English
In the Nibbāna designated as the unconditioned element, in the Nibbāna designated as fruition, this present suffering would cease. Anupādāparinibbāna means the Anupādāparinibbāna designated as the fruition of Arahatship. For Nibbāna is twofold: apaccayaparinibbāna and anupādāparinibbāna. Among these, the unconditioned element is called apaccayaparinibbāna because it is devoid of conditions such as ignorance. The fruition of Arahatship is called anupādāparinibbāna because it is devoid of clinging, which is designated as conditioned cessation. Rājābhinītā means oppressed by kings, or fearing kings. Iṇaṭṭā means oppressed by debt. Kallo’si means you are skilled in the knowledge of grammar; in the Aṅguttara commentary, 'capable in grammar'. It is indeed fitting to say 'Paṭibalo'si' as well. The question on ordination is the fifth. Sopādāno means with defilements. The question on rebirth is the sixth. Yoniso manasikārena means with mindfulness through a method, a path, a characteristic of recollection, that considers impermanence and suffering. The question on mindfulness is the seventh. Ussahanalakkhaṇe means in the characteristic of urging, or the characteristic of grasping, in the sense of connecting to the object for associated states. The question on the characteristic of mindfulness is the eighth. Yo sīlakkhadho varapātimokkhiyo means that virtue, which is designated as the restraint of the Pātimokkha precepts, which arises only at the time of a Buddha's appearance, is established by itself. It is both a support condition as a basis for the eleven wholesome qualities beginning with faith, and a strong support condition in the sense of a powerful cause, like the earth is a foundation for beings. The question on the characteristic of the foundation of virtue is the ninth. Aññesaṃ cittaṃ vimuttaṃ passivā means seeing with the eye of knowledge that the minds of other noble ones are especially liberated, inclined towards the fruits beginning with the fruit of Stream-entry. The question on the characteristic of faith is the tenth. Sabbe kusalā dhammā means all wholesome mundane states, once arisen, do not decline. The question on the characteristic of effort is the eleventh. Apilāpanalakkhaṇo means having the characteristic of entering, in the sense of not withdrawing from the object, a state with a counterpart, meaning existing together with a counterpart, an opponent. With a counterpart, white, and with a counterpart of black. "With a counterpart of black and white," if such a reading exists, it is indeed excellent. "Apilāpeti" means to plunge, in the sense of entering. "The destinies of beneficial and harmful things" means the attainments, reckoned as the giving of desirable and undesirable results, of wholesome and unwholesome things. "Sabbathaka" means appointed to all duties, or desirable in all secret and open matters. The question about the characteristic of mindfulness, the twelfth. "Tappamukhā'va" means like those with the king as their head. The question about concentration, the thirteenth. "He who arises is the very same" means the ultimate reality of the element of earth-contact, etc., which arises, is the very same thing that arose before. The question about the characteristic of wisdom, the fourteenth. The question about performing various and single functions, the fifteenth. The first chapter, containing fifteen questions, is complete. "But what, venerable sir, would you say when thus addressed?" means, "When you were young, a tender infant lying on your back, and someone said to you, 'Are you the very same person who is now grown up?' and I or someone else asked you in the manner of a question, what would you say?" This is the connection. In the second chapter, the question about the continuity of phenomena is the first. The question about not recollecting and knowing is the second. "Sakiccaṃ" means its function of illuminating its object. "Ālimpanaṃ vijjhāpetuṃ" means to extinguish the fire. The question about the cessation of wisdom, the third. "Like a servant who has received his wages" means, just as a servant, having performed his service and received his wages, does not rejoice in living a miserable life, nor does he rejoice in death, but awaits the time of death, even so, I await the time of death, I anticipate it. This is the meaning. The question about final liberation, the fourth. "If wholesome things are not painful" means, if pleasant feeling were wholesome, that wholesome feeling would not be painful. If it were, it would not be wholesome. "The wholesome is painful" is not fitting, meaning it is not proper to say that the wholesome is painful. The wholesome is not painful, because they are mutually opposed. This was the king's intention. But the nature of things is not thus. Wholesome... Yes, pleasant feeling is painful through the pain of formations and the pain of change. Even painful feelings associated with aversion and free from blame can