1.
The Chapter on the Trainee’s Powers
1.
Commentary on the Saṃkhitta Discourse
1. In the first of the Book of Fives, "the powers of the seven trainees" means the powers of a trainee. In the power of faith and so on, "one does not waver regarding faithlessness" - this is the power of faith. "One does not waver regarding shamelessness" - this is the power of shame. "One does not waver regarding moral fearlessness" - this is the power of moral fear. It does not waver regarding idleness - this is the power of energy. "Power of wisdom" means one does not waver regarding ignorance. "Therefore" means because these are the powers of the seven trainees, therefore.
2.
Commentary on the Vitthata Discourse
2. In the second, in "by bodily misconduct" and so on, the instrumental case is used in the accusative sense; the meaning is that one is ashamed of bodily misconduct and so on, which are things to be ashamed of - one is ashamed, one is disgusted. In the description of moral fear, the instrumental case is used in the causal sense; the meaning is that one has moral fear, one fears, because of bodily misconduct and so on, which are the causes of moral fear.
"Putting forth strenuous energy" means one whose energy has been exerted, whose mind has not drawn back. "For the abandoning" means for the purpose of abandoning. "For the acquisition" means for the purpose of attainment. "Steadfast" means endowed with the strength of energy. "Of firm effort" means of steady effort. "Not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states" means one who has not laid down the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states, one whose energy has not drawn back.
"That discerns rise and fall" means that which discerns the rise and fall of the five aggregates, that which is capable of penetrating both rise and fall. "Endowed with wisdom" means endowed with both insight wisdom and path wisdom. "Noble" means that which stands far from mental defilements by way of suppression and by way of eradication, that which is pure. "Penetrative" means it is called penetrative because it pierces through; the meaning is endowed with that. Therein, path wisdom, by way of eradication, pierces and breaks through the mass of greed, the mass of hate, and the mass of delusion never before pierced, never before broken through - thus it is penetrative; insight wisdom is penetrative by way of substitution of opposites; because it leads to the attainment of path wisdom, it is fitting to call that insight "penetrative." "Leading rightly to the complete destruction of suffering" - here too, path wisdom is called "leading rightly to the complete destruction of suffering" because it goes, consuming the suffering of the round of rebirths and the suffering of mental defilements by right cause and method; insight wisdom, consuming the suffering of the round of rebirths and the suffering of mental defilements by way of substitution of opposites, goes - thus it is leading to the destruction of suffering. Or it should be understood as leading to the destruction of suffering because it leads to the attainment of path wisdom that leads to the destruction of suffering. Thus in this discourse, the five powers have been spoken of only as mixed, and likewise in the fifth.
6.
Commentary on the Samāpatti Discourse
6. In the sixth, "attainment of the unwholesome" means the attaining of an unwholesome mental state; the meaning is the state of being endowed with that. "Pervades and remains" means having enveloped, it remains.
7.
Commentary on the Kāma Discourse
7. In the seventh, "delighted in sensual pleasures" means delighted and fond of sensual pleasures as objects and sensual pleasures as defilements. "Sickle and carrying-pole" means both the sickle for reaping grass and the carrying-pole for carrying grass. "Son of good family" means a son of good family by conduct. "Having left behind" means having given up. "Fitting to say" means proper to say. "Obtainable" means easily obtained, possible to obtain. "Inferior sensual pleasures" means the sensual pleasures of the five low families. "Middling sensual pleasures" means the sensual pleasures of middling beings. "Superior sensual pleasures" means the sensual pleasures of kings, royal ministers, and chief ministers. "Go by the term 'sensual pleasures'" means they go by the term 'sensual pleasures' by the influence of desiring and by the influence of what is to be desired. "Has grown up" means has become old. "Mature in wisdom" means endowed with proper wisdom. "Self-guarded" means guarded and protected by oneself, or capable of guarding and protecting oneself. "Not fit for negligence" means not proper to be negligent. "What is to be done by faith has not been done" means what is proper to be done by faith in wholesome mental states, that has not been done. The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. "I am now without concern for that monk, monks" shows that when what is to be done by faith and so on has been done, and that person has been established in the fruition of stream-entry, "I am without concern." In this discourse, the path of stream-entry is spoken of.
8.
Commentary on the Cavana Discourse
8. In the eighth, "the Good Teaching" means the Good Teaching of the Dispensation. "Faithless" means devoid of both kinds of faith - faith of conviction and faith of leaping forward. "Passes away, is not established" means he passes away from the virtues in this Dispensation; he is not able to become established. Thus in this discourse, non-establishment and establishment have been spoken of.
9.
Commentary on the First Agārava Discourse
9. In the ninth, "he has no respect" means disrespectful. "He has no deference" means not deferential, without seniority, of improper conduct. The remainder here is just as in the former.
10.
Commentary on the Second Agārava Discourse
10. In the tenth, "incapable" means an unsuitable vessel. "Growth" means increase. "Increase" means the state of steadfastness through being firmly rooted. "Expansion" means the state of greatness. The remainder is clear everywhere.
The Chapter on the Learner's Powers is first.