English
" In "Dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca," "Dhamma" means that which sustains one who practices as instructed on the attained path and realized Nibbāna, preventing them from falling into the four lower realms; that Dhamma is, in essence, the Noble Eightfold Path and Nibbāna. For it has been said: "As far as there are conditioned phenomena, monks, the Noble Eightfold Path is declared to be the foremost among them" (A. IV, 34), and so on. And not only the Noble Path and Nibbāna, but also the Pariyatti Dhamma (the scriptural Dhamma) along with the Noble Fruits. This has also been said in the Chattamāṇavavimāna: "Come for refuge to this Dhamma, which is dispassion from lust, unmoving, sorrowless, unconditioned, not repulsive, sweet, well-prepared, well-divided." (Vv. 887); Here, "rāgavirāgo" refers to the Path. "Anejamasokaṃ" refers to the Fruit. "Dhammamasaṅkhataṃ" refers to Nibbāna. "Appaṭikūlaṃ madhuramimaṃ paguṇaṃ suvibhattaṃ" refers to the division by the three Piṭakas. The self is the aggregate of all phenomena. The Sangha is that which is united by the aggregation of views and morality; in essence, it is the assembly of the eight noble persons. This has been said in that very Vimāna: "Where they say great fruit is given, to the four pure pairs of persons; These are the eight individuals, the ten qualities, take refuge in this Sangha." (Vi. Va. 888) The Sangha of bhikkhus is the Bhikkhu-Sangha. Thus far, the brahmin declared the three refuges. The discourse on the expression of faith is concluded. Discourse on Taking Refuge Now, for skill in these very three refuges, the refuge, the taking of refuge, who takes refuge, the classifications of taking refuge, the fruit of taking refuge, defilement, and breaking— this method should be known. But if it were stated here, it would make the Vinaya foundation too heavy, so it is not stated. Those who are interested should take it from the description of refuge in the Papañcasūdanī, the Majjhima Commentary, in the explanation of the Bhayabherava Sutta (Ma. Ni. Aṭṭha. 1.56), or in the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, the Dīgha Nikāya Commentary (Dī. Ni. Aṭṭha. 1.250). The discourse on taking refuge is concluded. Discourse on the Declaration of Lay Followership "Let the venerable Gotama remember me as a lay follower" means, "Let the venerable Gotama remember me as 'this one is a lay follower'." For skill in the definition of a lay follower, here it should be known: who is a lay follower, why is he called a lay follower, what is his morality, what is his livelihood, what is his failure, what is his success? This miscellaneous information should be known. Because it would make it too heavy, it is not explained here. Those who are interested should know it in the same way as stated in the Papañcasūdanī, the Majjhima Commentary (Ma. Ni. Aṭṭha. 1.56). In "Ajjatagge" (from today onwards), this word "agga" is seen in the sense of beginning, part, and best. For example, in "Ajjatagge, samma dovārika, āvarāmi dvāraṃ nigaṇṭhānaṃ nigaṇṭhīnaṃ" (Ma. Ni. 2.70) and so on, it is seen in the sense of beginning. In "Teneva aṅgulaggena taṃ aṅgulaggaṃ parāmaseyya" (Kathā. 441), "ucchaggaṃ veḷaggaṃ" and so on, it is seen in the sense of tip. "Ambilaggaṃ vā" sweet-tipped or bitter-tipped (S.N. 5.374) I allow, monks, to divide by the tip of the monastery or the tip of the precinct (Cv. 318) in portions. As far as, monks, beings, whether footless or two-footed... the Tathāgata is declared to be the foremost among them (A.N. 4.34) in the sense of best. Here, however, this should be seen as the beginning. Therefore, "from today onwards" means "making today the beginning." Thus, the meaning here should be understood. "Ajjataṃ" means "today's state," it is said. Or the reading is "ajjadagge" itself, the 'd' sound is a sandhi-maker, it means "making today the beginning," it is said. "Pāṇupetaṃ" means "endowed with life," "as long as my life continues, may the venerable Gotama hold me, know me, who has gone for refuge with the three refuges, having no other teacher." "For even if they were to cut off my head with a sharp sword, I would never say of the Buddha, 'He is not the Buddha,' or of the Dhamma, 'It is not the Dhamma,' or of the Saṅgha, 'It is not the Saṅgha.'" And here, the brahmin, by saying "gone for refuge endowed with life" again speaks of going for refuge, which should be understood as declaring his self-surrender. Having thus surrendered himself, desiring to attend upon the Blessed One with his retinue, he said: "May the venerable Gotama consent to spend the rainy season in Verañjā together with the community of monks." What is meant? "May the venerable Gotama hold me as a lay follower, and may he consent to spend the rainy season in Verañjā for me, may he accept to reside for three months near Verañjā for my benefit." "The Blessed One consented by remaining silent." That is, having heard his words, the Blessed One, without moving any part of his