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since the Rājagaha merchant raised and placed the bowl," "saying, 'If there is an Arahant, let him come through the air and take it!'" "Not even one, saying 'I am an Arahant,' has flown up into the air." "Today, the non-existence of Arahants in our world is known!" Hearing that talk, the venerable Mahāmoggallāna said to the venerable Piṇḍolabhāradvāja: "Have you heard, friend Bhāradvāja, their words?" "These people speak as if disparaging the Buddha's teaching." "And you are greatly mighty, of great power." "Go, take that bowl, going through the air!" "Friend Moggallāna, you are known as 'foremost among those with psychic power'." "You take it." "But if you do not take it, I will take it." Then the venerable Mahāmoggallāna said, "Take it, friend!" Thus they spoke, for the purpose of showing the world that it is not devoid of Arahants. "He circled Rājagaha three times"— he went around Rājagaha three times and circled it. Some also say "seven times." Indeed, the Elder, having entered the jhāna that is the basis for supernormal powers, and having arisen, cut off the flat rock, three gāvutas in size, at its edges, and lifted it into the air like a tuft of cotton, and circled above the city of Rājagaha seven times. He appeared like a lid for the city, which was three gāvutas in size. The city dwellers (thought), "The rock will crush us..." "He's coming to get it!" Frightened, they put their shoes on their heads and hid here and there. On the seventh round, the Elder broke the stone slab and revealed himself. The great crowd, seeing the Elder, said: "Venerable Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, hold your stone firmly, do not destroy us all!" The Elder kicked the stone with his toe and released it. It went and settled in its original place. The Elder stood on the roof of the rich man's house. Seeing him, the rich man prostrated himself and said, "Come down, master!" Having made the Elder, who had descended from the sky, sit, he took a bowl, filled it with the four sweet things, and gave it to the Elder. The Elder took the bowl and set off towards the monastery. Then, those who had gone to the forest and had not seen the miracle, gathered together and followed the Elder, saying, "Venerable sir, show us a miracle too!" He, showing them miracles, went to the monastery. The Teacher, hearing the loud noise of the great crowd following him and shouting, asked, "Ānanda, whose is this noise?" It was said by him, "The Blessed One heard... ...what then, Ānanda, is this loud, great noise?" Here, regarding "miracles of transformation are forbidden," transformation-power (vikubbaniddhi) is the power that arises through abandoning one's natural form and transforming it, as described: "He abandons his natural color and shows the color of a boy or the color of a nāga, or shows various arrays of armies" (Paṭisambhidāmagga 3.13). But the power of determination (adhiṭṭhāniddhi) is the power that is accomplished through determination, as described by dividing it: "Naturally one, he determines to be many, a hundred or a thousand or a hundred thousand; having determined, he resolves with knowledge, 'I will be many'" (Paṭisambhidāmagga 3.10, description of ten powers). 253-254. "Are not touched" means they are not well-contacted. "Filled with forms" means filled with forms of women and so on. "On ground-supports" means on ring-supports. "On wood-supports and stick-supports" means on supports made of a single piece of wood or on supports made of many sticks. Oh, made with three sticks, it is not proper. But having inverted it on the ground, and placed only one, here, by one who places two, it is said to be proper to place the bowl placed above touching the ground on one side. "Ālindakamiḍḍhikādi" means prominent supports. "Having turned over, it settles there" here, in the commentaries, it is said: "Having turned over, on the third turn, it settles there on the support." "Paribhaṇḍa" is called a thin support made outside the house for the stability of the wall's base. "Tanukamiḍḍhikā" means a small support. Even on a support, it is proper to place it on a stand. For it is said: "I allow, monks, a stand." Therefore, they say, it is proper to place a stand anywhere on supports, etc., and to place the bowl there, because the place for placing the stand is not fixed. "Pattamāḷa" is said in the commentaries to be made by enclosing a round or square area with bricks, etc., to prevent the bowls from rolling away. 255. "Ghaṭika" means a bolt fixed above. "It is proper to consume it temporarily" means it is proper to take it once, consume the food with it, and then discard it. "Ghaṭikaṭāha" means a bowl-shard. "Abhuṃ me" here: "Bhū" means 'to be', 'growth'. "Na bhū" means 'not to be', 'no growth'. But out of fear, that woman said "abhuṃ", meaning "destruction for me." "Chavasīsassa patta" means a bowl made of a skull. This is a genitive case in the sense of a natural transformation relationship, or this usage is by way of metaphor for distinction, even when there is no distinction, as in "the body of a stone statue," etc. "Cabbetvā" means having eaten. "Having taken one mouthful of water" means having lifted the bowl with the left hand, and taken a mouthful with the mouth. "With a hand soiled with food" means with a hand with food on it. "Ettāvatā" means by merely taking one mouthful. "Luñcitvā" means having extracted the meat from it. In all these cases, whether one knows the rule or not, it is an offense. 