Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-awakened One

In the Collection of Minor Texts

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nuns

1.

The Book of the Ones

1.

Commentary on the Verses of a Certain Elder Nun

1. Now the occasion has arrived for the explanation of the meaning of the Therīgāthā. Therein, since by making known how the going forth and full ordination were first obtained by the nuns, when the explanation of meaning is being given, it becomes easy and clear to elucidate the origin of the verses here and there, therefore, to make that known, from the beginning, in brief, this is the progressive discourse -

For this Lord of the World, having combined the eight factors stated by the method beginning with "human existence, accomplishment of the male sex" and so on, having made the great resolution at the feet of the Blessed One Dīpaṅkara, fulfilling the thirty perfections, having received a declaration in the presence of twenty-four Buddhas, having gradually fulfilled the perfections, having reached the summit of the conduct for the welfare of relatives, the conduct for the welfare of the world, and the conduct for the welfare of Buddhahood, having been reborn in the Tusita realm, having remained there as long as life lasted, by the deities of the ten-thousand world-systems for the sake of Buddhahood -

Being one whose rebirth among humans was requested, having given his acknowledgment to those deities, having made the fivefold great investigation, mindful and fully aware he descended into his mother's womb in the house of the Great King Suddhodana in the Sakyan royal family, having remained there for ten months mindful and fully aware, mindful and fully aware he emerged from there, having obtained his noble birth in the Lumbinī grove, beginning with various nurses, being properly attended to with great care, gradually having come of age, surrounded by various performers in three mansions, experiencing success like a god, with a sense of urgency arisen through seeing the aged, the sick, and the dead, because his knowledge had reached maturity, having seen the danger in sensual pleasures and the benefit in renunciation, on the day of the birth of Prince Rāhula, with Channa as companion, having mounted Kaṇḍaka the king of horses, through the door opened by the deities at the time of midnight, having gone forth in the great renunciation, by that very remainder of the night having crossed over three kingdoms, having reached the bank of the river Anomā, having taken the banner of arahantship brought by the Great Brahmā Ghaṭikāra, he went forth, at that very moment becoming accomplished in deportment like an elder of sixty rains retreats, with an inspiring deportment gradually having reached Rājagaha, having walked for almsfood there, having eaten his almsfood on the slope of Mount Paṇḍava, being invited with the kingdom by the King of Magadha, having rejected that, having gone to the park of Bhaggava, having mastered his doctrine, then having mastered the doctrine of Āḷāra and Udaka, not being satisfied with all that, gradually having gone to Uruvelā, having performed austerities there for six years, having known by that the absence of penetration of the noble Teaching, thinking "This is not the path to enlightenment," taking gross food, having gained strength within a few days, on the full moon day of Vesākha having eaten the excellent food given by Sujātā, having cast the golden dish against the stream of the river, having made the determination "Today I shall become a Buddha," in the evening time, with his virtues praised by the serpent king Kāḷa, having ascended the ground of enlightenment, at the immovable spot, facing the eastern world-system, seated on the unconquered divan, having determined upon energy endowed with four factors, while the sun had not yet set, having scattered the forces of Māra, in the first watch having recollected past lives, in the middle watch having purified the divine eye, in the last watch having brought down knowledge into dependent origination, contemplating the mode of dependent conditions in forward and reverse order, having developed insight, having attained the perfect enlightenment attained by all Buddhas, not shared with any other, having spent seven days right there in the fruition attainment having Nibbāna as its object, having spent the other weeks too at the seat of enlightenment itself in the same manner, having eaten the honey-cake food at the foot of the rājāyatana tree, again seated at the foot of the goatherd's banyan tree, having reviewed the profundity of the Teaching by its nature, when his mind inclined to living at ease, being requested by the Great Brahmā, surveying the world with the Buddha-eye, having seen beings distinguished as those with sharp faculties, those with soft faculties, and so on, having given his acknowledgment to the Great Brahmā for teaching the Teaching, reflecting "To whom indeed should I first teach the Teaching?" having known the deceased state of Āḷāra and Udaka, having thought "The group of five monks have been of great service to me, they who attended on me when I was resolute in striving; what if I were to first teach the Teaching to the group of five monks," on the full moon of Āsāḷhī, having set out from the great Bodhi tree on the eighteen-yojana road towards Bārāṇasī, having conversed with the naked ascetic Upaka on the road, gradually having reached Isipatana, having convinced the group of five there, by the teaching of the Discourse on the Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Teaching beginning with "These two extremes, monks, should not be cultivated by one who has gone forth," having given the nectar of the Teaching to drink to eighteen crores of Brahmās headed by Aññāsikoṇḍañña, on the first day of the fortnight having established the Elder Bhaddiya, on the second of the fortnight the Elder Vappa, on the third of the fortnight the Elder Mahānāma, on the fourth the Elder Assaji, in the fruition of stream-entry, but on the fifth of the fortnight, by the teaching of the Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-self, having established all of them in arahantship, thereafter, the fifty-five men headed by the young man Yasa, about thirty of the Bhadda group in the cotton-tree jungle thicket, about a thousand former matted-hair ascetics on the flat rock at Gayāsīsa - thus having brought the great multitude down to the noble plane, having established eleven myriads headed by Bimbisāra in the fruition of stream-entry, one myriad in the Triple Refuge, having accepted the Bamboo Grove, while dwelling there, having asked leave of Sañcaya who had attained the first path through the utterance of the Elder Assaji, when Sāriputta and Moggallāna had come to his presence together with their following, having realised the highest fruition, having reached the summit of the perfections of a disciple, having established them in the position of chief disciples, at the invitation of the Elder Kāḷudāyī having gone to Kapilavatthu, having tamed the pride-stiffened relatives by the Twin Miracle, having established his father in the fruition of non-returning, Mahāpajāpati in the fruition of stream-entry, having given the going forth to Prince Nanda and Prince Rāhula, the Teacher returned again to Rājagaha.

Then at another time, while the Teacher was dwelling in dependence on Vesālī in the Pinnacled Hall, the Great King Suddhodana, right under the white parasol, having realised arahantship, attained final Nibbāna. Then the mind inclined towards going forth arose in Mahāpajāpati Gotamī; thereupon, at the conclusion of the teaching of the Kalahavivāda Suttanta on the bank of the river Rohinī, having gone forth, the wives of the five hundred princes who had gone forth, being of one intention, having gone to the presence of Mahāpajāpati, all of them, having made Mahāpajāpati the chief, saying "We shall go forth in the presence of the Teacher," wished to go to the Teacher's presence. And this Mahāpajāpati, having previously once requested the going forth from the Teacher, did not obtain it; therefore, having summoned a barber, having had her hair cut, having clothed herself in ochre robes, having taken all those Sakyan women, having gone to Vesālī, having had the One of Ten Powers requested by the Elder Ānanda, by the acceptance of the eight rules of respect, she obtained the going forth and full ordination. But all the others were fully ordained together. This is the summary here. But in detail, this story has come in the canonical text here and there.

Thus fully ordained, Mahāpajāpati, having approached the Teacher, having paid respect, stood to one side. Then the Teacher taught her the Teaching. She, having taken a meditation subject in the presence of the Teacher, attained arahantship. And the remaining five hundred nuns attained arahantship at the conclusion of Nandaka's exhortation. Thus, when the community of nuns was well established and widely spread, in the various villages, market towns, country districts, and royal cities, women of good families, daughters-in-law of good families, and young girls of good families, having heard of the Buddha's excellent enlightenment, the Teaching's excellent nature as Teaching, and the Community's excellent practice, having confidence in the Dispensation and with a sense of urgency arisen regarding the round of rebirths, having obtained permission from their own husbands, mothers and fathers, and relatives, having given their breast to the Dispensation, went forth. And having gone forth, accomplished in morality and good conduct, having received exhortation in the presence of the Teacher and of those elders, striving and endeavouring, before long they realised arahantship. The verses spoken by them here and there by way of inspired utterances and so on were afterwards collected together by the Elders who held the convocations and brought to rehearsal by way of the Book of Ones and so on, as "These are the Therīgāthā." The division of those into Books and so on has been stated above. Therein, among the Books, the Book of Ones is the first. Therein too -

1.

This verse is the beginning. What is its origin? In the past, it is said, a certain daughter of a good family, in the time of the Blessed One Koṇāgamana, having become devoted to the Dispensation, having invited the Teacher, on the second day, having had a branch-pavilion built, having spread sand, having tied a canopy above, having made an offering with scents, flowers, and so on, she announced the time to the Teacher. The Teacher, having gone there, sat down on the prepared seat. She, having paid homage to the Blessed One, having served him with superior solid and soft food, clothed the Blessed One who had finished eating and had removed his hand from the bowl with the three robes. The Blessed One, having given thanksgiving for her, departed. She, having performed meritorious deeds as long as life lasted, at the end of her life span, having been reborn in the heavenly world, wandering only in fortunate destinations for one interval between Buddhas, in the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, having been reborn in a householder's family, having reached discretion, with a sense of urgency arisen regarding the round of rebirths, having gone forth in the Dispensation, having received full ordination, having fulfilled the morality of a nun for twenty thousand years, having made a worldling's death, having been reborn in heaven, having experienced heavenly success for one interval between Buddhas, in this arising of a Buddha, she was reborn in a wealthy warrior family at Vesālī. They called her Therikā because of the firmness and calmness of her body. She, having come of age, given by her mother and father to a warrior prince of the same birth by way of family, region, and so on, having become a devoted wife, while dwelling thus, during the Teacher's journey to Vesālī, having gained faith in the Dispensation, having become a female lay follower, at a later time, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Elder Nun Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having generated a preference for the going forth, she informed her husband "I shall go forth." Her husband did not give permission. She, however, because of having formed an aspiration in the past, having reviewed the Teaching as she had heard it, having comprehended material and immaterial phenomena, dwelt devoted to insight meditation.

Then one day, while vegetables were being cooked in the kitchen, a great flame of fire arose. That flame of fire burned the entire vessel, making it crackle. She, having seen that, having made that very thing her object, having reflected upon impermanence presenting itself most clearly, then having applied suffering, impermanence, and non-self therein, having developed insight, having gradually aroused zeal, became established in the fruition of non-returning by the succession of paths. She, from that time onwards, wore neither ornaments nor decorations. She, when asked by her husband "Why do you, dear lady, not now wear ornaments or decorations as before?" having declared her inability to remain in the lay life, obtained his permission for the going forth. He, like the lay follower Visākha with Dhammadinnā, having led her with great care to the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, said "Lady, give this one the going forth." Then Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having given her the going forth, having given her full ordination, having led her to the monastery, showed her to the Teacher. The Teacher too, making clear the very object seen by her naturally, spoke the verse "Sleep happily."

Therein, "happily" is a neuter expression denoting a state. "Sleep" is an imperative expression. "Little elder nun" is a term of address. "Wrapped in a robe you have made" is an urging towards fewness of wishes. "For your lust is calmed" is a praising of the practice. "Like dried-up vegetables" is an illustration of the unessential nature of the mental defilement to be appeased. "In a pot" is an illustration of the impermanent, hollow, and other nature of its container.

"Happily" - and this is a designation for the desirable. Having become free from suffering through happiness - this is the meaning. "Sleep" - and this is an illustration of lying down among the four postures; therefore, conduct all four postures with happiness alone, dwell happily - this is the meaning. "Little elder nun" - although this is the mentioning of her name, yet because for the most part it is a designation according to meaning, one who has attained firmness in the firm Dispensation, endowed with firm qualities such as morality and so on - this is the meaning. "Wrapped in a robe you have made" means having made a robe from rag-cloths, with body covered, both dressed in and wrapped in that. "For your lust is calmed" - the word "for" has the meaning of cause. Because the sensual lust arising in your continuity is calmed, burnt by the fire of the knowledge of the path of non-returning, now having burnt the remaining lust by the fire of the knowledge of the highest path, sleep happily - this is the intention. "Like dried-up vegetables in a pot" means just as a small amount of vegetable curry being cooked in a fired vessel by a great flame of fire, having burned, drying up, is appeased; or just as when vegetable curry mixed with water, having been placed on an oven, while being cooked, while water is present, it hisses and sizzles, but when the water is exhausted, it becomes calmed; thus sensual lust in your continuity is calmed; having appeased the rest too, sleep happily.

The elder nun, because her faculties had reached maturity, and through the beauty of the Teacher's instruction, at the conclusion of the verse, together with the analytical knowledges, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, the elder nun, uttering an inspired utterance, spoke that very same verse; therefore this verse became that elder nun's verse. Therein, in the verse spoken by the elder nun, lust without remainder is comprehended by the highest path, because the appeasement of that is intended. By the appeasement of lust alone here, the appeasement of all mental defilements too should be seen as stated, because of the accomplishment of the appeasement of all defilement-states due to their co-existence therewith. For thus it is said -

Just as here the appeasement of all defilements is stated, so everywhere too their appeasement should be understood as stated. Because of the accomplishment of appeasement in the preliminary stage by way of substitution of opposites, at the moment of serenity and insight meditation by way of suppression, at the moment of the path by way of eradication, and at the moment of fruition by way of subsiding. By that, the accomplishment of the fourfold abandoning should be known. Therein, by abandoning by substitution of opposites, the accomplishment of accomplishment in morality; by abandoning by suppression, the accomplishment of accomplishment in concentration; by the others, the accomplishment of accomplishment in wisdom is shown, because of the succeeding of the full realisation of abandoning. Just as it establishes the full realisation of development, because of the absence of that in its absence, so it establishes the full realisation of direct experience and the full realisation of full understanding as well. It should be understood that by the accomplishment of the four full realisations, the three trainings, by the practice the threefold goodness, and the seven purifications are fully made known by this verse. "A certain elder nun" means unknown, not well-known by way of name and clan and so on; one elder nun endowed with the marks, a bhikkhunī, spoke this verse - this is the intention.

The commentary on the verses of a certain elder nun is completed.

2.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Muttā

2.

This is the verse of the female trainee named Muttā. 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 Vipassī, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, one day, having seen the Teacher going along the road, with a gladdened mind, having paid homage with the fivefold prostration, through the force of joy, lay down face downward at the feet of the Teacher. She, by that meritorious action, having been reborn in the heavenly world, wandering again and again only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in Sāvatthī in a wealthy brahmin family; her name was Muttātissā. She, through the achievement of decisive support, at the time of twenty years, having gone forth in the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, while still being a female trainee, having had a meditation subject spoken about, was doing the work of insight. She, one day, having done the meal duty, having returned from her alms round, having shown her duty to the elder nuns, having gone to her day-quarters, seated in a secret place, began attention to insight. The Teacher, while just seated in the fragrant perfumed chamber, having emitted a radiance, having shown himself as if seated before her, spoke this verse "Muttā, be freed from the mental bonds."

