English
that would indeed be good for me." "He speaks, he makes known" means, he speaks, making a distinction of words by these or other expressions, and he makes known, he informs, to whom he speaks. "Even so" means, the particle "pi" is for summarizing the above meaning. Even so, revelation of weakness And there is action, and the training is not renounced, or otherwise. Now, showing that other kind of manifestation of weakness and the non-renunciation of the training, he said, "or again..." and so on. All of that is clear in meaning. As for the words here, from the beginning onwards, "I would renounce the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, the training, the discipline, the Pātimokkha, the recitation, the preceptor, the teacher, the co-resident, the pupil, one with the same preceptor, one with the same teacher, the fellow celibate," these fourteen terms are stated in the manner of renunciation. "He might be a householder," and so on, "He might be a householder, a lay follower, an attendant, a novice, a sectarian, a sectarian's disciple, a non-ascetic, a non-Sakyan son," these eight terms are stated by "might be" in the manner of a conditional state. Thus, connected with "what if I were to..." are twenty-two terms. 46. And just as these are, so also, connected with each of these: "if I were to," "I would," "come now I will," "it is for me," are twenty-two (terms), so all together there are one hundred and ten terms. 47. After that, proceeding in the manner of showing things to be remembered, "I remember my mother," and so on, are seventeen terms. There, "field" means a rice field and so on. "Thing" means a place where grass, leaves, vegetables, fruits, and various fruits grow. "Craft" means the craft of a potter, weaver, and so on. 48. After that, proceeding in the manner of showing the state of having possessions and impediments, "I have a mother, she must be supported by me," and so on, are nine terms. 49. After that, proceeding in the manner of showing the state of having support and reliance, "I have a mother, she will support me," and so on, are sixteen terms. 50. After that, proceeding in the manner of showing the difficulty of eating once a day, sleeping alone, and celibacy, "difficult," and so on, are eight terms. There, "difficult" shows the difficulty in doing things like eating once a day. "Not easy" denies the state of being easy. Similarly, "hard to practice" and "not easy to practice" here. "I am not able to," there... Then it shows the lack of energy, the inability. "I cannot endure," thus it shows unendurability. "I do not delight," thus it shows the absence of delight. "I do not rejoice," thus it shows the absence of rejoicing. Thus, these fifty and the previous one hundred and ten, making one hundred and sixty words, are said in the section on declaring weakness, so it should be understood. 51. Even in the section on renouncing the training, "And how, monks?" and so on, all is clear in meaning. But here, as to the words: "I renounce the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, the training, the discipline, the Pātimokkha, the instruction, the preceptor, the teacher, the co-resident pupil, the resident pupil, the co-preceptor, the co-teacher, the co-celibate, I renounce," these fourteen words are spoken in connection with the statement of renouncing the training. And in all these words, the meaning of the statement "speaks and makes known" is this: he speaks making a verbal distinction, and to whom he speaks, him, by that very verbal distinction, he makes known, makes hear, makes understand: "This one desires to abandon the Dispensation, desires to be freed from the Dispensation, desires to give up the state of a monk, makes this verbal distinction." But if this one, desiring to say "I renounce the Buddha," should say "I renounce the Buddha" by inverting the words. Or should say that meaning in barbarian languages or in any other language. Or desiring to say "I renounce the Buddha," should say "I renounce the Dhamma" or "I renounce the co-celibate" in inverted order, just as in the analysis of superhuman states, desiring to say "I attain the first jhāna," one says "the second jhāna." If the one to whom he speaks knows even this much: "This one desires to give up the state of a monk, says this meaning," then there is no mistake; it has entered the field, the training is indeed renounced. Like a being fallen from the state of a Sakka or a Brahmā, he is indeed fallen from the Dispensation. But if "I renounced the Buddha" or "I will renounce the Buddha" or "I renoun..." "I renounce" he says with words of past and future intention, or he sends a messenger, or he dispatches a message, or he cuts a letter, or he makes known that meaning with a hand gesture, the training is not renounced. But the declaration of a superior human state reaches its head even with a hand gesture. The renunciation of training reaches its head only when making a verbal utterance connected with the mind in the presence