English
[Ka] Now, first of all, Having praised the Buddha By eighteen virtues, Beginning with "Sugata" and so on. "By one wishing to venerate the Sugata," etc., two verses have been commenced. This, however, should be understood as a *vattagāthā* with *yamaka* at the beginning of every line, which is a *pathyā*. That *yamaka*, however, is said in the *Subodhālaṅkāra* to be a "fault of obscurity." For it is said there: "That which has obscure words, O dull ones, Or *yamaka* and the like, which are difficult to understand; Even that is included Within the fault of obscure words." Here, this is endowed with the rhetorical ornament of sound, called the quality of clarity, because it is composed of well-known words. Therefore, that *yamaka* should be understood as well-stated. Thus also in the subsequent *yamaka* verses. Therefore, it is said again in the *Alaṅkāra*: "Composed of well-known words, With smooth word-junctions, Endowed with the quality of clarity, Such *yamaka* is considered good." There, "Sugata" (Well-gone) means: Because of his beautiful going, Because he has gone to a beautiful place, And because he has gone rightly. For he is called Sugata because he goes beautifully by the Noble Path. *Su* is prefixed to the root *gam* (to go). The word *su* means "beautiful" or "good." The meaning is that by going on the Noble Path, he has gone to a pure, faultless, safe direction without clinging. And that going is of two kinds: Bodily going, and Knowledge-going. Among these, the Blessed One's approach to those who are to be trained, which certainly brings about their welfare and happiness, is called bodily going, a beautiful going by body. But the Self-Enlightened One's knowing the entire world by means of knowledge, through full comprehension and realization, is called knowledge-going, a going by knowledge. Here, however, knowledge-going is intended. In the *Aṅguttaraṭīkā*, however, it is said: "He whose going is beautiful is Sugata." He is also called Sugata because he goes to a beautiful place. The meaning is that he has gone to the deathless Nibbāna by making it his object. And he is called Sugata because he goes rightly, without error. The word *su* has the meaning of *sammā* (rightly). The meaning is that the defilements that have been abandoned by that path, he does not return to, does not come back to, does not come again to those defilements. Or he is also called Sugata because he comes rightly. From the foot of Dīpaṅkara up to the Bodhi-maṇḍa, the thirty perfections... By the fulfillment of right practice, doing only the welfare and happiness of all the world, not approaching these two extremes: eternalism and annihilationism, sensual pleasures and self-mortification, he came. This is the meaning. The connection is: "I bow, I pay homage to that Sugata, the Buddha." Again, "Sugata" (Well-spoken) means he spoke well. For he speaks well, he utters well, therefore he is called Sugata. The root 'gad' (to speak) with 'su' (well) is for speaking, expressing, or uttering. The 'd' becomes 't'. The meaning is that among the six kinds of speech, he speaks only the appropriate two kinds of speech in the appropriate place. For it is said in the Majjhima Paṇṇāsa Pāḷi, in the Abhayarājakumāra Sutta – 1. Prince, that speech which the Tathāgata knows to be untrue, incorrect, unbeneficial, and which is unpleasing and disagreeable to others, that speech the Tathāgata does not utter. 2. And that speech which the Tathāgata knows to be true, correct, but unbeneficial, and which is unpleasing and disagreeable to others, that speech too the Tathāgata does not utter. 3. But that speech which the Tathāgata knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is unpleasing and disagreeable to others, there the Tathāgata is one who knows the right time for explaining that speech. 4. That speech which the Tathāgata knows to be untrue, incorrect, unbeneficial, and which is pleasing and agreeable to others, that speech the Tathāgata does not utter. 5. And that speech which the Tathāgata knows to be true, correct, but unbeneficial, and which is pleasing and agreeable to others, that speech too the Tathāgata does not utter. 6. But that speech which the Tathāgata knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is pleasing and agreeable to others, there the Tathāgata is one who knows the right time for explaining that speech. Here, in this Pāli text, for easy comprehension, it should be understood in brief. How is it that this speech is of six kinds: untrue, unbeneficial, unpleasing speech; true, unbeneficial, unpleasing speech; true, beneficial, unpleasing speech; untrue, unbeneficial, pleasing speech; true, unbeneficial, pleasing speech; and true, beneficial, pleasing speech? There, ac "This is a thief, this is a thief," and so on, such a statement is called the first statement. "This is a thief, this is a thief," and so on, such a statement is called the second statement. Due to not having done merit, he