Therein, "Muttā" is a vocative addressing her. "Be freed from the mental bonds" means be freed by the succession of paths from the four mental bonds beginning with the bond of sensuality; become one with a mind liberated from them. Like what? "Like the moon from Rāhu's grip" means be freed from impurity, like the moon from the grip called Rāhu. "With a free mind" means with a mind well liberated by the noble path through liberation by eradication; and this is an instrumental expression in the sense of indicating a state. "Free of debt, enjoy your almsfood" means having abandoned the debt of mental defilements, having become free of debt, you should eat food obtained from the people. For whoever, without abandoning the mental defilements, consumes the requisites permitted by the Teacher, he is called one who consumes with conflict. As the Venerable Bākula said - "For only seven days indeed, friend, did I, with conflict, eat food obtained from the people." Therefore, one who has gone forth in the Dispensation, having become free of debt through the abandoning of the debt of sensual desire and so on, should consume offerings given in faith. "Almsfood" is merely the heading of the teaching; the meaning is the four requisites as well. "Repeatedly exhorts" means purifying the impurities for the attainment of the noble path, he gives exhortation repeatedly.

She, having stood firm in that exhortation, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, she uttered that very same verse as an inspired utterance. Having completed her training and received full ordination, at a later time, even at the time of final Nibbāna, she spoke that very same verse in reply.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Muttā is completed.

3.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Puṇṇā

3. "Puṇṇā, be filled with qualities" is the verse of the female trainee named Puṇṇā. 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 a world devoid of a Buddha, was reborn in the realm of kinnaras on the bank of the river Candabhāgā. One day, having seen there a certain Individually Enlightened One, with a gladdened mind, having venerated him with a garland of reeds, she stood with raised joined palms. She, by that meritorious action, wandering only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in Sāvatthī in a wealthy householder family. Her name was Puṇṇātissā. She, through the achievement of decisive support, while living for twenty years, having heard the Teaching in the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having gained faith, having gone forth, while still being a female trainee, began insight meditation. The Teacher, while just seated in the perfumed chamber, having emitted a radiance to her -

3.

Therein, "Puṇṇā" is a vocative addressing her. "Be filled with qualities" means become full with the thirty-seven qualities pertaining to enlightenment. "Like the moon on the fifteenth day" - the letter "ra" serves as a word-connector. Like the moon full with all its phases on the fifteenth day, the full moon day. "With complete wisdom" means with the wisdom of the path of arahantship, complete through the fulfilment of the sixteen functions. "Shatter the mass of darkness" means break and eradicate the mass of delusion without remainder. Together with the shattering of the mass of delusion, all mental defilements too are shattered.

She, having heard that verse, having developed insight, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, that elder nun uttered that very same verse as an inspired utterance. And this itself was her verse of declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Puṇṇā is completed.

4.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Tissā

4. "Tissā, train in the training" - this is the verse of the female trainee Tissā. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, through the condition of stored-up wholesome action, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in the Sakyan royal family at Kapilavatthu, having come of age, having become a harem-lady of the Bodhisatta, afterwards having gone forth together with Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having gone forth, was doing the work of insight. The Teacher, having emitted a radiance by the method already stated above for her -

4.

Therein, "Tissā" is a vocative addressing her. "Train in the training" means train in the threefold training beginning with the training in higher morality; the meaning is accomplish the three trainings associated with the path. Now he states the reason for accomplishing them by saying "let not the mental bonds overcome you" - human existence, completeness of faculties, the arising of a Buddha, the attainment of faith - these mental bonds, right times, rare moments, let them not pass you by. Or alternatively, the four mental bonds beginning with the bond of sensuality - let them not overcome you, let them not overpower you. "Unbound from all mental bonds" means liberated from all mental bonds beginning with the bond of sensuality, thereby having become without mental corruptions, wander in the world - the meaning is dwell with the pleasant abiding of the seen.

She, having heard that verse, having developed insight, attained arahantship - the method beginning thus should be understood by the method already stated above.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Tissā is completed.

5-10.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Tissā and So On

5-10. "Tissā, engage in the teachings" - this is the verse of the Elder Nun Tissā. Her story is similar to the story of the female trainee Tissā. But this one, having become an elder nun, attained arahantship. And just as this one, so too from here onwards the stories of the five elder nuns - Dhīrā, Vīrā, Mittā, Bhadrā, and Upasamā - are exactly alike. All these, dwelling in Kapilavatthu, having been harem-ladies of the Bodhisatta, having gone forth together with Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, attained arahantship through a verse of radiance, except for the seventh. She, however, without a verse of radiance, how much more so in dependence on the exhortation received in the presence of the Teacher, having aroused zeal in insight, having attained arahantship, by way of an inspired utterance spoke the verse "A heroine with heroic." The others too, having attained arahantship -

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Therein, "engage in the teachings" means engage, make exertion in the qualities of serenity and insight and in the noble qualities conducive to enlightenment. "Let not the moment pass you by" means whoever does not thus make exertion in meditation, this moment - the moment of birth in a suitable place, the moment of non-deficiency of the six sense bases, the moment of a Buddha's arising, the moment of attaining faith - all this moment passes by that person. Let not that moment pass you by. "Those who have missed the moment" means those who have passed beyond the moment, and those persons whom that moment has passed beyond, they, having been consigned to hell, grieve; having been reborn there, they experience great suffering - this is the meaning.

"Experience cessation" means touch, obtain the cessation of mental defilements. "The happiness of the appeasement of perception, attain Nibbāna" means attain Nibbāna, the perpetual happiness that has the sign of the appeasement of evil perceptions such as perception of sensuality and so on.

"A heroine with heroic qualities" means a nun with developed faculties, with faculties of faith and so on increased, a heroine through the predominance of energetic striving, having conquered the Māra of mental defilements together with his army by means of heroic noble path qualities abundant in power, bears the final body because of the absence of renewed existence in the future - thus the elder nun shows herself as if another.

"Mittā" - she addresses her thus. "Delighting in friends" means delighting in good friends. Therein, be one who shows honour and respect to them. "Develop wholesome mental states" means increase the noble path qualities. "Of freedom from bondage" means for the attainment, for the achievement of arahantship and Nibbāna.

"Bhadrā" - she addresses her thus. "Delighting in the good" means be one who delights, takes delight in good qualities such as morality and so on. "The unsurpassed freedom from bondage" means Nibbāna, which is secure from the four mental bonds, free from danger, unsurpassed; the meaning is "develop the wholesome qualities conducive to enlightenment for the attainment of that."

"Upasamā" - she addresses her thus. "Cross the flood, the realm of Death so hard to cross" - Death is borne here, thus it is the realm of Death; very difficult to cross for those who have not accumulated the requisites of merit, thus it is so hard to cross; cross the great flood of the round of rebirths - you would cross by the boat of the noble path. "Bear the final body" means by that very crossing, you will become a bearer of the final body - this is the meaning.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Tissā and so on is completed.

The commentary on the first chapter is completed.

11.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Muttā

11. The verse of the Elder Nun Muttā beginning with "Well released, truly well released am I." This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn as the daughter of a poor brahmin named Oghātaka in the Kosala country; when she came of age, her mother and father gave her to a certain humpbacked brahmin. She, finding the household life disagreeable with him, having obtained his permission, having gone forth, was doing the work of insight. Her mind ran about towards external objects; she, restraining it, while uttering the very verse "Well released, truly well released am I," having aroused zeal in insight, together with the analytical knowledges, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, uttering an inspired utterance -

11.

Therein, "well released" means well freed. "Truly well released am I" means truly, properly freed am I. But from what is she well released, truly well released? She said "freed from three crooked things"; the meaning is completely freed from three bent things. Now showing those in their own form, she said "from the mortar, from the pestle, and from my humpbacked husband." For when putting grain into the mortar, turning it over, and pounding it with the pestle, the back has to be bent; therefore, because of being a cause for making one humpbacked, both of those are called "crooked." But her husband was indeed humpbacked. Now, the freedom from three crooked things was stated by way of illustration of the freedom from which she was freed. Showing that very thing, having said "I am freed from birth and death," therein she states the reason by "the conduit to existence has been uprooted." Its meaning is - Not only am I freed from the three crooked things, but indeed from all birth and death as well, because the conduit of all existence, the leader, craving, has been eradicated by me through the highest path.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Muttā is completed.

12.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Dhammadinnā

12. "One in whom desire has arisen, who has reached the conclusion" is the verse of the Elder Nun Dhammadinnā. It is said that she, in the time of the Buddha Padumuttara, in the city of Haṃsavatī, living as one dependent on others for her livelihood, having given a gift preceded by veneration and honour to the chief disciple who had emerged from cessation, was reborn in the heavenly world. Having passed away from there, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in the time of the Blessed One Phussa, while dwelling in the house of the worker for the Teacher's half-brothers, when regarding a gift her husband said "Give one," giving two, having made much merit, in the time of the Buddha Kassapa, having taken conception in the house of Kikī, the King of Kāsi, having been among the seven sisters, having lived the holy life for twenty thousand years, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans for one interval between Buddhas, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family home in Rājagaha, having come of age, she went to the house of the millionaire Visākha.

Then one day the millionaire Visākha, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having become a non-returner, having gone home, while ascending the mansion, without taking hold of the outstretched hand of Dhammadinnā who was standing at the top of the steps, having ascended the mansion, even while eating he ate silently. Dhammadinnā, having reflected upon that, said "Master's son, why did you today not take hold of my hand, and even while eating you said nothing; is there indeed any fault of mine?" Visākha said "Dhammadinnā, there is no fault of yours, but from today onwards I am unworthy to touch a woman's body and to be greedy regarding food; such is the Teaching that has been penetrated by me. But if you wish, dwell in this very house. If you do not wish, having taken however much wealth you need, go to your family house." "I shall not, master's son, lick up what has been vomited by you; allow me the going forth." Visākha, saying "Good, Dhammadinnā," sent her by a golden palanquin to the nuns' dwelling. She, having gone forth, having taken a meditation subject, having dwelt there for a few days, wishing to dwell in a secluded residence, having gone to the presence of her teachers and preceptor, said "Ladies, my mind does not delight in a crowded place; I am going to a village residence." The nuns led her to a village residence. She, dwelling there, because of having crushed the activities in the past, before long attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, thinking "My mind has reached its summit; now having dwelt here, what shall I do? Having gone to Rājagaha itself, I shall pay homage to the Teacher, and many of my relatives will make merit," she returned to Rājagaha itself together with the nuns. Visākha, having heard of her arrival, investigating her achievement, asked a question by way of the five aggregates and so on. Dhammadinnā, as if cutting a white water-lily stalk with a well-sharpened knife, answered each and every question asked. Visākha reported the entire method of questions and answers to the Teacher. The Teacher, praising her beginning with "Wise, Visākha, is the nun Dhammadinnā" and so on, having compared it with his omniscient knowledge, having declared the fact of its being answered, making that very Cūḷavedalla Sutta the occasion, established her in the foremost position among nuns who are Teaching-preachers. But when she, dwelling in that village residence, having attained the lower paths, established insight for the purpose of the highest path, then -

12.

spoke this verse.

Therein, "one in whom desire has arisen" means one in whom desire has arisen for the purpose of the highest fruition. "Who has reached the conclusion" - "avasāya" is called the end, the completion; and since that too, because of the state of having consciousness unbound to sensual pleasures, will be stated as "an upstream-goer," it should be understood as the completion of the ascetic's task, not of just anyone whatsoever; therefore, by both terms too, the meaning stated is: one who has not attained her goal, aspiring for the unsurpassed freedom from bondage. "And who would be pervaded by mind" means one would be pervaded, touched, by the three lower path consciousnesses with regard to Nibbāna. "With consciousness unbound to sensual pleasures" means with consciousness not bound to sensual pleasures by the influence of the path of non-returning. "An upstream-goer" - the stream of the path and the stream of saṃsāra go only upward for her, thus she is an upstream-goer. For just as for a non-returner the highest path arises, and no other, so for one reborn in the Aviha and other realms, up to the Akaniṭṭha realm, rebirth is only upward.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Dhammadinnā is completed.

13.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Visākhā

13. "Practise the Buddha's teaching" is the verse of the elder nun Visākhā. Her story is similar to the story of the elder nun Dhīrā. She, having attained arahantship, spending her time in the bliss of liberation -

13.

By this verse she declared the final liberating knowledge.

Therein, "practise the Buddha's teaching" means practise the Buddha's teaching, the exhortation and advice; the meaning is: proceed in accordance with the advice. "Which having done one does not regret" means having carried out the advice, one does not feel remorse because of doing it, since the intentions of one who practises it are properly fulfilled. "Quickly having washed your feet, sit down on one side" - this was said because she herself, after the meal, having returned from her alms round, having shown her duty to her teachers and preceptor, having washed her feet at her own day-quarters, seated in a secret place, brought her own welfare to its summit; therefore, urging others too in that, she spoke.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Visākhā is completed.

14.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sumanā

14. "Having seen the elements as suffering" is the verse of the elder nun Sumanā. Her story is similar to the story of the elder nun Tissā. For this one too, the Teacher, having emitted a radiance, having shown himself as if seated before her -

14.

He spoke this verse. She, at the conclusion of the verse, attained arahantship.

Therein, "having seen the elements as suffering" means having seen with the eye of knowledge the elements beginning with the eye and so on, included within their own continuity, and the others too, as "suffering" through the oppression of rise and fall and so on. "Do not come again to birth" means do not approach again birth, rebirth in the future. "Having removed desire for existence" means having abandoned the desire of craving in all existence such as sensual existence and so on, by the path termed as dispassion. "You will live at peace" means through the state of having abandoned defilements in every respect, being quenched, you will dwell.

And here, by "having seen the elements as suffering," insight is shown through the approach of observation of suffering. By "having removed desire for existence," the path is shown; by "you will live at peace," the element of Nibbāna with residue of clinging is shown; by "do not come again to birth," the element of Nibbāna without residue of clinging is shown - it should be seen thus.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sumanā is completed.

15.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Uttarā

15. "I was restrained by body" is the verse of the elder nun Uttarā. Her story too is similar to the story of the elder nun Tissā. For she too, born in a Sakyan family, having been a harem-lady of the Bodhisatta, having gone forth together with Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having attained arahantship through a verse of radiance, then -

15.

She spoke that very verse by way of an inspired utterance.

Therein, "I was restrained by body" means I was restrained by bodily restraint. "By speech" means the explanation is: I was restrained by verbal restraint. By both terms, she speaks of restraint by morality. "Or" means then. "By mind" means by the consciousness of concentration; by this she speaks of insight meditation. "Having uprooted craving with its root" means with its underlying tendencies, or having pulled out craving together with ignorance. For craving arises in the three existences when the danger has been concealed by ignorance.

