1.
The Chapter on Bodily Punishment
1.
Commentary on the Discourse on Fault
1. In the first discourse of the Book of Twos, "faults" means offences, crimes. "Pertaining to the present life" means the result arisen in this very life, in this very individual existence. "Pertaining to the future life" means the result arisen in the future individual existence. "Criminal" means an evil-doer, a doer of offences. "Kings, having seized, inflict various bodily punishments" means having seized the thief, the king's men perform various bodily punishments; the kings, however, are said to cause them to be inflicted. This one sees that thief being thus subjected to bodily punishments. Therefore it was said - "He sees kings, having seized a thief, a criminal, inflicting various bodily punishments." "With half-clubs" means with mallets, or with sticks taken after cutting a four-cubit stick in two for the purpose of facilitating striking. "The gruel pot torture" means the gruel-pot bodily punishment. Those performing it, having cut open the skull, having taken a red-hot iron ball with pincers, throw it in there; by that the brain boils and rises up. "The shell-tonsure torture" means the shell-tonsure bodily punishment. Those performing it, having cut the skin along the boundary of the upper lip, both knots of hair above the ears, and the throat enclosure, having tied all the hair together in one knot, having twisted it with a stick, they tear it off; the skin comes up together with the hair. Then, having rubbed the skull with coarse gravel and washing it, they make it the colour of a conch shell. "Rāhu's mouth torture" means the Rāhu's mouth bodily punishment. Those performing it, having forced open the mouth with a stake, they light a lamp inside the mouth; or, beginning from the knots of hair above the ears, they dig out the mouth with a chisel; blood, having flowed forth, fills the mouth.
"The fire garland torture" means they wrap the entire body with oil-soaked rags and set it alight. "The hand torch torture" means they wrap the hands with oil-soaked rags and light them like lamps. "The grass-strip torture" means the grass-strip bodily punishment. Those performing it, beginning from below the neck, having cut the hide-strips, they place them at the ankles; then, having bound him with ropes, they drag him. He, stepping on his own hide-strips again and again, falls down. "The bark-dress torture" means the bark-dress bodily punishment. Those performing it, in the same way, having cut the hide-strips, place them at the waist; having cut from the waist downwards, they place them at the ankles; with the upper strips, the lower body appears as if clothed in a bark-strip garment. "The antelope torture" means the antelope bodily punishment. Those performing it, having placed iron rings on both elbows and both knees, they drive in iron stakes. He stands on the ground by means of four iron stakes. Then, having surrounded him, they make a fire. Even in the passage where "the antelope, surrounded by fire, as" occurs, this very same thing is stated. From time to time, having removed the stakes, they make him stand on just the four bone-tips. There is no such bodily punishment.
"The flesh-hook torture" means having struck with double-pointed hooks, they tear off skin, flesh, and sinews. "The coin-cutting torture" means they cut the entire body with sharp adzes, beginning from the base, slicing off coin-sized piece after coin-sized piece. "The lye-pickling torture" means having struck the body here and there with weapons, they rub alkali in with brushes; the skin, flesh, and sinews flow forth; only a skeleton remains. "The pivot-turning torture" means having made him lie down on one side, having driven an iron stake through the ear-hole, they make him fastened as one with the earth. Then, having seized him by the feet, they whirl him around. "The straw-chair torture" means a skilled torturer, having cut away the outer skin and hide, having crushed the bones with grinding-stone tops, having seized him by the hair, lifts him up; he becomes just a heap of flesh. Then, having wrapped him up by the hair itself, they seize him; having made him like a straw roll, they wrap him again. "By dogs also" means having not given food for several days, they have him eaten by starving dogs. They, in a moment, reduce him to just a skeleton. "Impaling on a stake" means putting him up on a stake.
"Does not go about plundering others' property" means having seen others' own goods carried away behind their backs, even a bag containing a thousand pieces of gold coins fallen in the middle of the street, he does not go about plundering them thinking "I shall live by this"; thinking "What use is this?" he kicks it away with the back of his foot and goes on.
