1.
The Chapter on the Mental Hindrances
1.
Commentary on the Āvaraṇa Discourse
51. In the first of the second, "obstructions" by way of obstruction. "Mental hindrances" by way of mental hindrance. "They climb over the mind" means that which climbs over the mind. "Weakeners of wisdom" means they make weak in the sense of preventing the arising of both insight wisdom and path wisdom. Or whatever wisdom arises mixed up with these, they make that weak - this too is "weakeners of wisdom." "With weak" means devoid of power because of being enveloped by the five mental hindrances. "A super-human achievement, a distinction of knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones" means human achievements reckoned as the ten wholesome courses of action, and beyond that, a distinction of knowledge and vision capable of producing the noble state. "Able to carry things away" means able to carry what should be carried. "Plough-channels" means irrigation channels. For they are called "plough-channels" because of their resemblance to ploughs and because they are dug by ploughs.
"Just so" - here the stream should be seen as like insight knowledge; the time of opening the plough-channels on both sides as like the time of releasing restraint at the six doors; the time of the water being distracted, dispersed, and scattered in the middle of the river when an obstruction is made by pounding tree stumps and blocking with straw, grass, and clay, as like the time of being enveloped by the five mental hindrances; the time of the water whose force has been destroyed being unable to drag along grass, straw, and so on and reach the ocean when an obstruction is made, should be understood as like the time of being unable to destroy all unwholesome states by insight knowledge and reach the ocean of Nibbāna. The explanation for the bright side should be made by the reversal of what has been stated. In this discourse, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of. The second is of clear meaning.
3.
Commentary on the Factors for Striving Discourse
53. In the third, "factors for striving": striving is called the state of striving; one for whom there is striving is one who strives; the factors of a monk who strives are factors for striving. "Faithful" means endowed with faith. But this faith is fourfold: faith through tradition, faith through achievement, faith through conviction, and faith through confidence. Therein, the faith of omniscient Bodhisattas, because it has come from their resolution, is called faith through tradition. The faith of noble disciples, because it has been achieved through penetration, is called faith through achievement. When "the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha" is said, the settling upon it with an unshakeable state is faith through conviction. The arising of confidence is called faith through confidence. Here, faith through conviction is intended. "Enlightenment" means the knowledge of the four paths. He believes that it has been thoroughly penetrated by the Truth-finder. This is merely the heading of the teaching, but by this factor, faith in all three jewels is intended. For one whose confidence in the Buddha and so on is strong, his energy of striving succeeds.
"Free from illness" means healthy. "Free from disease" means free from pain. "With even" means with even ripening. "Digestion" means the kamma-born heat element. "Neither too cold nor too hot" means one whose digestion is excessively cold is one who fears cold, one whose digestion is excessively hot is one who fears heat; for them striving does not succeed, but for one whose digestion is middling it succeeds. Therefore he said - "middling, capable of striving." "One who reveals himself as he really is" means one who makes known his own faults as they really are. "That discerns rise and fall" means capable of going to, that is, of discerning, both rise and passing away. By this, the knowledge of rise and fall that comprehends the characteristic of one's own nature is stated. "Noble" means pure. "Penetrative" means capable of piercing through the mass of greed and so on that has not been pierced before. "Leading rightly to the complete destruction of suffering" means leading to the destruction of whatever suffering is eliminated, because mental defilements have been abandoned by way of substitution of opposites. Thus by all these terms, it is insight wisdom itself that is spoken of. For one who is unwise, striving does not succeed.
4.
Commentary on the Samaya Sutta
54. In the fourth, "for striving" means for the purpose of making energy. "It is not easy to sustain oneself by gleaning and exertion" means it is not possible to sustain oneself by wandering for gleanings, having taken the bowl. In this discourse too, only the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths are spoken of.
5.
Commentary on the Mother and Son Discourse
55. In the fifth, "remains obsessing" means having overpowered, having seized, having exhausted, it remains. "Bloated" means swollen.
"With sword in hand" means even by one who has come having taken a sword for the purpose of cutting off the head. "With a goblin" means even by a demon who has come to devour. "One may approach" means one might strike against. "With charming" means with soft. "Swept away by the flood of sensuality" means of those floated away, dragged by the mental flood of sensuality. "Time, destination, and existence after existence" means the time of the round of rebirths, and destination, and repeated existences. "They are led" means going before, gone ahead indeed. "But those who, having fully understood sensual pleasures" means those wise ones, having fully understood sensual pleasures of both kinds with three full understandings. "Live free from fear from any quarter" means for those who have eliminated the mental corruptions there is no fear from anywhere whatsoever; therefore they, being free from fear from any quarter, live. "Gone beyond" means the far shore is called Nibbāna; they have reached that - the meaning is having realised it, they stand. "Elimination of mental corruptions" means arahantship. In this discourse, having spoken only of the round of rebirths, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths are spoken of in the verses.
