English
" It is not agreeable that "even when giving away of the lowest kind, lodging grounds should not be given away" is the meaning stated here. One should investigate and take what is pleasing. Is it permissible or not permissible to make an offering to the Buddha with what belongs to the Dhamma, or to make an offering to the Dhamma with what belongs to the Buddha? They say it is permissible because of the saying, "Vāseṭṭha, this is an appellation for the Tathāgata: 'Dhamma-body'," and "Vakkali, whoever sees the Dhamma sees me." But some say, "If that were the case, then by the saying, 'Monks, whoever would attend on me should attend on the sick,' it would follow that it is proper to make medicine for the sick with what belongs to the Buddha. Therefore, it is not permissible." That is not a reason. For by "Monks, whoever would attend on me should attend on the sick," the sameness of himself and the sick, or the equality of the fruit of attending on them, is not stated. The meaning here is, "Whoever would attend on me by giving advice and instruction should attend on the sick; the sick should be attended on by following my advice." The meaning here should not be taken as "attending on the Blessed One and attending on the sick are the same." Therefore, by the saying, "Ananda, the Dhamma and Vinaya taught and laid down by me, that will be your teacher after my passing," and "I now advise and instruct alone; after my complete passing away, these eighty-four thousand Buddhas will advise you a because it is said "will instruct", and because the Buddha praised the learned monk, saying "Whoever is learned, he is not your disciple, Cunda, he is a Buddha," and because the Tathāgata respects the Dhamma, the former method is more commendable – this is our patience. "Having inscribed a leaf" means "having inscribed a leaf saying 'only so much is to be taken from so many trees,' it is said to be 'written'." "Having made a sign" means "having made a mark." "Children" means their sons, grandsons, etc., are children. And all others who are cowherds are also mentioned. In all cases, as much as the cowherds give to the laypeople for cowherd's gift, so much should be taken. But in the case of the Sangha, since it is shown that it should be taken according to the prescribed measure, it is said "in essence, one." "From that" means from the timber stored for making the aforementioned Uposatha hall, etc. "Having asked permission" means having asked permission from the Sangha in charge. "Having brought all of it" means having brought it temporarily even without asking permission. "Causing to be brought" here means it should be given even if not causing to be brought. "This monk is the master" means it is a place for one monk to obtain, and from that very dwelling, it should be given to him, and he should not be made to rise from there – so it is said. "Water offering" means "sprinkling at shrine places" – so it is said in the commentaries. "By the head of the duty" means purely out of faith, not for the purpose of wages, etc. "With the ground" means together with the land. "But only grass should be given" – why is this said? Is it not a heavy article? It is not. For a heavy article that is left in an unguarded, unprotected place, in a perishable state, is not a heavy article; therefore, referring to such a thing, it is said, "but only grass should be given." "Having cared for" means having cared for year after year. "Wall" means the wall of a house. "Enclosure" means the surrounding wall. "From that" means from the abandoned monastery. "Having brought from there, a dwelling is made" means that by monks living in nearby villages, a dwelling is made by bringing timber and other materials from an abandoned monastery. 157. Mixed with one-fourth water. mixed with water in the fourth part. In the matter of the rice-bowl, in the matter that came up saying, "Give a share to another." 159. The venerable ones do not do even what is proper for them to do, they are exceedingly stubborn, thus, having broken their faith, they become angry in mind. Therefore, it is said, "for the sake of protecting faith." He withdrew his psychic power, means he released his psychic power. It stood in its own place, means because the psychic power was released, even without the command, "Let the palace come back again," it came back by itself and stood in its own place. And because it was previously willed, "Let the palace be near them until the children ascend the palace," and having made a time limit, when it is willed, after that, the psychic power is said to be released. Therefore it is said, "the elder withdrew his psychic power." Since those children do not belong to those who took them away, and since the elder did not bring them by such an act, it should be understood that the elder did so. Therefore it is said, "by way of convention," and so on. The showing of elephants and so on externally, without abandoning one's own