"Evil" means inferior. "Painful" means undesirable. "What reason would there be" means what indeed would that reason be. "When I" means "by which I." "Bodily misconduct" means the threefold unwholesome bodily action beginning with killing living beings. "Bodily good conduct" means the threefold wholesome action that is its opposite. "Verbal misconduct" means the fourfold unwholesome verbal action beginning with lying. "Good verbal conduct" means the fourfold wholesome action that is its opposite. "Mental misconduct" means the threefold unwholesome action beginning with covetousness. "Good mental conduct" means the threefold wholesome action that is its opposite. "He maintains himself pure" - here purity is twofold: figurative and non-figurative. For by going for refuge, one figuratively maintains oneself pure. Likewise with the five moral precepts, with the ten moral precepts - with the morality of fourfold purity, with the first meditative absorption, etc. with the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, with the path of stream-entry, with the fruition of stream-entry, etc. with the path of arahantship, one figuratively maintains oneself pure. But one who has eliminated the mental corruptions, established in the fruition of arahantship, whether bathing, eating, feeding, sitting, or lying down the five aggregates whose roots have been cut, should be understood as non-figuratively maintaining and looking after oneself pure and without stain.
"Therefore" means because these two are indeed faults, not non-faults, therefore. "Those who fear faults" means those who are fearful of faults. "Those who see the danger in faults" means those who habitually see faults as danger. "This is to be expected" means this is to be desired; the meaning is that this will inevitably come to be. "That" is merely a particle, or a word expressing reason, by whatever reason one will be freed from all faults. But by what reason will one be freed? By the fourth path and by the fourth fruition. For by the path one is being freed; having attained the fruition, one is freed. But does the unwholesome not ripen for one who has eliminated the mental corruptions? It ripens, but that was done before the state of one who has eliminated the mental corruptions. And that indeed in this very individual existence; but in the future state, there is no fruit of action for him. The first.
2.
Commentary on the Padhāna Sutta
2. In the second, "strivings" means energies. For energy is called "striving" because it should be striven or because it produces the state of striving. "Difficult to endure" means hard to bear, hard to fulfil; the meaning is difficult to do. "Dwelling in a house" means for those living in a house. "The striving for the purpose of providing the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick" shows that the striving for the purpose of providing these four requisites beginning with robes is indeed difficult to endure. For even to say "Give to others a rag of four cubits, or a meal of a mere handful of rice, or a leaf-hut of four cubits, or even a trifling amount of medicine from among oil, ghee, butter and so on," and to bring it out and give it, is difficult to do, like entering a battle massed on both sides. Therefore the Blessed One said -
Even few, being good, conquer many;
If one with faith gives even a little,
By that very deed he becomes happy in the hereafter."
"Those gone forth from home into homelessness" means of those who, having departed from the house, have entered upon homelessness, the going forth devoid of farming, cow-keeping and so on which are beneficial to the house, to the household life. "The striving for the purpose of relinquishing all clinging" means the energy conascent with insight and with the path, for the purpose of Nibbāna, which is reckoned as the relinquishment of all clingings, reckoned as the clinging of aggregates, the clinging of defilements, and the clinging of volitional activities. "Therefore" means because these two strivings are difficult to endure, therefore. The second.
3.
