English
therefore he is Mahesi. Because he sought, searched for, and investigated the great noble eightfold path, therefore he is Mahesi. Because he sought, searched for, and investigated the great ultimate goal, the deathless Nibbana, therefore he is Mahesi. Because he was sought, searched for, and investigated by beings of great power, saying: "Where is the Buddha? Where is the Blessed One? Where is the God of gods? Where is the Bull among men?" therefore he is Mahesi. Dhamma. The supreme Dhamma, it 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. Supreme means foremost, excellent, distinguished, principal, highest, pre-eminent Dhamma – the great sage's supreme Dhamma. Having known which, mindful they wander – having made known, having weighed, having discerned, having understood clearly, having made manifest; having known, weighed, discerned, understood clearly, made manifest that 'all formations are impermanent'; that 'all formations are suffering'... that 'all phenomena are not-self'... that 'whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease' – having known, weighed, discerned, understood clearly, made manifest. Mindful means mindful for four reasons: mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on the body in the body; in feelings... in mind... in phenomena... mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on phenomena – he is called mindful. They wander means wandering, dwelling, moving, behaving, maintaining, living, passing time – having known which, mindful he wanders. He crosses the entanglement in the world means: Entanglement is called craving. That which is passion, attachment... covetousness, greed, the root of unwholesome states. Why is it called entanglement? Because it is spread out, extended, it is entanglement. World means in the world of woe... in the world of sense bases. He crosses the entanglement in the world means: In the world, indeed, is entanglement. Mindful, he would cross, overcome, transcend, surmount, pass beyond that entanglement in the world – he crosses the entanglement in the world. Therefore that brahmin said – And I rejoice in that, the great sage's supreme Dhamma; Having known which, mindful he wanders, he crosses the entanglement in the world. 24. Whatever you comprehend, [Mettagū, the Blessed One said] Above, below, across, and in the middle; In these, both delight and attachment, having abandoned, consciousness would not stand in becoming. Whatever you comprehend means whatever you know, understand, discern, penetrate, comprehend – whatever you comprehend. Mettagū, the Bh The Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. Bhagavā is a term of reverence… a true designation, that which is Bhagavā – He is one who has gone to friendliness, thus Bhagavā. Above, below, across, and in the middle. Above means the future; below means the past; across and in the middle means the present. Above means the deva world; below means the hell world; across and in the middle means the human world. Or, above means wholesome states; below means unwholesome states; across and in the middle means indeterminate states. Above means the formless realm; below means the sense-sphere realm; across and in the middle means the form realm. Above means pleasant feeling; below means painful feeling; across and in the middle means neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Above means above the soles of the feet; below means below the tips of the hair; across and in the middle means the very middle – above, below, across, and in the middle. Having dispelled delight and attachment in these, consciousness does not stand in existence. In these means in those that are declared, taught, made known, established, revealed, analyzed, made clear, and illuminated. Delight is called craving. That which is passion, attachment… covetousness, greed, a root of unwholesomeness. Attachment means two attachments – attachment of craving and attachment of views. What is attachment of craving? Whatever is called craving… this is attachment of craving. What is attachment of views? The twenty-fold personality view… this is attachment of views. Having dispelled consciousness means consciousness accompanied by meritorious volitional formations, consciousness accompanied by demeritorious volitional formations, consciousness accompanied by imperturbable volitional formations. Having dispelled, having removed, having eliminated, having abolished, having abandoned, having relinquished, having gotten rid of, having made an end of, having brought to non-existence delight and attachment and consciousness accompanied by volitional formations in these – having dispelled delight and attachment in these, consciousness. Does not stand in existence. Existence means two existences – kamma-existence and rebirth-existence. What is kamma-existence? Meritorious volitional formation, unmeritorious Volitional formation, imperturbable volitional formation – this is kamma-becoming. What is rebirth-linking re-becoming? Rebirth-linking form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness – this is rebirth-linking re-becoming. "Does not stand in becoming" means abandoning, dispelling, making an end of, bringing to naught delight and attachment, consciousness accompanied by volitional formations, kamma-becoming, and rebirth-linking re-becoming. He would not stand in kamma-becoming, he would not stand, would not establish himself in rebirth-linking re-becoming – "Having expelled consciousness, he does not stand in becoming." Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Whatever you comprehend, [Thus said the Blessed One, Mettagū] Above, below, across, and in the middle; In these, delight and attachment, Having expelled consciousness, do not stand in becoming." 25. Thus abiding, mindful, diligent, A monk, having abandoned all possessiveness, Birth, old age, sorrow, and lamentation, Here and now, the wise one would abandon suffering. "Thus abiding, mindful, diligent" means: "Thus abiding" means abandoning, dispelling, making an end of, bringing to naught delight and attachment, consciousness accompanied by volitional formations, kamma-becoming, and rebirth-linking re-becoming – this is "thus abiding". "Mindful" means mindful for four reasons – developing mindfulness of the body as body-contemplation... (and so on)... he is called mindful. "Diligent" means one who acts carefully, acts continuously, acts steadfastly, whose conduct is not slack, whose desire is not abandoned, whose burden is not cast aside, diligent in wholesome states – "How can I fulfill the unfulfilled aggregate of virtue, or having fulfilled the aggregate of virtue, support it here and there with wisdom?" – The desire, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, perseverance, mindfulness, clear comprehension, ardour, exertion, determination, and application in wholesome states – this is diligence, heedfulness. "How can I fulfill the unfulfilled aggregate of concentration... (and so on)... the aggregate of wisdom... the aggregate of liberation..." "I shall fulfill the aggregate of knowledge and vision of liberation, or I shall assist the fulfilled aggregate of knowledge and vision of liberation with wisdom here and there." The desire there, and the effort, and the zeal, and the exertion, and the unflaggingness, and mindfulness, and clear comprehension, and ardour, and striving, and determination, and application, unremitting, diligence in wholesome states. "How shall I fully understand suffering not yet fully understood, or abandon defilements not yet abandoned, or develop the path not yet developed, or realize cessation not yet realized?" The desire there, and the effort, and the zeal, and the exertion, and the unflaggingness, and mindfulness, and clear comprehension, and ardour, and striving, and determination, and application, unremitting, diligence in wholesome states – thus dwelling, mindful, diligent. A monk, wandering, having abandoned possessiveness. Bhikkhu means a virtuous ordinary person, or a trainee monk. Wandering means wandering, dwelling, moving, living, maintaining, sustaining, existing, subsisting. Possessiveness means two kinds of possessiveness – possessiveness of craving and possessiveness of views (etc.). This is possessiveness of craving (etc.). This is possessiveness of views (etc.). Having abandoned possessiveness of craving, having relinquished possessiveness of views, having given up, having renounced, having forsaken, having dispelled, having annihilated, having brought to an end possessiveness – a monk, wandering, having abandoned possessiveness. Birth, old age, sorrow, and lamentation, here indeed the wise one should abandon suffering. Birth means that of those various beings (etc.). Old age means that of those various beings (etc.). Sorrow means for one afflicted by the loss of relatives (etc.). Lamentation means for one afflicted by the loss of relatives (etc.). Here means by this view (etc.). In this human world. Wise means one who has attained knowledge, discerning, insightful, intelligent. Suffering means the suffering of birth (etc.). The suffering of mental pain and despair. Birth, old age, sorrow, and lamentation, here indeed the wise one should abandon suffering – one who has attained knowledge, discerning, insightful, intelligent, here indeed birth, and old age, and sorrow, and lamentation... should abandon suffering, should remove it, should make it cease, should make it disappear – birth, old age, sorrow, lamentation, here and now, the wise one should abandon suffering. Therefore, the Blessed One said: “Thus abiding, mindful, diligent, a bhikkhu, wandering, having abandoned attachments; Birth, old age, sorrow, lamentation, here and now, the wise one should abandon suffering.” 26. I delight in this word of the Great Seeker, well-proclaimed by Gotama, free from substrata;