be wholesome. The elder thought, "When I ask the king the iron ball and snow ball question, the king will answer it wrongly. I will accuse him of wrong-doing. The king will answer it wrongly. I will accuse him of wrong-doing. Unable to avoid it, the king will beg me for an explanation. Then I will explain the meaning to the king." Thinking this, he said, "What do you think, great king?" "Which of the two would burn, great king?" When the elder asked this question, the king, thinking of the hot element known as heat and the hard, biting quality of the cold snowball, contradicted his knowledge of the nature of the elements and gave a contradictory answer, "Yes, venerable sir, both would burn." "No, venerable sir," is the king's denial and rejection. "Understand the refutation," is the elder's statement. "Because your former affirmation 'Yes' contradicts your latter affirmation 'No, venerable sir,' and the latter does not agree with the former, therefore you have been refuted. You have been refuted, accused, and found guilty." This is the meaning. Now, making that refutation clear by showing the absence of heat in both and the absence of cold in both, he said, "If heat burns..." Thus, "If heat burns" means if the heat of both burns. "If heat burns" is also a statement of establishment. "And they both do not" is a statement of accusation. "Therefore it does not arise" means that because of the heat in both, the statement "both of them burn" does not apply, is not fitting, to the burning of heat. "If cold burns" means if the coldness of both burns, "therefore it does not apply" means that for that reason, because of the absence of coldness in both, the statement "both of them burn" does not apply to the burning of coldness. It is not fitting to say that again. Making it more evident, the elder then spoke, beginning with, "But why, great king, do both burn you?" (Why) Thus, "Why, by what reason do both burn you?" "Therefore, it is not fitting," meaning, "For what reason, because one is hot and one is cold, causing both to burn you, that statement of yours is not fitting, is not suitable. You said, 'Both burn you,' and that is also inappropriate, said by you. To say, 'Good is suffering,' you have already said it. Why do you say this, that 'Good is suffering' is not fitting? You say that a fitting statement is not suitable, and you say that an unfitting statement is suitable?" Seeing a fault in his own argument by the elder's words, unable to avoid it, humbled, begging the elder for explanation, he spoke, beginning with, "I am not capable." "By you, the debater," meaning, "By you, the speaker of fitting, profound, varied, and insightful words." "Please explain the meaning," meaning, "Please, I beg you. Explain, expound the meaning of this question I asked, whether pleasant feeling is wholesome, unwholesome, or indeterminate. Then I am seeking the meaning; what is the point of arguing?" is the intention. "Dependent on worldliness," meaning, "Dependent on worldly sense pleasures, arising in connection with them," is the meaning. "Dependent on renunciation." Here, "Renunciation, first meditation, Nibbana, and insight, All wholesome things are called renunciation," In the renunciation mentioned, counted as Nibbana, insight, and wholesome qualities; Dependent on renunciation. The question about pleasant feeling is the fifth. And it is more profound than other questions. The meaning I have spoken should be satisfactory to the noble ones, and repeatedly thinking with the power of their own wisdom, considering the before and after, the meaning that is more fitting than the meaning I have spoken should indeed be accepted. "Name and form," meaning, "By way of naming, by way of bending, the four immaterial aggregates are name. Here, resultant name is intended. By way of being afflicted by cold and so on, form, without exception, is counted as ninety-six divisions of form, produced form, and in terms of categories, ten kinds." Sixteen rūpa-decades are enumerated: the undecade of unproduced rūpa, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and gender decades, three decades born of mind, temperature, and nutriment, and two sounds born of mind and temperature, thus ninety-six rūpa-sections. Here, however, kamma-born rūpa is intended. Therefore, by that kamma, another name-and-form is reborn; by that wholesome or unwholesome kamma, another name-and-form, another future name-and-form pertaining to a good or bad destination, is reborn together with this present name-and-form. The meaning is: if a person were to be punished because of a later mango produced without rejecting or abandoning the earlier mango seed, which was the root cause. The sixth question is about the rebirth of name-and-form. He was adorned with the simile of beings. "Adhikāra" means great honor and veneration. This seventh question is asked again. It should be understood that it is asked again out of a desire to hear the simile.