English
being devoted to compassion. For from the Great Renunciation until the Great Final Nibbāna, the Protectors of the world stand for the welfare of the world. Greatly compassionate is 'mahākāruṇika'. Even though the Blessed One is great due to other qualities as well, because it is stated in conjunction with the word 'kāruṇika', his greatness here should be understood in terms of compassion, just like 'mahāveyyākaraṇo' (great grammarian). And so, by this word 'mahākāruṇikassa', the Great Compassion of the Teacher is spoken of in terms of the individual. Or, 'kāruṇika' is one whose nature and habit is compassion, whose nature is to be compassionate, just like the nature of earth-touch and so on is harshness of touch and so on, meaning that compassion is his inherent nature. The rest is similar to the former explanation. Or, 'mahākaruṇā' is great compassion due to its vast scope, great power, and great strength. For the compassion of the Blessed One extends to all beings without exception, and when it extends, it does so in a way unique to him, and it unfailingly brings about great welfare and happiness for beings, such as in this very life. One devoted to great compassion is 'mahākāruṇika', all should be understood in the manner explained. Or, 'mahākāruṇika' is one who possesses great and praiseworthy compassion. Here, the word 'mahā' is an honorific, meaning 'great'. as in “a man.” And the Blessed One’s compassion is praised, for it is unique, having arisen through the attainment of great compassion. Thus, having briefly praised the Blessed One with all the qualities of omniscience, through the gateway of compassion, now, to praise the True Dhamma, it is said, “asambudha” (unawakened), and so on. Here, “asambudha” is a past participle, meaning “not awakening,” “not penetrating.” It means not penetrating things as they truly are. Here, the suffix “anta” has the meaning of a cause, as in “while reading, he sits.” “Ya” is an indefinite object of the past participle. “Buddhanisevitaṃ” (served by the Buddhas) is its qualifier. Here, the meaning of the word “Buddha” should be understood according to the explanation such as “He is Buddha because he has awakened to the truths, he is Buddha because he awakens beings.” Or, he is Buddha because of the complete cessation of ignorance with its latent tendencies, or because his intellect is fully developed, in the sense of awakening and blossoming. Or, because there is no knowable phenomenon that he has not awakened to, and because no specific knowable object is grasped as an object, and because there is no desire for an object-verb, the agent-verb is obtained in the sense of understanding. But in meaning, the Buddha is the aggregate of aggregates, perfected by perfections, who has utterly destroyed and eradicated all defilements with their latent tendencies by self-existent knowledge, and is the repository of immeasurable qualities such as great compassion and omniscient knowledge. As it is said: “Buddha means that Blessed One, the self-existent, without a teacher, who by himself awakened to the truths that had not been heard before, and attained omniscience therein, and mastery in the powers.” Therefore, “nisevitaṃ” (served) by such a Buddha, whose splendor is incomparable, means experienced, served appropriately by the service of resort and the service of development. Here, Nibbāna is served only by the service of resort. The path, however, is developed by oneself, and served by the service of development, and by others, it is produced… When the paths and fruits are fully known by the knowledge of penetrating others' minds, or when one's own produced states are discerned by review knowledge, then they are indeed cultivated by way of resorting to their range. Here, even the Pariyatti Dhamma, when taken by way of understanding the Dhamma in a secondary sense, is also said to be cultivated by resorting to its range, as it is the object of knowledge for reflecting on the teaching. And since it is said in the commentaries, "He attains the ocean of Abhidhamma methods, he reflects on the three Pitakas," the reflection on the Pariyatti Dhamma for its realization is obtained. Thus, what is said as "not understanding, not comprehending, not realizing" is to be understood as referring to this, as the meaning is possible. And not penetrating that, one goes to existence and non-existence. But one who has fully understood the Dhamma and Vinaya, and is rightly practicing for that purpose, will not long make an end of suffering. For it has been said: "Whoever in this Dhamma and Vinaya dwells with diligence, abandoning the round of birth, will make an end of suffering." Here, although the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna are cultivated by Paccekabuddhas and Buddha's disciples by way of resorting to their range, still, by way of supreme discernment, it is called "cultivated by the Buddha." However, by some, the word "Buddha" in its general sense is said to