Khuddaka Nikāya (Semester II) – āvuso Sumana
Khuddaka Nikāya - Āvuso (Laos) Sumana
- mettasuttaṁ
- part I
- introduction
- 4 types of dhammas that lead to specific types of existences #[[khuddaka exam]]
- manussadhamma (qualities leading to becoming a human)
- 5 precepts (pañcasikkhāpada / pañcasīla / pakati sīla)
- or dasakusalakammapatha (ten courses of wholesome kamma) "manussadhammo nāma dasakusalakammapathadhammo"
- devadhamma (qualities leading to becoming a deva)
- hiri and ottappa, as it is mentioned, “wise and virtuous men who are endowed with moral shame and moral dread, who establish bright dhammas are called ‘those who have virtues of deities’ in the world.”
- "hiriottappasampannā, sukkadhammasamāhitā;
santo sappurisā loke, devadhammāti vuccare" (J.1.1.6)
- brahmavihāradhamma (qualities leading to becoming a Brahma)
- mettā (loving-kindness)
- karuṇā (compassion)
- muditā (sympathetic joy)
- upekkhā (equanimity)
- “Loving kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy protect people; equanimity protects righteousness.”
- ariyadhamma (qualities leading to becoming noble)
- 5 precepts (ariya here means far from violence)
- 37 bodhipakkhiyadhamma (37 virtues partaking of enlightenment) (Ariya here means free from defilements)
- ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (according to ariyadhammasuttaṁ)
- vocab:
- pakkhiya [pakkha + iya] adj.↔associated with; connected to; siding with; lit. on the side of; 2. belonging to a faction, siding with; 3. fortnightly
- 3 types of manussa according to defilement
- manussapeto = greedy
- manussanirayo = violent
- manussatiracchāno = deluded
- brahmavihāra
- “loving kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy safeguard people while equanimity protects righteousness.”
- mettā
- characteristic: the mode of friendliness
function: to promote friendliness
manifestation: the disappearance of ill will
proximate cause: recognizing the joyful state of all beings / seeing beings as agreeable
- sampatti (accomplishment) and vipatti (failure) of mettā
- sampatti: non ill-will (abyāpāda)
- vipatti: love as affection
- enemies of mettā
- near enemy: rāga (lust)
- far enemy: byāpāda (non ill-will)
- 4 types of "love" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- attapema (self-love): connected to the natural instinct of survival; when strong it may lead to selfishness, and in extreme cases, this selfcenteredness can lead someone to harm or even kill others in order to protect themselves. “natthi attasamaṃ pemaṃ” (There is no love equal to self-love)
- lustful love (rāga): connected to the natural reproductive instincts; when one gets what one wants it is considered successful but when not it leads to resentment; Pemasutta: cattārimāni, bhikkhave, (pemāni) jāyanti. katamāni cattāri? pemā pemaṃ jāyati, pemā doso jāyati, dosā pemaṃ jāyati, dosā doso jāyati ((1) love is born of love, (2) hate is born of love, (3) love is born of hate, and and (4) hate is born of hate)
- pemasuttaṃ:
- "cattārimāni, bhikkhave, (pemāni) jāyanti. katamāni cattāri? pemā pemaṃ jāyati, pemā doso jāyati, dosā pemaṃ jāyati, dosā doso jāyati.
"kathañca, bhikkhave, pemā pemaṃ jāyati? idha, bhikkhave, puggalo puggalassa iṭṭho hoti kanto manāpo. taṃ pare iṭṭhena kantena manāpena samudācaranti. tassa evaṃ hoti – ‘yo kho myāyaṃ puggalo iṭṭho kanto manāpo, taṃ pare iṭṭhena kantena manāpena samudācarantī’ti. so tesu pemaṃ janeti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, pemā pemaṃ jāyati.
"kathañca, bhikkhave, pemā doso jāyati? idha, bhikkhave, puggalo puggalassa iṭṭho hoti kanto manāpo. taṃ pare aniṭṭhena akantena amanāpena samudācaranti. tassa evaṃ hoti – ‘yo kho myāyaṃ puggalo iṭṭho kanto manāpo, taṃ pare aniṭṭhena akantena amanāpena samudācarantī’ti. so tesu dosaṃ janeti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, pemā doso jāyati.
"kathañca, bhikkhave, dosā pemaṃ jāyati? idha, bhikkhave, puggalo puggalassa aniṭṭho hoti akanto amanāpo. taṃ pare aniṭṭhena akantena amanāpena samudācaranti. tassa evaṃ hoti – ‘yo kho myāyaṃ puggalo aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo, taṃ pare aniṭṭhena akantena amanāpena samudācarantī’ti. so tesu pemaṃ janeti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dosā pemaṃ jāyati.
"kathañca, bhikkhave, dosā doso jāyati? idha, bhikkhave, puggalo puggalassa aniṭṭho hoti akanto amanāpo. taṃ pare iṭṭhena kantena manāpena samudācaranti. tassa evaṃ hoti – ‘yo kho myāyaṃ puggalo aniṭṭho akanto amanāpo, taṃ pare iṭṭhena kantena manāpena samudācarantī’ti. so tesu dosaṃ janeti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dosā doso jāyati.
imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri pemāni jāyanti.
- loving-kindness (mettā): "This kind of love is evident between parents and children."
- unconditional love (mahākaruṇā): accompanied by wisdom. The first three types of love are based on emotions, while the fourth type is rooted in a clear understanding of the truth in the world and life. "This kind of love is evident in the Buddha, Arahant, and a person with a developed mind."
- nidānasodhana (purification of the source)
- 6 carita and suitable kammaṭṭhāna for them
- rāgacarita - dasa asubha and kāyagatasati
- dosacarita - 4 brahmavihāra & vaṇṇakasiṇa
- mohacarita - maraṇānussati
- vitakkacarita - ānāpānassati
- saddhācarita - first 6 anussati (Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, sīla, devatā, cāga)
- buddhicarita - maraṇānussati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññā, catudhātuvavatthāna, upasamānussati
- last 6 kasiṇas and arūpas are suitable for all of them
- background #[[khuddaka exam]]
- once, the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī ; before the rains retreat He explained various meditation subjects that would suit the 84,000 different types of temperaments (mainly rāga, dosa, moha, vitakka, saddhā and buddhi caritas); a group of 500 monks, after learning their meditation subjects, took His permission and went in search of a suitable place to dwell; wandering by stages they reached a mountain in the Himalayas made of nīla stones, shady forests, silver-like sand, and pools of pure water; the nearby village of a 1.000 faithful families welcomed them and invited them to spend the retreat there, building them huts with all needs; after accepting the invitation they remained there practicing diligently; their radiance surpassed that of the tree deities and the deities had to descend from their mansions and roam about; displeased the monks would stay for 3 months, they conjured up frightening sights and sounds, and unpleasant odors, disturbing their practice and causing them bodily and mental distress; one day in conclave the elder brought up the issue and they decided to return to the Blessed One for guidance; after proper investigation the Blessed One gave them instructions on how a forest-dwelling monk should practice; there should be two sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening, of the following: mettā, protective discourses, foulness, recollection of death and attention to the eight important reminders; after that He taught the mettasutta for cultivating loving-kindness, for their protection and for serving as a vipassanāpadakajjhāna, and sent them back to the very same place.
mem aid:
In Sāvatthi, before the rains, the Buddha explains kammaṭṭhānas, a group of 500 goes to a mountain and while dwelling there is disturbed by local devas; taking advice from the Buddha they listen to the mettasutta and return to that place
- 3 purposes of the mettāsutta
- mettattha - for the purpose of loving-kindness
- parittattha - for the purpose of protection
- vipassanāpadakajjhānattha - for the purpose of using the jhāna as a base for vipassanā
- a forest dweller (āraññakena) should know
- "apica kho āraññakena pariharaṇaṃ ñātabbaṃ. seyyathidaṃ – sāyaṃ pātaṃ karaṇavasena dve mettā dve parittā dve asubhā dve maraṇassatī aṭṭhamahāsaṃvegavatthusamāvajjanañca, aṭṭha mahāsaṃvegavatthūni nāma jātijarābyādhimaraṇaṃ cattāri apāyadukkhānīti, atha vā jātijarābyādhimaraṇāni cattāri, apāyadukkhaṃ pañcamaṃ, atīte vaṭṭamūlakaṃ dukkhaṃ, anāgate vaṭṭamūlakaṃ dukkhaṃ, paccuppanne āhārapariyeṭṭhimūlakaṃ dukkhaṁ"
"A monk who resides in the forest should know how to proceed. In the evening and morning, there should be two sessions of practicing loving-kindness (mettā), two recitations of protection (Paritta), two sessions of contemplating the unattractive nature of the body (asubha), two sessions of mindfulness of death (maraṇānussati), and attention to the eight important reminders (aṭṭhamahāsaṃvegavatthu). The eight important reminders are: birth, old age, illness, death, and the suffering in the four unhappy realms. Alternatively, the first four are birth, old age, illness, and death, followed by the suffering in the unhappy realm, the suffering resulting from past actions, the suffering anticipated in future lives, and the suffering arising from the struggle to find food in the present."
- 8 mahāsaṁvegavatthūni (2 methods): aṭṭha mahāsaṃvegavatthūni nāma
- 1st method
- "jāti
- jarā
- byādhi
- maraṇaṁ
- cattāri apāyadukkhāni"
- 2nd method
- "jāti
- jarā
- byādhi
- maraṇāni cattāri
- apāyadukkhaṁ pañcamaṁ
- atīte vaṭṭamūlakaṃ dukkhaṃ,
- anāgate vaṭṭamūlakaṃ dukkhaṃ,
- paccuppanne āhārapariyeṭṭhimūlakaṃ dukkhaṁ"
- rukkhadevas have a meeting every fortnight to remind each other not to break the rukkhadhamma which is not to have anger when others cut their trees causing the disappearance of their mansions otherwise they are not accepted in the deva assemblies and may be reborn in apāya
- themes addressed in the mettasutta #[[khuddaka exam]]
- short version:
- 1st verse to the first half of the 3rd verse: virtues
- 2nd half of the 3rd verse to the 9th verse: mettābhāvanā
- 10th verse: vipassanā
- detailed version:
- 1st half of the 1st verse: what should be done and should not be done
- 2nd half of the 1st verse, 2nd and 3rd verses: 15 great qualities and 1st method of mettā (sabbasaṅgahakamettā)
- 4th and 5th verses: development based on pairs (dukamettā) and triads (tikamettā)
- 6th verse: 3 pakiṇṇakamettā
- 7th verse: how genuine mettā should be developed
- 8th verse: no boundaries, no enemies
- 9th verse: no fixed posture
- 10th verse: how to attain the noble path & fruition with mettābhāvanā
- 1st verse:
"karaṇīyamatthakusalena, yantasantaṃ padaṃ abhisamecca;
sakko ujū ca suhujū ca, suvaco cassa mudu anatimānī."
"This should be done by the one skillful in beneficial practices,
who wishes to attain penetrative realization of peaceful state;
he is to be able, upright, very upright, compliant, pliant, not conceited" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- definition of mettā: “mittassa bhāvo mettaṁ (mettā is the state of a friend)"
word formation: “mitta (friend) + ṇa”
- karaṇīyaṁ (what should be done) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- 3 sikkhā #[[khuddaka exam]]
- adhisīla-sikkhā (training in higher morality): upasampadā sīla
- adhicitta-sikkhā (training in higher mentality): aṭṭhasamāpatti as a base for vipassanā
- adhipaññā-sikkhā (training in higher wisdom): vipassanā
- note: another explanation (not for exam): the 3 viratis in maggacitta is adhisīla; the ekaggata, sati and vīriya are adhicitta; the amoha and vitakka are adhipaññā
- akaraṇīyaṁ (what should not be done): the four vipattis (defects / failures): #[[khuddaka exam]]
- sīlavipatti (failure in morality [refers to pārājika and saṅghādisesa offenses])
- ācāravipatti (failure in good behaviour [refers to the remaining five offenses])
- diṭṭhivipatti (failure in views or wrong views [ten erroneous extremist views [antagāhikadiṭṭhi, etc.])
