English
such as the immeasurables. “Yaṃ yaṃ anurūpaṃ yathānurūpaṃ” means whatever is suitable, as is suitable. “Samudācaraṇaṃ” means repeated, intense engagement. “Saṃsagga bhedo” means the mixed distinction that for some individuals there are two practices, for some three, and so on. “Aṭṭhakathāyaṃ” means in the Visuddhimagga commentary. “Sabbāyapi appanāyā” means by all absorptions, by jhana-absorption, by path-absorption, and by fruition-absorption. “Yā āsanne pavattā dūre pavattāti adhikāro” means the context is “that which arises near, that which arises far.” “Itarā panā” means that which arises far. “Tāsaṃ panā” means of those three developments. “Tesaṃ pī” means of those two signs. “Vidatthicaturaṅgulaṃ” means a span’s length with four fingers more in width. Or a span’s length with four fingers. It is also proper to say 'it strikes the measure'. For it is said in the Visuddhimagga, in the description of the air-kasina, that one sees a head of four finger-breadths being struck by the wind. A threshing floor (khalamaṇḍala) is the circular area of the threshing ground of farmers. "Made" means they make a circular earth-disk, smooth-surfaced, like a wheel-disk, by kneading a lump of clay, which is without specific colors like blue, etc., and is of a reddish color, with water. Thus, made. "Unmade" means in some part of the ground, not made by anyone, or naturally arisen. Here, in "with the kasina of Jambudīpa": For one who extols the Buddha, The joy that arises in the body; That joy is indeed superior, Even to the kasina of Jambudīpa. This is the remainder of the verse. There, the meaning is that that joy is superior to the kasina of Jambudīpa. "To the kasina" means to the entire disk. It is said that the joy is due to the sovereignty and dominion over the entire disk of Jambudīpa. "Sanniviṭṭhā" means evenly established. "Saṇṭhāna paññatti" means the sign-concept presented by the circular shape. "Phuṭṭhaṭṭhāne" means in the place struck by the wind, whether on the body or on treetops, etc. "Vāyu vaṭṭī" means a circle of wind. The compound means "distinguished by the light of the moon, sun, and fire." "Visiṭṭhā" means distinguished. "Dhūmātaṃ" means smoked. It is said to be like a cloth filled with smoke. Therefore, it says "gone to a swollen state." The 'k' at the end is said to indicate contempt, as in "due to its vileness." The meaning is "it is disgusting, that state." "Of a corpse" means of a vile body. "That very thing" means the corpse itself. The connection is that it is called a putrid, dismembered thing. There, "nīla" means especially blue, "vinīla" means very blue. That very thing, due to its vileness, is very blue. "That very thing, having ripened again" means that very blue body, having ripened again after the passage of time. The meaning is having reached the state of ripeness of pus and blood. From there, from the openings and holes. The connection is that that very body is suitable. It is called "vicchinnaka," some also read "vicchiddaka." "Apakaḍḍ "Hitvā" means having released the parts from the body, having pulled out each respective part. "A body oozing blood" means a body oozing blood from the mouths of wounds in places cut and pierced. Regarding "Recollection of the Buddha," here the word "Buddha" is a term used by way of attributing qualities. Because the qualities are to be taken by the name of the substance possessing qualities, it is said: "The recollection of the qualities of the Buddha is 'Recollection of the Buddha'." This method applies to the recollection of the Dhamma, etc. "Arahat, etc." means the quality of Arahat, etc. That in whom defilements such as immorality and stinginess have gone, that is "free from defilement and stinginess." Its state is the explanation. "And the Nibbāna attained by oneself" by this, the complete cessation of defilements for noble persons is stated. "Concerning whom" means concerning which person. "Bringing forth welfare" is "May this person be free from enmity, may they be free from affliction," etc. It is the bringing forth of welfare and happiness, such as freedom from enmity, into that person by means of the mind. Compassion, sympathetic joy, are indeed explained below in the "Collection of Mental Factors." "Bringing forth welfare, rejoicing in welfare, and removal of what is not welfare" is a compound. There, bringing forth welfare is the function of loving-kindness. Rejoicing in welfare is of sympathetic joy. Removal of what is not welfare is the function of compassion. There, seeing another endowed with welfare and happiness, the increase of joy and delight in oneself through that welfare of others is called rejoicing in welfare. Seeing another suffering, "May this one be freed from this suffering, may they not be wearied!" thus, by mind, the removal of the suffering that is not welfare from others is called removal of what is not welfare. "Of them" means of other beings. "This belongs to oneself" is one's own. "This" is