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B020104Cūḷavagga aṭṭhakathā(minor chapter commentary)

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The meaning is that seeing him is difficult even for devas. 333. "Snake-belted" means having bound a snake to the waist. "Places on the lap" means on the lap. 334. "He honors" means he honors. "What you will do" means what he will do. The story of the six Sakyan ordinations is concluded. The story of the act of declaration and so forth. 336. In the phrase "of the spittle-eater," the requisites obtained by wrong livelihood are like spittle to be rejected by the noble ones, and because this one swallows such requisites, he was called "spittle-eater" by the Blessed One. 340. "With a stiff body" means with an unmoving body, like a puppet figure. 342. "Indeed, friend, we are known as royal relatives" means he said this exalting himself by the fact of being a royal relative, thinking, "the king knows us." "With ears and tail stiff" means having made them unmoving in the harness. "Indeed, O elephant, it is suffering to approach the Nāga" means, O elephant, approaching the Buddha-Nāga with a murderous mind is indeed suffering. "Of one who has slain the Nāga" means of one who slays the Buddha-Nāga. "He retreated backwards" means he retreated with his hind legs, still facing the Tathāgata. In the phrase "unlucky," it means "he does not discern," thus "ignorant"; the meaning is he does not know, he does not know "I am doing evil deeds." Or "it should not be discerned" means "unlucky"; the meaning is it should not be seen. 343. In the phrase "meal for three," it means food to be eaten by three people. "I will prescribe it" means I will permit it. But regarding a group meal, it should be done according to the Dhamma. The story of the request for five things was mentioned in the commentary on the Saṅghādisesa. "It is fitting" means a life-span. Brahma-merit is the highest merit. "For an eon in heaven" means for an eon of life. The story of the act of declaration, etc., is finished. The story of the schism of the Sangha 344. "Then Devadatta, having split the Sangha" means that he, having taken the voting sticks thus, performed a separate Uposatha there and went away. Therefore, this was said. 345. "My back is aching" means it hurts, overcome by pain from prolonged sitting. "I will stretch it" means I will extend it. The instruction called the miracle of mind-reading is a teaching of Dhamma suitable to the mind of another, having known it thus: "Such is your mind, and such is your mind." 346. "They imitate me" means doing an imitation of me. "Wretched" means suffering. "Of the great boar" means of the great elephant. "Tearing up the earth" means splitting the ground. "Eating the lotus root" means eating the lotus root. "Keeping watch in the rivers": Here, it is said because that elephant, having entered the pond named Nadi at evening time, being tired, spent the whole night, being vigilant. Therefore it is said "keeping watch in the rivers." 347. "Heard" means ears. "And he declares without doubt" means he declares, having become free from doubt, connecting and connecting by way of context. 350. "He will be reborn in a lower realm" means one destined for a lower realm. Likewise, one destined for hell. "He will remain for an eon" means one who remains for an eon. "Now he cannot be cured even by a thousand Buddhas" means incurable. "May no one ever in the world" means may no being ever in the world. "Arise" means be reborn. "He stood blazing with glory" means he stood as if blazing with glory. "I heard of Devadatta" means "Such is Devadatta" - there is also what was heard by the Blessed One, and taking that, this was said. "He practiced heedlessness": Here, "he practiced heedlessness" means he practiced heedlessness, the meaning is that heedlessness was not abandoned. "Having attacked, he perished" means having reached with an evil mind, or the meaning is having dried up. "He reached Avīci hell" - this is a past tense word used in the sense of a wish. "Terrible" means frightening. The story of the schism of the Sangha is finished. The story of Upāli's question 351. "Upāli, one of the two" means one who speaks Dhamma. One in the matter. Two on one side, two on the side of un-Dhamma speakers. The fourth proclaims: "I will break the Sangha!" Being the fourth un-Dhamma speaker, he proclaims. Persuading, he makes them hear: "Not only for you is there fear of hell, for us too there is. Not for us is the path to Avīci closed. We are not unskillful, we do not fear. If this were un-Dhamma, un-discipline, or not the Teacher's instruction, we would not accept it." In this way, by such a method, he teaches the eighteen divisive matters, saying "un-Dhamma is Dhamma" – this is the meaning. He makes them take the voting-stick. Having proclaimed thus, saying "Take this, approve this," he makes them take the voting-stick. Upāli, two are on one side, and so on, the method is