English
is the purity of the application of teaching, the perfection of application. There, the two perfections of knowledge of abandonment are explained by the term 'Sammāsambuddha'. Together with the two perfections of influence and physical body, the two perfections of benefiting beings are explained by the term 'Atula' (unequalled). But the perfection of cause is explained by the power of both terms. For without such a perfection of cause, the existence of the others is not possible. [Perfections] 7. Again, the elder, making his veneration stronger, said: "together with the excellent company of the True Dhamma." By this, veneration of the Dhamma and the Sangha is also made. For when it is said: "From afar I shall pay homage to the world's leader with the Sangha," the act of paying homage to the Sangha is understood by the word 'with'. Thus should this be understood. There, 'namassissanti' means 'I shall pay homage'. [10] And what is in the explanation: "Indeed, the state of being worthy of veneration even for the Dhamma and Sangha, which have become secondary, is understood by the conjunction 'with'," it is said. There, 'the state of being worthy of veneration' means... should be said. But "the state of having been saluted" or "salutation" should be said. For if this is so, the action intended here is accomplished, and the act of veneration of the Dhamma and the Sangha by the Elder is accomplished. Otherwise, since the suffix "tabba" indicates worthiness, the quality of worthiness of salutation would be stated. And that is not intended here. It does not accord with "He came with his wife and children" as an example of one's own. Moreover, it cannot be said that the Elder, intending to compose this text, venerated the Three Jewels in the earlier part, and then, combining his veneration with the declaration of the text, composed this verse. For it is said, "having been saluted," not "I salute." This is the method elsewhere too. There, "sasaddhamma gaṇuttamo" means "accompanied by the True Dhamma and the excellent Sangha, which are a refuge for the whole world, created by himself." The Perfectly Enlightened One. For disciples, accompanied by the True Dhamma and the excellent Sangha created by others, are not called "sasaddhamma" or "sagaṇuttama." Nor do Paccekabuddhas, accompanied by the True Dhamma and the excellent Sangha of fellow celibates, which are a refuge only for themselves, deserve such praise. Therefore, this too should be seen as a term for a quality unique to the Teacher. There, "Dhamma" means "that which upholds." Whom does it uphold? Those who uphold themselves. For it is said, "Dhamma indeed protects the Dhamma-farer." And how does it uphold? By preventing beings from falling into the four lower realms and the suffering of the cycle of existence. And what is "upholding"? It is the partial or complete eradication of those defilements by which beings fall into the lower realms or the suffering of the cycle of existence. In this sense, the four Noble Paths and Nibbāna are, in the ultimate sense, Dhamma. For the Noble Paths, while eradicating defilements, do so in conjunction with Nibbāna, not without it. Therefore, these five alone are definitively Dhamma. The Dhamma of study, however, is merely a means of upholding. And the four fruits of recluseship also uphold. are only fruits, as they occur through the appeasement of defilements, and they are conducive to upholding. Therefore, these five are only aspects of Dhamma. Alternatively, Dhamma is that which is upheld. It means that which is worthy of being upheld. For whoever entirely liberates the upholder from suffering and establishes them in supreme happiness, that alone, by being worthy of upholding, is called Dhamma here. Why so? Just as with the qualities of a son. Some are upheld through development, some through realization, some through living happily in this very life, some through learning and retention. And these, being thus upheld, liberate the upholder, as appropriate, from the suffering of the lower realms and the suffering of existence, and establish them in the supreme happiness of fruits or the happiness of Nibbāna. Or, noble people uphold themselves, carrying themselves without falling into the lower realms and the sufferings of existence, by means of this, it is Dhamma. Or, here, people who are islands of Dhamma, refuges of Dhamma, become established, thus Dhamma is also appropriate. Why is Dhamma said to be ten-fold here? Should it not be said to be eleven-fold, including the Dhamma of practice? True. But that Dhamma of practice is only the preliminary path leading to the path, so it is included in the path, like the prior intention in giving. Therefore, Dhamma is said to be ten-fold everywhere, so it should be understood. Moreover, by the same token that the Dhamma of study is included in Dhamma here, by that same token, the upholder of study is included in the Sangha worthy of veneration, which is appropriate. And