English
Here, an uninstructed ordinary person, not seeing the noble ones, not skilled in the Dhamma of the noble ones, not disciplined in the Dhamma of the noble ones, not seeing the true men, not skilled in the Dhamma of the true men, not disciplined in the Dhamma of the true men, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form in self, or self in form; feeling... perception... mental formations... consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. Whatever such view, view-point, thicket of views, wilderness of views, writhing of views, wavering of views, fetter of views, grasping, clinging, adherence, attachment, wrong path, false path, wrongness, heretical ground, wrong apprehension, mistaken apprehension, perverted apprehension, false apprehension, apprehension of the unreal as real, up to the sixty-two views—this is the view of self. "Having uprooted the view of self" means having uprooted, having eradicated, having extracted, having thoroughly extracted, having pulled out, having thoroughly pulled out, having abandoned, having dispelled, having made an end of, having brought to naught—having uprooted the view of self. "Thus one would cross over death" means thus you would cross over death, you would cross over old age, you would cross over dying, you would pass beyond, you would overcome, you would transcend, you would go beyond—thus one would cross over death. "Thus observing the world" means thus observing, contemplating, weighing, discerning, investigating, making clear the world—thus observing the world. "The king of death does not see" means death is the king of death, Māra is the king of death, dying is the king of death. "Does not see" means the king of death does not see, does not behold, does not find, does not obtain, does not acquire. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Just as, monks, a wild deer wandering in the forest thicket, confident, He walks confidently, he stands confidently, he sits confidently, he lies down confidently. For what reason? He has gone beyond the range of the hunter, monks. Even so, monks, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, and filled with rapture and pleasure. This is called, monks, ‘the monk has blinded Māra, having struck down the track, he has gone beyond the sight of Māra, the Evil One.’ Again, further, monks, with the stilling of initial application and sustained application, by gaining inner tranquillity and unification of mind, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is without initial application and sustained application, born of concentration, and filled with rapture and pleasure… …the third jhāna… …the fourth jhāna. This is called, monks, ‘the monk has blinded Māra, having struck down the track, he has gone beyond the sight of Māra, the Evil One.’ Again, further, monks, with the complete transcending of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, [perceiving] ‘space is infinite,’ he enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite space. This is called, monks, ‘the monk has blinded Māra, having struck down the track, he has gone beyond the sight of Māra, the Evil One.’ Again, further, monks, with the complete transcending of the sphere of infinite space, [perceiving] ‘consciousness is infinite,’ he enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite consciousness… Again, further, monks, with the complete transcending of the sphere of infinite consciousness, [perceiving] ‘there is nothing,’ he enters and dwells in the sphere of nothingness… Again, further, monks, with the complete transcending of the sphere of nothingness, he enters and dwells in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception… Again, further, monks, with the complete transcending of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling; and having seen with wisdom, his defilements… are utterly destroyed. This, monks, is called: 'A monk has blinded Māra, having struck down the eye of Māra, he has gone beyond the sight of the Evil One, he has crossed over attachment in the world.' He walks confidently, he stands confidently, he sits confidently, he lies down confidently. For what reason? The monk has gone beyond the reach of the Evil One – the king of death does not see him. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Look upon the world as empty, Mogharāja, ever mindful; Having removed the view of self, thus may you cross over death; The king of death does not see one who thus looks upon the world." With the conclusion of the verses… "My Teacher, venerable Blessed One, I am your disciple." The explanation of Mogharāja the youth's question, the fifteenth. 