- ājīvavipatti (failure in livelihood)
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- atthakusalena (one skillful in what is good) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- anatthakusala (one skillful in what is not good) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- anesana: one earns one's living by any of the 21 improper means (by gifts of bamboos, leaves, flowers, fruits, toothwood, mouthwash, bathing implements, bath powder, clay; by flattery, beansoupery, and fondling; by conveying messages; by the work of a physician, by the work of a messenger, by going on errands; by presenting a portion of his almsfood as a gift; by geomancy, astrology, or palmistry)
- agocara: one moves about in the six kinds of wrong resort (prostitutes, widows, old maids, eunuchs, bhikkhunīs and bars)
- saṁsaṭṭha: he forms bonds with kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and their disciples, in the inappropriate way that laypeople form bonds
- assaddhādikula: he associates with, resorts to, and visits families that are without faith and confidence, that are miserly, abusive, and contemptuous, that wish for loss, harm, discomfort, and trouble
- mem aid:
- attha (true benefit / welfare): 4 types of sīla #[[khuddaka exam]]
- pātimokkhasaṃvarasīla: fulfilled by saddhā
- indriyasaṃvarasīla: not giving rise to covetousness or dejection when objects strike against the six sense doors; fulfilled by sati
- ājīvapārisuddhisīla: obtaining requisites by righteous means; fulfilled by vīriya
- paccayasannissitasīla: reflecting on the proper use of requisites and the four sampajañña; fulfilled by paññā
- 3 meanings of atthakusala (one skilled in what is good) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- one skilled in sīla: one who purifies the sīla and when reflecting on it, does not find even the slightest fault
- one skilled in samādhi: one who exerts himself to suppress the defilements and obtains the meditative attainments
- one skilled in paññā: one who analizes conditioned realities and attains arahantship is the foremost of those skillful in the good
- in brief: it means one is skillful in good behavior (sīla), attainments (samādhi) and path and fruition (paññā)
- yantasantaṁ padaṁ abhisamecca (having understood (with wordly wisdom) the peaceful state) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- sakko (able) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- pañca padhāniyaṅga (factors of striving) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- saddho hoti
- appābādho appātaṅko
- asaṭho hoti amāyāvī
- āraddhavīriyo
- paññavā (he possesses the wisdom that discerns arising and passing away, which is noble and penetrative and leads to the complete destruction of suffering)
- note: #[[khuddaka exam]]
- 'sakko' refers to the 2nd and 4th padhāniyaṅga
'uju' and 'suhuju' refers to the 3rd padhāniyaṅga
- the king of Tāvatimsa, Sakka, got that high position by his great diligence and ability; "He is able; therefore, he is called ‘Sakka'"
- uju (upright)
- suhuju (very upright)
- the difference between uju and suhuju is (4 methods) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- uju: occasional straightforwardness or while one is young
suhuju: habitual straightforwardness
- uju: asaṭha (not showing qualities one does not possess)
suhuju: amāyāvī (not hiding one's faults)
- uju: abandoning bodily and verbal crookedness
suhuju: abandoning mental crookedness
- uju: not showing the virtues that one does not have (asaṭha)
suhuju: not consenting to gains accrued due to non-existent virtues
- suvaco (easy to admonish)
- mudu (gentle)
- gentle in the practice of the duties and in the entire spiritual life
- gentle in bodily and verbal actions; one shows a joyful face, uses friendly speech with pleasant words, just like a good harbour where many ships can easily dock
- it is mentioned that if he is asked to convey messages and go on errands, and so forth, he should not be gentle about this but should remain firm
- anatimānī (not conceited)
- pride of bad things is called micchāmāna
- Assignment - fifteen great qualities in mettāsutta #[[khuddaka exam]]
- by Ariyañāṇa Bhikkhu
- sakko
- One is able (sakko) when one fulfills the second and fourth factors of striving, namely appābādho appātaṅko and āraddhavīriyo
- uju & suhuju
- One is considered upright (uju) or very upright (suhuju) according to four methods:
- uju: occasional uprightness or while one is young
suhuju: habitual uprightness
- uju: asaṭha (not showing qualities one does not possess)
suhuju: amāyāvī (not hiding one's faults)
- uju: abandoning bodily and verbal crookedness
suhuju: abandoning mental crookedness
- uju: not showing the virtues that one does not have (asaṭha)
suhuju: not consenting to gains accrued due to non-existent virtues
- suvaco
- One is easy to admonish (suvaco) when one does not show anger, displeasure, give excuses or starts criticizing another when being admonished, but listens respectfully, like Sāriputta Mahāthera. It is of two kinds as āmisahetusuvaco and dhammagāravahetusuvaco. The second is meant here
- mudu
- One is gentle (mudu) when one acts joyfully and kindly while performing physical and verbal actions, avoiding conflict and opposition, and cultivating harmony, being pleasant and welcoming like a safe harbour
- anatimānī
- One if free from superiority conceit (atimāna) due to birth, clan, and so on, like a caṇḍala boy, like a viper without fangs, like a bull without horns or like a floor mat
- santussako
- One is content (santussako) when possessed of the twelve types of santosa. Alternatively one is content with what is one's own (sakena tussako), with what is available (santena tussako) and content evenly (samena tussako)
- subharo
- One is easy to support (subharo) when one is content with what is offered being it little or much, and having made use of it happily, go about doing their own work
- appakicco
- One has few duties (appakicco) when one is not engaged in time consuming duties such as those in relation to building monasteries, managing Saṅgha properties, administrating novices and workers. One is free from the ten impediments:
- "āvāso ca kulaṃ lābho, gaṇo kammañca pañcamaṃ,
addhānaṃ ñāti ābādho, gantho iddhīti te dasāti"
- sallahukavuttī
- One has a light livelihood (sallahukavuttī) when one lives depending on few possessions, like a bird, such as the aṭṭhaparikkhāra:
- "ticīvarañca pattañca
vāsi suci ca bandhanaṁ
parissāvanena aṭṭhete
yuttayogassa bhikkhuno"
- santindriyo
- One has calm faculties (santindriyo or anuddhatindriyo) when one restrains lust and other defilements from arising when encountering pleasant or unpleasant objects
- nipako
- One is wise (nipako) when one is possessed of wisdom in protecting virtues, finding requisites, in the sattasappāya, or alternatively in the four sampajañña, namely, that of purpose, of suitability, of domain and of non-delusion
- appagabbho
- One is not impudent (appagabbho) when free of bodily, verbal and mental impudence such as disrespectful behavior towards teachers, in public places, or towards the Saṅgha.
- kulesu ananugiddho
- One is without attachment to families (kulesu ananugiddho) when one approaches suitable families drawing back body and mind, always as a newcomer, without attachment, like the moon that comes and goes without sorrowing with them (na sahasokī), and without rejoicing with them (na sahanandī)
- na ca khuddamācare kiñci yena viññū pare upavadeyyuṁ
- One should not perform even small misdeeds of body, speech or mind, for which one would experience the present danger (sandiṭṭhika ādīnava) of being censured by the wise. One should not disregard any evil as little, as it is said in Dhp 121:
- "māvamaññetha pāpassa, na mantaṃ āgamissati,
udabindunipātena, udakumbhopi pūrati,
bālo pūrati pāpassa, thokaṃ thokampi ācinaṃ"
- 2nd verse:
"santussako ca subharo ca, appakicco ca sallahukavutti;
santindriyo ca nipako ca, appagabbho kulesvananugiddho."
"Content, easy to support, with few duties, living lightly,
have calm faculties, have mature wisdom, not beng impolite and being without greed for householders" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- 3 santussako (content) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- sakena tussako (one is satisfied with what is one’s own): related to the 4 nissaya (paṁsukūlacīvara, piṇḍapāta, rukkhamūlasesāsana and pūtimuttabhesajja)
- santena tussako (one is satisfied with what is available)
- samena tussako (one is evenly satisfied): one is neither attached to desirable objects nor aversed to undesirable ones but is content with all objects with a balanced mind or with intellectual equanimity
- 4 ariyavaṁsa #[[khuddaka exam]]
- cīvarasantosa
- piṇḍapātasantosa
- senāsanasantosa
- pahānabhāvanāramatā (delight in the meditation of letting go)
- note:
- the first three should be practiced as follows:
- 1. a monk is content
- 2. he praises contentment
- 3. he does not engage in a wrong search (anesanā)
- 4. he is not agitated when he does not receive them
- 5. he makes use of them without infatuation, seeing the danger in them and understanding the escape from them
- 6. he does not extol himself or disparage others because of them
- while for the fourth: a monk should not be content with a partial liberation and wholesome qualities; he should find delight in their development; he does not extol himself or disparage others based on this
- subharo (one is easy to support)
- vocab:
- bharati↔supports, bears, maintains
- 4 types of person according to bhara #[[khuddaka exam]]
- attano dubbharo (one difficult to support by himself): one who is not satisfied with what is offered and keeps looking for something else, even to the point of coming back empty handed
- yo hi ambilādīni laddhā anambilādīni pariyesati, aññassa ghare laddhaṃ aññassa ghare chaḍḍento sabbaṃ gāmaṃ vicaritvā rittapattova vihāraṃ pavisitvā nipajjati, ayaṃ attano dubbharo
- upaṭṭhākānaṃ dubbharo (one difficult to be supported by others): one who shows displeasure at the donation and criticizes it
- yo pana sālimaṃsodanādīnaṃ patte pūretvā dinnepi dummukhabhāvaṃ anattamanabhāvameva ca dasseti, tesaṃ vā sammukhāva taṃ piṇḍapātaṃ "kiṃ tumhehi dinna"nti apasādento, sāmaṇeragahaṭṭhādīnampi deti, ayaṃ upaṭṭhākānaṃ dubbharo
- attano subharo (one easy to support by himself): one who is satisfied having received little or much
- yo pana yaṃkiñci lūkhaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā laddhā tuṭṭhacittova bhuñjitvā vihāraṃ gantvā attano kammaṃ karoti, ayaṃ attano subharo
- upaṭṭhākānaṃ subharo (one easy to be supported by others): one who is pleased with the donation and does not criticize it
- yo ca paresampi appaṃ vā bahuṃ vā lūkhaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā dānaṃ ahīḷetvā attamano vippasannamukho hutvā tesaṃ sammukhāva paribhuñjitvā yāti, ayaṃ upaṭṭhākānaṃ subharo.
- appakicco (having few duties)
- few duties may refer to one who has no duties in relation to building monasteries, Saṅgha properties, the administration of novices and monastery workers and so forth
- 3 things lead to the decline of a trainee
- delighting in work, talk, and sleep
- āraññakasuttaṁ: one endowed with 5 factors attains the unshakeable in no long time:
- idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appaṭṭho hoti appakicco subharo susantoso jīvitaparikkhāresu, appāhāro hoti anodarikattaṃ anuyutto, appamiddho hoti jāgariyaṃ anuyutto, āraññako hoti pantasenāsano, yathāvimuttaṃ cittaṃ paccavekkhati
- dasa paḷibodha gāthā (10 impediments) (Pop.III.29)
- "āvāso ca kulaṃ lābho, gaṇo kammañca pañcamaṃ,
addhānaṃ ñāti ābādho, gantho iddhīti te dasāti"
- ñāti: kin (teacher, preceptor, co-residents...or mother, father....when they are sick)
- gantho: books
- iddhi: only an obstruction for insight, not for serenity; an obstruction for some individuals, not all
- sallahukavutti (light livelihood)
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- santindriya (calm faculties)
- one should restrain the faculties by not letting lust arise when experiencing pleasant objects and by restraining anger from arising when experiencing unpleasant objects
- peaceful faculties are manifested when one has attained concentration, absorption, and enlightenment
- King Pasenadi of Kosala, on dhammacetiyasuttaṁ: idha panāhaṃ, bhante, bhikkhū passāmi haṭṭhapahaṭṭhe udaggudagge abhiratarūpe pīṇindriye appossukke pannalome paradattavutte migabhūtena cetasā viharante
- nipako (having mature wisdom, wise)
- one is wise (nipako) wise in maintaining good behavior, in seeking robes and so forth, and with regard to the 7 kinds of suitability applied to
- abodes,
- alms resort,
- speech,
- companions,
- food,
- climate,
- and posture
- “sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;
ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭaṃ.”
- sapañño = jātipaññā↔understanding that is born of kamma by means of a rebirth-linking with triple rootcause
- nepakkaṁ [nipaka + *ya] (nt.)↔skilfulness; astuteness; carefulness; circumspection; being adept
- meaning of nipaka in vsm.I.3: nipakoti nepakkaṃ vuccati paññā, tāya samannāgatoti attho. iminā padena pārihārikapaññaṃ dasseti. imasmiñhi pañhābyākaraṇe tikkhattuṃ paññā āgatā. tattha paṭhamā jātipaññā, dutiyā vipassanāpaññā, tatiyā sabbakiccapariṇāyikā pārihārikapaññā (protective understanding of all affairs or knowledge which is capable of carrying out any task to completion) which refers to the 4 sampajañña: #[[khuddaka exam]]
- sātthakasampajañña (clear comprehension of purpose) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- sappāyasampajañña (clear comprehension of suitability) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- gocarasampajañña (clear comprehension of the domain) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- asammohasampajañña (clear comprehension of reality) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- note:
- meaning of nipaka in suttanta: nipaka = satinepakka = satisampajañña
- vocab:
- satinepakka [sati + nepakka] (nt.)→prudent mindfulness; careful awareness; (comm) mindfulness and prudence
- parihārika (adj.) [pari + √har + *a + ika]↔looking after; taking care of (s.w/ p)
- vijaṭayati [vi + √jaṭ + *aya + ti]↔pr. (+acc) untangles; unknots; untwists; unravels
- jaṭā (f.) [√jaṭ + ā]↔dreadlocks; matted hair; 2 tangle; mess; snarl; knot
- appagabbho (courteous, not impolite, not impudent)
- 3 types of pagabbha:
- kāyapagabbha (the eight cases of bodily impudence): modes of improper bodily behavior in regard to the Sangha, a group, an individual, in the refectory, in the sauna, at a ford for bathing, on the path to the alms round, and when entering among the houses.
- vacīpagabbha (the four cases of verbal impudence): improper verbal utterances regarding the Saṅgha, a group, an individual, and among the houses.
