3.
The Chapter on Volition
1.
Commentary on the Discourse on Volition
171. In the first of the third, "body" means at the body door; the meaning is "when there is bodily intimation." Among "because of bodily volition" and so on, bodily volition means volition, the planning, at the body door. That is eightfold by way of the eight sensual-sphere wholesome, and twelvefold by way of the unwholesome - thus twentyfold. Likewise verbal volition, likewise mental volition. But here nine exalted volitions are also obtained. "Because of bodily volition" means conditioned by bodily volition. "There arises internal pleasure and pain" means conditioned by the eight wholesome actions, pleasure arises in one's own internal self; conditioned by the twelve unwholesome actions, pain. The same method applies in the remaining doors too. "With ignorance as condition" means only by reason of ignorance. For if ignorance, concealing, is a condition, this being so, volition that has become the condition for pleasure and pain arises in the three doors. Thus this was said by the power of ignorance, which is the root.
Among "either oneself" and so on, one who, not commanded by others, generating by oneself, is said to generate bodily activity by oneself. But that which others, having instigated and commanded, cause to be done - for him, others are said to generate that bodily activity. But whoever, knowing the wholesome as wholesome, the unwholesome as unwholesome, the wholesome result as wholesome result, the unwholesome result as unwholesome result, generates the twentyfold bodily activity at the body door - this one is said to generate fully aware. Whoever, not knowing thus, generates - this one is said to generate not fully aware. The same method applies in the remaining doors too.
Therein, action done without full awareness should be understood thus - Young children, thinking "Let us do what was done by our mother and father," pay homage to shrines, make flower offerings, pay homage to the community of monks; even though they do not know it as wholesome, that is indeed wholesome for them. Likewise, animals such as deer, birds, and so on listen to the Teaching, pay homage to the Community, pay homage to shrines; whether they know or do not know, that is indeed wholesome for them. But young children strike their mother and father with hands and feet, raise their palms in threat against monks, throw sticks, and revile. Cows pursue the community of monks, dogs pursue and bite, lions, tigers, and so on pursue and deprive of life. Whether they know or do not know, it should be understood that it is unwholesome action for them.
Now the accumulating volitions in all three doors should be connected together. That is: At the body door, twenty volitions rooted in self-doing, twenty rooted in command, twenty rooted in full awareness, twenty rooted in lack of full awareness - thus there are eighty volitions; likewise at the verbal door. But at the mind-door, making twenty-nine in each alternative, there are one hundred and sixteen. Thus in all three doors there are two hundred and seventy-six volitions. All those go by the term "aggregate of mental activities" alone; the mode of feeling associated with them is the aggregate of feeling; the mode of perceiving is the aggregate of perception; consciousness is the aggregate of consciousness; the body is derivative materiality; its conditions are the four elements, the four primary elements - these five aggregates are called the truth of suffering.
"In these states, monks, ignorance is involved" means in these volition-states of the aforementioned classification, ignorance is involved by way of conascence and by way of decisive support. Thus both the round of rebirths and ignorance as the root of the round of rebirths have been shown.
Having thus developed insight and attained arahantship, now offering praise for the one who has eliminated the mental corruptions, he said beginning with "but from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance." Therein, "with the complete fading away and cessation" means by the complete fading away and by the complete cessation. "That body does not exist" means action performed with the body by one who has eliminated the mental corruptions is apparent - sweeping the shrine courtyard, sweeping the Bodhi-tree courtyard, going forward, going back, performing duties and subsidiary duties - and so on. But at the body-door, his twenty volitions reach the state of being without result. Therefore it was said - "That body does not exist because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain." For the volition occurring at the body-door is here intended as "body." In the remaining two as well, the same method applies. "Field" and so on are also names for wholesome and unwholesome action only. For that is called a field in the meaning of a place for the growing of result, a site in the meaning of a support, a base in the meaning of a cause, and a reason in the meaning of a cause.
Thus the Teacher, having shown by this much of a passage the action accumulated through the three doors, now, in order to show the place of ripening of that action, said beginning with "There are these four, monks." Therein, "acquisitions of individual existence" means those who have obtained individual existence. "One's own volition operates" means the volition designed by oneself carries on and proceeds.
