English
For meaning itself is made clear, made manifest, elaborated, divided, made clear, and made known by the words of expression. In "by the attainment of letters, words, expressions, aspects, etymology, and definitions," here, in "sixty thousand years," and so on, the letter 'sa', the letter 'du', the letter 's' Like 'o' and the like, when uttering, in an unfinished word, a sound is a syllable. Because it is not a synonym, in the sense of 'unchanging'. Indeed, no synonym for a sound is found. Just as a word, being a synonym, moves about, as it were, by way of meaning, not so is a sound, because it has no synonym. Or a one-syllable word is a syllable, like 'mā' and so on in "mā evaṃ kira ta". But some say: "It is called 'akkhara' because it has no synonym, because it is unstated, and because it is uttered by the mind's teaching words, in places of purification, through pure application, in the three doors." "That should be taken," they say, "in the sense of questions mentally asked by the Parāyana brahmins, and in the sense of the Great Treatise on Foundations (of Mindfulness) contemplated by the Blessed One, seated in the jeweled house." A word is that which ends in an inflection, because it makes meaning known. "Meaning arises by it," thus it is a word. It is fourfold: a noun, a verb, a prefix, and a particle. Therein, 'contact', 'feeling', 'mind', and so on, are nouns, predominantly substance. By nouns, substance is manifested, action is unmanifested. 'Touches', 'feels', 'knows', and so on, are verbs, predominantly action. By verbs, action is manifested, substance is unmanifested. Just as in "cirappavāsi", the sound 'pa' shows the distinctness of separation from the act of dwelling, so, from showing a special action, it is a sign for understanding a special action. 'Pa' and so on, are prefixes. 'Evaṃ' (thus) and so on, are particles, being the cause for manifesting a special nature of action and substance. Indeed, in "evaṃ manasi karotha" and "mā evaṃ manasākatthā", the word 'evaṃ' is an indicator of a special action, from showing a special action. In "evaṃsīlā evaṃdhammā", it indicates a special substance. That which manifests the meaning expressed by words, spoken concisely, is a manifestation, a sentence. The meaning spoken concisely as "Four bases of power," "Which are the four? Here, monks, a monk, with desire-concentration... " He develops the base of power endowed with concentration, exertion, and volitional formations. He develops the base of power endowed with energy, mind, investigation, concentration, exertion, and volitional formations. By such statements, it makes clear that a sentence is an expression. But in meaning, it should be understood as a collection of words. Indeed, they say a sentence is that which has a verb, particles, cases, and qualifiers. But is it not the case that meaning is expressed even by a word, so a word too becomes an an expression? That is not so. For even by hearing a mere word, understanding of meaning occurs only by connecting it with other words obtained through context and so on. Thus, only a sentence expresses meaning. The division of sentences according to their type is 'mode'. In statements like, 'What is zeal? That zeal is the state of being zealous, the wish to act,' the various ways of dividing the sentence thus spoken is called 'mode'. The explanation expressed by mode is 'etymology'. In statements like, 'Contact, feeling,' the detailed explanation drawn out by mode, such as 'It touches, so it is contact; it feels, so it is feeling,' is called 'etymology'. By statements like, 'It seeks Nibbāna, or it is sought by those desiring Nibbāna, or it goes killing defilements, so it is the path,' the prior explanation, being a teaching without remainder, is 'description'. Or alternatively, in the words obtained by etymology such as 'It feels, so it is feeling,' among pleasant, painful, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings: 'It makes pleasant, so it is pleasant; it makes painful, so it is painful; it makes neither painful nor pleasant, so it is neither-painful-nor-pleasant' — this detailed explanation spoken without remainder is called 'description'. By the completeness of these expressions and words, beginning with letters, it is 'well-expressed'. Thus, its combination of meaning and words, and its completeness of expressions and words, should be understood. Therein, the Blessed One indicates with letters, makes manifest with words, unfolds with expressions, divides with modes, makes clear with etymologies, and establishes with descriptions. For thus, through the grasping of word-components, there is the grasping of words. And by the grasped word, the understanding of word-meaning occurs for one who has previously grasped the convention. Thus, the Blessed One indicates... He teaches. Because the meaning, briefly indicated by syllables, is first revealed and indicated by words, as the sentence is not yet complete at the end of