- manopagabbha (numerous cases of mental impudence): the various kinds of improper thoughts, such as thoughts of sensual desire, thoughts of hatred and so on, pondered by the mind without falling into any kind of misconduct by way of body or speech
- kulesu ananugiddho (without attachment to families)
- one does not greeds after requisites of or forms inappropriate bonds with laypeople; he is neither sad nor happy with them; he is not anxious about their tasks and affairs; 3 similes from candūpamāsutta about how to approach families: "candūpamā, bhikkhave, kulāni upasaṅkamatha – apakasseva kāyaṃ, apakassa cittaṃ, niccanavakā kulesu appagabbhā #[[khuddaka exam]]
- moon: when the moon rises in the sky, it is not attached to anyone, does not love or hate anyone and no one hates the moon because of that
- jarudapānaṃ vā olokeyya pabbatavisamaṃ vā nadīviduggaṃ vā (old well / precipice / steep riverbank): a monk should draw back the body and mind and always act like a newcomer, without impudence towards families just as a man looking down an old well, a precipice, or a steep riverbank, would draw back the body and mind
- ākāse pāṇi na sajjati na gayhati na bajjhati (hand in space): the Buddha moved his hand in the empty space and said that just as the hand is not stuck, held or caught in space, in the same way, when a monk approaches families, his mind should not be stuck, held or caught amidst families, thinking, “may those desiring gains obtain gains, may those desiring merits gain merits!” he is happy when others get something as if he himself had gotten it.
- 5 drawbacks for a monk who visits families:
- one falls into an offense for wandering without leave
- one falls into an offense for sitting in a private place with a woman
- one falls into an offense for sitting in a hidden place with a woman
- one falls into an offense for teaching more than five or six sentences to a woman.
- one has a lot of sensual thoughts
- 5 drawbacks for a monk who approaches family for too long, mixing closely with lay people
- he often sees a woman
- when there is the seen, he becomes close
- being close, one becomes intimate
- being intimate, lust overcomes him
- when his mind is overwhelmed by lust, it is to be expected that he will practice the holy life without satisfaction, or commit one of the corrupt offenses, or resign the training and return to a lower life
- vocab:
- ananugiddha adj. [na + anu + √gidh + ta]→(+loc) not greedy; without desire (among)
- anugiddha↔pp. covetous, greedy (root: gidh)
- giddha adj.↔(+loc) greedy (for); desirous (of); lit. greedy (root: gidh)
- 3rd verse:
"na ca khuddamācare kiñci, yena viññū pare upavadeyyuṃ;
sukhinova khemino hontu, sabbasattā bhavantu sukhitattā"
"Let him not perform the slightest wrong for which wise men would censure him; (let him reflect thus:) ‘May all beings be happy and safe, may they have a pleased mind'" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- na ca khuddamācare kiñci, yena viññū pare upavadeyyuṃ (let one not perform the slightest wrong for which wise men would censure one)
- Dhp 121: "māvamaññetha pāpassa, na mantaṃ āgamissati,
udabindunipātena, udakumbhopi pūrati,
bālo pūrati pāpassa, thokaṃ thokampi ācinaṃ"
“do not disregard evil, thinking it will have no consequence,
just as falling drops of water fill up a bucket,
a fool becomes full of evil collecting it little by little.”
- vocab:
- avamaññati [ava + √man + ya + ti]↔pr. (+gen) thinks lightly (of); belittles; despises; lit. thinks down
- mantaṃ [maṃ + taṃ]↔sandhi. that to me
- ācinanta↔prp. (+acc) accumulating; gathering; collecting; heaping up
- the teachings up to this point are called mettākammaṭṭhānūpacāra
- sukhī↔one who has physical happiness
- sukhitattā↔the mind in which happiness arises and it refers to mental happiness
- khema↔safe or without danger, and because of being safe from all dangers, one is peaceful
- 1st method: sabbasaṅgahakamettā (loving-kindness including all beings); to be practiced after sīmāsambheda #[[khuddaka exam]]
- sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhino (may all beings be physically happy!)
- sabbe sattā bhavantu khemino (may all beings be safe!)
- sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all beings be mentally happy!)
- note: these 3 methods count as 1
- 4th verse:
"ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi, tasā vā thāvarā vanavasesā;
dīghā vā yeva mahantā , majjhimā rassakā aṇukathūlā"
"Whatever living beings that exist, without exception – be them shakeable or unshakable; long or big or medium sized; or short or small or plump" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- pāṇa: living beings or breathing beings with five constituents
bhūta: all beings including those with one or four constituents #[[khuddaka exam]]
- tasa: shaking (with fear due to craving; non-arahats)
thāvara: unshakeable (without craving; arahats) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- dīgha: those with elongated bodies such as dragons, snakes, fish, lizards, etc.
mahanta: those with large bodies such as Rāhu, elephants, whales, large turtles, etc
majjhima: those with medium sized bodies such as horses, cows, buffalo, pigs, etc
rassa: those with short bodies
aṇuka: those which cannot be seen by naked eyes but only by the dibbacakkhu due to being extremely small or subtle
thūla: those with round bodies such as certain fish, turtles, and oysters and other shellfish
#[[khuddaka exam]]
- 5th verse:
"diṭṭhā vā yeva adiṭṭhā , ye va dūre vasanti avidūre;
bhūtā va sambhavesī va , sabbasattā bhavantu sukhitattā."
"Those seen or not seen; those dwelling far or near;
those born or those seeking rebirth – may all beings be happy" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- diṭṭha: those that have been previously seen when they came into the range of one’s own vision
adiṭṭha: those existing in places one has not seen
#[[khuddaka exam]]
- dūra: those which are relatively far (outside one’s own body, the neighbourhood of one’s house, monastery, etc)
avidūra: those which are relatively close (within one’s own body, or within the neighbourhood of one’s house, monastery, village, district, continent and universe) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- bhūta: those that have come to be #[[khuddaka exam]] #[[review khuddaka]]
- arahants who have come to be but will not come to be again
- aṇḍajayoni (egg-born) after hatching
- jalābujayoni (womb-born) after being born
- saṁsedajayoni (moisture-born) and opapātikayoni (spontaneously-born) from the 2nd mind-moment onwards or after changing into another posture other than that they were born in
- sambhavesī: those that will come to be #[[khuddaka exam]] #[[review khuddaka]]
- puthujjanas and sekhas who have not abandoned the fetters of existence
- aṇḍajayoni (egg-born) before hatching
- jalābujayoni (womb-born) before being born
- saṁsedajayoni (moisture-born) and opapātikayoni (spontaneously-born) on the 1st mind-moment or while keeping the same posture they were born in
- catasso yoniyo – aṇḍajayoni, jalābujayoni, saṃsedajayoni, opapātikayoni
- vocab:
- jalābuja→adj. womb-born; viviparous
- jalābu (m.)↔womb; placenta
- saṃsedaja↔adj. moisture-born
- opapātika [upa + √pat + *a + *ika]↔adj. spontaneously reborn; spontaneously generated
- 4 methods of dukamettā (pairs) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi tasā vā thāvarā vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that are shakeable or unshakeable, may they be happy)
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi diṭṭhā vā adiṭṭhā vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that are seen or unseen, may they be happy)
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi dūre vā avidūre vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that are far or near, may they have mental happiness)
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi bhūtā vā sambhavesī vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that have come to be or that will come to be, may they have mental happiness)
- 3 methods of tikamettā (trios) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi dīghā vā rassakā vā majjhimā vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that are long, short or medium, may they be happy)
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi mahantā vā aṇukā vā majjhimā vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that are big, minute or medium, may they be happy)
- ye keci pāṇabhūtatthi thūlā vā aṇukā vā majjhimā vā, imepi sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā (may all living beings there are, that are round, minute or medium, may they be happy)
- 6th verse:
"na paro paraṃ nikubbetha, nātimaññetha katthaci na kañci;
byārosanā paṭighasaññā, nāññamaññassa dukkhamiccheyya"
"Let one not deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere in anger or with ill-will, let them not wish each other harm" #[[khuddaka exam]]
- 3 methods of pakiṇṇakamettā #[[khuddaka exam]]
- na paro paraṃ nikubbetha (may one not deceive another)
- nātimaññetha katthaci na kañci (may one not despise another in any region anywhere)
- byārosanā paṭighasaññā, nāññamaññassa dukkhamiccheyya (due to anger or aversion, may they not wish each other suffering)
- part II
- 7th verse:
"mātā yathā niyaṃ puttamāyusā ekaputtamanurakkhe; evampi sabbabhūtesu, mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ"
"just as a mother would protect her only child (niyaṁ ekaputtaṁ) with her life (āyusā), even so let one cultivate a boundless mind of living-kindness towards all beings"
- two interpretations:
- one should develop the loving-kindness a mother has for her only child for all beings
- one should protect the mind of lovingkindness with his life as a mother protects her only child
- 8th verse:
"mettañca sabbalokasmi, mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ;
uddhaṃ adho ca tiriyañca, asambādhaṃ averamasapattaṃ.
"let him radiate boundless (aparimāṇaṁ) loving-kindness towards the entire world – above, below, and across – unhindered (asambādhaṁ), without anger (averaṁ) and without hostility (asapattaṁ)"
- sambādha [saṃ + √bādh + a]↔crowded; cramped; confined; hemmed-in; 2 (m.) confinement; captivity; cramped place; obstruction; difficult passage; 3 inconvenience; difficulty; obstacle; (comm) obstruction; 4 pubic area; genital region; lit. cramped
- meanings of uddhaṁ, adho and tiriyaṁ
- uddhaṁ: arūpabhūmi or nevasaññānāsaññāyatanabhūmi
- adho: kāmabhūmi or avīci
- tiriyaṁ: rūpabhūmi or the remaining (between nev. and avīci)
- 3 bhavagga
- puthujjanabhavagga: vehapphala
- ariyabhavagga: akaniṭṭha
- lokabhavagga: arūpabhūmi
- asambhādaṁ↔unhindered, unobstructed (without boundaries)
- 4 individuals one should not send mettā to in the beginning
- atipiya sahāyaka (very dear ones) since attachment may arise
- majjhatta (neutral) since it is difficult to have loving-kindness towards such a person
- appiya (disliked ones) since anger may arise
- verī (enemy) since it is even more difficult to radiate loving-kindness towards such a person
- 2 individuals one should not send mettā at all
- the opposite sex individually
- the dead
- order of individuals that mettā should be developed towards?
- atta (oneself)
- piya (dear)
- atipiya sahāyaka (very dear)
- majjhatta (neutral)
- appiya (dislike)
- verī (enemy)
- sīmā sambheda (breaking the boundaries between individuals)
- 9th verse:"tiṭṭhaṃ caraṃ nisinno va, sayāno yāvatāssa vitamiddho,
etaṃ satiṃ adhiṭṭheyya, brahmametaṃ vihāramidhamāhu."
"standing, walking, sitting or lying down – as long as (yāvatā) he is (assa) without drowsiness – let him develop this mindfulness. This, they say is ‘sublime living’ here.
- Subhūtitthera was the foremost in being worthy of offerings and in mettājjhāna
- etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, mama sāvakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ araṇavihārīnaṃ yadidaṃ subhūti... dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ yadidaṃ subhūti.p
- brahmaṁ vihāraṁ: devoid of anger, benefit for others
- 4 types of vihāra (dwelling / abidings / ways of living)
- iriyāpathavihāra (dwelling in postures): walking, standing, sitting and lying down
- dibbavihāra (celestial dwelling): the way of living in the Brahma world is living with absorption concentration (jhānasamāpatti)
- brahmavihāra (sublime dwelling): dwelling with loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy or equanimity
- ariyavihāra (Noble dwelling): attainment of fruition (phalasamāpatti)
- note: this verse refers to brahmavihāra; this sublime abiding is useful because it is devoid of faults and because it brings benefits to oneself and others
- 10th verse:"diṭṭhiñca anupaggamma, sīlavā dassanena sampanno,
kāmesu vinaya gedhaṃ, na hi jātuggabbhaseyya punaretīti"
"not holding on to wrong views (attadiṭṭhi) – being virtuous (lokuttarasīla), possessed of insight (sotāpattimagga) and having totally eradicated desire for sensual objects (sakadāgāmī and then anāgāmī) – surely he will never come to be reborn in a womb again (anāgāmī to be reborn in suddhāvāsā and attain arahatship there)."
