7.
The Great Chapter
1.
Commentary on the Discourse on Shame and Moral Fear
65. In the first of the seventh, "with its proximate cause destroyed" means with its proximate cause destroyed, with its condition cut off. "Knowledge and vision of things as they really are" means tender insight. "Disenchantment and dispassion" means strong insight as well as the path. "Knowledge and vision of liberation" means the liberation of arahantship and reviewing.
2.
Commentary on the Seven Suns Discourse
66. In the second, because this teaching on the seven suns proceeded by way of showing the universe-contraction by fire, therefore the three universe-contractions, the three boundaries of universe-contraction, the three roots of universe-contraction, and the three tumults - this, to begin with, should be understood as the preliminary discussion of this discourse from the very beginning. That has been explained in detail in the Visuddhimagga in the description of the recollection of past lives. "He said this" means he spoke this discourse on the simile of the seven suns beginning with "Impermanent, monks, are activities" for the purpose of showing the failure of clung-to and not clung-to activities, in accordance with the disposition of five hundred monks whose meditation subject was impermanence. Therein, "impermanent" means impermanent in the sense of non-existence after having been. "Activities" means phenomena subject to activities, both clung-to and not clung-to. "Unstable" means thus not stable in the sense of not lasting long. "Without comfort" means devoid of comfort due to the nature of being non-eternal. "It is fitting" means it is proper.
"Plunged into" means entered into the water. "Risen above" means risen from the surface of the water. "The rain god does not rain" means first, the provisioning cloud, having become a single cloud over a hundred thousand million world-systems, rains; at that time, the seed that has gone out does not enter the house again. From then on, the water becomes as if stopped in a bellows; the rain god does not rain even a single drop again - only the discourse on the simile is the measure. But when the world is being destroyed, first beginning from Avīci it becomes hollow; then, having risen up from there, beings are reborn in the human world and among animals. Even those reborn among animals, having received friendliness towards their sons and brothers, having died, are reborn among gods and humans. Deities, moving through the sky, announce - "This state is not eternal, not permanent; develop friendliness, develop compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity." They, having developed friendliness and so on, having passed away from there, are reborn in the Brahma world.
"Seed-plants" - here, seed-plants means the five species of seed. Growing plants means whatever green vegetation with sprouted roots and leaves. "Medicinal herbs, grasses, and forest trees" - here, "medicinal herbs" means medicinal trees. "Grasses" means those with heartwood outside, such as palmyra palms, coconut palms, and so on. "Forest trees" means trees that are the chief of the forest. "Rivulets" means setting aside the five great rivers, the remaining streams flowing downward. "Small pools" means setting aside the seven great lakes, the remaining ponds and so on. In "a second sun" and so on, at the time of the second sun, one rises and one sets. At the time of the third, one rises, one sets, and one is in the middle. At the time of the fourth, they are like four alms-gathering monks standing in order at the doors in a village of four families. At the time of the fifth and so on too, the same method applies. "Crumble" means they break off again and again and fall. "Neither ashes appear nor soot" means when these many places have been burnt - the great earth of the world-system, Sineru the king of mountains, the Himalayas, the world-encircling mountain, the six sensual heavens, and the Brahma world of the first meditative absorption - not even so much as could be taken in a snap of the fingers of ashes or embers appears. "Who would believe, who would have faith" means who is capable of bringing about faith in that, or who would have faith in that. "Except for those who have seen the truth" means except for the stream-enterer noble disciples who have seen the truth, who else would believe - this is the meaning.
"Free from lust" means without lust by way of suppression. "Understood the teaching" means they knew the admonition, they entered upon the path to companionship with the Brahma world. "Having the same destination" means one having the same destination in every way in the second existence, one having a single destination. "Were to develop friendliness further" means beyond the first meditative absorption, further up to the third and fourth jhānas, having made it sublime, I should develop friendliness. "The one with vision" means one with vision through five eyes. "Attained final Nibbāna" means attained final Nibbāna through the final extinguishment of the mental defilements while still on the seat of enlightenment. Thus, having explained the characteristic of impermanence, when the Teacher was concluding the teaching, all five hundred of those monks practising the meditation subject of impermanence, having sent forth knowledge in accordance with the teaching, attained arahantship while seated in their very seats.
3.
