English
having received a meditation subject from the elder, striving and exerting himself, while still unordained, became a stream-enterer. Having received higher ordination, thinking: "Lay followers also become stream-enterers, I too am a stream-enterer, what is there to mind here?", having developed insight for the sake of the higher paths, within that very rains retreat, he became one with six supernormal powers and made his invitation for purification. By the seeing of the Noble Truths, the Dhamma-body of the Blessed One is said to be seen. And this was said: "Indeed, Vakkali, whoever sees the Dhamma, sees me" (Samyutta Nikaya 3.87). Therefore, for him, the seeing of the Dhamma-body was already accomplished. However, after the invitation, he desired to see the physical body. The meaning of the words beginning with "Pāsādika" (pleasing) is stated in the commentary itself. Therein, "visūkāyikavipphanditāna" means: the waverings of views and mind that are opposing. "Pāsādika" means (Udana Commentary 10) or the thirty-two marks of a great man... Inspiring delight in every respect for people intent on seeing his physical body, by the perfection of his own bodily radiance, which is entirely pleasing, adorned with eighty minor marks, a fathom-long aura, and a garland of light. "Pasādanīya" means: by the perfection of his Dhamma-body, endowed with immeasurable groups of qualities such as the ten powers, the four kinds of intrepidity, the six extraordinary knowledges, and the eighteen unique Buddha-qualities, it is delightful, worthy of delight, or inspiring delight for those who examine it. "Santindriya" means: with the five faculties calmed, by the absence of craving for the five faculties beginning with the eye. "Santamānasa" means: with the mind calmed, by the sixth faculty, the mind-faculty, having attained the state of non-attachment. "Anuppattaṃ uttamadamathasamathaṃ" means: having attained and reached the highest taming and calming, which is called supramundane wisdom-liberation and mind-liberation. "Danta" means: tamed in body, by perfectly pure bodily conduct, due to the absence of agitation of hands and feet, and the absence of running about, etc. "Gutta" means: guarded in speech, by perfectly pure verbal conduct, due to the absence of meaningless speech, and the absence of shouting, etc. "Yatindriya" means: restrained in faculties, by means of the mind-faculty, due to perfectly pure mental conduct, and the absence of unconcerned, unreflecting equanimity through the practice of noble psychic power. "Nāga" means: a Nāga, for these reasons: not going by way of desire, etc.; the non-return, the non-coming back, of abandoned defilements like lust, etc.; not doing any offense to anyone in any way; and not going to renewed existence. Here, by "pāsādika" (pleasing), it indicates the Bhagavan's being a standard by his physical body; by "pasādanīya" (delightful), by his Dhamma-body. By "santindriya" (calm-facultied), etc., it indicates his being a standard by the remaining qualities. Therefore, it should be understood that the Bhagavan's being a standard for beings in the world's abode of four standards is revealed without remainder. "Ekavihāra" means: in one perfumed hut. For here, "vihāra" (abode) is intended to mean "gandhakuṭi" (perfumed hut). "Vatthu" means: to dwell. 258. "Having spent in the open air" (Udāna Commentary 46) means: having spent by sitting in the open air. "Since the Bhagavan... Some say that the Blessed One, showing hospitality to the venerable Soṇa by entering attainments, entered all the attainments common to disciples, in direct and reverse order, and spent much of the night sitting in the open air. Then, having washed his feet, he entered the monastery. Therefore, the venerable Soṇa, understanding the Buddha's intention, likewise entered all those attainments, spent much of the night sitting in the open air, and having washed his feet, entered the monastery. And having entered, being permitted by the Blessed One, even having made his robe a screen, he spent the night sitting at the Buddha's feet. "Ajjhesi" means commanded. "Let the Dhamma appear to you, bhikkhu, to be spoken" means, bhikkhu, let the Dhamma appear to you to be spoken, let the door of knowledge come forth, speak the Dhamma as you have heard it, as you have learned it, is the meaning. "All the Aṭṭhakavaggika" means the sixteen suttas, such as the Kāmasutta (Mahāni. 