English
Thus, having recited the text comprising three sections, adorned with thirty-four suttas, and amounting to sixty-four recitations, they said, "This is called the Dīgha Nikāya," and entrusted it to the Venerable Ānanda Thera, saying, "Friend, this “Teach this to your disciples.” Thereupon, they chanted the Majjhima Nikāya, eighty recitations in length, and entrusted it to the disciples of the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, saying, “You are to preserve this.” After that, they chanted the Saṃyutta Nikāya, one hundred recitations in length, and entrusted it to the Elder Mahākassapa, saying, “Venerable sir, teach this to your disciples.” After that, they chanted the Aṅguttara Nikāya, one thousand two hundred recitations in length, and entrusted it to the Elder Anuruddha, saying, “Teach this to your disciples.” After that— “Dhammasaṅgaṇī, Vibhaṅga, Kathāvatthu, and Puggalapaññatti; Dhātukathā, Yamaka, Paṭṭhāna— these are called Abhidhamma.” Having thus chanted this text, which is described as being within the scope of subtle knowledge, and saying, “This is called the Abhidhamma Piṭaka,” five hundred Arahants recited it together. In the manner described, an earthquake occurred. After that, having chanted this text: Jātaka, Mahāniddesa, Paṭisambhidāmagga, Apadāna, Suttanipāta, Khuddakapāṭha, Dhammapada, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Vimānavatthu, Petavatthu, Theragāthā, Therīgāthā, and saying, “This is called the Minor Collection,” they included it in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka— so say the Dīgha-bhāṇakas. The Majjhima-bhāṇakas, however, say, “All that Minor Collection, together with the Cariyāpiṭaka and Buddhavaṃsa, is included in the Suttanta Piṭaka.” The intention here is this: It is appropriate to include the Jātaka and so forth, which are included in the Khuddaka Nikāya and are mostly expositions of Dhamma, in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, and not in the Suttanta Piṭaka, which is of the nature of the Dīgha Nikāya and so forth, nor in the Vinaya Piṭaka, which is of the nature of prescribing rules. The Dīgha-bhāṇakas say, “The Jātaka and so forth are included in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka.” The non-inclusion of the Cariyāpiṭaka and Buddhavaṃsa here is because they are of the nature of Jātaka. The Majjhima-bhāṇakas, however, say that the Jātaka and so forth, which were taught in connection with their origin, are in accordance with because of the nature of the teaching, it is appropriate to include it in such a Suttanta Piṭaka, but not in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, which describes the nature of phenomena as a teaching of reality. Thus, they say that Jātakas and the like are included in the Suttas. What is appropriate there should be considered and accepted. Since the Khuddaka Nikāya is not as well-known as the other Nikāyas, to make it known by setting it apart from the others, he says, "Therein, the Khuddaka Nikāya is named," and so on. "Therein" refers to those Nikāyas. "Therein" refers to the Khuddaka Nikāya. Having thus shown the First Great Council by way of its signs, purpose, time, place, agents, and methods, now, to show the various kinds of skill in the Dhamma and Vinaya established therein, and to show them in one-fold and other divisions, he says, "All this," and so on. Therein, regarding "supreme perfect enlightenment," the path-knowledge, which is the basis for the unobstructed knowledge, and the unobstructed knowledge, which is the basis for the path-knowledge, are called "perfect enlightenment." "By one who reviews," he says, referring to the Dhamma that arose in the manner of Udāna and so on. "The taste of liberation" means the enjoyment of the fruit of Arahantship, or the attainment of liberation, because it produces the supreme fruit, or the function of liberation, because it brings about the complete liberation from defilements. Although all the Buddha's words, without distinction, are Vinaya by disciplining defilements, and Dhamma by protecting from falling into states of woe and so on for one who practices as instructed, yet, to define the Dhamma and Vinaya intended here, he says, "Therein, the Vinaya Piṭaka," and so on. Because of the abundance of teachings on the nature of phenomena by way of aggregates and so on, he says, "The rest of the Buddha's word is Dhamma." Or, although the Dhamma itself is Vinaya by way of Pariyatti and so on, nevertheless, the word "Dhamma" used in conjunction with the word "Vinaya" in an appositional sense, indicates a tradition different from the Vinaya tradition, just as in "the accumulation of merit and knowledge," "ox and bull," and so on. "Through many births in saṃsāra"— this verse was uttered by the Blessed One when reviewing his attainment of Arahantship, which is the basis of his omniscience, as the nineteenth review knowledge, endless was spoken. Therefore it is said, "This is the first Buddha-utterance." This is indeed an udāna (inspired utterance) not abandoned