Another method - "Restrained by body" means by right action, through the abandoning of wrong action in every respect, I was restrained by body through path restraint alone. "By speech" means the meaning is: by right speech, through the abandoning of wrong speech in every respect, I was restrained by speech through path restraint alone. "By mind" means by concentration. By the heading "mind," right concentration is stated here below; by the inclusion of right concentration alone, through the characteristic of the path having a single characteristic, the path factors beginning with right view are included as well. Thus, by path restraint, the abandoning of non-restraint beginning with covetousness without remainder has been shown. Therefore she said "having uprooted craving with its root." "I have become cool, quenched" means through the absence of the fever of mental defilements in every respect, having attained the state of coolness, I am quenched through the Nibbāna element without residue of clinging.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Uttarā is completed.

16.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sumanā Who Went Forth in Old Age

16. "Sleep happily, little elder" is the verse of Sumanā, who went forth in old age. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in Sāvatthī as the sister of the king of Mahākosala. She, having heard the Teaching taught by the Teacher to King Pasenadi of Kosala beginning with "There are four, great king, who should not be despised as young," having gained confidence, having established herself in the refuges and in the precepts, although desirous of going forth, having spent a long time thinking "I will look after my grandmother," at a later time, when her grandmother had died, together with the king, having had very costly bed-coverings and outer garments carried, having gone to the monastery, having given them to the monastic community, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having become established in the fruition of non-returning, she requested the going forth. The Teacher, having seen the maturity of her knowledge -

16.

spoke this verse. She, at the conclusion of the verse, having attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges, spoke that very verse by way of an inspired utterance. This itself was her declaration of final liberating knowledge; she went forth at that very moment. In the verse, however, "little elder" means senior, advanced in age - this is the meaning. But this one was also senior by virtues such as morality and so on; in the fourth verse of the verse spoken by the elder nun, it should be connected as "you have become cool, quenched." The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sumanā who went forth in old age is completed.

17.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Dhammā

17. "Having walked for almsfood" is the verse of the elder nun Dhammā. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, with stored-up accumulation of merit, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family home in Sāvatthī, having come of age, having gone to the house of a suitable husband, having gained faith in the Dispensation, wishing to go forth, not permitted by her husband, afterwards when her husband had died, having gone forth, doing the work of insight, one day, having walked for almsfood, while coming to the monastery, having fallen down, having made that very thing her object, having developed insight, having attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges -

17.

She spoke this verse by way of an inspired utterance.

Therein, "having walked for almsfood, leaning on a staff" means having wandered about in the city with a stick as a support for the purpose of almsfood, having roamed about for alms. "Chamā" means on the ground, on the earth; she fell to the ground by way of her feet - this is the meaning. "Having seen the danger in the body" means having seen with the eye of wisdom the fault in the body in various ways such as foulness, impermanence, suffering, non-self, and so on. "Thereupon my mind was liberated" means through the observation of danger and through the observation of disenchantment and so on that occurred thereafter, by way of suppression my mind was released from mental defilements, and then again through path and fruition, in due order, by way of eradication and by way of subsiding, it was altogether liberated, liberated; now there is nothing of hers that needs to be liberated. This itself was her declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Dhammā is completed.

18.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Saṅghā

18. "Having left the household, gone forth" is the verse of the elder nun Saṅghā. Her story is similar to the story of the elder nun Dhīrā. The verse, however -

18.

Therein, "having left" means having abandoned. "Household" means home. For the word "ghara" is sometimes used in the conventional sense in the plural even for a single referent, like a seed. "Having left son, cattle, and dear ones" means having abandoned, by the abandoning of desire and lust bound to them, the sons who are to be held dear and the cattle such as cows and buffaloes and so on. "Having left lust and hate" means having completely cut off by the noble path lust, whose intrinsic nature is defilement, and hate, whose intrinsic nature is aversion. "And having become dispassionate towards ignorance" means having discarded delusion, the forerunner among all unwholesome states, and having uprooted it by the path - this is the meaning. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Saṅghā is completed.

The commentary on the Book of Ones is completed.

2.

The Book of the Twos

1.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Abhirūpanandā

19-20. In the Book of Twos, the verse beginning with "Afflicted, impure, putrid" is the verse of the female trainee Abhirūpanandā. It is said that she, in the time of the Blessed One Vipassī, having been the daughter of a very wealthy householder in the city of Bandhumatī, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having established herself in the refuges and in the precepts, when the Teacher had attained final Nibbāna, having made an offering to the relic shrine with a golden umbrella adorned with jewels, having died, having been reborn in heaven, wandering again and again only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in the womb of the queen-consort of the Sakyan Khemaka in the city of Kapilavatthu. Her name was Nandātissā. She, through the attainment of exceedingly great beauty of form in her individual existence, being lovely, beautiful, and pleasing, became known as Abhirūpanandā. When she had come of age, on the very day of the marriage proposal, the Sakyan prince who was to be her husband died. Then her mother and father gave her the going forth against her will.

She, even after going forth, with vanity arisen in dependence on her beauty, thinking "The Teacher dispraises beauty, censures it, shows the danger in beauty in many ways," did not go to attend upon the Buddha. The Blessed One, having known the maturity of her knowledge, commanded Mahāpajāpati: "Let all the nuns come in succession for exhortation." When her own turn arrived, she sent another. The Blessed One said: "When one's turn has arrived, one must come oneself; another should not be sent." She, being unable to transgress the Teacher's command, went to attend upon the Buddha together with the nuns. The Blessed One, having created by supernormal power one lovely woman's form, then having shown it as aged and decrepit, having aroused religious emotion -

19.

20.

He spoke these two verses. Their meaning follows the same method as stated above. At the conclusion of the verses, Abhirūpanandā attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, she herself too by way of an inspired utterance spoke those very verses; and this itself was her declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Abhirūpanandā is completed.

2.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Jentā

21-22. The verses of the elder nun Jentā beginning with "These seven factors of enlightenment." Her past and present story is similar to the story of Abhirūpanandā. But this one was reborn in Vesālī in a Licchavi royal family - this alone is the distinction. Having heard the Teaching taught by the Teacher, at the conclusion of the teaching, having attained arahantship, having reviewed the distinction attained by herself, by means of joy -

21.

22.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "these seven factors of enlightenment" means these seven mental states termed mindfulness, investigation of phenomena, energy, joy, tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity, which have obtained the name "factors of enlightenment" because they are constituent factors of enlightenment, that is, the aforesaid concord of mental states, or because they are constituent factors of the person who awakens, the individual possessed of that. "The path for the attainment of Nibbāna" means being the means for the achievement of Nibbāna. "All of them were developed by me, as taught by the Buddha" means those thirty-seven qualities conducive to enlightenment, all of them, just as taught by the Buddha, the Blessed One, so they were produced and increased by me.

"For I have seen that Blessed One" - the word "for" has the meaning of cause. Because that Blessed One, the body of the Teaching, the perfectly Self-awakened One, was seen through the vision of the noble Teaching attained by oneself, therefore "this is the final body" - this is the explanation. For by the vision of the noble Teaching, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, and other noble ones are truly seen, not by the mere seeing of the material body. As he said - "Whoever, Vakkali, sees the Teaching sees me" and "But, monks, a learned noble disciple, who sees the noble ones" and so on. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Jentā is completed.

3.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sumaṅgalamātā

23-24. The verses of the Elder Nun Sumaṅgala's Mother beginning with "Well freed" and so on. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a poor family in Sāvatthī, having come of age, given to a certain basket-maker, obtained a son who was a being in his last existence in her very first pregnancy. His name was "Sumaṅgala." From that time onwards, she became known as "Sumaṅgala's Mother." But because her name and clan were not well-known, therefore "a certain unknown elder nun, a bhikkhunī" was stated in the canonical text. Her son too, having reached discretion, having gone forth, having attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges, became well-known as "the Elder Sumaṅgala." His mother, having gone forth among the nuns, doing the work of insight, one day, having reviewed the suffering obtained by herself during her time as a householder, with a sense of urgency arisen, having developed insight, having attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges, uttering an inspired utterance -

23.

24.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "sumuttikā" means "well released." The syllable "ka" is merely an expletive; the meaning is "well freed indeed." She, having seen the achievement obtained by herself in the Dispensation, said "well freed, well freed" on account of confidence, or having addressed her on account of praise. But showing liberation from that which she particularly loathed during her time as a householder, she said beginning with "I am truly well freed." Therein, "I am truly well freed" means I am indeed properly freed. "Of the pestle" means from the pestle. It is said that this one, due to her poverty, during her time as a householder, herself did the work of the pestle; therefore she said thus. "My shameless husband" means my husband is shameless, without shame; the remainder of the expression is "he does not please me." Being by nature one whose mind was dispassionate towards sensual pleasures, she speaks loathing the conduct of those inclined to sensual pleasures. "And even my sunshade-making" means even the sunshade-making being done for the sake of livelihood does not please me - this is the meaning. The word "or" has the meaning of an unstated accumulation; by that it includes boxes, caskets, and so on. She speaks loathing the painful livelihood by way of making sunshades and so on day after day, having taken bamboo sticks and so on. Some, having said "a harmful wind blows upon me," say the meaning is: a harmful, ageing-bringing wind blows upon my body during my time as a householder. Others, however, say the meaning is: "a wind more foul-smelling than that of others, harmful, blows from my body." "My pot smells like a water-snake" means my cooking vessel for food, due to its impurity from being used for a long time, emits the smell of a water-snake; from that I am truly well freed - this is the explanation.

"Both lust and hate I destroy with a 'crackle crackle' sound" means I destroy, eliminate, abandon lust and hate, the foremost of mental defilements, together with this sound "crackle crackle" - this is the meaning. It is said that she, loathing her own husband, censuring the sound of the dry bamboo sticks and so on being split by him day after day, equated the abandoning of that with the abandoning of lust and hate, and spoke. "Having approached the root of a tree" means she, I, Sumaṅgala's mother, having approached a secluded tree-root. "I meditate in happiness" means I meditate happily, from time to time entering into attainment, experiencing the happiness of fruition and the happiness of Nibbāna, I meditate with fruition meditative absorption - this is the meaning. "Oh happiness" - this, however, was said by her by way of attention occurring after the attainment; it is also fitting as by way of prior reflective attention.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sumaṅgalamātā is completed.

4.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Aḍḍhakāsī

25-26. The verses of the elder nun Aḍḍhakāsī beginning with "As far as the Kāsi country." It is said that she, in the time of Kassapa, the Possessor of the Ten Powers, having been reborn in a family home, having attained discretion, having gone to the presence of nuns, having heard the Teaching, having gained faith, having gone forth, having reviled with the accusation of being a courtesan a certain elder nun who had attained the analytical knowledges and who had eliminated the mental corruptions, who was established in the morality of a nun, having passed away from there, having been tormented in hell, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a millionaire's family of eminent wealth in the Kāsi country, having come of age, as an outcome of verbal misconduct done before, she fell from her position and became a courtesan. By name she was called Aḍḍhakāsī. Her going forth and full ordination by a messenger have come just as in the chapter. For this was said:

Now at that time the courtesan Aḍḍhakāsī had gone forth among the nuns. And she wished to go to Sāvatthī, thinking "I shall receive full ordination in the presence of the Blessed One." The cheats heard - "It seems the courtesan Aḍḍhakāsī wishes to go to Sāvatthī." They lay in wait on the road. The courtesan Aḍḍhakāsī heard "It seems the cheats have laid in wait on the road." She sent a messenger to the presence of the Blessed One - "I am wishing for full ordination, how should I proceed?" Then the Blessed One, on this occasion, in this connection, having given a talk on the Teaching, addressed the monks - "I allow, monks, to give full ordination even by a messenger."

Having thus obtained full ordination, doing the work of insight, before long she attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

25.

26.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "as far as the Kāsi country, my toll was that much" means the toll existing in the Kāsi countryside is the Kāsi country toll; as far as that was, however much, that much was my toll - it was. But how much was it? About a thousand. In the Kāsi country, it is said, at that time, by way of toll, the income arising for the king in one day was about a thousand; from this one too, the wealth obtained from men's hands in one day was that much. Therefore it was said - "As far as the Kāsi country, my toll was that much." She, however, because of being equal in measure to the Kāsi toll, obtained the designation "Kāsī." Therein, mostly people, being unable to give a thousand, having given half of that, having enjoyed themselves for only part of the day, would go; on account of them, she became known as "Aḍḍhakāsī." Therefore it was said - "Having made that the price, the townspeople set me at half the price." Having made that wealth of about five hundred the price, the townspeople, the people dwelling in the market town, although being priceless by virtue of being a jewel among women, on account of the half-price sign, established me by the designation "Aḍḍhakāsī," thus they called me - this is the meaning.

"Then I became wearied of material form" means having been a harlot, she was thus established. Then afterwards, in dependence on the Dispensation, I became wearied of material form, seeing "Thus too matter is impermanent, thus too this matter is suffering, unattractive" - I became dissatisfied therewith. "And being wearied I became dispassionate" means being wearied, I thereafter attained dispassion. By the use of "being wearied" here, he shows young insight; by the use of "dispassion," powerful insight. For it has been said: "Being disenchanted, one becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, one becomes liberated." "May I not transmigrate again and again through the round of rebirths" - by this he illustrates the manner of becoming wearied and becoming dispassionate. By "the three true knowledges" and so on, the attainment of the summit of those. That is by the same method as already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Aḍḍhakāsī is completed.

5.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Cittā

27-28. The verse beginning with "Although I am thin" and so on is the verse of the elder nun Cittā. 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, ninety-four cosmic cycles ago from now, was reborn in the realm of kinnaras on the bank of the river Candabhāgā. She, one day, having seen a certain Individually Enlightened One seated at the root of a tree, with a gladdened mind, having made an offering with reed flowers, having paid homage, having raised joined palms, having circumambulated him, departed. She, 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 very wealthy householder's family in Rājagaha, having attained discretion, having gained faith at the Teacher's entrance to Rājagaha, afterwards having gone forth in the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, in the time of old age, having ascended Vulture's Peak mountain, practising the ascetic duty, having developed insight, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

She, however, having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice -

27.

28.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "although I am thin" means even though I am worn out by old age, with an emaciated body due to having little flesh and blood. "Sick and very weak" means sick due to a disturbance of the elements and so on, and by that very sickness exceedingly weak. "Leaning on a staff I go" means wherever I go, I go only by holding on to a walking stick. "Having ascended the mountain" means even being in such a state, through desire for seclusion, having ascended Vulture's Peak mountain.

"Having laid aside the double robe" means having been wearing only the inner and upper robes, having placed the double robe that had been placed on the shoulder as it was folded, within arm's reach. "And having turned over the bowl" means having turned my clay bowl for daily use face downwards and having placed it to one side. "On the rock I steadied myself, having shattered the mass of darkness" means seated on the mountain, having shattered the mass of delusion never before shattered during this long period of time, and by that very shattering of the mass of delusion I steadied myself, my individual existence; the meaning is that I suppressed my continuity by bringing about the state of non-arising in the future.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Cittā is completed.

