English
just as King Asoka did with the Elder Moggaliputtatissa. Therefore, we said in the story of the origin of the city of Nāga,– And then for the community of monks, the Elder as leader; That one, having received the title of "Knower," he established well. And then our righteous great king, when the Sakka era reached 1219, near the mountain named Mandalay, endowed with auspicious land features, like a single bathing place for the birds of many people's eyes, surrounded by all city ornaments, generating longing in the eyes of humans, full of various jewels, a place for the breaking of bags for various foreign merchants, built a royal capital named Ratanapunna (Full of Jewels), like Mandhātu built Rājagaha, and Sudassana built Kusāvatī city. Therefore, we said in the story of the origin of the city of Nāga,– Then when Kaṭṭhaṭaja arrived, and of Mandalay mountain; Near it, he built a city named Erāvatī. Endowed with auspicious land features, named Ratanapunna; Like Rājagaha by Mandhātu, beautiful and delightful. Just as in the world, the thousand-rayed sun rises from the Udaya mountain, bringing joy and happiness and benefiting beings who seek light, even so, this righteous king arises in this Burmese country, bringing joy and happiness and benefiting the modest, virtuous, and training-desiring monks and laypeople of Burma. Relying on this righteous king, the Dispensation of the Perfectly Enlightened Buddha shines exceedingly in Burma. It attains growth, development, and abundance. And the Dispensation It does not stand depending on this king. This righteous king is indeed a supporter of the Dispensation, a practitioner of Dhamma, one who honors Dhamma. Moreover, all the residents of the realm, relying on the righteous king, become supporters of the Dispensation, practitioners of Dhamma, honoring Dhamma, having followed the king. Therefore, it is said in the Mahābodhi Jātaka and others: If among the cows, the bull goes straight, all the cows go straight, when the leader goes straight. Even so, among humans, whoever is considered the best, if he practices Dhamma, how much more so will the other people; the whole realm dwells happily, if the king is righteous. Especially, the chief queen of our king, who is the daughter of King Mahādhammarāja, who built the second Amarapura, endowed with qualities like honesty, gentleness, and friendliness, is of good conduct and devoted to her husband. Even though she attained the foremost position among all women, she was not heedless with the intoxicating liquor of sensual pleasures, but was constantly diligent in meritorious deeds through heedfulness. She constantly undertook the study of the scriptures. She was also skilled in the Vedas. Extremely devoted to the Dispensation of the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, other women of the royal harem, standing in the advice of King Mahādhammarāja, practiced the Dhamma. The Dispensation indeed prospered. The viceroy, too, who was of the same mother and father as King Mahādhammarāja, without opposing the wishes of King Mahādhammarāja, brought about the welfare and benefit of all the residents of the realm, both laypeople and monastics, just like the eldest son of a Wheel-turning monarch, endowed with strength and speed, extremely brave, and full of energetic effort. Other ministers, numbering many thousands, stationed in various positions received from King Mahādhammarāja, performed their respective duties for King Mahādhammarāja, and delighted in meritorious deeds. And all the human residents of the realm set their minds on generosity, morality, and meditation. And the monastics, led by the Saṅgharāja, the elders, the new, and the middle ones, devoted themselves to the duties of study and insight. Thus, even to speak of the virtues of one good person with great effort is indeed difficult to bring to completion, how much more so the Buddha's... What person, having brought to completion, could declare the virtues that arose from the power of the perfections of countless thousands of the one foremost in the three worlds? Thus, if the virtues of the great Dharma King, and of the chief queen, and of the viceroy and others, were to be extensively narrated, this lamp illuminating the lineage of the Dispensation would reach not just a few hundred recitations, but would have no end. And because it would be too elaborate, it has been told concisely, for the approval of good people, for their great joy born of merit. This should be approved by good people who hear it: "Indeed, in such a time, in such a country, such a king, having upheld the Dispensation, attained growth, flourishing, and abundance, just as a tree, relying on earth and water, attains growth, flourishing, and abundance." During the reign of this king, the great elder, the Sangharaja, named Ñeyyadhammābhimunivaraññāṇakitti Siridhajadhammasenāpatimahādhammarājādhirājaguru, being requested by the king, composed a text called Surājamaggadīpanī. Having