2.
The Chapter on the Lion's Roar
1.
Commentary on the Lion's Roar Discourse
11. In the first of the second, "he approached the Blessed One" means having thought "If the Teacher wished to depart on a journey, he would depart at this time. Come, I shall ask permission of the Teacher for the purpose of going on a journey," surrounded by the Community of monks, he approached. "The Venerable, venerable sir, me" - that monk, it is said, having seen the elder going with a great retinue of monks, having harboured irritation without reason, thinking "These monks, having abandoned the Truth-finder, having surrounded Sāriputta, have gone out; I shall cause an interruption to his journey," spoke thus. Therein, "āsajja" means having knocked against. "Appaṭinissajja" means without having asked forgiveness, without having confessed the transgression. But on what grounds did he bind resentment? It is said that as the elder, having paid homage to the One of Ten Powers, was rising and going, the lappet of his robe touched that one's body; some say the wind struck him. Having bound resentment over just that much, having seen the elder going with a great retinue, being jealous, he spoke thus thinking "I shall cause an interruption to his journey." "Come, monk" - the Teacher, having heard that monk's words, having known "If it is said 'Monk, Sāriputta did not strike you,' he might produce ill-will towards me thinking 'Venerable sir, you take only the side of your own chief disciple, not mine,' and might be reborn in a realm of misery," having thought "Having summoned Sāriputta, I shall ask him about this matter," having addressed a certain monk, spoke thus. "Having taken a key" means having taken a key. "Lion's roar" means the foremost roar, the chief roar, the irreversible roar. Thus informed by the two great elders, the Community of monks, having left their night-quarters and day-quarters, went to the Teacher's presence. "Complaint" means a matter of discussion.
"Faeces-matter" means faeces itself. The same method applies in the remaining ones too. "Like the earth" means similar to the earth in the sense of not being angry. For the earth does not produce pleasure thinking "They are throwing what is pure on me," nor displeasure thinking "They are throwing what is impure." It shows that "My mind too is of such a nature." "Extensive" means not limited. "Exalted" means having gone to the state of greatness. "Limitless" means with a measure that has been increased. "Without enmity" means free from unwholesome enmity and personal enmity. "Without ill-will" means free from suffering, free from displeasure. "He here" - that monk in whom the establishment of mindfulness through observation of the body is not established might do thus; how would one like me do such a thing, venerable sir - thus he roared the first lion's roar. Thus the explanation should be understood everywhere.
"Duster" means a cloth for sweeping away dust; "foot-wiper" is also a name for that very thing. "With a basket in hand" means with a hand-basket in hand or a pot in hand. "Dressed in rags" means wearing garments of cloth cut at the edges. "Gentle" means of pure morality, possessed of meekness. "Well tamed" means having well undergone taming. "Well disciplined" means thoroughly trained. "Does not harm anything" means even when one grasps its horns and so on, or rubs its back, it does not harass anyone. "Like a bull with broken horns" means with a mind similar to that of a bull whose horns are broken.
"Would be troubled" (aṭṭīyeyya) means would be afflicted, oppressed. "Would be ashamed" means would be abashed. "Would be disgusted" (jiguccheyya) means would commit disgust.
"A saucepan for frying fat" (medakathālikā) - a saucepan for frying fat is said to be a pan with holes made here and there by butchers for the purpose of the juice coming out. "Would carry about" (parihareyya) means having filled it with meat, having lifted it up, one would go. "Full of holes large and small" (chiddāvachiddaṃ) means possessed of small and large holes. "Oozing" (uggharantaṃ) means juice coming out through the upward-facing holes. "Dripping" (paggharantaṃ) means juice coming out through the downward-facing holes. Thus his entire body would be smeared with juice. "Full of holes large and small" (chiddāvachiddaṃ) means small and large holes through the nine wound-openings. Thus here, by the eighth and ninth factors, the Elder spoke of the absence of desire and lust regarding his own body.
