English
Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. Commentary Question and Answer of the Recitation Even if the world with its devas, were to come and terrify me; It would not be able to generate fear and dread in me. Even if you, great serpent, were to lift up the entire earth, with its oceans and mountains, and hurl it upon me; You would not be able to generate fear and dread in me; Rather, it would be your own destruction, O lord of serpents. Do not now generate anger, from now on, as before; And do not destroy the crops, for living beings desire happiness; Cultivate loving-kindness towards beings, may humans live happily. "Four fierce, highly venomous vipers," monks, is a designation for the four great elements. "Five murderous enemies," monks, is a designation for the five aggregates of clinging. "The sixth, the murderous wanderer with drawn sword," monks, is a designation for delightful passion. "The empty village," monks, is a designation for the six internal sense bases. "Robbers, village-destroyers," monks, is a designation for the six external sense bases. "The great ocean," monks, is a designation for the four floods. "This near shore, full of danger and fear," monks, is a designation for the existing body. "That far shore, safe and fearless," monks, is a designation for Nibbāna. This is a designation for the arousal of effort. Having gone to Kashmir and Gandhāra, the sage Majjhantika then; Having appeased the wicked nāga, released many from bondage. We shall see you again, venerable sir, if there is a meeting. Even today, they weave a garland of santāna flowers in Nandana; The deva-son named Java, who accepts my garland. A divine moment is sixteen years here; A divine day and night is a hundred human autumns. Thus deeds follow, even through countless births; Whether good or evil, a deed is never lost. Whoever If a man wishes to be, birth after birth, again and again; He should avoid another's wife, like a washed foot (avoids) mud. If a woman wishes to be a man, birth after birth, again and again; She should revere her husband, like a handmaiden (reveres) Indra. Whoever wishes for divine enjoyments, divine life, fame, and happiness; Having avoided evils, should practice the threefold Dhamma. Whatever, bhikkhus, of the world with devas, with Māra, with Brahmā, with ascetics and brahmins, with the populace, with devas and humans, is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, pondered by the mind, that I know, that I have directly known, that is known to the Tathāgata, that the Tathāgata does not uphold. Thus, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata, regarding things seen, heard, sensed, and cognized, is just such, is just such; and compared to such a one, another such one, more excellent or more sublime, I say there is none. Having gone to Suvaṇṇabhūmi, Soṇa and Uttara, of great psychic power; Having driven out the ogres, taught the Brahmajäla (Sutta). We are ascetics, O great king, disciples of the King of Dhamma; Out of compassion for you, we have come here from Jambudīpa. I have gone to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha for refuge, I have declared myself a lay follower, in the teaching of the Sakyan son. At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Verañjā, at the foot of a Naḷeru-pucimanda tree. A staircase ascending to heaven, where else is there anything equal to virtue? Or indeed, a door to Nibbāna, for entering the city. It is enough to do good, to give gifts as is fitting; Seeing a hand that gives what is desired, who would not make merit? I will give food and drink, and robes and lodgings; And wells and water-tanks, and bridges in difficult places. The Great Commentary, and the Mahāpaccari, And the Kurundi, these three are the Sinhala commentaries. By the name Buddhamitta, of the renowned and famous one; Of the wise one, knower of Vinaya, having heard from the elder. In a world full of dangers, this (work) is free from danger; In just one year, it has reached completion; Thus for all the world, completion of Dh... Connected with the mother; May the endeavors proceed swiftly, all without hindrance. That the Dhamma may long endure, by me making this; With great reverence for the True Dhamma, and the merit accumulated; By the power of all that, may all beings; Be partakers of the flavor of the True Dhamma, of the Dhamma King. May the True Dhamma long endure, may the rain fall long on the people in due season; May the deity satisfy with Dhamma, may the king protect the earth. May it long remain in the world, for those seeking liberation from the world; Showing the way to purity of conduct, for noble sons; As long as the name of the Buddha, of that pure-minded one; Of the foremost in the world, the great sage, prevails in the world. Whose heart is cool with compassion, whose darkness of delusion is dispelled by the light of wisdom; The teacher of the world of humans and gods, I venerate