16. The explanation of Piṅgiya the youth's question 89. "I am old, infirm, my complexion faded, My eyes are not clear, my hearing is not easy; Lest I perish bewildered in between, teach me the Dhamma by which I may know; The abandoning of birth and old age here." "I am old, infirm, my complexion faded" means: "I am old" means old, aged, venerable, having gone far, having reached old age, a hundred and twenty years by birth. "Infirm" means weak, without strength, without vigor. "My complexion faded" means faded complexion, gone complexion, departing complexion. That former beautiful glow of complexion has disappeared, the disadvantage has appeared – thus "I am old, infirm, my complexion faded." "Thus spoke the venerable Piṅgiya" means: "Icca" is a word-junction… "Āyasmā" is a term of endearment… "Piṅgiya" is the name of that brahmin… …the expression is – "Thus spoke the venerable Piṅgiya." "My eyes are not clear, my hearing is not easy" means eyes are unclear, impure, unpurified, not bright. "I do not see forms with my eyes as before" – thus "my eyes are not clear." "My hearing is not easy" means ears are unclear, impure, unpurified, not bright. "I do not hear sounds with my ears as before" – thus "my eyes are not clear, my hearing is not easy." "Lest I perish bewildered in between" means: "Lest I perish" means lest I… May I not perish, May I not be lost, May I not utterly vanish. "Momuho" means Utterly deluded, Gone into ignorance, Ignorant, Undiscerned, Of poor wisdom. "Antarāva" means Prematurely, Without knowing, Without attaining, Without understanding, Without obtaining, Without experiencing, Without realizing Your Dhamma, Your view, Your practice, Your path, May I die prematurely. May I not perish, Utterly deluded, Prematurely. Teach the Dhamma, By which I may discern. "Dhamma" means: Beautiful in the beginning, Beautiful in the middle, Beautiful in the end, With meaning, with letter, Completely perfect, Pure holy life. The four foundations of mindfulness, The four right exertions, The four bases of psychic power, The five faculties, The five powers, The seven factors of awakening, The noble eightfold path, And Nibbana, And the path leading to Nibbana. Declare, teach, Make known, establish, Reveal, explain, Make clear, proclaim This Dhamma. "By which I may discern" means: By which I may know, May understand, May discern, May fully discern, May penetrate, May attain, May experience, May realize. Teach the Dhamma, By which I may discern. "Here, the abandoning of birth and aging" means: Right here, The abandoning, The calming, The relinquishing, The tranquilizing, The deathless, Nibbana Of birth, aging, and death. Here, the abandoning Of birth and aging. Therefore, that brahmin said: "I am old, Weak, My complexion faded; My eyes are not clear, My hearing is not easy; May I not perish, Utterly deluded, Prematurely, Teach the Dhamma, By which I may discern; Here, the abandoning Of birth and aging." Having seen forms Being afflicted, People, heedless, Are afflicted by forms; Therefore, you, Pingiya, Being heedful, Abandon form For non-becoming. "Having seen forms Being afflicted" means: Form means The four great elements And form derived from The four great elements. Beings, Because of form, Due to form, On account of form, Are afflicted, Are tormented, Are harmed, Are destroyed. In forms They inflict various kinds of tortures. They beat with whips, they beat with canes, they beat with half-staves, they cut off hands, they cut off feet, they cut off hands and feet, they cut off ears, they cut off noses, they cut off ears and noses, they make them into a "bilanga-thālika" (a gruel-bowl), they make them into a "saṅkha-muṇḍika" (a conch-shell head), they make them into a "rāhu-mukha" (Rāhu's mouth), they make them into a "joti-mālikā" (a garland of flames), they make them into a "hattha-pajjotikā" (a hand-lamp), they make them into an "eraka-vattikā" (an ear-leaf roll), they make them into a "cīraka-vāsikā" (a bark-garment), they make them into an "eṇeyyaka" (a deer-like form), they make them into a "baḷisa-maṃsikā" (a fish-hook flesh), they make them into a "kahāpaṇikā" (a coin-like form), they make them into a "khārā-patacchikā" (an alkali-cut), they make them into a "paligha-parivattikā" (a club-roller), they make them into a "palāla-pīṭhaka" (a straw-mat), they douse them with hot oil, they make dogs devour them, they impale them alive on stakes, they cut off their heads with a sword. Thus beings, for the sake of form, on account of form, because of form, are slain, are tormented, are afflicted, are destroyed. Having seen, having observed, having weighed, having considered, having understood, having made clear, that they are thus slain, tormented, afflicted, destroyed – "Having seen beings tormented by forms." "Piṅgiya, O Blessed One!" "Piṅgiya," the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. "Blessed One" is a term of respect… (and so on) … a true designation, namely "Blessed One" – "Piṅgiya, O Blessed One!"