include Buddhas, Anubuddhas, and Paccekabuddhas here. "Bhavābhavaṃ" is an indication of action by a later action, meaning "from existence." Or "bhavābhavaṃ" means small and great existence, by way of good and bad destinations, and by way of inferior and superior. For the letter "a" is also seen in the sense of "great," as in "asekkhā dhammā" (unconditioned states). Therefore, "abhava" is called "mahābhava" (great existence). Or "bhava" is growth, "abhava" is decline. Or "bhava" is the eternalist view, "abhava" is the annihilationist view. The aforementioned kind of existence and non-existence is "bhavābhava." "Gacchati" is an indication of a later action. "Jīvaloka" means the world of beings. For by the taking of "jīva" (life), He turns away from the world as a vessel of formations, because for him there is no going to existence or non-existence. "Homage be!" is to be understood as the rest of the text. "Destroyer of the net of defilements beginning with ignorance" is an epithet of the Dhamma. Therein, ignorance (avijjā) is that which finds the unfound. That which is not proper to fulfill, like misconduct of body, is called "unfound," meaning "not obtained." Conversely, good conduct of body, etc., is called "found." Or, ignorance is that which does not find that which is found. Or, ignorance is that which makes unknown the nature of aggregates as a heap, the nature of sense-bases as a sphere, the nature of elements as emptiness, the nature of faculties as dominance, the nature of truths as reality. Or, ignorance is that which makes unknown the fourfold meaning spoken of in terms of oppression, etc., for suffering, etc. Or, ignorance is that which causes beings to rush through all realms, destinies, existences, consciousness-stations, and abodes of beings in endless samsara. Or, ignorance is that which rushes into things like 'man' and 'woman' which do not exist in ultimate reality, and does not rush into aggregates, etc., which do exist. Those defilements beginning with ignorance (avijjādayo) are those of which ignorance is the beginning, such as craving. These are called defilements (kilesā) because beings are defiled by them. And these are like a net (jālaṃ) because they bind beings. That which completely destroys, annihilates that net by its nature is the destroyer of the net of defilements beginning with ignorance. But if it is meant here that the ninefold supramundane Dhamma together with its teachings is intended, and there only the path destroys defilements, not the others? It is said. Since even the path destroys defilements by reaching Nibbana, Nibbana is also called a destroyer of defilements. The work of the path in destroying defilements is accomplished by the fruit, so the fruit is also called "destroyer of defilements." And the Dhamma of the teachings, being a condition for the destruction of defilements, is also rightly called "destroyer of defilements." So there is no fault. "Of that excellent Dhamma" is a specific statement for what was previously unspecified. Therein, Dhamma is that which upholds those who practice as instructed, so that they do not fall into the four lower realms. "Whoever has gone for refuge to the Dhamma, they will not go to the planes of misery; Having abandoned the human body, they will fulfill the divine body..." It protects. (Dī. Ni. 2.332; Saṃ. Ni. 1.37) – Indeed, it is said. Or, the Dhamma bears them up by making them not fall into the suffering of saṃsāra, because saṃsāra is cut off by the arising of the path and fruit, such as reaching the end in seven rebirths. And here, the destruction of defilements that produce states of woe and so on, is also a bearing up. And thus, the Noble Path and Nibbāna, both bear up directly, because the Path is the cause for the attainment of that goal. The Noble Fruit, however, bears up indirectly, by the calming of defilements uprooted by it, and the Dhamma of study bears up indirectly, as it is the cause for its attainment. This should be understood. The Dhamma, of the kind described, is indeed the Dhamma-Excellent, being superior, supreme, and unsurpassed by its own higher nature. "Homage to that Dhamma-Excellent" is the connection. Thus far, the essential meaning has been revealed by us here. Whatever has been elaborated upon by anyone here, and not shown by us, should not be accepted as essential. In other places too, it should be seen in the same way. Therefore, from now on, without saying even this much, we shall show only the essential meaning. But where something utterly contradictory has been written by someone, that too we shall show somewhere. And here, by "destroyer of the net of defilements like ignorance," the Dhamma is praised for its well-proclaimed nature and so on. By "to the Dhamma-Excellent," it is praised for its completeness, indicating the absence of anything more distinguished. By the first, it shows the Dhamma's accomplishment of abandonment. By the second, its accomplishment of radiance. Having thus praised