English
and manifestation in rebirth are abandoned, because their cause has been destroyed by the unsurpassed path." By the taking of "womb-lying" here, the viviparous birth is understood. By the taking of "rebirth-manifestation," the other three (births) are understood. Furthermore, the lying of the womb is womb-lying. Rebirth itself is manifestation, (thus) rebirth-manifestation. Thus, this meaning should be understood here. And just as when "consciousness-station" is said, there is no station other than consciousness, so here too, it should be understood that there is no lying other than the womb. And manifestation, since it exists as rebirth-being and non-rebirth-being, and here, the rebirth-being is intended. Therefore it is said: "Rebirth itself is manifestation, (thus) rebirth-manifestation." 11. Thus, from the time of arrival, even though the brahmin was reviling him with eight grounds of abuse such as being without essence or form, the Blessed One, Lord of the Dhamma, King of the Dhamma, Master of the Dhamma, the Tathāgata, looking with compassion with a cool eye, having penetrated the Dhamma-element and attained skill in teaching, because of his perfect penetration of that Dhamma-element, like the full moon risen in a cloudless sky, and like the sun in autumn, dispelling the darkness in the brahmin's heart, showing those very grounds of abuse in a different way by various means, and again, his compassion's expanse, obtained through unshakeability by the eight worldly conditions, proclaiming such qualities and characteristics as mind like the earth and unshakeable nature, (said): "This brahmin recognizes his old age merely by his grey hair, broken teeth, wrinkled skin, and so on, but he does not know himself to be followed by birth, by old age..." He is pursued by craving, overcome by sickness, struck down by death, become a stump in the cycle of existence, today he will die and again tomorrow he will go to the state of a supine infant. But he came to me with great effort; may his coming be fruitful.” Thinking thus, showing his own unequaled prior existence in this world, he extended his teaching of the Dhamma to the brahmin in the manner beginning with “Just as, brahmin.” There, “just as” is a particle in the sense of comparison; “indeed” is in the sense of possibility; by both, it shows “just as a brahmin.” In “eight or ten or twelve eggs of a hen,” although a hen may have more or fewer eggs than stated, it should be understood that it is said this way for the sake of elegant expression. For such is elegant expression in the world. “They would be” means “they would exist.” “Properly brooded over by the hen” means properly brooded over by that mother hen, spreading her wings and lying upon them. “Properly warmed” means well and thoroughly warmed, made hot, by her taking the season from time to time. “Properly nurtured” means well and thoroughly nurtured from time to time, made to acquire the scent of a hen. Now, because those eggs, being cared for by that hen in these three ways, do not become rotten. Whatever moist oil is in them also goes to an end. The shell becomes thin, and the claws and beak become hard, the chicks ripen, and due to the thinness of the shell, light from outside becomes visible inside. Then those chicks, thinking, “For a long time we have lain with our hands and feet cramped in a confined space, and now light is seen outside, here now will be our comfortable dwelling,” desiring to come out, strike the shell with their feet, and stretch their necks. Then that shell breaks in two, and the chicks, shaking their wings, at that moment Making sounds suitable for their shells, they emerge. And of those thus emerging, whoever emerges first, he is called 'the eldest'. Therefore, the Blessed One, wishing to establish his own seniority by that simile, asked the brahmin: "Now, of those chicks... (etc.)... what should he be called?" Here, 'kukkuṭacchāpakānaṃ' means 'of the young chickens'. 'What should he be called?' means what should he be called, what should he be spoken of as, eldest or youngest? The rest is clear in meaning. Then the brahmin said: "He should be called the eldest, good Gotama." Good Gotama, he should be called the eldest. Why so? For he is the eldest among them, therefore he is the senior among them, this is the meaning. Then the Blessed One, applying the simile, said: "Even so, brahmin..." and so on. Just as that chick is reckoned as the eldest; even so am I for the generation gone into ignorance. 'Gone into ignorance' means gone into ignorance, which is called unknowing. 'Pajā' (generation) is a term for beings. Therefore, here the meaning should be understood as 'among beings who have entered inside the egg-shell of ignorance'. 'Born in an egg' means born, arisen, produced in an egg. Just as some beings born in an egg are called 'egg-born'; even so, all this generation, being born in the egg-shell of ignorance, is called 'egg-born'. 