English
Therefore, it should be understood that the Blessed One thought thus, referring to their rebirth in an unsuitable condition for the teaching of the Dhamma, not referring to their passing away from this human world. And it is not our conjecture that it refers to their being unteachable by a Buddha; otherwise, there would be an undesirable implication, says the teacher. At the time of the Bodhisatta's birth, there were eight brahmins who interpreted dreams and examined marks. Among them, three made a twofold prediction: "Endowed with these marks, if he lives in a household, he will be a Wheel-turning Monarch; if he goes forth, he will be a Buddha." Five brahmins made a definite prediction: "He will not remain in a household; he will surely be a Buddha." Among them, the former three had reached the limit of their mantra knowledge. But these (five), surpassing the limit of mantra knowledge, having renounced the great merit they had gained, went forth earlier for the sake of the Bodhisatta. It is with reference to these that "the group of five" is said. Some also say "their sons," but that is rejected in the commentary. Why did the Blessed One think here, "Indeed, they were of great help to me"? Does he teach the Dhamma only to those who were helpful, and not to others? No, he does not not teach. The commentary's method is that it was said merely out of remembrance of their help. To show his own gratitude and appreciation, to praise gratitude and so on, to encourage others to be grateful and so on, and to prevent the implication of quick understanding. 11. "Between Gaya and Bodhi" means between Gaya and Bodhi, three leagues. in the middle place. From the Bodhi-maṇḍa to Gayā is three gāvutas. The city of Bārāṇasī is eighteen yojanas. Upaka, however, saw the Blessed One in the middle of the Bodhi-maṇḍa and Gayā. Because it is connected with the word ‘antarā’ the locative case is used. And in such places the grammarians use only one word ‘antarā’, which should be connected with the second word too. If not connected, the locative case is not obtained. Here, however, it is stated as connected. Having overcome all, means having overcome all phenomena of the three realms. In the destruction of craving, means in Nibbāna. Liberated, means liberated from the object. There is no opponent for me, means there is no opponent for me, the meaning is incomparable, or the meaning is there is no enemy person for me who is capable of standing in the world by pointing out a fault in my omniscience. I have beaten the drum of immortality, means I go to strike the drum of immortality for the attainment of the Dhamma-eye. You are worthy to be the endless victor, is the meaning. This too is his own teacher's name. It might be so, means friend, it might be so. He departed, means he went to the country called Vaṅkahāra. The Blessed One too, seeing his potential for attainment, that "he will become a non-returner after becoming weary of Cāpā, the daughter of that hunter there, and returning again," spoke with him. And he, having come back just so, and having gone forth, and having become a non-returner, in due course passed away and was reborn in the Aviha heavens and attained Arahantship. 12. They made an agreement. Strayed from exertion, means fallen away, deteriorated from exertion. "Do you acknowledge this statement?" and "the word spoken," the meaning is he made some such distinction in words. They wished to hear the Blessed One, means they desired to hear the words of the Blessed One. Having understood, means having known. 13. Then for what purpose did he address them? To acknowledge it even better, to demonstrate the difficulty and rarity of the Dhamma, and to prevent misinterpretation of words. There, d It refers to the two extremes, as others are included within them. Also, by way of explanation. Craving and ignorance are indeed the two defilements at the head of the cycle of existence. And these, being opposed to tranquility and insight, are called extremes. Among these, the fool, indulging in sensual pleasures due to craving, neglects tranquility. Similarly, one indulging in self-mortification due to ignorance neglects insight. Thus it is said: "It is not possible to attain the deathless without abandoning both these two extremes." Also, this is a teaching on abandoning sloth and agitation. For the slothful one, having abandoned the exertion of effort, indulges in sensual pleasure. The other, with excessive effort, indulges in self-mortification. Both of these, being opposed to the balance of effort, are called extremes. Also, three paths are taught in the Dispensation: the harsh, the withered, and the middle. Among these, the harsh path is like this: "He is a killer of living beings, there is no fault in sensual pleasures." The withered path is like this: "He is naked, he has a free-roaming conduct." The middle path is like this: "This is the Noble Eightfold Path." Among these, indulgence in sensual pleasures