- gedha [√gidh + *a]↔(+loc) greed (for); desire (for); yearning (for)
- gedha 2.1 masc. thicket; thick bush
- jātu (ind.)↔most certainly; undoubtedly
- gabbhaseyyā [gabbha + seyyā] (f.)↔conception in a womb; lit. lying in a womb
- 11 advanges of loving-kindness
- sukhaṃ supati (one sleeps comfortably)
- sukhaṃ paṭibujjhati (one wakes up comfortably)
- na pāpakaṁ supinaṁ passati (one does not see evil dreams)
- manussānaṃ piyo hoti (one is dear to human beings)
- amānussānaṃ piyo hoti (one is dear to non-human beings)
- devatā rakkhanti (the deities protect one)
- nāssa aggi vā visaṃ vā satthaṃ vā kamati (neither fire, poison, nor weapons can harm one)
- tuvaṭaṃ cittaṃ samādhiyati (one’s mind gains concentration quickly)
- mukhavaṇṇo vippasīdati (one’s complexion is bright)
- asammūḷho kālaṃ karoti (one dies unconfused)
- uttari appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokūpago hoti (if penetrating no higher, one is reborn in the Brahma worlds):
- ratanasuttaṁ
- part I
- background
- infancy: the queen of Bārāṇasī, at the approach of dawn as it is the case of woman of merit, gave birth to a lump of flesh and had it bottled and cast into the Ganges; devas protected it and labeled it with vermillion in a golden leaf; a hermit found it and kept it in a clean place; after a fortnight there were two lumps and after another fortnight five protuberances formed and developed into head and limbs; one became a boy and the other a girl; the hermit became affectionate and milk came forth from his thumb; later he would give them the milk from the porridge;
Licchavī: the babies were so skinless that whatever entered their bellies was all visible as if it was in a crystal jar; others say their skins were attached as if their skin were adhesive; for these reasons they were known as the Licchavīs (skinless or adhesive skin);
growing up: the cowheards took up the responsibility over the babies and the hermit instructed them to marry them to each other, satisfy the king with the five products of a cow, receive a plot of land in return and there build a city and annoint the prince;
Vajjī: due to being violent towards the other children they were considered as people to be avoided and the region became known as vajjī (from vajjetabba);
Vesālī: when the prince was 16 he was annointed king in the new city and married to the girl and an agreement not to bring brides from outside nor send them out was made; 16 twins were born from their union; as the city grew three time it was extended and surrounded by walls 1 gāvuta apart; because of its repeated extension the city became known as Vesālī; during the Buddha's time Vesālī had 7707 royals, each with their own house, park, and so on;
bhayas: a draught happened and due to it a famine; the poor died first and evil spirits came; because of the decay a plague broke out; thus Vesālī was overrun by three perils: famine, evil spirits, and plague; the king was investigated for misconduct but found innocent; they decided to invite the Buddha and sent 2 Licchavīs with gift to King Bimbisāra who sent them to the Buddha; being asked to go, the Buddha reflected that 100.000 koṭis of cakkavāḷas would be pervaded by the protective power of the Ratanasutta and that 84.000 beings would breakthrough to the Dhamma, and consented to go;
travelling: King Bimbisāra prepared the road, built monasteries in each of the 5 yojanas until the Ganga and many more offerings, accompanying the Buddha with 500 disciples to the Ganga; the Licchavīs doubled the offerings; the Buddha crossed on a gem-studded seat; King Bimbisāra followed until the water was neck-deep; devas and nāgas made offerings; the banks were a yojana apart; the Licchavīs also went neck-deep to receive the Blesssed One; when He stepped his right foot on the bank the pokkharavassa started and cleaned the area; the Blessed One was escorted for 3 days, 1 yojana each day with double the offerings;
Vesālī: reaching Vesālī, Sakka came and most evil spirits left; ven. Ānanda learned the Ratanasutta at the entrance of the city and followed the instructions of the Blessed One to walk around the 3 walls with the Licchavīs reciting the discourse with the items of ritual offerings; the venerable took water in the Buddha's bowl and sprinkled it around the city; remaining spirits fled; the plague subsided; people prepared the main hall for the Buddha;
discourse: all gathered and the discourse was given by the Buddha; at the conclusion of which all disasters were quelled and 84.000 beings attained Nibbāna; some say the first 5 verses were preached by the Buddha while the remaining ones by ven. Ānanda; the last 3 verses were spoken by Sakka, The Buddha went on to teach the same for 7 days liberating 84.000 beings in each day, amounting to 588.000
nāgas and earth devas: after staying in Vesālī for two weeks, the Blessed One decided to leave; the princes honored him on the way back for 3 days again, and nāga kings made extravagant offerings, escorting the Buddha and 500 bhikkhus to the nāgas' abode where nāgas made offerings to which the Buddha spoke words of appreciation and left; earth deities also honored the Buddha with a grand display of parasols reaching the Akaniṭṭha realm
returning to Rājagaha: He returned to Rājagaha, escorted by King Bimbisāra, with doubled offerings extending over five days
explaining kamma and vipāka: in a casual conversation, the bhikkhus praised the Buddha for the miracles associated with his presence; The Buddha explained that these wonders were the result of a past act of generosity with spiritual power, and told the story of the brahmin Saṅkha and his son Susīma
mem aid:
infancy (Queen of Bārāṇasī, lump of flesh, Ganga, devas, hermit, boy/girl, thumb-milk, porridge)
childhood (villagers, violent, vajjī, king, land)
founding of Vesālī (marriage, 16 twins, 3 extensions, 1 gāvuta each, 7707)
bhayas (dubbhikkha, amanussa, roga, investigating the kings, Buddha, convoy, 100.000 koṭis, 84.000 beings)
journey (Bimbisāra's prep, 5 yojanas, gem-seat, devas and nāgas, pokkharavassa, x2 offerings, 3 yojanas)
Vesālī (Sakka, Ānanda, procession, water, main hall, discourse, 84.000, 5/~/3, 7 days, 588.000)
return to Rājagaha (2 weeks, 3 days to Gaṅga, nāga realm, parasols, Rājagaha, kammavipāka)
- pokkharavassa↔red color rain that only wets those who wish to get wet
- questions
- why were they called “Licchavis”?
- līnacchavitāya – because their skin was as if adhesive (the skin was very thin, the stomach and anything put into it looked like they were joined together, as if they had been sewn)
- nicchavitāya – because they were as if skinless (whatever food entered the stomach of the children could be seen as if the stomachs were transparent)
- mem aid: li ⇒ līna ⇒ ni
- vocab:
- chavi (f.)↔skin; outer skin
- līna↔adj. sluggish; dull; stuck
- why was the region extending for 300 yojanas all around called 'Vajjī'?
- the term "Vajjī" is derived from the act of avoiding or shunning those children (vajjetabbā ime) because of their violent behavior towards other children and the term was later used to refer to the region associated with this event
- how was the city of Vesālī originated?
- when the 16 y.o. Licchavi boy married his Licchavī sister and was annointed king, they gave birth to twins from their very first union – a daughter and a son; this happened a total of 16 times, resulting in sixteen sets of twins (32); as they grew up, the city became too small and people had to build walls around the city three times extending its territory. Each time they added a bit more space to the city by extending the walls a distance of a gāvuta (half a yojana). The city got the name Vesāli since it was enlarged several times (tassa punappunaṃ visālīkatattā vesālītveva nāmaṃ jātaṃ).
- how prosperous was Vesālī during the Buddha’s time?
- Vesāli was large and prosperous. It had 7,707 royals who were involved in governing. A similar number of princes, generals, treasurers, mansions, parks and lotus ponds were also there
- what perils (bhaya) befell Vesāli?
- dubbhikkha bhaya
- amanussa bhaya
- roga bhaya
- 1st verse #edited
- “yānīdha bhūtāni samāgatāni, bhummāni vā yāni va antalikkhe,
sabbeva bhūtā sumanā bhavantu, athopi sakkacca suṇantu bhāsitaṃ"
(whatever beings are gathered here, whether of the earth or in the sky,
may all beings indeed be happy and then listen carefully to what is said)
- vocab:
- bhummāni→on the earth (amanussas up to tāvatiṁsa)
- antalikkhe↔in the sky (amanussas from yāma to akaṇiṭṭhaka)
- athopi↔and then
- sakkacca↔carefully, respectfully
- bhāsitaṃ↔what is said
- bhūta in the ratanasutta refers to amanussas; 7 meanings:
- vijjamāne (existing): “bhūtasmiṃ pācittiyaṃ (if it exists [if he has], there is a pācittiya offense)”
- khandhapañcake (5 aggregates): “bhūtamidanti, bhikkhave, samanupassatha (do you see, bhikkhus, this has come to be [these five aggregates]?).”
- catubbidhe pathavīdhātvādirūpe (4 primary elements beginning with the earth): “Cattāro kho, bhikkhu, mahābhūtā hetū (the four great elements, bhikkhu, are the cause).”
- khīṇāsave (arahant): “Yo ca kālaghaso bhūto" (the being who devours time), “bhūtā vā sambhavesī vā” as in the mettasutta
- gāthā on eating time
- "kālo ghasati bhūtāni, sabbāneva sahattanā,
yo ca kālaghaso bhūto, sa bhūtapacaniṃ pacī"ti. (jā. 1.10.190)
- sabbasatte (all beings): “Sabbeva nikkhipissanti, bhūtā loke samussayaṃ (all beings in the world will lay down the body)”
- rukkhādike (plants): “Bhūtagāmapātabyatāya pācittiyaṁ" (in the destruction of plants)
- amanussa: cātummahārājikānaṃ heṭṭhā sattanikāyaṃ upādāya vattati (the totality of beings from the devas of the four great kings downward): “Bhūtaṃ bhūtato sañjānāti (he perceives beings as beings).”
- why does it say cātummahārājika if it is from Tāvatiṁsa? why the upper ones are not included? #q🙋🏼♂
- vocab:
- ghasa [√ghas + a]↔adj. eating; feeding
- samussaya (m.) [saṃ + ud + √si + *a]↔body; lit. accumulation; pile up
- 2nd verse #edited
- "tasmā hi bhūtā (voc) nisāmetha (suṇātha) sabbe (tumhe),
mettaṃ karotha mānusiyā pajāya;
divā ca ratto ca haranti ye baliṃ,
tasmā hi ne (them) rakkhatha appamattā"
(Therefore, O beings, all of you listen; show loving-kindness to the human population, who day and night bring you offerings; therefore, being heedful, protect them)
- purpose: requesting deities to be heedful
- vocab:
- nisāmetha↔may listen (s.w/ n)
- mānusiyā pajāya↔to mankind
- "tasmā hi bhūtā nisāmetha sabbe" ⇒ “tasmā, bhūtā, sabbe (tumhe) nisāmetha” (therefore, O beings, all of you listen): there are 3 potential reasons the Buddha asked them to listen
- purpose: because they come here to listen to the Dhamma rather than seeking entertainment
- potential: because they have the potential to improve themselves, as they were equipped with good qualities such as attasammāpaṇidhi, yonisomanasikāra and so on
- opportunity: they have the rare opportunity to listen to the Dhamma, free from the eight inopportune occasions
- 5 types of baliṃ (offerings)
- ñātibaliṁ (offerings to relatives): done by the 4 saṅgahavatthu
- atithibaliṁ (offerings to guests): by paṭisanthāra (āmisa / dhamma)
- pubbapetabaliṁ (offerings to departed ones): by pattidāna
- rājabaliṁ (offerings to the king): by paying taxes or doing duties
- devatābaliṁ (offerings to the devas): by offering things (flowers, perfumes, images, shrines...) or by sharing merits
- notes:
- mem aid: from closest (relatives) to furthest (devas)
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- why was the development of mettā encouraged instead of karuṇā? maybe because mettā is the foundation for the other brahmavihāras
- aṭṭha duṭṭhakkhaṇa or akkhaṇa
- places of rebirth
- apāyas
- one has been reborn in niraya
- one has been reborn in the tiracchānayoni
- one has been reborn in the pettivisaya
- one has been reborn in a certain order of long-lived deities
- one has been reborn in a remote area where the 4 buddhist assemblies are not found
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- internal causes
- one has been reborn in majjhadesa but holds wrong view (natthikadiṭṭhi)
- one has been reborn in majjhadesa but he is unwise, foolish, obtuse, unable to understand the meaning of what has been well stated and badly stated
- wrong time
- one has been reborn when the Buddha and the Dhamma have not arisen in the world
- mem aid: 5 places of rebirth, 2 internal causes and the wrong time
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- 3rd verse #edited
- “yaṃ kiñci vittaṃ idha vā huraṃ vā,
saggesu vā yaṃ ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ,
na no samaṃ atthi tathāgatena,
idampi buddhe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ
etena saccena suvatthi hotu”
(whatever treasures exists here or beyond, or the sublime gems in the heavens, there are none equal to the Tathāgata; this too is the sublime gem in the Buddha: by this truth, may there be safety!)
