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B030107Vimativinodanī ṭīkā(dispel doubts re commentary)

English

is the responsibility of disciples. Buddhas, however, having laid down the training rules, and having taught the procedure for performing Uposatha and so forth, they dismiss (the assembly). They do not perform admonition, expulsion, and so on. For this reason, the Blessed One, without reciting the Pātimokkha in an impure assembly, sat silent the entire night. And the bhikkhus, knowing the Blessed One's intention, expelled the impure person outside. Therefore, it should be understood that for disciples too, performing Sangha acts like Uposatha and so on, knowing the assembly to be impure, is not proper without causing an obstacle to the holy life. "Sammukhasāvaka" (direct disciples) refers to the very last disciples who went forth (into homelessness) during the lifetime of the Buddhas, in their presence. To show the great excellence, the word "uḷāra" (excellent) is repeated again as "uḷāruḷāra" (very very excellent) in the sense of "from families of very great wealth and so on." By the word "and so on" (ādi-saddena), the inclusion of excellent, moderate, and not excellent (disciples) should be understood. The connection is: "Those last disciples will cause (the teaching) to disappear." Even when no training rule has been laid down, if the disciples were of the same caste and so on, they would not destroy the Blessed One's word, just like a text inherited by their family. But because no training rule was laid down, and these bhikkhus were not of the same caste and so on, therefore they would destroy (the teaching). To show this meaning, it was said: "Because they are of one name... (etc.) ... therefore they will harass each other." However, in the context of the long endurance (of the teaching), even with disciples of diverse castes and so on, the long continuance of the Dispensation is to be understood due to the completeness of the laying down of training rules. If so, why do not all Buddhas lay down training rules? And because the cause for the long continuance of the Dispensation is not merely the laying down of training rules, but also the possibility of individuals to be trained by disciples who will uphold the Dhamma-Vinaya in the future. Therefore, when such (individuals) exist, Buddhas lay down training rules; when they do not exist, (they do not). Thus, the complete laying down (of rules) is also an indication of the existence of those to be trained, that (continuance). The cause of the long duration of the Dispensation is to be understood as stated. In the Pāli phrase, "a Sangha of a thousand monks... ...admonishes," the Sangha limited by the number one thousand is "a thousand" (sahassa), as in "a thousand world-systems" (Dī. Ni. 2.18). The construction is "that Sangha of a thousand monks." Since the word "sahassa" (thousand) is singular, it should be "of a thousand monks" (bhikkhusahassassa), but the plural "being admonished" (ovadiyamānānaṃ) is used with reference to the individual members, so it should be understood. In "their minds were liberated from the defilements without clinging," "from the defilements" (āsavehi) is an instrumental case in the sense of agent. "Minds" (cittāni) is a nominative plural. "Were liberated" (vimucciṃsu) is in the passive voice. Therefore, the meaning here should be taken as: "the minds were liberated by the defilements, which were the agents, without grasping them as objects." Thus, it says, "for their minds," etc. Here too, "by which defilements" (yehi āsavehi) is an instrumental case in the sense of agent. "Were liberated" (vimucciṃsu) is in the passive voice. "Those" (te) are the defilements. "Those" (tāni) are the minds, and this is a plural of usage. "Were liberated" (vimucciṃsu) is in the active voice, meaning "they liberated." "Liberated without grasping" means "the defilements became free from those minds without grasping them as objects." Alternatively, "from the defilements" (āsavehi) is an ablative case, and "were liberated" (vimucciṃsu) is in the active voice. Therefore, the meaning to be taken is: "the minds became liberated without clinging to any conditioned phenomenon due to craving, etc." "Referring to the former statement" means referring to the statement "in a certain terrifying forest grove," that is, referring to that former statement. "Bhiṃsanakataṃ" (made terrifying) is the action or doing of terror or fear. Explaining the meaning as "in the act of terrifying," it says, "bhiṃsanakiriyāyā." "Bhiṃsano" (terrifying) is that which terrifies, and that is "bhiṃsanako" (terrifying). To express its state, it should be "bhiṃsanakattaṃ" (terrifyingness), but by dropping the "ta" syllable, it is stated thus. Explaining the meaning in another way, it says, "or alternatively," etc. "Of many beings" is the meaning of the word "yebhuyyena" (mostly). showing. And by that, even of the word "whoever," it shows that the meaning "whoever enters" should be taken in various ways, by way