English
I will speak of suffering; when origin is seen, I will speak of origin; when the path is seen, I will speak of the path; when cessation is seen, I will speak of cessation. Thus also – "in this very life"... and so on... Or else, it is directly visible, timeless, inviting inspection, leading onwards, to be personally experienced by the wise. Thus also – "in this very life." "Without hearsay" means: not by hearsay, not by tradition, not by... not by tradition, not by the collection of scriptures, not by logic, not by reasoning, not by pondering over appearances, not by the approval of speculative views, but a Dhamma known by oneself, seen by oneself, that I shall declare— in this very life, without hearsay. Having known which, they live mindfully; having known, weighed, judged, understood, made clear which: "All formations are impermanent"— having known, weighed, judged, understood, made clear; "All formations are suffering"— ... "All phenomena are not-self"— ... "Whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease"— having known, weighed, judged, understood, made clear. Mindful means mindful for four reasons: mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on the body, observing the body... ...he is called mindful. They live means living, abiding, moving, behaving, maintaining, passing, spending— having known which, living mindfully. He crosses attachment in the world. Attachment is called craving. That passion, lust... ...covetousness, greed, the root of unwholesome. Why is it called attachment? ...it is spread out, extended, thus attachment. In the world means in the realm of woe... ...in the realm of sense bases. He crosses attachment in the world means the attachment in the world, that attachment in the world, a mindful one would cross, overcome, transcend, surmount, pass beyond— he crosses attachment in the world. Therefore the Blessed One said: "I shall declare to you peace, [Dhotaka, said the Blessed One] In this very life, without hearsay; Having known which, living mindfully, He crosses attachment in the world." 36. And that I rejoice in, O Great Seer, supreme peace; Having known which, living mindfully, He crosses attachment in the world. And that I rejoice in. That means your word, declaration, teaching, instruction, admonition, I rejoice in, delight in, am pleased with, approve of, wish for, accept, long for, desire, aspire to— and that I rejoice in. O Great Seer, supreme peace. Great Seer, why is the Blessed One a Great Seer? Great He sought, he searched, he investigated the mass of virtue, thus he is the Great Seeker. He sought the great mass of concentration… “Where is the bull among men?” thus he is the Great Seeker. “Supreme peace” means peace, which is 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, best, excellent, chief, supreme, pre-eminent – The Great Seeker of supreme peace. “Having known which, they live mindfully” means having made known… Having made known, weighed, judged, understood, and realized that “all formations are impermanent”; Having made known that “all formations are suffering”… “All phenomena are not-self”… Having made known, weighed, judged, understood, and realized that “whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease.” “Mindful” means mindful for four reasons – Mindful, developing the contemplation of the body in the body… He is called mindful. “They live” means living… Sustaining life – “Having known which, living mindfully.” “Crosses attachment in the world.” “Attachment” is called craving. That which is passion, lust… Covetousness, greed, the root of unwholesome. “Attachment” in what sense is it attachment… Spread out, extended, thus attachment. “In the world” means in the world of woe… In the world of sense bases. “Crosses attachment in the world” means the attachment in the world, That attachment in the world, A mindful one would cross, would overcome… Would transcend – “Crosses attachment in the world.” Therefore, that brahmin said: “And I rejoice in that, The Great Seeker of supreme peace; Having known which, living mindfully, He crosses attachment in the world.” 37. Whatever you fully comprehend, [Dhotaka, said the Blessed One] Above, below, across, and in the middle; Knowing this, attachment is in the world, Do not make craving for existence and non-existence. “Whatever you fully comprehend” means whatever you fully comprehend, understand, penetrate, realize – “Whatever you fully comprehend.” “Dhotaka, said the Blessed One.” “Dhotaka, said the Blessed One” means the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. “Blessed One” is a term of respect… Truth This designation, namely, the Blessed One – Dhotaka, said the Blessed One. Upwards, downwards, and across in the middle. Upwards means the future; downwards means the past; and across in the middle means the present. Upwards means the divine