2.
Commentary on the Chapter on Request
131. "Rightly imploring, should implore thus" means a faithful monk, having arisen, "Whatever the Elder Sāriputta is like in wisdom, may I too be such. Whatever the Elder Mahāmoggallāna is like in supernormal power, may I too be such" - thus imploring, longing for, aspiring to that which exists, because of aspiring to just that, one would rightly aspire. One aspiring beyond this would wrongly aspire. For such an aspiration, because of aspiring to that which does not exist, is called a wrong aspiration. Why? "This, monks, is the standard, this is the measure" means just as for one weighing gold or unwrought gold a balance is to be desired, for one measuring grain a measure - in weighing a balance, and in measuring a measure is the standard, just so for my disciples who are monks this is the standard, this is the measure, that is to say, Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Having taken them, "May I too be of this measure in knowledge or in supernormal power" - it is possible to weigh or to measure oneself, not otherwise than this.
132. The same method applies also to the second and so on. But here there is only this distinction - "The nun Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā": for among these, Khemā is the foremost in wisdom, Uppalavaṇṇā in supernormal power. Therefore, rightly imploring, she should implore: "May I be such in wisdom or in supernormal power." Likewise, the householder Citta is the foremost in wisdom, Prince Hatthaka in the state of great supernormal power. Therefore, rightly imploring, he should implore: "May I be such in wisdom or in supernormal power." Khujjuttarā too is the foremost in great wisdom, Nandamātā in the state of great supernormal power. Therefore, rightly imploring, she should implore: "May I be such in wisdom or in supernormal power."
135. In the fifth, "injured" means injured because of the injury of virtues. "Damaged" means damaged because of the damage of virtues; the meaning is one whose virtues are cut off, one whose virtues are lost. "Maintains himself" means he watches over, he protects his virtueless self. "Blameable" means with hate. "Censurable" means with reproach. "Generates" means obtains. "Without investigating" means without knowing, without examining. "Without scrutinising" means without penetrating. "One who deserves dispraise" means of one deserving of blame, of a wrongly practising sectarian or a follower of a sectarian. "Praises" means he speaks of the virtue thus: "This one is well practised, rightly practised." "One who deserves praise" means of a certain one among the Buddha and so on who is rightly practised. "Dispraises" means he speaks of the fault thus: "This one is badly practised, wrongly practised." "He dispraises one who deserves dispraise" means here a certain person dispraises sectarians and disciples of sectarians who are badly practised and wrongly practised, saying: "Thus indeed they are badly practised, thus indeed they are wrongly practised." "He praises one who deserves praise" means he praises Buddhas and disciples of the Buddhas who are well practised and rightly practised, saying: "Thus indeed they are well practised, thus indeed they are rightly practised."
136. In the sixth, "in a matter not inspiring confidence" means in a cause for distrust. "Displays confidence" means regarding bad practice and wrong practice, he generates confidence thinking "this is good practice, right practice." "Distrust in a matter inspiring confidence" means regarding good practice and right practice, he generates distrust thinking "this is bad practice, wrong practice." The remainder here is clear in itself.
137. In the seventh, "towards two" means in two instances, in two cases. "Proceeding wrongly" means proceeding in wrong practice. "Towards mother and father" means like Mittavindaka towards his mother, like Ajātasattu towards his father. The bright side should be understood by the method already stated.
138. In the eighth, "the Truth-finder and the disciples of the Truth-finder" means towards the Truth-finder like Devadatta, and towards the disciples of the Truth-finder like Kokālika. On the bright side, towards the Truth-finder like the Elder Ānanda, and towards the disciples of the Truth-finder like Nanda the son of the cowherd millionaire.
139. In the ninth, "cleansing of one's own mind" means the cleansing of one's own consciousness; this is the name for the eight attainments. "And does not cling to anything in the world" means in the world, among phenomena such as materiality and so on, one does not grasp nor fondle even a single phenomenon. Thus here non-clinging is the second factor. The tenth and eleventh are of manifest meaning.
The Chapter on Request is the second.