4.
The Chapter on Deities
1.
Commentary on the Sekha Sutta
31. In the first of the fourth, "of a learner" means of the sevenfold learner. But regarding worldlings, there is indeed nothing that need be said. "To decline" means to the decline of successively higher qualities.
2-3.
Commentary on the Pair of Discourses on Non-Decline
32-33. In the second, "respect for the Teacher" means the state of reverence towards the Teacher. "Respect for the Teaching" means the state of reverence towards the nine kinds of supramundane states. "Respect for the Community" means the state of reverence towards the Community. "Respect for the training" means the state of reverence towards the three trainings. "Respect for diligence" means the state of reverence towards diligence. "Respect for hospitality" means the state of reverence towards the twofold hospitality by way of the Teaching and material gifts. "The Teacher would be venerated" - thus "respecting the Teacher." "The Teaching would be venerated" - thus "respecting the Teaching." "With keen respect" means with abundant respect. "There would be respect towards hospitality" - thus "respecting hospitality." In the third, "deferential" means having regard for elders, respectful. But here shame and moral fear are spoken of as mixed.
4.
Commentary on the Mahāmoggallāna Discourse
34. In the fourth, "a monk named Tissa" means the co-resident pupil of the Elder himself. "Of great supernormal power, of great might" - "of great supernormal power" means he has great supernormal power in the sense of success. "Of great might" means he has great might in the sense of pervading. "It has been a long time, dear Moggallāna, since you made this occasion" - this is a word of affectionate address natural in the world. For worldly people, having seen an agreeable person who has come after a long time, or even one who has never come before, say such things as "Where have you come from, sir? You have come after a long time, sir. How did you come to know the way here? Were you lost on the way?" But he said thus precisely because he had come before. For the Elder goes to the Brahma world from time to time indeed. Therein, "made this occasion" means he made this turn. "That is to say, for coming here" means this which is the turn for coming here, that he made after a long time - this is what is meant. "This seat is laid down" - having laid out a very precious Brahma divan, he said thus. "With unwavering confidence" means with attained, unshakeable confidence of the path. In this discourse, the knowledge of the path of stream-entry has been spoken of.
5.
Commentary on the Discourse on What is Conducive to True Knowledge
35. In the fifth, "conducive to true knowledge" means belonging to the category of true knowledge. "Perception of impermanence" means perception arisen in the knowledge of the observation of impermanence. "Perception of suffering in what is impermanent" means perception arisen in the knowledge of the observation of suffering. "Perception of non-self in what is suffering" means perception arisen in the knowledge of the observation of non-self. "Perception of abandoning" means perception arisen in the knowledge of the observation of abandoning. "Perception of dispassion" means perception arisen in the knowledge of the observation of dispassion. "Perception of cessation" means perception arisen in the knowledge of the observation of cessation.
6.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Sources of Contention
36. In the sixth, "sources of contention" means the roots of contention. "Prone to wrath" means possessed of wrath having the characteristic of anger. "Bears grudges" means possessed of hostility having the characteristic of not giving up enmity. "For the detriment and suffering of gods and humans" means how does the contention of two monks lead to the detriment and suffering of gods and humans? Just as in the Kosambaka Chapter, when two monks have entered into contention, their pupils in that monastery quarrel; the community of nuns, taking their exhortation, quarrels. Thereupon their attendants quarrel; then the guardian deities of the humans become two factions. Likewise, the guardian deities of those who speak what is the Teaching become speakers of what is the Teaching, and those of the speakers of what is not according to the Teaching become speakers of what is not according to the Teaching. Thereupon the terrestrial deities who are friends of the guardian deities become divided. Thus in succession, up to the Brahmā world, except for the noble disciples, all gods and humans become two factions. But those who speak what is not according to the Teaching are more numerous than those who speak what is the Teaching. Thereupon, what is taken by many, they follow that. Having given up the Teaching, the more numerous ones take up what is not the Teaching. They, having put what is not the Teaching in front and dwelling thus, are reborn in the realms of misery. Thus the contention of two monks is for the detriment and suffering of gods and humans. "Internally or" means in your own inner assembly. "Externally" means in the assembly of others.
"One who depreciates another's worth" means possessed of contempt having the characteristic of smearing over the virtues of others. "Spiteful" means possessed of insolence having the characteristic of rivalry. "Envious" means possessed of envy having the characteristic of being jealous towards the honours and so on received by others. "Stingy" means possessed of stinginess regarding residence and so on. "Fraudulent" means deceitful. "Deceitful" means one who conceals what one has done. "Having evil desires" means one who is immoral and wishes to be esteemed for qualities one does not possess. "Having wrong views" means one who holds the doctrine of nihilism, the doctrine of non-causality, and the doctrine of non-efficacy of action. "Adhering to his own views" means he adheres to what he himself has seen. "Holding on to them tenaciously" means holding on firmly. "Relinquishing them with difficulty" means it is not possible to make him give up what he has grasped. In this discourse only the round of rebirths has been spoken of.