"Then that monk" (atha kho so bhikkhu) means when the Elder had thus roared the lion's roar with nine reasons, then that monk. "Transgression" (accaya) means offence. "Overcame me" (maṃ accagamā) means it occurred having surpassed and overpowered me. "May he accept" (paṭiggaṇhatu) means may he forgive. "For the sake of restraint in the future" (āyatiṃ saṃvarāya) means for the purpose of restraint in the future, for the purpose of not committing again such an offence. "Truly" (taggha) means categorically. "You make amends according to the Teaching" means you act in accordance with how the Teaching is established; the meaning is "you asked forgiveness." "We accept it from you" (taṃ te mayaṃ paṭiggaṇhāma) means we forgive that offence of yours. "For this is growth, monk, in the Noble One's discipline" (vuḍḍhi h'esā bhikkhu ariyassa vinaye) means this, monk, is called growth in the Noble One's discipline, in the Dispensation of the Buddha, the Blessed One. Which? Having seen the transgression as a transgression, having made amends according to the Teaching, and undertaking restraint in the future. But making the teaching based on the standpoint of a person, he said: "Whoever, having seen a transgression as a transgression, makes amends according to the Teaching, and commits to restraint in the future." "Splits" (phalati) means for if the Elder were not to forgive, that monk's head would split into seven pieces right there. Therefore the Blessed One said thus. "If me" (sace maṃ so) means this monk speaks thus: "May he forgive me." "May he also forgive me" (khamatu ca me so) means "May this venerable one also forgive me." Thus the Elder, having accepted his transgression, himself also asked forgiveness of him in the presence of the Teacher.
2.
Commentary on the With Residue of Clinging Discourse
12. In the second, "with residue of clinging" means with a remainder of clinging. "Without residue of clinging" means a refutation devoid of a remainder of clinging. "One who practises to a moderate degree" means one who does to a measure, not one who fulfils. "Until now, Sāriputta, this exposition of the Teaching has not occurred" - there is no such thing as lack of discernment in the Blessed One; but here the meaning is: "Until now I have not spoken this exposition of the Teaching." "Lest having heard this exposition of the Teaching they might fall into negligence" means thinking "we are, it seems, released from the four realms of misery," not exerting energy further for the sake of arahantship, let them not fall into negligence. "Spoken with the intention of answering a question" shows that it was spoken according to the intrinsic nature of the question asked by you. But for the purpose of dispelling desire and lust for existences in these nine persons, having made this very occasion - "Just as, monks, even a small amount of excrement is foul-smelling, just so indeed, monks, I do not praise even a small amount of existence, even for a mere finger-snap" - he spoke this discourse. And not only is the destination of these nine persons fixed; but for whatever families there are the three refuges, the five moral precepts, one ticket meal, one fortnightly meal, one rains-residence gift, one pond, one residence - such regular meritorious deeds exist. Their destination too is fixed; those families are just like stream-enterers.
3.
Commentary on the Koṭṭhika Discourse
13. In the third, "to be experienced in the present life" means action ripening in this very individual existence. "To be experienced in a future state" means action ripening in the second individual existence. "To be experienced as pleasant" means action productive of pleasant feeling. "To be experienced as unpleasant" means action productive of unpleasant feeling. "To be experienced when fully ripened" means having obtained its turn for result. "To be experienced when not fully ripened" means not having obtained its turn for result. "To be experienced much" means giving much result. "To be experienced little" means not giving much result. "Not to be experienced" means not giving resultant feeling. In this discourse, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of.
4.