6.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Mettikā

29-30. The verse beginning with "Although I am afflicted" and so on is the verse of the elder nun Mettikā. 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 Siddhattha, having been reborn in a householder's family, having attained discretion, made an offering at the Teacher's shrine with a girdle adorned with jewels. She, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in Rājagaha in a wealthy brahmin family. The remainder is similar to what was said in the preceding. But this one, having ascended the Counterpart Peak, practising the ascetic duty, having developed insight, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

29.

30.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "afflicted" means afflicted through being overcome by disease, with suffering arisen, having reached suffering. "Weak" means devoid of power through that very reaching of suffering and through the decrepitude of ageing. Therefore she said "with youth gone," meaning one who has traversed the span of life.

"Thereupon my mind was liberated" means seated I was on a rock, thereupon immediately after that, because of being properly applied through evenness of energy, by the succession of paths, my mind was liberated from all mental corruptions. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Mettikā is completed.

7.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Mittā

31-32. The verse of another elder nun, Mittā, beginning with "The fourteenth, the fifteenth." 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 Vipassī, having been reborn in a family of the warrior caste, having attained discretion, having become a lady of the harem of King Bandhumā, having seen one elder nun who had eliminated the mental corruptions, a female disciple of the Blessed One Vipassī, with a gladdened mind, having taken the bowl from her hand, having filled it with superior solid and soft food, gave it together with a very costly suit of clothes. She, 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 at Kapilavatthu, having attained discretion, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having gained faith, became a female lay follower. She, at a later time, having gone forth in the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having completed the preliminary functions, doing the work of insight, before long attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, filled with joy and happiness, by way of an inspired utterance -

31.

32.

Therein, "the fourteenth, the fifteenth" - the fourteenth is that which completes fourteen, the fifteenth is that which completes fifteen; that fourteenth and fifteenth - the connection is "of the fortnight." And this is an accusative expression used in the sense of absolute connection. "And the eighth of the fortnight, and that" - this is the explanation. "And the extra holiday" means and the supplementary fortnight; and the fortnight on which the Observance morality should be maintained by way of entering and departing, in order from the beginning and from the end respectively of the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth; the meaning is: and on the thirteenth, the first day of the fortnight, the seventh, and the ninth. "Well endowed with the eight factors" means well endowed with the eight factors beginning with abstention from killing living beings. "I undertook the Observance" means I undertook the fasting; I observed - this is the meaning. With reference to which it was said -

"Delighting in the group of gods" means the explanation is: aspiring to the group of gods beginning with the Cātumahārājika gods by way of wishing for rebirth there, she undertook the Observance. "Today, with one meal" means she, I, today, on this very day, with one occasion of eating a meal. "Shaven-headed, wrapped in the double robe" means having become one with shaven hair and with body wrapped in the double robe, one who has gone forth - this is the meaning. "I do not aspire to the group of gods" means because of having attained the highest path, I do not desire any order of gods. Therefore he said - "Having removed anguish from the heart" means having removed by way of eradication the disturbance of mental defilements gone to the mind - this is the meaning. This itself was her declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Mittā is completed.

8.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Abhayamātā

33-34. The verse beginning with "Upwards from the soles of the feet" and so on is the verse of the elder nun, the mother of Abhaya. 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, one day, having seen the Teacher walking for almsfood, with a gladdened mind, having taken the bowl, gave a ladleful of almsfood. She, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, by such an outcome of action, was a city courtesan named Padumavatī in Ujjenī. King Bimbisāra, having heard of her virtues such as beauty and so on, informed the chaplain - "In Ujjenī, it seems, there is a courtesan named Padumavatī; I wish to see her." The chaplain, saying "Very well, Sire," by the power of spells, having summoned a demon named Kumbhīra, by the demon's power, led the king instantly to the city of Ujjenī. The king lived together with her for one night. She conceived an embryo by him. And she informed the king - "An embryo has been established in my womb." Having heard that, the king, having said to her "If it should be a son, having raised him, show him to me," having given a signet ring, departed. She, after the elapse of ten months, having given birth to a son, on the name-giving day, gave him the name Abhaya. And when the son was seven years old, she sent him to the presence of the king, saying "Your father is the great king Bimbisāra." The king, having seen that son, having obtained affection for a son, reared him with the care befitting a prince. His acquisition of faith, going forth, and specific attainment have come above. His mother, at a later time, having heard the Teaching in the presence of her son, the Elder Abhaya, having gained faith, having gone forth among the nuns, doing the work of insight, before long attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, the verse which was spoken by way of exhortation by her own son, the Elder Abhaya, while teaching the Teaching, reciting those very same verses herself too by way of an inspired utterance -

33.

34.

Therein, in the first verse to begin with, this is the meaning in brief - Mother Padumavatī, upwards from the soles of the feet, downwards from the top of the hair, filled with various kinds of impurity, impure, foul-smelling because of the blowing of a putrid odour at all times, review this body, this physical form, which is the origin of contemptible things, with the eye of knowledge. For this is the verse spoken by her son by way of giving exhortation.

She, having heard that, having attained arahantship, uttering an inspired utterance, by way of honouring the teacher, having first spoken that very same verse, relating her own practice, spoke the second verse "Dwelling thus."

Therein, "dwelling thus" means thus, having stood firm in the exhortation given by my son, the Elder Abhaya, beginning with "upwards from the soles of the feet," having seen the whole body as foulness, with a fully focused mind, having comprehended therein the material phenomena distinguished as primary elements and derived matter, and the immaterial phenomena beginning with feeling that are bound to them, having applied the three characteristics therein, dwelling by way of the observation of impermanence and so on. "All lust has been uprooted" means when insight leading to emergence was joined with the path, by the highest path in the succession of paths, all lust has been uprooted by me, eradicated. "The fever has been cut off" means from that very fact all the fever of mental defilements has been properly destroyed, and because of its being cut off, I have become cool, quenched through the Nibbāna element with residue of clinging.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Abhayamātā is completed.

9.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Abhayā

35-36. The verses of the elder nun Abhayā beginning with "Abhayā, the body is fragile." 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 Sikhī, having been reborn in a wealthy warrior family, having attained discretion, was the chief queen of King Aruṇa. The king one day gave her seven waterlilies accomplished in fragrance. She, having taken those, "What use are these adornments to me? What if I were to venerate the Blessed One with these?" having thought thus, she sat down. And the Blessed One at the time for the alms round entered the king's dwelling. She, having seen the Blessed One, with a gladdened mind, having gone forward to meet him, having venerated him with those flowers, paid homage with the fivefold prostration. She, 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 in Ujjenī, having attained discretion, having become a companion of Abhayā's mother, when she had gone forth, out of affection for her, having herself too gone forth, while dwelling together with her in Rājagaha, one day went to the Cool Grove for the purpose of seeing the foul. The Teacher, while just seated in the perfumed chamber, having placed before her an object previously experienced by her, made known to her the state of bloatedness and so on. Having seen that, she stood with a mind stirred with a sense of urgency. The Teacher, having pervaded with light, having shown himself as if seated before her -

35.

36.

He spoke these verses. She, at the conclusion of the verse, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, uttering an inspired utterance, having changed those very verses, she spoke them.

Therein, "Abhayā" - she addresses herself. "Fragile" means of a nature that breaks; the meaning is impermanent. "Where worldlings are attached" means in this body, which is of a nature that breaks in a moment, which is of the intrinsic nature of impurity, foul odour, loathsomeness, and repulsiveness, these blind worldlings, beings, are stuck, attached. "I shall lay down this body" means but I, indifferent, without taking up again, shall cast off, shall discard this body, this putrid body. Therein, she states the reason by "fully aware and mindful."

"By many painful states" means the intention is: for one touched by many painful states such as birth, ageing, and so on. "For one who delights in heedfulness" means for one who delights in heedfulness - termed as the continuous presence of mindfulness - because of having attained a sense of urgency through that very state of being fallen into suffering. The remainder is according to the method already stated. And here, according to the procedure taught by the Teacher -

This is the reading, but because it was placed into the recitation according to the procedure as spoken by the elder nun. "For you who delight in heedfulness" (appamādaratāya te) means: you should be one who delights in heedfulness - this is the meaning.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Abhayā is completed.

10.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sāmā

37-38. The verse beginning with "Four times, five times" is the verse of the elder nun Sāmā. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, wandering only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a very wealthy householder's family in Kosambī, her name was Sāmātissā. She, having attained discretion, having become a dear companion of the female lay follower Sāmāvatī, when she had died, with religious emotion arisen, went forth. And having gone forth, being unable to dispel the sorrow that had arisen referring to Sāmāvatī, she was not able to take the noble path. At a later time, having heard the exhortation of the Elder Ānanda who was seated in the sitting hall, having established insight, on the seventh day from that, together with the analytical knowledges, she attained arahantship.

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, making it known -

37.

38.

She spoke these two verses by way of an inspired utterance.

Therein, "four times, five times, I went out from the dwelling" means having thought "Seated in my dwelling-place with attention to insight, being unable to bring the ascetic duty to its culmination, due to the absence of a suitable climate, is not my insight indeed obstructed by the path?" I went out from the dwelling, from the lodging, nine times - four and five - outside. Therefore she said "not having gained peace of mind, not having control over my mind." Therein, "peace of mind" is said with reference to the concentration of the noble path. "Not having control over my mind" means not wielding power over my meditation mind due to the absence of moderation of energy. It is said that she had excessively exerted energy. "For me that was the eighth night" means from the time I received the exhortation in the presence of the Elder Ānanda, from that time onwards, unwearied night and day, doing the work of insight, at night having gone out from the dwelling four times and five times, applying attention, not having attained distinction, on the eighth night, having obtained moderation of energy, she exhausted the mental defilements by the succession of paths - this is the meaning. Therefore it was said - "For me that was the eighth night, since when craving was uprooted." The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sāmā is completed.

The commentary on the Book of Twos is completed.

3.

The Book of the Threes

1.

Commentary on the Verses of the Other Elder Nun Sāmā

39-41. In the Book of Threes, the verse beginning with "Twenty-five years" is the verse of another elder nun, Sāmā. 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 Vipassī, was reborn in the realm of kinnaras on the bank of the river Candabhāgā. She there, devoted to amusement, wandered about together with the kinnaras. Then one day the Teacher, for the purpose of planting a wholesome seed for her, having gone there, walked up and down on the riverbank. She, having seen the Blessed One, full of mirth, having taken sal flowers, having gone to the Teacher's presence, having paid homage, venerated the Blessed One with those flowers. She, 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 in Kosambī, having come of age, having become a companion of Sāmāvatī, when she had died, with a sense of urgency arisen, having gone forth, not having obtained concentration of mind for twenty-five years, in the time of old age, having received the exhortation of the Fortunate One, having developed insight, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

39.

40.

41.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "tranquillity of mind" means the appeasement of mind, the concentration of serenity of mind, path, and fruition - this is the meaning.

"Thereby" means therefore, because of the inability to bring the mind under control. "Attained religious emotion" means even while the Teacher was still living, being unable to bring the task of one gone forth to its summit, thinking "How shall I bring it to completion afterwards?" I attained religious emotion, the terror of knowledge. "Having remembered the Conqueror's Dispensation" means having recollected the Teacher's exhortation such as the simile of the blind turtle and so on. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the other elder nun Sāmā is completed.

2.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Uttamā

42-44. The verse beginning with "Four times, five times" is the verse of the excellent elder nun. 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 Vipassī, was reborn as a household slave girl in the home of a certain householder in the city of Bandhumatī. She, having come of age, lived performing service for her masters. And at that time King Bandhuma, on the full moon day, having become an observer of the Observance, before the meal having given gifts, after the meal having gone, listens to the Teaching. Then the public, just as the king proceeds, in the same way on the full moon day, having undertaken the Observance factors, they carry on. Then this occurred to that slave girl - "Now indeed the great king and the public, having undertaken the Observance factors, carry on; what if I were to undertake the Observance morality on Observance days and carry on." She, doing so, having observed the completely pure Observance morality, was reborn among the Tāvatiṃsa gods, wandering again and again only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a millionaire's family in Sāvatthī, having attained discretion, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Elder Nun Paṭācārā, having gone forth, having established insight, she was not able to bring it to its culmination. The Elder Nun Paṭācārā, having known the disposition of her mind, gave exhortation. She, having stood firm in her exhortation, together with the analytical knowledges, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

42.

43.

44.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "I approached a nun, who was trustworthy to me" means she who was to be trusted by me, whose words were trustworthy, that nun I approached, I went to; it refers to the Elder Nun Paṭācārā by way of faith. "That nun approached, who was my accomplisher" is also a reading. That nun Paṭācārā out of compassion approached me, she who was the accomplisher of my own welfare - this is the meaning. "She taught me the Teaching, the aggregates, sense bases, and elements" means that Elder Nun Paṭācārā, having classified and shown the aggregates and so on thus: "these are the five aggregates, these are the twelve sense bases, these are the eighteen elements," taught the Teaching to me.

"Having heard the Teaching from her" means having heard, in the presence of that elder nun who had attained the analytical knowledges, the subtle and refined insight teaching taught preceded by the classification of the aggregates and so on, leading to the noble path. "As she instructed me" means that elder nun, just as she instructed me, exhorted me, so practising, having brought the practice to its culmination, even so for seven days I sat in a single cross-legged posture. How? "Endowed with joy and happiness" means possessed of the joy and happiness born of meditative absorption. "On the eighth day I stretched out my feet, having shattered the mass of darkness" means having shattered completely the mass of delusion by the highest path, on the eighth day, breaking the cross-legged posture, I stretched out my feet. This itself was her declaration of final liberating knowledge.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Uttamā is completed.

3.

Commentary on the Verses of the Other Elder Nun Uttamā

45-47. The verses of another elder nun, Uttamā, beginning with "These seven factors of enlightenment." 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 Vipassī, was reborn as a household slave girl in the city of Bandhumatī. She, one day, having seen a certain elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions, a disciple of the Teacher, walking for almsfood, with a gladdened mind, gave three sweet-meats. She, 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 wealthy brahmin family in a certain place in the Kosala country, having attained discretion, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher who was wandering on a journey through the country, having gained faith, having gone forth, before long attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

45.

46.

47.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "of emptiness and the signless, I am an obtainer at will" means I am an obtainer at will of the emptiness attainment and the signless attainment; therein, whatever attainment I wish to enter, wherever, whenever, that very attainment, there, then, having entered upon it, I dwell - this is the meaning. For even though for any path whatsoever named emptiness, desireless, and so on, the threefold fruition distinguished as emptiness and so on comes to be. But this elder nun enters only upon the emptiness and signless attainment. Therefore it was said - "Of emptiness and the signless, I am an obtainer at will." Or this was said mostly. Others say this is merely an illustration.

