English
Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. In the Vinaya Piṭaka Vimativinodanī-ṭīkā (First Part) Introduction to the Work With a heart full of compassion, the Fortunate One, the giver of benefit; Having bowed to the Stainless Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, rich in virtues. The commentaries were skillful, those on the Vinaya Aṭṭhakathā; Made by earlier ones, many, filled with various interpretations. Among them, some were too extensive, difficult to grasp in their meaning; And erroneous in their meaning, and in their wording, in some places. Some were incomplete in places, some were confusing; Therefore, taking from them, the essence in a concise form. Revealing the hidden meaning, and purifying the errors; And clarifying the presented method, here and there. To cut off doubt in the Vinaya, for monks of quick understanding; I shall write concisely, a commentary on its hidden meaning. Explanation of the Introduction to the Work At the beginning of the commentary on the Vinaya, wishing to pay homage to the Triple Gem, and to show its excellent qualities, he says, "Who for tens of millions of aeons..." For it is by excellent qualities that one is worthy of veneration, and veneration paid to those worthy of veneration accomplishes the desired purpose. And here, the teachers explain in many ways the purpose of paying homage to the Triple Gem at the beginning of the commentary, but we shall show only the purpose intended here. Therefore, it should be understood that the purpose of paying homage to the Triple Gem at the beginning of the commentary is for the uninterrupted completion of the commentary as promised. Thus it is said, "By its power, obstacles are removed." For by paying homage to the Triple Gem, due to the removal of defilements like lust, due to the sharpness of qualities like wisdom, due to the increase of life and so on, and due to the abundance of merit and so on, there is indeed an uninterrupted completion of the commentary as promised. There, first, wishing to pay homage to the Blessed One, he says, "Who for tens of millions of aeons... and to her." And since this teaching of the Vinaya arose from wisdom primarily characterized by compassion, the praise primarily characterized by compassion is undertaken. For this is The nature of conduct, which is praise according to the undertaking. And here, by taking compassion, all the immeasurable qualities of the Buddha are to be understood as included by principle, because it is the root of the other Buddha qualities. There, "who" in this indefinite statement is connected with "protector." "An immeasurable time, even by crores of aeons" means a time that cannot be measured by counting crores of aeons, saying "so many crores of aeons." By the word "even," it shows it is more so by counting years. And "an immeasurable time" is a phrase used in the sense of continuous connection. Therefore, even if it cannot be delimited by counting crores of aeons, but because it is to be delimited by incalculable aeons, it refers to the four incalculable aeon-periods, during which, continuously and without interruption, performing the extremely difficult deeds such as the five great renunciations, he attained weariness and physical exhaustion. "For the welfare of the world" means for the welfare of the world of beings. "He protects" means protector, meaning he wishes for the welfare and happiness of those to be trained. Or, "he protects" means he afflicts the defilements in those to be trained. Or, "he protects" means he requests, or even urges, those to be trained to do what is beneficial for themselves, thus he is a protector. It is said he is the refuge of the world, the master of the world, the leader of the world. "Of the Greatly Compassionate One" means he who, with a heart trembling with compassion, for the welfare of the world, by performing extremely difficult deeds, having experienced many kinds of such suffering, has come, of such a Greatly Compassionate One. There, "it scatters" means compassion, meaning it scatters or removes the suffering of others. Or, "it is scattered or spread among the suffering" means compassion. Or, "it harms" means compassion, meaning when there is suffering of others, it harms or obstructs the compassionate one, or it destroys the suffering of others. Or, "when there is suffering of others, it causes trembling and heart-grief in good people" means compassion. Or, "kam" means happiness, "it obstructs that" means compassion. Indeed, this, characterized by the wish to remove the suffering of others, obstructs and hinders the happiness of compassionate ones due to their disregard for their own happiness. One engaged in compassion is compassionate, a great compassionate one is greatly compassionate, homage to him. "Is" is the remaining part of the text. Thus, having praised the Blessed One with all the qualities of omniscience in brief, with a compassionate face, now to praise