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only the Dhamma of study is embraced, which is why it is said: "He teaches the Dhamma, beautiful in the beginning... he proclaims the holy life" (Dī. Ni. 1.190; Pārā. 1). This too is not understood by the ignorant, but is frequented only by the Buddhas, not frequented by others in the way of seeking pasture. As it is said: "Our Dhammas, Venerable Sir, have the Blessed One as their root, the Blessed One as their guide, the Blessed One as their refuge... having heard from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember them" (Saṃ. Ni. 2.146). In the third verse, although virtues and so on can be obtained as mundane and supramundane as appropriate, yet at the end, by the phrase "noble Sangha," the four aggregates of Dhamma, namely virtues and so on, are supramundane. Here, instead of saying "by virtue, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge of liberation, etc.," it is said "by knowledge of liberation, etc.," making a single word for the essence. Here, although liberation in the Sutta refers only to the fruit-states, yet by the statement: "Having arisen from the path, he reviews the path. He reviews the defilements that have been abandoned. He reviews the fruit. He reviews Nibbāna" (Paṭṭhā. 1.1.410), the knowledge of reviewing the path and so on should be understood as knowledge of liberation. For liberation, release, and destruction are essentially one. In "knowledge of destruction, knowledge of non-arising" (Dha. Sa. Dukamātikā 142; Dī. Ni. 3.304), destruction here means the path, and "destruction of lust, destruction of hatred" is a designation for the fruit and Nibbāna, as it is stated in the Sutta. The destruction of abandoned defilements is simply natural destruction. By the word "etc.," the three knowledges, the six supernormal powers, and the four analytical knowledges, thus The qualities of Māra and others are included. It is connected by way of possession and non-loss. The field of people who desire wholesome things, thus, from the Sutta, "the unsurpassed field of merit for the world," because it is the place for the growth of wholesome things, and according to the Suttanta method, because it is a supporting condition, the Sangha is indeed a field for wholesome things, not for people who desire wholesome things. Therefore, if it is said that it is not appropriate? No, because it is possible according to the meaning of the Sutta. For in the Sutta it is said, "the unsurpassed field of merit for the world" (Saṃ. Ni. 4.341). Whose world? The Sangha is a field for those who desire merit, because it is a support for merit, the Sangha is a field of merit, and it is called "for those who desire wholesome things." In the world, too, Devadatta's field, Yaññadatta's field, because it is a support for rice and barley, it is called a rice field and a barley field. "Noble Sangha" means noble because of the absence of defilements, pure for the noble ones, or having attained nobility, a Sangha because of being gathered together by commonality of virtue and view. Some write, "the word 'noble' excludes the conventional Sangha," that is not good, because it is distinguished by the grasping of the qualities of liberation and knowledge. "With the head" by this, indeed, he shows bodily prostration, yet, indicating the highest limb out of reverence for the qualities in the supreme Sangha, he says, "I bow with my head." The supremacy of the head, however, is to be understood because it is the support for the supreme sense faculties of eye and ear, and their supremacy is due to being the cause of the unsurpassed vision and unsurpassed hearing. Here it is said – a master of connection: "Introduction and word, meaning of the word and analysis of the word; Questions and answers, the explanation of the text is sixfold." – Why, without saying this, was the homage to the Triple Gem mentioned first? It is said – because of the practice of the virtuous. For this is the practice of good people, namely, the arrangement of homage to the Triple Gem at the beginning of an exposition. Therefore, it is done so that "we may not fall from the practice of the virtuous," and for one who wishes to expound the Vinaya Piṭaka, which is endowed with four profound aspects, like one entering the great ocean, even for one endowed with wisdom and skill, there is great fear. and this act of homage and worship, generated by recollecting the qualities of the Triple Gem, brings about the destruction of fear. As it is said, "Thus for those who recollect the Buddha," and so on (Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.249). Moreover, by the act of worshipping the Teacher, the author generates the recognition of the true Teacher, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, as the Teacher, for people who are devoted to a teacher who is not the true Teacher. He causes them to abandon the recognition of a non-teacher as the Teacher, and avoids the fault mentioned, "He takes the Dhamma and Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata as his own." Due to the many obstacles in the continuity of aggregates, and the unfinished commentary on the Vinaya, fearing the possible exhaustion of his own life, beauty, happiness, and strength, he aspires to the benefits mentioned in "For one who is respectful... life, beauty, happiness, strength" (Dhammapada 109), until the completion of the commentary. Moreover, here, the act of homage and worship to the Blessed Buddha generates enthusiasm for those who practice the Bodhisattva path, for the attainment of Perfect Self-Enlightenment. The act of worshipping the True Dhamma, whether of worldly and supramundane distinction, or only the supramundane, generates enthusiasm for those who practice the Paccekabuddha path, for the attainment of Paccekabuddha-hood. For they merely desire the penetration of the True Dhamma. The act of worshipping the Ultimate Saṅgha generates enthusiasm for those who practice the Disciple path, for the attainment of the state of the Ultimate Saṅgha, or for the satisfaction of the minds of those who hold such views that blessings, etc., are beneficial, free from obstacles, long-lasting, and highly esteemed. It performs the blessing praised by the Blessed One, "Worship of those worthy of worship." And it is said – The Blessed Buddha is a blessing, The Dhamma and Saṅgha are blessings; Such blessings are beneficial, They quickly succeed in every way. By the act of worshipping the Teacher, Many such qualities, Knowing that one obtains, One should be devoted to worshipping the Teacher. And here, because the Teacher is primary, the act of worshipping the Dhamma and Saṅgha should be understood as the act of worshipping the Teacher, both from the Dispensation and from the world. Therefore it is said – "The Teacher" is the Dhamma by the Well-Gone One was spoken. When the Teacher passed into Nibbāna, in the Suvatthi verses, the Sangha was also spoken of as "Tathāgata," because the Teacher is that. What more? Since the Teacher is the Dhamma-body, the Dhamma is considered the Teacher; And that Sangha, established in the Dhamma, attains the status of the Teacher. Indeed, there are those in the world who, without separately referring to a man standing with a sword in its sheath, say, "This one is standing with a sword." Therefore, the teacher also said: "Homage to the Buddha-gem, homage to you, Dhamma-gem; Homage to the Sangha-gem, the three gems united." Moreover, if "Buddha" is designated by the aggregate of the khandhas, which is the manifestation of the unsurpassed liberation, characterized by unhindered knowledge in all phenomena, then how much more is the Dhamma worthy of homage? And the Sangha, because it is said, "Give to the Sangha, Gotami; when you give to the Sangha, I will be honored, and the Sangha will be honored," indicates that it is a recipient. Or, the teacher, with great reverence, pays homage to the Sangha, saying, "I bow my head," because "the Dhamma, well-taught by the Buddha, has been brought down to the present day, without diminution, like oil poured into a golden vessel, through the lineage of teachers, thus reaching the ears of even those like us." Thus, they speak of many kinds of purposes for homage. But the purpose intended by the teacher himself is stated in the fourth verse, beginning with "Thus, exceedingly worthy of homage," and so on. Here, the word "iccevati" (thus) signifies the completion of the method of honoring the Triple Gem. If it were only that the Triple Gem deserves only the prescribed method of honoring, and not beyond that, then to avoid the undesirable implication, he says, "Thus, exceedingly worthy of homage." Here, "evam" (thus) indicates the method mentioned. By the method mentioned, or by another similar one, it means that it is exceedingly worthy of homage, not stopping for even a moment, but constantly, continuously, and regularly, doing so brings great benefit to the one who pays homage. Such a rare and great... And by its nature as a jewel, established, revering the Triple Gem, whatever stream of merit I obtained, I acquired. It purifies unwholesome defilement by the abandonment of its constituents, thus it is merit. By the calming of the fever of defilements, due to its coolness, it causes the mind to flow, thus it is a stream. And that is merit and a stream, thus a stream of merit, that stream of merit. But in the commentary, they say "greatness of merit," but the teacher says that meaning is not suitable because of "vast." Or else, the stream of merits is a stream of merit, that stream of merit. The root is "sanda" (to flow). Therefore, the meaning "a stream of merit, causing merit to flow" is suitable. And that is vast, not limited, as shown by the word "vast." The fifth verse: in which Vinaya Piṭaka, complete in both text and meaning, established by its operation among conscientious individuals, the entire threefold teaching is established in those very individuals. Whose teaching, if asked? Of the Bhagavat who is unestablished. For the Bhagavat,