Back to the library

B030103Sāratthadīpanī ṭīkā 3(manifest core meaning re annotation 3)

English

because it makes one noble, and because it leads to the attainment of noble fruits. It has eight factors such as right view. Or it is 'eight-factored' because it is just eight factors. It goes, killing defilements. Or it is sought by those who desire Nibbāna. Or it seeks Nibbāna itself, thus it is 'path'. In this way, the meaning of these, such as mindfulness foundations, should be understood. 'Stream-enterer' means one who has entered and reached the stream called the path, and stands there. This means one who has attained the fruit of stream-entry. 'One practicing for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry' is one who is practicing for the direct experience of the fruit of stream-entry, the first path-attainer, who is also called the eighth person. 'Once-returner' is one who is accustomed to returning to this world only once by way of rebirth, the second fruit-attainer. 'Non-returner' is one who is accustomed to not returning to the sense-sphere world by way of rebirth, the third fruit-attainer. As for the division of noble persons such as 'faith-follower', 'Dhamma-follower', 'one-seeded', and so on, that is just a distinction among them. The rest is as stated. 'Having understood this meaning' means having understood this meaning: the non-association with an immoral person who is like a dead corpse in one's own Dhamma and Vinaya. 'This solemn utterance' means he uttered this solemn utterance, which explains the reasons for being worthy or unworthy of association. 'There, it rains excessively on what is covered' means: having committed an offense and concealing it, one commits another new offense. And so, a rain of offenses, a rain of defilements, rains excessively. 'It does not rain excessively on what is open' means: one who has committed an offense, not concealing it but revealing it, making it known to fellow practitioners, rectifying it according to Dhamma and Vinaya, confessing it, rising up, does not commit another new offense. Therefore, for him, that open matter does not again rain a rain of offenses, a rain of defilements. And because this is so, therefore, one should reveal the concealed, covered offense. 'Thus it does not rain excessively on it' means, this being so, that offense, having committed... having thoroughly penetrated theiles of people, does not rain down defilements, does not wet them. Thus, being unrained upon by defilements, pure in conduct, and concentrated, having established insight, and contemplating, he gradually attains Nibbāna— this is the intention. Herein, the description of the eight wonderful things in this Dhamma and Discipline is finished. Description of the Discourse on the Worthiness of Reciting the Pātimokkha 386. Then the Blessed One thought: “Now an abscess has arisen in the community of bhikkhus; impure individuals come to the Uposatha. And the Tathāgata does not recite the Uposatha to an impure assembly. And if I do not recite it, the Uposatha of the community of bhikkhus will be broken. What if, from now on, I were to authorize the bhikkhus themselves to recite the Pātimokkha?” Having thought thus, he authorized the bhikkhus themselves to recite the Pātimokkha. Therefore it was said: “Then the Blessed One… …you should recite the Pātimokkha.” Therein, “nadānāhaṃ” means “na idāni ahaṃ” (not now I). “I will not perform the Uposatha, I will not recite the Pātimokkha”— the negative particle is connected to each phrase. The Pātimokkha is of two kinds: the Pātimokkha of injunction and the Pātimokkha of exhortation. Among these, that which begins with “Suṇātu me bhante” (Listen to me, venerable sirs) is the Pātimokkha of injunction. This is recited by disciples, not by Buddhas, and is recited every half-month. But these three verses: “Patience is the highest… …not doing any evil… …not abusing, not harming… …this is the teaching of the Buddhas” are called the Pātimokkha of exhortation. This is recited by Buddhas, not by disciples. They recite it even after the lapse of six years. For Buddhas of long life, this was the only Pātimokkha recitation during their lifetime. But for Buddhas of short life, it was only at the first enlightenment; thereafter, the other kind was recited, and that indeed by bhikkhus, not by Buddhas. Therefore, our Blessed One also, having recited this Pātimokkha of exhortation for about twenty years, and seeing this obstacle, did not recite it thereafter. “Aṭṭhānaṃ” means “it is not a proper occasion.” “Anavakāso” is a synonym for that. “Kāraṇañhi” (for the reason) Where the result stands, dependent on that for its existence, is called "place," thus it is also called "opportunity." "Yanti" is a reference to action. "And, monks, the Pātimokkha should not be heard by one who has an offense," and so on, is easily understood from the meaning of the words. What needs to be said here by way of determination has already been stated in the commentary. There, "before or after" means before or after the motion. Description of the account of the suspension of the Pātimokkha, both lawful and unlawful. 