English
When both are equal in virtue or immorality, matricide ripens as rebirth-linking; for the mother does what is difficult and is of great help to her children. Thus, here, the decision should be understood even in terms of what is manifest. 'Common and so on' means that the first four are common to all, both householders and renunciants. But schism in the Sangha occurs only to a bhikkhu of the type described, not to another, according to the saying, "Truly, Upāli, a bhikkhunī does not cause a schism in the Sangha, nor a female trainee, nor a novice monk, nor a novice nun, nor a male lay follower, nor a female lay follower causes a schism in the Sangha. It is a bhikkhu, Upāli, who is competent, living in communion, standing within the same boundary, who causes a schism in the Sangha"; therefore, it is uncommon. By 'and so on' are included all these as accompanied by painful feeling and associated with aversion and delusion. Thus, here, the decision should be understood even in terms of what is common and so on. 'Another teacher' means that even in a future existence, one might take another sectarian teacher as 'This is my teacher, capable of doing the work of a teacher' – such a situation does not exist, is the meaning. One would produce an eighth existence. Even the dullest of wisdom, passing the seventh existence, would generate an eighth – such a thing is not possible. For at the very highest limit, having the seventh existence in mind, he is said to be "assured, destined for enlightenment." But what assures it? Does the prior cause assure it, or the path attained, or the three higher paths? It is merely a name taken by the Fully Enlightened One. But there is no such thing as a person who is assured. For if it is said, "the prior cause assures it," then the support for the three higher paths is stated, and the absence of support for the first path would follow. Thus its arising would occur without cause or condition. If it is said, "the path attained assures it," then the three higher paths would be unnecessary, only the first path would be necessary, and by the first path alone, having destroyed the defilements, one should attain final Nibbāna. If it is said, "the three higher paths assure it," then the first path would be unnecessary, only the three higher paths would be necessary, and without generating the first path, the three higher paths should be generated, and without arising by the first path, the defilements should be destroyed. Therefore, no one else assures it, only the insight of the three higher paths assures it. For if their insight, being sharp and heroic, proceeds, having generated only one existence, having attained Arahantship, one attains final Nibbāna. Then one of duller wisdom, in the second or third, or fourth or fifth, or sixth existence, having attained Arahantship, attains final Nibbāna. One of dullest wisdom, having generated the seventh existence, attains Arahantship, in the eighth existence, there is no rebirth. Thus, it is merely a name taken by the Fully Enlightened One. For the Teacher, having weighed it on the Buddha-scale, having determined it with omniscient knowledge, "this person, of greatest wisdom, of sharp insight, having generated only one existence, will attain Arahantship," made the name "one-seed"; "this person, having generated the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth existence, will attain Arahantship..." He gave him the name "Kolankola," And since "this person, after being reborn seven times, will attain arahantship," He gave him the name "Sattakkhattuparama." But there is no such thing as a person destined for seven existences. For a noble disciple, even if of dull wisdom, Without reaching an eighth existence, Attains final Nibbana in between. Even one devoted to worldly affairs like Sakka Goes only to a seventh existence. Even if one lives in utter heedlessness in the seventh existence, The knowledge of insight comes to maturity. Even with a tiny object, disgusted, He attains Nibbana. Even if, in his seventh existence, while falling asleep, Or while turning away, Or while standing behind him, someone were to strike off his head with a sharp sword, Or drown him in water and kill him, Or lightning were to strike his head, Even in such a case, there is no death with rebirth, But having attained arahantship, he attains final Nibbana. Therefore it was said: "That he would be reborn in an eighth existence - Such a thing does not exist." "In one world-element" means in a ten-thousandfold world-element. For there are three fields: The field of birth, the field of authority, and the field of range. Therein, "the field of birth" means the ten-thousandfold world-element. For it trembles at the time of the Tathagata's descent into his mother's womb, At the time of his birth, At the time of his enlightenment, At the turning of the Wheel of the Dhamma, At the relinquishing of the life-span, And at his final Nibbana. But a