natural form, and what is stated as, "being one, he becomes many" (Dī. Ni. 1.238; Ma. Ni. 1.147; Saṃ. Ni. 5.842), being produced by way of determination, is called the power of determination (adhiṭṭhāna-iddhi). The power that is stated as, "he abandons his natural form and shows the form of a boy or the form of a nāga... ...he shows various battle arrays" (Paṭi. Ma. 3.13), being manifested by way of abandoning and transforming the natural form, is called the power of transformation (vikubbanā-iddhi). It should be understood that the showing of elephants and so on externally, without showing oneself, is also included here. For abandoning one's natural form means not showing one's natural form to others, not its complete cessation. And having done so, this statement, "the showing of elephants and so on externally, without showing oneself, is also included here," does not contradict the root phrase, "having abandoned his natural form." The description of the Vinīta matter is finished. Thus, Samantapāsādikā. In the Commentary on the Vinaya, called Sāratthadīpanī, The description of the Second Pārājika is finished. Description of the Exhortation Story By one whose defilements are defeated, means by one whose defilements are completely eradicated, together with their latent tendencies, by the four path-knowledges, by making them of such a nature that they will not arise again in the mind-continuum. Here, means in this Dispensation. It should be connected thus: There is no other training rule that is so profound in its determination of meaning, interspersed with many methods, as that training rule. Meaning and determination are meaning-determinations; it has profound meaning-determinations, thus, profound in its determination of meaning. Having entered the matter, means having entered the assembly regarding the matter of accusation, when one is accused by another, or having come oneself and reported one's own transgression. Here, means in the matter that has entered. To show what should be done by one making a determination, without hastily saying "pārājika," he states "Pāḷi" and so on. Determination means the determination of a pārājika offense. Without saying, means without saying, "You have incurred a pārājika." Even in a permissible object, means even in an object belonging to one's parents, which is permissible to take without saying. Of light conduct, means of light conduct due to the thought of theft. Like a venomous snake, means a poison capable of spreading quickly throughout the entire body. The description of the Exhortation Story is finished. The description of the first part of the Pārājika Section Commentary is finished. 3. The Third Pārājika By three, means by the doors of body, speech, and mind. Made clear, means revealed, taught, enacted, it is said. Description of the Origin of the First Enactment 162. By increasing the city's circumference three times, means by increasing the city's circumference, the city's land, three times. Because it became vast, means because it became wide, a gāvuta by a gāvuta. It is said that in the womb of the chief queen of the King of Bārāṇasī, a fetus was established. She, knowing this, informed the king. The king provided care for the pregnancy. She, being properly cared for, at the time of the fetus's maturation, gave birth. She entered the birthing chamber. For the fortunate, birth occurs at dawn, and she was one of them. So, at dawn, she gave birth to a piece of flesh like a lac-stained cotton pad or a bandhujīvaka flower. Then, she thought, “Other queens give birth to sons like golden images, but the chief queen has a piece of flesh! Disgrace will arise for me before the king.” Fearing this disgrace, she placed that piece of flesh in a vessel, covered it, sealed it with the royal seal, and had it cast into the current of the Ganga. As soon as it was discarded by humans, deities provided protection. They attached a golden plate to it, on which they wrote with red arsenic: “The offspring of the Chief Queen of the King of Bārāṇasī.” Then, that vessel, undisturbed by waves or other dangers, floated down the Ganga current. At that time, a certain ascetic was dwelling on the bank of the Ganga, near a cowherd village. Early in the morning, he descended into the Ganga. Seeing that vessel approaching, he took it, thinking it was a rag. Then, he saw the inscribed plate and the royal seal on it. He opened it and saw the piece of flesh. Seeing it, he thought, “It might be a fetus, for it has no foul or putrid smell.” Even for something brought by the water current, its warmth had not vanished. And warmth, for something with consciousness, could be a sign. So he thought, “It might be a fetus.” Due to its good karma, it had no foul smell, and being warm, it was not putrid. Thinking thus, he took it to his hermitage and placed it in a clean spot. Then, after half a month, there were two pieces of flesh. The ascetic saw them and placed them more carefully.