Commentary on the City Simile Discourse
67. In the third, "when" means whenever. "Border" means established at the border of the country, at the end of the country. But for a city of the Middle Country there is no need for protection; therefore that was not taken up. "Well equipped with city requisites" means adorned with city ornaments. "Not to be done" means not to be overcome, unconquerable. "With deep foundations" means with deep pits. "Well planted" means well settled in place. Now this pillar post they make either with bricks, or with stones, or with heartwood trees such as acacia and so on. Those making it for the purpose of guarding the city make it outside the city; those making it for the purpose of decoration make it inside the city. Those making it of bricks, having made a large pit, having piled up a wall, having made it octagonal on top, plaster it with lime. When struck by an elephant with its tusks it does not move, then it is called well plastered. Stone pillars and so on too are octagonal. If they are eight cubits, four cubits' measure enters the pit, and four cubits' measure is above. In the case of sixteen cubits and twenty cubits too, the same method applies. For of all of them, half is below and half is above. They are curved like cow's urine; therefore, having made boards between them, it is possible to do work; and they, with paintings done and banners raised, are as if with raised flags.
"Moat" means a water channel standing having encircled. "Circumferential path" means the great road that goes inside the rampart along with the rampart, where those standing fight together with those standing on the outer rampart. "Arrows" means projectile weapons such as arrows, lances, and so on. "Swords" means the remaining weapons such as single-edged swords and so on.
"Elephant riders" means all such as elephant trainers, elephant physicians, elephant keepers, and so on. "Horse riders" means all such as horse trainers, horse physicians, horse keepers, and so on. "Charioteers" means all such as chariot trainers, chariot warriors, chariot guards, and so on. "Archers" means marksmen. "Standard-bearers" means those who, having taken the victory banner in battle, go in front. "Camp marshals" means those who arrange the army formation thus: "Here let the king's position be, here such and such a minister's." "Food distributors" means violent great warriors. They, it is said, having entered the enemy army, cutting and cutting as if into lumps, reap them, flying up and coming out - this is the meaning. Or those who, in the midst of battle, having taken food and drink for the warriors, enter - this too is their name. "Fierce warrior princes" means exceedingly fierce princes who frequent the battlefield. "Charging warriors" means those who, having said "Whose head or weapon shall we bring?" and being told "Such and such a one's," having charged into battle, bring that very thing - these charge forward, thus they are charging warriors. "Great warriors" means great warriors like great elephants; even when elephants and so on come face to face, this is a designation for warriors who do not turn back. "Heroes" means solitary heroes, those who are able to cross the ocean even with a net-coat or with an armour-coat. "Leather-clad warriors" means those who fight having put on a leather jacket or having taken a leather shield for protection against arrows. "Sons of slave women" means household slave warriors of strong affection. "Doorkeeper" means a gate-keeper. "Accomplished with covering and plastering" means accomplished with covering that conceals all openings and with lime plastering. Or accomplished with the covering reckoned as a stake-rampart on the outside and with dense, smooth lime plastering, displaying a row of full pitchers, with paintings done and banners raised. "Grass, wood, and water" means grass brought and stored in many places for the purpose of fodder for elephants, horses, and so on, and for the purpose of roofing houses; and wood brought and stored for the purpose of building houses, cooking, and so on; and water channelled in by machines and stored in ponds. "Is accumulated" means it is well stored beforehand in many places. "For the delight of those within" means for the purpose of delight of those dwelling within the city. "For freedom from agitation" means for the purpose of not incurring fear. "Rice and barley" means various kinds of rice and barley. "Sesame, green peas, beans, and other grains" means sesame, green peas, and beans, and the remaining other grains.
Now, since the Truth-finder has no work in a city, but having shown the noble disciple as similar to a city, the seven qualities as similar to city requisites, and the four meditative absorptions as similar to the four kinds of food, and having included arahantship in eleven places, "I shall conclude the teaching" - this simile was brought. Therefore, to make known that teaching, this beginning with "just so indeed" was begun. Therein, "with good qualities" means with good qualities. "Faithful" means endowed with both faith of conviction and faith of direct experience. Therein, faith in the making of merit such as giving and so on, having believed in the fruit of giving, morality and so on, is called faith of conviction. Faith that has come through the path is called faith of direct experience. "Confidence-faith" is also this very same. Its classification by characteristic and so on should be known.
