English
I will attain the power of insight. In the passage, "There my hermitage was well-built, a leaf hut well-constructed," it is said that the hermitage, leaf hut, and promenade were built by Sumedha Pandita's own hands. The meaning here is this: the Great Being, "approached the Himalayas." "Having taken the robe, today I will enter Dhammika Mountain," seeing him depart, Sakka, the king of gods, addressed Vissakamma, the divine son: "Go, my dear, this Sumedha the wise, having departed 'I will renounce,' make a dwelling place for him." He, accepting his word, built a delightful hermitage, well-guarded, a leaf hut, and a charming promenade. The Blessed One, then, referring to that hermitage established by the power of his own merit, said to Sariputta, "On that Dhammika Mountain – A hermitage was made for me, a leaf hut well-built; A promenade there I made, free from the five faults." He spoke. There, "a hermitage was made for me" means made by me. "A leaf hut well-built" means even the leaf-covered hut was well-built for me. "Free from the five faults" means these five faults of a promenade: roughness and unevenness, trees inside, dense covering, excessive narrowness, and excessive width. Indeed, on a promenade with rough and uneven ground, the feet of one walking are injured, blisters arise, the mind does not attain concentration, and the meditation subject is ruined. But on soft, even ground, having come to a comfortable dwelling, the meditation subject is accomplished. Therefore, roughness and unevenness of the ground should be understood as one fault. If there is a tree inside, in the middle, or at the edge of the promenade, one walking carelessly might strike their forehead or head, so trees inside are the second fault. On a promenade densely covered with grass and creepers, one walking in the darkness might step on and kill a snake or other creature, or, bitten by them, might suffer pain, so dense covering is the third fault. On an excessively narrow promenade, one walking with a width of one or half a cubit might slip on the edge and break a nail or a finger, so excessive narrowness is the fourth fault. On an excessively wide promenade, the mind of one walking wanders, and concentration is not attained, so excessive width is the fifth fault. But in width, one and a half cubits is He had a jeweled promenade made there, sixty cubits long, with a soft surface, and evenly scattered sand. A promenade like the one at Cetiyagiri, where the Elder Mahinda, the illuminator of the island, used to walk. It was just like that. Therefore he said, "I had a promenade made there, free from the five faults." Endowed with eight qualities means endowed with the eight monastic joys. These are the eight monastic joys: absence of wealth, grain, and possessions; having blameless alms-seeking; enjoying alms that are purified; absence of the suffering of oppressing the kingdom, when royal families oppress the kingdom, taking the essence of wealth, or copper coins, etc.; absence of desire for possessions; fearlessness from thieves; not associating with kings and great ministers; and unobstructedness in the four directions. This means, "Just as one dwelling in that hermitage is able to find these eight monastic joys, so I had that hermitage made, endowed with eight qualities." I brought forth the power of higher knowledge means afterwards, dwelling in that hermitage, having done the preliminary work on the kasina, for the purpose of producing higher knowledge and attainments, having begun insight into impermanence and suffering, I brought forth the power of insight that had attained strength. Just as I am able to bring forth that power while dwelling there, so I had that hermitage made suitable for that higher knowledge, for the power of insight, is the meaning. There I discarded the cloth, having attained nine qualities, here is the connected story. At that time, having had a delightful hermitage made, adorned with cave dwellings and promenades, covered with trees bearing flowers and fruits, with sweet water, free from the fear of wild beasts and birds, suitable for seclusion, having arranged a support plank at both ends of the adorned promenade, having had a level stone the color of mung beans made in the middle of the promenade for sitting, and in the inner leaf-hut having placed the ascetic's requisites such as matted hair, bark garments, a staff, and a water pot, and in the pavilion, water jars, water pitchers, and water bowls. In the fire hall, charcoal, sprout wood, and so on, whatever contributes to the benefit of renunciants, having had all that made, and on the wall of the leaf hut, having carved the letters, "Whoever wishes to renounce, let them take these requisites and renounce," and having gone to the world of the gods, the son of Vissakamma, the wise Sumedha, along the foothills of the Himalayas, following the mountain caves, looking for a suitable place for his dwelling, at a bend in