In "because of one's own volition there is the passing away of those beings from that class of beings" and so on, the gods corrupted by play pass away because of one's own volition. For when they are playing, devoted to divine delight in the Nandana grove, the Cittalatā grove, the Phārusaka grove and so on, their mindfulness regarding drink and food becomes confused; they wither like garlands thrown in the sun's heat through the cutting off of food. The gods corrupted by mind pass away because of another's volition; these are the gods ruled by the four great kings. Among them, it is said, one young god, thinking "I shall celebrate the festival," proceeds along the street by chariot with his retinue. Then another, coming out, having seen him going in front, becomes angry, thinking "What, my dear, this miserable wretch, having seen this as if never seen before, goes as if bloated with joy, as if roaring." The one going in front too, having turned back and having seen him angry, having known his state of anger, since those who are angry are indeed easily recognised, becomes angry in return, saying "You are angry; what will you do to me? This success was obtained by me through the power of giving, morality and so on, not through your power." For when one is angry, the other who is not angry protects him; but when both are angry, the wrath of one becomes a condition for the other, and his wrath too becomes a condition for the other, and thus both pass away from their celestial abodes while still wailing. Human beings pass away because of both one's own volition and another's volition; the meaning is they pass away with both one's own volition and another's volition as the cause. For human beings, having become angry, strike themselves with their own hands and with sticks, bind themselves with rope-bonds and so on, cut off their own heads with swords, eat poison, fall from precipices, enter water, enter fire; and others too, having struck with a stick or a knife, kill them. Thus among them, both one's own volition and another's volition operate.
"Which gods should be seen by that" means which gods indeed should be seen - this is the meaning. Or the meaning is also: by that individual existence, which gods should be seen? But why does the Elder ask this question? Is he not able to explain it himself? He is able, but the Elder did not explain this matter, since by its own intrinsic nature it is a question within the domain of a Buddha. "Should be seen by that" means should be seen by that individual existence. But this question applies below in the sensual sphere and in the fine-material sphere as well; however, having delimited it by the highest point of existence, it was spoken all-embracingly - thus it was spoken by the Blessed One.
"Ones who come back to this state of being" means ones who come back to this state, to the very state of the five aggregates of the sensual sphere; they are neither ones reborn there nor ones reborn above. "Ones who do not come back to this state of being" means ones who do not come back to this group of five aggregates; they are not ones reborn below, but are either ones reborn there or ones reborn above or ones who attain final Nibbāna right there - this is the meaning. And here, "ones reborn above" should be understood by way of those born in a lower existence. But at the highest point of existence, this does not exist. The remainder is clear everywhere.
2.
Commentary on the Vibhatti Discourse
172. In the second, "analytical knowledge of meaning" means knowledge that has gone into the varieties regarding the five meanings. "Limitedly" means by reason. "By phrasing" means by syllable. "In many ways" means by many reasons. "I tell" means I speak. "I teach" means I speak having made it obvious. "I make known" means I cause to be known. "I establish" means I speak having established and set going. "I make clear" means I speak having made it opened. "I analyse" means I speak having analysed. "I elucidate" means I speak having made the profound shallow. "Let him question me" means let him approach me with a question. "I will clear it up by explanation" means I will satisfy his mind by the speaking of the question. "Who is well skilled in these teachings" means the Teacher who is well skilled in the teachings attained by us, he is present before us. If the analytical knowledge of meaning had not been realised by me, having said "Realise it first, Sāriputta," he would refuse me - thus he roars the lion's roar while seated right before the Teacher. By this method the meaning should be understood everywhere. Among these analytical knowledges, however, three analytical knowledges are mundane, while the analytical knowledge of meaning is both mundane and supramundane.
3.
Commentary on the Mahākoṭṭhika Discourse
173. In the third, "of the sense bases of contact" means of the sources of contact, the meaning is "of the places of arising of contact." "Is there something else" - he asks whether, when these have completely ceased without remainder, beyond that there is any mental defilement whatsoever, even a trifle. "Is there not something else" - here too he asks "is there not even a trifling mental defilement?" In the remaining two as well, the same method applies. But he asks these four questions by way of eternalism, annihilationism, partial eternalism, and eel-wriggling. Therefore the Elder, warding off each question as it was asked, said "do not say so." Here "hi" is merely a particle; the meaning is "do not speak thus." By way of the view of self alone, he asks in the manner of eternalism and so on: "Is there something else, is there some other self?" But is this one a holder of the view of self? He is not a holder of the view of self. But a monk holding such a view was seated there; he was not able to ask. He asks thus for the purpose of having that one's view answered. And also those who in the future will hold such a view, he asks precisely for the purpose of cutting off the opportunity for their words: "This question was answered by the great disciples in the time of the Buddha."
