3.
The Chapter on Householders
1.
Commentary on the First Ugga Discourse
21. "He sat down on the prepared seat" - in his house, it is said, five hundred seats for five hundred monks were always prepared; he sat down on a certain one of those seats. "Listen to that" means listen to them, or listen to those eight kinds of wonderful qualities. "The mind became confident" means not even the mere thought "Is he a Buddha or is he not a Buddha?" arose; the arising of consciousness was confident and undisturbed, thinking "This one is indeed the Buddha." "Or to her own family of relatives" means let her take just enough wealth for her own sustenance and go to the houses of her relatives. "To whom shall I give you?" means to which man shall I give you; inform me of your own intention. "Undivided" means for by one who gives rise to the thought "I will give this much, I will not give this much, I will give this, I will not give this," it is called divided; but for me it is not so. Rather, as if belonging to the monastic community, as if the property of a group, they are simply shared in common with the virtuous. "I attend upon attentively" means I serve with my own hands, I approach with respect.
"It is not wonderful, venerable sir, that" means venerable sir, that deities having approached me announce thus, this is not wonderful. But that I do not know of any elation of mind on that account - that itself is wonderful, he says. "Good, good, monk" - here, although he addresses the monk, this should be understood as an expression of approval for the gladdening of the lay follower's explanation.
2.
Commentary on the Second Ugga Discourse
22. In the second, "in the elephant forest" - it is said that millionaire had a pleasure grove called Nāgavana; he, having had perfumes, garlands and so on taken up there before the meal, having gone desiring to play in the pleasure grove sport, while being entertained, saw the Blessed One. Together with the very seeing, by the former method just as before, his mind became confident, and the intoxication arisen from drinking liquor was abandoned at that very moment. With reference to that, he said thus. "I presented" means having poured water into the hands, I gave. "Such and such" means so-and-so. "I give with an even mind" shows that "I do not make such diversity of mind as 'to this one little, to this one much,' but I make the gift the same for all." "They announce" means standing in the sky, they announce. "There is no mental fetter" - by this the lay follower declares his own fruition of non-returning.
3.
Commentary on the First Hatthaka Discourse
23. In the third, "Hatthaka of Āḷavī" - he was a prince who obtained the name Hatthaka because he was received by the Blessed One with his hands from the hands of the demon Āḷavaka. "Moral" means moral through the five precepts and the ten precepts. "Generous" means accomplished in generosity. "Was there, venerable sir" means venerable sir, was there at the Blessed One's place of declaration. "Of few wishes" means of few wishes through fewness of wishes regarding achievement.
4.
Commentary on the Second Hatthaka Discourse
24. In the fourth, "by about five hundred lay followers" means surrounded by five hundred lay followers who were noble disciples, stream-enterers and once-returners only, having eaten his morning meal, having taken perfumes, garlands, ointments, and bath powders, he approached the Blessed One. "Ways of supporting others" means reasons for supporting. "By these I" means by these, I. "Him I support by giving" means I support by giving ploughs, oxen, food, seeds, and so on, as well as perfumes, garlands, roots, and so on. "By endearing speech" means I support by pleasant speech that is pleasing to the ear and gentle, beginning with "mother, father, brother, sister" and so on. "By beneficent conduct" means having known "for this one there is no need for giving or endearing speech; this one is fit to be supported by beneficent conduct," I support by beneficent conduct, which is reckoned as the overcoming of arisen duties. "By impartiality" means having known "for this one there is no need for giving and so on; this one should be supported by impartiality," I support by making him equal to oneself through eating together, drinking together, sitting together, and so on. "They do not think a poor person is worth listening to in the same way" means of a poor person who is unable to give or do anything, just as they do not think a poor person is worth listening to in the same way, but they think I am worth listening to, they stand firm in the exhortation given, and they do not think my instruction should be transgressed. "This is indeed the method for you" means this is indeed the method for you. But it should be understood that in both these discourses, morality, generosity, and wisdom are spoken of by the Teacher as mixed.
5-6.
Commentary on the Mahānāma Discourse and Others
25-26. In the fifth, "is an investigator of the meaning" means one who investigates benefit and harm, what has a reason and what has no reason. In the sixth, faith, morality, and generosity are spoken of as combined.
7.
Commentary on the First Discourse on Power
27. In the seventh, "having complaint as their power" means having complaining as their power. For fools, indeed, complaining itself is their power, thus: "Such and such a person said this and that, he said it to me, not to another." "Having persuasion as their power" means the power of convincing others of what is beneficial and what is unbeneficial, thus: "This is not so, it is indeed thus." "Having reflection as their power" means having reviewing as their power. "Having patience as their power" means having endurance as their power.
8.
