English
The explanation of the questions of the young man Tissa-Metteyya 9. Who is contented in the world, [thus spoke the venerable Tissa-Metteyya] For whom are there no agitations? Who, having fully known both ends, is not stained by the middle thought? Whom do you call a great man? Who here has overcome the seamstress? "Who is contented in the world?" means: Who in the world is pleased, contented, happy-minded, with fulfilled aspirations? — "Who is contented in the world?" "Thus spoke the venerable Tissa-Metteyya." "Thus" (icca) means: the conjunction of words, the connection of words, the completeness of words, the combination of letters, the coherence of consonants, the sequence of words — this is "thus." "Venerable" (āyasmā) means: a dear word, a respectful word, a word of reverence and respect — this is "venerable." "Tissa" is the name, designation, appellation, term, usage, name, naming, nomenclature, etymology, expression, declaration of that brahmin. "Metteyya" is the clan, designation, appellation, term, usage of that brahmin — thus spoke the venerable Tissa-Metteyya. "For whom are there no agitations?" means: the agitation of craving, the agitation of views, the agitation of conceit, the agitation of defilements, the agitation of sensual desires. For whom are these agitations not present, do not exist, are not found, are not perceived, are abandoned, uprooted, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of arising again, burnt by the fire of knowledge? — "For whom are there no agitations?" "Who, having fully known both ends?" means: Who, having fully known, understood, weighed, determined, clarified, made clear both ends? — "Who, having fully known both ends?" "Is not stained by the middle thought?" means: is not stained by the middle thought, unsoiled, unbesmirched, gone forth, escaped, completely freed, disjoined, dwells with a mind that has transcended boundaries — "is not stained by the middle thought?" "Whom do you call a great man?" means: A great man is a foremost man, a chief man, a distinguished man, a pre-eminent man, a supreme man, a principal man, an excellent man. Whom do you call, whom do you speak of, whom do you consider, whom do you say, whom do you see, whom do you refer to? — "Whom do you call a great man?" "Who here has overcome the seamstress?" means: Who here has overcome the seamstress... Has gone beyond, has surpassed, has overcome, has completely overcome, has passed over – Who here has surpassed the seamstress? Therefore, that brahmin said – “Who here is content in the world, [Thus spoke the venerable Tissa Metteyya] For whom are there no agitations? Who, having known both ends, is not stained by the middle through wisdom? Whom do you call a great man? Who here has surpassed the seamstress?” 10. One who practices the holy life in sensual pleasures, [Metteyya, said the Blessed One] One free from craving, always mindful; A monk who, having understood, is extinguished, For him there are no agitations. Concerning "one who practices the holy life in sensual pleasures." By way of enumeration, "sensual pleasures" are two: material sensual pleasures and defilement sensual pleasures... these are called material sensual pleasures... these are called defilement sensual pleasures. The holy life is called abstaining, refraining, desisting, abstinence, non-doing, non-performance, non-transgression, non-overstepping of the time regarding improper conduct. Moreover, in the ultimate sense, the holy life is called the Noble Eightfold Path, namely – right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Whoever is endowed, fully endowed, approached, fully approached, established, fully established, possessed of this Noble Eightfold Path, he is called "one who practices the holy life." Just as one is called wealthy by wealth, one is called prosperous by prosperity, one is called famous by fame, one is called skilled by skill, one is called virtuous by virtue, one is called energetic by energy, one is called wise by wisdom, one is called learned by knowledge – in the very same way, whoever is endowed, fully endowed, approached, fully approached, established, fully established, possessed of this Noble Eightfold Path, he is called "one who practices the holy life" – "one who practices the holy life in sensual pleasures." "Metteyya," the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by his clan name. "Blessed One" is a term of respect... a true designation, namely "Blessed One" – "Metteyya," said the Blessed One. Concerning "free from craving, always mindful." "Craving" means craving for forms... craving for phenomena. For whom this craving is abandoned, fully... Uprooted, calmed, fully tranquilized, incapable of future arising, burnt by the fire of knowledge. He is called one without craving, one who has abandoned craving, one who has vomited craving, one released from craving, one who has given up craving, one who has renounced craving. One without