hundred thousand million world-systems are called "the field of authority." For here the authority of the Aṭānāṭiya, the Mora Paritta, the Dhajagga Paritta, the Ratana Paritta, and others prevails. But there is no limit to "the field of range." For to the Buddhas, "as far as the knowledge, so far the knowable; as far as the knowable, so far the knowledge; the knowable is bounded by knowledge, the knowledge is bounded by the knowable," Therefore, there is nothing unknowable. But in these three fields, Except for this world-system, there is no sutta that Buddhas arise in another world-system, nor do they arise. exist. Three baskets – the Basket of Discipline, the Basket of Discourses, the Basket of Abhidhamma. Three councils – the council of the Elder Mahākassapa, the council of the Elder Yasa, the council of the Elder Moggaliputtatissa. In these three councils, with the entire Tipitaka of the Buddha's word established, there is no sutta saying that after this universe other Buddhas arise, but it does exist that they do not arise. "Unprecedented, un-last" means not before, not after; it is said that they do not arise at the same time, but arise before or after. Here, from the time of sitting at the Bodhi-seat, "I will not rise until I attain enlightenment," until the moment of conception in the mother's womb, it should not be understood as before. For at the conception of a Bodhisatta, the boundary of the birth-field is made by the quaking of ten thousand world-systems, the arising of another Buddha is prevented. And from the Parinibbana until even mustard-seed sized relics remain, it should not be understood as after. For while the relics remain, the Buddhas are considered to remain. Therefore, in this interval, the arising of another Buddha is prevented, but when the relics have completely vanished, the arising of another Buddha is not prevented. There are three disappearances – the disappearance of learning, the disappearance of attainment, the disappearance of practice. Here, "learning" means the three baskets; "attainment" means the attainment of the truths; "practice" means the path. Here, attainment and practice both exist and do not exist. For at one time, there are many monks who attain; one would have to point a finger and show, "This monk is an ordinary person." It is said that at one time on this island, there was no such thing as an ordinary monk. Those who fulfill the practice are also sometimes many, sometimes few. Thus, attainment and practice both exist and do not exist. But for the duration of the Teaching, learning alone is the measure. For a wise person, having heard the Tipitaka, fulfills both. Just as our Bodhisatta Having developed the five superknowledges and the seven attainments in the presence of Āḷāra, he inquired about the preliminary practice for the attainment of the realm of neither perception nor non-perception. He said, "I do not know." Then, going to Udaka, after comparing what he had attained, he inquired about the preliminary practice for the realm of neither perception nor non-perception. He explained it. Immediately after his words, the Great Being attained it. Just so, a wise bhikkhu, having heard the Teaching, fulfills both. Therefore, when the Teaching is established, the Dispensation is established. But when that disappears, first the Abhidhamma Piṭaka vanishes. There, the Paṭṭhāna disappears first of all. Gradually afterwards, the Dhammasaṅgaṇī. When that has disappeared, even with the other two Piṭakas remaining, the Dispensation is still established. There, when the Suttanta Piṭaka is disappearing, first the Aṅguttara Nikāya, from the elevenfold onwards, disappears down to the onefold. After that, the Saṃyutta Nikāya, from the Cakkapeyyāla onwards, disappears down to the Crossing of the Flood. After that, the Majjhima Nikāya, from the Development of the Faculties onwards, disappears down to the Root Discourse. After that, the Dīgha Nikāya, from the Dasuttara onwards, disappears down to the Brahmajāla. Even a question of one or two verses goes on the road; it is not able to maintain the Dispensation, like the questions of Sabiya or like the questions of Āḷavaka. These, it is said, in the time of Kassapa Buddha, were not able to maintain the Dispensation in the interim. But even when two Piṭakas have disappeared, if the Vinaya Piṭaka remains, the Dispensation stands. When the Parivāra and Khandhakas have disappeared, it still stands if the Ubhatovibhaṅga remains. When the Ubhatovibhaṅga has disappeared, it still stands even if the Mātikā remains. When the Mātikā has disappeared, the Dispensation stands if the Pātimokkha, ordination, and higher ordination remain. The emblem goes on the road. But the lineage of white-clothed ascetics, from the time of Kassapa Buddha onwards... He was not able to maintain the seat. But from the decline of the last one, from the breaking of the last one's precepts, the dispensation is said to recede. From then on,