3.
The Chapter on the Unmistakable
1.
Commentary on the Padhāna Sutta
71. In the first discourse of the third chapter, "the unmistakable practice" means the unfailing practice. "And the source has been initiated for him" means and the cause has become complete for him. "For the elimination of mental corruptions" means for the sake of arahantship. The second is clear in itself.
3.
Commentary on the Good Person Discourse
73. In the third, "disrepute" means lack of virtue. "Manifests" means speaks of, makes obvious. "Brought to the question" means brought for the purpose of the question. "Without omitting, taking hold of it" means having made it undiminished and taken hold of. And here a bad person conceals his own disrepute through evil desire, a good person his own praise through modesty. Now, because a bad person, devoid of shame and moral fear, despises through living together, but a good person, possessed of shame and moral fear, does not despise even through living together. Therefore, in order to show the simile of the newly arrived young wife which establishes the nature of a bad person, he said beginning with "Just as, monks, a young wife." Therein, "young wife" means daughter-in-law. "Acute" means thick. The remainder here is clear in meaning.
4-5.
Commentary on the Pair of Discourses on the Highest
74-75. In the fourth, "the highest morality" means the highest morality that has attained the topmost. The same method applies everywhere. In the fifth, "the highest in matter" means whatever matter, having contemplated which one attains arahantship, this is called the highest in matter. The same method applies in the remaining ones too. "The highest in existence" - but here, whatever individual existence one is established in when one attains arahantship, that is called the highest in existence.
6.
Commentary on the Discourse on Kusinārā
76. In the sixth, "Upavattana" means at the middle place of the row of Sāla trees that had gone eastward and stood having turned back to the north. "Between the twin Sāla trees" means in between two Sāla trees. "Uncertainty" means wavering. "Doubt" means the inability to judge. "Is he indeed a Buddha, or is he not a Buddha? Is it indeed the Teaching, or is it not the Teaching? Is it indeed the Community, or is it not the Community? Is it indeed the path, or is it not the path? Is it indeed the practice, or is it not the practice?" - for whomever doubt should arise, to you I say "Ask, monks." This is the meaning here in brief. "You should not fail to ask even out of respect for the Teacher" means "We went forth in the presence of the Teacher, even the four requisites are as if belonging to the Teacher. We, having not had uncertainty for so long a time, are not worthy to have uncertainty today in the final period" - if, out of respect for the Teacher, you do not ask thus. "Let a friend inform a friend, monks" shows that among you, whoever is a friend and devoted companion of whatever monk, let him inform that one: "I will speak to one monk," and having heard that talk, all will become free from uncertainty. "Thus confident" means the meaning is "thus I believe, I." "Knowledge itself" means just the knowledge that makes evident the state of being free from uncertainty; the meaning is that here for the Truth-finder it is not mere faith. "Of these, Ānanda" means of these five hundred monks seated within the curtain. "Who is the last" means who is the last in terms of spiritual qualities; he said this with reference to the Elder Ānanda himself.
7.
Commentary on the Incomprehensible Discourse
77. In the seventh, "incomprehensible things" means inappropriate to consider. "Should not be considered" means they should not be considered precisely because of their incomprehensible nature. "Which, if one were to consider" means considering which reasons. "Of madness" means of the state of being mad. "Of vexation" means of suffering. "The domain of the Buddhas" means the domain of the Buddhas, the occurrence and the power of the qualities of the Buddhas such as omniscient knowledge and so on. "The domain of meditative absorption" means the domain of meditative absorption through direct knowledge. "The result of action" means the result of actions such as those to be experienced in the present life and so on. "Speculation about the world" means speculation about the world of such a kind as: "By whom indeed were the moon and sun made, by whom the great earth, by whom the great ocean, by whom were beings produced, by whom the mountains, by whom the mangoes, palmyra palms, coconut trees and so on?"
8.
Commentary on the Offering Discourse
78. In the eighth, "purification of offerings" means the causes of purification of the offering termed giving. "Becomes pure on account of the donor" means it becomes pure by being of great fruit; the meaning is it is of great fruit. "Of good character" means of pure character. "Of bad character" means of inferior character. "Becomes pure on account of the donor" - here the great King Vessantara should be spoken of. For he, having given his children to the brahmin Jūjaka, caused the great earth to tremble. "Becomes pure on account of the recipient" - here the fisherman dwelling at the gateway of the mouth of the Kalyāṇī river should be spoken of. It is said that he, having given almsfood to the Elder Dīghasuma three times, lying on his deathbed, said: "The almsfood given to the noble Elder Dīghasuma lifts me up." "Neither on account of the donor" - here the hunter dwelling at Vaḍḍhamāna should be spoken of. It is said that he, while giving an offering for the departed, gave to one who was immoral only on three occasions. On the third occasion he cried out: "An immoral non-human spirit is plundering me!" Having given to one moral monk, it reached the ghost at the very time it was delivered. "Becomes pure both on account of the donor and on account of the recipient" - here the incomparable gift should be spoken of.
9.
Commentary on the Trade Discourse
79. In the ninth, "the same" means just like that, just resembling that. "Leads to failure" means it goes to severance. Whatever was wished for, all that perishes - this is the meaning. "Does not turn out according to intention" means it does not turn out according to disposition. "Turns out beyond intention" means beyond disposition, it bears fruit exceeding the disposition. "An ascetic or a brahmin" - here the state of being an ascetic and a brahmin should be understood by way of having calmed evil and having warded off evil. "Let the venerable sir speak about requisites" means venerable sir, you should speak about the fourfold requisites beginning with robes - thus he invites, he offers. "That with which he invites" means having determined, he invites with however much. "That he does not give" means he does not give that at all. "Does not give according to intention" means he is not able to give according to that one's disposition; having reduced, he gives a little. "Gives according to intention" means however much he wishes, he gives just that much. "Gives beyond intention" means having invited with a little, having exceeded it, he gives much.
10.
Commentary on the Kamboja Discourse
80. In the tenth, "neither sits in an assembly" means she indeed does not sit in the judgment hall for the purpose of making judgment. "Nor engages in work" means she does not engage in great activities such as farming, trade, and so on. "Nor goes to Kamboja" means she does not go to the Kamboja country for the purpose of accumulating wealth. This is merely a manner of teaching; the meaning is she does not go to any foreign country whatsoever. Regarding "prone to wrath" and so on: through being prone to wrath, one overcome by wrath does not know what is beneficial and what is harmful; through enviousness, one does not endure another's success; through stinginess, one is not able to do what should be done by giving wealth; through lack of wisdom, one is not able to arrange what should be done. Therefore she does not do these things such as sitting in an assembly and so on.
The Unmistakable Chapter is the third.