passion, one who has abandoned passion, one who has vomited passion, one released from passion, one who has given up passion, one who has renounced passion. Unparched, extinguished, become cool, experiencing happiness, he dwells with a Brahma-like self. "Always" means: always, at all times, at every time, constantly, perpetually, continually, unceasingly, uninterruptedly, like arrow after arrow, like rising water waves, with unbroken continuity, pervaded. Before meal, after meal, in the first watch, in the middle watch, in the last watch. In the dark half, in the bright half, in the rainy season, in winter, in summer. In the first period of life, in the middle period of life, in the last period of life. "Mindful" means mindful for four reasons: mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on the body as body; mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on feelings as feelings; mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on mind as mind; mindful, developing the establishment of mindfulness on phenomena as phenomena. ... He is called mindful. One without craving, always mindful. "A monk extinguished by understanding" means: Understanding is called knowledge. That wisdom, discernment, investigation, thorough investigation... non-delusion, investigation of phenomena, right view. "By understanding" means: having understood, having weighed, having concluded, having clarified, having made clear. Having understood, having weighed, having concluded, having clarified, having made clear that "all formations are impermanent." That "all formations are suffering"... That "all phenomena are non-self"... That "formations are conditioned by ignorance"... Having understood, having weighed, having concluded, having clarified, having made clear that "whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease." Or else, having understood by understanding as impermanent... as suffering... as disease... as a boil... as a dart... having understood, having weighed, having concluded, having clarified, having made clear by understanding as an escape. or, extinguished. Extinguished, because passion is extinguished, extinguished, because hatred is extinguished, extinguished, because delusion is extinguished, because anger… …resentment… …hypocrisy… …malice… …envy… …avarice… …deceit… …fraud… …stubbornness… …impulsiveness… …conceit… …arrogance… …intoxication… …heedlessness… …all defilements… …all misconducts… …all torments… …all fevers… …all anxieties… …all unwholesome volitional formations are extinguished, he is extinguished. A monk, because the seven qualities are broken… …he has lived the holy life, with rebirth exhausted, he is a monk. Thus, he is a monk, extinguished by understanding. “For him there are no agitations.” “For him” means for the Arahant, whose taints are destroyed. “Agitations” means agitation of craving, agitation of views, agitation of conceit, agitation of defilements, agitation of sensuality. For him, these agitations do not exist, are not present, are not found, are not perceived, they are abandoned, uprooted, calmed, pacified, incapable of arising again, burnt by the fire of knowledge. Thus, “for him there are no agitations.” Therefore, the Blessed One said: “Living the holy life in sensual pleasures, [Metteyya, said the Blessed One] Free from craving, always mindful; A monk extinguished by understanding, for him there are no agitations.” 11. Having fully known both ends, he is not stained by the middle, by wisdom; Him I call a great person, he has overcome the seamstress here. “Having fully known both ends, he is not stained by the middle, by wisdom.” “Ends” means: contact is one end, the origin of contact is the second end, cessation of contact is the middle; the past is one end, the future is the second end, the present is the middle; pleasant feeling is one end, painful feeling is the second end, neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling is the middle; mentality is one end, materiality is the second end, consciousness is the middle; the six internal sense bases are one end, the six external sense bases are the second end, consciousness is the middle; identity view is one end, the origin of identity view is the second end, the cessation of identity view is the middle. “Wisdom” is called discernment, that discernment, understanding… …non-delusion, investigation of phenomena, right view. Stain These are two stains: the stain of craving and the stain of views. What is the stain of craving? Whatever is limited, bounded, defined, grasped, appropriated by what is called craving – ‘This is mine, that is mine, so much is mine, to such an extent is mine: forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, coverings, cloaks, male and female slaves, goats and sheep, fowls and pigs, elephants, cattle, horses, mares, fields, lands, silver, gold, villages, towns, royal capitals, kingdoms and provinces, treasuries and storehouses.’ Even the entire great earth