English
in this Jambudīpa, this is the succession, the tradition, the order of teachers. Among "Upāli, Dāsaka," and so on, Venerable Upāli is well-known. But Venerable Dāsaka and others should be understood thus: Indeed, in Vesālī, there was a Brahmin youth named Dāsaka, who, being the chief pupil of three hundred pupils, learned a craft from his teacher... While learning, at twelve years old, he became a master of the three Vedas. One day, surrounded by his pupils, after reciting the Dhamma and Vinaya, he approached the Venerable Upāli Thera, who was residing in the Vālikārāma. He asked the Thera about all the difficult points in his Vedas. The Thera, having explained everything, himself asked a question, referring to his name, he asked this question: “One Dhamma, young man, pervades all dhammas; all dhammas, young man, converge in one Dhamma. What, then, young man, is that Dhamma?” That young man, not knowing the meaning of the question, said, “What is this, sirs, renunciants?” “This is the Buddha’s mantra, young man.” “Is it possible, sirs, for me also to receive it?” “It is possible, young man, for one who takes up the renunciation we have taken.” “It is good, sirs, renunciants,” the young man agreed. Having obtained permission from his mother, father, and teacher, he renounced with three hundred pupils under the Thera. Having attained full twenty years, he received the higher ordination and attained arahantship. The Thera, making him the leader, taught the Three Piṭakas to a thousand arahants. Soṇaka, however, was a disciple of Dāsaka Thera. He, it is said, was the son of a merchant in Kāsī. At fifteen years old, he once went with his parents to Giribbaja for trade. From there, with fifty-five boys, he went to Veḷuvana. There, seeing Dāsaka Thera with his retinue, he was greatly pleased. He asked for renunciation. The Thera, having obtained permission from his parents, said, “Renounce!” He went to his parents and told them the matter. When they were unwilling, he cut off his food. Having obtained permission from his parents, he renounced with fifty-five boys under the Thera. Having received higher ordination, he attained arahantship. The Thera taught him the entire word of the Buddha. He also became a leader of a group and taught the Dhamma and Vinaya to many. Siggava Thera, however, He was a co-resident of Thera Soṇaka. It is said that he, named Siggava, was a minister's son in Pāṭaliputta, experiencing prosperity in three palaces suitable for the three seasons. One day, with his friend, the merchant's son Caṇḍavajjī, and his retinue, he went to Kukkuṭārāma. There, seeing Thera Soṇaka seated, having entered the attainment of cessation, he bowed to him. Realizing that the Thera did not speak with him, he went and asked the assembly of monks the reason. The monks told him, "Those who have entered attainment do not speak." He then asked again, "How, venerable sirs, do they emerge from attainment?" The monks, seeing the potential of him and his retinue, told him, "They emerge at the call of the Teacher and the Saṅgha, or at the end of a predetermined time, or at the end of their lifespan." At the word of the Saṅgha, Thera Soṇaka was made to emerge from cessation. Seeing him, Siggava asked, "Why, venerable sir, did you not speak with me?" When the Thera said, "We have eaten what was to be eaten, young man," he asked, "Is it possible, venerable sir, for us to offer that food?" When the Thera said, "It is possible, young man, if you become like us and offer it," he reported the matter to his parents. With their permission, he, his friend Caṇḍavajjī, and those five hundred men went forth under Thera Soṇaka and were ordained. There, Siggava and Caṇḍavajjī, having learned the Dhamma and Vinaya from their preceptor, later became possessors of the six supernormal powers. Now, the gradual story of Tissa Moggaliputta will become clear later. "Vijitāvin" means victorious, because he has conquered all opposing defilements. "Paramparāya" means in succession, in due order, it is said. "Jambusirivhaye" means named like a rose-apple tree, named Jambu, it is said. Indeed, the island is called "Jambu" because it is marked by a great rose-apple tree. "Acchijjamānaṃ" means not being cut off, not perishing. With "Vinayavaṃsa" and the other three It is said in the Vinaya Piṭaka because it is a synonymous term. "Proficiency" means skill, it is said to be cleverness. "He became the chief holder" means he became the principal holder, it is said that he took charge as the leader of all. "Assembly of monks" is a gathering of monks, it means a group of ascetics. Thus, in the Sāratthadīpanī, a commentary on the Vinaya, Samantapāsādikā, The description of the First Great Council is concluded. Description of the Second Council "When they attained Nibbāna" is the connection. "Having illuminated everywhere" means having proclaimed that good Dhamma everywhere. Instead of "Jutimanto" (luminous), "Jutīmanto" is said for the sake of