by the same token that the ordinary virtuous person is included among the trainees in the Sangha, by that same token, the Dhamma of practice, which is the cause of their virtue, is included in the Dhamma worthy of veneration, so it should be understood. For even though they are an ordinary person, by being endowed with those qualities by which they are included among the trainees who are practicing for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, it cannot be said that those qualities are not included in the path of stream-entry for trainees. To this extent, those who say, "I go to the Sangha for refuge," here the ordinary virtuous person is not included in the Sangha. Not Indeed, for one who goes to that refuge, the going for refuge is accomplished. For them, that is rejected. But it should be said thus: "Ananda, the Dhamma and Vinaya taught and laid down by me, that will be your Teacher after my passing." Thus, the Dhamma of study, praised by the Blessed One, placed in the position of the Teacher, is rightly included in the refuge of the Dhamma. But one who holds it, may be established in good practice. Or may not be established. One who is not established, is not a refuge even for oneself. How then for another? And by the Teacher, in thousands of suttas, such a one is censured. Therefore, such a one is not included in the refuge of the Sangha. Only the other is rightly included. The Dhamma of the peaceful is the Saddhamma. It means the Dhamma of those whose defilements are calmed, who are therefore praised, revered, good people, and wise ones. And the Dhamma of the peaceful is also certainly peaceful, thus it is also called the peaceful Dhamma, the Saddhamma. It means the praised, revered Dhamma. Or it is true. For this Dhamma does not deceive one who holds it, unlike the doctrines of other sects. For that (other doctrine), for one who holds it thinking "this is beneficial for me," it turns out to be unbeneficial. But this (Dhamma), for one who holds it thus, turns out to be beneficial. [The word Saddhamma]. In the term "Gaṇuttama" (Supreme Assembly), in the world, a group of fellow Dhamma-followers with similar views and conduct is called a "gaṇa" (assembly). But here, the assembly of the Blessed One's disciples, endowed with supreme virtues such as morality, is supreme, and that assembly is called "uttamagaṇa" (supreme assembly) by meaning. That very one is called "Gaṇuttama" here, just as "muniseṭṭha" (chief sage) is "munivara" (excellent sage). [11] But in the Vibhāvanīya (commentary), "Among groups, or among groups of devas and humans, the supreme is the 'Gaṇuttama'," it is also said. That is not good. For when this meaning exists, the word "uttama" (supreme) becomes primary. And that (word "uttama") applies only to qualities, therefore it is not appropriate to say that the Noble Sangha is meant here. And here, "gaṇa" means only the Sangha. And that Sangha is of two kinds: the conventional Sangha, and the Sangha worthy of offerings. Among these, the ordination act performed by a unanimous Sangha is called "sammuti" (convention). Ordained by that convention... The community of monks, established without having reached the [noble] stage, is called the conventional Sangha. It is well-known for Vinaya acts. The Sangha worthy of offerings is the group of eight noble persons. Although it is included even within the conventional Sangha. Nevertheless, for the purpose of distinguishing it as a supreme field of merit in places of taking refuge, veneration, respect, offerings, honors, and recollection, the Blessed One has described it in various ways, and thus it should be understood as spoken of separately. The ordinary Sangha, though a field of merit, is not a supreme field of merit. Why? Because there exist the defilements of the field, such as wrong view of self, doubt, and underlying tendencies, like weeds in a rice field. Its state as a field of merit, however, should be understood in the manner stated in the previous section on the good Dhamma. [The supreme passage on the community with the good Dhamma] 8. "Having paid homage" means having specially venerated. Here, one who venerates, having established a noble mind that "this person in the world, endowed with virtues such as morality, is supreme and worthy of veneration," is said to venerate specially. Veneration, however, is threefold, according to bodily veneration and so on. As it is said – "These, monks, are three kinds of veneration. Which three? One venerates with the body, one venerates with speech, one venerates with the mind." Therein, one who, having established a noble mind, lays down facing those worthy of veneration, placing the five limbs— namely, the two knees, the two elbows, and the forehead— on the ground, is called venerating with the body. It is with reference to this that it is said here and there, "having venerated with the five-point prostration." And by which, one who venerates in places not to be venerated