4.
The Chapter on the Wheel
1.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Wheel
31. In the first discourse of the fourth, "wheels" means achievements. "The four wheels turn" means the four wheels of achievement turn, that is, they operate - this is the meaning. "Residence in a suitable place" means dwelling in such a befitting place where the four assemblies are seen. "Reliance on good persons" means the support, association with, and companionship of good persons such as the Buddha and so on, not of kings. "Rightly directing oneself" means rightly establishing oneself; if one was formerly possessed of faithlessness and so on, abandoning those and establishing oneself in faith and so on. "Having made merit in the past" means having accumulated wholesome deeds in the past. And this alone is the measure here. For by whatever consciousness associated with knowledge wholesome action has been done, that very wholesome action leads that person to a suitable place and causes him to associate with good persons; and that very person rightly establishes himself. "Who has made merit" means one who has performed meritorious actions. "Happiness overpowers him" means happiness overpowers this person, covers him over - this is the meaning.
2.
Commentary on the Discourse on Inclusion
32. In the second, "ways of supporting others" means reasons for supporting. In the passage beginning with "giving and" and so on, a certain person is to be supported by giving alone; to him giving alone should be given. "Endearing speech" means pleasant words. For a certain person speaks thus: "This one gives what should be given, but with each word he smears over and removes everything; what is his giving?" Another says: "This one, although he does not give a gift, yet when speaking he anoints as if with oil. Whether he gives or does not give, his word alone is worth a thousand." Such a person does not expect a gift; he expects only endearing speech. To him only endearing speech should be spoken. "Beneficent conduct" means talk that promotes welfare. For a certain person expects neither a gift nor endearing speech; he expects only talk about his own welfare and talk about his progress. To such a person, talk on beneficent conduct alone should be spoken thus: "This should be done by you, this should not be done by you, such a person should be associated with, such a person should not be associated with." "Impartiality" means the state of sharing the same happiness and suffering. For a certain person does not expect even one among giving and so on, but expects sharing the same happiness and suffering thus: sitting on one seat, lying on one divan, eating together. If he is equal to a householder in birth and to one gone forth in morality, this impartiality should be practised towards him. "In each case as is fitting" means the meaning is impartiality as is befitting in those various things. "Like the linchpin of a moving chariot" means just as the linchpin is what is called the support of a chariot when it is going, and it holds the chariot together, so these ways of supporting others hold the world together. "A mother on account of her child" means if a mother were not to perform these ways of supporting others for her child, she would not obtain respect or veneration on account of her child. "Saṅgahā ete" is the nominative case used in the accusative sense. Or "saṅgahe ete" is also a reading. "Samavekkhanti" means they rightly regard. "And they become praiseworthy" means and they become worthy of praise.
3.
Commentary on the Sīha Discourse
33. In the third, "a lion" - there are four lions: the grass lion, the dark lion, the tawny lion, and the maned lion. Among these, the grass lion is similar to a dove-coloured cow and feeds on grass. The dark lion is similar to a dark cow and also feeds on grass. The tawny lion is similar to a cow the colour of a withered leaf and feeds on meat. The maned lion is endowed with a face as if plastered with lac, with the tips of the toes and with the four edges of the paws; from its head onwards, as if made with a lac brush, three lines go along the middle of the back and, having reached between the thighs, stand turning to the right. On its shoulders, the mass of mane is like a wrapping of a blanket worth a hundred thousand; the remaining parts are the colour of a ball of pure rice and a ball of conch-shell powder. Among these four lions, this maned lion is what is intended here.
"King of beasts" means the king of the entire herd of beasts. "From his dwelling place" means it is said that he goes out from his residence, from a golden cave or from a cave of silver, crystal, or red arsenic. When going out, he goes out for four reasons: either oppressed by darkness, for the sake of light; or oppressed by the need for excrement and urine, for the sake of discharging them; or oppressed by hunger, for the sake of his food resort; or oppressed by sexual desire, for the sake of indulging in sexual intercourse. Here, however, what is intended is going out for the sake of his food resort.