Commentary on the Discourse on Causing Remorse
3. In the third, "causing remorse" means they torment both here and in the future state - thus they are "causing remorse." "Is tormented" means he is tormented by mental sorrow, he bewails, having done bodily misconduct, like the demon Nanda, like the young man Nanda, like Nanda the cattle-butcher, like Devadatta, and like the two brothers. It is said that they, having killed a cow, made the meat into two portions. Then the younger said to the elder - "I have many children, give me these entrails." Then he, saying "All the meat has been divided in two; what more are you seeking?" - having struck him, brought him to the destruction of life. And turning back and looking at him, having seen him dead, he produced the thought "A weighty deed was done by me." Then powerful grief arose in him. Whether standing or sitting, he reflected on that very action, and did not find mental delight. Even what was eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted did not pervade his body with nutriment; he became nothing but skin and bones. Then a certain elder, having seen him - "Lay follower, you have abundant food and drink, yet nothing but skin and bones remains of you; is there indeed some action causing remorse?" He said "Yes, venerable sir" and reported everything. Then the elder said to him "A weighty deed has been done by you, lay follower; you have transgressed against one who was in a place of no offence." He, having died by that very action, was reborn in hell. Through verbal misconduct, one is tormented like Suppabuddha the Sakyan, Kokālika, Ciñcamāṇavikā, and others. The remainder here and in the fourth is of clear meaning. The third.
5.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Known
5. In the fifth, "dvinnāhaṃ" means "of two, I." "Upaññāsiṃ" means having approached, I understood the quality, I knew, I penetrated - this is the meaning. Now, showing those qualities, he said beginning with "non-contentment" and so on. For in dependence on this pair of qualities the Teacher attained omniscience; therefore, showing its power, he said thus. Therein, "non-contentment in regard to wholesome mental states" - by this he explains this: "I, being not content with merely meditative absorption or merely the sign of light, gave rise to the path of arahantship itself. As long as it did not arise, I was not content. And being without longing in striving, standing firm in strenuousness, he performed the act of striving" - showing this meaning, he said beginning with "and unremittingness" and so on. Therein, "unremittingness" means not turning back, strenuousness. "Unremitting indeed, monks, I strived" - here "sudaṃ" is merely a particle. "I, monks, standing firm in strenuousness, aspiring to omniscience during the time of the Bodhisatta, performed the striving" - this is the meaning here.
Now, showing how that striving was performed by him, he said beginning with "let only skin and" and so on. Therein, "to be attained" - by this he shows the collection of virtues to be attained. By "by manly strength" and so on, a person's strength of knowledge, energy of knowledge, and effort of knowledge are spoken of. "Cessation" means placing down, non-occurrence, drawing back; the meaning is revocation. To that extent, by him what is called the determination of energy endowed with four factors has been spoken of. For here "let only skin and" is one factor, "and sinews" is one, "and bones" is one, "flesh and blood" is one - these are four factors. "By manly strength" and so on are designations for exceeding energy. Thus, having been endowed with the former four factors, energy thus determined should be understood as what is called the determination of energy endowed with four factors. To that extent, by him, on the seat of enlightenment, his own practice that should be approached has been spoken of.
Now, in order to speak of the quality attained through that practice, he said beginning with "for me, monks" and so on. Therein, "attained through diligence" means attained through diligence, which is called the continuous presence of mindfulness, not obtained by one asleep and heedless. "Highest enlightenment" means both the knowledge of the four paths and the knowledge of omniscience. For it is not possible to attain this by one asleep and heedless. Therefore he said - "Highest enlightenment was attained through diligence." "Unsurpassed freedom from bondage" means not only enlightenment itself, but also the unsurpassed freedom from bondage, reckoned as the fruition of arahantship and Nibbāna, was also attained through diligence.
Now, instigating the community of monks regarding the qualities attained by himself, he said beginning with "if you too, monks" and so on. Therein, "for the sake of which" means for the purpose of which; the meaning is having wished to attain and dwell. "That unsurpassed" means that which is unsurpassed. "The final goal of the holy life" means the noble fruition, which is the final goal of the holy life of the path. "Having realised by direct knowledge" means having made evident through direct knowledge, through the highest wisdom. "Having attained, you will dwell" means having obtained, having reached, you will dwell. "Therefore" means because this unremitting striving is indeed very helpful and accomplishes the highest good, therefore. The fifth.
6.