the Sugata, who is liberated from all destinies. The Buddha, having cultivated and realized the state of Buddhahood; That stainless state he attained, I venerate that unsurpassed Dhamma. Of the Sugata's own sons, who crushed the army of Māra; The assembly of the eight, I venerate with my head, the Noble Saṅgha. Of the Dīgha, marked by long discourses, of the subtle, excellent collection of teachings; Praised by Buddhas and their disciples, possessing qualities that inspire faith. Indeed, the method of explaining the meaning of the three Pitakas was taught by the Perfectly Enlightened One himself, which is called the scattered teaching, and then by the disciples through recitations and so on, say the teachers. For the purpose of clarifying the meaning, the commentaries were first sung by five hundred sages; And later re-sung. In the middle, the Visuddhimagga, of these four collections; Will stand and explain, the meaning as spoken there; Thus it was made, therefore, taking that also with faith in this; Commentary, understand the meaning pertaining to the Dīgha Nikāya. Because it indicates meanings, because it is well-spoken, because it is heard, because it destroys, Because it protects, and because it is similar to a thread, it is called a Sutta. Hard to see, very subtle, moving wherever it wishes; The wise one should guard the mind, a guarded mind brings happiness. He, thus concentrated, When it is perfectly purified, perfectly bright, without defilement, rid of imperfections, soft, workable, steady, attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines his mind for knowledge and vision. Indeed, bhikkhus, if one were to speak rightly, one would say, "It is Mara's snare all around." If one were to speak rightly of a woman, one would say, "She is Mara's snare all around." The bhikkhu who, during the day, by walking and sitting, has purified his mind from obstructive mental states. Thus, by means of the mind's activity and the expansion of the air element, this body, so-called, a heap of bones, moves forward. His compassion for beings, and his wisdom, the great sage's, in all knowable things, proceeded as he wished. With that state of mind towards beings, his mind uplifted, at the end of the miracle, dwelling in the abode of the thirty-three gods, at the foot of the Pāricchattaka tree, on the rock-slab named Paṇḍukambala, seated on the stone throne, like the sun on Mount Yugandhara. From thousands of world-systems, having come from all directions, by the assembled host of gods, surrounded, having made his mother foremost, by the power of her wisdom, the path of the Abhidhamma discourse he set in motion for the gods. Having bowed at the feet of him, the Glorious Fully Awakened One, and having honored his True Dhamma, and having made an añjali to the Sangha. That which the God of gods to the gods, having taught again in due order, to the Elder Sāriputta, the Leader explained. Having performed service at Lake Anotatta to the Great Sage, and having heard that, the Elder brought it down to the earth. He proclaimed it to the bhikkhus; thus it was preserved by the bhikkhus. At the time of the council, it was recited again by the sage of Videha. What we do for Brahmā, together with the gods, dear sir, that today we shall do for you; come, let us do it ourselves for you. I shall explain the meaning, even in the commentaries to the Agamas, having taken what should be taken, pleasing the discerning ones. As I speak this Abhidhamma discourse, listen undistractedly, for this discourse is rare. Here, these evil, unwholesome states cease without remainder. And, friends, dependent on the eye and forms, arises c Eye-consciousness, The meeting of three is contact, Conditioned by contact is feeling, What one feels, That one perceives. What one perceives, That one thinks about, What one thinks about, That one proliferates, What one proliferates, From that source, Proliferating perceptions and notions Assail a person Regarding visible forms In the past, future, and present. Monks, the prior end Of ignorance is not discerned. There is indeed something profound, Very difficult to awaken to, Having understood by oneself Its causal arising; As taught in sequence, completely, By the Great Seer, One sees it as if it were form. "I will go forward, I will go backward" – Indeed, the mind arising thus Generates form. Not in the sky, Nor in the midst of the ocean, Nor by entering A mountain cave; There is no such place In the world, Where standing, one might escape From evil deeds. Whatever merit has been attained, By the power of that, may beings; All, knowing the Dhamma Of the King of True Dhamma, Which brings happiness; Attain the pure, Happy practice; Sorrowless, free from distress, The supreme happiness of Nibbāna. Long may the True Dhamma endure, May there be respect for the Dhamma; May all beings in due time, May the god rain rightly; As ancient, good kings protected, Even so, this (land);