English
Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. In the Minor Collection The Pāli of the Guide to the Piṭaka 1. The First Stage of the Disclosure of the Noble Truths Homage to the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones, Who see the ultimate truth, Who have attained the perfections of virtue and other qualities. 1. Two causes, two conditions for the arising of right view in a disciple – the voice from another, connected with the truths, and internal appropriate attention. Therein, what is the voice from another? That which is teaching from another, admonition, instruction, discourse on the truths, conducive to the truths. The four truths – suffering, its origin, its cessation, the path. The teaching, showing, unfolding, distinguishing, making clear, revealing of these four truths – this is called the voice conducive to the truths. 2. Therein, what is internal appropriate attention? Internal appropriate attention is that attention which, without bringing external objects to the internally taught Dhamma, is appropriate attention – this is called appropriate attention. Its mode is appropriate, its door, its method, its means. Just as a man, rubbing dry wood, devoid of sap, with a dry upper fire-stick, on a level surface, is capable of obtaining a flame. For what reason? For obtaining fire appropriately. Even so, when one attends to the unperverted teaching of the Dhamma regarding suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path – this is called appropriate attention. Just as three similes, unheard before, and never heard before, become clear. Whoever is not free from passion for sensual pleasures... ...and so on... two similes are to be made regarding inappropriate attention, as stated in the latter part. Therein, the voice from another, and internal appropriate attention – these are the two conditions. The wisdom that arises from the voice from another – this is called wisdom born of hearing. The wisdom that arises from internal appropriate attention – this is called wisdom born of reflection. These two kinds of wisdom are to be understood. And the former two conditions. These two causes, two conditions, are for the arising of right view in a disciple. 3. Therein, of the voice from another, the truths Not knowing the meaning of what is taught in connection, one will experience the meaning – this is not possible. And one who does not experience the meaning will wisely attend – this is not possible. Knowing the meaning of what is taught in connection with the voice of another, one will experience the meaning – this is possible. And one who experiences the meaning will wisely attend – this is possible. This is the cause, this the object, this the means for the disciple's liberation, there is no other. Without understanding the meaning of the Sutta, nor by following the voice of another without understanding its meaning, is it possible to attain the superhuman state, the noble vision of knowledge. Therefore, by one wishing for Nibbāna, meanings should be sought through learning. In that seeking, this is the sequence: sixteen modes, five methods, eighteen root terms. Here is the summary verse: Sixteen modes of guidance, five methods for seeking the teaching; Eighteen root terms, expounded by Kaccāyana of the Gotama clan. 4. Therein, what are the sixteen modes? Teaching, investigation, reasoning, proximate cause, characteristic, fourfold arrangement, turning, division, transformation, synonym, designation, descent, purification, determination, equipment, superimposition – these are the sixteen modes. Therein, the summary verse: Teaching, investigation, reasoning, and proximate cause, and characteristic; And fourfold arrangement, and turning, division, transformation. And synonym, and designation, and descent, and purification; Determination, equipment, superimposition, the sixteenth – 5. Therein, what are the five methods? The Joyful Turning, the Threefold Basket, the Lion's Play, the Direction-Illuminator, the Hook. Therein, the summary verse: The first is the Joyful Turning, and the second is the Threefold Basket; Called the Lion's Play, that is the third method. They call the Direction-Illuminator, the fourth method-marker; The fifth is called the Hook, all five methods are completed. 