4.
The Chapter on Brahmins
1.
Commentary on the Warrior Discourse
181. In the first discourse of the fourth, "skilled in places" means skilled in that place where, having stood, one is able to shoot without missing. The remainder should be understood by the method already stated above.
2.
Commentary on the Pāṭibhoga Sutta
182. In the second, "there is no surety for anyone" means there is no one able to be a surety thus: "I am your surety." "Subject to ageing" means having the intrinsic nature of ageing. This same method applies everywhere.
3.
Commentary on the Suta Sutta
183. In the third, "there is no fault in that" means there is no fault whatsoever in that. This is the meaning.
4.
Commentary on the Abhaya Sutta
184. In the fourth, "disease" (rogātaṅka) is so called because it is like a disease (roga) in the sense of being a cause of difficult livelihood. "Afflicted" (phuṭṭhassa) means possessed of that disease. "Beats his breast and wails" (urattāḷiṃ kandati) means having struck the chest, he cries. In "has not done good" (akatakalyāṇa) and so on, "good" (kalyāṇa) is called meritorious action (puññakamma); that has not been done by him - thus he "has not done good" (akatakalyāṇo). The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. For meritorious action itself is called "wholesome" (kusala) because of having arisen from proficiency, and is called "shelter for the fearful" (bhīruttāṇa) because of being a protector of the frightened. In "has done evil" (katapāpa) and so on, "evil" (pāpa) is called inferior unwholesome action. "Cruel" (ludda) means hard action. "Wrong" (kibbisa) means impure, unpurified action. "Is one who doubts" (kaṅkhī hoti) means he is possessed of uncertainty regarding the eight instances, namely: the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, the training, the past, the future, both the past and the future, and dependent origination. "Uncertain" (vicikicchī) means possessed of sceptical doubt, he has not reached a conclusion regarding the Good Teaching of the Dispensation; he is not able to reach a conclusion by means of learning and interrogation. By this method the meaning should be understood everywhere.
5.
Commentary on the Brāhmaṇasacca Sutta
185. In the fifth, "brahmin truths" means the truths of the brahmins, which are actual. "He does not imagine on account of that 'I am an ascetic'" means that one who has eliminated the mental corruptions does not imagine by craving, conceit, and wrong view, thinking "I am an ascetic," on account of that truth. The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. "Whatever truth is there, having directly known that" means whatever is there as truth, actual, not distorted, in the practice that "all living beings are not to be killed." By this, making verbal truth the interior, he shows the ultimate truth, Nibbāna. "Having directly known that" means having known both of those by most excellent wisdom. "He is practising for sympathy and compassion" means whatever practice is for the purpose of sympathy and for the purpose of compassion, he is practising that; the meaning is: having fulfilled it, he stands firm. The same method applies to the remaining practices as well.
"All sensual pleasures" means all objective sensual pleasures and defilement sensual pleasures. "Thus speaking, the brahmin speaks truth" means even speaking thus, the brahmin who has eliminated the mental corruptions speaks truth indeed. "All existences" means sensual existence and so on, the three also. "I am not anywhere" - here, however, the fourfold emptiness is spoken of. For this one, by "I am not anywhere" does not see a self anywhere; by "a possession of anyone" does not see one's own self as something to be brought as a possession of another, does not see something to be brought by imagining a brother in the place of a brother, a friend in the place of a friend, or a requisite in the place of a requisite - this is the meaning. "Nor is there of mine anywhere" - here, having set aside the word "mine" for now, "nor anywhere does not see a self of another anywhere" - this is the meaning. Now, having brought back the word "mine," "a possession of mine in anything there is not" means he does not see that the self of another exists as a possession of mine in anything; as a brother in the place of one's own brother, a friend in the place of a friend, or a requisite in the place of a requisite - he does not see the self of another as something to be brought by this state of being a possession in any place - this is the meaning. Thus, since this one indeed does not see a self anywhere, does not see that as something to be brought as a possession of another, does not see the self of another, does not see the self of another as something to be brought as a possession of oneself. "Thus speaking, the brahmin" - even speaking thus of the fourfold emptiness, the brahmin who has eliminated the mental corruptions speaks truth indeed, because of having rightly penetrated that practice, not falsehood. And the meaning should be understood that in all instances too, he does not imagine precisely because the imaginations have been abandoned. "The practice of nothingness only" means he is practising the practice that is devoid of the state of being a possession, free from impediment, the very restraint; having fulfilled it, he stands firm.