- purpose: there are no gems equal to the Buddha
- vocab:
- vittaṃ↔treasure
- huraṃ↔beyond
- suvatthi↔safety, well being, prosperity
- no→avadhāraṇe (emphasis)
- ratana is what leads to, what brings, produces, and increases delight (ratananti ratiṃ nayati vahati janayati vaḍḍhetīti ratanaṃ)
- 6 different meanings of ratana and gāthā
- cittīkataṭṭhena ratanaṃ (the gem in the sense of being honored): before the arising of the Buddha, people showed honor and venerated the cakka and maṇi ratana; after His appearance these ratana's power decline, the wheel gets dislocated from its proper position, the rāja sees signs of his impending death (there cannot be cajjavattirāja at the same time as a Sammāsambuddha in the world so the rāja either ordains or passes away); so since His appearance beings worship only Him
- what about mahābrahma? #q🙋🏼♂
- confirm if there can be a cakkavattirāja at the same time as a sammāsambuddha #q🙋🏼♂
- mahagghaṭṭhena ratanaṃ (the gem in the sense of being of great value): cloth from Kāsī is considered very valuable and the Buddha mentioned that even when old, it has a pleasant appearance, touch and is of great value; but beings are valued according to the extent to which the donations made to them bear fruit (dakkhiṇeyya puggala) and whoever offers cloths to the Buddha, gets results of greater value than kāsī cloth
- atulaṭṭhena ratanaṃ (the gem in the sense of being incomparable): the 7 treasures of a cakkavattirāja with all their great qualities are not comparable to the glory of the Bhagavā's qualities which are without comparison; these are the 7 treasures of a cakkavattirāja:
- cakkaratana (the wheel-gem)
- it has 1.000 spokes made of 7 gems; a hub made of sapphire, a rim made of coral, a linchpin of gold; every 10 spokes 1 special one catches the wind and produces a sweet sound; on each side of the hub there is a lion mouth; it is made of kammapaccayautujarūpa; its sound can be heard 12 yojanas away and its form seen a yojana away; it appears as a rising moon to a righteous King on the uposatha day while he is observing precepts; he sprinkles it with water and it goes east and is followed by the monarch with his army; other kings submit without a fight and the monarch gives them the 5 precepts; the wheel plunges into the eastern ocean and emerges again heading towards the south...west...north...returns to the capital and remains as if fixed on its axle at the gate of the monarch's inner palace
- hatthiratana (the elephant-gem)
- it is all white, has supernormal powers, is able to fly, belongs to either the highest ranking of the Uposatha clan or the lowest of the Chaddanta clan; he can trasverse the whole earth leaving in the morning and coming back for breakfast
- 10 types of elephants mentioned in the Theravada literature: kālavaka, gaṅgeyya, paṇḍara, tamba, piṅgala, gandhahatthi, maṅgala, hemavata, uposatha and chaddanta
- assaratana (the horse-gem)
- it is all white with red feet, with black head, the mane like muñja grass and belongs to the Sindhava clan; it is called valāhaka since it can fly
- maṇiratana (the jewel-gem)
- it is eight-faceted, comes from mount Vepulla, its radience shines for a whole yojana making it look as if it was day-time
- itthiratana (the woman-gem)
- she surpasses human beauty without reaching divine beauty; she is never unfaithful; she is either the original chief queen of the monarch or comes from Uttarakuru or from the Madda royal family
- gahapatiratana (the steward-gem)
- a treasurer with the divine-eye who can see stores of treasures for a yojana' when testing him the monarch asks for gold in the middle of the Ganga and he pulls from the water a pot full of gold;
- pariṇāyakaratana (the commander-gem or the counsellor-gem)
- wise consellor which promotes what is right; he is the monarch's eldest son; when the cakkaratana appears he becomes capable of reading other's minds to the distance of 12 yojanas
- dullabhadassanaṭṭhena ratanaṃ (the gem in the sense of being rarely seen): a wheel turning monarch is rare in the world, with only a few appearing every antarakappa but a sammāsambuddha is much more rare; due to that the deities complained they could not see the Buddha on his final moments because ven. Upavāna was standing in front and he was an arahant
- note: deities cannot see through an arahant
- anomasattaparibhogaṭṭhena ratanaṃ (the gem in the sense of being used only by superior beings): the gems of a cakkavattirāja are only used and taken benefit from by such universal monarchs of great merit, however, the beings who get benefits from the Bhagavā are ariyas #q🙋🏼♂
- ratijananaṭṭhena ratanaṃ (the gem in the sense of producing delight): the wheel gem of a wheel-turning monarch can create various indescribable things which produce abundant delight for the king but that delight is not worth a sixteenth part of celestial delight and yet, the delight of all absorptions, paths and fruitions arising due to the Tathāgata are more excellent and sublime than celestial delight
- “cittīkataṃ mahagghañca,
atulaṃ dullabhadassanaṃ,
anomasattaparibhogaṃ,
ratanaṃ tena vuccati"
it is honored, of great value,
peerless, rarely seen,
used by superior beings:
hence it is called a gem
- vocab:
- anoma [na + ava + ima]→adj. superior; supreme; exalted; lit. not inferior
- note: (pāḷi grammar) expression that govern intrumental case: pubbādiyoge – māsena pubbo, pitarā sadiso, mātarā samo, kahāpaṇena ūno, dhanena vikalo, asinā kalaho, ācārena nipuṇo, vācāya nipuṇo, guḷena missakaṃ, tilena missakaṃ, vācāya sakhilo, maṇinā attho, dhanena attho, pitarā tulyo.pubbādiyoge
- mem aid:
- Vejayanta palace owned by Sakka in Tāvatiṁsa
- it has a hundred towers, each with 7 stories, each with 7 nimphs, each with 7 attendants
- the palace's height is said to be 1.000 leagues, and it received its name because it emerged during a victorious moment over the Asuras.
- it is adorned with banners of gold and jewels, each measuring 300 leagues in length, and it is made of 7 precious materials
- various classifications of gems #editing
- 11.1.Aviññāṇaka (insentient or inanimate) ratana is the wheel gem, the jewel gem, gold, silver, diamond or anything else devoid of faculties born out of kamma. On the other hand, saviññāṇaka (sentient or animate) ratana is the hatthi ratana, pariṇāyaka ratana, gahapati ratana, or anything else endowed with sense faculties. Among these two, the sentient gem is superior since insentient gems are used to adorn the sentient, such as the elephant gem.
- 11.2.Saviññāṇaka (sentient) ratana is also of two kinds: Tiracchānagataratana (animal gems) and manussa-ratana (human gems). The later one is superior because the animal gems are used as conveyances or vehicles for human gems.
- 11.3.Manussa ratana (human gems) is also of two kinds: Itthiratana (female gems) and purisaratana (male gems). The later one is superior since female gems provide service to male gem.
- 11.4.Purisa ratana (male gems) is also of two kinds: Agārika ratana (home dwelling gems) and Anagārika ratana (homeless gems). The later one is superior since even the wheel-turning monarch, kings and so forth pay homage to homeless gems who possess excellent qualities such as good behavior, etc., attend on them and by that they achieve celestial and human prosperity and the Nibbāna.
- 11.5.Anagārika ratana (homeless gems) is also of two kinds: Puthujjana ratana (worldling gems) and Ariya ratana (noble gems). Out of the two, ariya ratana is superior to puthujjana ratana.
- 11.6.Ariya ratana (the gem of the noble ones), too, is of two kinds: Sekha-ratana (trainee gems) and Asekha-ratana (adept, arahant, one who does not require any further training).
- 11.7.Asekha ratanam (the gem of Arahant), too, is of two kinds: Sukkavipassaka (dry-insight arahants) and Samathayānika (those who use serenity as their vehicle). Out of the two, Samathayānika ratana is superior to Sukkavipassaka ratana.
- 11.8.Samathayānika ratana (those who use serenity as their vehicle) is also of two kinds: Sāvakapāramippatta (those who have reached the perfection of a disciple) and Sāvakapāramī-appatta (those who have not reached it). The first one is superior because of the greatness of their excellent qualities.
- 11.9.The gem of a Paccekabuddha is declared superior to one who has reached the perfection of a disciple. Why? because of the greatness of his excellent qualities. For many hundred disciples like the Venerable Sāriputta and Moggallāna are not equal to a hundredth portion of the excellent qualities of a single Paccekabuddha.
- 11.10.The gem of Sammāsambuddha is declared superior to a Paccekabuddha. Why? Because of the greatness of his excellent qualities. For if Paccekabuddhas sitting cross-legged next to one another were to fill all Jambudīpa, they would not amount to a sixteenth part or a portion of a sixteenth part of the excellent qualities of a single fully enlightened Buddha. And this was said by the Blessed One: Bhikkhus, “To whatever extent there are beings, whether footless or with two feet, four feet, or many feet, whether having form or formless, whether percipient or non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient, the 29 Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One is declared the foremost among them.”8 In this way, too, there is no gem equal to the Tathāgata. Hence the Blessed One says: “There is none equal to the Tathāgata.
- 46 synonyms for nibbāna
- 4th verse #edited
- “khayaṃ virāgaṃ amataṃ paṇītaṃ,
yadajjhagā sakyamunī samāhito;
na tena dhammena samatthi kiñci,
idampi dhamme ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ;
etena saccena suvatthi hotu.”
(exhaustion, dispassion, the deathlessness, the sublime, which Sakyamuni, concentrated, attained: there is nothing equal to that Dhamma. This too is the sublime gem in the Dhamma: by this truth, may there be safety!)
- purpose: to express the excellent nature of the Nibbānadhamma
- vocab:
- yadajjhagā (yaṃ + ajjhagā)↔whatever attained
- tena dhammena↔to that Dhamma
- samatthi (samaṁ + atthi)
- 3 ways of explaining Nibbāna
- negation: khayaṁ, virāgaṁ, amataṁ
- synonym: panītaṁ
- simile
- attributes of Nibbāna
- khayaṃ (destruction); why is Nibbāna called so?
- Nibbāna is called rāgakkhaya, dosakkhaya and mohakkhaya because when it is realized, rāga, dosa and moha are destroyed
- Nibbāna (saupādisesanibbāna) itself is the destruction of rāga, dosa, moha and all latent defilements
- Tassa yo rāgakkhayo, dosakkhayo, mohakkhayo – ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, saupādisesā nibbānadhātu (Whatever destruction of lust, hatred, and delusion in him, O monks! this is called 'Nibbāna with residue remaining')
- virāgaṃ (dispassion); why is Nibbāna called so?
- it is disconnected from lust in two ways: Nibbāna is called virāga because it is disconnected from lust and the other defilements, both by way of association and by that of being an object of defilements
- defilements fade away: when Nibbāna is realized, lust and the other defilements fade away, vanish, and disappear; it refers to nissaraṇapahāna
- the 5 pahānas can also be said to be the 5 virāgas / vivekas / vosaggas
- mem aid:
- amataṃ (deathlessness); why is Nibbāna called so?
- because it does not arise, nor vanish / it is not born, does not grow old nor dies
- paṇītaṃ (sublime); why is Nibbāna called so?
- Nibbāna is sublime in the sense of being the highest
- in the sense that a noble being would never get enough of it
- na tena dhammena samatthi kiñci (there is nothing equal to that Dhamma):
- as it is said “To whatever extent there are dhammas conditioned or unconditioned, dispassion (virāga or Nibbāna) is declared the foremost among them.”10
- It. 254: Yāvatā, bhikkhave, dhammā saṅkhatā vā asaṅkhatā vā, virāgo tesaṃ aggamakkhāyati
- 5th verse #edited
- “yaṃ buddhaseṭṭho parivaṇṇayī suciṃ,
samādhimānantarikaññamāhu,
samādhinā tena samo na vijjati,
idampi dhamme ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ,
etena saccena suvatthi hotu”
(The purity that the supreme Buddha praised, which they call concentration without interval — the equal of that concentration does not exist. This too is the sublime gem in the Dhamma: by this truth, may there be safety!)
- purpose: explains the qualities of the Dhamma through the Supramundane path
- vocab:
- parivaṇṇayī→praised
- suciṃ↔the purity
- samādhimānantarikaññamāhu (samādhi + ānantarikaṃ + yaṁ + āhu)
- samādhinā tena↔of that concentration (lit. by that concentration)
- samo↔equal
- vijjati↔exist
- Buddhaseṭṭho (the supreme Buddha):
- The term 'Buddha' refers to one who has awakened to the truths. 'Seṭṭho' means supreme, highest, and praiseworthy. The 'Sammāsambuddha' is the highest among all four types of Budddhas. There are four types of Buddha as mentioned in Dhamma. (1).Sutabuddha (those well-learned in the teachings) (2).Anubuddha (those awakened after him, known as arahants) (3).Paccekabuddha (solitary enlightened ones) (4).Sammāsambuddha (perfectly self-enlightened)
- suciṃ (purity): concentration associated with the supramundane path is utterly pure and clean since it eradicate the stain of defilements
- parivaṇṇayī (praised):
- In the Dasuttara Sutta, this concentration is cited as a difficult thing to attain: “Concentration of mind without interval is the one thing hard to penetrate.”11 The Buddha praised this concentration as “Among paths, the eightfold, the secure way to the attainment of Nibbāna,” and “I will teach you, bhikkhus, right concentration with its supports and its equipment.”
- 11 D.III.228: Eko dhammo duppaṭivijjho? Ānantariko cetosamādhi. ayaṃ eko dhammo duppaṭivijjho. (Translated by venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi)
- samādhimānantarika or ānantarikasamādhi (concentration without interval) #[[khuddaka exam]]
- it is the maggasamādhi which produces its result immediately and is unobstructable;
it is also referred to as akālikadhamma;
it is the wisdom in ānantarikasamādhi which cuts off cankers with balance and purity (Psm.2: vikkhepaparisuddhattā āsavasamucchede paññā ānantarikasamādhimhi ñāṇaṃ)
- who is ṭhitakappī puggalo?
- phalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno puggalo (maggasamaṅgino puggalā) is called ṭhitakappī because the aeon cannot come to and end so long as this person has not realized the respective phala
13 Pug.116: katamo ca puggalo ṭhitakappī? ayañca puggalo sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno assa, kappassa ca uḍḍayhanavelā assa, neva tāva kappo uḍḍayheyya yāvāyaṃ puggalo na sotāpattiphalaṃ sacchikaroti. ayaṃ vuccati puggalo "ṭhitakappī". sabbepi maggasamaṅgino puggalā ṭhitakappino.
- vocab:
- maggasamaṅgino puggalā↔those who are endowed with the magga
- samaṅgī [saṃ + √añj + a + ī]→adj. (+instr) endowed (with); having; having the quality (of); lit. with parts
- ṭhitakappī↔one who lasts for the kappa
- samādhinā tena samo na vijjati (there is no equal to that concentration); what is the reason? #[[khuddaka exam]]
- there is not any concentration compared to the concentration connected with the supramundane path because by developing this concentration one can be free from apāya and achieve the end of suffering; “Yāvatā, bhikkhave, dhammā saṅkhatā, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo tesaṃ aggamakkhāyati" (Whatever conditioned dhammas there are, bhikkhus, the noble eightfold path is declared foremost among them)
- vocab:
- aggamakkhāyati [aggaṃ + akkhāyati]↔pr. (+gen) is considered the highest (of); is said to be the best (of)
- Ukkhittā puññatejena,
kāmarūpagatiṃ gatā;
Bhavaggatampi sampattā,
punāgacchanti duggatiṃ.
(Beings) Thrown up by power of merit Go to existence in the planes of desire and form, (Though) Reaching even the highest existence They come back again to woeful states.
