view," he said beginning with "I sacrificed." Therein, "I sacrificed in various high and low sacrifices" means I sacrificed in well-known sacrifices of various kinds such as the soma sacrifice, the vājapeyya, and so on. "I made offerings to the fire-sacrifice" means by way of performing those sacrifices, making oblations, I tended the fire. "Thinking 'this is purity'" means thinking that this sacrificial activity, this fire-tending, is purity because of being the cause of purity, imagining "Thus there will be purification in the round of rebirths for me." "A mentally blind worldling" means through the deficiency of the eye of wisdom, through the blindness of ignorance, having become a mentally blind worldling; just as forest thickets, mountain thickets, and so on are difficult to pass through, so view itself is a thicket, a thicket of views; having plunged into that, having entered into it - thus "one plunged into the thicket of views." "By adherence" means by wrong clinging termed adherence, because of grasping "only this is the truth," having transgressed the intrinsic nature of phenomena. "Deluded" means brought to a state of confusion. "I imagined impurity to be purity" means I imagined, I thought of the impure path as "the path of purity." Therein, he states the reason by "mentally blind, a fool." Because one is mentally blind through ignorance, for that very reason, not knowing what is the Teaching and what is not the Teaching, and what is proper and what is improper, therefore one imagines thus - this is the meaning.

"Wrong view has been abandoned by me" means but for one being in such a state, having heard in the Teacher's presence a talk on the Teaching containing the four truths, for one proceeding wisely, through the right view of the noble path, all wrong view has been abandoned by me by way of abandoning through eradication. "Existences" means all existences such as sensual existence and so on have been split open and demolished by the knife of the noble path. "I dedicate to the fire worthy of offerings" means having abandoned the fires such as the āhavanīya and so on, because of being the foremost worthy of offerings in the world together with its gods, and because of the burning of all evil, I dedicate to, I attend upon, the fire worthy of offerings, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. This attending upon the fire worthy of offerings by me is without regard for curds, fresh butter, churned ghee, and so on; it is simply the veneration of the Teacher - thus he said "I pay homage to the Tathāgata." Or alternatively, "I dedicate to the fire worthy of offerings" means by making the offerings of donors to be of great fruit, and by the burning of evil, I dedicate to, I attend upon myself who has become the fire worthy of offerings; having done so I attend to, having done so I look after. Formerly I paid homage to the fire god, but now I pay homage to the Tathāgata.

"All delusions have been abandoned by me" means all delusions, of various kinds beginning with not knowing regarding suffering, have been abandoned by me, eradicated; for that very reason "craving for existence has been destroyed. The cycle of birth and wandering is eliminated, there is now no more rebirth" - in these three terms, the word "me" should be brought and connected.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Nadīkassapa is concluded.

7.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Gayākassapa

345-349. "In the morning, at midday" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Gayākassapa. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, thirty-one cosmic cycles ago from now, in the time of the Blessed One Sikhī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, because of having the disposition of escape, having abandoned the household life, having gone forth into the going forth as a hermit, having had a hermitage built in a forest haunt, was dwelling feeding on forest roots and fruits. Now at that time the Blessed One, alone, without a companion, was going near his hermitage. He, having seen the Blessed One, with a gladdened mind, having approached, having paid homage, standing to one side, having looked at the time, presented charming jujube fruits to the Teacher. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family, having come of age, because of having the disposition of escape, having abandoned the household life, having gone forth into the going forth as a hermit, together with two hundred hermits, was dwelling at Gayā. Because of dwelling at Gayā and because of his belonging to the Kassapa clan, his designation was "Gayākassapa." He, together with his following, having been given the "Come, monk" full ordination by the Blessed One, being exhorted by the teaching of the Discourse on the Burning, became established in arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having become established in arahantship, having reviewed his own practice, declaring final liberating knowledge by way of praising the washing away of evil -

345.

346.

347.

348.

349.

He spoke these five verses.

Therein, in the first verse to begin with, this is the meaning in brief - "In the morning" means at the time of sunrise, "at midday" means at the midday period, "in the evening" means at the evening period - thrice a day, on three occasions, I descended into the water, I plunged in. And descending, I did not descend just anywhere whatsoever or whenever; rather, at Gayā, at the ford of Gayā acknowledged by the great multitude as "the washing away of evil," during the Gayā-Phaggu festival, at the Uttaraphaggunī constellation of the month of Phagguṇī, named the Gayā-Phaggu, I was annually engaged in the practice of going down into the water.

Now, in order to show the intention with which he was then engaged in the practice of going down into the water, he spoke the verse "whatever by me." Its meaning is - "Whatever evil action was accumulated by me formerly in other births than this. That I now here at the ford of Gayā, during this Gayā-Phaggu festival, by this going down into the water, wash away, remove, rinse off." Formerly, before approaching the Teacher's teaching, I was of such a view, of such a kind of perverted seeing.