6. Therein, what are the eighteen root-terms? Ignorance, craving, greed, hatred, delusion, perception of beauty, perception of pleasure, perception of permanence, perception of self, tranquility, insight, non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion, perception of ugliness, perception of suffering, perception of impermanence, perception of non-self—these are the eighteen root-terms. Therein, nine terms are unwholesome, where all unwholesome things converge. Nine terms are wholesome, where all wholesome things converge. Which are the nine unwholesome terms where all unwholesome things converge? Ignorance up to perception of self—these are the nine unwholesome terms where all unwholesome things converge. Which are the nine wholesome terms where all wholesome things converge? Tranquility up to perception of non-self—these are the nine wholesome terms where all wholesome things converge. These are the eighteen root-terms. Therein, these are the summary verses: Craving and ignorance, greed, hatred, and delusion as well; And the four perversions, are the nine terms of defilement's ground. And the foundations of mindfulness, tranquility, insight, the roots of skillfulness; All this is wholesome, the nine terms of faculty's ground. All wholesome things are joined by nine terms, and unwholesome things by nine; Singly, nine root-terms, on both sides, eighteen root-terms. Of these eighteen root-terms, the nine unwholesome terms are the origin of suffering; the nine wholesome terms are the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Thus, suffering is the fruit of the origin; cessation is the fruit of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. These four Noble Truths were taught by the Blessed One in Bārāṇasī. 7. Therein, for the Noble Truth of Suffering, immeasurable letters, words, syllables, modes, expressions, and explanations have been taught for the elucidation, manifestation, disclosure, analysis, clarification, and declaration of this very meaning, and so it is for all the Truths. Thus, each single Truth, with immeasurable letters, words, syllables, modes, expressions, and explanations... It should be sought by them, that meaning, by the diversity of meaning, or by the diversity of expression. If any recluse or brahmin should say thus: "Having rejected this suffering, I will declare another suffering," for him, that would be mere words, and when questioned, he would not succeed. Thus are the truths. And the night the Blessed One was fully enlightened, and the night he attained final Nibbāna without clinging, in between these, whatever was spoken by the Blessed One: discourse, mixed prose and verse, exposition, verse, inspired utterance, 'thus said', birth story, wonderful phenomenon, question and answer, all that was the turning of the Wheel of Dhamma. Nothing in the Dhamma teaching of the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, is outside the Wheel of Dhamma. Therefore, all discourse should be sought in the noble teachings. For grasping them, these four Noble Truths are like light, they are firm. Therein, what is suffering? Birth, aging, illness, death; in brief, the five clinging-aggregates are suffering. Therein is this description of characteristics: birth has the characteristic of appearing; aging has the characteristic of ripening; illness has the characteristic of painfulness of pain; death has the characteristic of falling away; sorrow has the characteristic of separation from the loved, change, and burning; lamentation has the characteristic of wailing; physical pain has the characteristic of bodily affliction; mental pain has the characteristic of mental affliction; despair has the characteristic of being consumed by defilements; association with the disliked has the characteristic of meeting the unpleasant; separation from the loved has the characteristic of being parted from the pleasant; not getting what one wants has the characteristic of the turning away of one's intention; the five clinging-aggregates have the characteristic of not being fully understood; aging and death have the characteristic of ripening and falling away; passing away and reappearing have the characteristic of appearing and falling away; the origin has the characteristic of rebirth-linking and arising; cessation has the characteristic of abandoning the origin; the path has the characteristic of eradicating latent tendencies. Illness is suffering by characteristic; the origin is by characteristic of being known; the path is by characteristic of leading out; cessation is by characteristic of peace. The Nibbāna element without remainder has the characteristic of the cessation of rebirth-linking existence. And suffering, and ori- and origin, and suffering, and origin, and cessation, and origin, and the path, and cessation, and origin, and cessation, and suffering, and cessation, and the path, and the path, and cessation, and the path, and origin, and the path, and suffering. 8. Here are these discourses: “The one who for one night, first, dwells in the womb, a youth; He goes forth as if arisen, going, he does not turn back.” These, Ānanda, are the eight occasions for giving, a discourse in the Ekuttarika – this is birth. What then is old age? Not having lived the holy life, not having gained wealth in youth; They pine like old cranes, in a pond with few fish. Five former signs among the devas – this is old age. What then is sickness? “From where, O King, is this for yourself? You too know aging,” “O Khattiya, the fruit of kamma, the world does not escape kamma.” Three kinds of sick persons – this is sickness. What then is death? Just as a potter’s, earthen vessel made; Small and large,