"Stretches himself" means on a golden surface or on one of the surfaces of silver, crystal, or red arsenic, having placed the two hind paws evenly, having stretched out the front paws forward, having drawn forward the hind part of the body, having brought forward the front part, having lowered the back, having raised the neck, as if making the sound of a thunderbolt, having struck the nostrils, shaking off the dust clinging to the body, he stretches himself. And on the stretching ground, like a young calf, he runs to and fro; and as he runs, his body appears like a firebrand whirling about in the darkness.
"Surveys" - why does he survey? Out of compassion for others. It is said that when he roars the lion's roar, creatures such as elephants, elk, and buffaloes roaming in uneven places such as precipices and pits fall into precipices and pits; out of compassion for them, he surveys. But does this fierce one, this eater of others' flesh, actually have compassion? Yes, there is. Thus indeed, thinking "What is the use of many being killed?" even for the sake of his own food resort, he does not seize small creatures. Thus he shows compassion, and this too was said - "Let me not bring destruction to small creatures gone to uneven places."
"Roars the lion's roar" means first he roars the fearless roar three times. And when he stands on the stretching ground and roars, the sound makes a single reverberation throughout a region of three yojanas all around; having heard that reverberation of his, the groups of bipeds and quadrupeds within three yojanas are unable to remain in their places. "Departs for his food resort" means he goes for the sake of food. How? For standing on the stretching ground, springing to the right or to the left, he covers a distance of one usabha; springing upwards, he springs four or even eight usabhas; springing straight ahead on level ground, he springs a distance of sixteen or even twenty usabhas; springing from dry ground or from a mountain, he springs a distance of sixty or even eighty usabhas; seeing a tree or a mountain on the way and avoiding it, to the left or to the right or upwards, he moves aside one usabha. But having roared the lion's roar for the third time, together with that very roar he appears at a place three yojanas away; having gone three yojanas and having turned back and stood still, he himself hears the echo of his own roar. Thus he departs with such swift speed.
"For the most part" means mostly. "Fear, terror, and anxiety" - all are names for mental terror itself. For having heard the sound of a lion, many are afraid; few are not afraid. But who are they? A similar lion, a thoroughbred elephant, a thoroughbred horse, a thoroughbred bull, a thoroughbred person, and one who has eliminated the mental corruptions. But why are they not afraid? A similar lion, to begin with, is not afraid thinking "I am equal in birth, clan, family, and valour"; thoroughbred elephants and so on are not afraid because of the strength of their own identity view; one who has eliminated the mental corruptions is not afraid because of having eliminated identity view.
"Those dwelling in holes" means those sleeping in holes, hole-dwellers such as snakes, mongooses, iguanas, and so on. "Those dwelling in water" means water-dwellers such as fish, turtles, and so on. "Those dwelling in the forest" means forest-dwellers such as elephants, horses, elks, deer, and so on. "Enter" means thinking "Now he will come and seize us," having looked at the path, they enter. "Firm" means strong. "Thongs" means leather ropes. In "of great supernormal power" and so on: the state of great supernormal power should be understood by virtue of standing on the stretching ground and leaping the distance of one usabha to the right side and so on, and leaping straight ahead twenty usabhas and so on; the state of being influential should be understood by virtue of being the lord over the remaining animals; the state of great majesty should be understood by virtue of those who flee having heard the sound all around for three yojanas.
"Just so" - the Blessed One spoke of himself in such and such a way in those various discourses. In this discourse "Lion, monks, is a designation for the Truth-finder, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself," to begin with, he spoke of himself as similar to a lion. In this one "Physician, surgeon, Sunakkhatta, is a designation for the Truth-finder," as similar to a physician; in this one "Brahmin, monks, is a designation for the Truth-finder," as similar to a brahmin; in this one "The man who knows the road well, Tissa, is a designation for the Truth-finder," as similar to a man who points out the way; in this one "I am a king, Selā," as similar to a king. But in this discourse, making himself similar to a lion alone, speaking thus, he said this.
Herein this is the similarity - Just as the lion's time of dwelling in golden caves and so on, so should be seen the time of dwelling in the three mansions of the Truth-finder who, having made his resolution at the feet of Dīpaṅkara, having fulfilled the perfections for an immeasurable time, in his final existence, having caused the ten-thousandfold world system to quake by the taking of conception and by the emergence from his mother's womb, following growth, experiencing success similar to divine success. Just as the lion's time of going out from the golden cave and so on, so is the time of the Truth-finder's giving of the acknowledgment to the king, from the time of going forth at the age of twenty-nine through the opened door, having mounted Kaṇḍaka, with Channa as companion, having gone forth, having crossed over three kingdoms, having put on the ochre robes given by Brahmā on the bank of the river Anomā, on the seventh day after going forth having gone to Rājagaha, having walked for almsfood there, having finished his meal duty on the slope of Mount Paṇḍava, up to having attained perfect enlightenment, for the purpose of coming first to the country of Magadha.