"The passage endowed with teaching and meaning" is a description with elision of the case ending. Having heard the speech of the Fully Self-Enlightened One - having a portion endowed with the teaching and with the meaning, connected with the teaching and connected with the meaning from the beginning, from the middle, and from the end, spoken having made it well and invariably leading to liberation - the meaning that is true and exact, true because of its nature as ultimate reality, from its being factual; exact because of the absence of deviation in the method of occurrence and cessation, as is fitting; I wisely reviewed the meaning beginning with suffering by the method of its being that which is to be fully understood and so on - I reviewed thus: "Suffering is to be fully understood, the origin is to be abandoned, cessation is to be realized, the path is to be developed" - I saw with the eye of knowledge, I penetrated. This is the meaning.

"I am one who has washed away all evil" means precisely because of having thus penetrated the truths, I am one whose all evil has been washed off by the water of the noble path. For that very reason, because of the absence of the stain of lust and so on, because of being free from impurity, he is free from impurity. For that very reason, because of purity of bodily conduct, because of purity of verbal conduct, because of purity of mental conduct, he is purified, pure, and clean. He is an heir because of taking up the supramundane Teaching-inheritance of the pure Buddha, the Blessed One, who is pure through the purification from the stain of all mental defilements together with their latent tendencies. The explanation is: I am a legitimate son because of the state of noble birth generated by the effort of the breast arisen from his teaching-knowledge.

Furthermore, in order to make clear his very state of being one who has bathed in the ultimate sense, he spoke the concluding verse beginning with "having plunged." Therein, "having plunged" means having plunged into, having entered into. "The eightfold stream" means the stream of the path constituted by the combination of eight factors beginning with right view. "I washed away all evil" means I washed off the stain of evil without remainder; by the washing away through the water of the noble path, I became one who has bathed in the ultimate sense. For that very reason, "I attained the three true knowledges, the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled" - this is just the meaning already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Gayākassapa is concluded.

8.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Vakkali

350-354. The verses beginning with "Afflicted by wind disease" are of the Venerable Elder Vakkali. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, having gone together with lay followers going to the Teacher's presence to the monastery, standing at the edge of the assembly, while hearing the Teaching, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain monk in the foremost position among those resolved in faith, himself too aspiring to that position, having given a great gift for seven days, he made an aspiration. The Teacher, having seen that there was no obstacle for him, declared it.

He too, having done wholesome deeds for as long as life lasted, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in the time of our Teacher, was reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthī; they gave him the name Vakkalitissa. He, having come of age, having learnt the three Vedas, having attained accomplishment in the brahminical arts, having seen the Teacher, unsatisfied by the sight of the achievement of his physical body, went about together with the Teacher only. Thinking "Living in the midst of a house, I shall not always be able to see the Teacher," having gone forth in the presence of the Teacher, except for mealtime and the time for bodily functions, at the remaining times, wherever standing one was able to see the One of Ten Powers, steady in that, having abandoned other duties, he dwelt just looking at the Blessed One. The Teacher, waiting for the maturation of his knowledge, for a long time, while he went about merely seeing the physical form, without saying anything, then on another day said "What is there for you, Vakkali, in seeing this foul body? Whoever, Vakkali, sees the Teaching sees me. Whoever sees me sees the Teaching. For, Vakkali, one seeing the Teaching sees me; one seeing me sees the Teaching."

Even when the Teacher spoke thus, the elder was unable to give up the sight of the Teacher and go elsewhere. Then the Teacher, thinking "This monk, without obtaining a sense of urgency, will not understand," on the day of entering the rains retreat, dismissed the elder saying "Go away, Vakkali." He, having been dismissed by the Teacher, being unable to stand in his presence, thinking "What use is life to me, since I do not get to see the Teacher?" ascended to a precipitous place on the Vulture's Peak mountain. The Teacher, having known that circumstance of his, thinking "This monk, not obtaining encouragement from my presence, might destroy the decisive support for path and fruition," emitting a radiance to show himself -

Having spoken the verse, he stretched out his hand saying "Come, Vakkali." The elder, having produced powerful joy and pleasure thinking "The One of Ten Powers has been seen by me, and the invitation 'Come' has also been received," not knowing his own state of going, thinking "From where shall I come?" springing forward into the sky before the Teacher, while his first foot was still placed on the mountain, reflecting on the verse spoken by the Teacher, having suppressed the joy right there in the sky, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges - thus it has come in the Aṅguttara Commentary and in the Dhammapada Commentary.