realm; downwards means the realm of woe; and across in the middle means the human realm. Or else, upwards means wholesome states; downwards means unwholesome states; and across in the middle means indeterminate states. Upwards means the formless realm; downwards means the sense-desire realm; and across in the middle means the form realm. Upwards means pleasant feeling; downwards means painful feeling; and across in the middle means neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Upwards means above the soles of the feet; downwards means below the tips of the hair; and across in the middle means the mid-section – upwards, downwards, and across in the middle. Having known this entanglement in the world – this is entanglement, this is clinging, this is bondage, this is obstruction – having known, having understood, having weighed, having discerned, having clarified, having made it clear – having known this entanglement in the world. For becoming and non-becoming, do not make craving. Craving means craving for forms, craving for sounds… craving for mental objects. For becoming and non-becoming means for becoming and non-becoming, for kamma-becoming, for re-becoming, for becoming in the sense-sphere; for kamma-becoming, for becoming in the sense-sphere, for re-becoming, for becoming in the form-sphere; for kamma-becoming, for becoming in the form-sphere, for re-becoming, for becoming in the formless-sphere; for kamma-becoming, for becoming in the formless-sphere, for re-becoming, for repeated becoming; for repeated going, for repeated arising, for repeated reconnection, for repeated manifestation of self-existence, do not make craving, do not generate, do not produce, do not bring forth, do not manifest, abandon, dispel, make an end of, bring to non-existence – do not make craving for becoming and non-becoming. Therefore the Blessed One said – “Whatever you fully comprehend, (Dhotaka, said the Blessed One) Upwards, downwards, and across in the middle; Having known this entanglement in the world, for becoming and non-becoming do not make craving.” With the conclusion of the verse… My Teacher, venerable Blessed One, I am a disciple. The explanation of Dhotaka the student's question is the fifth. 6. Upasīva the Student Section of Questions 38. Alone am I, Sakka, a great flood, Not relying, I cannot cross; Tell me a support, All-Seeing One, Relying on which I may cross this flood. “Alone am I, Sakka, a great flood.” “Alone” means: I have no second person, nor do I have a second Dhamma, relying on which person or relying on which Dhamma I may cross, overcome, pass over, transcend, or go beyond the great flood of sensuality, the flood of becoming, the flood of views, the flood of ignorance. “Sakka” means Sakka. The Blessed One is called Sakka because he went forth from the Sakya clan. Or, he is called Sakka because he is rich, greatly wealthy, possessing wealth. These are his riches: namely, the wealth of faith, the wealth of virtue, the wealth of shame, the wealth of dread, the wealth of learning, the wealth of generosity, the wealth of wisdom, the wealth of mindfulness… and so on… the wealth of Nibbāna. He is called Sakka because he is rich, greatly wealthy, possessing these many jewel-like riches. Or, Sakka means capable, powerful, able, mighty, brave, heroic, valiant, fearless, undaunted, unalarmed, unretreating, with fear and terror abandoned, with hair standing on end gone – thus “Alone am I, Sakka, a great flood.” “Thus spoke the venerable Upasīva.” “Thus” is a word-junction… and so on…. “Venerable” is an affectionate word… and so on…. “Upasīva” is the name of that brahmin… and so on… the utterance – “Thus spoke the venerable Upasīva.” “Not relying, I cannot cross.” “Not relying” means: not relying on a person, nor relying on the Dhamma, I cannot, I am not able, I am not capable, I am not competent to cross, to overcome, to pass over, to transcend, to go beyond the great flood of sensuality, the flood of becoming, the flood of views, the flood of ignorance – thus “not relying, I cannot cross.” “Tell me a support, All-Seeing One.” “Tell me a support” means: tell, declare, teach, make known, establish, reveal, analyze, make clear, make manifest a support, an object, a reliance, a strong reliance. “All-Seeing One” means: the All-Seeing One is called omniscience. The Blessed One is endowed, fully endowed, possessed, fully possessed of that omniscience. He has come, He has arisen, He has fully arisen, He is endowed. Nothing here is unseen by him, Nor unknown, nor to be unknown; All that is knowable, he has fully known, Therefore, the Tathāgata is the All-seeing One. Tell me the support, All-seeing One, Relying on which, one may cross this flood. "Relying on which" means: relying on which person, or relying on which Dhamma, One may cross, may overcome, may pass over, may transcend, may go beyond