English
" There, the usage of the word (kālaṃ) should be understood in the sense of continuous association, as in "he studies for a month," "he wanders for a day," and so on. Although that time is measurable and knowable in terms of immeasurable eons, nevertheless, referring to its unknowability in terms of crores of eons, it is said, "a time immeasurable even by crores of eons." There, "kāla" (time) means "it drives," meaning it throws away, it destroys the lives of beings. (From the root) "Kala" meaning "to scatter/throw." There, "kappa" (eon) means it is merely conjectured, it is conceived by similes like the mustard seed mountain, it is not counted by human days, months, years, and so on. "Koṭi" (crore/end) means it is the end of the path of counting one, etc. Crores of eons are "kappakoṭiyo". That which is not measured even by these is "appameyyo" (immeasurable); that is "appameyyaṃ" (the immeasurable). "Karonto" (doing/making), because verbs have various meanings, means giving generosity, observing morality, departing from the mass of greed, understanding various doctrines concerning one's own welfare and others' welfare, striving and exerting with various efforts, forgiving various offenses of beings, verifying the truths of declaration, convention, and ultimate reality, resolving upon various benefits for beings, radiating loving-kindness to the entire world, and abandoning partiality, such as friend or foe, and being equanimous towards each being. "Having gone to weariness" (khedaṃ gato) means having gone (to weariness) in the sense of experiencing the vast suffering of samsara, which has infinite varieties, meaning having attained (it). For the suffering of samsara causes physical and mental happiness to become weary and fall away, therefore it is called "kheda" (weariness/exhaustion). "For the welfare of the world" - this is an illustration of the aforementioned cause, effect, and purpose, and some say it is an illustration of the cause of experiencing the suffering of samsara. “For the sufferings of birth and wandering, to reach the peace of Nibbāna, though long he wandered in saṃsāra, it was only out of compassion.” This statement is not correct. For the Blessed One did not experience the suffering of saṃsāra for the welfare of the world. Indeed, no one's experience of suffering brings benefit to the world. Rather, this shows the thirty kinds of perfections as the cause, and the fruit of the perfections, which is called 'being a protector'. As it is said: "Indeed, Ananda, by relying on me as a good friend, beings subject to birth are freed from birth," and so on. There, the Blessed One, by means of the aforementioned causes, sowed the seeds of wisdom for producing beings capable of being trained, and by the fruit of these causes, by their perfected faculties, he trained those beings whose capacity for training was fully developed, and freed them from the suffering of saṃsāra. This is the meaning. He did not in this way do anything to benefit the world through the suffering of saṃsāra. Therefore, the connection is: "doing extremely difficult things for the welfare of the world." By this interpretation, the attainment of the Bodhisatta's perfections, which are the cause and fruit of his being a protector, should be understood from the time of the very first Bodhisatta's arising. For the connection "who is a protector" is intended. For this meaning, the saying: “That very first thought that arose in you for awakening, you, O worshipper, dwelt in it for the sake of this world.” This statement is a proof. The nature of the first thought as a perfection should be proven by the simile of the arising of a tree from a sprout. Here it is asked: "Is the statement 'he became weary' meaningless, since the attainment of qualities is impossible in the aforementioned way?" No, it is for showing the state of not turning back in between. Having done difficult things, he indeed became weary, but it shows that he did not turn back, unable to endure weariness in between. Or it shows the Blessed One's ability to endure his own suffering, being desirous of removing the suffering of the world. “Whatever fault or excellence there may be, as long as I am, all the sufferings of all beings, all of them, at all times, for an eon, I awaken to them like a lotus.” Having such an intention, the ability to experience one's own suffering... 