Because of the statement "Faith has the characteristic of leaping forward, great king, and faith has the characteristic of placidity," this is called the characteristic of faith. "Monks, a faithful and devoted person should be known by three states. With which three? He wishes to see those who are moral" - what is stated by this method and so on is called the sign of faith. "And what is the nutriment of faith? It should be said: the hearing of the Good Teaching" - this is called its nutriment. "For a monk who has gone forth out of faith, monks, this is in conformity with the Teaching - that he should dwell full of disenchantment with matter" - this is called what is in conformity with the Teaching for it. "Faith binds provisions, glory is the dwelling place of wealth." "Faith is a person's companion." "By faith one crosses the flood." "Faith is the seed, austere asceticism is the rain." "The great elephant with faith as his trunk, with equanimity as his white tusks" - but in these and other discourses, its manifold nature was made known by the Blessed One through comparison with a parcel of food and so on. But in this Simile of the City Discourse, it was shown as similar to a strong post by virtue of its immovable and firmly established nature.
"With faith as his pillar" means the noble disciple, having made faith his strong post, abandons the unwholesome - by this method the explanation should be made in all terms. But here, through shame and moral fear, restraint in the three doors is accomplished, and that becomes the fourfold purification morality. Thus it should be understood that in this discourse, having included arahantship in eleven places, the pinnacle of the teaching was reached.
4.
Commentary on the One Who Knows the Teaching Discourse
68. In the fourth, "knows the time" means he knows the appropriate and fitting time. "This is the time for recitation" means this is the time for learning the Buddha's teaching. "For questioning" means for questioning about benefit and harm, what has a reason and what has no reason. "For exertion" means for one who applies work to exertion. "For seclusion" means for withdrawing, for solitude. "Practising in accordance with the Teaching" means one who has entered upon the preliminary practice, which is the practice conforming to the ninefold supramundane states. "Thus, monks, a monk knows the higher and lower among individuals" means thus a monk is capable of knowing the higher and lower, the sharp and dull nature, among individuals.
5.
Commentary on the Coral Tree Discourse
69. In the fifth, "fallen leaves" means leaves that have fallen. "With buds arisen" means a network of leaves and flowers has arisen. For its network of leaves and network of flowers emerge together. "With fresh buds arisen" means endowed with separately arisen, well-divided networks of leaves and networks of flowers. "With flower-buds arisen" means with buds that have arisen. "With unopened flowers arisen" means endowed with flowers that are unopened, with large bellies and split mouths. "In full bloom" means fully flowered in every way. "Four divine months" means four months by divine life span. But by human reckoning, those are twelve thousand years. "They indulge themselves" means they direct their faculties here and there; the meaning is they play and enjoy themselves.
"It is pervaded with radiance" means that much area is pervaded with light. For those flowers have radiance like the young sun, the petals are the size of leaf-parasols, and inside there is pollen the size of a great gourd. But when the coral tree is in bloom, there is no task of climbing up, or task of bending it down having taken a hook, or task of using a basket for the purpose of gathering flowers; a cutting wind, having arisen, cuts the flowers from their stalks; a receiving wind receives them; an ushering wind ushers them into the Sudhammā divine assembly hall; a sweeping wind removes the old flowers; a spreading wind, colouring the petals, pericaps, and stamens, spreads them out. In the middle place there is a Dhamma seat, a jewelled divan measuring one yojana, with a white umbrella of three yojanas being held above it; immediately next to that, the seat of Sakka, the king of gods, is spread out; then for the thirty-three sons of gods; then for other influential gods; for certain deities, the flower pericarp itself is the seat. The gods, having entered the assembly hall of the gods, sit down. Thereupon, a swirl of pollen rising up from the flowers, striking the roof-peak above and falling down, makes the bodies of the deities, measuring three leagues, appear as if adorned with lac-colouring, as if yellowish with gold powder. Some gods, having taken one flower each, even while striking one another, are simply playing. Even at the time of striking, pollen the size of a great gourd, having come out, makes the body appear as if with a coating of red arsenic arisen from scented powder endowed with luminosity. Thus that sport reaches its end in four months. "This is the power" means this is the power to pervade.