"Obsesses about what is free from obsession" means he creates obsession where there should be no obsession; he walks a path that should not be walked. "So far extends the destination of obsession" means however far the destination of the six sense bases of contact extends, just so far extends the destination of obsession, which is classified as craving, wrong view, and conceit. "Friend, from the complete fading away and cessation of the six sense bases of contact comes the cessation of obsession, the appeasement of obsession" - the meaning is that when these six sense bases have completely ceased in every respect, the obsessions too are indeed ceased, are indeed appeased. But in the immaterial sphere, for worldling deities, although the five sense bases of contact have ceased, because the sixth has not ceased, the three obsessions too are simply not abandoned. Furthermore, the question was spoken by way of five-aggregate constituent existence only. In the fourth, the meaning should be understood by this very method.
5.
Commentary on the Upavāṇa Discourse
175-176. "Is a maker of an end through true knowledge" means one is a maker of an end of the suffering of the round of rebirths through true knowledge, standing having delimited and bounded the entire suffering of the round of rebirths. The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. "With clinging" means having been with grasping only. "Would be a maker of an end" means one would have stood having made an end of the suffering of the round of rebirths. "Accomplished in conduct" means endowed with conduct by way of the classification of fifteen qualities. "Knowing and seeing as it really is, one is a maker of an end" means having known and seen according to the inherent nature with path wisdom, one is called one who stands having made an end of the suffering of the round of rebirths - thus he concluded the question with the pinnacle of arahantship. The sixth should be understood by the method stated below in the commentary on the Book of Ones.
7.
Commentary on the Rāhula Sutta
177. In the seventh, "internal" means the solid element characterised by the mode of hardness in the twenty portions beginning with head-hair. "External" means the solid element characterised by the mode of hardness in external things not bound to the sense faculties, such as stones, mountains, and so on. By this very method, the remaining elements too should be understood. "This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self" - this triad is said by way of rejecting the grip of craving, conceit, and wrong view. "Should be seen with right wisdom" means it should be seen with path wisdom, by cause, by reason. "Having seen" means having seen with path wisdom together with insight. "He has cut off craving" means he cut, including its root, the craving to be destroyed by the path. "Turned back the mental fetters" means he turned back the tenfold mental fetter, having torn it out, he abandoned it. "Through the complete full realization of conceit" means by cause, by reason, through the full realization of the abandoning of the ninefold conceit. "He has made an end of suffering" means he made the suffering of the round of rebirths delimited and bounded; the meaning is: having done so, he stands firm. Thus by the Teacher, in the Saṃyutta Great Collection, in the Exhortation to Rāhula, insight was spoken of; in the Shorter Exhortation to Rāhula too, insight was spoken of; in the Ambalaṭṭhika Exhortation to Rāhula, abstention from lying while still young was spoken of; in the Greater Exhortation to Rāhula, insight was spoken of. In this Aṅguttara Great Collection, what is called the fourfold emptiness is spoken of.
8.
Commentary on the Jambālī Sutta
178. In the eighth, "a peaceful liberation of mind" means a certain attainment among the eight attainments. "Cessation of identity" means the cessation of identity reckoned as the round of rebirths of the three planes; the meaning is Nibbāna. "Does not spring forward" means does not spring forward by way of object. The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. "Is not to be expected" means should not be expected. "Smeared with resin" means smeared with lac.
And for this meaning, the simile of the man wishing to go to the far shore of a river should be brought - It is said that a certain man, wishing to go to the far shore of a river with a violent current, teeming with fierce fish, thinking "The near shore is dangerous and perilous, the far shore is secure and without peril; what indeed should I do to go to the far shore?" having seen eight Terminalia Arjuna trees standing in a row, having reflected "It is possible to go by this row of trees," thinking "Terminalia Arjuna trees have smooth branches; the hands would not remain firm on the branches," having smeared his hands and feet with lac from a certain banyan or wave-leafed fig tree and so on, he grasped one branch with his right hand. The hand stuck right there. Then with the left hand, with the right foot, with the left foot - all four hands and feet stuck right there. He, hanging head downward, when the sky had rained upstream of the river, submerged in the stream of the swollen river, became food for crocodiles and so on.
Therein, the stream of the river should be seen as like the stream of the round of rebirths; the man wishing to go to the far shore of the stream as like one who practises meditation; the near shore as like identity; the far shore as like Nibbāna; the eight Terminalia Arjuna trees standing in a row as like the eight attainments; the grasping of a branch with a hand smeared with lac as like attaining a meditative attainment without having purified the obstructing states of meditative absorption and insight; the hanging of one bound to the branch by four hands and feet as like the time of being stuck through attachment to the first meditative absorption; the rain upstream as like the time of the arising of mental defilements at the six doors; the time of becoming food for crocodiles and so on while submerged in the stream of the swollen river as like the time of experiencing suffering in the four realms of misery while submerged in the stream of the round of rebirths - this should be understood.
