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Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. Anudīpanīpāṭha (An Explanatory Commentary) 1. An Explanatory Commentary on the Compendium of Mind Having paid homage to the Victorious One, Whose knowledge is infinite, Who creates the world and the non-world; I shall make an Anudīpanī To the Paramatthadīpanī. [Therein, "who creates the world and the non-world" means the one who creates the light of the teaching of the Four Noble Truths in the ten-thousandfold world-system. "Paramatthadīpanī" (Exposition of the Ultimate Meaning) has two meanings here: the primary meaning and the secondary meaning. The primary meaning is that "ultimate meaning" (paramattha) refers to the principal, direct meaning of words and sentences. The secondary meaning is that any suitable meaning is also an ultimate meaning. "Paramatthadīpanī" means that which illuminates or reveals the ultimate meaning.] The teacher, in making that Paramatthadīpanī, first pays homage to the Blessed Buddha with the words "udayāyassā" (from whose rising), etc. Therein, "udayā" means from the rising, from the emergence. "Yassā" means of which omniscient Buddha, the great sun. "Ekassā" means of the peerless, the incomparable one. In "saddhammaraṃsijālino" (whose net of rays is the True Dhamma), "saddhamma" refers to the Dhamma of the Teacher's Dispensation. And here, the teaching Dhamma, consisting of eighty-four thousand Dhamma aggregates, is intended. "Saddhammaraṃsijālī" is one who has a net of rays, which is the True Dhamma. "Tassasaddhammaraṃsijālino" means of that one whose net of rays is the True Dhamma. "Pabujjhiṃsū" means they awakened, they blossomed, they attained the blossoming of the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths, the full blooming of that knowledge. "Janambujā" means the lotuses that are people. Here, "people" (jana) refers to the beings capable of awakening, who, having heard the omniscient one's teaching, will awaken to the Dhamma of the Four Noble Truths. "Ambujā" means lotuses. "Jātikkhettemahāsareti" means in the great lake of lotuses that is the field of birth. Therein, "field of birth" (jātikkhetta) refers to the ten-thousandfold world-system, which is called one Buddha-field. In which, for the attainment of Buddhahood by the great Bodhisattas, at the time of their first great aspiration, etc., earth tremors and the like occur simultaneously. And in which, devas and Brahmas residing there become the Buddha's assembly. From the rising of that one peerless great sun, whose net of rays is the True Dhamma, in the great lake of lotuses that is the field of birth... In that birth-field, in the great lake, the people-lotuses bloomed, is the connection. "That great hero" is the great sun-orb of the Omniscient Buddha. Existing in the lineages of people-lotuses, the great darkness of delusion he dispels, removes, emitting a network of Dhamma-rays, he makes it disappear; thus, the dispeller of great delusion-darkness. That "dispeller of great delusion-darkness." Having thus made salutation to the Buddha, concluding the purpose of the salutation desired by oneself, he says "born" and so on. "May that great hero dispel the mass of darkness born in my heart," is the connection. There, "born" means well-born, meaning, firmly established in beginningless transmigration. "Mass of darkness" means the great mass of delusion-darkness. Or the mass of darkness of all defilements. Even obstructing, oppressive, and destructive actions that cause hindrance are included in the mass of darkness. Similarly, hindering phenomena like diseases are also of the nature of darkness, as in "darkness, darkness, the ultimate goal," and so on. "Dispel" means may he dispel, may he remove, may he make disappear. Having thus made a purposeful salutation, now, making a declaration of the text with its cause, he says "by the ancients" and so on. There, "cause" means the immediate reason for the declaration of the text. What is the cause? The request of those who value essential meaning, and the extensive nature of the compendium. There, with two verses, he shows the request with its reason. Again, with two verses, he shows the extensive meaning with an analogy. With "Therefore" and so on, he shows the declaration of the text along with its type and qualities. There, in the opening verse, "Many commentaries on the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, described by ancient wise ones, are seen in this world," is the connection. "Commentaries" means ancient sub-commentaries are called. If this is so, why do they request a new commentary? "Those who value essential meaning do not find satisfaction in those many ancient commentaries. Therefore, they request it," is the connection. By this, it is also indicated that those ancient commentaries are of little essential meaning. There, "satisfaction" means contentment. They do not find, do not obtain. "Those" refers to people. They are devoted to the essence, especially delighting in the nature