metrical composition, it means endowed with the light of wisdom, or powerful, it is said to be of great might. "They attained Nibbāna" means they attained final Nibbāna with the element of Nibbāna without any remainder of clinging. "Without attachment" means because all defilements were abandoned, there was no craving or attachment for them anywhere, it is said to be free from passion. "When the Blessed One had attained Nibbāna for a hundred years" means a hundred years after his Nibbāna, it is said that a hundred years had passed since the Blessed One's Nibbāna. "Of Vesālī" means residents of Vesālī. "Sons of the Vajji" means sons of families in Vesālī, in the Vajji country. "It is permissible to take salt in a horn" means it is permissible to eat salt carried in a horn, together with a meal of unsalted food, the intention is not to store it. "It is permissible to take two fingers" means it is permissible to eat food in the afternoon when the shadow has passed two fingers. "It is permissible for going to another village" means it is permissible for one who has invited (others to point out faults) to eat food that is not left over, saying "I will go to another village." "It is permissible for a dwelling place" means it is permissible to perform Saṅgha acts such as Uposatha separately in different dwellings within the same boundary. "It is permissible for approval" means it is permissible to perform an act by a group of monks even when those who are to give approval are not present, with the intention of "we will get their approval when they arrive," and then obtain their approval later. The meaning is: it is not a primary action. It is allowable, a customary allowance, meaning, it is allowable as customary by teachers and preceptors. But it should be understood that some are allowable and righteous, and some are not allowable and unrighteous. It is allowable, an unchurned allowance, meaning, milk that has left the state of milk but has not reached the state of curds, it is allowable for one who has eaten and made the invitation to eat it without it being a surplus. It is allowable to drink leeches, here, leeches means young liquor. The meaning is: the ingredients for liquor, when brought together but not yet having reached the state of liquor, it is permissible to drink that. Gold and silver, meaning, that which is always in its natural form without undergoing change from its essence is gold, it is gold because its form is born. That which shines by its white nature is silver, meaning, coins. Susunāga's son, meaning, the son of Susunāga. Kākaṇḍaka's son, meaning, the son of the brahmin Kākaṇḍaka. In the Vajji country, the plural is used because it is a country name. Even one country is spoken of in the plural due to common usage. To where Vesālī, he arrived there, meaning, to the direction where Vesālī was to be reached, or in the place where Vesālī was, he arrived there, he reached it. In the Mahāvana, in the Gabled Hall, here, Mahāvana means a large forest that grew naturally, not planted, and had boundaries. However, the Mahāvana near Kapilavatthu was connected with the Himalayas, without boundaries, extending to the great ocean; this is not such a one, so it is a large forest with boundaries, a Mahāvana. The Gabled Hall, however, was built in a park near the Mahāvana, with a gable inside, covered with swan-shaped tiles, made in the shape of a swan's circle. On that Uposatha day, here, "on that day" means on that day, on that date. They fast here, so it is Uposatha, the day to fast. And "they fast" means they abide, endowed with virtue, or by not eating at all, which is called fasting, or by only drinking milk, honey, and so on. And this day is the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth. It is threefold, by distinction of flavor. But sometimes the word "Uposatha" is found in the Pātimokkha, in morality, in fasting, and in designation. Thus, it is found in the recitation of the Pātimokkha in phrases like "Come, friends Kappina, we shall go to the Uposatha." In morality, in phrases like "Visākha, the Uposatha observed thus, endowed with eight factors..." In fasting, in phrases like "Always pure is the pith for the pure, always pure is the Uposatha for the pure..." And in designation, in phrases like "The Nāga king named Uposatha..." Among these, Uposatha is the recitation of the Pātimokkha because it is to be dwelt near. Uposatha is morality because it is to be dwelt with, having become endowed with it, or because it is to be established in the continuum. Uposatha is fasting because they dwell near, practicing restraint from eating and so on. Uposatha is designation because it is merely a name for a particular kind of elephant or horse. Here, however, as in "Monks, on that Uposatha day, the residences are not with monks..." the Uposatha day is intended. Therefore, "on that Uposatha day" means "on that Uposatha day." "Bronze bowl" means a golden bowl. In "a Kahāpaṇa too," and so on,