Just as the lion's time of stretching, so should be understood the time of the Truth-finder who had given the acknowledgment, beginning with the approach to Āḷāra Kālāma, up to the time of partaking of the milk-rice given by Sujātā in forty-nine portions. Just as the lion's shaking of its body, so should be understood the quaking of the ten-thousandfold world system by the power of that, when, in the evening time, having taken eight handfuls of grass given by a brahmin, being praised by the deities of the ten-thousand world-circles, being venerated with scents and so on, having circumambulated the Bodhi tree three times, having ascended the ground of enlightenment, having spread a grass mat on the spot fourteen cubits in height, having determined the fourfold energy, seated, at that very moment having scattered the forces of Māra, having purified the three true knowledges in the three watches, churning the great ocean of dependent origination in forward and reverse order with the churning of paired knowledge, when the knowledge of omniscience was penetrated.
Just as the lion's surveying of the four directions, so should be seen the surveying of the group of five for the purpose of teaching the Teaching, of one who had penetrated the knowledge of omniscience, having dwelt for seven weeks at the ground of enlightenment, having partaken of the food of honey-cakes, having accepted the request of the Great Brahmā for the proclamation of the Teaching at the foot of the goatherd's banyan tree, while dwelling there, on the eleventh day, towards the break of dawn thinking "Tomorrow will be the full moon of Āsāḷha," "To whom indeed should I first teach the Teaching?" having known the deceased state of Āḷāra and Udaka. Just as the lion's time of going three yojanas for the purpose of foraging, so is the time of going the eighteen-yojana road of one who, having taken his own bowl and robes, thinking "I shall set in motion the wheel of the Teaching for the group of five," having risen from the goatherd's banyan tree after the meal.
Just as the time of the lion's roar, so should be understood the time of the Truth-finder's setting in motion the wheel of the Teaching, having gone the eighteen-yojana road, having convinced the group of five, seated on the unshakeable cross-legged seat, surrounded by the host of gods gathered together from ten thousand world-circles, by the method beginning with "These two extremes, monks, should not be cultivated by one who has gone forth." And while this passage was being taught, the sound of the Teaching of the Truth-finder-lion, taking in Avīci below and the summit of existence above, covered the ten-thousandfold world system. Just as the time of small creatures experiencing terror at the lion's sound, so should be understood the time of the arising of knowledge-terror among the long-lived gods, when the Truth-finder, having explained the three characteristics, having analysed the four truths in sixteen aspects and sixty thousand methods, was teaching the Teaching.
Another method - The Truth-finder who has attained omniscience is like a lion; the time of going out from the Perfumed Chamber is like the going out from the golden cave that is his dwelling place; the time of approaching the Teaching hall is like the stretching; the surveying of the assembly is like the surveying of the directions; the time of teaching the Teaching is like the roaring of the lion's roar; the going for the purpose of crushing the doctrines of others is like the departing for the food resort.
Another method - The Truth-finder is like a lion; the emergence from the fruition attainment based upon Nibbāna by way of object is like the going out from a golden cave based upon the Himalayas; reviewing knowledge is like the stretching; looking at beings accessible to instruction is like surveying the directions; teaching the Teaching to the assembly that has arrived is like the lion's roar; approaching the presence of beings accessible to instruction who have not arrived should be understood as like departing for the food resort.
"When" means at whatever time. "Truth-finder" means the Truth-finder by the eight reasons stated below. "In the world" means in the world of beings. "Arises" means from the resolution onwards up to the seat of enlightenment or up to the path knowledge of arahantship, he is called "arising"; but when the fruition of arahantship has been attained, he is called "arisen." "The Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself" and so on are expanded in the Visuddhimagga in the description of the recollection of the Buddha.