"Those that are divine and those that are human" means whatever objective sensual pleasures included in the heavenly world and those included in the human world - all of them have been completely cut off by me through the abandoning of desire and lust bound to them, made unworthy of enjoyment. For it is said - "A monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions is incapable, friend, of consuming sensual pleasures. Just as formerly when he was a householder." The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the other elder nun Uttamā is completed.

4.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Dantikā

48-50. The verses of the elder nun Dantikā beginning with "Having come out from the day residence." 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 a time void of a Buddha, was reborn in the realm of kinnaras on the bank of the river Candabhāgā. She, one day, playing together with the kinnaras, wandering about, saw a certain Individually Enlightened One seated for the day's abiding at the root of a certain tree. Having seen him, with a gladdened mind, having approached, having made an offering with sal flowers, having paid homage, she departed. She, 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 the royal chaplain brahmin of the king of Kosala in Sāvatthī, having attained discretion, having gained faith at the acceptance of the Jeta Grove, having become a female lay follower, afterwards having gone forth in the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, while dwelling in Rājagaha, one day, after the meal, having ascended Vulture's Peak, seated for the day's abiding, having seen an elephant stretching out its foot for the elephant driver to mount, having made that very thing her object, having developed insight, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, filled with joy and happiness, by way of an inspired utterance -

48.

49.

50.

Therein, "an elephant that had plunged in and emerged" means a noble elephant, having made a plunge into the river, having plunged in, then come out from there. Or the reading is "ogayha muttiṇṇa." The syllable "ma" serves as a word-connector. "I saw on the riverbank" means I beheld on the bank of the river Candabhāgā.

"What were they doing?" - to show this, "a man" and so on was said. Therein, "requests 'give your foot'" means "give your foot" - he gives a signal to stretch out the foot for the purpose of mounting the back; indeed, giving a signal as previously trained, here he is said to "request."

"Having seen the untamed one tamed" means one previously untamed by nature, now having undergone the taming and training by the elephant trainer through elephant training. What kind of tamed? "Come under the control of human beings" - the explanation is: having seen whatever human beings command, that and that. "Thereupon I concentrated my mind, indeed having gone to the forest for that reason" - "khalu" is an indeclinable particle in the sense of emphasis. Thereupon, after seeing the elephant, having gone to the forest, the wilderness, by reason of that action of the elephant which was the cause, I concentrated my mind indeed. How? "Even this elephant, an animal, has come to taming through the influence of the elephant tamer; why should the mind of one who has become a human being not come to taming through the influence of the Teacher, the tamer of persons?" - with a sense of urgency arisen, having developed insight, through the concentration of the highest path, I concentrated my mind; by perpetual concentration, I exhausted the mental defilements in every respect - this is the meaning.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Dantikā is concluded.

5.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Ubbirī

51-53. The verses of the elder nun Ubbirī beginning with "Mother, Jīvā." 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 in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, one day, when her mother and father had gone to another house to enjoy a blessing, being alone, left behind by herself at home, at the approaching time, having seen a certain elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions, a disciple of the Blessed One, going near the house door, wishing to give almsfood, having said "Venerable sir, enter here," when the elder had entered the house, having paid homage to the elder with the fivefold prostration, having prepared a seat with long-fleeced rugs and so on, she gave it. The elder sat down on the prepared seat. She, having taken the bowl, having filled it with almsfood, placed it in the elder's hands. The elder, having given thanksgiving, departed. She, by that meritorious action, having been reborn among the Tāvatiṃsa gods, having experienced lofty heavenly success there as long as life lasted, having passed away from there, wandering only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a very wealthy householder's family in Sāvatthī, received the name Ubbirī; she was lovely, beautiful, and pleasing. She, at the time of coming of age, was led to his own house by the king of Kosala, and after the passing of several years, she obtained one daughter. They gave her the name Jīvantī. The king, having seen her daughter, with a satisfied mind, gave the consecration to Ubbirī. But her daughter, at the time of running about and roaming around, died. The mother, having gone to the cemetery where the laying down of her body was done, laments day after day. One day, having gone to the Teacher's presence, having paid homage, having sat down for a short while, having gone, standing on the bank of the river Aciravatī, she laments referring to her daughter. Having seen that, the Teacher, while just seated in the perfumed chamber, having shown himself, asked "Why do you wail?" "I wail referring to my daughter, Blessed One." "Cremated at this cemetery, your daughters number eighty-four thousand; with reference to which of them do you wail?" Having shown the respective cremation places of those -

51.

Therein, "Mother, Jīvā" is an address to the daughter by the affectionate name for mother, and this is a showing of the manner of her wailing. "You weep in the forest" means you lament in the midst of the forest. "Understand yourself, Ubbirī" means Ubbirī, first awaken to your own self, know as it really is. "Eighty-four thousand" means eighty-four thousand. "All bearing the name Jīvā" means all those too are Jīvantīs, who are of the same name. "Cremated at this cremation ground" means cremated at this cemetery. "For which of them do you grieve" means with reference to which among those eighty-four thousand named Jīvantī do you bewail, do you fall into sorrow - thus, when the Teaching was taught by the Teacher, in accordance with the teaching, having sent forth knowledge, having undertaken insight, through the beauty of the Teacher's instruction and through the maturity of her own conditions, just as she stood, having aroused zeal in insight, she became established in the highest fruition, arahantship, by the succession of paths. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having become established in arahantship, making known the distinction attained by herself -

52.

53.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "he has indeed drawn out my dart, difficult to see, lodged in the heart" means difficult to see as it really is for those who have not accumulated the requisites of merit, based upon my mind, called a "dart" because of generating affliction, because of being difficult to remove, and because of piercing within - he has indeed drawn out, indeed taken out, sorrow and craving. "He who, for me overcome with sorrow" means because he dispelled my grief for my daughter for me who was overcome with sorrow, removed it without remainder, therefore "he has indeed drawn out my dart" - this is the explanation.

"Today I have the dart pulled out" means she, I, today, with the dart of craving pulled out in every respect, thereby indeed without hunger, attained final Nibbāna. "The sage" means the omniscient Buddha, and the ninefold supramundane Teaching distinguished as the path, fruition, and Nibbāna taught by him, and the Community reckoned as the assembly of eight noble persons established therein, and because of connection with those unsurpassed ones and because of the destruction of the entire suffering of the round of rebirths, they are refuge, shelter, rock cell, and ultimate goal. "I go to" means I approach, I understand, and I practise - this is the meaning.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Ubbirī is concluded.

6.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sukkā

54-56. The verses of the Elder Nun Sukkā beginning with "What have they done in Rājagaha" and so on. 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 Vipassī, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Bandhumatī, having attained discretion, having gone together with female lay followers to the monastery, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having gained faith, having gone forth, she was very learned, a bearer of the Teaching, and possessing discernment. She, having lived the holy life there for many thousands of years, having merely made a worldling's death, was reborn in Tusita. Likewise in the time of the Blessed One Sikhī, and in the time of the Blessed One Vessabhū - thus having kept morality in the Dispensation of three perfectly Self-awakened Ones, she was very learned and a bearer of the Teaching; likewise, having gone forth in the Dispensation of the Blessed One Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, and Kassapa, she was of pure morality, very learned, and a preacher of the Teaching.

Thus she, having accumulated much merit here and there, wandering only in fortunate destinations, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in a very wealthy householder's family in the city of Rājagaha; her name was Sukkātissā. She, having attained discretion, having gained confidence at the Teacher's entry into Rājagaha, having become a female lay follower, at a later time, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Elder Nun Dhammadinnā, with religious emotion arisen, having gone forth in her very presence, doing the work of insight, before long attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, she was a great teacher of the Teaching with a retinue of five hundred nuns. She, one day, having walked for almsfood in Rājagaha, having completed the meal duty, having entered the nuns' quarters, as if squeezing a honeycomb and giving a very sweet drink to the great assembly that had sat down, as if sprinkling with the Deathless, she teaches the Teaching. And the assembly listens to her talk on the Teaching with ears inclined, with undistracted minds, attentively. At that moment, a deity dwelling in a tree at the end of the elder nun's walking path, devoted to the teaching of the Teaching, having entered Rājagaha, having wandered from road to road, from crossroads to crossroads, making clear her virtues -

54.

55.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "What have the people of Rājagaha done" means these people of Rājagaha, what have they done, in what task indeed are they occupied? "As if drunk on honey, they lie" means just as those who, having taken honeycomb honey, having drunk the honey, having become unconscious, are unable to raise their heads, so these too, having become unconscious through the perception of the Teaching, methinks, are unable to raise their heads; they merely lie there - this is the meaning. "Who do not attend upon Sukkā, teaching the Buddha's teaching" means those who do not attend upon, do not wait upon the elder nun Sukkā, who teaches, who makes known the teaching of the Buddha, the Blessed One, as it really is. Those people of Rājagaha, what have they done - this is the explanation.

"And that which is irresistible" means and that Teaching which brings about the state of non-returning, leading to liberation; or by its excellence, which cannot be taken away because of its nature of captivating the hearing of the audience; full and delicious in itself, not requiring anything added, by nature itself of great flavour, and therefore nourishing. "Osadha" is also a reading. Being a medicine for the treatment of the disease of the suffering of the round of rebirths. "The wise drink it, methinks, like travellers from a rain cloud" means just as travellers in a waterless wilderness drink water that has come forth from amidst the rain clouds, so wise persons, learned men, drink that Teaching, methinks - they listen as if drinking.

The people, having heard that, with gladdened minds, having approached the presence of the elder nun, listened to the Teaching attentively. At a later time, at the end of the elder nun's life span, at the time of final Nibbāna, for the purpose of making manifest the nature of the Dispensation as leading to liberation, declaring the final liberating knowledge -

56.

Therein, "Sukkā" - the elder nun Sukkā shows herself as if speaking of another. "With bright qualities" means with well-purified supramundane states. "Without lust, concentrated" means by the highest path altogether without lust, concentrated through the concentration of the fruition of arahantship. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sukkā is concluded.

7.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Selā

57-59. The verse of the elder nun Selā beginning with "There is no escape in the world." 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, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, given by her mother and father to a son of good family of the same birth, having lived together with him in pleasant communal life for many hundreds of years, when he had deceased, she herself too, having traversed the span of life, having reached the final stage of life, with a sense of urgency arisen, seeking what is wholesome, from time to time wandered about from park to park, from monastery to monastery, thinking "I shall listen to the Teaching in the presence of ascetics and brahmins." She, one day, having approached the Teacher's Bodhi tree, sat down thinking "If the Buddha, the Blessed One, is matchless, equal to the matchless, without equal, let this Bodhi tree show me a wonder." Immediately upon the arising of her consciousness thus, the Bodhi tree blazed up, branches entirely made of gold arose, all directions shone brilliantly. She, having seen that wonder, with a gladdened mind, having established respect and consideration, having raised joined palms on her head, sat down right there for seven nights and days. On the seventh day she made a lofty veneration and honour. She, by that meritorious action, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn as the daughter of King Āḷavika in the country of Āḷavī. Her name was Selā. But because she was the daughter of King Āḷavika, they also call her Āḷavikā. She, having attained discretion, when the Teacher, having tamed Āḷavaka, having given the bowl and robes into his hands, had approached the city of Āḷavī together with him, being a girl, having gone together with the king to the presence of the Teacher, having heard the Teaching, having gained faith, became a female lay follower. She, at a later time, with religious emotion arisen, having gone forth among the nuns, having completed the preliminary functions, having established insight, contemplating the activities, because of being endowed with decisive support, with matured knowledge, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, the elder nun, while dwelling at Sāvatthī, one day, after the meal, having departed from Sāvatthī, having entered the Blind Men's Grove for the purpose of the day residence, sat down at the root of a certain tree. Then Māra, wishing to cut her off from seclusion, having approached in the guise of an unrelated person -

57.

Its meaning is - In this world, even when all doctrines are being examined, there is no escape called Nibbāna; what is acknowledged according to the desire of those various ascetics and brahmins is merely a conventional expression. Therefore, "what will you do with seclusion" means standing in such a form, in the accomplished first youth, what will you do with this bodily seclusion? Then "enjoy sensual delights" means experience the delights of play based upon objective sensual pleasure and sensual pleasure as mental defilement. Why? "Do not be one who regrets afterwards" - the intention is: do not be one who is remorseful afterwards, thinking "The very Nibbāna for the sake of which I live the holy life does not exist; therefore this has not been attained, and sensual enjoyments have been lost - alas, this is harmful to me."

Having heard that, the elder nun thought: "This Māra is indeed foolish, who rejects Nibbāna that has become evident to me. And he invites me to sensual pleasures; he does not know my state of having eliminated the mental corruptions. Well then, having made him know that, I shall threaten him" - having thought thus -

58.

59.

Therein, "sensual pleasures are like stakes of spears" means sensual pleasures by name, by whomever they are determined upon, because of piercing through that being, should be seen as like a sharp spear and like a stake. "Aggregates" means the aggregates of clinging. "Their" means of those. "Chopping block" means the locus for cutting, the place for excessive seizing - this is the meaning. Because, having excessively seized the aggregates, beings arrive at cutting and breaking punishments through sensual pleasures. "What you call 'sensual delight', that is now discontent for me" means Evil One, that which you speak of as sensual delight, making it something to be delighted in and to be cultivated, that is now for me, because of the arising of discontent, like excrement; there is no use whatsoever of it for me.

Therein, she states the reason by the phrase beginning with "delight has been destroyed everywhere." Therein, "know thus" means know me as "one whose craving and ignorance have been abandoned in every respect"; therefore, precisely by the overcoming of power, destruction, and domain, O Death, one of inferior conduct, Māra, you are defeated, afflicted by me, but I am not to be afflicted by you - this is the meaning.

Thus threatened by the elder nun, Māra disappeared right there. The elder nun too, having spent the daytime in the Blind Men's Grove with the happiness of fruition attainment, in the evening went to her dwelling place.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Selā is concluded.

8.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Somā

60-62. The verses of the elder nun Somā beginning with "That which is to be attained by sages." 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 Sikhī, having been reborn in a wealthy warrior family, having attained discretion, was the chief queen of King Aruṇa - thus the entire past story is similar to the story of the elder nun Abhayā. As for the present story, this elder nun, wandering here and there among gods and humans, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in Rājagaha as the daughter of the chaplain of King Bimbisāra. Her name was Somā. She, having attained discretion, having gained faith at the Teacher's entry into Rājagaha, having become a female lay follower, at a later time, with religious emotion arisen, having gone forth among the nuns, having completed the preliminary functions, doing the work of insight, before long attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

All is similar to the life history of the elder nun Abhayā.

