3.
Commentary on the Chapter on the Fool
22. In the first of the third, "does not see a transgression as a transgression" means he does not see his own offence, thinking "I have offended, it was failed by me"; the meaning is that having said "it was failed by me," he does not bring the imposing of a punishment and ask forgiveness. "When another is confessing a transgression" means of one who, having said thus, brings the imposing of a punishment and asks forgiveness. "Does not accept according to the rule" means when being told "I shall not do thus again, forgive me," he does not accept this transgression according to the rule, according to its inherent nature. He does not say "From this time onwards do not do such a thing again, I forgive you." The bright side should be understood by the method of the opposite of what has been stated.
23. In the second, "misrepresent" means they declare overcoming the truth, they speak with what is untrue. "With hate within" means one in whom hate has fallen within. For such a person, saying "There is no super-human achievement for the ascetic Gotama" and so on, misrepresents the Truth-finder like Sunakkhatta. "Or one with faith through misapprehension" means whoever, through faith devoid of knowledge, is excessively faithful and foolishly devoted, he too, having taken up misapprehension by the method "The Buddha is entirely supramundane, all his thirty-two bodily parts beginning with head hairs are entirely supramundane" and so on, misrepresents the Truth-finder. The third is of manifest meaning only.
25. In the fourth, "a discourse whose meaning needs to be inferred" means a discourse whose meaning needs to be drawn out - that discourse whose meaning needs to be drawn out. "He explains it as 'a discourse whose meaning has been drawn out'" means he says "this is a discourse whose meaning has been stated." Therein, a discourse of such form as "One person, monks; these two, monks, are persons; these three, monks, are persons; these four, monks, are persons" is called one whose meaning needs to be inferred. For here, although the One Enlightened by himself said "One person, monks" and so on, yet in the ultimate sense there is no such thing as a person - thus its meaning indeed needs to be drawn out. But this one, through his own foolishness, explains it as "this is a discourse whose meaning has been drawn out." For in the ultimate sense, if there were no person, the Truth-finder would not say "One person, monks" and so on. But since he said that, therefore, taking it as "in the ultimate sense there is a person," he explains that discourse whose meaning needs to be inferred as "a discourse whose meaning has been drawn out." "Whose meaning has been drawn out" means whose meaning has been stated thus: "impermanent, suffering, non-self." For here the meaning is: it is simply impermanent, simply suffering, simply non-self. But this one, through his own foolishness, taking it as "this is a discourse whose meaning needs to be inferred, I shall bring out its meaning" and grasping thus: "there is such a thing as permanence, there is such a thing as happiness, there is such a thing as self," explains a discourse whose meaning has been drawn out as "a discourse whose meaning needs to be inferred." The fifth is of manifest meaning.
27. In the sixth, "for one whose actions are concealed" means for one of evil action. For they do evil having concealed it. Even if they do not do it having concealed it, the evil deed is said to be concealed only. "Hell" means the aggregates together with their space. In the animal realm, only the aggregates are obtained. The seventh and eighth are of manifest meaning only.
30. In the ninth, "receptacles" means recipients; the meaning is that two states receive the immoral person.
31. In the tenth, "reasons" means causes. "Remote forest and woodland lodgings" means forests and deep forests. Therein, although in the Abhidhamma without qualification it is said "having gone out beyond the gate, all this is forest," nevertheless, what is stated as "the last five hundred bow-lengths" - the lodging that produces the forest-dweller's practice - that alone should be understood as intended here. "Deep forest" means having gone beyond the village boundary, a place not frequented by people, where there is no ploughing, no sowing. "Secluded" means at the border, very distant. "Pleasant abiding in the present life" means mundane and supramundane comfortable abiding. "And having compassion for future generations" means having compassion for my future disciples.
32. In the eleventh, "conducive to true knowledge" means belonging to the category of true knowledge. "Serenity" means unified focus of mind. "Insight" means the knowledge that discerns activities. "What purpose does it serve" means what purpose does it attain, accomplish, fulfil. "The mind is developed" means the consciousness of the path is developed, increased, grown. "Whatever lust there is, that is abandoned" means whatever lust there is by way of defilement, that is abandoned. For lust is the adversary of the consciousness of the path, and the consciousness of the path is the adversary of lust. At the moment of lust there is no consciousness of the path; at the moment of the consciousness of the path there is no lust. But when lust arises, it prevents the arising of the consciousness of the path, it cuts off its foothold. But when the consciousness of the path arises, it arises having torn out lust including its root and utterly uprooting it. Therefore it was said - "Lust is abandoned."
"Insight, monks, when developed" means insight knowledge is increased, grown. "Wisdom is developed" means path wisdom is developed, increased, grown. "Whatever ignorance there is, that is abandoned" means the great ignorance that is the root of the round of rebirths in the eight states is abandoned. For ignorance is the adversary of path wisdom, and path wisdom is the adversary of ignorance. At the moment of ignorance there is no path wisdom; at the moment of path wisdom there is no ignorance. But when ignorance arises, it prevents the arising of path wisdom, it cuts off its foothold. When path wisdom arises, it arises having torn out ignorance including its root and utterly uprooting it. Therefore it was said - "Ignorance is abandoned." Thus both the consciousness of the path and path wisdom are spoken of as conascent mental states.
"A mind defiled by lust, monks, is not liberated" shows that because of being defiled by lust, the consciousness of the path is not liberated. "Or wisdom defiled by ignorance is not developed" shows that because of being defiled by ignorance, path wisdom is not developed. "Thus indeed, monks" means thus indeed, monks. "Through the fading away of lust there is liberation of mind" means through the fading away that is the elimination of lust, there is what is called liberation of mind. This is the name for the concentration of fruition. "Through the fading away of ignorance there is liberation by wisdom" means through the fading away that is the elimination of ignorance, there is what is called liberation by wisdom. In this discourse, concentration and insight as asynchronous have been spoken of.
The Chapter on the Fool is the third.