English
are great entanglements. You stay. We will go first." Having departed, they did not stay for two days in one place. By swift travel, they reached Savatthi, and went directly to the Teacher's presence at Jetavana Monastery. There, having heard the sweet Dhamma talk, they all went forth and attained arahantship. Those three merchants, with five hundred carts each, carrying ghee, honey, treacle, and also fine wool, silk, and so on, departed from Kosambi. Gradually, they reached Savatthi. Near Jetavana, they set up camp. They went to the Teacher's presence, paid homage, exchanged greetings, and sat down to one side. The Teacher gave a sweet Dhamma talk to all three friends. They, filled with strong joy, invited the Teacher, and on the next day, gave a great offering. Again they invited, and again on the next day. Thus, for half a month, they gave offerings. "Venerable Sir, please give us a promise to come to our country," they prostrated at his feet. The Blessed One said, "Householders, Tathagatas delight in empty dwellings." "By this much, a promise is given!" The householders recognized this. "A promise has been given to us by the Blessed One!" They prostrated at his feet, paid homage to the Ten-Powered One, and departed. On the way, at every league, they had a monastery built. Gradually, having reached Kosambi, they said, "A Buddha has arisen in the world." Three people, in their respective pleasure groves, having made great donations of wealth, had monasteries built for the Blessed One. There, the one built by the merchant Kukkuṭa was named Kukkuṭārāma. The one built by the merchant Pāvārika in the mango grove was named Pāvārikambavana. The one built by Ghosita was named Ghositārāma. Referring to that, it is said, "Indeed, it was built by the merchant named Ghosita." He who went forth together at the time of the Great Renunciation, and upon whom the Teacher enjoined the Brahma-punishment at the time of his Parinibbāna, referring to him, it is said, "Channa, the attendant during the Bodhisatta's time." And by this, it is shown that this is not that Channa who, in the Channovāda Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya (MN 3.389 onwards), being ill, and unable to endure the pain unto death even while being exhorted by the General of the Dhamma, cut his throat with a sharp weapon. When the fear of death arose and signs of his destination appeared, realizing his ordinary human state, he became agitated, established insight, comprehended the formations, attained Arahantship, became equal-headed, and attained Parinibbāna. This one is not that one, it shows. In the usage of the word "pūjā" (worship/honor), since the genitive case is also desired for the agent, it is said, "honored by the village." The characteristic here should be understood according to grammar. "Each portion" means "each part." 366. "Originating from action" rejects the idea of originating solely from the action itself. Rather, it should be understood that it originates from both action and non-action: from the non-declaration of the site and the action of building the hut. In this training rule, concerning "bhikkhus or not to be led," the word "vā" (or) here should be seen as having a definitive meaning, like in phrases such as "this indeed is that great nāga." The commentary on the training rule concerning building a monastery is concluded. 8. Commentary on the first training rule concerning a corrupt fault. 380. In the eighth (rule), "enclosed by a wall" is the connection. "Provided with gate-towers and watchtowers" means with gate-houses and watchtowers established here and there on top of the wall. It is surrounded by bamboos, and covered inside with flowering and fruiting trees, thus it is blue-hued. With the abundance of shade and water, and the abundance of ground, it is delightful. In the guise of a black bird, means in the form of a squirrel. They feed. That is the garden. Dabba is the name of that elder, because he fell on a Dabba post, his name became Dabba. It is said that at the time of Kassapa the Ten-Powered One's teaching, seven bhikkhus, being of one mind, seeing others disrespecting the teaching, thought, "What shall we do here? Let us practice the ascetic life in seclusion and make an end of suffering." They tied a ladder and climbed a high mountain peak. Knowing their own mental strength, they said, "Throw down the ladder! Let those who cling to life descend! Do not regret it later!" And all of them, being of one mind, threw down the ladder. Then, advising each other, "Be diligent, friends!" they sat in places pleasing to their minds and began to practice the ascetic life. One elder among them, on the fifth day, attained Arahantship. He thought, "My task is accomplished. What shall I do in this place?" He brought alms food from Uttarakuru by psychic power and said, "Friends, eat this alms food. Let the task of alms-gathering be mine. You do your own work." They replied, "Friends, when we threw down the ladder, did