But having attained arahantship, dwelling in the bliss of liberation at Sāvatthī, one day, having entered the Blind Men's Grove for the purpose of the day residence, she sat down at the root of a certain tree. Then Māra, wishing to cut her off from seclusion, having approached in an invisible form, standing in the sky -

60.

Its meaning is - What is to be attained by those of great wisdom such as the Buddhas and others who have received the name "sage" in the meaning of searching for the aggregates of morality and so on, that is difficult to reach by others, difficult to accomplish. That which is the state of supreme comfort reckoned as arahantship, that cannot be attained by a woman of two-finger wisdom, of inferior wisdom. For women, from the age of seven or eight years onwards, cooking rice at all times, having put rice-grains into boiling water, do not know "To this extent the rice is cooked"; but having lifted out the rice-grains with a ladle and having squeezed them with two fingers, they know; therefore they are said to have "two-finger wisdom."

Having heard that, the elder nun, rebuking Māra -

61.

62.

She spoke the other two verses.

Therein, "what does womanhood matter to us" means what would the state of being a woman do to us, what kind of fetter would it produce for the attainment of arahantship. "When the mind is well concentrated" means when the mind is well concentrated through the concentration of the highest path. "When knowledge is progressing" means thereupon when the knowledge of the path of arahantship is occurring. "Rightly seeing the Teaching with insight" means seeing properly the Teaching of the four truths by the method of full understanding and so on. For here this is the summary - Evil One, whether one be a woman or a man, when the highest path is attained, arahantship has come into one's possession.

Now, showing directly that she herself had attained that state, she spoke the verse "delight has been destroyed everywhere." That is of the meaning already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Somā is concluded.

The commentary on the Book of Threes is concluded.

4.

The Book of the Fours

1.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Bhaddā Kāpilānī

63-66. In the Book of Fours, the verses of the elder nun Bhaddā Kāpilānī beginning with "The son, the heir of the Buddha." It is said that she, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain nun in the foremost position among those who recollect past lives, having performed the preparatory action, herself too having aspired to that position of rank, having made merit for as long as life lasted, having passed away from there, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, when a Buddha had not arisen, having been reborn in a family home in Bārāṇasī, having gone to her husband's family, one day, while making a dispute with her husband's sister, when that one had given almsfood to an Individually Enlightened One, thinking "This one, having given a gift to him, will obtain lofty success," having taken the bowl from the hand of the Individually Enlightened One, having thrown away the food, having filled it with mud, she gave it. The public reproached - "Foolish one, what has the Individually Enlightened One done wrong to you?" She, being ashamed by their words, having again taken the bowl, having taken out the mud, having washed it, having rubbed it with scented powder, having filled it with the four sweets, having placed it shining with ghee of the colour of the interior of a lotus poured over the top in the hands of the Individually Enlightened One, made the aspiration "Just as this almsfood has become radiant, so may my body become radiant." She, having passed away from there, wandering only in fortunate destinations, in the time of the Buddha Kassapa, was reborn as the daughter of a millionaire of great wealth in Bārāṇasī. Having a foul-smelling body as a result of former action, having become one to be loathed by people, with a sense of urgency arisen, having had a golden brick made from her own ornaments, she established it at the shrine of the Blessed One, and made an offering with a handful of water-lilies. On account of that, her body became fragrant and charming in that very existence. She, having become dear and agreeable to her husband, having done wholesome deeds for as long as life lasted, having passed away from there, was reborn in heaven. There too, having experienced divine happiness for as long as life lasted, having passed away from there, having become the daughter of the king of Bārāṇasī, experiencing there success similar to divine success, having attended upon the Individually Enlightened Ones for a long time, when they had attained final Nibbāna, with a sense of urgency arisen, having gone forth in the going forth of a hermit, dwelling in a park, having developed the meditative absorptions, having been reborn in the Brahma world, having passed away from there, having been reborn in the house of a brahmin family of the Kosiya clan in the city of Sāgala, having grown up with great care, having come of age, she was led to the house of the young man Pipphali in the great ford village. When he had departed to go forth, having abandoned a great mass of wealth and a great circle of relatives, having gone out for the purpose of the going forth, having entered a sectarians' park for five years, at a later time, having obtained the going forth and full ordination in the presence of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, having established insight, before long she attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, she was a master through practice in the knowledge of past lives. Therein, because she had made her aspiration with surpassing distinction, afterwards the Teacher, seated in the midst of the noble company at Jeta's Grove, while establishing the nuns in succession in their respective positions, established her in the foremost position among those who recollect past lives. She, one day, preceded by praise of the virtues of the Elder Mahākassapa, uttering an inspired utterance by way of making clear her own fulfilment of duty and so on -

63.

64.

65.

66.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "the son, the heir of the Buddha" means a son born after the Perfectly Self-awakened One by virtue of being one who has awakened following the Buddha, and thereby an heir through the taking up of the nine supramundane teachings which constitute his inheritance. Kassapa is "well concentrated" through the state of well-concentrated mind by means of mundane and supramundane concentrations. "He who knows past lives" means the Elder Mahākassapa who, having made manifest the past lives - the continuity of aggregates dwelt in by himself and others - through the knowledge of recollecting past lives, knew, understood, and penetrated them. "And sees heaven and the realms of misery" means he sees with the divine eye heaven with its division into twenty-six god realms and the fourfold realm of misery, as if an emblic myrobalan on the palm of the hand.

"And also has attained the destruction of birth" means beyond that, he has attained arahantship reckoned as the destruction of birth. Through direct knowledge, having directly known with most excellent knowledge the phenomena that should be directly known, having fully understood what should be fully understood, having abandoned what should be abandoned, having realized what should be realized, he is accomplished, has reached the goal, with obligations fulfilled. He is a sage because of having attained wisdom reckoned as the wisdom of the elimination of mental corruptions.

"Likewise Bhaddā Kāpilānī" means just as Mahākassapa is a possessor of the threefold true knowledge by these three true knowledges as stated above, and victorious over death, likewise Bhaddā Kāpilānī is a possessor of the threefold true knowledge and victorious over death. "Therefore she bears her final body, having conquered Māra with his army" - she shows herself as if speaking of another.

Now, showing "just as the elder's practice is good in the beginning, the middle, and the end, so too is mine," she spoke the concluding verse "having seen the danger." Therein, "we are ones who have eliminated the mental corruptions, tamed" means we - the Elder Mahākassapa and I - are tamed with the highest self-control and are in every respect ones who have eliminated the mental corruptions. "Become cool, quenched" means precisely from that, through the absence of the fever of mental defilements, become cool, and quenched through the Nibbāna element with residue of clinging - we are, we exist - this is the meaning.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Bhaddā Kāpilānī is concluded.

The commentary on the Book of Fours is concluded.

5.

The Book of the Fives

1.

Commentary on the Verses of a Certain Elder Nun

67-71. In the Book of Fives, the verses of a certain elder nun beginning with "Twenty-five years." 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 this arising of a Buddha, having become a nurse of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī in the city of Devadaha, she reared her. But she was unknown by name and clan. She, at the time when Mahāpajāpati Gotamī went forth, having herself too gone forth, for twenty-five years troubled by sensual lust, not obtaining unified focus of mind even for a finger-snap's moment, having raised her arms, crying out, having heard the Teaching in the presence of the Elder Nun Dhammadinnā, with her mind turned away from sensual pleasures, having taken a meditation subject, devoting herself to meditation, before long, having become a possessor of the six higher knowledges, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

67.

68.

69.

70.

71.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "not even for a finger-snap's moment" means even a moment of a mere snapping of the fingers, even a mere snapping of the fingers - this is the meaning of "time." "Did I attain peace of mind" - the explanation is: I did not attain peace of mind, unified focus of mind; the meaning is I did not obtain.

"Filled with sensual lust" means with a mind soaked by thick desire and lust, through being firmly attached to objects of sensual pleasure reckoned as types of sensual pleasure.

"A nun" - she speaks with reference to the Elder Nun Dhammadinnā.

"And the knowledge of others' minds" - the connection is: and the knowledge of others' mental states has been purified; the meaning is attained. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of a certain elder nun is completed.

2.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Vimalā

72-76. The verses of the Elder Nun Vimalā beginning with "Intoxicated by beauty and form." This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, was born at Vesālī as the daughter of a certain harlot. Her name was Vimalātissā. She, having come of age, earning her livelihood in the same way, one day, having seen the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna walking for almsfood in Vesālī, having become enamoured, having gone to the elder's dwelling place, began to perform the act of enticement with reference to the elder. "She was instigated by sectarians and did so" - thus some say. The elder, having admonished her by way of making clear the foulness of the body, gave exhortation. That has come below in the Theragāthā itself; but when the exhortation had thus been given by the elder, she, with a sense of urgency arisen, having established shame and moral fear, having gained faith in the Dispensation, having become a female lay follower, at a later time, having gone forth among the nuns, striving and endeavouring, because of being accomplished in the supporting conditions, before long, having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "intoxicated by beauty and form" means by the beauty of virtuous qualities and by the achievement of form. "By splendour" means by the state of being fortunate. "By fame" means by the achievement of retinue. "Intoxicated" means having fallen into intoxication by way of the vanity of beauty, the vanity of form, the vanity of splendour, and the vanity of retinue - this is the meaning. "And stiff with youth" means stiffened again and again by the intoxication of youth, with a mind made stiff by the conceit of I-making on account of youth, with an unpeaceful mind. "I despised other women" means I, having surpassed other women in every way by my own qualities such as beauty and so on, imagined myself superior. Or, I despised the qualities such as beauty and so on of other women; having surpassed them, I looked down upon them; I showed contempt.

"Having adorned this body, well decorated, the prattle of fools" means this body of mine, filled with various kinds of impurity, loathsome, the prattle of fools because of making fools prattle and speak "I" and "mine" - having adorned my body, well decorated by means of colouring the skin, arranging the hair, and so on, having embellished it with garments and ornaments, making it well adorned and beautified. "I stood at the harlot's door, like a hunter having spread a snare" means just as a deer hunter spreads a deer-snare of sticks, hooks, and so on for the purpose of binding deer, so having spread my aforesaid body, which had become a snare of Māra, at the harlot's door, at the house-door of a prostitute, I stood.

"Displaying ornaments, revealing much that is secret and open" means showing the thighs, buttocks, breasts, and so on which are secret, and the feet, knees, head, and so on which are open - thus displaying much ornamental adornment of many kinds, both secret and open. "I practised various deceit, laughing aloud at many people" means laughing in order to deceive many foolish people intoxicated by the vanity of youth, by concealing the true nature of the body with scents, garlands, garments, ornaments, and so on, and by means of laughing, coquetry, and such behaviour - by these I practised various, manifold deception.

"Today, having walked for almsfood, etc. "An obtainer of that without applied thought" means the explanation is: she, I, being one who had been dwelling in heedlessness thus, now today, having stood firm in the exhortation of the noble Elder Mahāmoggallāna, having gone forth in the Dispensation, having become shaven-headed and wrapped in the double robe, having walked for almsfood, having eaten the almsfood, seated at the root of a tree, seated on a secluded seat at the root of a tree, through the achievement of the highest fruition based on the second meditative absorption, I am an obtainer of that without applied thought.

"All mental bonds" means the four mental bonds beginning with the bond of sensuality and so on. "Cut off" means completely cut off and abandoned by the first path and so on, each as is appropriate. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Vimalā is concluded.

3.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sīhā

77-81. The verses beginning with "Through unwise attention" are the verses of the Elder Nun Sīhā. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, was born at Vesālī as the daughter of the sister of General Sīha. They gave her the name Sīhā, saying "Let us give her the name of her maternal uncle." She, having attained discretion, one day, when the Teaching was being taught by the Teacher to General Sīha, having heard that Teaching, having gained faith, having obtained permission from her mother and father, went forth. And having gone forth, although she had begun insight meditation, being unable to turn back the mind that was running about externally towards various objects, for seven years being afflicted by wrong thoughts, not finding mental delight, thinking "What use is this evil life to me? Having hanged myself, I shall die," having taken a snare, having attached it to a tree branch, while fastening it around her own neck, by the force of habitual action she directed her mind to insight; because she was one in her final existence, the binding of the snare was at the place of the neck; because her knowledge had reached maturity, she, at that very moment, having developed insight, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. And at the very same time as she attained arahantship, the snare-binding, having become free from the neck, fell away. She, established in arahantship, by way of an inspired utterance -

77.

78.

79.

80.

81.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "through unwise attention" means by unmethodical attention, by the grasp of illusion perceiving the unattractive as attractive. "Distressed by sensual lust" means oppressed by desire and lust for the types of sensual pleasure. "I was agitated before, not having control over my mind" means before, when my mind was not under my control, I was agitated, with mind distracted among various objects, unconcentrated.

"Obsessed by mental defilements, following the perception of beauty" means overpowered by mental defilements beginning with sensual lust that had reached prepossession, habitually conforming to the perception of sensuality that occurred as beautiful regarding matter and so on. "I did not obtain tranquillity of mind, subjected to the control of a lustful mind" means following the control of a mind associated with sensual lust, I did not obtain even slightly the tranquillity of mind, the serenity of mind, the unified focus of mind.

"Emaciated, pale and faded" means thus, through the state of dissatisfaction, having become emaciated, with veins showing all over the body, having become pale and sallow, and thereby faded, with the complexion of the skin gone. "Seven years" means seven years. "Cārihaṃ" means I wandered. "Neither by day nor by night did I find happiness, being greatly afflicted" means thus I, afflicted by the suffering of mental defilements during seven years, not even once, whether by day or by night, did I obtain the happiness of the ascetic life.

"Thereby" means because of the state of not obtaining the happiness of an ascetic due to the prepossession of mental defilements. "Having taken a rope, I entered into the forest" means having taken a snare-rope, I entered into the forest. If one asks "for what purpose did she enter?" - she said - "Better for me is hanging here, than to practise what is inferior again" means that I, being unable to practise the ascetic duty, should again practise, should follow, should undertake the inferior state of a householder - rather than that, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, death by hanging, having tied a noose in this forest, is for me better, foremost - this is the meaning. "Thereupon my mind was liberated" means when she placed the binding snare around her neck on a tree branch, then immediately after that, because of being engaged through the insight meditation leading to emergence by the path, by the succession of paths, my mind was liberated from all mental corruptions, it was liberated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sīhā is concluded.