387. "Having taken both what is done and what is not done" means, for one for whom there is definitely both what is done and what is not done, having taken both of those. Description of the account of the suspension of the lawful Pātimokkha. 389. "The assembly rises" means, without having settled the matter in which the Pātimokkha was suspended, it rises due to some obstacle. 393. "He takes it back" means he takes it again, meaning he starts again with "the deed is not done" and so on. Description of the factors of self-appropriation. 398. "Self-appropriation" is the case that is to be taken up, to be grasped by oneself, in order to admonish another. Therefore, it is said, "desiring to purify the Dispensation," and so on. "Vassārattoti" means the rainy season. Description of the qualities to be reviewed by the admonisher. 399. "To reflect upon" means to examine. "Having cut off hindrances... etc. ...the attained mind of loving-kindness" by this, he shows the development of loving-kindness that has reached absorption. Therefore, it is said, "hatred overcome by way of suppression." Description of the qualities to be established by the admonisher. 400. "No internal fault" - here, the word "antara" (internal) is a synonym for "citta" (mind), so it says, "not being of a malicious mind." Description of matters connected with the admonisher and the admonished. 401. "Compassion" means the jhāna of compassion that has reached absorption. "Preliminary compassion" means compassion that proceeds by way of preparatory and access concentration. "Loving-kindness and preliminary loving-kindness" - here too, the same method applies. The rest here is easily understood. The description of the chapter on the suspension of the Pātimokkha is concluded. 10. The Chapter on Nuns. Description of the account of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī. 402. In the Chapter on Nuns, "residing among the Sakyans" means p going to the place where he was staying. In "Mahāpajāpati Gotamī," "Gotamī" is the clan name. On the day of her naming, the Brahmins who received honors, seeing her auspicious marks, declared: "If she bears a daughter, she will be the chief queen of a Wheel-turning Monarch. If she bears a son, he will be a Wheel-turning Monarch. In either case, her progeny will be great." Therefore, because of the greatness of her progeny, both sons and daughters, they named her "Mahāpajāpatī" (Great Progenitor). Here, however, it is stated as "Mahāpajāpati Gotamī," combining it with her clan name. "Where the Blessed One was, there she approached." The Blessed One, having gone to Kapilavatthu, first ordained Nanda. On the seventh day, Prince Rāhula. During the dispute over the water-receptacle, when the residents of both cities came out for battle, the Teacher went and appeased those kings, and taught the Attadaṇḍa Sutta. The kings were pleased and gave two hundred and fifty youths each. Those five hundred princes were ordained by the Teacher. Then their wives sent messages, causing them to become discontented. The Teacher, knowing that their discontent had arisen, took those five hundred young monks to Kuṇāla Lake, and sitting on the stone slab where he had previously sat in his Kuṇāla existence, he dispelled their discontent with the story of the Kuṇāla Jātaka, and established all of them in the fruit of stream-entry. Then, bringing them back to the Great Forest, he established them in the fruit of arahantship. To know their minds, their wives again sent messages. They sent back a reply: "We are incapable of household life." They thought: "Now it is not proper for us to go to another's house. We will go to Mahāpajāpati, get her permission for ordination, and then be ordained." So all five hundred approached Mahāpajāpati and said: "Lady, please permit our ordination." Mahāpajāpati, taking those women, approached the Blessed One. ...they also say that she approached when the king, under the white parasol, had attained final Nibbāna. "She departed" means she entered Kapilavatthu again. "Having stayed as long as he wished" means, observing the dispositions of beings to be awakened, he stayed according to their inclinations. "He set out on tour" means, gathering the great multitude, with supreme Buddha-splendor, with incomparable Buddha-grace, he set out on a leisurely tour. "With many Sakyan women" means, having taken the garb of a renunciant within the inner dwelling itself, dedicating it to the Ten-Powered One, and having made those five hundred Sakyan women also take the garb of a renunciant, with all those many Sakyan women. "She departed" means she undertook the journey. At the time of her undertaking the journey, the Sakyan and Koliyan kings provided golden palanquins, thinking: "These delicate royal women will not be able to go on foot." But they, thinking: "Disrespect is shown to the Teacher by those who go riding in vehicles," traversed the fifty-one yojana path