the same. Thus, Upāli, there is a schism in the Sangha, and a breaking of the Sangha; it happens thus. But not by this alone is the Sangha broken. Upāli, a bhikkhu who is in a normal state, sharing the same dwelling, standing within the same boundary, breaks the Sangha. Here, it might be asked: "How was Devadatta in a normal state?" How was he not in a normal state, having caused the king to be killed, and having caused blood to flow? To that we say: First, because the command was thwarted, there was no causing the king to be killed. For his command was: "Then, prince, having killed your father, be king; I, having killed the Blessed One, will become a Buddha." But the prince, having become king, killed his father later. Thus, because the command was thwarted, there was no causing the king to be killed. But regarding the causing of blood to flow, merely by causing blood to flow, the Blessed One did not declare his unsuitability. And it is not possible to attribute unsuitability to him without the word of the Blessed One. "Monks, one who has caused blood to flow, if not yet ordained, should not be ordained; if ordained, should be expelled." But this was said by the Blessed One after the breaking of the Sangha. Therefore, it was by one in a normal state that the Sangha was broken. Among the eighteen divisive matters, such as "showing un-Dhamma as Dhamma," according to the Suttanta method, first, the ten wholesome courses of action... Indeed, the ten unwholesome courses of action are non-Dhamma. Likewise, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path— these thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment are called Dhamma. The three foundations of mindfulness, the three right exertions, the three bases of psychic power, the six faculties, the six powers, the eight factors of enlightenment, the ninefold path, and the four clingings, the five hindrances, the seven latent tendencies, the eight wrongnesses— these are non-Dhamma. Therein, taking any one part of non-Dhamma, [thinking] "We will make this non-Dhamma into Dhamma; thus, relying on our teacher's lineage, it will be conducive to liberation, and we shall become famous in the world"— by saying "this is Dhamma" about that non-Dhamma, they are indeed declaring non-Dhamma to be Dhamma. Just so, taking one of the parts of Dhamma and saying "this is non-Dhamma," they are indeed declaring Dhamma to be non-Dhamma. However, in the context of Vinaya, an action to be done according to one's admission, having been admonished and reminded by a factual matter, is called Dhamma; an action to be done without admission, without admonishing or reminding by an unfactual matter, is called non-Dhamma. In the context of Suttanta, the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion, restraint, abandonment, reflection— these are called Vinaya. The non-removal of lust, etc., non-restraint, non-abandonment, non-reflection— these are called non-Vinaya. In the context of Vinaya, completeness of the matter, completeness of the motion, completeness of the announcement, completeness of the boundary, completeness of the assembly— these are called Vinaya. Incompleteness of the matter... and so on... incompleteness of the assembly— these are called non-Vinaya. In the context of Suttanta, the four foundations of mindfulness... up to the Noble Eightfold Path— this was spoken and declared by the Tathāgata. The three foundations of mindfulness, the three right exertions, the three bases of psychic power, the six faculties, the six powers, the eight factors of enlightenment, the ninefold path— this was not spoken and not declared by the Tathāgata. In the context of Vinaya, the four pārājika offenses, the thirteen saṅghādisesa offenses, the two an... Thus far, thirty offenses of forfeiture and expiation— this was spoken, declared by the Tathāgata. Three pārājika offenses, fourteen saṅghādisesa offenses, three aniyata offenses, thirty-one offenses of forfeiture and expiation— this was not spoken, not declared by the Tathāgata. By way of the Suttanta method: daily entering the attainment of fruition, entering the attainment of great compassion, surveying the world with the Buddha-eye, teaching suttas according to the occasion, Jātaka stories— this is customary. Not daily entering the attainment of fruition... ...not Jātaka stories— this is not customary. By way of the Vinaya method: having stayed the Rains Retreat by invitation, departing after taking leave, departing after the Pavāraṇā, making the first friendly greeting with newcomers— this is customary. The non-doing of that very custom is called not customary. By way of the Suttanta method: the four foundations of mindfulness... ...the eight-fold path— this is called 'enjoined'. The three foundations of mindfulness... ...the nine-fold path— this is called 'not enjoined'. By way of the Vinaya method: the four pārājika offenses... ...the thirty offenses of forfeiture and expiation— this is called 'enjoined'.