English
She does not obtain even renunciation because, having crossed over to the abode of heretics, she has become incapable. Idaṃ odissa anuññātaṃ vaṭṭatīti This is permitted conditionally, it is allowable: even if there is a discharge from one side or both, because it is permitted conditionally, it is allowable. The rest here is easily understood from the Pāḷi and the commentary. The explanation of the allowance for the ordination of bhikkhunīs is finished. The explanation of the Bhikkhunī Khandhaka is finished. 11. The Pañcasatika Khandhaka The explanation of the story of the Saṅgīti (Council) 437. Pañcasatikakkhandhake In the Pañcasatika Khandhaka: Pāvāya Kusināranti (Dī. Ni. Aṭṭha. 2.231) Having wandered for alms in the city of Pāvā, "I will go to Kusinārā," he was on the road. Mandāravapupphaṃ gahetvāti Having taken a Mandārava flower: having placed a flower the size of a large bowl on his traveling staff, and holding it like an umbrella. Addasaṃ khoti "I saw indeed": I saw him from afar as he was coming. Disvā ca pana And having seen him, "I will ask him about the Buddha's news," he formed the thought. "But if I ask him while sitting, disrespect will be shown to the Teacher," so having risen, he moved away from where he was standing, and the Naga king, spewing forth, with a jeweled skin like a lion, donning the dust-heap robe of cloud-color, given by the Ten-Powered One, placing his joined hands, shining with ten nails, on his head, with reverence for the Teacher, facing the Ājīvaka, he said: “Friend, do you know our Teacher?” Did he ask, knowing the Teacher’s final passing, or not knowing? The knowledge of Arahants is bound to attention. Some say that since he had not attended, he asked, not knowing. The Elder, being much in attainments, always spent his time in night-quarters, day-quarters, caves, pavilions, and so on, only with the fruit of attainment. Even entering a village belonging to his family, he would enter attainment at the door, and having risen from attainment, he would receive alms. The Elder, it is said, did this thinking: “With this, my last existence, I will benefit the great multitude; may it be greatly fruitful for those who give me alms, or honor me with perfumes, garlands, and so on.” Therefore, due to being much in attainments, he did not know. Thus, they say he asked, not knowing, but that should not be accepted. For there is no reason here for not knowing. The Teacher’s final passing was marked by signs such as the trembling of ten thousand world-systems. But among the Elder’s company, some monks had seen the Blessed One before, and some had not. Those who had seen him before also wished to see him. And those who had not seen him before also wished to see him. Those who had not seen him before, out of a desire to see him, would go and ask, “Where is the Blessed One?” And hearing “He has passed away,” they would not be able to restrain themselves. They would cast off their robes, and either single-robed or ill-robed, they would beat their chests and weep. Then people would say, “These dust-heap wearers, who came with Mahākassapa, are weeping like women themselves; how can they console us?” They would attribute fault to me. But this is a desolate great forest; here, there is no fault in weeping however one wishes. And hearing it earlier, grief also becomes less. For the sake of the monks’ obtaining mindfulness. Knowing, he asked. "Today seven days since his final Nibbāna" means from today's day, counting backwards, on the seventh day he attained final Nibbāna. "From there, this is mine" means from that place of the ascetic Gotama's final Nibbāna. "Those not free from passion" means both ordinary people and stream-enterers and once-returners. Indeed, their sorrow is not abandoned, therefore they too, raising their arms, cry out, placing both hands on their heads, they weep. "They fall like something cut off" means a fall like that of things cut off is a 'severed fall', that 'severed fall', this is an adverbial neuter designation, the meaning is that they fall here and there as if cut in the middle. "They turn around" means they turn in a forward direction. Where they have fallen, from there, going a few ratanas' distance by turning, they again come back to the very place they fell, by turning. "They turn away" means where they have fallen, from there they turn back, the meaning is that they go, turning away from the fallen place to the other side. Moreover, turning forward is 'turning around', and turning to the side and backward is 'turning away'. Therefore, stretching out both feet, once forward, once backward, once to the left, once to the right, even while revolving completely, they are called 'turning around' and 'turning away'. "Those free from passion" means those whose sorrow is abandoned, due to their indifference to desirable and undesirable things, like stone pillars, non-returners and Arahants. Indeed, even when sorrow is absent, some passion may still exist, but when