of a human being. And even if, having made a verbal utterance, he makes it known, if he makes it known designating one person, "May this one alone know," and that one alone knows it, the training is renounced. If that one does not know, but another standing nearby knows, the training is not renounced. If, in a place where two are standing, he designates both and says, "I make it known to these," even if one of them knows, or if both know, the training is renounced. Thus it should be understood for many people as well. But if, afflicted by discontent, fearing his fellow monks, making a loud sound, "May anyone know," he says, "I renounce the Buddha," and a novice worker or another person who understands the time, standing not far off, hears it and knows, "This monk is weary, he desires the lay state, he has fallen from the Dispensation," the training is renounced. But it is difficult to know it at that very moment, not before, not after. If he knows at the moment of attention, just as people in the world naturally know by hearing a statement, the training is renounced. If afterwards, doubting, "What did he say?" he knows after a long time, the training is not renounced. For this renunciation of training and the precepts concerning the declaration of an untrue superior human state, and the declaration of a fault out of desire for oneself, and the declaration of a fault out of ill-will, are of one section. They reach their head only when known at the moment of attention; they do not reach their head when known after a long time, while doubting, "What is he saying?" And just as this has been explained in the determination of the phrase "I renounce the Buddha," so it should be understood for all phrases. And since, when the training is renounced, then, even by saying such things as, "What if I renounce the Buddha?", weakness is indeed revealed. Therefore, at the end of all terms, it is said: "Even so, monks, it is both a revelation of weakness and a renunciation of the training." Furthermore, concerning "Hold me as a layman," even if one says "I will be a layman" or "I am a layman" or "I have become a layman" or "I am a layman," the training is not renounced. But if one says "From today, hold me as a layman" or "Know me" or "Recognize me" or "Bear in mind," whether one speaks in a noble language or in a barbarian language; when this meaning is expressed, if the one to whom it is spoken understands, the training is renounced. This method applies to the remaining seven terms such as "lay follower." Thus, these eight and the previous fourteen make twenty-two terms. 52. Furthermore, the previous fourteen terms, when combined with these four: "Enough for me," "What is it to me?", "No purpose for me," "I am well freed," become fifty-six terms. There, "alaṃ" means "let it be," "enough." "Kiṃnu me" means "What is my business?", "What is to be done?", "What is to be accomplished?" "Na mamattho" means "There is no purpose for me." "Sumuttāhaṃ" means "I am well freed." The rest here is in the manner already stated. Thus, these fifty-six and the previous twenty-two make seventy-eight terms stated in their own form. 53. But since renunciation of the training also occurs through their synonyms, therefore it is said, "or any other [terms]," and so on. There, "or any other [terms]" refers to those other terms that exist in the Pāli, apart from the terms like "Buddha" that have been mentioned. "Or synonyms of the Buddha" means alternative names for the Buddha... or for the Sakyan son. There, the thousand names found in the Vaṇṇapaṭṭhāna, the hundred names in the Upāligāthās (MN 2.76), and other names derived from qualities, should be understood as "synonyms of the Buddha." All names of the Dhamma, Dhamma... should be understood as non-synonyms. This method applies everywhere. Herein is the application – Renouncing the Buddha is not a renunciation by synonym, but as it is stated. "I renounce the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, the one of infinite wisdom, the one of peerless wisdom, the one with the wisdom of enlightenment, the steadfast one, the one free from delusion, the one who has broken the stakes, the one who has conquered the conquerable, I renounce him," thus is the renunciation of the training by such synonyms of the Buddha. Renouncing the Dhamma is not a renunciation by synonym, but as it is stated. "I renounce the well-proclaimed Dhamma, the visible here and now, the timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be personally experienced by the wise, I renounce the Dhamma. I renounce the unconditioned Dhamma; dispassion, cessation, the deathless Dhamma, I renounce it. I renounce the Dīgha Nikāya, the Brahmajāla, the Majjhima Nikāya, the Mūlapariyāya, the Saṃyutta Nikāya, the Crossing of the Flood, the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Seizure of the Mind, the Khuddaka Nikāya, the Jātaka, the Abhidhamma, the wholesome Dhamma, the unwholesome Dhamma, the indeterminate Dhamma, mindfulness, right exertions,