"Thus is identity" means this is identity, this much is identity, there is no identity beyond this. By this much, in terms of intrinsic nature, in terms of function, in terms of limit, in terms of delimitation, in terms of circumscription, all five aggregates of clinging have been shown. "Thus is the origin of identity" means this is called the origin of identity. By this much, all beginning with "from the origin of nutriment is the origin of matter" has been shown. "Thus is the passing away of identity" means this is the passing away of identity. By this too, all beginning with "from the cessation of nutriment is the cessation of matter" has been shown.
"Beautiful" means beautiful in bodily complexion. "Having heard the proclamation of the Teaching" means having heard the proclamation of the Teaching of the Truth-finder adorned with fifty characteristics regarding the five aggregates. "For the most part" - whom does this set aside here? The noble disciple gods. For because of their state of having eliminated the mental corruptions, even the fear of mental fright does not arise, nor does the spiritual urgency of knowledge, because of having attained what is to be attained through thorough striving by one who is spiritually stirred. But for the other deities, when attending to impermanence thinking "This is fear, monks," even the fear of mental fright arises, and at the time of strong insight, the fear of knowledge also arises. "Friend" - this is merely a form of polite address in the Teaching. "Included in identity" means included in the five aggregates. Thus, when the One Enlightened by himself teaches the Teaching having shown the fault of the round of rebirths to them and having made it pertaining to the three characteristics, what is called the fear of knowledge enters.
"Having directly known" means having known. "The wheel of the Teaching" means both the knowledge of penetration and the knowledge of the Teaching. The knowledge of penetration is that knowledge by which, seated on the seat of enlightenment, he penetrated the four truths in sixteen aspects and sixty thousand methods. The knowledge of the Teaching is that knowledge by which he set in motion the wheel of the Teaching with three rounds and twelve aspects. Both of these are indeed knowledge born in the breast of the One of Ten Powers. Among those, the knowledge of teaching the Teaching should be taken. And he is called "setting it in motion" until the fruition of stream-entry arises for the Elder Aññākoṇḍañña together with eighteen crores of brahmā gods. When that has arisen, it should be understood as being called "set in motion." "Without equal" means devoid of a comparable person. "Famous" means accomplished in retinue. "Such a one" means of one who is alike in gain and loss and so on.
4.
Commentary on the Discourse on Confidence
34. In the fourth, "confidences in the foremost" or "confidences that are foremost" - these are supreme confidences. "As far as" means however many. "Footless" means without feet, such as snakes, fish, and so on. "Two-footed" means humans, birds, and so on. "Four-footed" means elephants, horses, and so on. "Many-footed" means centipedes and so on. "Neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient" means beings reborn at the highest point of existence. "Is declared the foremost" means is declared the foremost, the highest, the best by virtues. "Unconditioned" is stated having taken Nibbāna itself. "Dispassion" and so on are names of Nibbāna itself. For having come to that, all mental defilements fade away, all intoxications such as the intoxication of lust and so on become free from intoxication and come to non-existence, all thirst undergoes removal, all attachments are uprooted, the rounds of rebirths are cut off, craving is eliminated, the suffering of the round of rebirths ceases, and all fevers of passion are extinguished. Therefore it obtains these names. The remainder here is clear in meaning.
5.
Commentary on the Discourse on Vassakāra
35. In the fifth, "recollecting" means remembering by following along, able to remember again and again - this is the meaning. "Skilled" means clever. "Endowed with investigation into the means for that" means endowed with wisdom that serves as the means in each case, thus: "At this time, this particular thing should be done." "To be given thanks for" means to be delighted in. "To be protested against" means to be rejected. "Neither do I to you" means "neither indeed to you do I." But why does the Blessed One neither delight in this nor reject it? Because it is mundane, he does not delight in it; because it stands having taken a mundane meaning, he does not protest against it. "Many people" means many would be the people. And this should be understood as the genitive case used in the instrumental sense. "In the noble true method" means in the path together with insight. "The nature of good qualities, the nature of wholesome qualities" - these too are names for that very thing. "Whatever applied thought" means one among the applied thoughts of renunciation and so on. "He does not think that applied thought" means he does not think even one among sensual thoughts and so on. The other is a synonym for that very thing. "In the path of applied thought" - here, applied thought itself is the path of applied thought. In "For I, brahmin" and so on, by the first method, the morality and great learning of one who has eliminated the mental corruptions are spoken of; by the second and third, the functional applied thoughts and functional meditative absorptions of one who has eliminated the mental corruptions; by the fourth, the state of having eliminated the mental corruptions is spoken of - this should be understood.
