English
Then there is purity, purification, complete purification, liberation, complete liberation, perfect liberation. Thus, "herein we should train, then there is purity." "Those who are led to existence, skilled in their assertions." "Led to existence" means: Led to existence, gone to existence, settled in existence, resolved on existence. Thus, "led to existence." "Skilled in their assertions" means: Skilled in their assertions, wise in their assertions, firm in their assertions, logical in their assertions, causal in their assertions, characteristic in their assertions, reasoned in their assertions, positional in their assertions, by their own doctrine. Thus, "those who are led to existence, skilled in their assertions." Therefore the Blessed One said: "The proponents of highest virtue declare purity by self-restraint, they are established, having undertaken a vow; 'Herein we should train, then there is purity,' say those led to existence, skilled in their assertions." 134. If indeed He who has fallen from virtue and vows, trembles, having failed in his actions; He yearns and longs for purity, like a caravan leader, lost, wandering from home. If he has fallen from virtue and vows. He falls from virtue and vows for two reasons: he falls by disparaging others, or he falls by not accomplishing them. How does he fall by disparaging others? Others disparage: 'That teacher is not omniscient, the Dhamma is not well-proclaimed, the Sangha is not well-practiced, the view is not good, the path is not well-taught, the way is not leading to liberation. There is no purity, no purification, no complete purification here; no release, no liberation, no complete liberation here. They do not become pure, purified, completely purified here; they do not become released, liberated, completely liberated. They are inferior, very inferior, low, contemptible, wretched, insignificant.' Thus others disparage. Being thus disparaged, he falls from the Teacher, he falls from the Dhamma's proclamation, he falls from the Sangha, he falls from the view, he falls from the practice, he falls from the path. Thus he falls by disparaging others. How does he fall by not accomplishing them? Not accomplishing virtue, he falls from virtue. Not accomplishing vows, he falls from vows. Not accomplishing virtue and vows, he falls from virtue and vows. Thus he falls by not accomplishing them – if he has fallen from virtue and vows. He trembles, having failed in his actions. He trembles means: regarding virtue, or vows, or virtue and vows, he trembles, quakes, utterly quakes, thinking: 'I have failed, I have erred, I have stumbled, I have slipped, I have knowingly erred' – he trembles. Having failed in his actions means: regarding meritorious volitional formations, or demeritorious volitional formations, or imperturbable volitional formations, he trembles, quakes, utterly quakes, thinking: 'I have failed, I have erred, I have stumbled, I have slipped, I have knowingly erred' – he trembles, having failed in his actions. He yearns and longs for purity. He yearns means: regarding virtue, he yearns... He yearns, or he recites a vow, or he recites a moral practice and vow, he yearns, craves, longs for – that is, he yearns. And he yearns for purity, or he yearns for purity of morality, or he yearns for purity of vows, or he yearns for purity of moral practices and vows, he desires, longs for, craves – that is, he yearns and longs for purity. Like one separated from his caravan, traveling away from home. Just as a man, having left home, traveling with a caravan, is separated from the caravan, he either follows that caravan, or returns to his own home; even so, that one holding a view, either grasps that teacher, or grasps another teacher, either grasps that teaching, or grasps another teaching, either grasps that group, or grasps another group, either grasps that view, or grasps another view, either grasps that practice, or grasps another practice, either grasps that path, or grasps another path, he clings to, he adheres firmly – like one separated from his caravan, traveling away from home. Therefore the Blessed One said: "If he is fallen from moral practice and vow, he trembles, having failed in his action; he yearns and longs for purity, like one separated from his caravan, traveling away from home." 135. Having abandoned all moral practices and vows, and this action, blameworthy and blameless; not longing for purity or impurity, he should live restrained, for the sake of peace. "Having abandoned all moral practices and vows" means: Having abandoned, given up, removed, brought to an end, caused to disappear all purities of morality, having abandoned, given up, removed, brought to an end, caused to disappear all purities of vows, having abandoned, given up, removed, brought to an end, caused to disappear all purities of moral practices and vows – that is, having abandoned all moral practices and vows. "And this action, blameworthy and blameless" means: Blameworthy action is called dark, with dark result. Blameless action is called bright, with bright result. Having abandoned, given up, removed, brought to an end, caused to disappear both blameworthy action and blameless action... Having gone to— and this is blameworthy and blameless kamma. Not wishing for purity or impurity. By impurity, they wish for impurity, they wish for unwholesome states. By purity, they wish for purity, they wish for the five strands of sensual pleasure; they wish for impurity, they wish for unwholesome states, they wish for the five strands of sensual pleasure; they wish for purity, they wish for the sixty-two views; they wish for impurity, they wish for unwholesome states, they wish for the five strands of sensual pleasure, they wish for the sixty-two views; they wish for purity, they wish for wholesome states in the three realms; they wish for impurity, they wish for unwholesome states, they wish for the five strands of sensual pleasure, they wish for the sixty-two views, they wish for wholesome states in the three realms; they wish for purity, good ordinary people wish for the descent into certainty. Trainees wish for the supreme state, Arahantship. Having attained Arahantship, an Arahant does not wish for unwholesome states, nor does he wish for the five strands of sensual pleasure, nor does he wish for the sixty-two views, nor does he wish for wholesome states in the three realms, nor does he wish for the descent into certainty, nor does he wish for the supreme state, Arahantship. An Arahant has transcended wishing, he has gone beyond growth and decline. He has lived the holy life, fulfilled the practice... (etc.)... For him there is no rebirth in the cycle of birth, aging, and death— not wishing for purity or impurity. He should dwell detached, for the sake of peace. By 'detached' is meant: detached from purity and impurity, abstaining, refraining, gone forth, escaped, released, disjoined, he dwells with a mind free from limitations— that is 'detached'. By 'should dwell' is meant: he should dwell, he should wander, he should abide, he should move, he should conduct himself, he should protect, he should pass, he should sustain (life)— that is 'should dwell detached'. By 'for the sake of peace' is meant: peace is called the sixty-two views. Not grasping, not clinging to, not adhering to these views of peace— Abstaining, one should live, for the sake of peace. Therefore the Blessed One said: “Having abandoned all moral practices and vows, And this action, whether blameworthy or blameless; Not wishing for purity or impurity, Abstaining, one should live, for the sake of peace.” 136. Relying on that, or on what is loathsome, Or on what is seen, or heard, or perceived; Those who strive upward praise purity, With craving not gone, in existences and non-existences. Relying on that, or on what is loathsome, means: There are some recluses and brahmins who are proponents of asceticism and loathing, whose essence is asceticism and loathing, who are dependent on, attached to, clinging to, devoted to, settled in, and resolved upon asceticism and loathing – relying on that, or on what is loathsome. Or on what is seen, or heard, or perceived, means: Relying on, depending on, grasping, clinging to, or adhering to what is seen, or purity through seeing; or what is heard, or purity through hearing; or what is perceived, or purity through perceiving – or on what is seen, or heard, or perceived. Those who strive upward praise purity, means: There are some recluses and brahmins who are proponents of striving upward. Who are these recluses and brahmins who are proponents of striving upward? Those recluses and brahmins who are proponents of ultimate purity, proponents of purity through transmigration, proponents of non-action, proponents of eternalism – these are those recluses and brahmins who are proponents of striving upward. They praise, speak, declare, proclaim, explain, and assert purity, purification, complete purification, liberation, complete liberation, and ultimate liberation in transmigration – those who strive upward praise purity. With craving not gone, in existences and non-existences, means: Craving refers to craving for forms, craving for sounds, craving for smells, craving for tastes, craving for tangibles, craving for mental objects.