Commentary on the Second Discourse on Power
28. In the eighth, "powers" means powers of knowledge. "Acknowledges the elimination of the mental corruptions" means acknowledges arahantship. "As impermanent" means by way of non-existence after having been. "As it really is" means according to the intrinsic nature. "With right wisdom" means with path wisdom together with insight. "Like a pit of burning charcoal" means these sensual pleasures are compared to a pit of burning charcoal in the sense of tormenting. "Slanting towards seclusion" means slanting towards Nibbāna by way of fruition attainment. "Established in seclusion" means free from mental defilements, or having become far from them. "Delighting in renunciation" means delighted in the going forth. "Has become completely free" means having become one whose end has disappeared, not clinging even to a portion, unbound, unassociated. "From phenomena conducive to mental corruptions" means from those that are the causes of mental corruptions by way of association; the meaning is from defilement phenomena. Or alternatively, "has become completely free" means one whose exertion has disappeared - this is the meaning. From what? From all phenomena conducive to mental corruptions, that is, from all phenomena of the three planes of existence - this is the meaning. In this discourse, the noble path, both mundane and supramundane, is spoken of.
9.
Commentary on the Inopportune Moment Discourse
29. In the ninth, "one who does duties at the moment" means one who has momentary duties; the meaning is one who does duties only after obtaining the opportunity. "Teaching" means the Teaching of the four truths. "Calming" means bringing about the calming of mental defilements. "Leading to final nibbāna" means effecting the final extinguishment of mental defilements. "Leading to the highest enlightenment" means it goes to, reaches the highest enlightenment reckoned as the knowledge of the four paths. "A long-lived order of gods" means this was said with reference to the unconscious order of gods. "Among those who do not understand" means among those who are exceedingly unintelligent.
"Well proclaimed" means well spoken. "Obstructive" means creating obstacles. "Let not the moment pass by indeed" means let not this obtained moment pass by. "If here one fails to attain" means if any heedless person, even having obtained this moment here, fails to attain, does not accomplish the fixed course of the Good Teaching, the noble path. "Who has missed his profit" means one whose profit has been lost. "One will regret for a long time" means one will grieve for a long time. Just as, having heard "goods have arisen at such and such a place," one merchant would not go, others having gone would take them, and for them that would become eightfold or even tenfold. Then the other would regret thinking "my profit has passed by." In the same way, whoever here, having obtained the moment but not practising, fails to attain the fixed course of the Good Teaching, he, like a merchant who has missed his profit, will regret and grieve for a long time. "What is more, hindered by ignorance" means likewise. "They understood" means they penetrated. "Restraints" means restraints of morality. "For those who follow after Māra's realm" means for those who follow the round of rebirths reckoned as Māra's realm. "Gone beyond" means gone to Nibbāna. "Those who have attained the elimination of mental corruptions" means those who have attained arahantship. Thus in these verses, the round of rebirths and the end of the round of rebirths have been spoken of.
10.
Commentary on the Anuruddha's Great Applied Thought Discourse
30. In the tenth, "among the Cetis" means in the country that has thus obtained its designation because it was the dwelling place of kings named Ceti. "The Eastern Bamboo Grove" means in the forest situated to the east of the dwelling place of the One of Ten Powers, in the bamboo grove covered with bamboos of dark-blue lustre. "This reflection arose in his mind" means the elder, it is said, having gone forth, during the very first rainy season itself, having become an obtainer of attainment, produced the knowledge of the divine eye capable of seeing a thousand world systems. He, having gone to the presence of the Elder Sāriputta, said thus - "Here I, friend Sāriputta, with the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, survey a thousand worlds. My energy is aroused and unsluggish, mindfulness is established and unconfused, the body is calm and not excited, the mind is concentrated and fully focused. And yet my mind is not liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging." Then the elder said to him - "That you, friend Anuruddha, think thus - 'I with the divine eye... etc. survey' - this is conceit in you. And that you, friend Anuruddha, think thus - 'My energy is aroused... etc. fully focused' - this is restlessness in you. And that you, friend Anuruddha, think thus - 'And yet my mind is not liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging' - this is remorse in you. It would be good if the Venerable Anuruddha, having abandoned these three mental states, not attending to these three mental states, would focus the mind on the deathless element." Thus the elder taught him the meditation subject. He, having taken the meditation subject, having asked permission of the Teacher, having gone to the Ceti country, practising the ascetic duty, spent eight months on the walking path. He, with body wearied because of being crushed by the force of striving, sat down beneath a certain bamboo thicket. Then this reflection arose in his mind; the meaning is that a thought of a great man arose.
"Of one of few wishes" - here there are four types of few wishes: few wishes regarding requisites, few wishes regarding achievement, few wishes regarding the Scriptures, and few wishes regarding ascetic practices. Therein, one of few wishes regarding requisites, when much is being given, takes little; when little is being given, takes even less; he is not one who takes everything without remainder. One of few wishes regarding achievement, like the Elder Majjhantika, does not allow others to know of his own achievement. One of few wishes regarding the Scriptures, even though being a master of the three Canons, does not wish to make known his state of being very learned, like the Elder Sāketatissa. One of few wishes regarding ascetic practices does not allow others to know of his observance of ascetic practices, like the senior elder among the two brother elders. The story has been told in the Visuddhimagga. "This Teaching" means thus, through the concealment of existing virtues and through moderation in acceptance, for a person of few wishes, this nine-fold supramundane Teaching succeeds, not for one of many wishes. Thus it should be construed everywhere.