Tāva dīghāyukā sattā,
cavanti āyusaṅkhayā
Natthi koci bhavo nicco,
iti vuttaṃ mahesinā.
(Even) Beings having such long life Fall from exhaustion of life, No existence is permanent, Thus was said by the Great Sage.
Tasmā hi dhīrā nipakā,
nipuṇā atthacintakā;
Jarāmaraṇamokkhāya,
bhāventi maggamuttamaṃ
(Therefore indeed the wise who are prudent, Skilful, thinkers of betterment, To be free from old age and death Develop the highest path.)
Bhāvayitvā suciṃ maggaṃ,
nibbānogadhagāminaṃ’
Sabbāsave pariññāya,
parinibbanti anāsavāti (Vbh. 441.)
(Having developed the pure path Merging into, leading to Nibbāna, Comprehending all the defilements Free from defilements they attain to final release.)
- part II
- 6th verse #edited
- "ye puggalā aṭṭha sataṃ pasatthā,
cattāri etāni yugāni honti,
te dakkhiṇeyyā sugatassa sāvakā,
etesu dinnāni mahapphalāni,
idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ,
etena saccena suvatthi hotu"
the eight persons praised by the good (sataṁ) constitute these four pairs. These, worthy of offerings, are the Fortunate One’s disciples; gifts given to them yield abundant fruit. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha: by this truth, may there be safety!
note: another possibility is: whoever 108 persons are praised...
- vocab:
- sataṃ→by the good / virtuous; a hundred
- pasatthā↔praised
- purpose→to express the excellence of the Saṅgha
- 2 ways of calculating aṭṭha-sata puggalā:
- aṭṭha sata puggalā (the 8 ariya puggala): “satehi (sataṃ) pasatthā aṭṭha puggalā” (eight beings who are praised by virtuous ones)
- sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanna (one who is established in the path of stream-entry)
- sotāpanna
- sakadāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanna
- sakadāgāmī
- anāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanna
- anāgāmī
- arahattaphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanna
- arahanta
- aṭṭha sata puggalā (108 ariyapuggala):
- 3 kinds of sotāpanna (stream-enterers) x 4 modes of practice = 12
- ekabījī (the one-seed attainer): those who will be reborn only once more (in a human existence) and attain parinibbāna
- kolaṃkola (the family-to-family attainer): those who will be reborn 2 to 6 more lives in good families in the kāmasugatibhūmi and attain parinibbāna
- sattakkhattuparama (the seven-times-at-most attainer): those who will be reborn up to 7 times in kāmasugatibhūmi and attain parinibbāna
- note:
- other kinds of sotāpanna
- idhaṭṭha (here): those in the kāma realm
- vokiṇṇa (mix): reborn in human and deva realms
- sukkavipassaka (without jhāna):
- vaṭṭābhirata: sotāpanna with jhāna
- visākha, anāthapiṇḍika, sakka, deities that became sotāpannas during Buddha Kassapa's time: Anekavaṇṇa, Nāgadatta, Cūḷaratha and Mahāratha
- 3 kinds of sakadāgāmī x 4 modes of practice = 12
- those who acquires the sakadāgāmiphala in the kāma realm, in the rūpa realm, or in the arūpa realm
- 17 Kāmarūpārūpabhavesu adhigataphalā tayo sakadāgāmino.
- 5 kinds of anāgāmī (1st 5 x 1st 4 suddhāvāsa realms + 1st 4 in akaṇiṭṭhaka = 24)
- the attainer of Nibbāna in the interval (antarā parinibbāyī),
- the attainer of Nibbāna upon landing (upahacca parinibbāyī),
- the attainer of Nibbāna without exertion (asaṅkhāra parinibbāyī),
- the attainer of Nibbāna through exertion (sasaṅkhāra parinibbāyī),
- and the one bound upstream, heading towards the Akaniṭṭha realm (uddhaṃsota-akaniṭṭhagāmī).
- note:
- These five are multiplied by the first four realms of Suddhāvāsa (pure abodes): Aviha, Atappa, Sudassa, Sudassī. However, only the first four types of anāgāmīs are found in the Akaniṭṭhaka realm, excluding uddhaṃsota-akaniṭṭhagāmī . [(5 x 4) + (4 x 1) = 24].
- 19 antarāparinibbāyī, upahaccaparinibbāyī, sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī, asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī, uddhaṃsoto, akaniṭṭhagāmīti avihesu pañca.
- clarify each one #q🙋🏼♂
- 2 kinds of arahants
- the dry-insight arahant (sukkavipassaka)
- the one who uses serenity as a vehicle (samathayānika)
- 4 maggaṭṭha puggala
- saddhā / paññā: all the ariya puggala attain their path either having faith (saddhā) or wisdom (paññā) as their predominant factor which governs their progress
- total: 12 sotāpannas + 12 sakadāgāmīs + 24 anāgāmīs + 2 Arahants + 4 maggaṭṭha puggala x 2 faculties = 108 ariya puggala
- note:
- catu paṭipadā (4 modes of practice)
- dukkhā paṭipadā (f.) dandhābhiññā (painful progress with slow insight),
- dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā (painful progress with quick insight),
- sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā (pleasant progress with slow insight),
- sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā (pleasant progress with quick insight)
- Sugatassa sāvakā (the disciple of the Sugata)
- the Buddha is called Sugata (The Well-Gone One) because:
- 19.1. Because he is endowed with a beautiful manner of going (sobhanena gamanena yuttattā): The Buddha has gone on the Noble eightfold path in a manner that is good, purified and blameless, and has thus gone without attachment in the direction of safety, namely the Nibbāna. (eightfold noble path)
- 19.2. Because he has gone to the beautiful excellent place (sobhanaṃ ṭhānaṃ gatattā): Since the Buddha has gone to the beautiful excellent state called the Nibbāna, he is called Sugata. (Nibbāna)
- 19.3. Because he has gone well (suṭṭhu gatattā): The Buddha has gone well without going back to the defilements abandoned by each supramundane path.
- 19.4. Because of enunciating well (suṭṭhu gadattā): The Buddha speaks appropriately at the right time and place.
- Sāvaka means those who listen to the Buddha’s words and attain the paths and fruitions, or in other words, disciples.
- Etesu dinnāni mahapphalāni (gifts given to the disciples of the Buddha yield abundant fruit): Even small donations given to the disciples of the Buddha produces abundant results because of the purification of the offerings through the recipient.
- There are four purifications of offerings or gifts (dakkhiṇā visuddhi):
- 20.1.1. The offering purified on the part of the giver, not the recipient (dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato).
- 20.1.2. The offering purified on the part of the recipient, not the giver (dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati no dāyakato).
- 20.1.3. The offering purified on neither side (dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato).
- 20.1.4. The offering purified on both sides (dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca).
- Hence, in another Sutta, it is said: To whatever extent there are Saṅghas or groups, the Saṅgha of the Tathāgata’s disciples is declared the foremost among them, that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Those who have confidence in the Saṅgha have confidence 40 in the foremost, and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.2
- a gift from the buddha to sāriputta is higher than from sāriputta to the buddha; purity of the donor is more influential than the purity of the recipient
- 7th verse #edited
- “ye suppayuttā manasā daḷhena, nikkāmino gotamasāsanamhi;
te pattipattā amataṃ vigayha, laddhā mudhā nibbutiṃ bhuñjamānā;
idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu"
those who strived well with a firm mind, who are desireless in Gotama’s dispensation, have reached attainment, having plunged into the deathless, enjoying perfect peace obtained free of charge. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha: by this truth, may there be safety! #[[khuddaka exam]]
- vocab:
- suppayuttā↔strived well
- manasā daḷhena↔with a firm mind
- nikkāmino↔who are desireless (lit. who goes out).
- pattipattā↔have reached the attainment
- vigayha↔having plunged into (lit. Taking firmly)
- mudhā↔free of charge
- nibbutiṃ↔peace (i.e., Phalasamāpatti)
- bhuñjamānā↔enjoying
- purpose→to express the excellent nature of the arahant who experiences the bliss of fruition #[[khuddaka exam]]
- qualities of an arahant
- suppayuttā #[[khuddaka exam]]
- abandoned micchāājīva + strived: the quality of an arahant of having abandoned various kinds of improper search for requisites and having strived well in insight
- sīlakkhandha: the quality of an arahant of being endowed with purified bodily and verbal deeds
- note:
- which of the three khandhas (sīla...) have been fulfilled by each puggala (puthujjana and ariyas)?
- a puthujjana has not fulfilled any of the three khandhas
- a sotāpanna and a sakadāgāmī have fulfilled the sīlakkhandha, and some (mattaso) of the samādhi- and pañña-kkhandhas
- an anāgāmī has fulfilled sīla- and samādhi-kkhandhas and some of paññākkhandha
- an arahant has fulfilled the three khandhas
- manasā daḷhena #[[khuddaka exam]]
- quality of an arahant of having a firm mind endowed with stable concentration (this is the samādhikkhandha)
- vocab:
- daḷha [√dah + ta]↔adj. strong; firm; steady ;2 adj. strenuous; hard; tough
- pattipattā #[[khuddaka exam]]
- the quality of an arahant of having reached (patta) the attainment (patti) which is what is to be attained, what is worth attaining, that which provides ultimately security from bondage (arahattapphala)
- vigayha amataṃ #[[khuddaka exam]]
- the quality of an arahant of having plunged into the deathless, of having taken Nibbāna as object
- mudhā nibbutiṃ bhuñjamānā
- the quality of an arahant of experiencing perfect peace (nibbuti) free of charge
- why mudhā agrees with bhuñjamānā? #q🙋🏼♂
- nikkāmino #[[khuddaka exam]]
- the quality of an arahant of being desireless (nikkāmī) having departed from all defilements after exerting effort (nikkāmī) governed by wisdom without any expectation of body and life (this is the aggregate of wisdom accompanied by effort - vīriyasampanna paññākkhandha)
- vocab:
- nikkāmī [nī + √kam + *ī]↔adj. (+loc) engaging (in); persisting (in); striving (in); active (in); lit. going out; without desires; without sensual pleasures
- 8th verse #edited
- “Yathindakhīlo paṭhaviṃ sito siyā, catubbhi vātebhi asampakampiyo;
Tathūpamaṃ sappurisaṃ vadāmi, yo ariyasaccāni avecca passati;
Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu”
As a gate post, planted in the ground, would be unshakable by the four winds,
similarly I speak of the good person who, having experienced them,
sees the noble truths. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha:
by this truth, may there be safety!
- vocab:
- yathindakhīlo (yathā (just as) + indakhīlo (a gate post))
- sito↔planted, fixed to
- siyā↔would be
- catubbhi vātebhi↔by the four winds
- asampakampiyo↔would be unshakable
- tathūpamaṃ (tathā upamaṃ)
- avecca↔having experienced them
- purpose→to express the excellence of the sotāpanna
- qualities of a sotāpanna
- indakhīla↔ a post that holds the city gates; it is made of heartwood driven 4 / 5 meters into the ground in the middle of the of the threshold of the city gates #[[khuddaka exam]]
- comparison between a sotāpanna and the indakhīla #[[khuddaka exam]]
- just as an indakhīla cannot be shaken by any wind from the four directions, so the one who sees the four noble truths cannot be shaken by the winds of wrong views because of his unshakeable faith in the Triple Gem
- one who has not seen the 4 Noble Truths is like a cotton wool easily moved here and there by the wind while the one who has seen Them is like an iron pillar
- sotāpanna word formation→ sota (stream [ariyamagga]) + ā (first) + panna (reached)
- soto, soto’ti hidaṃ, sāriputta, vuccati. Katamo nu kho, sāriputta, soto”ti? “Ayameva hi, bhante, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo soto, seyyathidaṃ – sammādiṭṭhi ... sammāsamādhī”ti.
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- “Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”
“Bhikkhus, a noble disciple who possesses four things is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.” S.III.299.
- 4 things: unshakable confidence in the Buddha, unshakable confidence in the Dhamma, unshakable confidence in the saṅgha and unblemished morality. Another set is: confidence, virtue, generosity and wisdom
- 9th verse #edited
- “Ye ariyasaccāni vibhāvayanti, gambhīrapaññena sudesitāni,
kiñcāpi te honti bhusappamattā, na te bhavaṃ aṭṭhamaṃ ādiyanti,
Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu.”
Those who have cognized the noble truths well taught by the one of deep wisdom, even if they are extremely heedless, do not take an eighth existence. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha: by this truth, may there be safety!
- vocab:
- vibhāvayanti→understand clearly
- kiñcāpi→even though, even if, however much
- bhusappamattā→extremely heedless
- bhusa [√bhus + a]↔adj. strong; powerful; mighty; intense; potent
- ādiyanti→they take, embrace
- purpose→to express the excellence of the sattakkhattuparamasotāpanna (the seven-times-at-most attainer - the lowest grade of stream-enterers)
- kiñcāpi te honti bhusappamattā, na te bhavaṃ aṭṭhamaṃ ādiyanti #[[khuddaka exam]]
- even if a sotāpanna (sattakkhattuparama) is extremely heedless (bhusappamattā) while holding the positions of a king, deity or wheel-turning monarch, they do not take (na ādiyanti) an eighth existence (bhavaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ) because of the sotāpattimaggañāṇa
expanding: they do not take up an eighth rebirth due to the cessation of the kamma viññāṇa (abhisaṅkhāra viññāṇa) causing the nāma and rūpa that would have arisen beyond the seventh life to "cease"
within the 7 existences themselves they will undertake vipassanā and attain Arahantship
note: this is only applicable in the kāma realm
- 10th verse #edited
- “Sahāvassa dassanasampadāya, tayassu dhammā jahitā bhavanti;
sakkāyadiṭṭhi vicikicchitañca, sīlabbataṃ vāpi yadatthi kiñci
Together with one’s achievement of vision three things are discarded: the personality view and doubt, and whatever misapphrehension of vows and observances there are
- purpose→to express the excellence of one who, though taking seven more existences, is still sharply distinguished from other persons who have not abandoned the taking up of existences; it also expresses the forsakening of the kilesavaṭṭa
- catūhapāyehi ca vippamutto, chaccābhiṭhānāni abhabbo kātuṃ,
idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu"
One is also freed from the four planes of misery and is incapable of doing the six grave deeds. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha: by this truth, may there be safety!