the river, saw the beautiful hermitage built by Vissakamma, given by Sakka, and going to the edge of the walking path, not seeing the footprints, thinking, "Surely, the renunciants, having gone to the village for alms, tired, have come and entered the leaf hut and are sitting," waiting a little, "It is too long, I will find out," opening the door of the leaf hut, entering inside, looking here and there, reading the letters on the great wall, "These are the requisites suitable for me, I will renounce taking these," he abandoned the pair of cloths he was wearing. Therefore, he said, "I abandoned the cloth there." Thus, having entered, Sāriputta, I abandoned the cloth in that leaf hut. "Having approached nine faults," means he abandoned the cloth, seeing nine faults. For those who have taken the ascetic life, nine faults arise in connection with cloth. Among them, its high price is one fault, the possibility of arising due to dependence on others is one, the possibility of quickly becoming soiled through use is one, for when it is soiled, it must be washed and dyed, the possibility of quickly wearing out through use is one, for when it is worn out, it must be sewn or reinforced. The difficulty of obtaining it again is one, its unsuitability for the ascetic life is one, its commonness to opponents is one, for just as opponents do not respect it, so it must be guarded. Its being a place of adornment while using it is one, its being a great burden to carry around is one. Bark cloth. When they dressed me, Sāriputta, seeing these nine faults, I abandoned the cloth robe, and donned bark garments. They take muñja grass, make it into strips, tie it together, and use the bark garment for lower and upper robes. Endowed with twelve qualities: possessed of twelve advantages. For in bark garments are twelve advantages: Of little value, beautiful, allowable, this is the first advantage. Easy to make with one's own hands, this is the second. Quickly soiled by use, but no fuss when washing, this is the third. Even when worn out, no need to sew, this is the fourth. Easy to make again when seeking anew, this is the fifth. Suitable for ascetic life, this is the sixth. Unusable by enemies, this is the seventh. No place for adornment when wearing it, this is the eighth. Light to carry, this is the ninth. Content with little in robes, this is the tenth. Lawful and blameless in its origin, this is the eleventh. Even when the bark garment is lost, no attachment, this is the twelfth. Full of eight faults, I abandoned the leaf hut. How did I abandon it? As he took off the excellent pair of cloths, taking the red bark garment hanging on the robe rack, like a garland of anoja flowers, he put it on. Then over it he wore another bark garment, golden in color. Making a deer hide with sharp fur, like a bed of punnāga flowers, over one shoulder, fastening a crown of matted hair, inserting a pin of hard wood to make it steady with the topknot, placing a water pot the color of coral in a net like a pearl web, taking a bent twig in three places, hanging the water pot on one end of the twig, and on the other, a staff for scratching with a hook, carrying a shoulder bag on his shoulder, taking a knife handle in his right hand, going out of the leaf hut, walking back and forth on the sixty-cubit great cloister, looking at his own appearance, "My wish has reached its peak! How fitting is my renunciation, like all the Buddhas and Pacceka Buddhas!" This going forth is praised, lauded by the wise, I have abandoned the bonds of household life, I have gone forth into renunciation, I have attained the supreme going forth, I will practice the ascetic's duty, I will attain the bliss of the highest fruit. Thus inspired, having put down the alms bowl, Seated like a golden statue On the Muggavaṇṇa stone slab In the middle of the cloister walk, He spent the day, And at eventide, Entering his leaf hut, Lying down on the bamboo cot Beside the wooden headrest, Having refreshed his body, He awoke at dawn And reflected on his coming forth: "Having seen the danger in household life, Having abandoned immeasurable wealth, endless fame, I have entered the forest, Seeking renunciation, I have gone forth. From this day forth, it is not fitting To live a life of heedlessness. For the flies of wrong thinking devour One who wanders abandoning solitude. Now it is fitting for me to cultivate solitude. For I have gone forth seeing household life as a fetter. And this leaf hut is pleasing, The ground prepared like a ripe bel fruit, The white walls like silver, The roof of leaves the color of a pigeon's foot, The bamboo cot with its variegated covering, A comfortable dwelling place. Indeed, no greater wealth of a house Appears to me." Finding fault with the leaf hut, He saw eight faults. For in the use of a leaf hut, there are eight dangers: The need to gather materials, Collecting various things with great effort, The search for tools, this is one danger.