English
of a wise companion and a foolish companion. "Nipaka" means endowed with discerning wisdom. "Sādhuvihārī dhīra" means a well-dwelling wise one. "Having overcome manifest dangers and hidden dangers" means having overcome all dangers, such as lions and tigers, which are manifest dangers, and fear of lust, fear of hatred, and so on, which are hidden dangers. "They wandered alone" means: "This kingship is a great cause for heedlessness. What use is kingship to us?" Having abandoned the kingdom, they entered the great forest, took up the ascetic's renunciation, and wandered alone in the four postures. "The conduct of one alone is better" means: from the time of renunciation, for one delighting in solitude, the conduct of one alone is better. "There is no companionship in a fool" means: minor precepts, middle precepts, major precepts, ten topics of discourse, thirteen ascetic practices, insight knowledge, the four paths, the four fruits, the three knowledges, the six supernormal powers, and the deathless great Nibbāna— this is called companionship. That cannot be attained by relying on a fool. Thus, there is no companionship in a fool. "Mātaṅgo araññe mātaṅgaraññe" is a sandhi by vowel elision. "Mātaṅgarañño" is also a reading, meaning like a wild elephant. Since the word "mātaṅga" already expresses the state of being an elephant, the word "nāga" is for showing its greatness. Thus, it says: "Nāga is a term for greatness." Indeed, the word "nāga" is a synonym for great, as in "This is of the nāga, by the nāga, of the elephant with tusks like a plough-pole" and so on (Udāna 35). The commentary on the story of Dīghāvu is finished. Commentary on the story of Bālakaloṇaka's journey. 465. "Bālakaloṇakāragāma" is the name of the village of Upāli the householder. "He approached it" means: without inviting anyone, not even the Elder Dhammasenāpati Mahāmoggallāna, or any of the eighty great disciples, or even the Elder Ānanda, the treasurer of the Dhamma. He himself took his bowl and robe, like an elephant that has broken away from the herd... He approached alone, like a black lion escaped, like a cloud torn by the wind. Why did he approach? Because he saw the danger in the group, and a desire arose in him to see a monk living alone. Therefore, like one afflicted by cold desiring warmth, he approached. Or, that danger had been fully understood by the Blessed One long ago. He was not disgusted with the Teacher. But in that rainy season, some were not amenable to the Buddha's teaching. Therefore, going elsewhere was a means of taming those monks. Going towards Pālileyyaka, he went there to gladden the venerable Bhagu, who lived alone. When the Teacher had gone thus, five hundred monks said to the venerable Ānanda, "Friend Ānanda, the Teacher has gone alone. We will follow him." "Friends, when the Blessed One himself arranges his lodging, takes his bowl and robe, without informing his attendants, without consulting the community of monks, goes without a companion, then it is the Blessed One's intention to live alone. A disciple should act in accordance with the Teacher's intention. Therefore, the Blessed One should not be followed in these days." Thus he restrained them, and he himself did not follow. "By a Dhamma talk" means by a Dhamma talk connected with the advantages of solitude. The explanation of the story of the going to Bālakaloṇaka is finished. The explanation of the story of the going to Pācīnavaṃsadāya 466. "To Pācīnavaṃsadāya" means, why did he approach there? Just as for one who is hungry, there is delight in food; for one who is thirsty, in drink; for one touched by cold, in warmth; for one touched by heat, in cold; for one suffering, in happiness; even so, when the Blessed One was reflecting on the monks of Kosambī, who were living in discord, quarreling among themselves, and on those who were living in harmony, these three young men came into his mind. Then, desiring to help them, he approached, thinking, "This is a means of disciplining the monks of Kosambī by this gradual practice." "They dwell" means they dwell experiencing the taste of harmony. "The keeper of the grove" (Ma. Ni. Aṭṭha. 1. 325) The forest guard. He guards the forest by sitting at the appointed gate of the forest enclosed by a fence, so that people do not enter the forest wherever they wish, and take away flowers, fruits, gum, or other materials. Therefore, he is called a "grove guard." "They dwell desiring their own good" means they dwell being of a nature that desires their own welfare. For whoever, having gone forth in this Dispensation, still makes a living by the twenty-one improper livelihoods, such as medical work, messenger work, or going on errands, is not one who desires his own good. But whoever, having gone forth in this Dispensation, abandoning the twenty-one improper livelihoods, established in the fourfold purity of virtue, having learned the Buddha's word, having undertaken a suitable ascetic practice, having taken