Commentary on the Samiddhi Discourse
14. "Samiddhi" means the elder who was a co-resident pupil of the Elder, who received this name on account of the prosperity of his individual existence. "What is the object" means what is the condition. "Thoughts and applied thoughts" means applied thoughts that have come to be as thoughts. "Having mentality-materiality as object" means having mentality-materiality as condition. By this he shows that the four immaterial aggregates and derived materiality from the primary elements are the condition for applied thoughts. "Where do they go to diversity" means in what place do they go to distinction, to the state of having different intrinsic natures. "In the elements" means in the material element and so on. For the applied thought regarding visible form is one, and those regarding sound and so on are others. "From the origin of contact" means having associated contact as condition. "With feeling as meeting point" means the three feelings are the meeting point. By this much, the mixed wholesome-unwholesome have been spoken of. "With concentration as chief" and so on, however, should be understood as belonging to the side of unmaking. Therein, concentration is the chief of these in the sense of being the forerunner or in the sense of being the foremost - thus "with concentration as chief." Mindfulness is the authority of these in the sense of being the foremost cause - thus "with mindfulness as authority." Path wisdom is higher than these - thus "with wisdom as higher." Having attained fruition-liberation, they have reached the substance - thus "with liberation as core." By way of object, having plunged into the Deathless, Nibbāna, and being established therein - thus "grounded upon the Deathless." "But do not be conceited on that account" means by that answer, "I answer the question asked by the chief disciple" - do not generate conceit or arrogance.
5-6.
Commentary on the Discourse on Boils and Others
15-16. In the fifth, three or four years are groups of years; many groups of years having arisen would be means "many years old." "That would have" means that there would be for it. "Openings not made by breaking" means not made by anyone having broken open; only wound openings arisen from kamma alone. "Only what is loathsome" means only what is to be shunned, only what is repulsive. "Made of the four primary elements" means composed of the four primary elements. "Built up from cooked rice and food made with flour" means nourished and built up by cooked rice and food made with flour. "Subject to impermanence, rubbing, massaging, breaking up and destruction" means subject to impermanence in the sense of non-existence after having been; subject to rubbing by means of anointing the body with cosmetic ointment for the purpose of eliminating bad smell; subject to massaging by means of gentle rubbing for the purpose of dispelling ailments of the major and minor limbs; or subject to massaging in the sense of stretching, pressing, and so on, for the purpose of achieving the proper shape of those various major and minor limbs that were badly formed due to dwelling in the womb, having laid the child on the thighs in its young age; and even though thus maintained, subject to breaking up and destruction - the meaning is of the very intrinsic nature of breaking and scattering. And here, by the term "impermanence" and by the terms "breaking up" and "destruction," its passing away is spoken of; by the remaining terms, its origin. "Become disenchanted" shows: be dissatisfied with and abandon this body. Thus in this discourse, strong insight is spoken of. The sixth is by the same method as already stated. But here, under the heading of perception, it is knowledge itself that is spoken of.
7-8.
Commentary on the Discourse on Families and Others
17-18. In the seventh, "they do not rise up in respect with an agreeable manner" means with mind-increasing, with a manner of the mind clinging, they do not rise from their seat and go out to meet. "They do not pay respect with an agreeable manner" means they do not pay homage with the fivefold prostration. "They give inattentively" means they give without respect. "Not attentively" means they do not give with their own hand. "They do not sit close for the hearing of the Teaching" means thinking "we shall listen to the Teaching," they do not sit nearby. "They do not listen" means like water poured on the back of a pot, it rolls off and goes away. In the eighth, having included the development of friendliness according to the disposition of those accessible to instruction, it is said "possessed of nine factors."
9.
Commentary on the Discourse on Deities
19. In the ninth, "remorseful" means we fell into a state of downcastness, of being ashamed. "An inferior class" means with reference to the higher heavenly world, the lower is called "inferior." "But we did not share according to our ability, according to our strength" means we did not eat having made a sharing with the virtuous in accordance with one's own ability and strength.
10.