"The release from the snare of Death" means the path that releases from the snare of Death. "The true method, the Teaching" means the path together with insight. "Having seen and having heard" means having seen and having heard by knowledge only. The remainder here is clear in itself.
6.
Commentary on the Discourse on Doṇa
36. In the sixth, "between Ukkaṭṭha and between Setabyā" - here "Ukkaṭṭhā" is a city that obtained its conventional expression thus because it was built while torches were being held aloft. "Setabyā" is the birth city of the One Enlightened by himself Kassapa in the past. Now the word "antarā" is used in the senses of reason, moment, mind, middle, opening, and so on. In passages such as "Who could know that difference, except for the Truth-finder" and "People having come together discuss about me and that one - what is the reason" and so on, it is used in the sense of reason. In passages such as "A certain woman, venerable sir, washing a vessel by a flash of lightning, saw me" and so on, it is used in the sense of moment. In passages such as "For one within whom there are no irritations," etc., it is used in the sense of mind. In passages such as "Came to a stop midway" and so on, it is used in the sense of middle. In passages such as "But this hot spring comes through the interval between two great hells" and so on, it is used in the sense of opening. Here it is used in the sense of opening. Therefore the meaning here should be understood as "in the opening between Ukkaṭṭhā and Setabyā." But because of being connected with the word "antarā," the accusative case was used. And in such instances, the grammarians employ only a single word "antarā" as in "he goes between the village and the river"; that word must be connected with the second term also, and when not connected, the accusative case is not obtained. But here it was stated having already connected it.
"Travelling on the highway" means he was travelling on the road called a highway; the meaning is "a long road." Why was he travelling? On that day, it is said, the Blessed One saw this: "When I have set out on that road, the brahmin Doṇa, having seen my holy footprints, having become one who follows step by step, having come to my sitting place, will ask a question. Then I shall teach him one truth of the Teaching. The brahmin, having penetrated three fruits of asceticism, having spoken the praise called 'the Roar of Doṇa' measuring twelve thousand stanzas, when I have attained final Nibbāna, having appeased the great quarrel arisen in the whole of Jambudīpa, will distribute the relics." For this reason he was travelling. "The brahmin Doṇa too" - the brahmin Doṇa too, having mastered the three Vedas, while teaching the craft to five hundred young men, on that day, having risen right early, having attended to his toilet, having put on a garment worth a hundred, having arranged over one shoulder a cloth worth five hundred, having put on the sacrificial thread and red-thonged sandals, accompanied by five hundred young men, set out on that very road. With reference to that, this was said.
"On the footprints" means at the places trodden by the feet. "Wheels" means the characteristic wheels. But does a footprint appear at the place trodden upon when the Blessed One is walking? It does not appear. Why? Because of subtleness, because of great power, and out of compassion for the great public. For because of the subtleness of the skin of the Buddhas, the place trodden upon is like the place where cotton-wool has rested; no footprint is discerned. And just as for a powerful wind-swift Sindh horse, even on a lotus leaf there is merely the treading, so because of great power, the place trodden upon by the Truth-finder is merely the treading; no footprint is discerned there. And a great crowd of people follows close behind the Buddhas; for one unable to bear treading upon the Teacher's footprint having seen it, there would be an interruption of going. Therefore, whatever footprint there might be at each and every place trodden upon, it simply disappears. But the brahmin Doṇa saw through the power of the Truth-finder's determination. For the Blessed One, when he wishes to show the holy footprint to someone, determines with reference to that person: "Let such and such a one see it." Therefore, just like the brahmin Māgaṇḍiya, this brahmin too saw through the power of the Truth-finder's determination.
"Pleasing" means generating confidence. The other is a synonym for that very thing. "Having attained the highest taming and serenity" - here, the highest taming means the path of arahantship, the highest serenity means the concentration of the path of arahantship; the meaning is that he has attained both of those. "Tamed" (dantaṃ) means rendered free from agitation. "Guarded" (guttaṃ) means protected. "With restrained faculties" means with guarded faculties. "An elephant" - because of not going by desire and so on, because of not returning to the mental defilements that have been abandoned, because of non-performance of offence, and because of the sense of being powerful - an elephant for these four reasons.