6.
Commentary on the Preceptor Discourse
56. In the sixth, "weak and stiff" means heaviness has arisen. "The directions are not clear to me" means he says the four directions and the intermediate directions are not present to me. "The teachings do not occur to me" means even the teachings of serenity and insight meditation are not present to me. "I live the holy life without delight" means having become dissatisfied, I dwell the dwelling of the holy life. "He approached the Blessed One" means having heard his talk, thinking "This is a person to be guided by a Buddha," he approached to report that reason to the Blessed One. "For one not gifted with introspection regarding wholesome mental states" means for one not seeing with insight into wholesome mental states, not seeking, not searching for - this is the meaning. "Of the qualities conducive to enlightenment" means of the thirty-seven qualities beginning with the establishments of mindfulness.
7.
Commentary on the Discourse on States to be Frequently Contemplated
57. In the seventh, "I am subject to ageing" means I am of the intrinsic nature of ageing. "Not gone beyond ageing" means not having surpassed ageing; I exist within ageing itself. The same method applies to the remaining terms as well. In "I am the owner of my actions" and so on, action is my own, oneself's property - thus I am the owner of my actions. "Heir of action" means heir to action; the meaning is action is my inheritance, my property. "Action is my origin, my cause" - thus born of my actions. "Action is my kinsman" - thus related to my actions; the meaning is action is my relative. "Action is my refuge, my support" - thus I have my actions as my refuge. "Of that I shall be the heir" means the meaning is I shall be the heir of that action, the recipient of the fruit given by it. "Intoxication with youth" means the intoxication arisen referring to youth. The same method applies in the remaining ones too. "The path arises" means the supramundane path arises. "The mental fetters are altogether abandoned" means the ten mental fetters are altogether abandoned. "The underlying tendencies come to an end" means the seven underlying tendencies become ones whose end has gone, defined, and concluded. Thus here, in the five states below, insight was spoken of; in these five, the supramundane path.
Now, taking the pinnacle with verses, he said beginning with "subject to disease." Therein, "having known the state without clinging" means having known the path of arahantship devoid of clinging. "I have overcome all vanities" means I have overcome even these three vanities; the meaning is I stand having transcended them. "Having seen security in renunciation" means having seen the going forth as security. "For me there was endeavour, seeing Nibbāna" means for me, seeing Nibbāna, there was effort. "I shall be one who does not turn back" means I shall be one who does not turn back from the going forth, one who does not turn back from the abiding by the holy life, one who does not turn back from the knowledge of omniscience. "Heading for the holy life" means heading for the holy life of the path. By this, the supramundane eightfold path was spoken of.
8.
Commentary on the Licchavi Youths Discourse
58. In the eighth, "strung bows" means fitted with bowstrings, bows that have been strung. "They saw" means they saw. "The Vajjis will prosper" means the Vajji kings will grow. "Arrogant" means based upon decline, obstinate in conceit. "They kick from behind" means having gone behind, they strike the back with the foot. In "of a country official" and so on, one who consumes the country is a country official. One who consumes the property given by his father is one living on his father's property. The lord and chief of the army is a general. "Of a village headman" means the headman of villages, the meaning is the owner of the village. "Of a guild headman" means the chief of a group. "In families" means in those various families. "Exercise individual authority" means they exercise the position of supremacy individually. "Have compassion with a good mind" means they help with a beautiful mind. "Those engaged in field work, neighbouring landowners, and traders" means those who are neighbours of one's own field workers, the owners of adjacent fields, and those who take land measurements with ropes and rods, and all traders. "Deities who receive offerings" means guardian deities who have come through family tradition. "Honours" means he honours those deities with the best rice gruel, food, and so on.
"One who does his duty" means one who performs duties that have arisen. "And those who are his dependents" means those who live in dependence on him. "For the welfare of both" means the meaning is he is one who has practised for the welfare of both. "Who have passed on before" means of those who have gone to the world beyond. "And for those living in the present life" means those who live in the present life. Thus by both terms he shows relatives both past and present. "Generates joy" means one who generates satisfaction. "Living in the household" means one living the household life. "He is honourable and praiseworthy" means he is one who should be venerated and one who should be praised.
9-10.
Commentary on the Two Discourses on Those Who Went Forth When Senior
59-60. In the ninth, "subtle" means smooth, one who knows subtle reasons. "Of good conduct" means accomplished in the conduct of an ascetic. In the tenth, "one who takes things the right way" means one who takes the exhortation given in the right way. The remainder is clear everywhere.
The Chapter on Hindrances is first.