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B020101Pārājikakaṇḍa aṭṭhakathā(grave sins commentary)

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English

assembled and performed the Uposatha. In that assembly, there were sixty hundred thousand monks. In that gathering, the Elder Moggaliputtatissa, crushing the doctrines of others, recited the Kathāvatthu treatise. Then, from the sixty hundred thousand monks, having selected one thousand monks who held the Tipitaka teachings, who had attained the analytical knowledges, and who possessed the three knowledges and so on, just as the Elder Mahākassapa and the Elder Yasa, son of Kākaṇḍaka, had recited the Dhamma and Vinaya; in the same way, reciting the Dhamma and Vinaya, having purified the entire Dispensation of all impurities, he performed the Third Council. At the conclusion of the Council, the earth shook in many ways. This Council, for nine... in these months it was completed. Which in the world – Made by a thousand bhikkhus, therefore it is called the Thousandfold; Taking the first two, it is called the Third. This is the Third Council. And by this much, that which we said in order to answer the question, "By whom was it brought?" – "In Jambudīpa, starting with the Elder Upāli, through a lineage of teachers, it was brought up to the Third Council. Here is that lineage of teachers – "Upāli, Dāsaka, and Soṇaka, Siggava likewise; Tissa Moggaliputta, these five are victorious. "In succession, they brought the Vinaya, to the island called Jambusiri; Without interruption, up to the Third Council." Its meaning has been made clear. From the Third Council onwards, it was brought to this island by Mahinda and others. From Mahinda, having received it, for some time it was brought by the Elder Ariṭṭha and others. From then until today, it is to be understood that it has been brought by the lineage of teachers who are the successors of their disciples. As the ancients said – "Then Mahinda, Iṭṭiya, Uttiya, Sambala likewise; And the learned Bhaddanāma. "These great Nāgas, of great wisdom, came here from Jambudīpa; They recited the Vinaya, the Piṭaka, in Tambapaṇṇī. "They recited the five Nikāyas, and the seven treatises; Then Ariṭṭha, the intelligent, and Tissadatta, the learned. "Visārada, Kāḷasumana, and the Elder Dīghanāmaka; And Dīghasumana, the learned. "Again Kāḷasumana, the Elder Nāga, and Buddharakkhita; The Elder Tissa, the intelligent, and the Elder Deva, the learned. "Again Sumana, the intelligent, and skilled in the Vinaya; Cūḷanāga, very learned, like an elephant, unassailable. "And Dhammapālita by name, well-honored in Rohaṇa; His disciple, of great wisdom, Khemanāma, master of the three Piṭakas. "In the island, like the king of stars, he shone forth in wisdom; And Upatissa, the intelligent, Phussadeva, the great reciter. "Again Sumana, the intelligent, Pupphanāma, very learned; Mahāsiva, the great reciter, skilled in all the Piṭakas. "Again Upāli, the intelligent, and in the Vinaya, vi skilled; The Great Nāga, greatly wise, skilled in the lineage of the True Dhamma. "Again, Abhaya, the intelligent, skilled in all the Piṭakas; And Thera Tissa, the intelligent, skilled in the Vinaya. "His disciple, greatly wise, named Puppha, very learned; Protecting the Dispensation, established in Jambudīpa. "And Cūḷābhaya, the intelligent, skilled in the Vinaya; And Thera Tissa, the intelligent, skilled in the lineage of the True Dhamma. "And Cūḷadeva, the intelligent, skilled in the Vinaya; And Thera Siva, the intelligent, skilled in all the Vinaya. "These Nāgas, greatly wise, knowers of the Vinaya, skilled in the path; Proclaimed the Vinaya on the island, the Piṭaka in Tambapaṇṇi." Herein is the sequential story: It is said that Thera Moggaliputtatissa, having concluded this Third Dhamma Council, thought thus: "Where, indeed, might the Dispensation be well-established in the future?" Then, as he examined, it occurred to him: "It will be well-established in the border regions." So, entrusting various bhikkhus, he sent those bhikkhus to various places. He sent Thera Majjhantika to the country of Kashmir and Gandhāra, saying: "You, going to this country, establish the Dispensation there." Saying the same, he sent Thera Mahādeva to the Mahiṃsaka region. Thera Rakkhita to Vanavāsi. Thera Yonakadhammarakkhita to Aparantaka. Thera Mahādhammarakkhita to Mahāraṭṭha. Thera Mahārakkhita to the Yona world. Thera Majjhima to the Himavanta region. And Thera Soṇa and Thera Uttara to Suvaṇṇabhūmi. He sent his own co-resident, Thera Mahinda, along with Thera Iṭṭiya, Thera Uttiya, Thera Sambala, and Thera Bhaddasāla, to the island of Tambapaṇṇi, saying: "You, going to the island of Tambapaṇṇi, establish the Dispensation there." All of them, going to their respective directions, went as groups of five, considering that "a group of five is sufficient for the ordination ceremony in the border regions." Now, at that time, Once, in the country of Kashmir-Gandhara, at harvest time, a Nāga king named Aravāḷa caused rain of hail to fall, had the crops