passion is absent, sorrow is simply impossible. Indeed, because of their oneness of state, those whose sorrow is abandoned are spoken of as having abandoned passion, not just Arahants. Among "by all dear ones" and so on: by dear ones, because they are to be loved, by pleasing ones, because they increase the mind's pleasure, such as mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and so on. "'Different state' means" a different state by birth, a separate state by going according to birth, the meaning is an unconnected state. "'Separation' means" separation by death, due to the non-recurrence of that existence through decease, the meaning is disjunction. "'Other state' means" an other state by existence, by taking another existence, such as "a sentient being of the sense-sphere becomes one of the form-sphere," and there too, "a human becomes a deva." ...by "tī" and so on, means a different state from the former state. "Tanti" means therefore. "Kutettha labbhā" means where, in what place, in this arising of aggregates, that which is born... (etc.)... "mā palujjī" can be obtained, it cannot be obtained because such a cause does not exist. This is what is said: Since there is separation from all dear and pleasing things, therefore, even after fulfilling the ten perfections, even after attaining enlightenment, even after setting the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, even after displaying the Twin Miracle, even after descending from the heavens, that which is born, arisen, conditioned, subject to decay—even the body of the Tathāgata—"mā palujjī" (may it not decay) is not a possible state. Even by weeping and crying, that cause cannot be obtained. Regarding what is to be said in "Tena kho panāvuso, subhaddo nāma vuḍḍhapabbajito" and so on, it is just as stated in the explanation of the origin (Sārattha. ṭī. 1. First Great Council Story). The explanation of the story of the origin of the Council is finished. Explanation of the Story of the Minor and Lesser Precepts 441. "Samūhaneyya" means if he wishes, he may abolish; if he desires, he may abolish. Why did the Blessed One not say definitively, "Samūhanatha" (you should abolish), but instead established it with a conditional statement, "ākaṅkhamāno samūhaneyya" (if he wishes, he may abolish)? Because of the seen power of Mahākassapa's knowledge. For the Blessed One saw, "Even if it is said 'Samūhanatha,' Kassapa will not abolish them at the time of the Council." Therefore, he established it with a conditional statement. If non-abolition was seen, and that was also desired, then why did the Blessed One say, "ākaṅkhamāno samūhanatu" (if he wishes, he may abolish)? According to the disposition of such individuals. For there are some who do not wish to live by observing the minor and lesser precepts; if it were not said in that way, vexation might arise in them, and that would be for their harm and suffering for a long time. But if it is said in that way, vexation would not arise in them, thinking, "This fault is ours, because some among us do not wish to abolish them." Some (say) "all..." They say that this was said to make this Dispensation dependent on the Sangha. Whatever training rule was laid down by the Teacher, the Sakyan recluses accepted it with their heads, and protected it as if it were their life. Indeed, even when it was said: "Let the Sangha, if it wishes, abolish the minor and lesser training rules," they did not abolish them. On the contrary, they protected them even more than before, even after his passing. Thus, it should be understood that this was also said to show the greatness of the Teacher's Dispensation and of the Sangha. Indeed, Venerable Ānanda and other bhikkhus did not ask: "Which, venerable sir, is minor, and which is lesser?" because they had no intention of abolishing them. Therefore, without abandoning even a single training rule, to show that all should be upheld, they said things like: "Except for the four pārājikas, the rest are minor and lesser." By speaking thus, since "these are the minor and lesser" was not precisely defined, it is shown that all should be upheld. 442. Here, regarding "Then Venerable Mahākassapa informed the Sangha," some say: "When King Milinda asked: 'Venerable Nāgasena, which is minor, and which is lesser?' since it was said: 'A dukkata, great king, is minor; a dubbhāsita is lesser,' (Mil. Pa. 4.2.1) Elder Nāgasena knew the minor and lesser. But Elder Mahākassapa, not knowing it, recited the kammavācā starting with 'Let the venerable sirs hear me.'" This should not be understood thus. Indeed, Elder Nāgasena, to cut off the arguments of others, took only the last category among those accepted by the great elders who compiled the Dhamma at the time of the Council, and made King Milinda understand. But Elder Mahākassapa recited the kammavācā thus because he did not wish to abolish even a single training rule. Here, they say "gihigatāni" means "connected with laypeople." "Gone among laypeople,"