But here they say thus - Having been exhorted by the Teacher with the words beginning with "What is there for you, Vakkali," while dwelling at the Vulture's Peak, he established insight; because of the very powerful nature of his faith, the insight did not descend into the process; the Blessed One, having known that, having purified the meditation subject, gave it to him. Again he was indeed unable to bring the insight to its culmination; then, through deficiency of food, a wind illness arose in him; having known that he was being afflicted by the wind illness, the Blessed One, having gone there, asking -

350.

He said. Having heard that, the elder -

351.

352.

353.

354.

He spoke four verses.

Therein, "afflicted by wind disease" means brought to a state of helplessness by an illness caused by the wind humour, overpowered by the wind disease. "You" addresses the elder. "Dwelling" means dwelling with that posture of dwelling. "In the forest grove" means in a forest that has become a grove; the meaning is a great wilderness. "With scarce alms-resort" means in a place where alms-resort has been abandoned, where requisites are difficult to obtain. "Miserable" means in a miserable place, due to the absence of medicines such as ghee and so on that are suitable for the wind disease, and due to the harshness of the terrain. "What will you do, monk" means the Blessed One asked: monk, you, how will you dwell?

Having heard that, the elder, making known his own pleasant abiding through spiritual rapture and pleasure and so on, said beginning with "with rapture and happiness." Therein, "with rapture and happiness" means with rapture having the characteristic of excitement and the characteristic of pervading, and with the happiness associated with it. Therefore he said "extensive" - the meaning is lofty. "Pervading the body" means causing the whole body to be pervaded by the sublime material phenomena arisen from the aforesaid rapture and happiness, making it continuously permeated. "Even enduring rough conditions" means overcoming and enduring the roughness of requisites, even though difficult to bear, produced by dwelling in the forest and caused by the practice of detachment. "I will dwell in the forest" means I will dwell in the forest haunt with the happiness of meditative absorption and the happiness of insight - this is the meaning. Therefore he said - "And one experiences happiness with the body."

"Developing the establishments of mindfulness" means producing and increasing the four establishments of mindfulness beginning with observation of the body, which are included in the path. "The faculties" means the five faculties beginning with faith, which are indeed included in the path. "The powers" means likewise the five powers beginning with faith. "The factors of enlightenment" means likewise the seven factors of enlightenment beginning with the enlightenment factor of mindfulness. By the word "and" he includes the right strivings, the bases for spiritual power, and the path factors. Because of their inseparability, by the taking of those, the taking of these is accomplished. "I will dwell" means developing the aforesaid qualities conducive to enlightenment, I will dwell with the happiness of the path, with the happiness of fruition accomplished through the achievement of that, and with the happiness of Nibbāna.

"Putting forth strenuous energy" means those whose energy has been exerted by way of the fourfold right striving. "Resolute" means those whose minds are directed towards Nibbāna. "Constantly of strong effort" means those of unwavering energy at all times. "In unity" by way of non-contention and by way of giving bodily concord. Having seen fellows in the holy life "together" by similarity of view and morality. By this he shows the achievement of good friendship.

"Recollecting the Self-enlightened One" means the Fully Self-Enlightened One because of having perfectly and by himself awakened to all phenomena; the foremost by being the highest of all beings; tamed by the highest mastery; concentrated through unsurpassed concentration; having become not lazy, not idle, I shall dwell recollecting night and day, at all times, by the method beginning with "Thus indeed is the Blessed One, the Worthy One." By this, through showing the appropriate manner of the meditative development of recollection of the Buddha's qualities, he speaks of the pursuit of meditation subjects everywhere; by the former, the pursuit of the primary meditation subject.

But having said thus, the elder, having aroused zeal in insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, even while declaring the final liberating knowledge, the elder spoke these very verses. Then the Teacher, seated in the midst of the community of monks, established him in the foremost position among those resolved in faith.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Vakkali is concluded.

9.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Vijitasena

355-359. "I will restrain" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Vijitasena. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulating wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in the time of the Blessed One Atthadassī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, having abandoned the household life, having gone forth in the going forth of sages, while dwelling in the forest, having seen the Blessed One going through the sky, with a gladdened mind, showing signs of faith, having raised joined palms, stood. The Teacher, having known his disposition, descended from the sky. He presented charming, sweet fruits to the Blessed One; the Blessed One accepted out of compassion. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family of elephant trainers in the Kosala country, having received the name "Vijitasena," attained discretion. His maternal uncles, two elephant trainers named Sena and Upasena, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth, fulfilling the charge of dwelling, attained arahantship. Vijitasena too, having achieved accomplishment in the knowledge of elephant training, because of having the disposition of escape, with a mind not attached to the household life, having seen the Twin Miracle of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth in the presence of the maternal uncle elders, doing the work of insight through their exhortation and instruction, having overstepped the path of insight, exhorting his own mind that was running about externally among various objects -

355.

356.

357.

358.

359.

He spoke verses.

