English
Here, in "satīsamaññā phalakābhigāhaṃ", the division of words is "sati-samaññā-phalaka abhigāhaṃ". The meaning is: holding firmly the board named right mindfulness. Here is the verbal meaning: Mindfulness is remembrance (saraṇaṃ sati). That by which associated phenomena are remembered, or that which remembers, is mindfulness (sati). The root "sar". Or When one remembers negligence, it harms, this is mindfulness, Right Mindfulness. The root 'sara' means 'to harm'. By this one rightly knows, it is a designation. Mindfulness is a designation, a designation of mindfulness. It wards off weapons like swords, thus it is a shield, a buckler. The root 'phal' means 'to ward off'. He who firmly grasps the shield of the designation of mindfulness, is called a Buddha. Just as a shield in an army protects from weapons like swords, so too, the restraint of mindfulness protects by not allowing objects like forms to enter through the doors of the eye and so on. Therefore, the Blessed One, whose nature is mindfulness, is the protector from all unwholesome things, the helper of all wholesome states, and the accomplisher of all purposes. Thus it is said that he firmly grasps the shield of mindfulness. For it has been said: "Whatever wholesome states there are, all of them have heedfulness as their root, heedfulness as their convergence. Heedfulness is declared to be the foremost of those states." And: "Monks, I declare mindfulness to be universally beneficial." "Adorned with the flood-ornament of virtue" is the word division: sīla-ogha-alaṅkāra-vibhū-sita. The meaning is: adorned with an ornament consisting of a collection of pure virtues. Here, virtue means supramundane virtue. Its meaning has already been stated below. That, moreover, is fourfold: Virtue of volition, Virtue of mental states, Virtue of restraint, And virtue of non-transgression. Here, virtue of volition is the volition of one abstaining from killing and so on, or of one fulfilling a practice. Virtue of mental states is the abstinence of one abstaining from killing and so on. Here, the virtue of restraint, this restraint, is fivefold: Restraint by the Pātimokkha, Restraint by mindfulness, Restraint by knowledge, Restraint by patience, And restraint by energy. All of this is called the virtue of restraint. The virtue of non-transgression is the bodily and verbal non-transgression of one who has undertaken virtue. For this has been said in the Paṭisambhidā: "What is virtue? Volition-virtue, mental-virtue, restraint-virtue, non-transgression-virtue." Here, however, the virtue of non-transgression is not intended. Why? Because the Blessed One's undertaken training... due to the absence of a precept. For Buddhas, there is no such thing as a precept. Ogha means a collection. Indeed, the word ogha means a collection. Therefore, it is said in the Abhidhānappadīpikā: "A collection, a group, a multitude, An accumulation, a heap; A mass, a crowd, a flood, A spread, a multitude, a pile," and so on. Ogha is that into which a part goes, moves, proceeds; it is a collection. The root han with the prefix ava is in the sense of going, with the suffix ṇa. Ava becomes o, han becomes gha. However, in the Abhidhānappadīpikāṭīkā, it is said: "Ogha is that which is pervaded by making it a part, that which goes." Sīlānaṃ ogho, a collection of virtues, is sīlogho. Alaṅkāro means an adornment. Alaṅkāro is that by which one adorns, makes that person complete; it is virtue. The root kar with the prefix alaṃ, with the suffix ṇa. Sīlogho eva alaṅkāro, the collection of virtues itself is an adornment, sīloghālaṅkāro. Adorned by it, sīloghalaṅkāravibhūsito, is a Buddha. He is adorned by that supramundane virtue-adornment, which is not common to others. The meaning is, not by adornments like robes and so on. Indeed, there is no adornment like the adornment of virtue. That which is adorned by the adornment of the collection of virtues. In "Namāmibhiññāvaramiddhupetaṃ", the word division is "namāmi abhiññāvaraṃ iddhi upetaṃ". There, namāmi means I bow. Abhiññāvaramiddhupetaṃ means endowed with the supreme power called abhiññā. Abhiññā means knowing in a special way, the six kinds of knowledge. Indeed, it is sixfold: knowledge of various psychic powers, divine ear, knowing others' minds, recollection of past lives, knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings, and knowledge of the destruction of defilements. There, iddhividhañāṇaṃ is the knowledge of various psychic powers, such as being one and becoming many. Dibbasotañāṇaṃ is the knowledge of sounds, near and far, known by the divine ear element. Paracittavijānanañāṇaṃ is the knowledge of discerning the minds of other beings. Pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇaṃ is the knowledge associated with the mindfulness of recollecting the aggregates and so on in past existences, both in terms of one's own continuum and in terms of dwelling places. Cutūpapātañā the knowledge of knowing the passing away and reappearance of beings. And here, in the commentaries, in the context of the knowledge of passing away and reappearance, because it is the means to achieve it, it is called the divine eye knowledge. The knowledge of the destruction of defilements is the knowledge of the discernment of the truths, the knowledge of the path of arahantship. 