4.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sundarīnandā

82-86. The verse beginning with "Afflicted, impure" and so on is the verse of the elder nun Sundarīnandā. It is said that she too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain nun in the foremost position among meditators, having performed the preparatory action, having aspired to that position of rank, accumulating wholesome deeds, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans for a hundred thousand cosmic cycles, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in the Sakyan royal family. They gave her the name Nandā. At a later time, through the perfection of beauty, she became known as Sundarīnandā and as the most beautiful woman in the country. When our Blessed One, having attained omniscience, having gone gradually to Kapilavatthu, having given the going forth to Prince Nanda and Prince Rāhula, had departed, and when the Great King Suddhodana had attained final Nibbāna, and when Mahāpajāpati Gotamī and Rāhulamātā had gone forth, she thought - "My elder brother, having abandoned the sovereignty of a universal monarch, having gone forth, has become the Buddha, the foremost person in the world; his son too, Prince Rāhula, has gone forth; my husband too, King Nanda; my mother too, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī; my sister too, Rāhulamātā, has gone forth; now what shall I do at home? I shall go forth." Having gone to the nuns' quarters, she went forth out of affection for her relatives, not through faith. Therefore, even after going forth, with vanity arisen in dependence on her beauty. "The Teacher dispraises beauty, censures it, shows the danger in beauty in many ways," and so she did not go to attend upon the Buddha - all this and so on should be understood by the method already stated in the story of Abhirūpanandā above. But this is the distinction - Having seen the woman's form created by the Teacher gradually overcome by ageing, as the elder nun was attending to it as impermanent, as suffering, as non-self, her mind became directed towards the meditation subject. Having seen that, the Teacher, teaching the Teaching in a manner suitable for her -

82.

83.

84.

She spoke these three verses.

She, having sent forth knowledge in accordance with the teaching, became established in the fruition of stream-entry. Describing the meditation subject for the purpose of the higher path for her, in order to show "Nanda, in this body there is not even a trifle of substance; it is plastered with flesh and blood, a dwelling place for ageing and so on, merely a heap of bones" -

He spoke this verse in the Dhammapada.

She, at the conclusion of the teaching, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance, together with the three verses taught by the Teacher beginning with "Afflicted, impure" -

85.

86.

He spoke these two verses.

Therein, "thus contemplating this" etc. "I shall see" means this body whose intrinsic nature is afflicted and so on, thus in the manner stated beginning with "just as this is, so is that," having become unwearied night and day, at all times, having released the knowledge born of learning which is caused by the sound of another, then, because of having arisen in oneself on account of that sign, having broken through by the exact discrimination of compactness through one's own wisdom born of meditative development, "how indeed shall I see, shall I perceive" - contemplating and investigating with the preliminary-part knowledge-eye preceded by reflective attention - this is the meaning.

Therefore she said "for me, being heedful" and so on. Its meaning is - For me, being heedful through the continuous presence of mindfulness, investigating and examining wisely by means of the method, by way of impermanence and so on, with insight wisdom, this body reckoned as the five aggregates was seen as it really is, within and without, by the distinction of one's own continuity and another's continuity.

Then after such seeing, "I became wearied of the body" means I became wearied of individual existence through path wisdom together with insight wisdom; especially in the internal continuity I became dispassionate, I attained dispassion; I, being heedful through having reached the summit of the practice of diligence as it really is, unbound because of the complete eradication of all mental fetters in every respect, and I am at peace and quenched.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sundarīnandā is concluded.

5.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Nanduttarā

87-91. The verses beginning with "Fire and the moon" and so on are the verses of the elder nun Nanduttarā. This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, was born in a brahmin family in the market town of Kammāsadhamma in the Kuru country, having learnt certain subjects of study and crafts, having undertaken the Jain going forth, engaged in debate, having taken a rose-apple branch, wandering over the surface of Jambudīpa like Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā, having approached the Elder Mahāmoggallāna, having asked a question, having met with defeat, having stood firm in the Elder's exhortation, having gone forth in the Dispensation, practising the ascetic duty, before long, having attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

87.

88.

89.

90.

91.

He spoke these five verses.

Therein, "Fire and the moon and the sun, and deities I venerated" means fire is the chief among the gods; having raised an oblation for the purpose of winning the favour of the lord of the gods, the fire, and month after month on the second day of the bright fortnight the moon, and day after day evening and morning the sun, and other external deities such as Hiraññagabbha and so on, seeking the path of purification, "I venerated" means I made homage. "Having gone to the river fords, I descended into the water" means having approached the sacred fords of rivers such as the Ganges and so on, evening and morning I descend into the water, having dived into the water I perform the sprinkling of the limbs.

"Having undertaken many ascetic practices" means having undertaken manifold ascetic practices such as the five-fold self-mortification by heat and so on. "Bahū" with the lengthening is for the sake of metrical ease in the verse. "I shaved half of my head" means I shave just half of my head. Some say the meaning of "I shaved half of my head" is: having bound half of the tress of hair by way of binding it in matted locks, she let loose the other half. "I make my sleeping place on the ground" means having become one who sleeps on the bare ground, I lie down on the uncovered earth. "At night I did not eat a meal" means having become one who abstains from eating at night, at night I did not eat food.

"Delighting in adornment and decoration" means for a long time, with a body wearied by the pursuit of self-mortification, thinking "Thus by the wearying of the body there is no purification of wisdom. But if there might be purification by the gratification of the body by way of pleasing the faculties," thinking thus, supporting this body, delighting in adornment and decoration, delighting in adorning with garments and ornaments, and in decoration with scents, garlands, and so on. "And in bathing and rubbing" means having had massaging and so on done, with bathing and with rubbing of the body. "I tended to this body" means I supported, I gratified this body of mine. "Distressed by sensual lust" means thus, having become one much given to bodily strengthening, distressed by sensual lust that had arisen conditioned by unwise attention, I was repeatedly troubled.

"Then having gained faith" means thus having broken the ascetic practices she had undertaken, having become one frequently devoted to bodily mortification and engaged in debate, wandering here and there, thereafter afterwards, having received exhortation and instruction in the presence of the Elder Mahāmoggallāna, having gained faith. "Having seen the body as it really is" means having seen this body of mine as it really is with path wisdom together with insight, by the path of non-returning sensual lust was altogether uprooted. Thereafter by the highest path "all existences have been cut off, and desire and longing too" means the explanation is: desire, which is termed longing for present objects, and longing, which is termed longing for future existence, and all existences too have been cut off. "Attained peace of mind" means the meaning is: I attained, I reached perpetual peace, the fruition of arahantship.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Nanduttarā is concluded.

6.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Mittākāḷī

92-96. The verses of the Elder Nun Mittākāḷī beginning with "Having gone forth through faith." 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 this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a brahmin family in the market town of Kammāsadhamma in the Kuru country, having attained discretion, having gained faith through the teaching of the Great Establishment of Mindfulness, having gone forth among the nuns, for seven years being greedy for material gain and honour, practising the ascetic duty, having wandered here and there, at a later time wisely emerging, with a sense of urgency arisen, having established insight, before long, having attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

Therein, "I wandered here and there, eager for material gain and honour" means having been zealous, properly engaged in material gain and honour, I wandered by this and that means of producing material gain such as great learning, teaching the Teaching, and so on.

"Having abandoned the supreme good" means having left, having discarded the highest good such as meditative absorption, insight, path, fruition, and so on. "I pursued an inferior good" means I pursued through unwise seeking an inferior, low good, being of the nature of material gains reckoned as the four requisites. "Having come under the control of defilements" means having come under the control of defilements such as conceit, vanity, craving, and so on, I did not understand, I did not know the goal of asceticism, the duty of an ascetic.

"While sitting in the dwelling" means while sitting in my dwelling inner chamber, there was spiritual urgency. If one asks "how?" - she said "I had gone astray." Therein, "I had gone astray" means this Dispensation is only for the purpose of final nibbāna by non-clinging; therein, having gone forth in the Dispensation, not giving attention to the meditation subject, I had gone astray from that. "Having come under the control of craving" means having come under the control of craving for the production of requisites.

"Short is my life" means because of its limited time and because of being beset by many dangers, my life is short, limited, and brief. "Ageing and illness crush me" means ageing and illness crush and destroy, like mountains falling upon it from all sides and beating it down. "Maddare" is also a reading. "Before this body breaks up" means this body breaks up before. Because its breaking up is definite, therefore "there is no time for me to be negligent" - this time is the ninth moment, free from the eight inopportune moments; it is not fitting to be negligent in it - the explanation is: thus there was spiritual urgency for her.

"Observing as it really is" means thus, with a sense of urgency arisen, having established insight, observing as it really is through attention to impermanence and so on. "What is she observing?" - she said "the rise and fall of the aggregates." Observing by way of the contemplation of rise and fall the arising and cessation of the five aggregates of clinging with their fifty-three varieties, by the method beginning with "from the origin of ignorance is the origin of matter," having aroused zeal in insight, with mind liberated in every respect from mental defilements and from existences by the succession of paths, I arose - meaning I emerged by the path which is a rising from both, and from the triple existence. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Mittākāḷī is concluded.

7.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Sakulā

97-101. The verses of the Elder Nun Sakulā beginning with "While dwelling in a house." This one, it is said, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, was reborn as the daughter of King Ānanda in the city of Haṃsavatī, the Teacher's half-sister, named Nandā. She, having attained discretion, one day, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain nun in the foremost position among those with the divine eye, with enthusiasm arisen, having performed the preparatory action, herself too aspiring to that position of rank, she made an aspiration. She, there, having performed much lofty wholesome action for as long as life lasted, having been reborn in the heavenly world, wandering again and again only in fortunate destinations, in the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, having been reborn in a brahmin family, having gone forth into the going forth of a wandering ascetic, wandering as one who lives alone, one day, having roamed about begging for oil, having obtained oil, with that oil she made an offering of lamps the whole night at the Teacher's shrine. She, having passed away from there, having been reborn in Tāvatiṃsa, having become one with a well-purified divine eye, having wandered in the round of rebirths among the gods alone for one interval between Buddhas, in this arising of a Buddha, was reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthī. Her name was Sakulā. She, having attained discretion, having gained faith at the Teacher's acceptance of the Jeta Grove, having become a female lay follower, at a later time, having heard the Teaching in the presence of a certain elder who had eliminated the mental corruptions, with religious emotion arisen, having gone forth, having established insight, striving and endeavouring, before long attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, because of having formed an aspiration in the past, she was a master through practice in the knowledge of the divine eye. Therefore the Teacher established her in the foremost position among nuns with the divine eye. She, having reviewed her own practice, filled with joy and happiness, by way of an inspired utterance -

97.

98.

99.

100.

101.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "while I was dwelling in a house, having heard the Teaching from a monk" means formerly, while I was living in the midst of a house, having heard in the presence of a certain monk whose mental defilements were destroyed a talk on the Teaching containing the four truths. "I saw the stainless Teaching, Nibbāna, the imperishable state" means stainless through the absence of the dust of lust and so on; Nibbāna because of having gone out from craving; because of the absence of passing away and because of being the cause of imperishability for those who have attained it, Nibbāna is imperishable; and the unconditioned state which has obtained the name "state" - I saw, I beheld, with the eye of the Teaching reckoned as seeing, adorned with a thousand methods.

"Sāhaṃ" means she, I, became a stream-enterer in the way above explained.

"While I was a female trainee" means while I was still a female trainee, having gone forth, while the rains retreat was not yet completed. "Developing the straight path" means because of being the middle practice, producing the higher path as a straight path. "And the co-existent mental corruptions" means I abandoned, I eradicated the mental corruptions to be destroyed by the third path, which are co-existent with lust and hate, sharing the same basis of arising and the same basis of abandoning.

"Having attained full ordination as a nun" means when the rains retreat was completed, having received full ordination, having become a nun. "Spotless" means free from stain through being liberated from the impurities of ignorance and so on; well, attentively, properly developed; or developed, produced by good people such as the Buddhas and others - the connection is: the divine eye has been purified.

"Activities" means the activities of the three planes. "As alien" means as non-self. "Arisen from causes" means conditionally arisen. "Disintegrating" means having seen with the eye of wisdom what is of the nature of crumbling, perishable. "I abandoned all mental corruptions" means by the highest path I abandoned all the remaining mental corruptions; the meaning is I exhausted them. The remainder is according to the method already stated.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Sakulā is concluded.

8.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Soṇā

102-106. "Having given birth to ten sons" and so on is the verse of the elder nun Soṇā. This one too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, one day, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain nun in the foremost position among nuns putting forth strenuous energy, having performed the preparatory action, herself too having aspired to that position of rank, having made merit for as long as life lasted, having passed away from there, having transmigrated among gods and humans for a hundred thousand cosmic cycles, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family home in Sāvatthī, having come of age, having gone to her husband's family, having obtained ten sons and daughters, she became known as "the one with many children." She, when her husband had gone forth, having established the sons and daughters who had come of age in the household life, having divided all the wealth among the sons, gave it to them; she kept nothing for herself. Her sons and daughters, having attended on her for only a few days, treated her with contempt. She, thinking "What use is it for me, living in the house, to be treated with contempt by these?" having approached the nuns, requested the going forth. The nuns gave her the going forth. She, having obtained full ordination, thinking "I, having gone forth in the time of old age, must be heedful," performing all kinds of duties for the nuns, thinking "I shall practise the ascetic duty the whole night," at the lower mansion, having taken hold of one pillar with her hand, not letting go of it, practising the ascetic duty, even while walking up and down, thinking "In a dark place, my head might strike against trees and so on somewhere," having taken hold of a tree with her hand, not letting go of it, she practises the ascetic duty. From that time onwards, she became well known for putting forth strenuous energy. The Teacher, having seen the maturity of her knowledge, while just seated in the perfumed chamber, having pervaded with light, having shown himself as if seated before her -

Spoke this verse. She, at the conclusion of the verse, attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

Then the Blessed One, establishing the nuns in successive positions of rank, established her in the foremost position among those putting forth strenuous energy. She, one day, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

102.

103.

104.

105.

106.

Therein, "body of matter" means in the body termed as matter. For this word "matter" is used in the sense of visible form sense base in such passages as "dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises" and so on. In such passages as "whatever materiality, past, future, or present" and so on, in the sense of the aggregate of materiality. In such passages as "one is attached to what is of a pleasant nature, of a comfortable nature" and so on, in the sense of intrinsic nature. In such passages as "one sees forms externally" and so on, in the sense of circular meditation object. In such passages as "one who is material sees forms" and so on, in the sense of fine-material meditative absorption. In such passages as "dependent on bones and dependent on sinews and dependent on flesh and dependent on skin, space being enclosed, it goes by the term 'materiality'" and so on, in the sense of the material body. Here too it should be seen as the material body only. The word "body" too is a synonym for the skeleton, the body. In such passages as "there are a hundred bodies" and so on, in the sense of a synonym for the skeleton-body. In such passages as "afflicted, impure, putrid, see, Nanda, this body" and so on, in the sense of the body. Here too it should be seen in the sense of the body only. Therefore it was said - "Body of matter" means in the body termed as matter, the meaning is the body. "Having stood" is the remainder of the expression. For "in this body of matter" means the explanation is: having stood in this body of matter, in dependence on this material body, having given birth to ten sons. "Then" means therefore, because of giving birth to ten sons. For she, having passed beyond the first stage of life, giving birth to little children, gradually became weak in body and feeble and decrepit with age. Therefore it was said "then I, weak and old."