of expansion, because the meaning "whoever enters, among them the majority" is possible. "Conclusion" means the summation of the stated meaning in the presented context. This is the method of conclusion here – For indeed, Sāriputta, of the three Buddhas like Vipassī, due to the absence of individuals to be trained by way of scripture after their own Parinibbāna, there was weariness and lack of zeal in extensively laying down training rules for their benefit, and there was unweariness and eagerness in teaching the Dhamma for the production of the path and fruit for those trainable ones endowed with supporting conditions, by going even to terrifying forest groves and admonishing them mind to mind, but not in extensively teaching the Dhamma and Vinaya. This, Sāriputta, is indeed the cause, this is the reason, by which the holy life of the three Buddhas like Vipassī did not last long. "By way of generations of men" means the period of activity of men, by way of that, it means by way of men. The very last refers to one like Subhadda who was ordained on the day of Parinibbāna. "A hundred thousand and sixty thousand years" – this is stated starting from the birth of the Blessed One; it should be understood that if counted from the Enlightenment, it would be less. "Only two" means one while the Blessed One was alive, and one after his Parinibbāna, thus only two generations of men. 20-1. "By not reaching" means by not attaining. "What is the connection?" means what is the relation of this to the previous discourse. "What was said" means what was requested. "In which" means in transgressing qualities. "Of them" means of defilements like those pertaining to this present life. "Those" means transgressing qualities. "Family circle" means the family circle, because it revolves by way of grandfather, father, son, and so on. "Being worldly bait" means being worldly bait, because it is to be touched by defilements, having become included in the world. "By way of the summary of ordination" means by way of the introduction to ordination, such as the giving of the ten training rules. "This" means the non-doing of sexual intercourse and so on. "Strength" means training. The ability to define words. "Sañchavi" means a clean skin, natural skin, or beautiful skin. "Sesa" means showing the explanation of the remaining words. Now, explaining the meaning, it says, "This is below," and so on. There, the word "vā" is for emphasis. The word "hi" is for well-known fact, meaning "this indeed is below." Then, it explains the meaning of the word "satthā" as "at that time, the Teacher." "Ropetvā" means having made the sunken flesh in the incised area grow evenly. "Sake ācariyaketi" means in one's own teacherhood, or in the work of a teacher. "Vipulabhāvena" means in great abundance. "Ayoniso ummujjamānā" means engaging improperly, or understanding in a distorted way. "Rasena rasaṃ saṃsanditvā" means mixing blameworthy nature with blameless nature. "Uddhammaṃ ubbinayanti" means they destroy the exalted Dhamma and the exalted Vinaya, meaning they act in such a way that the Dhamma and Vinaya will be ruined. "Imasmiṃ attheti" means in this matter of the Sangha. "Pabhassaro" means shining by nature. "Evaṃnāmo evaṃgotto" means this venerable one is endowed with the name and lineage of a stream-enterer; this is called a stream-enterer, which is the natural connection. "Avinipātadhammo" - here, the word "dhamma" means nature, and that, in terms of meaning, is indeed the unwholesome nature like wrong view that throws one into the lower realms, so it says, "those natures," and so on. Now, to explain the meaning based on nature itself, it is said, "or falling away," and so on. "Niyato" means one whose aggregates are destined for final Nibbāna within the cycle of seven existences. The reason for this is stated as "bound for enlightenment." 22. "Anudhammatā" means the nature that conforms to the supramundane Dhamma. "Pavāraṇāsaṅgahaṃ datvā" means having given consent by saying, "We will invite on the coming full moon day," meaning having postponed the invitation. By this method, it is indicated that it is permissible to postpone the invitation for some reason. "Māgasirassa paṭhamadivase" is stated according to the lunar month, meaning on the day after the full moon of the latter Kattika month. "Phussamāsassa paṭhamadivase" - the same method applies here. And this example due to the immaturity of some to be trained, and after the month of Phussa, staying there for one, two, three, or four months, and completing the journey in the remaining months. "Ten thousand world-systems" - this is said with reference to devas and brahmās. Humans, however, are to be enlightened in this very world-system. But in other world-systems, in order to generate the desire for humans to arise in this world-system, having looked at infinite world-systems, they perform a miracle of instruction in accordance with that. In "Āyāma" (Let us go), the word "ā" is synonymous with "āgaccha" (come), so it means "come, let us go,"