English
He is ceased from, abstained from, refrained from boasting; he has departed, emerged, is released, disjoined, he dwells with a mind freed from boundaries – thus, he does not boast about his virtues. "The skilled ones call that the Noble Dhamma." "Skilled ones" means: those who are skilled in aggregates, skilled in elements, skilled in sense bases, skilled in dependent origination, skilled in foundations of mindfulness, skilled in right exertions, skilled in bases of psychic power, skilled in faculties, skilled in powers, skilled in factors of awakening, skilled in the path, skilled in fruits, skilled in Nibbāna. The skilled ones say this: This is the Dhamma of the noble, not the Dhamma of the ignoble; This is the Dhamma of the wise, not the Dhamma of the foolish; This is the Dhamma of the good, not the Dhamma of the bad. Thus they speak, thus they declare to the noble, thus they utter, thus they reveal, thus they express – the skilled ones call that the noble Dhamma. For whom there are no swellings anywhere in the world. "For whom" means for the Arahant, whose defilements are destroyed. "Swellings" means seven swellings: the swelling of lust, the swelling of hatred, the swelling of delusion, the swelling of conceit, the swelling of views, the swelling of defilements, the swelling of kamma. For whom these swellings do not exist, are not present, are not found, are not perceived; they are abandoned, uprooted, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of arising again, burnt by the fire of knowledge. "Anywhere" means anywhere, in anything, in any place, whether internally or externally, or both internally and externally. "In the world" means in the world of suffering, in the human world, in the divine world, in the world of aggregates, in the world of elements, in the world of sense bases – for whom there are no swellings anywhere in the world. Therefore the Blessed One said: "And the monk, peaceful, with a mind fully cooled, stands firm in virtues, not praising himself; the skilled ones call that the noble Dhamma, for whom there are no swellings anywhere in the world." 19. Whose doctrines are conceived, conditioned, held foremost, and not purified; whatever advantage he sees in himself, relying on that, he finds a peace that can be disturbed. "Whose doctrines are conceived, conditioned." "Conceiving" means two kinds of conceiving: conceiving based on craving and conceiving based on views... ...this is conceiving based on craving... ...this is conceiving based on views. "Conditioned" means conditioned, fabricated, established – conditioned. Or, impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to decay, subject to dissolution, subject to dispassion, subject to cessation – conditioned. "Whose" means of one who holds to views. "Doctrines" refers to the sixty-two views – whose doctrines are conceived, conditioned. "Held foremost and not purified." "Held foremost" means two kinds of holding foremost: holding foremost based on craving And the view-preoccupation... ...this is craving-preoccupation... ...this is view-preoccupation. His craving-preoccupation is not abandoned, his view-preoccupation is not relinquished. Because his craving-preoccupation is not abandoned, because his view-preoccupation is not relinquished, he goes forth, making craving or view his front, with craving as his banner, craving as his emblem, craving as his dominion, with view as his banner, view as his emblem, view as his dominion, or surrounded by craving or view – these are 'preoccupied'. 'They exist' means they exist, they are found, they are present, they are obtained. 'Impure' means not pure, not clean, not purified, defiled, corrupting – these 'preoccupied' are impure. 'What one sees as advantage in oneself' means what is in oneself. 'Self' is called a view. One sees two advantages in one's own view: an advantage in this present life, and an advantage in the life to come. What is the advantage of the view in this present life? Whatever view the teacher holds, that view the disciples hold. Disciples honor that teacher of that view, respect him, esteem him, venerate him, show deference to him. And from that cause, he obtains robes, almsfood, lodging, medicinal requisites for the sick – this is the advantage of the view in this present life. What is the advantage of the view in the life to come? This view is sufficient for the state of a Nāga, or a Supaṇṇa, or a Yakkha, or an Asura, or a Gandhabba, or a Great King, or an Indra, or a Brahmā, or a Deva. This view is for purity, for purification, for complete purification, for release, for liberation, for complete liberation. By this view, they become pure, they become purified, they become completely purified, they are released, they are liberated, they are completely liberated. "By this view, I shall become pure, I shall become purified, I shall become completely purified, I shall be released, I shall be liberated, I shall be completely liberated" – thus, he