English
Thinking thus, he first recited the Cūḷahatthipadopama Sutta. Therein it is said: “Just so, brahmin, here a Tathāgata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened One, perfect in knowledge and conduct… He proclaims the holy life, perfectly complete and pure, both in spirit and in letter. A householder or a householder’s son, or one born in some other family, hears that Dhamma. Having heard that Dhamma, he gains faith in the Tathāgata. Endowed with that faith, he reflects thus: ‘Confined is household life, a path of dust; open is the going forth. It is not easy for one living in a home to lead the holy life perfectly complete, perfectly pure, polished like a conch shell. Suppose I were to shave off my hair and beard, don saffron robes, and go forth from home into homelessness.’ So, at a later time, having abandoned a small accumulation of wealth, or having abandoned a large accumulation of wealth, having abandoned a small circle of relatives, or having abandoned a large circle of relatives, he shaves off his hair and beard, dons saffron robes, and goes forth from home into homelessness. “Having thus gone forth, he undertakes the training and livelihood of bhikkhus. Having abandoned the taking of life, he abstains from the taking of life. He dwells with rod laid down, with weapon laid down, conscientious, compassionate, sympathetic to the welfare of all living beings. “Having abandoned the taking of what is not given, he abstains from the taking of what is not given. He is a taker of what is given, expecting what is given, he dwells with a self that is pure, not thievish.” In this way, the gaining of faith in the teaching, the going forth by those who have gained faith, and the aggregates of virtue and other qualities to be practiced by those who have gone forth, were expounded. As soon as the king heard the Sutta, he understood. that "he abstains from harming seeds and plants, he eats once a day, he abstains from eating at night, he abstains from untimely food." Thus, having heard that Sutta, he understood. "I will stay right here," he did not say immediately, as night had not yet fallen. "One who has attained the fruit" refers to the Anāgāmi fruit, meaning one who has attained the Anāgāmi fruit. And because of that, he was especially one who understood the teaching, having known the Teacher's teaching without error. "Now he will go forth" is said because the task for which he was brought in lay attire has been completed. "Of the king who had recently departed" means when the king had recently departed. "Having resolved" means having resolved, "May those gathered on this island of Tambapaṇṇi listen." "By means of a ground covering" means in the manner of a ground covering. "Readers of portents" means interpreters of signs, soothsayers. "Now the earth has been seized by these" they said, because the seats were on the earth. In "thinking, 'it will be established'," it should be understood that since the establishment of the Dispensation was not due to that reason, he thus perceived it as a premonition of the Dispensation that would certainly be established. "Excellent" means supreme. "With his own hand" means having satisfied them well with his own hand, meaning having made them fully content, satisfied, and to their heart's desire. "He preached the Petavatthu, the Vimānavatthu, and the Saccasaṃyutta." It should be understood that the Elder, skilled in the method of teaching, first preached the Petavatthu to arouse a sense of urgency in the people. Then, to comfort the people who had become urgent, he preached the Vimānavatthu by way of a discourse on heaven. And then, to those who had found comfort, he preached the Saccasaṃyutta at the end, arousing effort for the penetration of the Truth, saying, "Do not find delight here; apart from Nibbāna, there is nothing among conditioned things that is permanent. Therefore, strive to attain Nibbāna, which is the supreme comfort." "Having heard them" means having heard the praise of the Elders from them. "Having made it known to the king" means to the king. having made a report, it means he informed the king. "Enough, I go," he said, rejecting it, because it was not suitable due to the closeness of the city. Meghavana, a park, means the Great Meghavana Park. It is said that on the day of the acquisition of the land for that park, an unseasonal great cloud arose and rained, filling all the ponds and reservoirs, as if favoring the trees and creepers afflicted by the summer. For that reason, it became known as the Great Meghavana Park. This is stated in the Mahāvaṃsa: "At the acquisition of the park site, a great unseasonal cloud; It rained, and so the park, became the Great Meghavana." Having asked about his comfortable sleep, it means, "Is it, venerable sir, that you slept comfortably here? Is your stay here comfortable?" Having thus asked about his comfortable sleep, and then when the Elder said, "I slept comfortably, great king, this park is convenient for