up a meditation subject according to his mental inclination among the thirty-eight objects, having abandoned the village, entered the forest, generated attainments, and wanders performing the work of insight, this one is one who desires his own good. And those three young men of good family were of such a nature. Therefore it is said, "They dwell desiring their own good." "Do not cause them discomfort" means he warned the Blessed One, "Do not cause them discomfort." For it occurred to him thus: "These young men of good family dwell in harmony. But in the place where some go, quarrels, disputes, and contentions arise. He wanders about like a fierce bull with sharp horns, pushing and shoving. And the going of two by one path does not happen. Perhaps this one, acting thus, might break the harmonious dwelling of these young men of good family. And this one is handsome, of golden complexion, and perhaps greedy for flavors. From the time he arrives, by praising the generous donors, his own supporters, and so on, he might break the heedful dwelling of these young men of good family. And the dwelling places of these young men of good family are fixed and limited: three leaf-huts, three walking paths, three day-rests, three couches and chairs. But this monk is large-bodied and perhaps will be older. He will make these young men of good family rise from their lodging at an improper time." then, in every way, this will be inconvenient for them.” Not wanting that, he stopped the Blessed One, saying, “Do not cause them inconvenience.” But did he stop him knowing or not knowing? Not knowing. For a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, when surrounded by thousands of bhikkhus, displaying the Buddha’s majesty with a fathom-wide aura, with eighty minor characteristics, and the glory of the thirty-two major characteristics of a Great Man, should be recognized without asking, “Who is this?” But at that time, the Blessed One, thinking, “Let no one know my Buddha-majesty,” with such a psychic power, covered all that Buddha-majesty as if with the folds of his robe, and like a full moon hidden by a cloud, he himself took his bowl and robe and went in an unknown guise. Thus, the park-keeper stopped him not knowing. “He said this”— The Elder, hearing the park-keeper’s words, “Do not, ascetic,” thought, “We three people dwell here, there is no other ascetic. And this park-keeper speaks as if with an ascetic. Who could it be?” Rising from his daytime resting place, he stood at the door, looking down the road, and saw the Blessed One. The Blessed One, too, as soon as the Elder saw him, released his bodily radiance; the fathom-wide aura, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, shone like a spread-out golden cloth. The Elder, thinking, “This park-keeper, like one stretching out a hand to grasp a hooded venomous snake by the neck, speaks with the foremost person in the world yet does not know him, he speaks as if with some ordinary bhikkhu,” stopped him and spoke these words, “Friend, park-keeper,” and so on. “He approached him”— Why did he approach the Blessed One without going out to meet him? This is what he thought: “We three people live in harmony. If I alone go out to meet him, it will not be a harmonious dwelling. I will go out to meet him taking my dear friends. And just as the Blessed One is dear to me, so too is he dear to my companions.” With them, he wishing to go forth to meet him, did not do so himself, but approached him. Some, however, say, "The path of the Buddha's coming was at the end of the walking path by the leaf-huts of those elders, therefore the elder went as if giving a sign to them." "Come forth!" means "Come here!" "He washed his feet" means he took water the color of jewels with his webbed hands, which resembled blooming lotuses, and poured it on his golden-colored insteps, then rubbed his feet together and washed them. "Does not dust and dirt adhere to the bodies of Buddhas? Why did he wash them?" For the sake of the body's comfort in the season, and for the delight of their minds. "The Buddha washed his feet with water brought by us, he made use of it!" By this strong joy, the minds of those monks were gladdened, therefore he washed them. "The Buddha said this to Venerable Anuruddha" means that he was the eldest among them, and when he was attended to, it was as if the others were attended to. Therefore, he addressed the elder alone with the words, "Are you well, Anuruddha?" Or, "Anuruddha" is said by way of ekasesa (ellipsis), as the ellipsis of dissimilar terms is also desired, and thus the plural designation is also justified. "Kacci" is a particle for asking. "Vo" is a possessive word. This is what is meant: "Are you well, Anuruddha? Is your posture comfortable? Are you getting by? Is your life going well? Are you not troubled by almsfood? Is almsfood easy for you to obtain? When people see you, do they think that gruel in a bowl or a spoonful of alms should be given?