'Enveloped' means completely bound, tied, wrapped by that egg-shell of ignorance. 'Having broken the egg-shell of ignorance' means having broken that egg-shell made of ignorance. 'Alone in the world' means in the entire world-dwelling, I alone am without a second. 'Fully awakened to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment' means 'unsurpassed' is without superior, the best of all. 'Perfect enlightenment' means right and self-enlightenment; or praised and beautiful enlightenment; 'bodhi' is also called a tree, a path, omniscience, and Nibbana. "First fully awakened at the root of the Bodhi tree" (Mahāva. 1; Udā. 1) and "between Gaya and..." In places where "and the Bodhi tree" (Mahāva. 11; Ma. Ni. 1.285) appears, "bodhi" is called a tree. In places where "Bodhi is called knowledge in the four paths" (Cūḷani. Khaggavisāṇasuttaniddesa 121) appears, it means path. In places where "He attains Bodhi, the excellent, vast wisdom" (Dī. Ni. 3.217) appears, it means omniscience. In places where "Having attained Bodhi, the deathless, the unconditioned" appears, it means Nibbāna. Here, however, the Arahantship path-knowledge of the Blessed One is intended. Some also say omniscience. Is the Arahantship path of others the supreme enlightenment? No, it is not. Why? Because it does not bestow all qualities. For some, their Arahantship path gives only the fruit of Arahantship; for some, the three knowledges; for some, the six supernormal powers; for some, the four analytical knowledges; for some, the knowledge of a disciple's perfection. Even for Paccekabuddhas, it gives only Paccekabodhi-knowledge. But for Buddhas, it gives the complete attainment of all qualities, like the anointing of a king gives sovereignty over the entire world. Therefore, for no one else is it the supreme enlightenment. "Abhisambuddho" means "I fully understood, I penetrated"; it means "I have attained, I have realized." Now, this analogy spoken by the Blessed One, beginning with "Even so, O brahmin," should be understood by comparing it with this meaning. Just as that hen performs the three kinds of actions, such as sitting on her own eggs; so the Blessed One, as a Bodhisatta, sitting on the Bodhi-seat, performed the three kinds of contemplation in his own mind-stream: impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Like the non-decay of the eggs due to the hen's completion of the three kinds of actions, so was the non-deterioration of insight-knowledge due to the Bodhisatta-Blessed One's completion of the three kinds of contemplation. Like the drying up of the moist fluid of the eggs due to the hen's performance of the three kinds of actions, so was the drying up of the clinging-fluid that pervades the three existences due to the Bodhisatta-Blessed One's completion of the three kinds of contemplation. Like the hen's three kinds of actions... Just as by the hen's pecking the eggshells become thin, so by the Bodhisatta-Buddha's accomplishment of three kinds of contemplation, the eggshell of ignorance becomes thin. Just as by the hen's three kinds of actions, the chick's feet, claws, crest, and beak become firm and hard, so by the Bodhisatta-Buddha's accomplishment of three kinds of contemplation, the insight-knowledge becomes sharp, hard, clear, and brave. Just as by the hen's three kinds of actions, it is the time for the chick's maturation, so by the Bodhisatta-Buddha's accomplishment of three kinds of contemplation, it should be understood as the time for the maturation, the growth, the conception of insight-knowledge. Then, just as by the hen's three kinds of actions, the chick, having broken the eggshell with its feet, claws, crest, or beak, and having flapped its wings, emerges safely; so by the Bodhisatta-Buddha's accomplishment of three kinds of contemplation, having conceived insight-knowledge, and having broken the eggshell of ignorance with the gradually attained path of arahantship, and having flapped the wings of supernormal powers, it should be understood as the time of safely realizing all the qualities of a Buddha. "I am, O brahmin, the eldest, the foremost in the world." So I, O brahmin, just as among those chicks, the chick that first breaks the eggshell and emerges is the eldest; similarly, among beings immersed in ignorance, having broken that eggshell of ignorance, having been born first by the noble birth, I am reckoned as the eldest, the most senior. And by being unequalled in all qualities, I am the foremost. Thus, the Blessed One, having declared his unsurpassed status as eldest and foremost to the brahmin, now, in order to show the path by which he attained that, from the beginning of the preliminary stage, says, "Indeed, O brahmin, I have aroused..." and so on. Or, having heard this unsurpassed status of the Blessed One as eldest and foremost, this thought arose in the brahmin's mind: "By what path, indeed, did he attain this?" Knowing his thought, he said, "By this path I..."