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Otherwise, it cannot be taken, because it is said, “the Great Hero on the full moon day.” Mahāvīra refers to the relics by way of honoring the Buddha. Jaṅghappamāṇa means “the height of the thūpa’s base,” they say. Cūḷodara and Mahodara were maternal uncle and nephew. Like the Buddha, while he was alive, the rays were like the rays of the sun, he sent the king’s written message, and thus spoke the verbal message. It is said to be twelve nāḷis, a doṇa-measure of Magadhanāḷi. The reading is “having cut in the defined place.” “Having turned the five rays from all directions” means five because they emerged from five fruits, but they were six-colored. “On the first day of the bright fortnight of Kattika” means on the first day of the bright fortnight. The families of Nāga, Yakkha, and other deities who surrounded the Mahābodhi site. Gopakā means king Those who do not make preparations for such deeds. Some name those families. Kalingas are those who carry water and so forth. Some say a family of noble birth in the Kalinga countries is a Kalinga family. "On the first day of the fortnight" means on the first day of the second Uposatha. Because the ocean was seen by those standing there, that place is Samuddasāla-vatthu. Sixteen families of noble birth, eight families of Brahmins and ministers. The Elder Mahāariṭṭha went forth at Cetiyagiri. "In the minister's residence" is said in terms of the present time. The Elder Mahinda, having been twelve years old, arrived at Tambapaṇṇidīpa; having stayed there for two years, he established the Vinaya; having been sixty-two years old, he attained final Nibbāna. "The Vinaya is for restraint" means the Vinaya Piṭaka, or its mastery. Knowledge and vision of things as they are is the comprehension of dependent mind-and-matter. If there is no review of the path and so forth, there is no intermediate Nibbāna or death for a trainee; it occurs only when there is. Therefore, it is said "knowledge and vision of liberation." "For the sake of Nibbāna without clinging" means for the sake of Nibbāna without clinging to any phenomenon, without leaving even a little remaining. "Upanisā" (proximate cause) is the sequence of causes beginning with "the Vinaya is for restraint." Having thus shown the accomplishment of one's own welfare, now, to show the accomplishment of others' welfare, it is said, "For this purpose, listening." Its meaning is: the application of others' ears, listening, to grasp one's own discourse on the Vinaya and counsel on the Vinaya. It should be understood that thereby, for those who have grasped the discourse and counsel on the Vinaya, their proximate cause, the aforementioned sequence of causes, is already established, and thus not shown again. Otherwise, since Nibbāna without clinging is included by the very statement "the proximate cause for this purpose," and since listening for this purpose is impossible after Nibbāna without clinging, the phrase "listening for this purpose" at the end would be meaningless; but it should be understood that it is not meaningless, as it is for showing the fundamental cause of the accomplishment of others' welfare. Thus, in whatever way, y Whatever, a word may arise here; That, that, in every way, the wise one should apply. The commentary on the external introductory story is finished. Commentary on the Pārājika The Verañja Section Commentary on the Verañja Section “At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Gabled Hall. And at that time, not far from Vesālī, there was a village called Kalandagāma.” If it is asked why the Verañja section begins when the Vinaya introduction should begin with this, it is said: to show the Vinaya introduction from the very beginning. If so, does it contradict the statement, “First, friend Upāli, where was the first pārājika laid down? In Vesālī”? It does not contradict. Why? For “where was it laid down?” is a question about the introduction. Even so, if asked, “What is the introduction to the first pārājika?” is it not improper to give a general great introduction? It is not improper, because the introduction to each and every training rule was asked, and it had to be answered, so he first gave the great general introduction. The pārājikas and so forth were certainly included in the order of question and answer. If it is asked how they were included, the venerable Mahākassapa questioned the entire Vinaya in sequence, and the venerable Upāli Thera, being questioned, answered continuously as far as possible. It should be understood that even those things not questioned, such as the Vinīta-vatthu and other relevant stories, were included in the order of answering, and thus they made the communal recitation. Otherwise, it would follow that the Verañja section is the introduction only to the first pārājika, or that it is irrelevant, or useless, or that after the question about the introduction to a particular training rule, only that should