by any Buddhas. This is its brief meaning (Dhammapada Commentary 2.154): I, searching for the builder of this house of existence, the craving-carpenter, for the sake of that enlightenment-knowledge by which it is possible to see him, having made an aspiration at the feet of Dīpaṅkara, for such a long time, for countless births, for hundreds of thousands of births, for the cycle of transmigration, not having experienced, not experiencing, not finding, not obtaining that knowledge, I wandered, I transmigrated. Since birth, being mixed with old age, sickness, and death, is painful to approach again and again, and it does not cease as long as that (builder) is not seen, therefore, searching for him, I wandered, is the meaning. "You are seen," means now, by me, having penetrated omniscience, you are seen. "Again a house," means again you will not make, you will not build this house of mine, called existence. All your fetters, without remainder, have been broken by me. The peak of this house of existence built by you, the pinnacle called ignorance, has been dismantled, destroyed. "Gone to the unconditioned," means my mind has now entered, has gone to Nibbāna by making it its object, and I have attained, I have reached the path of arahantship, or the fruit of arahantship, which is the destruction of cravings, is the meaning. In the knotty passages, however, it is also said, "'Gone to the unconditioned' means the mind itself has attained, has reached the path of arahantship, or the fruit of arahantship, which is the destruction of cravings." This is the beginning of the dhammas that arise in the mind. "When indeed the dhammas become manifest" – this, they say, is the beginning of the dhammas that arise in speech. For the Blessed One spoke "countless births in transmigration" and so on, by way of internal reflection. Some, meaning the Khandhaka reciters. The meaning stated first is to be understood as the intention of the Dhammapada reciters. And here the Khandhaka reciters say, "Because the verses of the Dhammapada reciters were taught mentally, at that time, for the great multitude of people..." was not for their benefit, but because our verses were taught by breaking up the words, they were for the benefit of the devas and brahmas who heard them at that time. Therefore, this is the first Buddha-word.” However, the Dhammapada reciters say, “The benefit or non-benefit of the teaching to people is not the criterion; it is the first Buddha-word because it was taught by the Blessed One mentally.” Therefore, it should be understood that both are not contradictory to each other. But if “anekajātisaṃsāra” was taught mentally, then why is it said in the Dhammapada Commentary (Dhp.A. 2.153-154), “The Teacher, seated at the foot of the Bodhi tree, uttered this teaching of ‘anekajātisaṃsāra’ as an udāna, and later, when questioned by the Elder Ānanda, he spoke it”? Even there, the meaning should be taken as “uttered mentally.” Or if it is asked, “What is the reason for taking it as taught mentally?” If it had been taught by breaking up the words, it would have been included in the Udāna Pāḷi. Therefore, they say that its non-inclusion in the Udāna Pāḷi is the reason for its being taught mentally without breaking up the words. In “Yadā have pātubhavanti dhammā” (When things appear), the word “iti” (thus) has the meaning of “etc.” By this, it includes the three verses beginning with: “For the ardent, meditating brahmin, then all his doubts vanish. When he understands things with their cause.” But “udānagātha” (verse of udāna) is singular by gender, and it should be understood that it refers to the first verse only. What needs to be said here will become clear in the Khandhaka. “Pāṭipada-divase” (on the first day of the fortnight) should not be connected with “sabbaññubhāvappattassa” (of one who has attained omniscience), but should be connected with “paccavekkhantassa uppannā” (arisen for one who was reviewing). For the Blessed One attained omniscience in the early morning of the Visākha full moon day. “Somanassamayañāṇena” means with knowledge accompanied by joy. “Āmantayāmi” means I inform, the meaning is I make known. “Vayadhammā” (subject to decay) explains the characteristics of suffering and non-self of formations through the characteristic of impermanence. ‘‘What is impermanent, that is suffering; what is suffering, that is not-self’’ (S.N. 3.15) by this saying. It should be understood that by the method of revealing the three characteristics, showing insight focused on that, he proclaims the unique path to Nibbāna, which is the foundation of the Four Noble Truths meditation, unperverted, beyond the scope of all other teachers. Now, he enjoins them to right practice there, saying: ‘‘Accomplish with diligence.’’ Or, having briefly stirred them to emotion with ‘‘All conditioned things are subject to decay,’’ he briefly shows the entire right practice with ‘‘Accomplish with diligence.’’ For the word ‘‘diligence’’ encompasses the entire, complete teaching, comprising the three trainings.