"Tassā" means "from that," or "tassā" means in her presence. Again, "tassā" is the genitive case used in the instrumental sense; the meaning is "by her." "Sikkhamānāyā" means while being a female trainee in the three trainings.

"Anantarāvimokkhāsiṃ" means I was one whose deliverance arose immediately after the highest path. For the eight deliverances beginning with "one who is material sees forms" are not called immediate deliverances. For the fruition deliverances attained immediately after the path, even though they occur at the time of fruition attainment, are called immediate deliverances with reference to their first arising immediately after the first path, just as the path concentration is called immediate concentration without interval. "By non-clinging, quenched" means without grasping anything whatsoever among matter and so on, I was quenched through the final extinguishment of the mental defilements.

Having thus made clear the threefold true knowledge, and reaching the culmination with the fruition of arahantship, having uttered an inspired utterance, now rebuking the body long troubled by ageing, in order to make clear together with the subject matter the state of having transcended it, she spoke the concluding verse "The five aggregates are fully understood." Therein, "fie on you, wretched, contemptible ageing" means O ageing, contemptible, inferior, low, by the making of the limbs loose and so on, fie on you, let there be reproach upon you. "There is now no more rebirth" - therefore the intention is: you have been surpassed by me, you have been overcome.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Soṇā is concluded.

9.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā

107-111. The verses of the elder nun Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā beginning with "With shorn hair." This one too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, one day, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain nun in the foremost position among those of quick direct knowledge, having performed the preparatory action, having aspired to that position of rank, having made merit for as long as life lasted, having transmigrated among gods and humans for a hundred thousand cosmic cycles, in the time of the Buddha Kassapa, having been among the seven sisters in the house of Kikī, the King of Kāsi, having undertaken the ten precepts for twenty thousand years, practising the holy life from maidenhood, having had a residential cell built for the monastic community, having transmigrated only in fortunate destinations for one interval between Buddhas, in this arising of a Buddha, she was reborn in a millionaire's family in Rājagaha. Her name was Bhaddātissā. She, growing up with a great retinue, having come of age, in that very city, looking through a latticed window, having seen the son of the chaplain, a thief named Sattuka, caught in the act of theft, being led away to the place of execution to be killed by the mayor by the king's command, having become enamoured, thinking "If I obtain him, I shall live; if not, I shall die," she lay down face downward on her bed.

Then her father, having heard that news, with strong affection for his only daughter, having given a bribe of a thousand, having had the thief released by a stratagem, having bathed him with scented water, having had him adorned with all ornaments, sent him to the mansion. Bhaddā too, with her wish fulfilled, having adorned herself with excessive ornaments, attended upon him. Sattuka, having spent a few days, with greed arisen for her ornaments, said: "Dear lady, as soon as I was seized by the mayor, I implored the deity dwelling at the Thieves' Precipice with the aspiration 'If I obtain my life, I shall offer you an oblation'; therefore have an oblation prepared." She, thinking "I shall fulfil his wish," having had an oblation prepared, decorated with all ornaments, having mounted a single vehicle together with her husband, thinking "I shall make an oblation to the deity," began to ascend the Thieves' Precipice.

Sattuka thought - "While everyone is ascending, it is not possible to take her ornaments" - having left the retinue of attendants right there, having had her carry that very oblation vessel, while ascending the mountain, he did not speak affectionate words with her. She understood his intention by his very gesture. Sattuka said: "Dear lady, having taken off your upper garment, make a bundle of the ornaments worn on your body." She said: "Husband, what is my offence?" "Do you think, foolish one, that I have come 'for the purpose of an oblation'? But I have come under the pretext of an oblation to take your ornaments." "But to whom, noble sir, do the ornaments belong, and to whom do I belong?" "I do not know that distinction." "Very well, noble sir, but fulfil one wish of mine, and allow me to embrace you while adorned." He accepted, saying "Very well." She, having known that he had accepted, having embraced him from the front, as if embracing him from behind, hurled him over the mountain precipice. He, having fallen, was crushed to bits. Having seen the marvel done by her, a deity dwelling on the mountain, making clear her proficiency, spoke these verses -

Then Bhaddā thought - "It is not possible for me to go home in this manner; having gone from here itself, I shall go forth into a going forth" - having gone to a Jain monastery, she requested the going forth from the Jains. Then they said to her - "By what procedure should the going forth be?" "Whatever is the highest for your going forth, do that." They, saying "Very well," having pulled out her hair with a palmyra-palm stalk, gave her the going forth. Again, the hair while growing grew back in curls. From that time onwards, she became known as Kuṇḍalakesā. She, having learnt there the doctrine and the method of debate that was to be learnt, having known "They know only this much; beyond this there is no distinction," having departed from there, wherever there were wise people, having gone there and there, having learnt their knowledge and craft, not finding anyone able to discuss together with her, whatever village or market town she entered, having made a heap of sand at its entrance, having placed a rose-apple branch there, having given a signal to the children standing nearby "Whoever is able to refute me in debate, let him trample this branch," she went to her dwelling place. Even when a week had passed with the rose-apple branch still standing just so, having taken it, she departed.

And at that time our Blessed One, having arisen in the world, having set in motion the excellent wheel of the Teaching, gradually was dwelling in dependence on Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove. Kuṇḍalakesā too, wandering in villages, market towns, and royal cities in the manner already stated, having reached Sāvatthī, having placed a rose-apple branch on a heap of sand at the city gate, having given a signal to the boys, entered Sāvatthī.

Then the Venerable General of the Teaching, entering the city alone, having seen that branch, wishing to tame her, asked the boys - "Why has this branch been placed thus?" The boys reported that matter to them. The Elder said "If so, trample this branch." The boys trampled it. Kuṇḍalakesā, having completed her meal duty, going out from the city, having seen that branch trampled, having asked "By whom was this trampled?" having known that it had been caused to be trampled by the Elder, thinking "A debate without an opponent does not look splendid," having entered Sāvatthī, wandering from street to street, having proclaimed "Come see my debate together with the ascetics, the disciples of the Sakyan," surrounded by the public, having approached the General of the Teaching seated at the root of a certain tree, having exchanged friendly greetings, standing to one side, asked "Was my rose-apple branch caused to be trampled by you?" "Yes, it was caused to be trampled by me." "That being so, let there be a debate between me and you." "Let it be, dear lady." "Whose shall be the questioning, whose the answering?" "The questioning has indeed fallen to us; you ask whatever you know." She asked all the debating points she knew. The Elder answered all of that. She, not knowing anything further to ask, remained silent. Then the elder said to him - "Much has been asked by you; we too shall ask you one question." "Ask, venerable sir." The Elder asked this question "What is called one?" Kuṇḍalakesā, seeing neither end nor limit, as if having entered into darkness, said "I do not know, venerable sir." Having said "You, not knowing even this much, what else will you know?" he taught the Teaching. She, having fallen at the Elder's feet, said "Venerable sir, I go to you for refuge." "Do not go to me for refuge, dear lady; go for refuge to the Blessed One himself, the foremost person in the world with its gods." "I will do so, venerable sir." She, in the evening time, at the time for the teaching of the Teaching, having gone to the Teacher's presence, having paid homage with the fivefold prostration, stood to one side. The Teacher, having known the maturity of her knowledge -

He spoke this verse. At the conclusion of the verse, just as she stood, together with the analytical knowledges, she attained arahantship. Therefore it was said in the Apadāna -

But having attained arahantship, she at that very moment requested the going forth. The Teacher allowed her the going forth. She, having gone to the nuns' quarters and having gone forth, spending her time in the happiness of fruition and the happiness of Nibbāna, having reviewed her own practice, by way of an inspired utterance -

107.

108.

109.

110.

111.

He spoke these verses.

Therein, "with shorn hair" means one whose hair is shorn, plucked out, is "with shorn hair," meaning "mine"; she speaks with reference to having her hair plucked out with a palmyra stalk at the time of going forth among the Jains. "Bearing filth" means bearing filth because of bearing the stain and filth on the teeth due to not chewing a wooden toothbrush. "Wearing a single robe" means wearing a single cloth according to the Jain practice. "I wandered before" means formerly, having become a Jain woman, I thus wandered. "Perceiving fault in the faultless" means perceiving as blameworthy what is faultless, such as bathing, anointing the body, chewing a wooden toothbrush, and so on. "And seeing the faulty as faultless" means having the view that what is blameworthy, such as conceit, contempt, insolence, illusion, and so on, is faultless.

"Having come out from the day residence" means having gone out from her own place of day residence. This one too, having met with the elder at the time of midday, through the answering of his question and through the teaching of the Teaching, having become one whose conceit was destroyed and whose mind was gladdened, wishing to approach the Teacher's presence, having gone to her own dwelling place, having sat down at the day-quarters, in the evening approached the Teacher's presence.

"Having placed my knees down and paid homage" means having placed both knees down on the ground and established them, having paid homage with the fivefold prostration. "I made a salutation with joined palms in his presence" means I made a salutation with joined palms resplendent with the joining of ten fingernails in the presence of the Teacher. "'Come, Bhadda,' he said to me, that was my full ordination" means that the Blessed One, when she stood having attained arahantship and having requested the going forth and full ordination, said and commanded "Come, Bhadda, having gone to the nuns' quarters, go forth and receive full ordination in the presence of the nuns." That command of the Teacher, because of being the cause of my full ordination, was my full ordination.

The two verses beginning with "I wandered" are verses of declaration of final liberating knowledge. Therein, "I wandered through Aṅga and Magadha" means these provinces of Aṅga and Magadha and Vajjī and Kāsī and Kosala which were formerly wandered through, traversed by me while eating food obtained from the people with conflict - in those very provinces, from the time of meeting with the Teacher onwards, having become free of debt, faultless, with mental defilements departed, for fifty years I ate food obtained from the people.

Declaring the final liberating knowledge by way of praising the distinction of merit of that lay follower with a devoted mind by whom a robe was given to her, she spoke the concluding verse "Much merit indeed he has generated." That is easily understood.

The commentary on the verses of the elder nun Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā is concluded.

10.

Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nun Paṭācārā

112-116. The verses beginning with "Ploughing the field with ploughs" are the verses of the Elder Nun Paṭācārā. This one too, in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, having been reborn in a family home in the city of Haṃsavatī, having attained discretion, one day, while hearing the Teaching in the presence of the Teacher, having seen the Teacher establishing a certain nun in the foremost position among experts in monastic discipline, having performed the preparatory action, she aspired to that position of rank. She, having done wholesome deeds for as long as life lasted, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in the time of the Buddha Kassapa, having taken conception in the house of Kikī, the King of Kāsi, having been among the seven sisters, having lived the holy life for twenty thousand years, she had a residential cell built for the Community of monks. She, having passed away from there, having been reborn in the heavenly world, having experienced divine success for one interval between Buddhas, in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a millionaire's house in Sāvatthī, having come of age, she made defiling intimacy with a certain labourer in her own house. Her mother and father fixed a day to give her to a young man of the same caste. Having known that, she, having taken her most valuable possessions, having departed through the main entrance together with the man with whom she had made intimacy, while dwelling in a certain small village, became pregnant. She, when the embryo was fully matured, having said "Why should we live here in this destitute condition? Let us go to the family house, husband," when he kept delaying saying "Let us go today, let us go tomorrow," thinking "This fool will not take me," when he had gone outside, having set in order what was to be set in order in the house, having told the neighbours dwelling nearby "Tell my husband 'She has gone to the family house'," thinking "I shall go to the family house alone," she set out on the road. He, having come and not seeing her in the house, having asked the neighbours, having heard "She has gone to the family house," thinking "On my account a daughter of a good family has become destitute," having gone step by step, he caught up with her. Her delivery took place right on the road. She, from the time of giving birth, with her zeal for going allayed, having taken her husband, turned back. She became pregnant a second time too, and so on - all should be expanded by the former method.

But this is the distinction - When her kamma-born winds stirred on the road, then a great untimely rain cloud arose. The sky was as if ablaze all around with flashes of lightning, as if breaking apart with thunder of clouds, with an uninterrupted fall of torrents of water. She, having seen that, said "Husband, find me a place sheltered from the rain." He, looking here and there, having seen a bush covered with grass, having gone there, with a hatchet in hand, wishing to cut sticks in that bush, he cut a small tree-stick that had grown up at the top of an ant-hill covered over with grass. And at that very moment a terribly venomous snake, having come out from that ant-hill, bit him. He, having fallen right there, died. She, experiencing great suffering, looking for his coming, having placed both children, who were unable to endure the wind and rain and were crying out, between her breasts, having pressed down on the ground with both knees and both hands, standing just so, having spent the night, when the night became light, having laid one son the colour of a slice of flesh on a rag-pad, having embraced him with her hands and chest, having said to the other "Come, dear child, your father has gone from here," going by the path her husband had gone, having seen him deceased, seated near the ant-hill, crying and lamenting "On my account my husband has died," having reached a river on the road, flowing with water at knee-measure and breast-measure because of the rain having rained the entire night, being unable by her own dull intelligence and weakness to descend into the water together with the two children, having left the elder son on the near shore, having taken the other, having gone to the far shore, having spread out a broken branch, having laid him there on a rag-pad, thinking "I shall go to the presence of the other," unable to leave the young child, again and again having turned back, looking, she descends into the river.

Then, when she had gone to the middle of the river, a hawk, having seen that child, with the perception "a slice of flesh," descended from the sky. She, having seen that, having raised both hands, uttered a great sound "shoo, shoo" three times. The hawk, because of the distance, paying no heed to her, having seized the boy, flew up into the sky. The son standing on the near shore, having seen her raising both hands and emitting a great sound, with the perception "she is speaking with reference to me," fell into the water with speed. Thus the young child was killed by the hawk, the elder child by the water. She, crying and lamenting "One son of mine was seized by a hawk, one was swept away by the water, my husband died on the road," while going, having seen one man coming from Sāvatthī, asked - "Where are you dwelling, father?" "I am a dweller in Sāvatthī, mother." "In Sāvatthī, in such and such a street, there is such and such a family; do you know it, father?" "I know, mother, but do not ask about that; ask something else." "I have no business with anything else; I ask about that very thing, father." "Mother, you do not allow yourself to be told; today the rain god was seen by you raining the whole night?" "It was seen by me, father; that rained the whole night for me alone. That reason I shall tell afterwards; for now, tell me the news in that millionaire's house." "Mother, tonight the house fell upon three people - the millionaire, the wife, and the millionaire's son - covering them over; they are burning on one funeral pyre. That smoke can be seen, mother." She, at that moment, did not notice even the cloth she was wearing falling. Having reached the state of madness through grief, just as she was born -