Back to the library

B030205Khuddakanikāya (ṭīkā)(minor division sub commentary)

English

which was not crossed before, for non-recurrence, so it is said. This sutta is called "the sutta pertaining to penetration" because it functions as expounder and indicator in the section of penetration, in the sphere of the training-dhamma. Because it is to be said, "Only this much," it is said, "For one who is virtuous," etc. Ananda, for a virtuous person, the intention "How might remorse arise in me, how might it continue?" should not be made, should not be done. Ananda, that remorse which might arise or continue for a virtuous person, this is of remorse... is the nature of arising and coming into being. Ananda, a person free from remorse should not make the intention: "How might joy arise and come into being for me?" Ananda, for a person free from remorse, that joy should arise and come into being, this is the nature of joy's arising and coming into being. In the remaining cases too, the method of application should be understood according to this method of application. This Sutta too is called a Sutta leading to penetration. When the qualities conducive to enlightenment, which are conducive to the penetration of the nature of conditions, definitely appear and arise for the ardent one, who is endowed with right effort through the burning away of defilements, who is meditating, who is a brahmin, who has cast off evil, who is an arahant, at whatever time they appear. Or, the qualities, the qualities of the Four Noble Truths, appear, become manifest, become evident through realization. Or, at the time of their appearance, all doubts vanish, disappear, cease for that ardent one, meditating brahmin, arahant. Why? Because he knows, understands, penetrates the conditioned phenomena, which exist with a cause like ignorance, which are aggregates like formations, which are unmixed with pleasure, which are aggregates of suffering. Therefore, they vanish, disappear, cease. This Sutta is called a Sutta leading to penetration. In the second verse, however, because he knew, understood, penetrated the cessation of conditions, which is Nibbana, therefore all doubts vanish. This Sutta is a Sutta leading to penetration. Tissa, why are you angry? Do not be angry, Tissa. Your non-anger, not being angry, is better, excellent. Indeed, Tissa, is the holy life lived by you for the subduing of anger, conceit, and denigration? Thus spoke the Blessed One. When shall I see Nanda, who lives in the forest, who is a forest dweller, who wears rag-robes, who sustains himself with mixed food obtained through the effort of alms-round, standing in an unknown, unmarked sequence of houses, by gleaning? This is a sutta with penetrative insight. Gotama, What is it that having cut, having killed, one sleeps happily, not burned by the fever of anger? What is it that having cut, having killed, one grieves not, with sorrow destroyed by the destruction of anger? Gotama, the brahmin asks, the killing of what single thing do you praise? Brahmin, Having cut, having killed anger, one sleeps happily, not burned by the fever of anger. Having cut, having killed anger, one grieves not, with sorrow destroyed by the destruction of anger. The noble ones, the Buddhas and others, praise the killing of anger, which has a root like poison, is the root of suffering, has a sweet tip, and ends in pleasure. Indeed, it is true, having cut, having killed that anger, one sleeps, with sorrow destroyed by the destruction of anger. "Sweet-tipped" means that mental pleasure, the taste, is its tip, its end. This is how the compound "sweet-tipped" should be understood. For one who is angry, after reviling, abusing, and striking, a taste of mental pleasure arises at the end. This is a sutta with penetrative insight. Gotama, What should the wise one strike that has arisen? What should the wise one dispel that has been born? What should the wise one abandon? The deity asks, the realization of what dhamma is happiness for the wise one? Son of a deity, The wise one should strike anger that has arisen. The wise one should dispel lust that has been born. The wise one should abandon ignorance. The realization of the truth is happiness, said the Blessed One. This is a sutta with penetrative insight. 101. The Blessed One, pierced by a spear, from top to bottom, was wounded. Just as a man, struck by a spear, strives to remove the spear; just as a man, whose head is burning with fire, whose head is ablaze, strives to extinguish the fire; even so, a monk, burning with sensual passion, should wander and dwell, diligent, mindful, endowed with mindfulness, striving to abandon sensual passion, to suppress sensual passion. Thus spoke the deity. But the Blessed One, to show that "one strives for abandonment by cutting off," said, "Just as one struck by a spear," and so on. Devaputta, just as a man, struck by a spear, strives to remove the spear; just as a man, whose head is burning with fire, whose head is ablaze, strives to extinguish the fire; even