English
And the village near his birthplace was known by the Burmese name 'Ye Ne Na Se Yam Va'. The king, having regained the kingdom, in that same year, on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Kattika, invited all the great elders, brought them into the royal palace, and fed them with alms food. Then the king spoke thus: "The elder residing in the four-storied monastery is a teacher who brings benefit in the future life; but the elder residing in the seated monastery is one who brings benefit in this present life." Thus it is stated in the royal lineage. In ancient manuscripts, however, it is stated: "The elder residing in the four-storied monastery is an ascetic par excellence, a teacher; but the elder residing in the seated monastery is worthy of a warrior, skilled in warfare." It is said that the king, when giving without considering future benefit, did not give to the elder of the seated monastery; but sometimes, when considering present benefit, he gave to him separately. And here, since the elder of the seated monastery provided protection to ward off the king's fears, not to harm others, and no use of commanding power is seen, there is no fault of offense. It should be regarded as a practice made by Arahant elders to ward off the fears of King Saddhātissa. The elder residing in the four-storied monastery, however, was born in the village of Khanittipāda, originating from the assembly of Arahant elders in Arimaddanapura. Wherever he went, having truly known the conduct of other monks, he never partook of the four requisites from them, not even water did he ever drink. He would go to those places only taking a piece of leather. without virtue. King Ukkaṃsika, taking the form of the pagoda built by the two Poṅka queens in Sirikhetta city, made a pagoda named Rājamaṇicūḷa. That pagoda was three hundred cubits in circumference, and the same in height. On the four sides of that pagoda, he also built four monasteries. On the eastern side was a monastery named Pubbavanārāma, on the southern side was Dakkhiṇavanārāma, on the western side was Pacchimavanārāma, and on the northern side was Uttaravanārāma. Among these four monasteries, the monastery named Uttaravanārāma was destroyed by a lightning strike. The remaining three monasteries he gave to three great elders skilled in the Pariyatti (scriptures). He also gave them a name-seal. During the reign of the Western King, he built a monastery on the northern side. That king passed away without placing a parasol on that pagoda. Among the elders residing in those four monasteries, the great elder residing in Dakkhiṇavanārāma monastery embellished the meaning of the Kaccāyana grammar with six kinds of explanations and expounded it in the Maramma language. The elder residing in Pacchimavanārāma monastery embellished the explanation of the Nyāsa with six methods. When a thousand years and ten more years had passed in the Kaliyuga, his son, Sirinandasudhammarājāpavarādhīpati, reigned. He broke down his father's palace and built a monastery, giving it to the great elder named Tilokālaṅkāra. The elder Tilokālaṅkāra should be understood as a disciple of the elder Ariyālaṅkāra, who had the same wisdom and strength as the elder Tipiṭakālaṅkāra. This matter is shown below. He built a four-story Atulavihāra in Jeyyapura and gave it to the great elder Dāṭṭhānāgarājaguru. That elder composed a commentary on the Nyāsa named Niruttisāramañjūsā. When a thousand years and twelve more years had passed in the Kaliyuga, in the month of Phagguṇa, the guardian deities named Sotāpannā said, "We will go elsewhere," and the city dreamed having seen, having gathered in great numbers, they made offerings to the devas. But for devas, there is no moving, it should be understood as merely a premonition. And at that time, the soldiers of the Chinese king came and ravaged the country of Myanmar. The Dispensation, like the moon covered by clouds, became weak. When the year two thousand and twenty-three of the Kali Yuga had arrived, the younger brother of that king, a king named Mahāpavaradhammarājālokādhipati, ruled the kingdom. And at that time, because it was announced by those skilled in Vedic lore that merit would be scarce according to the signs of the world, he had a temporary residence built for the purpose of generating new merit according to the signs of the world, and temporarily moved and resided there. After that, he demolished the northern house, and in that very place, he had a monastery built and gave it to a great elder. As for the southern house, he had a monastery built in the eastern part of the city and gave it to the elder Aggaṇammālaṅkāra. And that elder translated into the Myanmar language the meaning of the Kaccāyana grammar, the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, and the Mātikā, Dhātukathā, Yamaka, and Paṭṭhāna. And the viceroy had a golden monastery built in a prominent place like Mahāsetu, and gave it to Jinārāmatthera, a