'Vara' means supreme. 'Iddhi' means accomplishment, success. Or, 'iddhi' is that which is accomplished, that which succeeds. From the root 'idh'. Endowed, fully endowed, possessed of supreme power called supernormal knowledge—thus 'abhiññāvaramiddhupeto', the Buddha. That one endowed with supreme power of supernormal knowledge. The connection is: "I bow to that Buddha." This is a brief explanation here. (I bow to that Buddha) who has the sword of pure knowledge that cuts off defilements like lust, which is called the knowledge of the path of arahantship, free from impurity, sharp; who holds firmly the shield called right mindfulness; adorned with the ornament of the flood of virtues, adorned with the ornament consisting of the collection of virtues; endowed, fully endowed, possessed of supreme, excellent power called supernormal knowledge—to that Buddha I bow. The explanation of the seventh verse of homage is concluded. 8. Abode of compassion, who did what was difficult everywhere, who attained the path to cross the ocean of existence; Lord of the three worlds, well-composed, beneficial, the All-seeing One, I bow to that immeasurable one. 8. Having thus paid homage to the Buddha with the seventh verse, now, wishing to praise and pay homage with the nine qualities such as great compassion, he speaks the verse beginning with "Dayālayaṃ". This verse, being composed of 'ja', 'ta', 'ja', 'ra' gaṇas, marked by twelve syllables, with a four-footed end-rhyme, should be understood as a Vaṃsaṭṭha verse. For it is said in the Vuttodaya: "They call this Vaṃsaṭṭha, 'ja tā ja rā'." Its meaning is: "If in each line there are 'ja' gaṇas and 'ja' gaṇas, and 'ra' gaṇas and 'ra' gaṇas, then this is called Vaṃsaṭṭha, a Vaṃsaṭṭha verse, say the sages and seers." There, "dayālayaṃ" means the abode of great compassion and loving-kindness. Indeed, the word "dayā" is used for both compassion and loving-kindness. For here, in "adayāpanno" (devoid of compassion), it refers to compassion... is not. It means he has become merciless. Here, "dayāpanna" means he has attained a state of metta, a mind of loving-kindness. But here, both are suitable. Therefore, "dayā ca dayā ca dayā" should be understood as an ekasesa of the word form. The meaning of the word here should be understood thus: "Dayā" is that which harms the compassionate, great compassion. The root "daya" is in the sense of harming. It means that as long as compassion does not attain the desired welfare for others, it harms the compassionate. Or, "dayā" is that which harms, removes the suffering of others. Or, "dayā" is that by which a good person, abandoning even their own happiness, takes on weariness. Or, "dayā" is that by which one favors even evil people. Or, "dayā" is that by which Bodhisattas attain perfect enlightenment. It means that Bodhisattas, at the time of making their aspiration for Buddhahood, desiring to rescue beings from the ocean of samsara with great compassion, even casting aside the highest fruit that was within their grasp, take on the great suffering of samsara, which is without solace, and in their final existence, together with the attainment of the deathless element, they attain omniscient knowledge adorned with countless virtues. "Dayā" is that by which one gives fearlessness to beings, loving-kindness. The root "daya" is in the sense of giving. "Dayā" is that which goes, flows equally among beings without making distinctions. Just as water spreads equally with coolness among all beings and washes away dirt and defilement, so too, loving-kindness flows equally among evil and good people without making distinctions. Another method: "Dayā" is that by which they protect beings, or by which one shows compassion, or which is merely compassion itself. Compassion and loving-kindness are obtained. "Dayālayo" is that in which one dwells, is established, the Buddha. For the Blessed One, standing in great compassion and loving-kindness, with a constant intention for welfare equally towards hostile beings like Devadatta and others, and non-hostile beings, and his own son Rāhula, therefore, it is said that he is praised as "dayālayo." This is said in the Apadāna Pāḷi: "Towards Devadatta, the murderer, towards Aṅgulimāla, the robber; towards Dhanapāla," and towards Rahula, the Great Sage had an equal mind. "Sabbadhīti" means in all existences. The meaning is, from the time of making the aspiration for Buddhahood, in all existences. "Dukkaraṃ" means that which is difficult to do, such as the five great renunciations, which are difficult to perform.