hopes for a future result. This is the advantage of the view in the life to come. He sees these two advantages in his own view. He sees thoroughly, looks at, contemplates, examines closely— whatever advantage he sees in himself. Dependent on that, he holds to a peace that can be disturbed. There are three kinds of peace: absolute peace, temporary peace, conventional peace. What is absolute peace? Absolute peace is called the deathless Nibbāna. That which is the calming of all formations, the relinquishing of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. This is absolute peace. What is temporary peace? For one who has attained the first jhana, the hindrances are calmed. For one who has attained the second jhana, initial and sustained application are calmed. For one who has attained the third jhana, rapture is calmed. For one who has attained the fourth jhana, pleasure and pain are calmed. For one who has attained the base of infinite space, perceptions of form, perceptions of resistance, and perceptions of diversity are calmed. For one who has attained the base of infinite consciousness, the perception of the base of infinite space is calmed. For one who has attained the base of nothingness, the perception of the base of infinite consciousness is calmed. For one who has attained the base of neither perception nor non-perception, the perception of the base of nothingness is calmed. This is temporary peace. What is conventional peace? Conventional peace refers to the sixty-two views, the peace of views. Moreover, conventional peace is the peace intended in this context. Dependent on that, he holds to a peace that can be disturbed. A peace that can be disturbed, a peace that can be greatly disturbed, a peace that can be agitated, a peace that can be greatly agitated, a peace that can be shaken, a peace that can be struck, a peace that can be fabricated, a peace that can be greatly fabricated, impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to decay, subject to vanishing, subject to dispassion, subject to cessation. Dependent on such a peace, attached, clinging, approaching, obsessed, resolved— dependent on that, he holds to a peace that can be disturbed. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Whose doctrines are fabricated, conditioned, held foremost, and not pure; whatever advantage he sees in himself, dependent on that, he holds to a peace that can be disturbed." Attachments to views are not easily overcome, what is grasped in doctrines is firmly decided. Therefore, a person in those attachments rejects and accepts doctrines. Views are indeed not easy to overcome. "Views" means the clinging and grasping of views, such as "The world is eternal, this alone is true, anything else is false." "The world is not eternal... the world is finite... the world is infinite... the soul is the same as the body... the soul is different from the body... the Tathāgata exists after death... the Tathāgata does not exist after death... the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death... the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death, this alone is true, anything else is false" – this clinging and grasping of views is "views." "Views are indeed not easy to overcome" means views are not easy to overcome, difficult to pass beyond, difficult to cross, difficult to traverse, difficult to surmount, difficult to turn away from – views are indeed not easy to overcome. Having ascertained and firmly grasped among doctrines. "Among doctrines" means among the sixty-two views. "Having ascertained" means having determined, having decided, having chosen, having selected, having weighed, having judged, having clarified, having made clear. "Firmly grasped" means in these views, a firm grasp, a deep grasp, a supreme grasp, a portion-grasp, an accumulation-grasp, a total accumulation-grasp. This is true, real, actual, existent, genuine, not contrary, grasped, clung to, adhered to, settled upon, resolved upon – having ascertained and firmly grasped among doctrines. Therefore, a man in those views. "Therefore" means for that reason, for that cause, for that motive, for that origin. "Man" means a being, a man, a human, a person, an individual, a living being, a creature, an animal, a sentient being, a human being. "In those views" means in those clingings to views – therefore, a man in those views. He rejects and accepts doctrines. "He rejects" means he rejects for two reasons: either he rejects by refuting others, or he rejects by not being able to comprehend. How does he reject by refuting others? Another refutes: "That teacher is not omniscient, the Dhamma is not well-proclaimed, the Sangha is not well-practiced, the view is not good, the practice is not well-established, the path is not..." is a low vehicle, there is no purity here, nor purification, nor complete purification, nor release, nor liberation, nor complete liberation; there is no purifying here, nor being purified,