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Homage to that Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One In the Abhidhamma Piṭaka The Basic Commentary on the Dhammasaṅgaṇī Explanation of the Twenty Verses 1. Making homage to the Teacher in this explanation of the Dhamma is for the purpose of generating faith in the Teacher due to the Dhamma's well-proclaimed nature, and for the purpose of generating faith in the Dhamma by proclaiming the Teacher's teaching as being unfailing. For from faith in both, the practice of the Dhamma and the attainment of great benefit occur. Or else, the words of homage to the Triple Gem are for making known one's own faith in the Triple Gem, and that is for gladdening the hearts of the wise, that is for the acceptance of the commentary, that is for the accomplishment of all prosperity. But this intended purpose by the teacher is the removal of obstacles. For he will say, "For one who reveres... (etc.) ... completely." For the act of making homage to the Triple Gem, being a special merit that destroys demerit causing obstacles, being an auspicious thing, and being a warding off of dangers and calamities, is capable of removing obstacles. But how is its nature as a destroyer of demerit, etc., to be known? From such sayings as, "Mahānāma, at whatever time a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata, at that time his mind is not beset by lust" (A.N. 6.10; 11.11), and "Homage to those worthy of homage, this is the highest blessing" (Khp. 5.3; Sn. 262), and "Thus, bhikkhus, for those who recollect the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, there will be no fear, no terror, no hair-raising" (S.N. 1.249). There, for the purpose of showing the special qualities of the Teacher to whom homage is to be made, he says "like compassion" and so on. For one possessing special qualities is worthy of homage, and homage made to one worthy of homage certainly brings about the stated purpose. And the teaching of the Blessed One in the Vinaya Piṭaka is primarily compassion, in the Suttanta Piṭaka it is primarily wisdom and compassion. And for that very reason, by one making an explanation of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the praise of the Blessed One was made primarily of compassion, (and for) the explanation of the Āgama... And when making both primary, the Abhidhamma teaching, however, is wisdom-primary. Having made it wisdom-primary, he praises it, saying: "As compassion for beings," taking compassion as a simile, he praises wisdom. Here, "as compassion" is an illustrative statement. As compassion arose for him in all beings, so too did wisdom arise in all knowable things—this is the meaning. "For beings" is an illustration of the object. "Wisdom" is an illustration of the thing to be illustrated. "Whose" is an illustration of the person who is its basis. "Great Seeker" is its qualifier. "In knowable things" is an illustration of wisdom's object. "In all" is its qualifier. "Arose" is an illustration of the action. "As desired" is an illustration of mastery. Here, "it acts" is compassion; it scatters, removes others' suffering—this is the meaning. Beings are attached to forms and so on, thus they are beings. But because that designation is rooted in the continuum of aggregates, even those without craving and attachment are called "beings." "It knows" is wisdom; it penetrates things in various ways according to their true nature—this is the meaning. "Whose" is indeterminate. "Having bowed at his feet" should be understood as determining it. "Great Seeker" means he sought, investigated the great virtue-aggregates and so on, thus he is a Great Seeker. "To be known" are knowable things, things by the meaning of holding their own nature and so on. Here, by the word "knowable," it refutes the unknowability of things. By the word "things," it refutes the knowable things being beings, souls, and so on. They are knowable and they are things, thus knowable things. "In all" means complete inclusion without remainder. Thereby, it shows the state of being unknown. "Arose" means it came into being. "As desired" means whatever desire, as desired; and desire is wish, the wish to act. Whatever arose, its varieties, or as desired, arose in accordance with desire, is called "arose as desired." Or, as desire arose, so too did wisdom arise, is called "wisdom arose as desired." Here, the compassion that arose in the Blessed One is an illustration of the Blessed One's wisdom. It should be understood. For it is uncommon great compassion, not another. And "whose" (yassa) is an indication of the person who is the basis for both compassion and wisdom. For there is no compassion without a basis. Thus, when "compassion" is spoken, the person who is its basis must be indicated. And no other is mentioned here. Nor is there any purpose in rejecting what is near to take what is far. Therefore, the person indicated by "whose" is indeed