be answered. Therefore, to show the Vinaya introduction from the very beginning, “At that time…” and so forth was commenced. Now we will explain the purpose of reciting the introduction: the demonstration of the Blessed One’s worthiness to command, since the Vinaya is a command and instruction; the demonstration that the Vinaya, which is a command, does not pertain to any other domain; and the great power of the disciples who abide by the command. And there are three kinds of purpose for this. How? For the Blessed One is worthy of command and teaching, having abandoned defilements, having attained special qualities, being the eldest and best in the world, and having attained the state of 'suchness'. The Blessed One's attainment of 'suchness' should be understood as being unshaken by the eight grounds for abuse, such as lack of taste and form. His abandonment of defilements should be understood from the Pāli text that reveals the possibility of those eight grounds for abuse arising in oneself. His attainment of special qualities should be understood from the exposition of his attainment of the four jhānas and the three knowledges. His being the eldest and best in the world should be understood from the saying, "I do not see, O brahmin, in the world with its devas... ...his head would split," and "the eldest, the best of the world." And this is the purpose of revealing the Blessed One's worthiness of command. The saying, "Wait, Sāriputta, wait, Sāriputta, only the Tathāgata will know the time there," reveals that it is not within the scope of others. "It would be good, venerable sir, if I were to turn the earth over," and "In one day, venerable sir, I will create a hand," and "It would be good, venerable sir, if the entire community of bhikkhus were to go to Uttarakuru for alms" – by these three lion's roars of the elder, the great power of the disciples who stood by the command should be understood. If it is asked, "Why did the Blessed One then reside only in Verañjā, not having resided in Sāvatthī and other places?" It was for generating joy in the Naḷeru yakkha, for the bhikkhu community not to be wearied by alms, for generating faith in the Verañjā brahmin, because it was a place for revealing the power of the Elder Mahāmoggallāna, and because it was a place for the Elder Sāriputta's reflection, which was the cause for requesting the promulgation of the Vinaya. Among these, the last is the strongest reason. Therefore, it is said in the commentary, "By that time, that is, by the time when the venerable one... ...by that time." Among the first four uncollected reasons, by the first, the Blessed One generates respect for the bhikkhus by protecting the minds of non-humans through the development of loving-kindness and so on. By the second, by the attendant of the assembly... by the monk, thus the assembly should be gathered, thus one should be of few wishes and content, or so it shows. By the third, without craving for requisites, support for families should be given. By the fourth, even with such great power, one should not be greedy for requisites, but should merely live on what others give, so it shows. By the saying "Of the passage beginning with 'tena'... [etc.]... explanation of the meaning of the Vinaya," one is the passage beginning with 'tena', another is the Vinaya. "From the passage beginning with 'tena', what other Vinaya is here? Showing its meaning, he makes the Vinaya explanation." What? Was it not said before, "this is not the Buddha's own direct word," and so on? Therefore, showing the meaning of the passage beginning with 'tena', spoken by Thera Upāli, in various ways, I will make an explanation of the meaning of the Vinaya, which is the Buddha's own direct word. Thus, the meaning here should be understood. If so, does the saying "By whom was the Vinaya Piṭaka, whose introduction is adorned with words like 'At that time the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Verañjā,' held?" and so on, contradict the indication that the saying "At that time" and so on is included in the Vinaya Piṭaka? No, because that usage is established elsewhere too, as in "a man whose dwelling is adorned with various wall paintings," and so on. Because it is the beginning of the Vinaya, and was allowed by the compilers of the council, its inclusion in the Vinaya is also appropriate for that saying. Here it is said: Just as in the Suttanta, "at one time," and in the Abhidhamma, "at which time," is said indefinitely, why, without saying it thus, is the designation "at that time" said first here? It is said: Of each time a training rule was laid down, or of the time that was the cause for the laying down of a training rule, because the Blessed One dwelt there and there, and because that past time was well known to those masters who compiled the council. How? From the saying "Those monks who were of few wishes complained," and so on, "Then indeed those "The bhikkhus reported this matter to the Blessed One,"