- purpose→to express that one possessing vision is free from four planes of misery and incapable of doing the six grave deeds; it also expresses the forsakening of the vipākavaṭṭa and kammavaṭṭa
- vocab:
- sahāvassa→saha (together) + eva (indeed) + assa (of him)
- dassanasampadāya↔by the one endowed with insight (sotāpattimagga)
- tayassu↔tayo (three) + assu (would be)
- padapūraṇamatta: (assu): just for completing the word
- vāpi↔vā + api (or even, or even)
- yadatthi↔yaṃ (whatever) + atthi (there are)
- chaccābhiṭhānāni (cha + ca + abhiṭhānāni)↔and the six deeds
- abhiṭhāna nt.↔deadly sin; heinous crime; great wrong; lit. standing above
- dassanasampadāya
- the achievement of vision (sotāpattimagga) which is so called for being the first consciousness to see Nibbāna; gotrabhūcitta which precedes it is not considered here since it does not perform the tasks such as the erradication of kilesas
- sahāva [saha eva] (together indeed)
- this indeclinable shows that the erradication of kilesas happens together with the achievement of magga without delay; it appears in kathāvatthu to reject a wron idea that the erradication happens over a period of time (thokaṁ thokaṁ...)
- tayassu dhammā jahitā bhavanti (three things are discarded)
- sakkāyadiṭṭhi (self-view)
- sakkāya→a designation for the pañcūpādānakkhandha (five aggregates subject to clinging)
- the wrong view of self with regard to the five aggregates of clinging; the inability to see that beings are simply a collection of aggregates; it is the root of all speculative views and gross selfishness, leading to conflict and suffering; it is abandoned by seeing dukkhasacca
- 20 sakkāyadiṭṭhi + 2
- rūpaṃ attato (as self) samanupassati - regard material form as the self, in the way the flame of a burning oil-lamp is identical with the colour (of the flame)
- rūpavantaṃ vā attānaṃ (acc.) samanupassati - regard the self as possessing material form, as a tree possesses a shadow
- attani vā rūpaṃ samanupassati - regard material form as being in the self, as a scent is in the flower
- rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ samanupassati - regard the self as being in material form, as a jewel is in a casket
- the same is applied to vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa
- 2 additional ones from yamakasutta:
- rūpaṃ vedanaṃ saññaṃ saṅkhāre viññāṇaṃ attato samanupassati - regarding all 5 aggregates as the self
- arūpiṃ avedanaṃ asaññaṃ asaṅkhāraṃ aviññāṇaṃ attānaṃ samanupassati - regarding the self to be something other than the five aggregates
- mem aid:
- note:
- when one thinks one aggregate is the self, the other aggregates are non-self
- it could be increased as rūpa and vedanā as self...rūpa, vedanā and saññā as atta...etc
- can a concept be taken as self? yes, it can be included in the last one (arūpiṁ avedanaṁ asaññaṁ asaṅkhāraṁ...) #q🙋🏼♂
- nibbāna as an idea, can be taken as self by a puthujjana
- maggāmaggañāṇadassana: 10 upakkilesa arise
- 4 yogis
- one thinks of the upakkilesa as self and goes astray (micchādiṭṭhi)
- another thinks they are maggapphala and stops developing (adhimāna)
- another as maggaphala and turn back, corrects himself (dhammuddhacca mānasa) (adhimāna who corrects himsefl)
- another does not follow such wrong paths but gets attached (nikanti)
- if he has to suppress it 3 times, dukkhapaṭipadā
- 1 or 2 times sukhapaṭipadā
- isn't this stae the abhiññā, not paṭipadā?
- beyond maggāmaggañāṇadassana is the end of paṭipadā
- upakkilesa are signs of progress
- the light here is utujarūpa only seen by the yogi, with it he can see things far away
- can't devas see it? #q🙋🏼♂
- some traditions seem to take the pure mind of vipassanā (or maybe in samatha) as some self-aware stable thing; close to self-view
- contemplate the purity of the vipassanā ñāṇa as anicca dukkha anatta
- note:
- seeing dukkhasacca removes sakkāyadiṭṭhi
seeing samudayasacca removes vicikicchā
seeing nirodhasacca and maggasacca removes sīlabbataparāmāsa
- vicikicchā (skeptical doubt)
- doubt about the 8 sabhāva; it is eradicated by seeing samudayasacca; it is the root of all doubts; with its abandonment the doubts such as the 16 with regard to the three times and 62 in brahmajāla are also abandoned; they are suppressed in kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi
- 8 sabhāva (natures); objects of doubt
- Buddha (sabbaññutañāṇa and mahāpurisalakkhāṇa)
- Dhamma (nature free from suffering) (only Nibbāna here?) #q🙋🏼♂
- Saṅgha (what aspects?) #q🙋🏼♂
- sikkhā: doubting whether sīla, samādhi, and paññā can lead to superior states or not #q🙋🏼♂
- pubbanta (past lives)
- aparanta (future lives)
- pubbantāparanta (both past and future lives [connection])
- idappaccayatā paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent origination)
- notes:
- doubting any of these subjects is vicikicchā;
accepting, believing in, trusting them is saddhā;
being ignorant about them is moha;
holding to wrong ideas about them is diṭṭhi;
and understandig them is paññā
- vocab:
- idappaccayatā↔fem. conditionality; dependence
- Vsm. II. 239: Evaṃ cutipaṭisandhivasena viditasabbadhammassa sabbākārena nāmarūpassa paccayapariggahañāṇaṃ thāmagataṃ hoti, soḷasavidhā kaṅkhā suṭṭhutaraṃ pahīyati. Na kevalañca sā eva, “Satthari kaṅkhatī”ti ādinayappavattā aṭṭhavidhāpi kaṅkhā pahīyatiyeva, dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni vikkhambhanti
- note:
- cikicchā (wisdom, medicine); vi (vigata)
- idappaccayatā (f.)↔conditionality; dependence [ida + paccaya + tā]
- nādhimuccati: the mind affected by doubt does not incline towards the practice
- na sampasīdati: the mind is not clear enough, opposite of the clarity of faith
- 16 doubts in sabbāsavasutta (was I in the past?...); sotāpanna does not have such doubts
- sīlabbataparāmāsa (adherence to behaviors and observances)
- the wrong views that misapprehend (parāmāsa) certain observances, vows, rites, rituals, or practices (sīla / vata) as leading to the erradication of suffering, such as cow-duties, dog-duties, nakedness, and even the practice of sīla believing sīla by itself leads to purification; it is abandoned by seeing nirodhasacca and maggasacca
- note:
- doing things without knowing the purpose can lead to sīlabbataparāmāsa
- can happen because of lobha, dosa and moha
- vata can also mean the 13 dhutaṅga while vatta the 14 duties in vattakkhandhaka
- note:
- Stock descriptions of Sotāpanna (some are used for other ariyas as wel): ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako
- (1) diṭṭhisampanno itipi,
- (2) dassanasampanno itipi,
- (3) āgato imaṃ saddhammaṃ itipi,
- (4) passati imaṃ saddhammaṃ itipi,
- (5) sekkhena ñāṇena samannāgato itipi,
- (6) sekkhāya vijjāya samannāgato itipi,
- (7) dhammasotaṃ samāpanno itipi,
- (8) ariyo nibbedhikapañño itipi,
- (9) amatadvāraṃ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī"ti
- other kilesas erradicated by sotāpattimagga
- 5 macchariya
- 4 agati
- apāyagāminiyaṁ lobhaṁ
- apāyagāminiyaṁ dosaṁ
- apāyagāminiyaṁ mohaṁ
- possessing vs. erradicating
- saddhā ⇒ vicikicchā
sīla ⇒ sīlabbataparāmāsa
cāga ⇒ 5 macchariya
paññā ⇒ sakkāyadiṭṭhi
note: related to the 4 qualities of a sotāpanna
- catūhapāyehi ca vippamutto (freed from the four planes of misery)
- 4 apāya (planes of misery)
- niraya (hell)
- tiracchānayoni (the animal kingdom)
- pettivisaya (realm of hungry ghosts)
- asurakāya (host of demons)
- chaccābhiṭhānāni abhabbo kātuṃ (one is incapable of doing six grave deeds)
- the 6 grave deeds
- the 5 ānantariyakamma
- mātughātaka
- pitughātaka
- arahantaghātaka
- lohituppādaka: only while attempting to kill Him (what if trying to hurt?) #q🙋🏼♂
- saṅghābhedaka
- aññasatthāruddesa (acknowledging someone other [than the Buddha] as one’s teacher)
- note:
- a sotāpanna does not even break the five precepts, so here these grave deeds are given to make evident the reprehensible state of the puthujjana as comparison
- a sotāpanna also does not do the 5 kinds of enmity (pañcaverāni)
- abhabbatā: impossiblity
- part III
- 11th verse #edited
- "Kiñcāpi so kammaṃ karoti pāpakaṃ, kāyena vācā uda cetasā vā,
abhabho so tassa paṭicchadāya, abhabbatā diṭṭhapadassa vuttā,
Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu”
Although one does a bad deed by body, speech, or mind, one is incapable of concealing it; such inability is stated for one who has seen the state. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha: by this truth, may there be safety!
- vocab:
- kiñcāpi↔although, even though
- abhabbatā↔such inability
- diṭṭhapadassa↔for one who has seen the state
- purpose→to express that he is also incapable of concealing even trifling bad deeds that he may have done
- sotāpannas do not intentionally breach any rules promulgated by the Buddha but due to lack of mindfulness they might unknowingly committ paññattivajja offenses; here classified according to kammadvāra
- kāyena pāpakaṃ kammaṃ karoti (bad deed by body)
- building a kuṭi contrary to regulations (kuṭikāraka sikkhāpada)
- sleeping together with a novice more than three days (sahaseyya sikkhāpada), etc.
- vācā(ya) pāpakaṃ kammaṃ karoti (bad deed by speech)
- by upasampanna
- padasodhamma sikkhāpada: making a non-upasampadā person recite the Dhamma together with him
- dhammadesanā sikkhāpada: teaching the Dhamma to a woman in more than six lines where there is no conscious human male present
- by anupasampanna
- pharusavācā
- samphappalāpa
- manasā pāpakaṃ kammaṃ karoti (bad deed by mind)
- giving an opportunity for greed or hatred to arise sometimes
- unknowingly accepting jātarūparajata
- forgetting to reflect on the use of the four requisites and so on
- note:
- the Buddha says he may fall into offenses in regard to lesser and minor (khuddānukhuddaka - non-prjk) training rules but not those that are fundamental to the noble life (prjk)
ime pana aṅguttaramahānikāyavaḷañjanaka-ācariyā ‘cattāri pārājikāni ṭhapetvā sesāni sabbānipi khuddānukhuddakāni'
- the teachers who specialize in the Great Aṅguttara Nikāya say, ‘Apart from the four pārājikas (offenses entailing expulsion), all the rest are lesser and minor'ādibrahmacariyikānī ti maggabrahmacariyassa ādibhūtāni cattāri mahāsīlasikkhāpadāni; brahmacariyasāruppānī ti tāni yeva catumaggabrahmacariyassa sāruppāni anucchavikāni
Those training rules that are fundamental to the spiritual life: these are the four major training rules fundamental to the spiritual life of the path. In conformity with the spiritual life: these same [rules] are in conformity with, fitting for, the spiritual life of the four paths
- abhabbo so tassa paṭicchadāya (even if he commits those bad deeds, he is incapable of concealing them): Immediately, he discloses them to the teacher, wise fellow monks and corrects it in accordance with the Dhamma and restrains himself in the future.
- abhabbatā diṭṭhapadassa vuttā (such inability is stated of one who has seen Nibbāna)
- "bhikkhus, just as a young, tender infant lying prone at once draws back when he puts his hand or foot on a live coal, so too, this is the character of a person who possesses right view: although he may commit some kind of offense for which a means of rehabilitation has been laid down, still he at once confesses, reveals, and discloses it to the Teacher or wise fellow monks, and then enters upon restraint for the future"
- 12th verse #edited
- “Vanappagumbe yathā phussitagge, gimhānamāse paṭhamasmiṃ gimhe,
tathūpamaṃ dhammavaraṃ adesayi, nibbānagāmiṃ paramaṃ hitāya,
idampi buddhe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu"
Like a woodland thicket with flowering crests in a summer month, in the first (month) of the summer, just so the excellent Dhamma preached (scriptures), leading to nibbāna, for the supreme welfare (of beings). This too is the sublime gem in the Buddha: by this truth, may there be safety!