the cause of happiness and suffering. Those for whom the kamma done by oneself is indeed their own, they are owners of their kamma. Other beings, indeed. Their state. The development of that is the explanation. "Breaking of boundaries" means oneself, a dear person, a neutral person, and an enemy person - these are the four boundaries. Breaking is "sambhedo." The meaning is mixing, making non-different. The breaking of boundaries is "sīmasambhedo." "All women, all men," etc., spreading by way of specific delimitation is "odhiso." Pervading is this. "May all beings, all breathing things, all creatures," and so on. Pervading without limit, without restriction, is called unlimited pervading. "May all beings in the eastern direction be free from enmity," and so on. Pervading by divisions of direction is called directional pervading. "And those endowed with that" means persons endowed with those immeasurables. "Always with a gentle heart" means at all times with a peaceful, cool heart. The word 'brahma' is a term for 'excellent', as in "produces excellent merit" and so on. That which is to be eaten, to be consumed, is 'asita'. The five kinds of food. That which is to be drunk is 'pīta'. The eight kinds of drinks. That which is to be chewed with the teeth, to be eaten, is 'khāyita'. Various kinds of edibles, such as cakes, fruits, and so on. That which is to be licked, taken with the fingers, is 'sāyita'. Lickable things, such as honey, molasses, and so on. Repulsiveness by its nature is repulsiveness due to its own inherent nature. Indeed, all four kinds of food, whether in dishes, or on hands, mouth, and so on, wherever it smears, sticks, or adheres, that must be washed with water. But even that unwashed is repulsive. Repulsiveness by its receptacle is the repulsiveness of that which is being consumed, due to mixing with bile, phlegm, and other secretions present in the throat and so on. Repulsiveness by its storage place is repulsiveness by its storage place. And "storage place" is called the stomach. Repulsiveness by its digestion is the repulsiveness of that which has reached the storage place, due to its becoming feces, urine, and so on, at the time of complete digestion. Repulsiveness by its non-digestion is the repulsiveness when it is undigested, not assimilated, due to the arising of various diseases in the body. Repulsiveness by its result is the repulsiveness from the time of its complete digestion, due to the increase of repulsive aggregates like hair, body-hair, and so on, in the body. Repulsiveness by its outflow is the repulsiveness of that, from the outer doors, or hair-pores, or other various wound-openings, due to its oozing, flowing out, and so on. "Therein" means in that fourfold food. "Perception of abandoning craving" (refers to) on the wilderness path. The perception that arises from abandoning the craving for taste in even very delicious food, like eating one's own child's flesh for the parents to cross the wilderness. "By way of its own characteristic, etc." means by way of its own characteristic, its constituents, etc. In "behaves with lust," "with lust" is in the sense of an instrument, or the instrumental case indicating a characteristic. There, in the sense of an instrument, "behaves with lust" means he mostly behaves with a mind full of lust in the four postures. It means he wanders, led by a mind full of lust. But in the sense of a characteristic, "behaves with lust" means he wanders among them, having lust as his banner, lust as his flag. "His" refers to that person. "Abundant" means arisen, more manifest. Some also say "more numerous." In "for abandonment," the word "iti" means "etc." By this, it includes the remaining Pāli text: "Compassion should be cultivated for the abandonment of cruelty. Sympathetic joy should be cultivated for the abandonment of discontent." "Because of the declaration of escape" means this is the escape from ill-will, namely, the liberation of mind through loving-kindness. This is the escape from harm, namely, the liberation of mind through compassion. This is the escape from discontent, namely, the liberation of mind through sympathetic joy. Thus, because of the declaration of the state of escape. The four immeasurables. It is said for one of a hateful temperament. "And because of the absence of a basis for hatred" means and because of the absence of a basis for the arising of hatred. The four kasinas, blue, etc., are said to be for one of a hateful temperament. Why is equanimity not mentioned separately here as a suitable cause for one of a hateful temperament? To show that it is not mentioned because it is another cause, he says "and here," etc. "Three" means the three immeasurables. "Pleasing forms" means pleasing colors. "And he is of a distracted mind" is the context. "His" refers to that person who is prone to heedlessness and has a distracted mind. It might be said. But the intention is that it is not said thus in the Visuddhimagga.