taught the meaning of the Majjhimanikāya Commentary to his disciples, he had the method of explaining the meaning, according to what was taught, recorded in a book. The great elder, named Medhābhivaṃsasaddhammadhajamahādhammarājādhirājaguru, made an explanation of the meaning of the Jātaka Pāḷi in the Maramma language. I, the same one, a disciple of the Sangharaja, who received the royal title Paññāsāmisirikavidhajamahādhammarājādhirājaguru, being requested by the Dharma King and the chief queen, composed a text called Sīlakathā and a text called Upāyakathā. Being requested by the layman named Disāpāmokkha, who was the king's teacher, I, the same one, composed a text called Akkharavisodhanī and a text called Āpattivinicchaya. Likewise, being urged by the Sangharaja, I, the same one, composed Nāgarājuppatikathā, Vohāratthabheda, and Vivādavinicchaya. Likewise, being requested by the village headman of Pañcajambu, the minister of scribes, and two ministers of petitions, I, the same one, composed Rāja I composed a book called Sevakadīpanī. Likewise, being requested by the great minister, the chief of the Dīghanāvānagara, I composed a book called Nirayakathādīpaka. Likewise, being requested by the lay follower named Silāleḍḍuka, I composed a book called Uposathavinicchaya. Likewise, being requested by many listeners, I composed a commentary on Saddanīti in the Pāli language. And at one time, when two hundred and twenty years of the Kaliyuga had passed, it occurred to the king: "Now, in the dispensation of the Buddha, the Blessed One, many requisites, produced by the improper actions such as corrupting families, of some bhikkhus and novices, are seen. Some shameless individuals even accept gold and other things that are to be relinquished. Some, without a requisite, eat betel in the wrong time, and having made a store, they smoke, and not being sick, they enter the village with sandals, they hold umbrellas, and they engage in other actions contrary to discipline. Now, it is proper to make the bhikkhus and novices take a vow before the Buddha, making the Buddha a witness, that 'we will not engage in these improper actions,' and to make them protect the precepts of the Blessed One. And if this is done, the bhikkhus and novices will say, 'We make such a vow before the Buddha,' and having made the vow, expecting some danger to arise in this very existence, in this very present, for us who fall into transgression, they will protect the precepts." Having thought thus, he thought again: "We do not know whether it is proper or not to make the bhikkhus and novices take such a vow. Now, I will gather the great elders, including the Saṅgharāja, and ask them." Then he commanded the ministers: "Gather all the great elders at the Saṅgharāja's monastery and ask them about this matter." Then the ministers, having gathered the great elders, asked: "Now, Venerables, seeing the actions contrary to discipline of the bhikkhus and novices in the dispensation, the king, having seen..." whether it is proper for the king to make them promise before the Buddha, taking him as a witness, "We will not commit these improprieties," and to make them observe the precepts of the Blessed One. Then the Great Elders, led by the Saṅgharāja, said this: "Since he does this wishing for the purity of the Dispensation, it is proper to make them do so." But some Elders, such as Paṇḍitābhidhajamunindaghosamahādhammarājagurutthera, said this: "Nowadays, monks, due to the scarcity of faith and other strengths, commit offenses of both intentional and unintentional nature, which are called the commands of the Blessed One. They rectify them with acts of confession and rising, which are permitted by the Blessed One himself, and thus purify their virtue, becoming modest and conscientious. They do not ever avoid committing offenses. Therefore, making a promise before the Buddha, 'We will not intentionally transgress what the Blessed One has forbidden,' is an extremely heavy matter. Even if one makes a promise before and later breaks it, in such a case, according to the saying, 'For a pure-minded person, there is a dukkaṭa for breaking a promise; for the other, a pācittiya at the moment of promising,' they would commit that particular offense along with the dukkaṭa or pācittiya of breaking the promise. Then, just from making the promise, there would be a multitude of offenses. It is like someone taking unsuitable medicine to cure a disease, and then the disease does not subside but worsens. Similarly, one who wishes not to commit offenses makes a promise before the Buddha, and then would only have a multitude of offenses. Moreover, fearless monks would dare to transgress the precepts even after making a promise hundreds of times before hundreds of Buddhas." Then the Saṅgharāja, the Great Elder, commissioned me, his disciple Paññāsāmisirikavidhajamahādhammarājādhirājaguru, to give a reply to the words of that Elder. Then I said this: "Two individuals are incapable