the Good Dhamma, he says "asambudhaṃ" and so on. There, the meaning is: "Homage to that excellent Dhamma, which is served by the Buddhas, by which the living world goes from existence to non-existence, being unenlightened." Here, "asambudhaṃ" means "not understanding," that is, "not penetrating according to its true nature." The suffix "anta" here has the meaning of cause. "Yaṃ" refers to the nine supramundane Dhammas, including the Pariyatti, which are indicated as the object of action. "Buddhanisevitaṃ" is an adjective of that same Dhamma, meaning "served by the Sammāsambuddha," or by Paccekabuddhas and Sāvakabuddhas, appropriately, through the service of their range and the service of cultivation, meaning "not abandoned." There, the Pariyatti, the Fruits, and Nibbāna are served only through the service of their range. The Path, however, is served both through the service of cultivation and through the service of their range, such as the knowledge of review. "Bhavābhavanti" means "from existence to non-existence." Or it means "small and great existence" in terms of inferiority and superiority. The letter "a" is also seen in the sense of "growth," as in "asekhā dhammā" (Dhamma Saṅgaṇī, Tikamātikā 11). Or "bhava" means growth, "abhava" means decline. Or "bhava" means eternalism, "abhava" means annihilationism. Existence and non-existence of the kind mentioned are "bhavābhava," that "bhavābhavaṃ." "Gacchati" means "approaches." "Jīvaloko" means "the world of living beings." "Avijjādikilesajālaviddhaṃsino" is an adjective of the Dhamma. There, "avijjā" means "not knowing," "not understanding the true nature of phenomena," "ignorance." "Sā ādi yesaṃ" means "that which has ignorance as its origin," referring to craving and so on. "Teyeva kilissanti etehi sattāti kilesā" means "these are defilements because beings are tormented by them." "Teyeva ca sattānaṃ vibādhanaṭṭhena jālasadisāti jālaṃ" means "and these are like a net because they hinder beings." "Taṃ viddhaṃseti sabbaso vināseti sīlenāti avijjādikilesajālaviddhaṃsī" means "that which completely destroys that net of defilements, beginning with ignorance, by its nature," and "tassa" means "of that." If it is asked, "Here, the nine supramundane Dhammas, including the Pariyatti, are intended, and among them, only the Path destroys defilements, not the others, is it not so?" It is said: "The Path also destroys defilements by means of Nibbāna." Nibbāna too, destroys defilements, it is said. The path's work of destroying defilements is completed by the fruit. So the fruit is also called "destroyer of defilements." And the teaching (pariyatti-dhamma) is a decisive support for the destruction of defilements. Thus, it is fitting to call it "destroyer of defilements." There is no fault in this. "To that excellent Dhamma" is a specifying word for what was previously unspecified. Therein, practicing as instructed, it upholds one from falling into the four lower realms and the suffering of transmigration. Thus it is Dhamma. The Dhamma of the kind mentioned, by its own superior nature, is excellent, supreme, unsurpassed. Thus it is "excellent Dhamma." The meaning is, "Homage be to that excellent Dhamma." Thus, having praised the True Dhamma with all its qualities in a concise manner, now, to praise the Noble Sangha, he says "with qualities," and so on. Therein, "I bow to that Noble Sangha, which is endowed with qualities," is the connection. Here, qualities like morality (sīla) are intended, both mundane and supramundane. Where "liberation and knowledge of liberation" should be said, "knowledge of liberation" is said by way of synecdoche. Or, the inclusion of liberation should be understood by the word "etc." or "beginning with." Therein, liberation is the fruit. Knowledge of liberation is the reviewing knowledge. By the word "beginning with," qualities such as the six supernormal powers and the four analytical knowledges are to be understood as included. Because it is like a field for the abundant growth of merit for people seeking welfare, he says "a field for people seeking welfare." For a field indeed protects the sown seed by making it bear great fruit. Here, "Noble Sangha" means noble because they are far from defilements. They do not proceed wrongly, but proceed rightly. They are to be approached by the world with its devas as a refuge. And for those who approach, their purpose is achieved. Thus they are noble. The eight noble individuals, the assembly of the noble ones, is the Noble Sangha. To that Noble Sangha. Now, having directed the stream of merit generated by homage to the Triple Gem to the intended purpose, and by showing that the Vinaya, which is being expounded by oneself, is the root of the entire Dispensation, he... To show that even the act of description has its roots in the Dispensation, he speaks these two verses beginning with "thus, thus..." "Flood of merit" means a torrent of merit, a stream of merit, a heap of merit.