English
In "thinking of harm," etc., the meaning should be understood thus: "For I..." thinking, "It is an affliction, a weariness of body and speech, to teach this excellent Dhamma, even if well-propagated, to people who do not understand it." Thus, having this perception of affliction, I did not speak, I did not wish to speak. But now, those endowed with causes, let them open the vessel of their faith; I will fulfill their resolve. Commentary on the Story of the Group of Five 10. Āḷāra was his name. Kālāma was his clan. "Knowledge arose in the Blessed One"—did it arise only now? Were not all phenomena, temporal and timeless, seen in all aspects at the foot of the Bodhi tree? It is true they were seen, yet they were not conceptualized by name and so forth, due to the momentary nature of omniscience. For it is not possible to conceptualize the infinite individual divisions of all phenomena, such as their names and classes, with a single mind, because conflicting conceptualizations cannot arise simultaneously. But it is possible for him to see phenomena that are worthy of all conceptualizations. However, regarding what has been seen, a conceptualization arises concerning the desired aspect, like a mental image seen by eye-consciousness. Here too, immediately after attention, knowledge of all aspects arose concerning Āḷāra. And not only that, but also that the group of five would be the first to know the Dhamma, and the deities led by them, and that Āḷāra, having died, was reborn in the sphere of nothingness, and Udaka in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception—all such knowledge arose. But to show the rarity of the opportune moment, it is stated as if knowledge arose after looking in sequence and being told by a deity. For, being bound by the flow of words, even what is known by one knowledge appears as if known in sequence when spoken. And the deity also reported to the Blessed One what was already known by him. Therefore, it should be understood that "knowledge arose in the Blessed One" was said. Similarly, in other such instances, where it is said, "Looking over the world, he saw so-and-so; what will happen if I go there?" and so forth, which occur to show the Teacher's benevolence. In all places where the sequence of words is evident Even by one knowledge the entire understanding should be known. "Indeed, the group of five are of great help to me" this was said with reference to their helpfulness being present, and not as a reason for teaching the Dhamma, since it is taught even to those who are not helpful. 11. "Between Gaya and between Bodhi" means in the place three leagues between Gaya and Bodhi. "All-overcoming" means standing, having overcome all phenomena of the three realms. "Unstained" means unstained by the defilement-stain. Therefore, "all-abandoning." "Liberated by the destruction of craving" means liberated by way of making Nibbana, the destruction of craving, an object. Thus, having known all phenomena by oneself. "Whom should I point to?" Whom else should I point to as "This is my teacher"? "The city of Kasi" means Varanasi. "I shall strike" means I will strike. "Drum of Immortality" is said of the Teacher's Dhamma teaching, because it proclaims the attainment of Immortality, meaning "I go to beat the drum of Immortality." "You are worthy, Infinite Conqueror" means it is fitting to be an Infinite Conqueror. He is infinite and a conqueror due to infinite knowledge, or by infinite knowledge, or having conquered infinite defilements, or having conquered the infinite Nibbana by being free from arising and passing away, having crushed the enemies of defilements, he is also an Infinite Conqueror. "It might be so" means it could be so. The intention is that such a jewel of a physical body should be with such knowledge. Indeed, this statement became a condition for the attainment of path and fruit for that person, who was endowed with supporting conditions, and who later, having experienced suffering, approached the Buddha and went forth. Thus, the Blessed One himself walked the path on foot to meet him. 12. "Given to abundance" means abundant in requisites. "Deviated from exertion" means fallen away from exertion, from difficult practice. "There is no household life here" means the homeless state, which is not beneficial to the household, such as farming and cattle-rearing, is renunciation, that is the homeless state. "They go forth" means they approach. "That unsurpassed" means that unsurpassed. "The culmination of the holy life" means the culmination of the path of holy life, meaning the fruit of arahantship. Indeed, for that purpose, sons of good families... They do not go. In this visible state, in this present existence. They lie down, not dependent on others. Having realized by direct knowledge, having made it manifest by one's own knowledge. Having attained. By a difficult posture. In "higher than human states," etc., it means capable of making one noble, able to be noble, higher than human states, higher than worldly knowledge. A distinction of knowledge and vision refers to the preliminary stage of omniscience. Is it not? This was spoken, meaning, this is such a kind of statement. And they, having gained mindfulness in one word, thinking, "If he had said 'I am an Arahant' during the period of striving, and we had believed him, but he did not say it then. Now, however, he speaks of an existing quality," abandoned the address "friend" and said, "No, venerable sir." Another mind means a mind for the attainment of Arahantship. 