Commentary on the Velāma Discourse
20. In the tenth, "Is giving given in your family, householder?" - the Blessed One does not ask this with reference to giving to the community of monks. For in the millionaire's house, a superior gift is constantly given to the community of monks; the Teacher does not not know that. But there is giving being given to the worldly multitude, and that is coarse, and does not satisfy the millionaire's mind. "I ask about that" - thus he asks. "Porridge of broken rice" means a meal of rice-bran; cooked with rice-bran, that is, with broken grains of rice. "With vinegar as a second" means with rice-gruel as a second. "Gives inattentively" means he gives without having honoured. "Without respect" means he gives with disregard, without reverence towards those worthy of offerings. "Gives not with one's own hand" means not having given with one's own hand, he gives through another's hand; the meaning is that he merely gives a command. "Gives as if throwing it away" means he does not give continuously; it is like an annual offering to drunkards. "One without view of future result gives" means he gives without having believed in action and its fruit.
"Wherever" means in whichever family among the three family accomplishments. In the passage beginning with "his mind does not incline to excellent enjoyment of food" and so on: when food of various finest flavours, fragrant rice, is brought, his mind does not incline to it; having said "Take this away, it increases disease," he eats rice-bran food with whatever vegetables, being fond of it as if it were the Deathless. When excellent garments of Kāsi cloth and so on are brought, having said "Take these away; for one wearing them, they cannot even conceal, nor do they stay on the body," but coarse garments resembling coconut-palm bark fibre, he wears with delight, saying "One wearing these knows the state of being clothed, and they conceal what should be concealed." When elephant vehicles, horse vehicles, chariot vehicles, golden palanquins and so on are brought, having said "Take these away, they are shaky and unsteady; one cannot sit in them," when a decrepit little chariot is brought, saying "This is motionless; one can sit here comfortably," he consents to that. "Not in the five excellent types of sensual pleasure" means having seen beautiful women adorned and prepared, saying "Demonesses, methinks; these wish to devour; what use are they?" he passes the time just as is comfortable. "They do not listen" means they do not wish to hear; the meaning is they do not believe. "They do not lend an ear" means they do not apply the ear-sensitivity for the purpose of hearing what is spoken. "Attentively" and so on should be understood by the reverse of what has been stated.
"Velāma" - he received this name on account of being endowed with eminent qualities that had surpassed the boundary and limit of birth, clan, beauty, wealth, faith, wisdom and so on. "He gave such a gift, a great gift" - here this is the progressive discourse: It is said that in the past he took conception in the house of a chaplain in Bārāṇasī; they gave him the name "the young man Velāma." He, at the age of sixteen, went to Takkasilā together with the prince of Bārāṇasī for the purpose of learning a craft. Both of them began their craft in the presence of a world-famed teacher. And just as those two, so too eighty-four thousand princes in Jambudīpa. The Bodhisatta, having become an assistant teacher in the place where he himself had studied, trained eighty-four thousand princes, and himself learnt in three years the craft that should be learnt in sixteen years. The teacher, having known "The young man Velāma's craft is well-practised," saying "Dear sons, Velāma knows everything known by me; all of you, going together in unity, learn the craft in his presence," handed over eighty-four thousand young men to the Bodhisatta.
The Bodhisatta, having paid homage to the teacher, having departed accompanied by eighty-four thousand young men, having reached a nearby city, having instructed the prince who was the lord of that city, when his craft had become well-practised, he sent him back right there. By this method, having gone to eighty-four thousand cities, having made the craft well-practised for the eighty-four princes, having sent back each one in each city, taking the prince of Bārāṇasī, he returned to Bārāṇasī. The people consecrated the prince, whose craft was completed, in the kingdom, and gave Velāma the position of chaplain. Those eighty-four thousand princes too, having received consecration in their own respective kingdoms, came annually to attend upon the king of Bārāṇasī. They, having seen the king, went to the presence of Velāma, and having said "Teacher, we are established in our kingdoms; please tell us whatever you need," they departed. At the time of their going and coming, as they seized carts, carriages, cows, oxen, chickens, pigs and so on, the countryside was exceedingly troubled, and the great multitude, having assembled, wailed in the royal courtyard.