"With a clean hand" means with a well-washed, pure hand. For this meaning too, the same simile should be made - For in just the same way, the man wishing to go to the far shore, thinking "Terminalia Arjuna trees have smooth branches; the hand of one grasping with a soiled hand would slip off," having made his hands and feet well-washed, having grasped one branch, climbed the first tree. Having descended from there, the second... etc. Having descended from there, the eighth; having descended from the eighth tree, he went to the place of security on the far shore.
Therein, the time of that man's thinking "By means of these trees I shall go to the far shore" is like the time of the meditator's thinking "Having attained the eight attainments, having emerged from the attainment, I shall go to arahantship"; the grasping of a branch with a clean hand is like attaining a meditative attainment having purified the obstructing states of meditative absorption and insight. Therein, the time of climbing the first tree is like the time of the attainment of the first meditative absorption; the time of descending from the first tree and climbing the second is like the time of one not bound by attachment to the first meditative absorption, having emerged from it, attaining the second meditative absorption... etc. The time of descending from the seventh tree and climbing the eighth is like the time of one not bound by attachment to the attainment of the plane of nothingness, having emerged from it, attaining the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. The time of descending from the eighth tree and going to the place of security on the far shore should be understood as like the time of one not bound by attachment to the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, having emerged from the attainment, having contemplated activities, attaining arahantship.
"He attends to the breaking through of ignorance" means he attends to arahantship, which is reckoned as the breaking through of the great ignorance that is dense in mass, that is not knowing regarding the eight states. "Does not spring forward" means does not spring forward only by way of object. "Dirty pool" means a great pit that has become the resting place for the great water flowing out from a village. "Many years old" means because it arose at the very time the village or the town arose, having arisen for many groups of years, it is called "many years old." "Inlets" means the four entrance ravines. "Outlets" means the drainage holes. "The breaking of the embankment is not to be expected" means the breaking of the embankment should not be expected. For the water does not rise up from there, break the embankment, take the rubbish, and reach the great ocean.
For the elucidation of this meaning, the simile of the park-seeker should be brought. It is said that a certain son of good family, a city dweller, while searching for a park, saw a great dirty pool not too far and not too near from the city. He, having considered "In this place there will be a delightful park," having taken a spade, having closed off all four cavities, having opened the drainage holes, stood there. The rain god did not rain properly, and the remaining water seeped out through the drainage holes and was gone. Pieces of leather, rags and so on became rotten right there, insects settled, and all around it became unapproachable. Even for those who approached, it was necessary to depart having covered their nostrils. He, having come after a few days, having stepped back and standing, having looked, departed thinking "It is not possible to approach."
Therein, the one who practises meditation should be seen as like the son of good family, the city dweller; the body made of the four great elements as like the time of seeing the dirty pool at the village entrance while searching for a park; the time of not obtaining the water of hearing the Teaching as like the time of the inlets being closed; the time of the restraint of the six doors being released as like the time of the outlets being opened; the time of not obtaining a suitable meditation subject as like the time of the rain god not raining properly; the time of the decline of virtues within as like the time of the remaining water having seeped out through the outlets and gone; the time of being unable to realise Nibbāna by breaking the embankment of ignorance by the path of arahantship and scattering the heap of mental defilements as like the time of the water being unable to rise up, break the embankment, take the rubbish and reach the great ocean; the time of being filled within with mental defilements such as lust and so on as like the state of the pieces of leather, rags and so on becoming rotten right there; the time of the person endowed with the round of rebirths delighting in the round of rebirths should be understood as like the time of his having come, having seen, and having gone with remorse.
"The breaking of the embankment is to be expected" means the breaking of the embankment is to be expected. For from there the water will be able to rise up, break the embankment, take the rubbish and reach the great ocean - this is the meaning.
Here too that very same simile should be brought. Therein, the time of obtaining the hearing of suitable Teaching as like the time of the inlets being opened; the time of restraint being present at the six doors as like the time of the outlets being closed; the time of obtaining a suitable meditation subject as like the time of the rain god raining properly; the time of having realised arahantship by breaking ignorance by the path of arahantship and scattering the heap of unwholesome as like the time of the water having risen up, broken the embankment, taken the rubbish and reached the great ocean; the time of being filled within with supramundane states as like the time of the lake being filled with water that entered through the inlets; the time of sitting, having ascended the mansion of the Teaching, having attained the fruition attainment with Nibbāna as object, should be understood as like the time of sitting, having made a fence all around, having planted trees, having built a mansion in the middle of the park, having arranged dancers, eating excellent food. The remainder here is clear in meaning. But the teaching was spoken as a mixture of the mundane and the supramundane.
9.