a word, therefore, he reveals it with words. But at the end of a sentence, that meaning is explained and made clear, so he explains it with expressions. And because, when the sentence is divided into modes, its meaning is distinguished, therefore, he distinguishes it with aspects. Similarly, when the individual parts of a sentence are explained and distinguished, that meaning becomes clear, so he makes it manifest with interpretations. And when the parts of the sentence, explained and taught in detail and completely, delight the minds of the trainable and sharpen their wisdom, therefore, he makes it known with expositions. Moreover, the Blessed One, by syllables, he makes known, and with words, he trains the one who understands by a hint; by expressions, he elaborates, and with aspects, he trains the one who understands by elaboration; by interpretations, he leads, and with expositions, he trains the one who is to be led. And thus, this Dhamma, when hinted at, trains the one who understands by a hint; when elaborated, trains the one who understands by elaboration; when led, trains the one who is to be led. Therein, hinting is the beginning, elaboration is the middle, leading is the end. Thus, taught in three ways at three times, dispelling three kinds of defilements, bringing three kinds of virtues, training three kinds of trainees— thus, this Dhamma, which is beautiful in three ways, is to be understood as meaningful and well-expressed due to the completeness of its meaning and expressions. This has been said in the Netti-pakaraṇa (Netti. 9): "Therein, the Blessed One makes known with syllables, reveals with words, explains with expressions, distinguishes with aspects, makes manifest with interpretations, makes known with expositions. Therein, the Blessed One hints with syllables and words, elaborates with expressions and aspects, expounds with interpretations and expositions. Therein, hinting is the beginning, elaboration is the middle, expounding is the end. This Dhamma-Vinaya, when hinted at, trains the person who understands by a hint, therefore, they call it beautiful in the beginning. When elaborated, it trains the person who understands by elaboration, therefore, they call it beautiful in the middle. When expounded, he trains the person to be led, therefore they call him “beautiful in the end.” Among “profound in meaning,” etc., meaning is the meaning of the scripture. Dhamma is the scripture. Penetration is the true understanding of the scripture and its meaning. Teaching is the teaching of the scripture established in the mind. And these meanings, etc., because they are difficult for the dull-witted to fathom, like the great ocean for hares and dogs, and their foundation cannot be reached, therefore they are profound. Or, meaning is cause and effect. Dhamma is the cause. Teaching is designation, the declaration of Dhamma according to Dhamma. Or, it is speaking in terms of forward and backward, summary and detail, etc. Penetration is realization, the understanding of Dhamma according to meaning, of meaning according to Dhamma, and of designations according to the path of designation. Or, it is the unperverted nature, called characteristic, to be penetrated in those various Dhammas. And these meanings, etc., because they are difficult for the dull-witted, who have not accumulated merits, to fathom, like the great ocean for hares and dogs, and their foundation cannot be reached, therefore they are profound. Among these, because penetration is based on meaning, it is said, “meaningful through profundity of meaning and profundity of penetration,” thus revealing the quality of meaning. Because those Dhamma teachings are based on expression, it is said, “expressed through profundity of Dhamma and profundity of teaching,” thus revealing the excellence of their expression. The knowledge that has gone into the divisions of meanings is the analytical knowledge of meaning. Because this analytical knowledge of ready wit —the knowledge that has gone into the divisions of meaning, Dhamma, and language— has meaning as its domain, it is said, “meaningful by way of the domain of analytical knowledge of meaning and ready wit,” because without the excellence of meaning, it does not exist. Dhamma is the scripture. Language is the determination and utterance of the words of the scripture. Therein, the knowledges that have gone into the divisions are the analytical knowledge of Dhamma and language. Thus it is said, “expressed by way of the domain of analytical knowledge of Dhamma and language,” because without the excellence of expression, it does not exist. In “charming the minds of those who examine,” the word “iti” has the meaning of cause. Because those who examine Bringing delight to those who seek what is wholesome, therefore it is meaningful. "Rich in meaning" is an inference of cause from effect, like the rising of a river indicating rain upstream. Its meaningfulness is to be understood by the wise,