English
of the Nettippakaraṇa commentary, by defining it in another way.” There, it is said “the root of all teachings” because it is the root even of the teaching of study. By this, when the intended meaning is established even by the agentive case, the various corroborating statements are made to prevent any room for various doctrines. The qualities of the Dhamma, such as its well-proclaimed nature, are indicated by the word “supreme man” as a special describer of the teaching, or by their being of an illustrative nature, due to their inseparability. However, “of the supreme man” is said because of the expectation of the generator of the supreme teaching. And by that, the supreme person, the generator of the supreme teaching, is stated in the sense of being related to the expressed meaning. The special qualities, such as uncommon great compassion and omniscience, are indicated by the word “supreme” as a special describer of the man who is related to the generator, or by their being of an illustrative nature. Is that supreme man, the generator of the supreme teaching, merely a reality, or is he both worthy of veneration and worthy of homage? It is said: “whom the world… and pays homage,” by that, the supreme man, the generator of the supreme teaching, is not merely a reality, but rather, he is specially praised as being always and at all times worthy of veneration and worthy of homage by the world together with its guardians. And here, by the word denoting the intention of veneration and homage, or by veneration and homage By the word 'sāsana', the meaning of fruit-attainment, the state of being worthy of veneration reckoned as great merit, and the state of being worthy of homage reckoned as qualities like the knowledge of defilement's end, the basis of omniscience, these are explained by taking them as indicative meanings. Therefore, the commentator says: "The Blessed One's state of being worthy of veneration and homage by the world with its devas, and his state as the foremost person, when spoken of, indicates his excellence of qualities," and so on. Such an excellent teaching of such an excellent person, is it to be understood by just anyone? It is said: "by the wise." Therefore, the Tripiṭaka-holders, noble scholars, are taken as the direct meaning. But the Saṅgha's qualities, like good practice, are indicated either by the word 'vanda' or by the indicative meaning. Thus, referring to the Triple Gem's qualities so explained, it will be said: "Thus, having made an extensive exposition of the Triple Gem's qualities in the first verse," not in the entire meaning of the verse. There, "thus" should be understood as: "thus, by the first verse which manifests the excellent teaching." But other teachers, without properly considering the intended and unintended meanings, and the distinctions between direct and indicative meanings in this first verse, relying on the phrase: "Thus, having made an extensive exposition of the Triple Gem's qualities in the first verse," say: "he spoke 'yaṃ loko' etc." to make an extensive exposition of the Triple Gem's qualities, and "he spoke 'yaṃ loko' etc." while showing the extensive qualities of the Triple Gem. Their view is not acceptable to us. The reason, however, should be understood according to what I have stated below – this is the meaning of the connection according to the sequence of words. Or alternatively, once, having sat in the Jambu Grove, contemplating the welfare of his disciples, seeing the perfection of his own aspirations, praised by the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, Mahākaccāyana, approved by the Teacher, began the Netti-pakaraṇa, which pertains to the Dispensation, an explanation of the meaning of the nine-fold (scripture), of many kinds, such as the sixteen modes. Sir, he says, "That which the world..." and so on. If so, why, without commencing the sixteen 'hāra' and so on, which are of the nature of a guide and of the aforementioned kind, should he commence "That which the world..." and so on, which is outside the guide treatise? Just as if, asked about a mango, one should answer about a breadfruit, or asked about a breadfruit, one should answer about a mango, even so, commencing a guide treatise, he commences something else. Even so, desiring to explain the meaning of that excellent teaching, the guide treatise, which is the subject of that guide treatise, together with what is to be explained, or indeed that excellent teaching itself, showing it first, in order to define it by its generator and by those skilled in understanding it, and to illuminate the qualities of the Triple Gem, he says, "That which the world..." and so on. This is the connection of the text, including the hidden objection. "That which the world reveres, and the world-protector always bows to; That excellent teaching of the best of men, should be known by the wise." This stanza, composed by eliding a suppressed sound, is endowed with the characteristic