'Khedaṃ gato' means 'weary' or 'exhausted'. It means 'he has become weary of the body' or 'he has shown excessive meaning'. Or, it means 'he has become weary' or 'he has become familiar with activity'. This meaning is possible. Seeing a person engaged in activities like work, there are indeed people in the world who say, "He is weary of work, he is weary of beings." With this interpretation, "Nātho" (Lord) here means that the time when he attained the state of Lord, which was perfected through the attainment of Buddhahood, is shown. Some write, "Saying 'mahākāruṇikassa' (of the Greatly Compassionate One) shows that he is a Buddha." That does not seem good, because that term was also used during the Bodhisatta period. Therefore, it is shown that he, doing difficult things for such a long time, at the end, by the completion of the difficult perfections, attained the state of Lord, which is their fruit, and engaged in activity for the welfare of the world. This is the meaning indicated. Even when it is said, "Bodhiṃ gato" (attained enlightenment), the cause and effect are clearly shown. And homage is paid to the Lord who has attained Buddhahood, because of the presence of a specific word, not to a Bodhisatta. Even so, the Vinaya authority is intended here. And that lasts from the time of ordination until the time of death. Who would not attain the happiness that transcends this world and the next, by fulfilling only the very easy morality, which is for the benefit of oneself alone, with the intention of removing one's own suffering, for that very short period of time, being modest? Indeed, the teacher praises the quality by an indirect expression, that the Blessed One, with the intention of removing the suffering of all beings, doing so for an immeasurable time, even for crores of aeons, became weary of the extremely difficult and unpleasant task. Here, in "lokahitāya" (for the welfare of the world), "loko" (world) means that suffering is experienced here, or it is cut off by the suffering of birth, old age, and death. By this, it includes the world of beings and the world of birth. Therefore, it means the welfare of that world of beings, in this world and the next, or the welfare of those who have transcended the next world, whose aggregates of existence have been cut off, or the welfare in this world of birth, the world of space, which is called happiness in this visible existence. Compiling these, it is "lokassa" (of the world), "lokānaṃ" (of the worlds), or "loke" (in the world), making it a single part of the form, "lok" He is a protector, he says. A protector, because he is capable of teaching the Dhamma in accordance with the dispositions, latent tendencies, conduct, and inclinations of all beings, as in, "Monks, I will teach you the Dhamma... listen to it." He is a protector, because he protects by establishing training rules appropriate to the transgressions of monks, approaching them with compassion for their welfare in this life and the next. Or, in terms of suttas, he approaches the latent defilements of all beings with compassion and wisdom, and burns them away. Or, in terms of Abhidhamma, he examines those various formations in terms of characteristics like impermanence, and having approached and discerned his own defilements with wisdom, he burns them away. Thus, he is a protector because he burns away. He is a protector because of his sovereignty, being an unequalled person in the world of devas and humans, having an unhindered teaching of the Dhamma by anyone, and because of the manifestation of supreme mental mastery. He is to be known as a protector, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, because of his blessing, which is called gladdening, as in the saying, "He encouraged, exhorted, inspired, and gladdened with a Dhamma talk." Or, he is a protector because of his blessing, from the time of his aspiration, in the manner of "How, being freed, shall I free others?" All the qualities of a Buddha, such as the four kinds of confidence and the four analytical knowledges, should be connected with these four aspects of a protector, but they are not connected here for fear of excessive detail. Namo, in the ultimate sense, is the bowing of the mind, which is laden with reverence for the Buddha's qualities, and from the bowing of the mind arises the bowing of speech and body. "May it be for me" is connected with the remaining part of the text. Here, "of the Greatly Compassionate One," great compassion is compassion that is vast, because it encompasses all beings and arises from great enthusiasm. He is the Greatly Compassionate One, the Blessed One, because he is dedicated from the time of his aspiration until his entry into the city of Nibbana without remainder. Here, "of the Greatly Compassionate One" shows the aforementioned root cause. For one who is without compassion, indifferent to the suffering of others, even the mere aspiration for Buddhahood is considered too heavy a burden, and so he would not fulfill the immeasurable time and extremely difficult cause to become a protector. How will that which is unexplained, being the cause, effect, and purpose, do good for the world? Therefore, because it is the root of all virtues, extolling only the virtue of great compassion, he said, "Homage to the Greatly Compassionate One." By this much, the fruit is in accordance with the cause, the cause is in accordance with the fruit, the root is in accordance with both, the purpose is in accordance with all three— this meaning is shown. Thus, the wondrous person,