"These, wandering ascetics, are the four brahmin truths that I have realised by direct knowledge myself and proclaimed" means whatever truths you speak of as belonging to the brahmins who use the address "bho," different from those, these four truths of the brahmin who has warded off evil have been proclaimed, taught, and illuminated by me, having known them by the function of sixteen kinds through the four paths, having made them evident - this is the meaning. Thus in this discourse, in all four instances, it is indeed the verbal truth of one who has eliminated the mental corruptions that is spoken of.
6.
Commentary on the Ummagga Sutta
186. In the sixth, "is dragged about" means is pulled along. "Penetration" means emergence, the meaning is the approach of wisdom. Or wisdom itself, in the sense of emergence, is called "penetration." That itself, in the sense of discernment, is discernment. "Under the control of mind arisen it comes" means those who come under the control of mind, the inclusion of just those should be understood here. "Having understood the meaning, having understood the Teaching" means having known both the meaning and the canonical text. "Is practising in accordance with the Teaching" means he has entered upon the preliminary practice together with morality, which is the teaching befitting the supramundane Teaching. "Of penetrative wisdom" means one whose wisdom penetrates. "This is suffering" means he has heard that, setting aside craving, the remaining fivefold aggregates of the three planes of existence are suffering. "With wisdom" means with path wisdom. "This is the origin of suffering" means he has heard that craving, which is the root of the round of rebirths, is the origin of that suffering. By this method, the meaning should be understood in the remaining two as well. It should be understood that by the answer to the fourth question, the fruition of arahantship is stated.
7.
Commentary on the Discourse on Vassakāra
187. In the seventh, "of Todeyya" means of the one dwelling in the village of Tudi. "In the assembly" means in the assembly that had gathered together. "They were speaking censure of others" means they set going, they speak reproach of others. "This king is foolish" and so on was said for the purpose of showing the censure they were speaking. "The ascetic Rāmaputta" means Udaka Rāmaputta. "Devoted" means having faith surpassingly. "Supreme respect" means the highest act of prostration, humble conduct. "Attendants" means servants. "Yamaka" and so on are their names. Among them, one was named Yamaka, one was named Moggalla, one was named Ugga, one was named Nāvindakī, one was named Gandhabba, one was named Aggivessa. In "tyāssudan," "assudan" is merely a particle; the meaning is "they were seated in his own assembly." "Leads by this method" means by this reason he persuades, he makes known. "In matters to be done and matters requiring extra attention" means in duties to be performed by wise persons and in extra duties to be performed. "In matters to be spoken and matters requiring extra speech" means in what should be said and in what should be additionally said. "Than those capable of seeing what is beneficial" - here, those able to see what is beneficial are those capable of seeing what is beneficial; those who stand surpassing them are more capable of seeing what is beneficial; by those more capable of seeing what is beneficial. "More capable of seeing what is beneficial" means more superior in the capability of seeing what is beneficial; asking whether more skilful than the skilful, wiser than the wise, he spoke thus. Then those, questioning him in return, said beginning with "Yes, sir." Thus the brahmin, by his own goodness, praised that King Eḷeyya, his retinue, and also Udaka Rāmaputta. For a bad person is like a blind man, a good person is like one with eyes. Just as a blind man sees neither one who is not blind nor one who is blind, so a bad person knows neither a good person nor a bad person. Just as one with eyes sees both the blind and the not blind, so a good person knows both a good person and a bad person. Todeyya too, by his goodness, recognised the bad persons - dependent on this reason, the brahmin, with a satisfied mind, having said "It is wonderful, Master Gotama" and so on, having given thanks for the Truth-finder's words, departed.
8.
Commentary on the Upaka Sutta
188. In the eighth, "Upaka" is his name. "Maṇḍikāputta" means the son of Maṇḍikā. "Approached" means he was, it is said, an attendant of Devadatta, and he approached for the purpose of ascertaining "Will the Teacher speak praise or blame of me when I have come to his presence?" Others say that having heard the statement "Devadatta is doomed to hell, will remain there for an aeon, is incurable," he approached wishing to offend the Teacher. "Speaks censure of others" means he speaks reproach of others. "Every such one does not substantiate it" means every such one does not produce wholesome mental states, or he is not able to substantiate his own statement, to make it befitting. "Not substantiating it, he is blameworthy" means being unable to produce wholesome mental states and being unable to make his own statement substantiated and befitting, he is blameworthy. "At fault" means he is to be blamed, or he is endowed with fault, the meaning is he is with defect.