body or speech, cultivated patience within himself and consented by remaining silent; it is said that he accepted mentally for the brahmin's benefit. "Then the brahmin Verañja, having understood the Blessed One's consent." Then the brahmin Verañja thought: "If the recluse Gotama had not consented, he would have rejected me by body or by speech." But since he did not reject me, but within He held patience, Therefore he assented to me with his mind. Thus, knowing the Blessed One's assent Through his skill in discerning signs, Rising from his own seat, Having respectfully saluted the Blessed One In the four directions, And having circumambulated him three times, Though he had been criticized For not performing salutations To Brahmins old by birth Since his arrival, Now, having understood the Buddha's qualities, Even though he had saluted him many times With body, speech, and mind, He was not yet satisfied. Raising his shining clasped hands, With ten nails joined, And placing them on his head, He departed, facing him As long as he was within sight. And having saluted him At the point where he left his sight, He departed. The discourse on the declaration of being a lay follower is finished. Discourse on the Famine 16. Now, at that time, Veranjā was suffering from a famine. At the time when the Blessed One was requested By the Veranjā Brahmin To reside for the rainy season near Veranjā, At that time, Veranjā was suffering from a famine. "Famine" means scarce alms. And that scarcity of alms occurs Even in good harvest times, Even with abundant early and late crops, Where people are faithless and displeased. But in Veranjā, it was not like that, But rather it was due to a poor harvest, A defect of starvation. Therefore, to show that meaning, It says "dvīhitikā" and so on. There, "dvīhitikā" means "Having two kinds of striving." "Striving" (īhita) means activity, Which occurs in two ways: Mental activity, mental striving. "Shall we get anything here while begging, Or shall we not get anything?" "Shall we be able to live, or not?" This is the meaning here. Or, "dvīhitikā" means "difficult to live." The words "īhita," "īhā," "iriyana" (moving), "Pavattana" (continuing), "jīvita" (life), etc., Have the same meaning. Therefore, the meaning of the word "dvīhitikā" here is That "striving occurs with difficulty." "Setaṭṭhikā" means "having white bones here." With the bones of poor people Who died after begging all day And getting nothing, Bones like white parasols, Here and there... is said to be surrounded. "Setaṭṭikā" is also a reading. Its meaning is: "Setaṭṭikā" means where the bone is white. "Aṭṭi" means distress, sickness, disease. And there, at the time of the grains' conception, afflicted by a white disease, the milk cut off, the rice grains not formed, a pale, pale head of rice, or a head of barley or wheat, emerges. Therefore, it is called "setaṭṭikā." Even if sown well at the time of planting, the planted grain there becomes only a stalk, thus "salākāvuttā" (stalk-sown). Or, they sustain their lives there by means of a tally stick, thus "salākāvuttā" (tally-sown). What is meant by this? It is said that when buyers go to the grain sellers, stronger people overpower the weaker ones and buy the grain and leave. The weaker people, not getting any, make a great noise. The grain sellers, saying, "We will help everyone," seated a grain measurer at the place of grain distribution and seated an inspector on one side. Those seeking grain go to the inspector. He takes the payment in order of arrival, writes a tally stick saying, "So-and-so is to be given so much," and gives it. They take it, go to the grain measurer, and receive the grain in the order it was given. Thus, they sustain their lives there by means of a tally stick, thus "salākāvuttā." "It is not easy to live by gleaning and gathering" means it is not easy to live by the gleaning that is gathered. It is said that it is not easy to live by the gleaning which the noble ones do, taking their bowls, going on alms-round. At that time, it is said, even after wandering for alms in seven or eight villages, they could not obtain enough for even one day's sustenance. Now at that time, horse traders from the Northern Country... ...the Blessed One heard the sound of the mortar. "At that time" means at the time when the Blessed One had taken up residence for the rainy season near Verañjā. The horse traders, residents of the Northern Country, or so called because they came from the Northern Country, horses of the Northern Country... Taking five hundred horses at the place of trade, desiring double, triple profit, they went to another country. With those five hundred horses, which were their merchandise, they arrived at Verañjā for the rainy season retreat. Why? Because it is not possible to travel the road for the four months of the rainy season in that country. Upon arriving, outside the city, in a place not overwhelmed by water, they had their own dwellings and stables for the horses built,