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Then the monks, having…” each one taking what he needs will speak of what is allowable and unallowable, then this evil one will himself receive rebuke, he will not be able to raise his head again, the Dispensation will be prosperous and flourishing.’’ Having thought thus, he, without telling anyone that ‘‘such a thought has arisen in me,’’ comforted the community of bhikkhus, and then, on the day of the relic distribution, he aroused the bhikkhus to enthusiasm for the recitation of the Dhamma and Vinaya. Therefore it is said: ‘‘The Venerable Mahākassapa, seven days after the Parinibbāna… …aroused the bhikkhus to enthusiasm for the recitation of the Dhamma and Vinaya.’’ Therein, ‘‘enough!’’ is a word of rejection. ‘‘Friends!’’ he addresses the bhikkhus who are lamenting. ‘‘Do not grieve!’’ means, do not grieve with the strong sorrow that has arisen in your minds. ‘‘Do not lament!’’ means, do not lament with your speech, as it is said, ‘‘lamentation is wailing.’’ Now, showing the reason for not grieving and so on, he says, ‘‘we are well rid of,’’ and so on. ‘‘By that great ascetic’’ is a word in the ablative case, meaning, ‘‘we are well rid of that great ascetic,’’ the intention being, ‘‘we were oppressed then.’’ ‘‘Are’’ is a present tense word in the past sense, meaning, ‘‘we were,’’ the intention being, ‘‘remembering, by way of Dhamma-emotion.’’ Dhamma-emotion is the knowledge of shame and dread that arises from contemplating the nature of Dhamma. For this is said: ‘‘In all conditioned phenomena, that which is established as shame and dread; the knowledge of those burdened by delusion, is called Dhamma-emotion.’’ ‘‘And this is indeed a reason that exists’’: ‘‘reason’’ is that in which the fruit stands, because its existence depends on it; it is a cause. ‘‘Indeed’’ is for emphasis, meaning, ‘‘this cause certainly exists, it does not not exist.’’ What is that cause? He says, ‘‘that evil bhikkhus,’’ and so on. Here, ‘‘that’’ is merely a particle, or an indication of the cause, meaning, ‘‘the cause by which they might make it disappear, that cause exists.’’ ‘‘Evil bhikkhus’’ are bhikkhus endowed with evil, base desires. ‘‘The Teacher has passed away from here,’’ or ‘‘of this one,’’ meaning, ‘‘the Dispensation whose Teacher has passed away.’’ ‘‘Pāvacanaṃ’’ is the principal teaching. silence, it is said to discipline the Dhamma. Having obtained a side means having obtained the side of the shameless. Not long after means not very long after. As long as the Dhamma-Vinaya stands means for as long as the Dhamma and Vinaya stand among the conscientious individuals. This was said by the Blessed One means this was said by the Blessed One as he lay on his deathbed, admonishing the bhikkhus. Taught and promulgated means the Dhamma was both taught and promulgated. For the Dhamma, which is comprised of Sutta and Abhidhamma, its exposition and awakening is teaching; its specific declaration and establishment in the minds of those to be disciplined is promulgation. Therefore, the Dhamma is said to be both taught and promulgated. And promulgated means established. The Vinaya was also both taught and promulgated. For the meaning comprised in the Vinaya tradition, which is called Vinaya because it disciplines body and speech, its exposition and awakening is teaching; its specific declaration and establishment without confusion is promulgation. Therefore, the Vinaya is said to be both taught and promulgated. It, after my passing, means that Dhamma-Vinaya will be your Teacher after my passing. This is what is meant: While I was alive, I taught you the Great Vinaya, comprising both Vibhaṅgas with their Khandhakas and Parivāra, concerning the non-transgression of the seven groups of offenses in specific cases, saying: "This is light, this is heavy; this is remediable, this is irremediable; this is blameworthy by the world, this is blameworthy by the rule. This offense is absolved in the presence of an individual, this in the presence of a group, this in the presence of the Saṅgha." That entire Vinaya Piṭaka, after my Parinibbāna, will perform the function of a teacher for you, instructing you by distinguishing what is to be done and what is not to be done, saying: "This is what you should do, this is what you should not do." And while I was alive, I taught the disciples, saying: "These are the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, the Noble Eightfold Path." In a way suitable to the disposition, having analyzed these thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, the Suttanta Piṭaka was taught. That entire Suttanta Piṭaka, when I have attained final Nibbāna, will accomplish the teacher's task for you, by instructing in right practice according to each one's conduct. And by me, while still living, having analyzed these phenomena, saying: "the five aggregates, the twelve sense-bases, the eighteen elements, the four truths, the twenty-two faculties, the nine causes, the