is called the harsh path, being the root of all unwholesome things. Indulgence in self-mortification is called the withered path, because it burns oneself. Both of these, being opposed to the middle path, are called extremes. Therefore, it refers to these two. Why did the Blessed One emphasize for monastics, saying "should not be practiced by a monastic," and not for householders? Because monastics are inclined towards that, are capable of abandoning pleasure, and are more advanced in that, monastics are emphasized here, not householders. If so, why did he speak of indulgence in sensual pleasures? Did they not, by their very nature, renounce sensual pleasures and go forth for liberation from them? No, because they are dependent on both extremes. For they, here in this world, desire purity through sensual pleasures, being devoted to self-mortification, and by the fruit of that very austerity, hoping for divine sensual pleasures in the next world, are to be understood as even more strongly devoted to indulgence in sensual pleasures. The meaning of "extreme" here is to be understood in the sense of "reprehensible." It is as in the saying, "This, monks, is the end of livelihoods, namely, alms-begging," and so on. And regarding "this devotion to the enjoyment of sensual pleasures in sensual things," here "sensual things" refers to the object-sensuality, and the second refers to defilement-sensuality. The pleasure associated with that is called "sensual pleasure." By this, the blamelessness of resultant pleasure is indicated. "Clinging" is delighting in that. "Devotion" is the aspiration for that devotion in future existences. It is "lowly" in the sense of being conducive to loss for the wholesome side, being cultivated by lowly individuals, and arising from lowly elements. It is "vulgar" in the sense of being the practice of ordinary people living in villages. It is "common" in the sense of being common to ordinary people. It is to be understood as "not noble" because it is not desired by the noble ones, it is opposed to the noble Dhamma, it makes one ignoble, it is an ignoble practice, and it is practiced by the ignoble. It is "unprofitable" because it brings the fear of transmigration, which is suffering, and because it produces unprofitable results. "Self-mortification" is merely bringing oneself to exhaustion. It arises by relying on a specific type of action, such as previous ascetic practices based on wrong views. Devotion to that based on wrong views is called "devotion to self-mortification." Because of the exhaustion from separation from the self, and because it proceeds without skill, when it is practiced, it leads to birth as animals, cows, dogs, and pigs. When it ripens, it leads to hell, hence it is "unprofitable." "These, however" means "these, indeed." By "the Tathāgata" he reveals his unerring arrival, and by this he shows, "These were not conceived by me merely by thinking, but I, the Tathāgata, have fully awakened to them with the knowledge of full enlightenment." By "making vision" and so on, he praises that very path. Like medicine for the sick, by "making vision," the purification of the eye of wisdom is spoken of. By "making knowledge," the dispelling of darkness is spoken of. By "for calm," the calming of the fever of defilements is spoken of. By "for direct knowledge," the penetration of the truths is spoken of. By "for full enlightenment," the full penetration of the truths is spoken of. By "for Nibbāna," the Nibbāna element with residue and without residue to the element of Nibbāna, thus it should be connected and explained as much as possible. 14. Why did the Blessed One, in this case, not give a gradual discourse as elsewhere, but first spoke of the two extremes that should not be practiced, and then taught the Middle Way? To prevent the misconception of self and the wrong path, he spoke of avoiding the two extremes. By showing his special attainments, he demonstrated his non-attachment and other qualities. To encourage them to follow the Middle Way, he later taught the right path. Then, to show the scope of that noble path, which is called the Middle Way, wishing to teach the Four Noble Truths in brief and in detail, he said, “This, monks, is suffering,” and so on. This is the connection here. “This is the Noble Truth of suffering, monks,” and so on, this sequence should be understood as explaining the connection of the Sutta. It is said that after hearing the path as stated, Koṇḍañña asked, “How can the path spoken by the Blessed One arise? For this path is possible only when defilements do not arise, not otherwise. And if defilements arise from craving, like hunger and thirst, then by practicing that, they would not arise, or their arising would be in that state. By practicing the opposite of that state, the torment of the body, they would not arise. Both of these were called ‘extremes’ by the Blessed One. Therefore, how can the arising of this right path be possible?