so, a monk, overcome by identity view, should wander and dwell, diligent, mindful, endowed with mindfulness, striving to abandon identity view by the path, for abandonment by cutting off. Thus spoke the Blessed One. This is the explanation. This discourse is called a discourse leading to penetration. All accumulations of wealth end in decay, have decay as their culmination; all compounded things end in falling, have falling as their culmination; for all beings, life is impermanent because of death. Thus, a wise person, considering this fear, this cause of fear, this conventional death, should perform merits that bring happiness, merits that bring happiness in this life and the next, merits consisting of giving, virtue, and development. Thus spoke the deity. Devaputta, all accumulations of wealth end in decay, have decay as their culmination; all compounded things end in falling, have falling as their culmination; for all beings, life is impermanent because of death. Thus, a wise person, considering this fear, this cause of fear, this death, seeking peace, seeking Nibbāna, the calming of all formations, should abandon, should relinquish the world's bait, sensual pleasures. Thus spoke the Blessed One. This is the explanation. This discourse is called a discourse leading to penetration. Let not the mind of those sages here, whose meditation... Those who delight in meditation, those sages sleep happily, they do not grieve. The wise one, wise in the path, well-composed, with aroused energy, with mind directed, a person whose mind is sent to Nibbāna, crosses the difficult flood, the flood of existence. One who is detached from sense perceptions, whose mind is freed, who is an Arahant, who has transcended all fetters, who by the path of Arahantship has transcended all fetters, whose delight in existence is exhausted, such an Arahant does not sink in the deep ocean of existence—this is the meaning. Craving, called delight, and existence in the realms of sense-desire, form, and formlessness, these are delight in existence; the exhaustion of delight in existence for an Arahant— this is how the compound "nandibhavaparikkhīṇo" should be understood. This Sutta is called the Sutta of Penetration. The Dhamma of the Arahants, of the Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and their disciples, the Dhamma which is of the nature of good conduct and so forth, and of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, if a wise person, being faithful, being heedful for the attainment of Nibbāna, being discerning, were to be attentive, that wise person obtains wisdom, worldly and transcendental wisdom. The energetic person, who acts appropriately, without neglecting place, time, and so forth, who creates a suitable means for attaining worldly and transcendental Dhamma, who is diligent, with mental energy, not abandoning his burden, who is an achiever, endowed with physical energy, that energetic person finds wealth, worldly and transcendental wealth. By truth, by truthfulness of speech, and by ultimate truth, a good person established in the true Dhamma of the Buddhas and so forth, attains fame. Giving, giving whatever is desired, wished for, giving the four bases of sympathy, a good person gathers friends, acquires true friends. Thus, that good person, endowed with these four: truth, Dhamma, steadfastness, and generosity, having passed away from this world to the next, does not grieve, because there is absolutely no cause for sorrow—this is the meaning. Gotama, you are one whose every knot is abandoned, freed from the three existences, mindful, endowed with mindfulness, O ascetic, another, whether divine or human, and so forth— Whom do you instruct? What instruction do you give? That instruction is not good for you, the ascetic, who is free from all ties, released from the three existences. Thus Sakka, a yakkha of Māra’s faction, spoke in verse. Sakka, yakkha named Sakka, when a wise person lives together with a compassionate person, for any reason or cause, in one place, they should not fail to feel compassion in their mind for that compassionate person who lives with them; they should indeed feel compassion. The compassion, the pity, the sympathy, the loving-kindness, and the joy that arise— with that compassion, that pity, that sympathy, that loving-kindness, and that joy, with an encouraged and serene mind, when a wise and good person instructs another, be it a deva or human, that wise and good person is not connected by that instruction in a way that is unfavorable, due to the fetters of sensual desire and so on. Thus said the Blessed One. Ascetic, where do lust and hatred, these two things, originate? What is their source? What is their condition? Where do discontent, contentment, and horripilation, these three, arise from? Where do they come from? Just as children, having caught a crow, bind its leg with a long string, and wrapping the end of the string around a finger, they let it go; in the same way, where do mental thoughts arise from and let the mind go?