four nutriments, the seven contacts, the seven feelings, the seven perceptions, the seven volitions, the seven consciousnesses; and among these, so many phenomena are of the sense-sphere, so many are of the form-sphere, so many are of the formless-sphere, so many are included, so many are not included, so many are worldly, so many are supramundane," the Abhidhamma Piṭaka was taught. That entire Abhidhamma Piṭaka, when I have attained final Nibbāna, will accomplish the teacher's task for you. Being understood through the analysis of aggregates and so on, because it leads to the complete awakening to the Four Noble Truths, it will fulfill the task to be done by the Teacher, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. Thus, all of this, for forty-five years, from enlightenment until final Nibbāna, was spoken and declared. The three Piṭakas, the five Nikāyas, the nine divisions, eighty-four thousand sections of Dhamma— thus it is of great variety. Thus, these eighty-four thousand sections of Dhamma remain. I alone attain final Nibbāna. And I alone now advise and instruct. When I have attained final Nibbāna, these eighty-four thousand Buddhas will advise and instruct you, thereby fulfilling the task of advice and instruction. "The Teaching" means the Teaching is threefold by way of study, practice, and realization. But in the ultimate sense, it is the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment. "Long-lasting" means it is long-lasting because it goes on a long path. The meaning is that it endures for a long time. "Enduring for a long time" means it endures for a long time because its duration is long. The connection is that the Teaching should be so. This is what is said: how, in what way, this Teaching endures for a long time... to be able to endure, and thereby to last long, and in that way they should recite the Dhamma and Vinaya. Now, explaining the special favor done by the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One himself, it is said, "And that which I, by the Blessed One," and so on. There, "And that which I" is connected with "was favored." There, "that which" means "because of which," or "for what reason." Or this refers to an action, and thereby it refers to the act of favoring in "was favored." The Blessed One said, "You will wear," and so on, while seated on the robe spread by the Elder Mahākassapa at the root of a certain tree, touching that robe with a hand the color of an open lotus flower. This was said by the Elder Mahākassapa himself, addressing the Elder Ānanda, in the Kassapa Saṃyutta: "Then, friend, the Blessed One turned off the road and approached a certain tree root. Then, friend, I spread out a four-fold rag-robe and said to the Blessed One, 'May the Blessed One sit here, venerable sir, for my long-term welfare and happiness.' The Blessed One, friend, sat on the prepared seat. Having sat down, friend, the Blessed One said to me, 'Soft indeed, Kassapa, is this rag-robe of yours.' 'May the Blessed One accept my rag-robe, venerable sir, out of compassion.' 'But will you, Kassapa, wear my coarse, discarded robes?' 'I will wear, venerable sir, the Blessed One's coarse, discarded robes.' So then, friend, I gave the Blessed One the rag-robe, and I, for my part, took up the Blessed One's coarse, discarded robes." There, "mudukā kho tyāyaṃ" means "soft indeed is this of yours." Why did the Blessed One say this? Because he wished to exchange robes with the Elder. Why did he wish to exchange? Wishing to place the Elder in his own position. "Are Sāriputta and Moggallāna not there?" "They are. But it occurred to him: 'These will not remain long. But Kassapa has a lifespan of twenty thousand years. When I have attained final Nibbāna, he will dwell in the Sattapaṇṇi Cave, and having compiled the Dhamma and Vinaya, he will make my Dispensation endure for a period of five thousand years.' So I shall place him in my position. Thus, the monks will think it proper to listen to Kassapa." Therefore, he spoke thus. But since it is the custom, when the praise of a robe or an alms-bowl is spoken, to say, "Take this, it is yours," therefore he said, "Venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept it from me." "But will you wear it for me, Kassapa?" He means, "Kassapa, will you be able to wear these worn-out rags from the dust-heap?" And indeed, he did not say this with reference to physical strength, but with reference to the fulfillment of practice. This is the intention here: "I took this robe, which a slave woman named Puṇṇā had worn, and which was discarded in a charnel ground, surrounded by tiny creatures, and having shaken off those creatures, I took it, standing in the Great Noble Lineage. On the day I took this robe, the great earth in ten thousand world-systems trembled, roaring a great roar. The sky cracked. The devas of the world-systems applauded, saying: 'A monk who takes this robe must be a born rag-robe wearer, a born forest-dweller, a born one-seater,