is miserable, ill-favored, of little influence. But even staying here, he does not do merit again. In the second thought-moment, how will he be freed from the four lower realms? Thus, for the welfare of the people, with the aim of Dhamma, with the aim of instruction, such a statement is called the third statement. One rogue said: "Sir, when I was in my mother's womb, she had a craving for wood-apple fruit. Not finding another to bring wood-apples, she sent me. I went, and being unable to climb the tree, I myself, taking myself by the feet, threw myself up onto the tree like a club. Then, moving from branch to branch, being unable to descend with the fruits, I went home, brought a ladder, descended, went to my mother, and gave the fruits to my mother. Those, however, were as large as pots. Then my mother, sitting on one seat, ate sixty fruits." Such a statement, and so on, is called the fourth statement. For the sake of gain, out of flattery, and so on, various kinds of praise of others' speech, and talk about kings, talk about thieves, and so on, such animal talk, is called the fifth statement. Dhamma talk connected with the Noble Truths is called the sixth statement. But hearing that for even a hundred years, the wise are never satisfied. Among these, the Blessed One speaks only the third and sixth statements. Therefore, by good people, only those two statements should be spoken. This is what came in that commentary, a summary method. But in the Great Commentary on the Visuddhimagga, and in the Sāratthadīpanī Commentary, it is described in a different way. But in those, having looked at it, it should be taken. Here is a summary verse: "Who, connected with the true meaning, speaks words unpleasant to others; And connected with the true meaning, speaks words pleasant to others; These two kinds of speech, in the right place, he speaks, and is called Sugata; And is called Dakār." having done, by one who knows the meaning." "Seṭṭha" (Excellent) means most praised due to greatness of qualities. For he is praised especially among the praised, thus he is called "seṭṭha." The word "pasattha" (praised), with the "iṭṭha" suffix in the superlative. The "so" of the word "pasattha," means especially praised by the qualities of virtue, concentration, wisdom, etc., of the praised ones such as Paccekabuddhas and Noble Disciples. Or, he who seeks, investigates, or seeks and investigates beautiful dhammas of the nature of mindfulness foundations, etc., is "seṭṭha," the Buddha. "Esa" (to seek) with "su" as prefix, in the sense of seeking. Its "ṭṭha." The word "su" means beautiful. Or, he who is to be sought and investigated by good people, by the virtuous, is "seṭṭha." "Isa" (to seek) with "santa" (good) as prefix, the "so" of "santa," the "e" of "ika," its "ṭṭha." Or, he who is wished for and desired by good people, by the virtuous, is "seṭṭha." "Isu" (to wish, to desire) with "santa" as prefix. Or, he who wishes for the welfare and happiness of good people, of the virtuous, is "seṭṭha," the Buddha. This is an agentive derivation. Or, he who teaches and makes known beautiful dhammas of the nature of mindfulness foundations, etc., is "seṭṭha." This is a causative agentive derivation. The root "esadhātu" (to seek) with "su" as prefix, in the sense of understanding. That "seṭṭha." "Kusalaṃ kusalaṃ jahanti" (they abandon skillfulness, skillfulness) Here, the division of words should be made as "kusalaṃ akusalaṃ jahanti" (they abandon skillfulness, unskillfulness). "Kusala" (skillful) is that which shakes, moves, trembles, destroys the contemptible evil dhamma. Here, the four-fold "kusala" is taken. There, kāmāvacara kusala shakes and moves evil dhamma by temporary abandonment. Mahaggata kusala shakes and trembles by suppression abandonment. Lokuttara kusala shakes and destroys by eradication abandonment— this is the meaning. Or, "kusala" is that by which the good people close, restrain, and shut the contemptible door to the lower realms. This is an instrumental derivation. Here, however, since "jahanti" (they abandon) is stated, only the three-fold "kusala" is intended. That, however, has the characteristic of blameless and pleasant results, the function of destroying unskillfulness, the manifestation of purification, or the manifestation of desirable results, and its proximate cause is wise attention. Not "kusala" is "akusala," friend. The opponent, like an enemy, is to be abandoned and is to be abandoned, meaning it is the opposite of wholesome. That, however, has the characteristic of blameworthy and painful result, or the characteristic of blameworthy and undesirable result, its function is to generate harm, its manifestation is undesirable result, its proximate cause is unwise attention. Wholesome, called meritorious formations and imperturbable formations, and unwholesome, called demeritorious formations, are wholesome and unwholesome. That word, however, is the object in the word "jahanti" (they abandon).