Therein, "I will restrain" means I will exercise restraint, I will prevent. "Te" means "you." For this is the genitive case used in the accusative sense. Or "your going" is the remainder of the expression. "Hatthiṇaṃ" means "hatthiṃ" - the meaning is "an elephant." "O mind" - he addresses his own mind. As one wishing to prevent it, showing that, he said "like an elephant at a gate with a linch-pin." A gate with a linch-pin is a small gate of a city enclosed by a wall, which, when the linch-pin is inserted into the hole of the latch, cannot be opened even by those standing inside without a mechanism. By which humans, cattle, horses, buffaloes and so on are not able to go out. Even an elephant wishing to go out from the city, the elephant trainer, having enticed it from that place, prevented its going. Or alternatively, a gate with a linch-pin is a gate with a cross-bar. For there, having placed the cross-bar across, they fix the linch-pin, reckoned as a wooden pin, at the head of the cross-bar. "Towards evil" means towards evil mental states such as covetousness and so on arising with regard to visible form and so on - "I will not urge it, I will not direct it." "Net of sensuality" means that which has become a net of sensuality. For just as indeed the net of fishermen and deer-hunters is a means for doing as they wish with fish and so on, so too the mind affected by unwise attention is a means for Māra to do as he wishes. For by that he causes beings to fall into harm. "Born of the body" means arising in bodies. For in five-aggregate constituent existence, consciousness is called "born of the body" because of its mode of functioning being bound to matter.

"You, restrained, do not go" means you, wretched mind, obstructed by me with the goads of mindfulness and wisdom, will now not go according to your liking; through the influence of unwise attention you will not be able to proceed as you wish. Like what? Like an elephant not obtaining an opening of the door from the city or from the elephant enclosure, not finding an opening of the door for going out. "Wretched mind" means the ill-fated mind. "Again and again" means repeatedly. "Having striven" means by way of seeking refuge and comfort. "Delighting in evil" means devoted to evil deeds; you will not behave now as before; the meaning is I shall not allow you to conduct yourself in that way.

"Untamed" means not subdued, untrained in elephant training. "Newly captured" means recently seized. "The goad-holder" means the elephant trainer. "Powerful" means powerful in bodily strength and in the power of knowledge. "Turns back against its will" means he turns it back by restraining it even against its wish. "So I shall turn back" means just as the elephant trainer turns back the aforesaid elephant, so I shall turn back that mind, that wretched mind, by restraining it from misconduct.

"Skilled in taming excellent horses" means skilled in the taming of the best horses to be trained. For that very reason, the supreme charioteer, distinguished among charioteers of horses to be trained, tames a thoroughbred, a noble horse to be trained; in accordance with place and time, by gentle and harsh means, he tames, trains, and renders it free from agitation. "Established in the five powers" means having become established in the five powers beginning with faith, I shall tame it, I shall train it by restraining faithlessness and so on - this is the meaning.

"With mindfulness I shall bind you" means not allowing it to go outside the internal resort, with the string of mindfulness to the post of the meditation subject, O wretched mind, I shall bind you, I shall restrain you. "Being harnessed I shall tame you" means while binding it right there, having become properly engaged and devoted, I shall tame you, I shall purify you from the stain of defilement. "Restrained by the yoke of energy" means just as the aforesaid horse, yoked to the yoke by a skilful, good charioteer, restrained by the yoke, having gone between the yoke-poles, does not transgress it; so you too, O mind, restrained by the yoke of my energy, through acting attentively and through acting with perseverance, not being able to proceed otherwise, from here, from the internal resort, you will not go far outside. For one devoted to meditation, even what is near but other than the meditation subject is indeed far in terms of its characteristic. Thus the elder, while restraining his own mind with these verses, having developed insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

"Mental defilements have been burnt by me, etc. the Buddha's teaching has been fulfilled."

But having attained arahantship, even while declaring the final liberating knowledge, he spoke these verses.

The commentary on the verses of the Elder Vijitasena is concluded.

10.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Yasadatta

360-364. "With a censuring mind" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Yasadatta. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence. Thus indeed, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a brahmin family, having attained accomplishment in the brahminical sciences and crafts, having abandoned sensual pleasures, having gone forth in the going forth of sages, while dwelling in the forest, one day, having seen the Teacher, with a gladdened mind, having raised joined palms in salutation, he praised him. He, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a Malla royal family in the Malla country, having received the name Yasadatta, having come of age, having gone to Takkasilā, having learnt all the crafts, wandering on a journey together with the wandering ascetic Sabhiya, gradually having approached the Blessed One at Sāvatthī, while the questions asked by Sabhiya were being answered, he himself sat down listening, watching for a chance, thinking "I shall show a fault in the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama." Then the Blessed One, having known the disposition of his mind, at the conclusion of the teaching of the Sabhiya Discourse, giving exhortation -