English
For this was said: "These two conditions, monks, are for the arising of right view: the voice of another, and internal wise attention." Udaka was his name, but being the son of Rāma, he was Rāmaputta. "Abhidosakālakato" means passed away at midnight. "Knowledge arose in the Blessed One too": Here too, the Blessed One, without making a conclusion based on the words spoken by the deity, looking with his Omniscient Knowledge, "Yesterday, having passed away at midnight, Udaka Rāmaputta was reborn in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception," he saw, therefore it was said thus. The rest is just like before. "Bahūpakārā" means of great help. "They attended to his striving": They attended to his state of being sent for striving, by sweeping the monastery at his dwelling place, by following him with bowl and robe, by offering face-water and tooth-sticks, and so on. Who, then, were these called the group of five? Those who were – Rāma, Dhaja, Lakkhaṇa, and Mantī; Koṇḍañña, and Bhoja, Suyāma, Sudatta; These were then the eight brahmins; Possessing the six-fold knowledge, they interpreted the signs. At the time of the Bodhisatta's birth, there were eight brahmins who received the dream and received the signs. Among them, three interpreted in two ways: "Possessed of these marks, if he dwells in a home, he will be a king." or a Wheel-turning Monarch, or a Buddha if he renounces the world.” Five brahmins were definite in their declaration: “One endowed with these marks will not remain in a household; he will surely be a Buddha.” Among them, the first three followed the mantra-text. These, indeed, acting in accordance with the Vedic words which are called marks and mantras, were unable to determine the two destinies as "not otherwise," as stated, and so they acted as stated, they did not anticipate the Great Man's attainment of Buddhahood. But these five, Koṇḍañña and others, having definitely resolved “He will certainly be a Buddha,” transcended the mantra-text. They distributed the gifts of satisfaction they had received to their relatives, saying, “This Great Man will not dwell in a household; he will definitely be a Buddha.” Being free from doubt, they renounced the world and became ascetics for the Bodhisatta’s sake. Some say they were his sons, but this is rejected in the commentary. These, it is said, knew many mantras even when they were young. Therefore, people appointed them as brahmin teachers. They, thinking, “Later, it will not be possible for us to renounce the world after cutting off the ties of sons and wives,” renounced the world while still young, and wandered about, enjoying pleasant abodes. From time to time, they would ask, “Has the Great Man, sirs, made the Great Renunciation?” People would say, “Where will you see the Great Man? He enjoys prosperity like a god amidst various entertainments in the three palaces.” Hearing this, they thought, “The Great Man’s wisdom is not yet mature,” and they remained unconcerned. Why did the Blessed One say here, “The group of five ascetics were very helpful to me”? Does he teach the Dhamma only to those who are helpful, and not to those who are not helpful? No, he does not not teach. For it was through acquaintance that he looked upon Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta. But in this Buddha-field, apart from Aññāsikoṇḍañña, there was no one else capable of realizing the Dhamma first. Why? Because of such a supporting condition dependent. Formerly, it is said, at the time of doing merit, there were two brothers. And they cultivated crops together. There, the elder thought: "In one crop, I must give the best of the crop nine times." So, at the time of sowing, he gave the best of the seeds. At the time of the embryo-crop, he consulted with the younger brother: "At the time of the embryo-crop, I will split the embryo and give it." The younger brother said: "You want to destroy the young crop!" The elder, knowing the younger brother's disagreement, divided the field. From his own share, he split the embryo, extracted the milk, mixed it with ghee and molasses, and gave it. At the time of parched rice, he made parched rice and gave it. At the time of reaping, the best of the reaping. At the time of making bundles, the best of the bundles. After tying the bundles according to a man's load, at the time of making sheaves, the best of the sheaves. In the threshing floor, on the day of placing the sheaves, the best of the threshing floor. After threshing, on the day of piling the rice, the best of the threshing floor produce. In the granary, on the day of putting in the grain, the best of the granary. Thus, in one crop, he gave the best offering nine times. The younger brother, however, gave it on the day of taking the grain from the threshing floor. Of these, the elder became Aṅñāsikoṇḍañña Thera. The younger brother became Subhadda the wanderer. Thus, because of giving the nine best