The king, having summoned Velāma, said: "Teacher, the country is troubled, the kings at the time of going and coming carry out great plunder, the people are unable to hold back; devise a means for the peace of the country's oppression." "Good, great king, I shall devise a means; determine however much country you need and take it." The king did so. Velāma, having examined the countries of the eighty-four thousand kings, settled them in the king's country like spokes in the nave of a wheel. From then on, those kings, whether coming or going, travelled only through their own countries, and did not plunder thinking "This is our country." Out of respect for the king, they did not oppress the king's country either. The countries became settled, silent, and quiet. All the kings, full of mirth, invited him saying: "Whatever you need, teacher, tell us."
Velāma, having bathed his head, having had the doors of the inner rooms of his own dwelling, which were full of the seven kinds of precious things, opened, having surveyed the wealth stored up to the seventh generation of the family, having reflected upon the income and expenditure, having reported to the king "It is fitting for me to give a gift stirring the entire Indian subcontinent," having had rows of ovens twelve yojanas long made on the bank of the Ganges, having established great storehouses at each place for the purpose of storing ghee, honey, molasses, oil, sesame, rice, and so on, having arranged people saying "At each place arrange so many people; whatever is obtainable by humans exists, if even one of those is absent, inform me," having had a drum circulated in the city saying "From such and such a day, let them partake of the gift of the brahmin Velāma," when those engaged in the giving announced "The place of giving is fully prepared," having put on a garment worth a thousand, having arranged over one shoulder a cloth worth five hundred, adorned with all ornaments, for the purpose of testing the gift, having filled a golden water-vessel with crystal-coloured water, "If in this world there are persons worthy of offerings fit to accept this gift, let this water come out and reach the earth. If there are not, let it remain just so." Having made a declaration of truth, he turned the water-vessel upside down. The water was as if held by a bellows. The Bodhisatta, without making regret thinking "Empty indeed, friends, is the Indian subcontinent; there is not even a single person fit to accept the offering," thought "If this offering will be purified by virtue of the donor, let the water come out and reach the earth." The crystal-coloured water came out and reached the earth. Thinking "Now I shall give the gift," having reached the place of giving, having inspected the gift, at the time for rice gruel he had rice gruel given, at the time for sweet-meats he had sweet-meats given, at the time for food he had food given. By this very manner, day after day, the gift was given.
Now at that place of giving, there was nothing to be said "Such and such exists, such and such does not exist." "Now that gift will not reach its conclusion by just this much alone." Having had red gold brought out, having had golden bowls made, he sent a message to the eighty-four thousand kings for the purpose of the eighty-four thousand golden bowls and so on. The kings, saying "At long last indeed we have been favoured by the teacher," having prepared everything, sent it. While the gift was being given, seven years and seven months passed. Then the brahmin, thinking "Having distributed the bullion, I shall give a gift," had a gift prepared in a great space. Having had it prepared, making the eighty-four thousand golden bowls the beginning, he gave starting from the top.
Therein, "filled with silver" means filled with silver plates, silver coins, and silver small coins. But the bowls should not be considered as small; on a piece of ground the size of one karīsa, they placed only four bowls. The bottom of a bowl is nine ratanas, from the rim it is eight ratanas; a thoroughbred chariot yoked with six horses goes around the rim of the bowl. While giving, having placed recipients in groups outside the bowl, first having given what was placed inside the bowl, afterwards having detached it joint by joint, the bowl itself - thus he gave eighty-four thousand bowls. The same method applies to the silver bowls and so on too. And here too, "filled with gold" means filled with gold plates, gold coins, and gold small coins. "Filled with bullion" means filled with the seven kinds of precious things. "With golden ornaments" means with gold ornaments. "With bronze milk pails" means silver milk receptacles. Now the horns of those cows were wrapped with golden sheaths, on the neck they adorned jasmine garlands, on the four feet anklets, on the back an excellent fine cloth was draped, on the throat they tied a golden bell. "Eighty-four thousand ten millions of garments" - from the standpoint of popular expression, twenty pairs of garments are one ten million; but here it is said ten garments. In the passage beginning with "of fine linen" - among linen and so on, whatever was fine, that very thing he gave. But those which are considered not-gifts - the gift of women, the gift of bulls, the gift of intoxicants, the gift of festive gatherings - he gave even those as accessories for the purpose of cutting short the way of saying "At the giving of Velāma such and such does not exist." "They flowed like rivers, I think" means they flow like rivers.