- vocab:
- vanappagumbe↔in a woodland thicket, a ticket in a forest;
- pagumba↔a cluster of trees mature in roots, heartwood, softwood, bark, braches and foliage; a ticket
- phussitagge↔in (a woodland thicket) with flowering crests, with flowers blossoming on its branches and twigs
- phussita [√phus + ya + ita]↔adj. flowering; in full blossom; lit. flowered
- gimhānamāse paṭhamasmiṃ gimhe↔in the first month of the summer, called Citta, aka the youthful spring (bālavasanta)
Paṭhamasmiṃ gimhe, citramāse ti attho. So hi paṭhamagimho ti ca bālavasanto ti ca vuccati
It may sound contradictory to call this season both “summer” and “spring,” but in northern India the year is divided into three major seasons: the hot season, from mid-March until mid-July; the rainy season, from mid-July until mid-November; and the cool season, from mid-November until mid-March. The early part of the hot season would be called spring, and the later part summer. The month of Cittaruns from mid-March until mid-April, followed by Visākhā, from mid-April to mid-May, the month in which the Theravāda tradition celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinibbāna
- IIT - Nissayamuttaka Course
- tathūpamaṃ↔just so (tathā upamaṃ)
- Simile: just as a woodland thicket, in the first month of the summer, with full flowering crests is very beautiful, so too the scriptural Dhamma, that is exceptionally glorious with its various flowers, classified into aggregates, sense bases, the establishment of mindfulness, threefold trainings, etc., leading to Nibbāna
- dhammavaraṃ↔the excellent Dhamma
- adesayi↔taught, expounded
- purpose→to express the truth found on the Buddha based on the scriptural Dhamma
- 13th verse #edited
- “Varo varaññū varado varāharo, anuttaro dhammavaraṃ adesayi,
idampi buddhe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu”
The excellent one, knower of the excellent, giver of the excellent, bringer of the excellent, the unsurpassed one taught the excellent Dhamma. This too is the sublime gem in the Buddha: by this truth, may there be safety!
- vocab:
- varo↔the excellent one
- varaññū↔knower of the excellent
- varado↔giver of the excellent
- varāharo↔bringer of the excellent
- purpose→to express the truth found on the Buddha based on the world-transcending Dhamma
- lokuttaradhamma – excellent ninefold world-transcending Dhamma
- varo (the excellent one); the Buddha is called so because
- (2) sabbaññutañāṇa: he obtained the knowledge of omniscience
- others:
- (1) varaguṇayoga: because he is wished by those with pure inclinations: “Oh, indeed, may we too be like this!” or “excellent” means the one who is possessed of high qualities that are highest or best
- (3) upasamādhiṭṭhāna paripūraṇato: due to fulfilling the foundation of peace
- (4) puññussayena: due to his accumulation of merit
- varaññū (knower of the excellent); the Buddha is called so because
- (2) nibbānasacchikiriyā: of the realization of Nibbāna which is excellent
- others:
- (1) nibbānaññū: Nibbāna is excellent in the sense that it is the highest of all things, and he understood (realized) this when he himself penetrated it at the foot of the bodhi tree. Since the Buddha knows Nibbāna, he is called varaññū – the one who knows the excellent
- (3) paññādhiṭṭhāna paripūraṇato: The Buddha is the “knower of the excellent” by the fulfillment of the foundation of wisdom
- (4) paññussayena: The Buddha is the “knower of the excellent” through his accumulation of wisdom
- varado (giver of the excellent); the Buddha is called so because
- (2) sattānaṁ vimuttisukhadāna: He is one who gives the bliss of liberation to beings
- others:
- (1) vāsanabhāgiya nibbedhabhāgiya: The Buddha is the giver of the excellent. What is the excellent thing he gave. The Dhamma. He taught vāsanabhāgiya (partaking of habituation or wholesome practices which lead to good rebirth and support for the attainment of Nibbāna) and nibbedhabhāgiya (partaking of penetration or practices that lead to the destruction of defilements and the realization of Nibbāna) teachings to the humans, devas, brahmas, ascetics and many more. Since he gave vāsanābhāgiya and nibbedhabhāgiya Dhamma that is the excellent thing to be given, he is called the varado – one who gives the excellent.
- (3) cāgādhiṭṭhāna paripūraṇato: The Buddha is the “giver of the excellent” since he fulfilled the foundation of relinquishment
- (4) buddhabhāvatthikānaṃ tadupāya-sampadānena: The Buddha is the “giver of the excellent” by imparting (giving) the means for attaining Buddhahood to those who desire it – Bodhisattvas
- varāharo (bringer of the excellent); the Buddha is called so because
- (2) uttamapaṭipadāharaṇa: He brings the highest practice (path)
- others:
- (1) varamaggāhaṭa: The Buddha is called the “bringer of the excellent” because he brought the excellent path.” By fulfilling the thirty pāramīs starting from the time of the Buddha Dīpaṅkara, he brought along the excellent ancient path that had been followed by the Sammāsambuddhas of the past.
- (3) saccādhiṭṭhāna paripūraṇato: The Buddha is called the “bringer of the excellent” due to fulfilling the foundation of truth
- (4) paccekabuddhabhāvatthikānaṃ tadupāyāharaṇena: The Buddha is called the “bringer of the excellent” by bringing the means for attaining Paccekabuddhahood to those who desire it – Paccekabodhisattva
- anuttaro (unsurpassed); the Buddha is called so because
- (1) no one surpasses Him in regard to these world-transcending qualities
- others:
- (2) He is without equal in diverse matters
- (3) He was the teacher of others while He Himself was without a teacher
- dhammavaraṃ adesayī (He taught the excellent Dhamma); the Dhamma is called so because
- it is endowed with the qualities such as svākkhāta and so on
- To whom did he preached the Dhamma? To those who are in need of becoming enlightened as sāvakas
- 14th verse #edited
- “Khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ navaṃ natthi sambhavaṃ, virattacittā āyatike bhavasmiṃ,
te khīṇabījā avirūḷhichandā, nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo,
idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ, etena saccena suvatthi hotu”
The old is destroyed, there is no new origination, their minds are dispassionate toward future existence. With seeds destroyed, with no desire for growth, those wise ones are extinguished like this lamp. This too is the sublime gem in the Sangha: by this truth, may there be safety!
- vocab:
- khīṇaṃ↔is destroyed
- purāṇaṃ↔the old
- sambhavaṃ↔existence, birth, origination
- virattacittā↔their minds are dispassionate
- āyatike bhavasmiṃ↔toward future existence
- khīṇabījā↔with seeds are destroyed
- avirūḷhichandā↔with no desire for growth
- purpose→to express the qualities of the Saṅgha based on anupādisesanibbāna
- qualities of Saṅgha based on anupādisesanibbāna
- khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ (the old is destroyed)
- the old (purāṇaṁ) undestroyed kamma, which is like a seed, could have produced rebirth in the presence of craving, which is like moisture, but the arahattamagga, which is like fire, burnt out craving and destroyed (khīṇaṁ) the kamma, therefore the old is destroyed
- could the old be taken as craving itself since kamma cannot be destroyed? #q🙋🏼♂
- navaṃ natthisambhavaṃ (the new does not have the capacity to yield results)
- the new deeds (navaṁ kammaṁ) performed after arahatship, due to the lack of craving, are incapable of producing new existences (navaṃ kammaṃ natthisambhavaṃ hoti)
- virattacittā āyatike bhavasmiṃ (their minds are dispassionate toward future existences)
- due to completely abandoning craving and other cankers, the Arahant’s mind is dispassionate towards future existences
- khīṇabījā (the one whose seeds are destroyed)
- with the destruction of kamma the paṭisandhiviññāṇa which is referred to as the seed is also destroyed; AN: Kamma is the field, consciousness the seed
- confusing. just above kamma is the seed...clarify #q🙋🏼♂
- avirūḷhichandā (the one who is with no desire for growth)
- growth is a designation for renewed existence (punabbhava) and arahats have erradicated craving for growth and are therefore avirūḷhichandā
- vocab:
- avirūḷhi [na > a + vi + √ruh + ti] fem.↔non-growth; non-development; 2 cessation of rebirth
- nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo
- the wise (dhīrā) are extinguished (nibbanti) like the flame of a candle, transcending the range of designations such as rūpī or arūpī
note: it is said that at that very moment, one of the lamps which were lit for the city deities went out. That was taken as the simile to show the extinguishing of an arahant
- 2 aspects of Nibbāna
- saupādisesanibbāna: Nibbāna attained while possessing some aggregates
- anupādisesanibbāna: Nibbāna that is attained while there is no remnant of aggregates
- 15th, 16th and 17th verse #edited
- "Yānīdha bhūtāni samāgatāni, bhummāni vā yāni vā antalikkhe,
Tathāgataṃ devamanussapūjitaṃ, buddhaṃ...dhammaṃ...saṅghaṃ namassāma suvatthi hotu"
Whatever beings are gathered here, whether of the earth or in the sky, we pay homage to the thus-gone Buddha...Dhamma...Saṅgha venerated by devas and humans: may there be safety!
- purpose→to express the Triple Tathāgatas (uttered by Sakka)
- Triple Tathāgata
- Tathāgataṃ Buddhaṃ; He is so called because
- Tathā āgatoti tathāgato: The Buddha is called the Tathāgata, because he has come thus, in the way those zealous for the welfare of the world should come
- Tathā gatoti tathāgato: The Buddha is called the Tathāgata, because he has gone thus, in the way those zealous for the welfare of the world should go
- Tathā ājānatoti tathāgato: The Buddha is called the Tathāgata, because he has understood in the way those zealous for the welfare of the world should understand
- The Buddha is called the Tathāgata, because he has known in the way those zealous for the welfare of the world should know
- The Buddha is called the Tathāgata, because his utterances are in the way those zealous for the welfare of the world should utter
- Tathāgataṃ Dhammaṃ; the Dhamma is called so because
- the lokuttaramagga has gone to the group of defilements (kilesapakkha) eradicating them with the help of the power of samatha and vipassanā
- Nibbāna is called Tathāgata since it is realized (avagata) by the beings such as the Buddhas in a way that all suffering is eradicated
- Tathāgataṃ Saṅghaṃ; the Saṅgha is called so because
- It has gone along each path in the way that those practicing for their own welfare must go
- order of verses
- 2 introduction
- 1 invitation (yānidha bhūtāni)
- 1 appamāda (tasmā hi bhūtā)
- 1 Buddha: treasures (yaṁ kiñci vittaṁ)
- 2 Dhamma
- Nibbāna (khayaṁ virāgaṁ)
- samādhi (yaṁ buddhaseṭṭho)
- 6 saṅgha
- 8 pairs (ye puggalā)
- well strived (ye suppayuttā)
- pillar (yathindakhīlo)
- ariyasacca (ye ariyasaccāni)
- tayassu dhamma (sahāvassadassanasampadāya)
- pāpakaṁ kammaṁ (kiñcāpi so kammaṁ)
- 2 Buddha
- forest thicket (vanapagumbhe)
- the excellent one (varo varaññū)
- 1 saṅgha
- anupadisesa (khīṇaṁ purāṇaṁ)
- 3 Triple Tathāgata
- total: 17 verses
- summary of the story of Brahmin Saṅkha and his son, Susīma
- Brahmin Saṅkha's son, Susīma, seeks to learn a craft in Bārāṇasī.
Susīma learns in a few months what normally took 12 years, but seeks the craft's end, which his teacher doesn't know, referring him to the Paccekabuddhas.
He goes to Isipatana to ask paccekabuddhas, who ordain him and teach him conduct.
Susīma attains pacceka enlightenment, attains to gain and renown but has a short life.
His father, Saṅkha, seeks him in Bārāṇasī and learns about Susīma's enlightenment and passing.
Saṅkha grieves and makes pūjā at Susīma's cetiya.
The Blessed One connects the story with the present, revealing he was Saṅkha.
The act of generosity in the past leads to grand offerings.
The Dhamma talk concludes with a verse on renouncing slight happiness for greater happiness.
merits done by Saṅkha at Susīma's cetiya and the kammic results they produced in the context of ratanasutta:
1. he plucked out the weeds: as a consequence the stumps and thorns along the eight-yojana journey were removed and the ground was made smooth and clean
2. he brought sand in his upper garment and scattered it over the terrace: as a consequence sand was scattered over the eight-yojana journey
3. he made an offering of woodland flowers: as a consequence, over the nine-yojana journey including land and water, a carpet was made with various flowers
4. he moistened the ground with water from his pot: as a consequence, a lotus-leaf rain fell on Vesālī
5. he set up a banner and tied a parasol there: as a consequence, banners were set up and row upon row of parasols were raised aloft right up to the Akaniṭṭha heaven
verse:
"mattāsukhapariccāgā, passe ce vipulaṃ sukhaṃ,
caje mattāsukhaṃ dhīro, sampassaṃ vipulaṃ sukhaṃ“
If by renouncing a slight happiness one sees a greater happiness ahead,
the wise person should give up the slight happiness, considering the greater happiness ahead
(Dhp 290)
Summary: A Brahmin's son, Susīma, seeks knowledge in Bārāṇasī, attains enlightenment as a paccekabuddha, and his father, Saṅkha, later learns of his son's fate, makes pūjās at his cetiya (weeds, sand, flowers, water, banner and parasol), The Buddha explains He was Saṅkha and shows the results of the meritorious deeds ending with a verse
- final exam
- verses of both suttas
- both metta and ratana
- saṅkha
- all NB except 4 types of love and 24-528
- 11 methods are included