the bhikkhus," he thought, "If so, I will give this park to you," and asked, "Is it suitable, venerable sir, for the community of bhikkhus to have a monastery?" This Sutta means this Sutta mentioned in the acceptance of the Veḷuvana monastery. Water means the water of dedication. He gave the Great Meghavana Park means he said, "I give this Great Meghavana Park to the Saṅgha," and gave it on the second day of the dark half of the month of Jeṭṭha. Although it was established with the dedication of water for the Great Monastery, the construction work there was not yet finished, so he said, "This will be the first monastery site." On the next day also means on the second day of the dark half. For nine and a half thousand beings means for nine and a half thousand beings, meaning eight thousand five hundred. The place of the manifestation of light means the place of the manifestation of the light of knowledge. The Appamāda Sutta means the Mahāappamāda Sutta in the Aṅguttaranikāya, which is called the Rājovāda Sutta. Mahacca is the accusative case in the sense of an instrument, meaning with great royal power. The connection is "for you to know." Ariṭṭha, an minister, means the king's nephew. Ariṭṭha was the minister to be led. Where it says "fifty-five," it should be said "fifty-four." For then the statement "sixty-two Arahants" mentioned above would be consistent. And for this reason, in the Mahāvaṃsa written in the Sinhala language, it is stated "with fifty-four." A royal family crowded with ten brothers: a royal family crowded with these ten brothers: Abhaya, Devānaṃpiyatissa, Mahānāga, Uttiya, Mattābhaya, Sūratissa, and others, sons of Muṭasiva. They resided for the rainy season on Cetiyagiri: having received the monastery given by the king on the full moon day of Āsāḷha, they resided for the rainy season on the first day. Having performed the Pavāraṇā: having performed the great Pavāraṇā. On the full moon day of Kattika: on the later full moon day of Kattika. For the Great Elder Mahinda, having entered the first rainy season and resided, having performed the great Pavāraṇā, then, after one month had passed, on the full moon day of Cātumāsinī, accompanied by a company of noble ones, he went to the royal family, and at the end of the meal, he said the words, "Great King, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One has been seen by us for a long time," and so on. And having done so, he will say, "On the full moon day, the Great Hero, on Cātumāsinī, is here." As for what someone has said here, "Having resided for the rainy season and performed Pavāraṇā means having performed Pavāraṇā on Cātumāsinī, or having performed the first Pavāraṇā and resided there for one month, he spoke on the full moon day of Kattika, otherwise, it cannot be taken since it is said 'on the full moon day, the Great Hero'," in that, this alternative interpretation of "Pavāraṇā on Cātumāsinī" is not appropriate. For those who entered the rainy season in the first period do not perform Pavāraṇā on Cātumāsinī. "The Perfectly Self-Enlightened One has been seen for a long time": it should be understood that he said this by way of referring to the whole by a part, considering that the bodily part of the Teacher is also the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, just as one says "the ocean has been seen." Desiring to show only the purpose of residence here and to prevent departure, setting aside the reason for departure stated by the Elder, he says, "I, venerable sir, you," and so on. Salutation: seeing the teacher and performing salutation, salutation. This is called. In whatever direction the teacher dwells, maintaining his deportment, facing that way, having saluted, one goes, having saluted, one stands, having saluted, one sits, having saluted, one lies down; this is called salutation. But having seen the teacher from afar, rising up and going forth to meet him, this is called rising to meet. But having seen the teacher, raising the joined hands, placing them on the head, one bows to the teacher. In whatever direction he dwells, facing that way, one likewise bows. Even while going, standing, or sitting, one bows with joined hands; this is called the act of joining hands. But the doing of a suitable deed, this is called proper conduct. Indeed, regarding robes and so forth, when giving a robe, one does not give just any old thing, but something valuable, worth a hundred, or worth five hundred, or even worth a hundred thousand, one gives. The same method applies to almsfood and so forth. This is called proper conduct. By 'bodily relics' are meant bodily parts. By 'unknown' is meant unknown; the sense is 'known by me'. By 'from where shall we obtain?' is meant 'from where shall we obtain?' By 'consult with Sumana', either because it was said to the novice first, or knowing 'he knows our intention', it should be understood that he spoke thus. By 'be unconcerned, great king', great king, do not be zealous in obtaining the relics,