13. Ends means two parts, two divisions. In sensual pleasures, the devotion to sensual pleasure, means the experience of the pleasure of defilement in material sensual objects. Or, it should be understood that defilement-sensual pleasures are called "sensual pleasure" because of their clinging to the pleasure of bait. Lowly means belonging to villagers. Devotion to self-mortification means the devotion to one's own torment, such as the suffering of lying on thorns. Both ends: it should be understood that as stated, greed or eternalism is one end, and hatred or annihilationism is the other. In "making vision," etc., it means it makes the eye of knowledge associated with oneself, thus "making vision." The second is a synonym for the same. Calming means the calming of defilements. Direct knowledge and full enlightenment are just the penetration of the four noble truths. Nibbāna is the unconditioned element. It praises the path as conducive even to these. Right view is knowledge. Right intention is thought. The rest is easily understood from the Dhamma. 14. Having thus shown all four paths together, now, to show the four noble truths to be penetrated by these paths, he said, "This, monks, is..." In "birth is suffering," etc., it refers to beings being born in various existences. First of all, the arising of material and immaterial phenomena here is called birth; and that, being the basis for suffering and the like, which are found in various existences, is suffering. Similarly, in old age and the like, suffering should be understood as being the basis for suffering. The five aggregates of clinging, however, are suffering in the sense of inherent suffering, suffering due to change, and suffering due to conditioned states. "Leading to renewed existence" means the making of renewed existence, "renewed existence" by elision of the latter part of the compound; "renewed existence is its nature" is "leading to renewed existence." Here, "accompanied by delight and lust": "delights in, cherishes material forms and the like" is delight (nandī); that very delight is lust (rāga), hence "delight-lust." This is a description emphasizing the state of being; the meaning is "having delight-lust." Accompanied by that, they are "accompanied by delight and lust." "There and there" means "in this and that existence." Craving for sensual pleasures is that which arises through the enjoyment of sensual pleasures in the six objects such as material forms. Craving for existence is that which arises together with the view of eternalism. Craving for non-existence is that which arises together with the view of annihilationism. "The complete fading away and cessation" and so on refers to Nibbāna itself. There, "fading away" is going away, dispassion. "Ceasing" is cessation. By both, a complete going away is meant. The fading away and cessation of all craving, by which it happens, that is the complete fading away and cessation, Nibbāna itself. And because, relying on that, they abandon craving and the cycle of existence, relinquish, are liberated, and do not cling, therefore it is called relinquishment, giving up, liberation, non-attachment. 15. "Eye" and so on are synonyms for knowledge. 16. "As long as" means for how long a time. "Three-fold round" refers to the knowledge and vision of the three rounds, namely, the knowledge of the truth, the knowledge of the task, and the knowledge of accomplishment. And here, "This is the noble truth of suffering, this is the origin of suffering" – thus, the knowledge of things as they truly are concerning the four truths is called the knowledge of the truth. Regarding these same truths, "It is to be fully understood, to be abandoned, to be realized, to be developed" – thus, the knowledge of the task to be done is called the knowledge of the task. "It has been fully understood, abandoned, realized, developed" – thus, the knowledge of the accomplishment of that task is called the knowledge of accomplishment. D "Twelve aspects" means the twelve aspects by way of three aspects each in each of those very truths. "I have fully awakened" (I declared) means "I have attained arahantship" – thus I did not declare. "And since" means from the time of sitting at the root of the Bodhi tree. "Then I" means thereafter I. "And my knowledge" speaks with reference to the knowledge of reviewing. "My unshakeable" and so on shows the manner of its occurrence.