"Will the venerable one be a god?" - here, even with just "Will the venerable one be a god?" the question could have been complete, but this brahmin, speaking in the manner of a question with reference to the future, said thus: "Will he be one influential king of gods in the future?" The Blessed One too, speaking in the manner of the question itself, said: "I will not be a god, brahmin." This same method applies everywhere. "Mental corruptions" means the four beginning with the mental corruption of sensuality. "Abandoned" means abandoned through the achievement of omniscient knowledge on the seat of enlightenment itself. "Untainted by the world" means untainted by the world of activities because of having abandoned the taints of craving and wrong view. "Buddha" means remember me thus as the Buddha because of having awakened to the four truths.
"By which" means by which mental corruption. "There would be rebirth among gods" means rebirth among gods would be for me, would occur for me. "Sky-farer" means a god belonging to the gandhabba host who moves through space. "Demolished" means destroyed. "Rendered useless" means made with barrenness removed, made with bondage removed. "Lovely" means beautiful. "Is not tainted by water" means having risen above the water by the measure of a cubit, standing, adorning the lake, delighting the swarms of bees, it is not tainted by water. "Therefore I am the Buddha, brahmin" - at the conclusion of the teaching, having attained three path-fruits, he spoke the praise called the "Roar of Doṇa" in twelve thousand stanzas, and when the Truth-finder had attained final Nibbāna, having appeased the great quarrel that had arisen on the surface of Jambudīpa, he distributed the relics.
7.
Commentary on the Discourse on Non-Decline
37. In the seventh, "near to Nibbāna itself" means he practises near to Nibbāna itself. "Established in morality" means established in the morality of the Pātimokkha. "Thus dwelling" means dwelling thus. "Ardent" means possessed of ardour and energy. "Freedom from bondage" means of Nibbāna, which is secure from the four mental bonds. "Or seeing danger in heedlessness" means seeing heedlessness as peril.
8.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Withdrawn
38. In the eighth, "one who has rejected individual truths" means because of having individually grasped thus "only this view is the truth, only this is the truth," the view-truths reckoned as individual have been rejected, thrown out, and abandoned - thus one who has rejected individual truths. "One who has completely relinquished all seeking" - here, "avayā" means not lacking, "saṭṭhā" means relinquished; one whose seekings are completely and without deficiency relinquished - thus one who has completely relinquished all seeking. The meaning is one who has completely relinquished all seeking. "Withdrawn" means hidden, having attained solitude. "Of the many ascetics and brahmins" means of many ascetics and brahmins. And here, "ascetics" means those who have gone forth into the going forth; "brahmins" means those who address others as "sir." "Individual truths of the many" means many separate truths. "Rejected" means thrown out. "Thoroughly rejected" means well thrown out. "Given up" means relinquished. "Vomited out" means expelled. "Released" means made with their bonds cut. "Abandoned" means forsaken. "Relinquished" means given up in such a way that they do not again ascend to the mind. All of these are synonyms for the state of relinquishment of the grasping that was previously grasped.
"Sensual seeking has been abandoned" means abandoned by the path of non-returning. Seeking existence, however, is abandoned by the path of arahantship. The seeking of the holy life reckoned as an occurring disposition thus "I shall seek, I shall search for the holy life" also reaches cessation and appeasement by the path of arahantship alone. But the view-seeking of the holy life should be known as being calmed by the path of stream-entry alone. "Thus indeed, monks" means thus through the fourth meditative absorption one with calmed bodily activity is called one whose in-breath and out-breath have been stilled. "The conceit 'I am'" means the ninefold conceit arising as "I am."
