29.
The Chapter on Paṇṇadāyaka
1-10.
Commentary on the Life History of the Elder Paṇṇadāyaka and Others
1-2.
In the twenty-ninth chapter, in the first life history, "eating food of leaves" means: the meaning is "I was seated in a hermitage for the purpose of eating food such as milk-sap leaves and so on."
"And as I sat there" means me, who was seated, existing, present in the hermitage.
"The great sage approached" means the great sage because of seeking the great aggregates of morality and so on.
The light of the world, the lamp of the world, the Blessed One Siddhattha approached, came near me - this is the meaning.
"Of one seated on a mattress of leaves" - the connection is: having approached, a leaf steamed for the purpose of eating was given by me to one seated on a mattress of leaves.
5-7.
In the second life history, "with contentment equal to Sineru, similar to the earth, Siddhattha, the Blessed One" - this is the connection.
"Having risen from concentration" means having emerged from the attainment of cessation, having become separate - this is the meaning.
"He approached me for alms" means at the time for the alms round, having thought "Today whoever gives any gift to me, that is of great fruit," he arrived near, approached the presence of me who was seated - this is the meaning.
Yellow myrobalan, etc.
"And sweet lovi-lovi fruits" - thus all that fruit was given by me with a clear mind to that Siddhattha, the great sage, who has compassion for all the world - this is the meaning.
11-12.
In the third life history, "like a lion roaming the forest" - the connection is: roaming like a lion king roaming in the forest, the Blessed One Siddhattha.
"Like a leading bull of good breed" - vasabha, nisabha, visabha, āsabha - these are four chief bulls.
Among them, the chief of a hundred cattle is a vasabha, the chief of a thousand cattle is a nisabha, the chief of a hundred thousand cattle is a visabha, the chief of ten million hundred thousand cattle is an āsabha.
Here, however, the āsabha is called "nisabha"; the meaning is like a bull king of good breed, fearless and motionless.
"Like a shining kakudha tree" means having seen the lord of men, the bull-like among men, the highest, the Blessed One Siddhattha approaching, shining like a kakudha tree with flowers and young leaves, because of being associated with faith, with a clear mind, they went out to meet him - this is the meaning.
The fourth life history and so on up to the tenth are easily understood.
The commentary on the twenty-ninth chapter is complete.