Commentary on the Nibbāna Sutta
179. In the ninth, regarding "perceptions conducive to relinquishment" and so on, the meaning should be understood by the very method stated in the Abhidhamma: "For one who has obtained the first meditative absorption, perceptions and attention accompanied by sensuality occur to him - wisdom conducive to deterioration." "Do not understand as it really is" means they do not know according to the intrinsic nature by path knowledge.
10.
Commentary on the Mahāpadesa Sutta
180. In the tenth, "dwells at Bhoganagara" means wandering on a journey at the time of his final Nibbāna, having reached that city, he dwells there. "Ānanda shrine" means in the monastery established at the site of the dwelling of the yakkha Ānanda. "Great references" means great occasions, or great citations; the meaning is great reasons stated by citing great ones such as the Buddha and so on. "Should neither be delighted in" means it should not be heard beforehand by those full of mirth giving applause. For when this is done, afterwards even when being told "this does not agree," having said "What, was this the Teaching before, and now it is not the Teaching?" he does not give up his theory. "Should not be protested against" means it should not be said beforehand thus "What is this fool saying?" For when spoken to thus, even what is fitting to say he will not say. Therefore he said - "Without delighting in and without protesting against." "Terms and phrases" means phrases reckoned as terms. "Having thoroughly learnt" means having well grasped thus: "In this passage the canonical text is stated, in this passage the meaning is stated, in this passage the connection is spoken, in this passage the former and latter is spoken." "Should be traced back to the discourses" means should be entered into the discourses. "Should be compared with the monastic discipline" means should be collated with the monastic discipline.
And here "discourse" means the Vinaya is stated. As he said - "Where was it rejected? At Sāvatthī, in the Suttavibhaṅga." "Monastic discipline" means the Khandhaka. As he said - "In the offence against discipline." Thus even the Canon of monastic discipline is not exhausted. But the two Vibhaṅgas are the "discourse," and the Khandhaka and Parivāra are the "monastic discipline" - thus the Canon of monastic discipline is exhausted. Or alternatively, the Canon of discourses is the "discourse," and the Canon of monastic discipline is the "monastic discipline" - thus only two Canons are exhausted. Or the Canon of discourses and the Canon of the higher teaching are the "discourse," and the Canon of monastic discipline is the "monastic discipline" - even thus the three Canons are not yet exhausted. For indeed there is the word of the Buddha that is not named "discourse." That is: The Jātaka, the Paṭisambhidā, the Niddesa, the Suttanipāta, the Dhammapada, the Udāna, the Itivuttaka, the Vimānavatthu, the Petavatthu, the Theragāthā, the Therīgāthā, and the Apadāna.
But the Elder Sudinna, having rejected all that, saying "there is no word of the Buddha not named 'discourse,'" said "the three Canons are the 'discourse,' but the 'monastic discipline' is the reason." Then, showing that reason, he brought forth this discourse -
"Whatever teachings you, Gotamī, would know - 'these teachings lead to lust, not to dispassion; they lead to bondage, not to separation from bondage; they lead to clinging, not to non-clinging; they lead to great desire, not to fewness of wishes; they lead to discontent, not to contentment; they lead to idleness, not to arousal of energy; they lead to company, not to solitude; they lead to accumulation, not to diminution.' You should definitely know, Gotamī, 'This is not the Teaching, this is not the monastic discipline, this is not the Teacher's instruction.'
And whatever teachings you, Gotamī, would know - 'these teachings lead to dispassion, not to lust; they lead to separation from bondage, not to bondage. They lead to non-clinging, not to clinging; they lead to fewness of wishes, not to great desire; they lead to contentment, not to discontent; they lead to arousal of energy, not to idleness; they lead to solitude, not to company; they lead to diminution, not to accumulation. You should definitely know, Gotamī - 'this is the Teaching, this is the monastic discipline, this is the Teacher's instruction.'"
Therefore "in the discourses" means they should be traced back to the word of the Buddha in the three Canons. "In the monastic discipline" means they should be compared with this cause for the removal of lust and so on - this is the meaning here. "Do not fit into the discourses" means not having come anywhere in the succession of discourses, having peeled off the bark, they appear to have come from one or another of the Hidden Vessantara, the Hidden Ummagga, the Hidden Vinaya, or the Vedalla Canon - this is the meaning. For those that have come down thus and are not seen in the removal of lust and so on should be rejected. Therefore it was said - "Thus indeed, monks, you should reject it." By this method the meaning should be understood everywhere. "This, monks, is the fourth great reference that you should keep" means this, monks, you should keep this fourth occasion for the establishment of the Teaching.
The Intentional Chapter is the third.