Now, since the Teacher is not concerned with the coral tree, but wishing to show seven noble disciples by comparing with it, therefore, in order to show them, he said beginning with "just so indeed." Therein, "intends to go forth" means he thinks "I shall go forth." "Of the gods" (devānaṃvā) means like the gods. "The sound rises up as far as the Brahmā world" means from the surface of the earth up to the Brahmā world, with the sound of applause, everything becomes one single sound. "This is the power" means this is the power of pervading of a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions. In this discourse, the fourfold purification morality is based upon going forth, the preliminary work on a circular meditation object is connected with the first meditative absorption, and together with insight, the three paths and the three fruits are connected with the path of arahantship. In a teaching, the delimitation is either from below, or from above, or from both sides; but here the delimitation is from both sides. Therefore this was said. But here it should be understood that, in brief, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of.
6.
Commentary on the Respectfully Discourse
70. In the sixth, "and will be pure" means they will be exceedingly pure, stainless. "Having gone to the smiths" - here, the syllable "sa" is merely a particle; "having gone to the smiths" means having gone to the smiths' workshop - this is the meaning.
7.
Commentary on the Meditation Discourse
71. In the seventh, "not engaged in" means of one dwelling not having been engaged and devoted. "Just as, monks, a hen's eggs" - these two similes are stated by way of the dark side and the bright side. Among those, the simile of the dark side does not accomplish the purpose, the other accomplishes it; thus the meaning should be understood by the simile of the bright side only. "Seyyathā" is an indeclinable particle in the sense of a simile. "Api" is in the sense of emphasis. By both together it shows "seyyathāpi nāma, bhikkhave." "A hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve" - here, however, although a hen may have eggs fewer or more than the manner stated, it was said thus for the smoothness of expression. For thus in the world the expression is smooth. "Tānassū" means "tāni assu"; the meaning is "they might be." "Properly sat upon by the hen" means properly sat upon by that mother hen, having spread her wings and lying on top of them. "Properly warmed" means well heated all around by her causing them to receive temperature from time to time; it means "made warm." "Properly incubated" means well developed all around from time to time; the meaning is having caused them to absorb the hen's scent.
"Even though of that hen" means even though, that hen having exercised diligence through the performance of this threefold activity, such a wish might not arise. "Yet those are capable" means yet those chicks are capable of hatching out safely in the manner stated. For since those eggs, being tended by that hen in three ways thus, do not become rotten. Whatever moist cohesion they have, that too goes to exhaustion; the shell becomes thin; the tips of the claws and the beak become hard; they themselves undergo development. Due to the thinness of the shell, outside light becomes apparent within; therefore, thinking "For a long time indeed we have lain in confinement with limbs curled up, and this outside light is seen; here now there will be a pleasant abiding for us," wishing to come out, they strike the shell with their feet, stretch out their necks, and then that shell breaks in two. Then, shaking their wings, crying out suitably to that moment, they come out indeed. And having come out, they wander about adorning the village territory.
"Just so" is the application of the simile. That should be understood by comparing it with the meaning thus - For just as the hen's performing of the threefold action beginning with sitting upon the eggs, so is this monk's time of being engaged in meditation; just as the non-putrefaction of the eggs through the hen's accomplishment of the threefold action, so is the non-decline of insight knowledge through the accomplishment of the threefold observation by the monk engaged in meditation. Just as the exhaustion of the moist cohesion of the eggs through her performing of the threefold action, so is the exhaustion of the cohesion of attachment following the three kinds of existence through that monk's accomplishment of the threefold observation; just as the thinning of the egg shells, so is the thinning of the monk's shell of ignorance; just as the obstinacy of the chicks' claws and beaks, so is the sharpness, roughness, clarity, and valour of the monk's insight knowledge; just as the time of ripening of the chicks, so is the time of ripening, the time of growth, the time of taking the embryo of the monk's insight knowledge; just as the time of the chicks' safe breaking through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks and spreading their wings, so should be understood the time of that monk's safe attainment of arahantship - having caused the embryo of insight knowledge to be taken and while going about, having obtained suitability of climate or suitability of food or suitability of person or suitability of hearing the Teaching appropriate to his nature, while seated on a single seat itself, developing insight, having broken through the shell of ignorance by the path of arahantship attained progressively, having spread the wings of direct knowledge.
But just as the mother too breaks the egg shell having known the state of ripeness of the chicks, so the Teacher too, having known the maturity of knowledge of such a monk -
Develop only the path of peace, Nibbāna taught by the Fortunate One."