the basis of compassion. By this, it is said: "Whose wisdom, like his own compassion, was active." But how was compassion active among beings, just as wisdom was active among phenomena? Without remainder, and as he wished. For the Blessed One's compassion, not excluding any being, was active among all beings without remainder. And being active, as he wished, in one or many, it was unique among others. For the compassion of others, who see beings fallen into the great flood, thinking: "There is no one else to lift them from the floods except me," does not arise as it does for the Blessed One. The Blessed One's wisdom also was active among all phenomena without remainder. And being active, in one or many phenomena, by knowing their nature and function, it was unobstructed, unique, and as he wished. Just as the Blessed One's compassion, when he saw, was active as he wished. All that should be known in the Paṭisambhidāmagga, by way of the analysis of the knowledge of great compassion. And the activity of wisdom as he wished, by way of the analysis of other unique knowledges. And by taking "wisdom" is included the unobstructed knowledge of the three times, the knowledge of the four truths, the knowledge of the four analytical knowledges. And by taking "compassion" is included the knowledge of the attainment of great compassion. Excluding that, other unique knowledges such as the four confidences, the ten powers, the six supernormal powers, the forty-four knowledge-bases, the seventy-seven knowledge-bases, and many other kinds of wisdom are encompassed. Therefore, the activity of each such wisdom as he wished should be understood. Therefore it is said: "Like compassion... ...as he wished." i. Therein, by the taking of compassion, the root of the Great Enlightenment is shown. For having seen the multitude of beings fallen into the grip of great suffering, with a mind stirred by compassion, thinking, "There is no other refuge for them; I, having been freed, will free them," he made his aspiration at the feet of Dīpaṅkara Buddha. Having accumulated the requisites for enlightenment, he gradually attained perfect enlightenment. Thus, compassion is the root of the Great Enlightenment. By "among beings," the purpose of the Great Enlightenment is shown. For beings make the Great Enlightenment purposeful. For the sake of saving beings, omniscience was aspired to. As it is said: "What is it to me, a single strong man, to be crossed over? Having attained omniscience, I shall ferry over the world with its devas." By the taking of wisdom, the Great Enlightenment is shown. For the path-knowledge, which is the proximate cause of omniscience, and the omniscience-knowledge, which is the proximate cause of path-knowledge, are called "Great Enlightenment." By "among all knowable phenomena," are shown all phenomena, such as the aggregates, sense bases, elements, truths, faculties, dependent origination, and foundations of mindfulness, which are to be known, fully understood, abandoned, developed, and realized by the beings to be saved, and which are wholesome and so forth. By "proceeded as desired," the fulfillment of the purpose is shown, by illustrating the proceeding of the teaching-knowledge, preceded by penetration and review. For the knowledge of penetration of all phenomena occurred at the foot of the Bodhi tree. For it is indeed the path-knowledge. The knowledge of review occurred especially during the week of the Jewel House. Thus, the teaching-knowledge of the phenomena that had been penetrated and reviewed occurred in the setting in motion of the Wheel of Dhamma and so forth, and especially in the teaching of the seven treatises on the Paṇḍukambala stone slab. And the Blessed One, teaching with teaching-knowledge, practiced for the welfare of beings. By all this, the practice for one's own welfare and the practice for the welfare of others are shown. For by showing the Great Enlightenment, the practice for one's own welfare is shown, and by the others, the practice for the welfare of others is shown. Therefore, among the four types of individuals, such as those practicing for their own welfare, the Blessed One's four He shows his individual state, and by that, his state of being the highest worthy of offerings, worthy of immeasurable veneration, and his own action as a field of merit. Here, by the mention of compassion, the Buddha's possession of all worldly qualities is shown, as it illuminates his extraordinary qualities, attained by those who have reached greatness in the world. By the mention of wisdom, his possession of all supramundane qualities is shown, as it illuminates the path-knowledge, the basis of omniscience. By the word "compassion," his approach is shown to be free from defilements; by the word "wisdom," his departure. Showing his approach, he shows his state of being born and grown in the world; showing his departure, his non-adherence to the world. "Like compassion for beings"