1), which belong to the Aṭṭhakavagga. "Spoke with a voice" means spoke with the voice of reciting suttas, meaning he recited in a chanting manner. "At the end of the chanting" means at the end of the recitation. "Well-grasped" means properly learned. "Well-attended to" means well-kept in mind. Some, even having properly learned at the time of learning, later, at the time of attending to it through recitation etc., either incorrectly insert syllables or distort words, but not this one. By him, however, they were well-kept in mind just as they were learned. Therefore it is said, "well-attended to means well-kept in mind." "Well-pondered" means well-pondered even in meaning. For when the meaning is well-pondered, one can recite the Pāli correctly. "Endowed with a beautiful voice" means endowed with a refined voice, with well-rounded words and syllables, spoken according to the rules of loose and firm sounds, etc. "Clear" means liberated. By this, his liberated speech is shown. "Without impediment" means 'ela' is called a fault, that which does not flow forth is 'anelagalā', meaning it is faultless. Or else, without impediment... Alāyā means without attachment, without greed, without clinging, meaning without fault, with unblemished words and phrases, with uncorrupted words and phrases. For the Blessed One placed him at the forefront, saying, “Among my bhikkhu disciples who are good speakers, foremost is Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa.” For the understanding of the meaning, meaning capable of making the intended meaning known. How many years old? It is said that he was in the third part of middle age, and he appeared well-mannered, like one who had been ordained for a long time. Some say the Blessed One asked him with reference to that, but that is not the reason. Rather, the Teacher asked him, “How many years old are you?” to inquire, “If this is so, you are fit to experience the bliss of concentration; why have you been negligent for so long?” That is why he said, “Why, bhikkhu, did you delay so long?” There, “why” means for what reason. “Did you delay so long” means you lingered for so long; for what reason did you not undertake ordination for such a long time, and instead lived in a household? “I have seen you for a long time” means I have seen you after a long time. In sensual pleasures, meaning in material sensual pleasures and defiling sensual pleasures. Danger means fault. Moreover, even if I saw the danger in sensual pleasures in some way, I was not able to leave the household life then. Why? The household life is confining, the state of a householder is overwhelmed by various duties and tasks. That is why he said, “Full of duties, full of tasks.” Having understood this meaning, the mind of one who truly sees the danger in sensual pleasures, even after delaying, does not plunge into household life; rather, it turns away, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. Having understood this meaning in all aspects, he uttered this solemn utterance. Knowing perfectly well the arising and ceasing, he never delights in the arising and its causes. This solemn utterance, which illuminates this meaning, he uttered. There, “having seen the danger in the world” means having seen the danger, the fault, in the entire conditioned world, such as “impermanent, suffering, subject to change,” with the eye of wisdom. By this insight, Misconduct is spoken of. Having known the Dhamma without substrata, having truly known the Nibbāna-Dhamma without substrata due to the relinquishing of all substrata, having penetrated it with path-knowledge, by its nature of escape, detachment, the unconditioned, the deathless. The causal meaning of these words "having seen, having known" should be understood, as in "having drunk ghee, there is strength; having seen a lion, there is fear; having seen with wisdom, his defilements are destroyed" and so on. The Noble One does not delight in evil. Because he is far from defilements, the noble good person does not delight in even the slightest evil. Why? "He does not delight in evil, being pure." Because of his very pure bodily conduct and so on, the pure, clean person, like a royal swan in a place of excretion, does not delight in evil, in defiling things, nor does he rejoice in them. There is also the reading "The evil one does not delight in purity." Its meaning is: the evil person does not delight in purity, in blameless, cleansing things; on the contrary, like village pigs and so on, he delights only in the impure, defiling things, like a place of excretion. Thus, the teaching is reversed by way of contrast. The explanation of the story of Soṇakuṭikaṇṇa is finished. 259. "Kāḷasīho" means a species of black-faced monkey. The rest here is easily understood from the Pāli and the commentary. The explanation of the chapter on leather is finished. 6. The Chapter on Medicines Explanation of the story of the five medicines and so on 261. In the chapter on medicines, "they do not cover" means they do not give rise to liking. 262. "Susukā" is a species of fish found in the sea. They also call them crocodiles. "Saṃsaṭṭha" means filtered. "By the use of oil" is said with reference to a seven-day period of use. 263. "Piṭṭhehi" means with ground substances. "Ubbhida" is that which is made of saline earth and mud. 264. "Chakaṇa" means cow dung. "Pākatikacuṇṇa" means unboiled astringent powder. They say that everything is permissible except fragrant powder. 265. "Suvaṇṇageruka" means golden ochre and so on.