we say, 'Whoever first realizes the Dhamma, let him bring alms, and the rest, having eaten what he brings, will practice the ascetic life'?" "No, friends," he replied. "You obtained it by your own past karma. We too, if we are able, will make an end of the cycle. Go, you all!" The elder, unable to convince them, ate the alms food in a suitable place and departed. Another elder, on the seventh day, attained the fruit of Non-returning, and passing away from there, was reborn in the Suddhāvāsa Brahma-world. The other elders, for one Buddha-interval, wandered in the realms of gods and humans, and were reborn in various families. ttā. One was born in the royal household in Takkasilā city in Gandhāra country, one was born in the womb of a wandering ascetic woman in a frontier country, one was born in a householder's home in Bāhiya country, one was born in a householder's home in Rājagaha. This Elder Dabba, however, took rebirth in the home of a certain Malla king in Anupiya city in Malla country. His mother passed away while pregnant. Her dead body was taken to the charnel ground, placed on a pyre, and set on fire. The abdominal wall, heated by the force of the fire, split in two. The boy, by the power of his merit, flew up and landed on a Dabba post. They took that boy and gave him to his grandmother. As she named him, because he had obtained life by falling on a Dabba post, she named him "Dabba." Therefore it is said, "Dabba is the name of that Elder." When he was seven years old, the Teacher, surrounded by the Sangha of bhikkhus, wandering in Malla country, reached Anupiya village and resided in the Anupiya Mango Grove. Dabba Kumāra, seeing the Teacher, was pleased at the very sight and desired to go forth, saying, "I will go forth in the presence of the Ten-Powered One," and he asked his grandmother. She said, "Good, my dear," and taking Dabba Kumāra, went to the Teacher and said, "Bhante, let this boy go forth." The Teacher gave a sign to a certain bhikkhu, "Bhikkhu, let this boy go forth." That elder, hearing the Teacher's words, as he was ordaining Dabba Kumāra, taught him the meditation on the five parts of the body. Being endowed with past causes and having made a resolution, at the very moment of the first lock of hair being shaved off, he was established in the fruit of stream-entry; as the second lock of hair was being shaved off, in the fruit of once-returning; as the third, in the fruit of non-returning; and the shaving off of all the hair and the realization of the fruit of arahantship happened neither before nor after. Regarding that, it is said, "It should be understood that the Elder, being only seven years old, having gained urgency, went forth and attained arahantship at the very edge of the razor." By the disciple, it is attained. It should be attained by that disciple by means of that support. "The three knowledges," etc., are stated as appropriate. "The aggregate of qualities" is stated to show the neuter gender connection of "whatever is to be attained by a disciple." "Because the sixteenfold task has been done by the four paths in the four truths": in the four truths, namely, suffering, origin, cessation, and the path, the sixteenfold task has been done by means of the four tasks for each path: the full understanding of suffering, the abandoning of the origin, the realization of cessation, and the development of the path. "Turning away from this and that": turning away from this and that task and object. "On a stone slab": on a rock surface. "All thirteen": all thirteen appointments are permissible to give, namely, the apportioner of meals, the receiver of lodgings, the treasurer, the receiver of robes, the divider of robes, the apportioner of gruel, the apportioner of fruits, the apportioner of snacks, the dispenser of trifles, the receiver of outer robes, the receiver of bowls, the sender of monastery workers, and the sender of novices. 382. "Apisū": here, "sū" is merely a particle, and the word "api" is used in an inappropriate place; it should be seen after "vikāle" (at an improper time), meaning, "they come even at an improper time." "Knowing": knowing the distance. "Thus in all places": here it should be understood that because agreements and arrangements are of various kinds, the rules of agreement, etc., are made to be recited separately in each monastery. And they say that having made the paths to all monasteries of equal measure, he establishes them. "This is the nature of those created": this is the nature of those created without restriction, "when one is speaking," etc. For those who are created without making a restriction by means of color, age, body parts, requisites, special actions, etc., because they are created without restriction, they are just like those with psychic power. Whatever the one with psychic power does in standing, sitting, etc., or in speaking, being silent, etc., they do exactly that. But if he wishes to make them of various kinds, some in the first age,