disciple of the elder residing in the northern house monastery. In that very place, he had a monastery adorned with various jewels built and gave it to Guṇagandhatthera, a disciple of that same elder. But that elder was born in the village of ‘China Vḍina’. When he came of age, he went to the city of Ratanapūra and studied the scriptures, then returned again and resided in the village of Badara in the city of Baduna, and afterwards, in the village of ‘China Vḍina’, he lived, troubled by the four requisites. And at that time, the king obtained a priceless gem from a man named Mokkha in the village and cherished it greatly. It became known as the ‘China Vḍina’ Mokkha gem. Then the elder residing in the northern house monastery said, “In the village of ‘China Vḍina’, not only is the gem priceless, but also one the elder Guṇagandha, versed in the scriptures, was truly invaluable. Then, hearing this, the king invited him, supported him with the four requisites, and paid him homage. In the village of Sahassorodha, the elder Guṇasāra, and in the village of Paliṇa, the elder Sujāta, were indeed disciples of the elder Guṇagandha. And at one time, the great elder, residing in Tiriyapabbata Monastery, among the assembly of monks, jokingly said to the elder Aggadhammālaṅkāra, "Friend, when we pass away, you will be the only elder skilled in texts in the world, I think." Then Aggadhammālaṅkāra also said, "Venerable sir, when you pass away, how could we be skilled in texts? What kind of person will be skilled in texts in the world?" But in ancient books, it is said that the elder Ariyālaṅkāra said, "Are we not yet skilled in texts?" That elder Aggadhammālaṅkāra, being requested by the king, also made a summary of the royal lineage. That elder was a minister's son. And at one time, a great minister, who had fallen from favor, took all the possessions he had acquired from the king, came to the monastery, and conversed with the elder Aggadhammālaṅkāra. After conversing, he showed all the possessions to the elder and said, "Venerable sir, if you were a layman, you would obtain so many possessions." The elder also said, "Your many possessions are not worth a sixteenth part of the merit of us recluses who enter the latrine meditating on impurity." Although this statement is not primary in the lineage of the Teaching, it was said by the elder, bearing in mind that a statement made by former teachers, even if it seems insignificant, should be remembered until the end of life. But when a thousand and thirty-four years had passed in the Kaliyuga, his son, King Narāvara, reigned. He received the title Mahāsīhasūradhammarāja. During the reign of that king, near the 'Sī Khoṃ' stupa, Jetav A young monk, studying the scriptures in a monastery, though skilled in the scriptures, became confused in his childish mind during his youth. Just as a latrine pit, covered by wind and sun, becoming dry on the outside, when stirred with a stick, emits a foul smell, so too, his mind-stream, covered by the wind and sun of learning, becoming dry on the outside, when stirred by some visible object or other, emitted the foul smell of defilements, like a spear. And thinking, "I will revert to a lower state," he took lay clothes, and went with his companion monks to the river ford. On the way, thinking, "I will worship the shrine while still a monk," he placed the lay clothes in the hands of his companions, entered a cave near the shrine, worshipped, and sat down. Then a young woman came to the shrine courtyard, sat outside the cave, poured water, and made a wish: "By this merit, may I be freed from all lower realms and so forth, and in every existence, may I not be the wife of a man who reverts to a lower state." Then, hearing that, the young monk thought thus: "Now I have come thinking, 'I will revert to a lower state.' This young woman also made a wish, 'May I not be the wife of a man who reverts to a lower state.' Now I will ask that young woman the reason." So thinking, he came out of the cave, and asked that young woman the reason: "Why do you make the wish, 'May I not be the wife of a man who reverts to a lower state'?" "The statement, 'May I not be the wife of a man who reverts to a lower state,' Venerable Sir, is not different from the statement, 'May I not be the wife of a foolish man.' Indeed, they have the same meaning. Is not one who reverts to a lower state truly a fool? If, Venerable Sir, one who reverts to a lower state were not called a fool, who then in the world would be called a fool? A monk, indeed, enjoys robes, alms-food, and lodging given by others, and lives happily. If he wishes to study the scriptures, he studies as he wishes." he gets the opportunity. Or if, without being like that, he would just want to eat, sleep, and sit lazily, even so, he gets the opportunity to eat and sleep as he wishes. Even being like this, "I will be a slave to another, I will be a servant to my wife," even without saying it,