256. "With fermented flour" means with flour fermented for liquor. "They tie them up against the wind, making them into mats and so on," it is said in the commentaries. "Bidalaka" is a term for a specific action, that of doubling. Doubling of what? Of that large, stiff mat which has been spread out. For that should be gathered at the edges to the size of a stick-mat and doubled. "Paṭiggaha" means a finger-stall. 257-259. "Pāti" is a type of vessel made in the shape of a receiver. "It is not suitable" means it is not enough. 260-262. "To build with a low foundation" means to build with a low foundation all around the outer wall. "Arahaṭaghaṭiyanta" is a machine shaped like a cartwheel, with pots tied to its spokes, which is turned by one or two people. 263. "Āviddhapakkhapāsaka" means a side-railing placed all around the central circle. "In the circle" means in the central circle. "Having placed the side-railings" means having placed the side-railing planks all around. 264. "Namataka is like a spread-out mat," it is said in the commentaries. "It should be used by way of a piece of hide" means it should be used without formal designation. "These are included here" means they are included within the "maḷorikā" itself. Formerly, a stand was allowed for protecting the bowl; now, for eating. 265. "It should be overturned" means it should be overturned with a formal declaration of overturning the bowl, for the purpose of not accepting the offering given by him, not by placing it face down. Therefore it is said, "And thus, monks, it should be overturned," and so on. "For non-gain" means for the non-gain of the four requisites. "For disadvantage" means for trouble, for non-growth. 266. "We shall propitiate" means we shall entreat. "He said this" means, thinking, "I have done something improper, but the Blessed One, without considering even great faults, will accept my transgression," he said this statement, "My transgression, venerable sir," and so on. There, "accaya" means a transgression, an offense, because it goes beyond and proceeds past proper conduct. "It has come upon me" means it has proceeded, overcoming and overpowering me. By a person having crushed and overcome, even if it has occurred, the offense is, in essence, having overcome and occurred beyond the person. "May you accept" means "may you forgive." "For future restraint" means for the sake of restraint in the future, for not committing such an offense, a fault, a slip, again. "Certainly" means "undoubtedly." "You make amends according to the Dhamma" means you do just as the Dhamma stands, it is said, "you ask for forgiveness." "That we accept from you" means we forgive that offense of yours. "This is growth, friend Vaḍḍha, in the Ariyan discipline" means this, friend Vaḍḍha, is called growth in the Ariyan discipline, in the teaching of the Buddha, the Blessed One. What is it? Seeing an offense as an offense, making amends according to the Dhamma, and undertaking future restraint. But making the teaching personal, he said, "Whoever, seeing an offense as an offense, makes amends according to the Dhamma, undertakes future restraint." 268. In the story of Prince Bodhi (Ma. Ni. Aṭṭha. 2.324 ff.), "Kokanada" means a lotus, and that auspicious palace was made to display a viewing lotus, therefore it obtained the designation "Kokanada." "Up to the last plank of the staircase" here, "the last plank of the staircase" refers to the first plank of the staircase, because it was covered with cloth at the very end. Indeed, the staircase was covered starting from the upper plank. "He saw" means he stood at the gateway for the purpose of looking and saw. The Blessed One remained silent, reflecting, "For what purpose has the prince made this great offering?" and he understood that it was made for the desire for a son. For that prince was childless. And he had heard, "Indeed, those who make an offering to the Buddhas obtain what they wish for in their minds." So he made a wish, "If I obtain a son, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One will step on this cloth strip. If I do not obtain one, he will not step on it," and he had it spread. Then the Blessed One, reflecting, "Will a son indeed be born to him?" [and he knew, "No, not] will not be born.” He had seen. Formerly, it is said, he lived on an island, and ate bird chicks with a like mind. If his wife were meritorious, she would obtain a son. But by both of them, with like minds, evil karma had been done, therefore he knew