Then the Blessed One, having taken his argument and fastening it around his very own neck, said beginning with "censure of others." "One who is just emerging" means one who is just raising his head from the water. Therein, regarding "immeasurable terms" and so on, in that declaration of "this is unwholesome," the terms too, the syllables too, and the proclamation of the Teaching too are indeed immeasurable. "Thus this is unwholesome" means "this too is unwholesome, this too is unwholesome, for this reason too, for this reason too, it is unwholesome" - thus those that have come in the description of the unwholesome are also immeasurable. Moreover, if the Truth-finder were to teach that Teaching in another manner, his teaching would likewise be immeasurable. As he said - "The Truth-finder's proclamation of the Teaching is indeed unexhausted, the terms and phrases of the Teaching are unexhausted." By this method, the meaning should be understood in all instances. "How much of a destroyer of virtue is this" means how much of a destroyer of virtues indeed is this one. "Salt-maker's boy" means a boy from the salt-maker's village. "Yatra hi nāma" means "whoever indeed." "Should think to be assailed" means should think to be offended. "Go away" means depart, do not stand in front of me. And having said thus, he had him seized by the neck and had him thrown out.
9.
Commentary on the Sacchikaraṇīya Sutta
189. In the ninth, "by the body" means by the mental body. "To be realised" means to be made directly visible. "By mindfulness" means by the recollection of past lives. "By the eye" means by the divine eye. "By wisdom" means by the wisdom of meditative absorption, insight wisdom is to be realised; by insight wisdom, path wisdom; by path wisdom, fruition wisdom; by fruition wisdom, reviewing wisdom is to be realised - the meaning is to be attained. But arahantship, reckoned as the elimination of mental corruptions, is called to be realised by reviewing wisdom by way of reviewing.
10.
Commentary on the Observance Day Discourse
190. In the tenth, "silent, completely silent" means wherever he surveys, there it is completely silent. "He addressed the monks" means having surveyed the monks accomplished in practice with devoted eyes, with arisen gladness in the Teaching, he addressed them out of a desire to praise. "Without prattle" means devoid of prattle. The other is a synonym for that very thing. "Pure" means stainless. "Established in the core" means established in the core of morality and so on. "Alaṃ" means proper. "Yojanagaṇanāni" means one yojana is just a yojana, even ten yojanas are just yojanas. Beyond that they are called "counts of yojanas." Here, however, even a hundred yojanas or even a thousand yojanas is intended. "Puṭosenāpi" means puṭosa is called provisions; the meaning is that it is proper to approach even having taken provisions. "Puṭaṃsena" is also a reading. Its meaning is - A puṭa on the shoulder is puṭaṃsa; with that puṭaṃsa - it means "even by one carrying a container of provisions on the shoulder."
Now, in order to show that there are monks here endowed with such and such qualities, he said beginning with "There are, monks." Therein, "having attained the divine" means having attained the divine abiding that produces rebirth among the gods, and having attained arahantship through the divine abiding. "Having attained the Brahma state" means having attained the divine abiding that accomplishes the state of Brahmā in the sense of being faultless, and having attained arahantship through the divine abiding. "Having attained the imperturbable" means having attained the imperturbable that accomplishes the state of immobility, and having attained arahantship through the imperturbable. "Having attained the noble" means having surpassed the state of a worldling and attained the noble state. In "Thus, monks, a monk is one who has attained the divine" and so on, thus having established himself in the fourth meditative absorption of the fine-material-sphere and having turned back the mind, one who has attained arahantship is called one who has attained the divine; having established himself in the four divine abidings and having turned back the mind, one who has attained arahantship is called one who has attained the Brahma state; having established himself in the four immaterial meditative absorptions and having turned back the mind, one who has attained arahantship is called one who has attained the imperturbable. By the four truths beginning with "This is suffering," the four paths and three fruits have been spoken of. Therefore, a monk who has attained this noble teaching is called one who has attained the noble.
The Brahmin Chapter is the fourth.