carried away, and delivered them to the great ocean. But Majjhantika Thera, having risen into the air from Pāṭaliputta, descended upon Aravāḷa Lake in the Himalayas, and on the surface of Aravāḷa Lake he walked, he stood, he sat, he lay down. The Nāga youths, seeing him, reported to Aravāḷa, the Nāga king: “Great king, a shaven-headed one, wearing torn and tattered robes, defiles our water!” The Nāga king, overcome with anger at once, came forth, and seeing the Thera, unable to bear the insult, created many terrifying illusions in the sky. From all directions fierce winds blew, trees were broken, mountain peaks fell, clouds thundered, lightning flashed, thunderbolts struck, water poured down as if the sky had burst. Frightful Nāga youths gathered. He himself smoked, he blazed, he unleashed showers of weapons. “Who is this shaven-headed one, wearing torn and tattered robes?” With such harsh words he threatened the Thera. “Come, seize, strike, drive away this ascetic!” he commanded his Nāga army. The Thera, repelling all that terror with his psychic power, said to the Nāga king: “Even if the world with its deities, were to come and terrify me; It would not be able to arouse fear and dread in me. “Even if you, great Nāga, were to lift up the whole earth, with its oceans and mountains, and hurl it upon me; “You would not be able to arouse fear and dread in me; Instead, it would be your own destruction, O lord of serpents.” When this was said, the Nāga king, his power thwarted, his efforts fruitless, became sorrowful and dejected. The Thera, then and there, instructed him with a discourse on the Dhamma appropriate to the occasion, established him, encouraged him, and gladdened him, and established him in the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, along with eighty-four thousand Nāgas. Many yakkhās, gandhabbās, and kumbhaṇḍās dwelling in the Himalayas, having heard the Elder's discourse on Dhamma, became established in the refuges and precepts. The yakkhā Pañcaka, together with his yakkhinī wife and five hundred sons, became established in the first fruit. Then the venerable Elder Majjhantika, having addressed all the nāgas, yakkhās, and rakkhasas, spoke thus: "Do not now generate anger, from now on, as before; Do not destroy crops, for beings desire happiness; Cultivate loving-kindness towards beings, may humans dwell in happiness." All of them, saying "Very well, venerable sir," agreed with the Elder and practiced as instructed. On that very day, it was the time for the nāga king's veneration. Then the nāga king had his jewel-studded couch brought and prepared it for the Elder. The Elder sat on the couch. The nāga king also stood nearby, fanning the Elder. At that moment, residents of the Kashmir-Gandhāra region arrived, and seeing the Elder, said, "The Elder is more powerful than our nāga king," and having paid homage to the Elder, sat down. The Elder preached to them the Āsīvisopama Sutta. At the end of the discourse, the realization of Dhamma occurred for eighty thousand beings, and a hundred thousand families went forth. From then on, Kashmir-Gandhāra, even to this day, is radiant with the saffron robe, and is a place of ascetics, both with and against the wind. Having gone to Kashmir-Gandhāra, the ascetic Majjhantika then, having appeased the wicked nāga, released many from bondage. The Elder Mahādeva also, having gone to the Mahiṃsaka region, preached the Devadūta Sutta. At the end of the discourse, forty thousand beings attained the Dhamma-eye, and forty thousand beings went forth. Having gone to the Mahiṃsaka country, Mahādeva, the greatly powerful, having exhorted with divine messengers, released many from bondage. The Elder Rakkhita, however, having gone to Vanavāsi, stood in the air and appeased the people of Vanavāsi with a discourse on the Anamatagga-pariyāya. At the end of his discourse, the realization of Dhamma occurred for sixty thousand. Seventy eighty thousand went forth, five hundred monasteries were established. Thus he established the Dispensation there. Having gone, Thera Rakkhita, the forest-dweller, of great power; Standing in the sky there, taught the Anamatagga Sutta. Thera Yonaka Dhammarakkhita also went to Aparantaka, and having pleased the people of Aparantaka with the discourse on the Aggikkhandhopama Sutta, he gave the deathless nectar of the Dhamma to seventy thousand beings. A thousand men from the warrior caste went forth, and more than six thousand women. Thus he established the Dispensation there. Having penetrated Aparanta, Yonaka Dhammarakkhita; With the Aggikkhandhopama Sutta here, he pleased many people. Thera Mahādhammarakkhita, however, went to Mahāraṭṭha, and having pleased the people of Mahāraṭṭha with the discourse on the Mahānāradakassapa Jātaka, he established eighty-four thousand beings in the paths and fruits. Thirteen thousand went forth. Thus he established the Dispensation there. Having gone to Mahāraṭṭha, the sage, that Mahādhammarakkhita; Having told the Jātaka,

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