Commentary on the Mental Fetter Discourse
6. In the sixth, "in phenomena subject to mental fetters" means in the phenomena of the three planes that are the conditions for the ten mental fetters. "Observing gratification" means the state of observing, having observed as gratification; the meaning is the state of observing. "Observing disenchantment" means the state of observing by way of disenchantment, by way of dissatisfaction. "From birth" means from the arising of the aggregates. "From ageing" means from the maturing of the aggregates. "With death" means from the breaking up of the aggregates. "With sorrows" means with sorrows having the characteristic of inward brooding. "With lamentations" means with lamentations having the characteristic of wailing dependent upon that. "With sufferings" means with sufferings of bodily oppression. "With displeasures" means with displeasures of mental vexation. "With anguishes" means with anguishes having the characteristic of extreme distress. "From suffering" means from the entire suffering of the round of rebirths. "Abandons" means abandons by the path. "Having abandoned" - here, however, the fruition moment is spoken of. In this discourse, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of. The sixth.
7.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Dark
7. In the seventh, "dark" does not mean dark because of black colour, but because they lead to darkness - they are dark because of the resultant blackness. Or alternatively, by their very nature, all unwholesome mental states are indeed dark. For by their arising, consciousness does not become luminous. "Shamelessness" means the state of being shameless. "Moral fearlessness" means the state of having no moral fear. The seventh.
8.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Bright
8. In the eighth, "bright" does not mean bright because of the brightness of colour, but because they lead to brightness - they are bright because of the brightness of accomplishment. Or alternatively, by their very nature, all wholesome mental states are indeed bright. For by their arising, consciousness becomes luminous. "Shame and moral fear" - here, shame has the characteristic of disgust towards evil; moral fear has the characteristic of dread. Whatever, however, should be said here in detail, that has already been stated in the Visuddhimagga. The eighth.
9.
Commentary on the Discourse on Conduct
9. In the ninth, "protect the world" means they support, establish, and guard the world. "There would be no recognition here of 'mother'" means in this world, the mother who gave birth would not be recognised by way of respect and consideration as "this is my mother." The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. "Confusion" means mixing up, or the breaking of boundaries. Regarding "like goats and sheep" and so on, for these beings do not know by way of respect and consideration "this is my mother" or "this is my mother's sister." They err regarding the very object in dependence on which they were born. Therefore, in bringing a simile, he said beginning with "like goats and sheep." The ninth.
10.
Commentary on the Discourse on Entering the Rains Retreat
10. The tenth is stated in the arising of the occasion. In which arising of the occasion? In the grumbling of the people. For by the Blessed One, during the first twenty years after enlightenment, the entering of the rains retreat had not been laid down. The monks, without a fixed abode, wandered comfortably even in the rainy season and even in the winter rains. Having seen them, the people said: "How indeed could the ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, wander on a journey in winter, in summer, and in the rainy season, trampling down green grass, harming a living being with one faculty, bringing destruction to many small living beings. Even these heterodox followers of badly proclaimed teachings will cling to the rains residence and keep still; even these birds, having made nests in the treetops, will cling to the rains residence and keep still" - having said these and other such things, they grumbled. The monks reported that matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, making that the occasion, teaching this discourse, at first said only this much: "I allow, monks, to enter the rains retreat." Then, having heard the arisen thought of the monks, "When indeed should the rains retreat be entered?" he said: "I allow, monks, to enter the rains retreat in the rainy season." Then this occurred to the monks - "How many are the periods for entering the rains retreat?" They reported this matter to the Blessed One. Having heard that, teaching this discourse in its entirety, he said beginning with "There are these two, monks" and so on. Therein, "entering the rains retreat" means the undertakings of the rains retreat. "The first period" means the first three-month period that should be entered on the day after the full moon of Āsāḷhī, ending with the full moon of the first Kattikā. "The latter period" means the latter three-month period that should be entered a month after the full moon of Āsāḷhī, ending with the latter Kattikā. The tenth.
The Chapter on Bodily Punishment is the first.