In the verses, "sensual seeking, seeking existence" - these are two searches; "together with seeking the holy life" means together with those very ones, seeking the holy life - thus these three also. Having stood here, "searches have been relinquished" - the explanation should be made together with this term. "Thus adherence to truth, standpoints for views accumulated" means the adherence of grasping as "thus truth, thus truth," and the standpoints for views reckoned as views themselves, and those which because of being elevated, having risen up and stood, are called accumulated - all of those too. Having stood here, "standpoints for views have been uprooted" - the explanation should be made together with this term. But for whom have these searches been relinquished, and these standpoints for views been uprooted? For one dispassionate towards all lust, liberated through the elimination of craving. For whoever is dispassionate towards all lusts, and is endowed with the liberation of the fruition of arahantship occurring regarding Nibbāna, the elimination of craving - for him searches have been relinquished, and standpoints for views have been uprooted. "He indeed is peaceful" means he, being of such a kind, is peaceful through the calming of mental defilements. "Calmed" means calmed through the two tranquillities of body and consciousness. "Unconquered" means unconquered by anyone, because of standing having conquered all mental defilements. "Through the full realization of conceit" means through the full realization of the abandoning of conceit. "Awakened" means established having awakened to the four truths. Thus in this discourse too and in the verses too, only one who has eliminated the mental corruptions is spoken of.
9.
Commentary on the Discourse on Ujjaya
39. In the ninth, "come to slaughter" means they come to murder, death. "Perpetual gift" means ticket meal. "Family sacrifice" means because it was given by our fathers and grandfathers, thus it should be sacrificed by way of family tradition - it should be given, this is the meaning. In "horse-sacrifice" and so on, "horses are slaughtered here" - thus it is the horse-sacrifice; this is a designation for a sacrifice to be performed with two subsidiary sacrifices, having twenty-one sacrificial posts, with the offering of all remaining wealth apart from land and men. "Men are slaughtered here" - thus it is the human-sacrifice; this is a designation for a sacrifice to be performed with four subsidiary sacrifices, together with land, having the same offering of wealth as stated in the horse-sacrifice. "They throw the peg here" - thus it is the sammāpāsa; this is a designation for the entire sacrifice to be performed by one who, day by day, having thrown the peg, having made an altar at the place where it fell, proceeds in reverse direction from the place of submersion in the Sarassatī river, with movable sacrificial posts and so on. "They drink the vāja here" - thus it is the vājapeyya; this is a designation for a sacrifice to be performed with one subsidiary sacrifice, with seventeen animals, having a bilva-wood sacrificial post, with seventeen-fold offerings. "There is no door-bolt here" - thus it is the niraggaḷa. This is a designation for a variant of the horse-sacrifice, to be performed with nine subsidiary sacrifices, together with land and men, having the same offering of wealth as stated in the horse-sacrifice, whose alternative name is the "all-sacrifice." "Great undertakings" means great tasks, great duties to be done. Furthermore, because of the greatness of the undertaking of killing living beings, it is indeed "great undertakings." "They are not rich in result" - here, a partial expression has been made for what is a complete meaning. Therefore, in terms of desirable result, they are indeed fruitless - this is the meaning. And this was said with reference to the undertaking of killing living beings itself. But whatever gift is given there now and then, because of being damaged by this undertaking of slaughter, it is not rich in result, it is of meagre result - this is the meaning. "Haññare" means they are killed. "They always sacrifice according to family tradition" means those others who sacrifice according to family tradition, because it was sacrificed by ancestors, later generations also sacrifice - this is the meaning. "It is better" means it is indeed a distinction. "Not worse" means nothing bad whatsoever arises.
10.
Commentary on the Udāyī Discourse
40. In the tenth, "prepared" means heaped together. "Without killing" means devoid of the slaughter of living beings. "Sacrifice" means gift. For that is called "sacrifice" because it is to be offered. "In proper time" means at the appropriate and fitting time. "They approach" means they go to. "Family and destination" means having transcended both the family of the round of rebirths and the destination of the round of rebirths. "Skilled in sacrifice" means skilled in sacrifice of the four stages. "At a sacrifice" means at an ordinary gift. "At a memorial feast" means at a gift dedicated to the deceased. "Having prepared the offering" means having arranged the gift that is to be offered. "Among the practitioners of the holy life, a good field" means the meaning is in the good field reckoned as the practitioners of the holy life. "Well-bestowed" means well attained. "What is given to those worthy of offerings" means whatever is prepared for those befitting the offering - that is well-offered, well-sacrificed, well-bestowed; this is the meaning. "Faithful" means faithful through believing in the virtues of the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community. "With a liberated mind" means with a generous mind. By this he explains his liberated generosity.
The Wheel Chapter is the fourth.