of joy, thus they are devoted to the essence. With that, the connection is with the former, "they obtain." Again, "they" refers to those people who do not find satisfaction in those things. "Me" refers to oneself. "Having met" means having come together. Since they request the elucidation of the ultimate truth, the name "Paramatthadīpanī" (Elucidation of the Ultimate Truth) is also established for this commentary. "In the great ocean" means in the great sea. "Jewels" means gold, silver, and other jewels. "Having raised up" means having brought up. "As much as desired" means as much as wished for. The intention is: as much as they desire, that much. "They would give" means they would give. The meaning is: let them give as they wish. Because words like "eyya" (would) are used in the sense of permission. "The deficiency should not be spoken of" means the deficiency or loss of the great ocean's jewels should not be spoken of. Why? Because the great ocean is the abode of immeasurable jewels. For this reason, it is called "sāgara," for "sāgara" means a house or womb for jewels and treasures. "Likewise here" means likewise in this Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha. "Vast meanings" means great meanings. "Like jewels" means like jewels in the great ocean. "Even a hundred times" means many hundreds of times. "They would describe" means let them describe as they wish. "Completely taken" means completely taken, without remainder. It is said to be exhausted. "They will not be" means they will not exist. "Therefore" means because they request, and because they will not be exhausted, therefore. "In those descriptions" means in those ancient commentaries. "Description" refers to a new description, the connection is: they will make a new commentary. What kind of description will they make? It says, "full of various essential meanings," and so on. Therein, "clear words and phrases" means clear words and clear sentences. "Neither too brief nor too extensive" means neither too brief nor too extensive. Those whose intellects are dull are dull-witted. "Dull" means soft. "Intellect" means knowledge. It awakens and develops the dull-witted listeners, developing their knowledge. "It brings to completion" means "the awakening of dull intellects." "I will do" means "I will do." "That" means "that description." "Let those who are skilled in ultimate truths listen" is the connection. The state of being skilled is skill. "Skilled" means "of the learned, the wise." Those for whom skill is the meaning are "skilled ones." The word "iti" indicates completion. For it is placed at the end of the introductory sentence of the text to signify the completion, the conclusion, of the introductory arrangement here. It is also used for constituent sentences. This is the method everywhere. The commentary on the introductory verse of the text is completed. 1. Having thus made the arrangement for the introduction of the text, now, showing the connection to the opening verse, he says "Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha" and so on. "Connection" means the union of cause and effect. There, the composition of the verse is the cause. The showing of the five summarized meanings is the effect. The union of cause and effect is called connection. "With purpose" means accompanied by the purpose of the effect. That which is to be expressed, to be spoken of by the text, is the subject matter of the text. The action of the particle is "nipacca." "Nipacca" is an action, a manner of action, the doing of a manner of action—this is the compound. "That" refers to the homage to the Triple Gem. "Shown" is the connection. "Stated" means "said." It means "declared." "Being the principal meaning" means "being the intended meaning"—this is the intention. Indeed, meaning is twofold: literal meaning and expressed meaning. There, when "he goes" or "man" is said, whoever goes, spoken of by the word "goes," is the literal meaning. The principal meaning, the intended meaning, the expressed meaning, shown by the word "man," is the expressed meaning. "Abhidhamma meanings" means: The Abhidhamma meanings stated there, are fourfold in ultimate reality: Consciousness, mental factors, matter, and Nibbāna—thus in every way. Thus are the Abhidhamma meanings stated. And because they are thus stated, these four Abhidhamma meanings are indeed the principal meanings here, and it is understood that these principal meanings are intended as the subject matter of this text—this is the intention. Some might indeed say, "Those Abhidhamma meanings are the Compendium treatise..." They would be separate things, called "compendium-things," not "Abhidhamma-things." And here, "compendium-things" are intended as the referents, so it is said: "The referent is the Abhidhamma-thing by the word 'compendium'." It is said: Those Abhidhamma-things, even when they reach the compendium treatise, are still called Abhidhamma-things, not separate "compendium-things." There, it is said: "by the Abhidhamma-things mentioned there,"