offerings in one crop, apart from the Thera, there was no one else capable of realizing the Dhamma first. "Because of giving the nine best offerings" —this was said because it occurred in the course of the disciple's perfections, which were practiced in accordance with his aspiration to be foremost among those who have long experienced the Dhamma. For the merit or demerit performed by all three Bodhisattas when their respective perfections reached their peak has a very weighty result. And without realizing the Dhamma first of all, how could the pre-eminence among those who have long experienced the Dhamma be achieved? "The group of five ascetics are very helpful to me" —this was said merely out of remembrance of their help. "In Isipatana, the Deer Park" —in that place, it is said, before the Buddha arose, Paccekabuddhas, after spending seven days in the attainment of cessation on the Gandhamādana mountain, Having finished, having risen from cessation, having chewed a nāgalatā tooth-stick, having washed their face in Lake Anotatta, having taken their bowl and robe, having come through the air, they alight. There, having put on their robes, having wandered for alms in the city, having finished their meal, even at the time of going, they rise up from that very place and go. Thus, because ascetics alight and rise up here, that place came to be called "Isipatana." But because it was given for the safety of deer, it is called "Migadāya." Therefore it is said: "in Isipatana, the Deer Park." Other Buddhas, going to teach the Dhamma for the first time, having gone through the air, alight there. But our Blessed One, having seen the potential of Upaka the Ājīvaka, and having known: "Upaka has entered this path, he will see me, converse, and go, then, having become disenchanted, he will come back and realize arahantship" — he went the eighteen-yojana path on foot. Therefore it is said: "He set out on tour towards Bārāṇasī." 11. "Between Gayā and Bodhi" means in the space between Gayā and Bodhi, in a place three gāvutas apart. Indeed, Gayā is three gāvutas from the Bodhi-maṇḍa, Bārāṇasī is eighteen yojanas. Upaka, between the Bodhi-maṇḍa and Gayā, saw the Blessed One. But because it is connected with the word "antarā," the accusative case is used. And in such places, grammarians use only one word "antarā," as in "He goes between the village and the river." But it should be joined with the second word too. If not joined, the accusative case is not obtained. In the context of the genitive case, the accusative case is desired when joined with the word "antarā." Here, however, it is stated having been joined (with both). "Addhānamagga" (long journey path) means a path called a journey; the meaning is a long path. In the section on the time of journeying, from the statement "One should eat if one intends to go half a yojana" and so on, even half a yojana is a long journey path. But Gayā is three gāvutas from the Bodhi-maṇḍa. "Vippasannāni" (very clear/serene) means very clear/serene. Ind "Faculties" means the six sense faculties, including the mind. "Pure" means faultless. "Clean" is a synonym for that. Indeed, it is called "clean" because of its freedom from defilements, not because of its whiteness. Seeing this cleanliness, he understood the clarity of the faculties; indeed, that ascetic's wisdom was one that grasps the essential. "All-overcoming" means standing having overcome all phenomena of the three planes. "All-knowing" means I knew, I understood all phenomena of the four planes, because the veil of the knowable was entirely abandoned. "Unstained by all phenomena" means unstained by the defilement-stain of attachment, aversion, delusion, etc., in all phenomena of the three planes. "All-abandoning" means standing having abandoned all phenomena of the three planes. Even the wholesome and indeterminate, which are not to be abandoned, are considered abandoned because the defilements associated with them have been abandoned. "Liberated through the destruction of craving" means liberated by making the destruction of craving, Nibbāna, the object. "Having known by myself" means having known all phenomena of the four planes by myself. "Whom should I point out?" means whom else should I point out as "This is my teacher"? "I have no teacher" means I have no teacher in the supramundane doctrines. Indeed, even in mundane doctrines, there is no such attainment or instruction by others as that of the World-Protector; and in supramundane doctrines, there is not even a trace of it. "I have no counterpart" means there is no person who is my equal in virtues such as morality. "Perfectly Self-Enlightened" means self-enlightened in the Four Noble Truths by reason and method. "Cooled" means cooled by the extinguishing of all fires of defilement; extinguished because the defilements themselves are extinguished. "Kāsinapura" means a city in the Kasi country. "I will beat" means I will strike.