"Of one who is content" means of one who is content with the four requisites through three kinds of contentment. "Of one who is secluded" means of one who is secluded through seclusion of the body, seclusion of the mind, and seclusion from clinging. Therein, seclusion of the body means solitude by way of the grounds for arousing energy, having dispelled the company of groups. Since the task is not accomplished by mere solitude alone, having performed the preliminary work on a circular meditation object, one produces the eight meditative attainments; this is called seclusion of the mind. Since the task is not accomplished by mere meditative attainment alone, having made the meditative absorption the foundation, having contemplated activities, one attains arahantship together with the analytical knowledges; this is called seclusion from clinging in every respect. Therefore the Blessed One said - "Seclusion of the body is for those whose bodies are in seclusion, who delight in renunciation; seclusion of the mind is for those with pure minds, who have attained the highest cleansing; seclusion from clinging is for those persons free from clinging, who have gone beyond activities."
"Of one who delights in company" means of one who is devoted to the company of groups and the association of mental defilements. "Of one with aroused energy" means of one with aroused energy by way of bodily and mental energy. "Of one with established mindfulness" means of one with established mindfulness by way of the four establishments of mindfulness. "Of one who is concentrated" means of one with a fully focused mind. "Of one who is wise" means of one wise with the wisdom that actions are one's own property.
"Good, good!" - gladdening the Elder's reflection, he spoke thus. "This eighth" means just as one giving an eighth treasure to a man who has obtained seven treasures, just as one giving an eighth to a man who has obtained seven jewel gems, seven elephant jewels, seven horse jewels - so declaring the eighth to one who had stood having reflected on the seven thoughts of a great man, he spoke thus. "Of one who delights in the absence of obsession" means of one who delights in the state of Nibbāna, which is reckoned as absence of obsession, because of being free from the obsessions of craving, conceit, and wrong view. The other is a synonym for that very thing. "Of one who delights in obsession" means of one who delights in the aforesaid obsessions. The other is a synonym for that very thing.
"When" (yato) means whenever (yadā). "Tato" means then. "Of various colours" means of those dyed with various dyes of blue, yellow, red, and white colours. "Rag-robe" means the rag-robe found in the twenty-three fields. "Will seem agreeable" means just as for that one, in the forenoon period and so on, at whatever time he wishes whatever, at that time when he puts it on, that clothes-chest having become agreeable seems pleasing; just so for you too, dwelling satisfied through the great noble lineage of contentment with robes, the rag-robe will seem agreeable, will be at hand. "For delight" means for the purpose of delight. "For freedom from agitation" means for the purpose of freedom from the agitations of craving and wrong view. "For comfortable abiding" means for the purpose of pleasant abiding. "For entry into Nibbāna" means for the purpose of descending into the Deathless, Nibbāna.
"Meal consisting of mouthfuls of almsfood" means the meal consisting of mouthfuls of almsfood obtained by one going from house to house in succession, depending on the strength of his legs, in villages, market towns, and royal cities. "Will seem agreeable" means it will be at hand like the food of various excellent flavours of that householder. "For one dwelling contented" means for one dwelling contented through the great noble lineage of contentment with almsfood. "The lodging at the root of a tree will seem agreeable" means the root of a tree will be at hand like a pinnacle chamber fragrant with the scent of perfumes and flowers in a three-storeyed mansion of that householder. "Of one who is content" means of one who is content through the great noble lineage of contentment with lodging. "Spread with grass" means spread on one or another of these: grass, or leaves, or the ground, or the surfaces of planks and stones. "Cattle-urine" means any urine whatsoever. Even that collected at that very moment is called just cattle-urine because of its foul smell. "For one dwelling contented" means for one dwelling contented through contentment with the requisite of medicines for the sick.
Thus the Blessed One, having spoken the meditation subject while including arahantship in the four instances, reflecting "In which lodging will the meditation subject be suitable for one dwelling?" and having known "For one dwelling in that very place," said beginning with "If so, Anuruddha." "For one dwelling secluded" means for one dwelling secluded with the three kinds of seclusion. "Connected with dismissal" means connected with dismissing words only; the meaning is that it is only for the purpose of their departure from his presence. "The cessation of obsession" means the state of Nibbāna. "Springs forward" means springs forward by way of making it an object. In "becomes clear" and so on too, the becoming clear, becoming settled, and becoming liberated should be understood as being by way of object only. Thus the Blessed One, having spoken the eight thoughts of a great man to the Venerable Anuruddha in the Eastern Bamboo Grove in the Ceti country, again having sat down at the great monastery in the Bhesakaḷā Grove, spoke in detail to the community of monks.
"With a mind-made body" - a body produced by the mind is also called "mind-made," and a body that has gone by the mind is also; here he said thus with reference to a body that has gone by the mind. "According to what my thought was" means according to what my thought was; showing the eighth thought of a great man beyond that, he taught beyond that. The remainder is clear everywhere.
The Chapter on Householders is the third.