By this, the Teacher, having spoken of Velāma's gift, "Householder, this great gift no other gave, I gave it. But even while giving such a gift, I did not obtain a person suitable to accept it; you, while giving a gift when a Buddha like me is seen in the world, why do you hesitate?" - extending the teaching for the millionaire, he said beginning with "Now, you might think thus." But were not the materiality, feeling, perception, activities, and consciousness that existed then, ceased? Why did he say "I was the brahmin Velāma at that time"? Because of the unbroken succession. For those materiality and so on, while ceasing, having given conditions to these, ceased; having taken up the unbroken succession again and again, he spoke thus. "No one purifies that offering" means it was not to be said that any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra, having risen up, purifies that offering. For one purifying that offering, at the highest limit a Buddha, at the lowest limit a disciple like the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Teaching, could purify it.
"Accomplished in right view" means accomplished in vision, a stream-enterer. "This has more great results than that" means this gift given to a stream-enterer is of great fruit compared to the gift given by the worldly multitude relinquishing that much gold and silver for seven years and seven months more.
"And whoever would feed a hundred accomplished in right view" - here, by way of one once-returner, having made one hundred and one stream-enterers, the counting of stream-enterers should be understood. By this method, in all instances, the counting of persons should be understood by making a hundredfold with the immediately preceding one for those who have come successively lower and lower.
"Headed by the Buddha" - here, the Community seated with the One Enlightened by himself made the senior monk of the Community should be understood as the Community headed by the Buddha. "For the Community of the four directions" - here, a dwelling built for the Community of the four directions means where a shrine is established, hearing of the Teaching is done, monks having come from the four directions and the intermediate directions, without even asking permission, having washed their feet, having opened the door with a key, having prepared the lodging, having dwelt, go wherever is comfortable. Even if it be at least a leaf-hut of four poles, it is called a dwelling built for the Community of the four directions.
"Would go for refuge" - here, the irreversible refuge that has come by way of the path is intended. Others, however, say - Because of having given by surrendering oneself, going for refuge has more great results than that - thus it was said. "Would take upon oneself the training rules" means one should take the five precepts. Morality too is spoken of as the irreversible morality that has come by way of the path. Others, however, say - Because of giving the gift of fearlessness to all beings, morality has more great results than that - thus it was said. "For as long as the sniffing of a scent" means for as long as the lifting of a scent, having taken a lump of scent with two fingers, for as long as sniffing. Others, however, stating the Pāḷi text as "for as long as the milking of a cow," explain the meaning as for as long as pulling the udder of a cow once. "A mind of friendliness" means a mind that pervades all beings with welfare. But that is taken only by way of absorption. "Perception of impermanence" means the powerful insight that has reached the peak, by way of being the proximity condition for the path.
But by way of simile, these merits beginning with giving should be understood thus - For if one were to make Jambudīpa level like the surface of a drum, and having spread out divans beginning from the edge, were to cause noble persons to sit down, therein there would be ten rows of stream-enterers, five of once-returners, two and a half of non-returners, one and a half of those who have eliminated the mental corruptions, one row of Individually Enlightened Ones, and the One Enlightened by himself alone. A gift given to the One Enlightened by himself alone is of great fruit compared to a gift given to that many people. But as for the other -
For one contemplating elimination, these are not worth a sixteenth fraction."
For that very reason the Blessed One at the time of final Nibbāna said: "Practice in accordance with the Teaching is the unsurpassed veneration." The remainder is of manifest meaning everywhere.
The Chapter on the Lion's Roar is the second.