Having pervaded with light by the method beginning thus, he strikes the shell of ignorance with a verse. He, at the conclusion of the verse, having broken through the shell of ignorance, attains arahantship. Thenceforth, just as those chicks go about adorning the village territory, so this great one who has eliminated the mental corruptions too, having attained fruition attainment with Nibbāna as its object, goes about adorning the monastery of the Community.
"Of a carpenter" means of a woodworker. For he, having applied the plumb-line called a plummet and removing the protuberance of timbers, is called a "carpenter." "On the adze handle" means at the place of grasping of the adze handle. "This much of my mental corruptions has been eliminated today" - for one gone forth, mental corruptions are constantly eliminated by the summary of the going forth, by recitation, by questioning, by wise attention, and by the practice of duties. But the meaning is that although those are being thus eliminated, he does not have such knowledge as "this much has been eliminated today, this much yesterday." By this simile the benefit of insight is shown.
"In winter" means in the winter season. "Become loose" means they decline by becoming firm. "Just so" - here the Dispensation should be regarded as like the great ocean; the practitioner of meditation as like a ship; just as the ship's sailing about in the great ocean, so is this monk's going about in the presence of teachers and preceptors during the period of less than five rains retreats; just as the thinning of the bindings being eaten away by the water of the great ocean, so is the thinning of the mental fetters of the monk through recitation, interrogation and so on by means of the going forth in brief only; just as the time of the ship being hauled onto dry land, so is the time of the monk who has been released from guidance, having taken a meditation subject, dwelling in the forest; just as the drying up by wind and heat during the day, so is the drying up of the moisture of craving by insight knowledge; just as the moistening by snow-water at night, so is the moistening of the mind by joy and gladness arisen in dependence on the meditation subject; just as the feebleness of the bindings dried up and scorched by wind and heat and by snow-water day and night, so is the feebleness of the mental fetters exceedingly through insight knowledge, joy and gladness; just as the rainy-season cloud, so is the knowledge of the path of arahantship; just as the rottenness inside the ship by the rain-cloud water, so is the achievement of the fruition of arahantship of one who has begun insight practice, developing insight by way of the material septad and so on, when the meditation subject is being uplifted and strengthened, having obtained on one day suitability of climate and so on, seated in a single cross-legged posture. Just as the ship with rotten bindings remaining for some time, so is the remaining as long as life lasts of the arahant whose mental fetters are eliminated, helping the multitude; just as the ship with rotten bindings gradually breaking apart and reaching the state of being undesignatable, so is the reaching of the state of being undesignatable of one who has eliminated the mental corruptions, who has attained final Nibbāna through the Nibbāna element without residue of clinging by the breaking up of the grasped aggregates. By this simile the feebleness of the mental fetters is shown.
8.
Commentary on the Mass of Fire Simile Discourse
72. The eighth was spoken on an occasion of arising. But the occasion of arising for this has been elaborated above in the commentary on the Cūḷaccharāsaṅghāta Sutta itself. "Passatha no" means "passatha nu" (do you see?). "Āliṅgitvā" means having embraced. "Upanisīdeyya" means one should sit down close by, in dependence on proximity. "Upanipajjeyya" means having approached, one should lie down. "Ārocayāmi" means I declare. "Paṭivedayāmi" means having made known, having caused to understand, I speak. "Vālarajjuyā" means with a rope twisted from horse-tail hairs and cow-tail hairs. "Paccorasmiṃ" means in the middle of the chest. "Pheṇuddehaka" means having thrown up foam; the meaning is having caused to rise up. "Attattha" means one's own benefit pertaining to the present life, pertaining to the future life, mundane and supramundane. In the case of the benefit of others and the benefit of both too, the same method applies. The remainder here, whatever should be said, all that has been stated in the arising of the occasion of the Cūḷaccharāsaṅghāta Sutta itself. And having taught this discourse, the Teacher taught the Cūḷaccharāsaṅghāta Sutta. The ninth is of clear meaning.
10.
Commentary on the Araka Discourse
74. In the tenth, "limited" means small, slight. For that is indeed limited by the limitedness of substance, by the limitedness of moment, and by the limitedness of duration. "Light" means having quickly arisen, it ceases. "This should be understood with wisdom" means it should be understood with wisdom, it should be known with wisdom - this is the meaning. "Mountain" means originating from a mountain. "Able to carry things away" means able to carry away trees, reeds, bamboos, and so on that should be carried. The remainder is of manifest meaning everywhere.
The Great Chapter is seventh.