7.
Commentary on the Discourse on Giving
37. In the seventh, "of Veḷukaṇḍaka" means a woman dwelling in the town of Veḷukaṇḍaka. "Possessed of six factors" means endowed with six quality-factors. "Establishes an offering" means gives a gift. "Glad even before giving" means from a month or a fortnight beforehand, thinking "I shall give a gift," one has attained pleasure. Here indeed, the prior volition is obtained from the time of the arising of consciousness thinking "I shall give," beginning with the selection of the field, thinking "With what has arisen from this, I shall give a gift." "While giving, one makes the mind confident" - the volition at the moment of giving, thus stated, is obtained only at the time of giving. "Having given, one is delighted" - but this subsequent volition is obtained for one who recollects again and again. "Without lust" means those free from lust, those who have eliminated the mental corruptions. "Or practising for the removal of lust" means practising the practice for the removal of lust. And this is a superior teaching; not only for those who have eliminated the mental corruptions, but an offering given even to non-returners, once-returners, and stream-enterers, and at least even to a novice who holds the requisites and who has gone forth on that very day, is possessed of six factors. For he too has gone forth for the very purpose of the path of stream-entry.
"Accomplishment of sacrifice" means the completeness of giving. "Restrained" means restrained through the restraint of morality. "Having washed oneself" means having oneself washed their hands and feet and rinsed their face. "With one's own hands" means with one's own hands. "Sayehi" is also a reading. "Faithful" means believing in the virtues of the Triple Gem. "With a liberated mind" means with a mind liberated from stinginess regarding material gain and the like. "A world of happiness, free from affliction" means the heavenly world, free from suffering, with lofty happiness and pleasure.
8.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Self-Doer
38. In the eighth, "I have seen or heard" means I have not seen having opened my eyes, I have not heard that he lives in such and such a place, or I have not heard the words of one who was speaking. "How indeed" means for what reason indeed. "The element of instigation" means energy that occurs by way of initiating. "The element of persistence" means energy whose intrinsic nature is emerging from idleness. "The element of exertion" means the intrinsic nature of exertion. "The element of strength" means the intrinsic nature of strength. "The element of steadfastness" means the intrinsic nature of steadfastness. "The element of endeavour" means the intrinsic nature of endeavour. All this is just a name for energy that occurs in this and that way.
9-10.
Commentary on the Discourse on Source and So On
39-40. In the ninth, "of actions" means of actions leading to the round of rebirths. "For the arising" means for the purpose of accumulating. "Source" means condition. "Born of greed" means born from greed. "Are not discerned" means they are not seen as "produced by such action." "In the bright side, of actions" means of actions leading to the end of the round of rebirths. Thus in this discourse, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of. In the tenth, "nicula grove" means in the great mucalinda grove. "The Good Teaching" means the Good Teaching of the Dispensation.
11.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Log of Wood
41. In the eleventh, "having attained mastery of mind" means having attained the state of mastery over the mind. "Could resolve upon it as only earth" means one should observe the solid element as having the characteristic of hardness. "In dependence on which" means in dependence on which existing solid element with the characteristic of hardness one could resolve upon that log of wood as only earth, that is, there is here the solid element. The remaining terms too should be understood by this method. For just as in that there is the solid element with the characteristic of hardness, so too the liquid element with the characteristic of juice, the heat element with the characteristic of hotness, the air element with the characteristic of distension, the element of beauty with the colour of a lotus flower in the heartwood of red colour, the element of ugliness with the unpleasant colour in the powder that has become putrid and in the sapwood and outer bark - in dependence on that one could resolve upon that log of wood as only ugly, one should observe. In this discourse, what is called the mixed abiding has been spoken of.
12.
Commentary on the Discourse on Nāgita
42. In the twelfth, "dwelling near a village" means one dwelling in a lodging near a village. "Sitting concentrated" means sitting having attained concentration in that lodging near a village. "Now this" means now this one. "Will disturb him from that concentration" means will make him rise from concentration. "I am not delighted" means I am not joyful. "Nodding off" means sleeping. "In unity" means of one intrinsic nature; the meaning is that he will make only the perception of forest, which has become unified focus, in the mind. "Will protect" means will help. "Will either liberate an unliberated mind" means a mind unliberated at another time he will now liberate by the five liberations. "Neglects" means avoids, gives up. "Having dismissed" means having dispelled, having given up. "For the act of defecation and urination" means for the purpose of performing defecation and urination. By this much of a passage, the praise of the forest lodging has been spoken by the Teacher. But whatever should be said in the first portion of the discourse, that has been stated below already.
The Deities Chapter is the fourth.