English
"half" is half of a Kahāpaṇa. "A quarter" is the fourth part. "Māsaka" is just a Māsaka coin. "All that is to be recited" indicates that all the Pāli text found in the section of seven hundred (Cūḷava. 446 onwards) is to be brought here and recited. From where is it to be recited? He says, "up to this Vinaya council," and so on. The connection is that they recited just as it was recited. "Based on what was done before" means based on the first council that was done before. The connection is, "And this council..." "Among them" means among those elders who conducted the council. "Well-known" means well-known as leaders of the assembly, famous everywhere. For in that assembly, there were eight great elders who were leaders of the assembly. Among them, two elders, Sumaṇa of Vāsabhagāma, were disciples of Elder Anuruddha. The remaining six were disciples of Elder Ānanda. All these eight great elders had seen the Blessed One. Seen before. Now, showing those elders in their true form, he said, "and all-desiring," and so on. Sāṇasambhūta means Elder Sambhūta, a resident of the Sāṇa country. The second collection means connection. Pannabhārā means those whose burden of the aggregates has fallen. For it is said, "The five aggregates are indeed burdens" (Saṃ. Ni. 3.22). Katakiccā means they have done what is to be done, because the sixteen-fold task—consisting of full understanding, abandonment, realization, and development—which is to be done concerning the four truths by the four paths, has been completed. Abbudanti means they speak of trouble, even theft, by stealing the Buddha's words and explaining their own words. But in the gloss, it is said, "abbuda is a tumor." Imaṃ means the forthcoming illustration. Sandissamānā means face to face. Uparibrahmalokūpapattiyā bhāvitamagga means the jhāna developed for rebirth in the upper Brahma-world. For jhāna, because it is a means for rebirth there, is here called "path." For a means is called "path." The meaning of the word here is: "It seeks, searches for, produces, accomplishes that particular rebirth, therefore it is a path"—thus it should be understood. And in meaning, this "path" is sometimes volition, sometimes states associated with volition, and sometimes both. For here, in "I know hell, Sāriputta, and the path leading to hell" (Ma. Ni. 1.153), volition is called the path. "Faith, shame, skill, and giving, These are states followed by good people; This path, indeed, they call divine, By this, indeed, one goes to the world of devas." (A. Ni. 8.32; Kathā. 479) – Here, states associated with volition are called the path. In the Saṅkhārūpapatti Sutta and so on (Ma. Ni. 3.161), where it says, "This, monks, is the path, this is the way," both volition and states associated with volition are called the path. In this context, because jhāna is intended, states associated with volition should be taken. Moggalibrāhmaṇassa means of the brahmin named Moggali, who was honored by the world and childless. But how is it said, "He will take rebirth in the house of the brahmin Moggali"? Do those who have attained higher attainments also arise in the sense-sphere? Yes, they do. And that occurs by way of the mental resolve of those who have made great aspirations, who are greatly meritorious, not for all, this should be understood. Then, how does a minor action, having pushed back the result of a weighty, great action, make room for its own result? And here, in all three knot-sections, this has been said: ‘By the power of craving alone, one falls away from jhāna, then, having fallen from jhāna, they are reborn.’ But some, saying, ‘The falling away from jhāna by craving, even in a state free from hindrances, should be investigated and understood,’ thus state the reason here: ‘Even if there is no minor action capable of pushing back the result of a weighty action, by the saying, “Monks, the mental resolve of one who is virtuous succeeds because of its purity,” the mental resolve in the sense-sphere existence, having pushed back the result of a weighty action, makes room for the result of a minor action.’ Regarding ‘Sādhu, good sirs,’ here ‘sādhu’ is a particle in the sense of requesting, meaning, ‘We request that.’ ‘Delighted and overjoyed’ means repeatedly pleased by way of gladdening the mind. ‘Exultant and exultant’ means exultant and exultant by way of joy producing bodily changes. Indeed, a person full of joy, because of the upliftedness and soaring of body and mind, is called ‘exultant.’ Regarding ‘Having assented with “Sādhu,”’ it means having given the reply, ‘Sādhu.’ Regarding ‘Having settled,’ it means having finished. Regarding ‘They returned again,’ it means they came again. Regarding ‘Now at that time,’ it means at the time they held the Second Council. Regarding ‘Newcomers,’ to clarify the meaning already stated, ‘young monks’ is said. Regarding ‘They did not reach that dispute,’ it means they did not reach, did not go to, to decide that dispute raised by the Vajjians. ‘It was not’ is the connection. Regarding ‘This act of punishment,’ it is said with reference to what is to be said now. ‘Having remained for the duration of life, they attained final Nibbāna’ is the connection, meaning, for as long as each one's lifespan, they remained. having attained final Nibbāna. What did those Elders do to attain final Nibbāna? It says, "having made the second compilation," and so on. It is connected to "having attained final Nibbāna by making a cause for the growth of the True Dhamma in the future as well." Now, having aroused a sense of urgency and advised, "Even such greatly powerful Elders as these have fallen under the sway of impermanence; how much more so others?", it says, "those whose defilements are destroyed," and so on. "Under the sway of impermanence" means being subject to impermanence, being dependent on impermanence, being under the control of impermanence. It is connected to "having thus known impermanence, which is base, wretched, difficult to overcome, unconquerable, impossible to transcend." Some, however, taking "difficult to overcome" here to mean "impossible to attain," say the connection is, "the wise one should strive to attain that imperishable, deathless state which is difficult to attain." "In every way" means that the second compilation was described without omitting anything that needed to be said in any respect. Thus, in the Sāratthadīpanī, a commentary on the Samantapāsādikā Vinaya commentary, The description of the Second Council is concluded. Description of the Third Council Those ten thousand Vajji-puttaka bhikkhus, who had been expelled by the Dhamma-compiling Elders from this Council, seeking a faction, found a weak faction suitable for themselves and formed a separate Mahāsaṅghika teacher lineage. From that, two other teacher lineages arose: the Gokulikas and the Ekabyohārikas. From the Gokulika sect, two other teacher lineages arose: the Paññattivādās and the Bāhuliyas. They were also called Bahussutikas. Among them, another teacher lineage called Cetiyavādās arose. Thus, in the second century after the Mahāsaṅghika teacher lineage, five teacher lineages arose; with the Mahāsaṅghikas, there are six. In that same second century, two teacher lineages arose, having split from the Theravāda: the Mahisāsakas and the Vajji-puttakas. Among these, the Vajji-puttaka lineage From that, having split off, four other teacher-traditions arose: Dhammuttarikā, Bhaddayānikā, Channāgārikā, and Samitikā. Again, in that very second century, having split off from the Mahisāsaka tradition, two teacher-traditions arose: Sabbatthivādā and Dhammaguttikā. Again, having split off from the Sabbatthivāda family, the Kassapikā by name were born. When the Kassapikā also split, others called Saṅkantikā were born. When the Saṅkantikā split, the Suttavādā by name were born. Thus, having split off from the Theravāda, these eleven teacher-traditions arose. They, together with the Theravāda, become twelve. Thus, these twelve and the six teacher-traditions of the Mahāsaṅghikā, all together eighteen teacher-traditions, arose in the second century. "Eighteen Nikāyas" or "Eighteen Teacher-families" are also names for these. Among these, seventeen traditions were schismatic; the Theravāda alone is to be known as unsplit. This is also said in the Dīpavaṃsa – Expelled were the wicked monks, The Vajjiputtakas by the Elders; Having gained another faction, Many people were unrighteous speakers. Ten thousand having gathered, They made a compilation of the Dhamma; Therefore, this Dhamma-recitation Is called the Great Recitation. The Mahāsaṅghitika monks, Acted contrary to the Teaching; Having broken the original compilation, They made another compilation. Suttas compiled elsewhere, They made them elsewhere; They split the meaning and the Dhamma, In the Vinaya and in the five Nikāyas. What was taught with explanation, And what was taught without explanation; What had explicit meaning, And what needed interpretation, not knowing, the monks, What was spoken with one intention, They established another meaning; By the shadow of the words, those monks, Destroyed much meaning. Having discarded a part, Of the profound Sutta and Vinaya; A counterfeit Sutta and Vinaya, That they made other. The Parivāra, the Attha-uddhāra, The Abhidhamma, the six treatises; The Paṭisambhidā and the Niddesa, And a part of the Jātaka; Having abandoned so much, They made others. The name Marks and requisites, And ways of conduct; Abandoning their natural state, They made them otherwise. The pioneers of schismatic doctrines, Those who made the Great Council; Following their example, Many schismatic doctrines arose. Then in a later time, A division arose in that; The Gokulikas and Ekabyohāris, The monks split into two. From the Gokulikas, two divisions, Arose in a later time; The Bahussutikas and Paññattis, The monks split into two. The Cetiyas and Punavādīs, Schismatics of the Great Council;