of an 'ariyāsāmañña' metre. How? In the first half, thirty mātrās; in the second half, twenty-seven mātrās. Totalled, they are only fifty-seven mātrās. However, the letters in this stanza are thirty-seven. Of these, twenty are heavy letters, and seventeen are light letters. But "Tassetaṃ sāsanavaraṃ" with a nasalized sound is incorrect. Therein, the meaning of the exposition should be understood according to the commentaries. The entire world of beings, with its world-protector, always reverently, by recollecting the many qualities such as omniscience, or by worship that should be worshipped, or by the worship of practice, reveres and bows to that best of men, the Teacher, the foremost of the three worlds, who should be worshipped and bowed to. That excellent teaching, which is to be explained by me, or indeed to be explained itself, should be known by the wise. This excellent teaching, which is the object of subtle knowledge, placed by me in my intellect, is the subject of the guide treatise to be commenced by me. First, having shown what is to be known, I shall begin the Netti treatise, which is an explanation of its meaning. Good people, listen to it, pay attention to it. This is the combined construction. The individual construction must also be made. How? "The world with its protectors" is a construction in the sense of qualifier and qualified. The world, excluding its protectors, does not exist. Rather, it qualifies the world as being with its protectors. "The world worships and bows down" is a construction in the sense of agent-verb. Because it is said, "Whoever acts, that is the agent." Let the world that is the doer be the agent. How is the world that worships and bows down the agent? From the meaning of the Sutta, "Whoever acts, that is the agent," as "Whoever performs an action, whoever accomplishes an action, is the doer of the action," the doer of all actions like sleeping and eating is indeed the agent. And this world is indeed the doer of the actions of worship and bowing down. How is this world the doer of actions? By "world," even though it does not exist in ultimate reality as a designation of beings, what is to be understood is the mind-moment arising in the continuum, supported by the heart-base, which, according to circumstances, becomes the producing condition through causes, dominants, co-emergents, and so on. Thus, the agent-status of the world is to be understood. This is a construction in the sense of condition and conditioned. This method applies to such instances in all three Pitakas. "Whom the best of men worships and bows down" is a construction in the sense of object-verb. Because it is said, "Whatever one does, that is the object." Let what is to be done be the object. How is that which is worshipped and bowed down the object? From the meaning of the Sutta, "Whatever one does, that is the object," as "Whatever is connected with an action, what is to be connected with an action is the object," whatever is to be connected with all actions, such as those expressed by instrumental or dative cases, is indeed the object. And this best of men is indeed to be connected with the actions of worship and bowing down in the sense of being expressed or spoken of. How Is this "the best of men" to be spoken of? The best of men is to be spoken of by making him the object of the intention to worship and revere; intentions are the speakers, thus there is the state of speaker and spoken. By "that best of men," even though it does not exist in ultimate reality as a designation, the five aggregates, endowed with worldly and supramundane qualities, existing in a continuum, are spoken of as that which is to be designated; that is a condition by way of object, and intention is the conditioned; thus the connection is made by way of condition and conditioned. This is the method in such instances in all three Piṭakas. "Of that best of men" is to be connected by way of qualifier and qualified. The best of men is not one to be invited or the like, but rather specifies that he is to be worshipped and revered. "The excellent teaching of that best of men, who is to be worshipped and revered," is to be connected by way of knower and knowable. The excellent teaching is not the excellent teaching of Paccekabuddhas, disciples, Buddhas, kings, or the like; it specifies that it is indeed the excellent teaching of the best of men, who is to be worshipped and revered, for all three worlds. "To be known by the wise" is to be connected by way of agent, case, and verbal action. The state of agent is as stated above. By "by the wise," even though it does not exist in ultimate reality as a designation of being, a mind-moment, existing in a continuum, endowed with knowledge that destroys delusion regarding the excellent teaching, and based on the heart-basis, is spoken of as that which is to be designated; that would be a productive condition by way of appropriate cause, dominance, co-nascence, and so on.