11.
The Book of the Elevens
1.
The Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Saṃkicca
597-607. In the Eleventh Nipāta, the verses of the Venerable Elder Saṃkicca beginning with "What is your purpose in the forest, dear son." What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated wholesome action as a decisive support for the end of the round of rebirths in this and that existence, in this arising of a Buddha, took conception in Sāvatthī in a wealthy brahmin family. While he was still in the womb, his mother, having become ill, died. Having taken her to the cemetery, when she was being cremated, the womb did not burn. People, piercing the womb with stakes, struck the corner of the child's eye. They, having pierced it, having covered it with embers, departed. The area of the womb also burned, but on top of the embers the child, resembling a golden image, was as if lying in the interior of a lotus. For a being in the last existence, even if being crushed by Sineru, there is no such thing as the elimination of life without attaining arahantship.
On the following day, people who had gone to the cremation ground, having seen the child lying there thus, filled with wonder and amazement, having taken the child, having entered the village, asked the interpreters of signs. The interpreters of signs said "If this child will dwell in a house, up to the seventh generation of the family, they will become destitute. If he will go forth, he will go about surrounded by five hundred ascetics." The relatives, having said "So be it; when he has grown up, we shall give him the going forth in the presence of our noble Elder Sāriputta," calling him Saṃkicca because his eye-corner had been cut by a stake, afterwards called him Saṃkicca. He, at the age of seven, having heard of the death of his mother while he was still in the womb, and of his own experience in the womb, being stirred with a sense of urgency, said "I will go forth." The relatives, saying "Good, dear son," having led him to the presence of the General of the Teaching, gave him saying "Venerable sir, give this one the going forth." The Elder, having given him the meditation subject of the skin pentad, gave him the going forth. He attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges at the very hall of tonsure, and while dwelling in the forest together with about thirty monks, having freed them from the hands of thieves, and having himself tamed those thieves and given them the going forth, while dwelling in a certain monastery together with many monks, having seen them engaged in disputes, he asked permission of the monks saying "I shall go elsewhere." This is the summary here; the detail, however, should be understood according to the method that has come in the Dhammapada Commentary. Then a certain lay follower, wishing to attend upon him, requesting him to dwell in a nearby place -
597.
The Verambha winds are delightful to you, for solitude is indeed for meditators."
Spoke the first verse. Having heard that, the elder -
598.
Perceptions draw me towards seclusion, connected with the perception of seclusion.
599.
It arouses mindfulness in me, regarding the body, based upon dispassion.
600.
That monk indeed sleeps happily, without expectation towards sensual pleasures.
601.
Covered with water moss, those rocks delight me.
602.
In remote lodgings, frequented by beasts of prey.
603.
I do not know of any thought, ignoble, connected with hate.
604.
The heavy burden has been laid down, the conduit to existence has been uprooted.
605.
That purpose has been attained by me, the destruction of all mental fetters.
606.
And I await the time, like a hired servant earning his wages.
607.
And I await the time, fully aware, mindful." He spoke these verses.
Therein, "what is your purpose in the forest" (kiṃ tavattho vane) is said with a change of gender as "kinti." In the forest, what is your purpose, what is the use - this is the meaning. "Dear son" (tātā): because he was a young novice, having placed him in the position of his own son, he addresses him. "Like the Ujjuhāna mountain in the rainy season" (ujjuhānova pāvuse): Ujjuhāna, it is said, is the name of a certain mountain; it is covered with dense thickets, with many natural rock pools, with water flowing here and there, unsuitable in the rainy season; therefore the meaning is: what use is the Ujjuhāna mountain, or the forest, to you now in the rainy season? Some, however, here say "Ujjuhāna is the name of a certain bird that does not endure the cold; in the rainy season it remains hidden in clusters of trees." According to their view: like the bird Ujjuhāna, what is your purpose in the forest in the rainy season? "The Verambha winds are delightful to you" (verambhā ramaṇīyā te): the explanation is - are the verambha winds blowing delightful to you? Some say "Verambhā is the name of a certain mountain cave, a cliff-overhang." And that place is suitable for coming and going, free from the crowding of people, and endowed with shade and water; therefore the Verambhā is delightful, suitable for dwelling in the forest. Why? "For solitude is indeed for meditators" (paviveko hi jhāyinaṃ): because for such meditators, solitude alone should be desired wherever they may be; therefore he says "Without going to a distant forest place, dwell at the Verambhā, dear son." For this is the intention here: Because for meditators, meditative absorptions and so on succeed only when a lodging that is conducive to solitude and comfortable for dwelling is obtained, not when it is not obtained; therefore in such a cold season it is not possible to dwell anywhere in the forest, but in caves and cliff-overhangs and so on it is possible.
When this was said by the lay follower, the elder, showing "the forest and so on indeed delight me," said beginning with "just as the clouds." Its meaning is - Just as in the rainy season the high-altitude wind drives away, casts out, and removes the clouds, just so perceptions connected with the perception of seclusion draw my mind and pull it towards the place of seclusion itself.
And furthermore? "Not white" means of dark colour; "egg-born" means born from an egg, a crow; "wandering about the charnel ground as its abode" means at the cemetery site, making that very place its dwelling place and roaming about - it arouses mindfulness in me; "based upon dispassion regarding the body" means it indeed arouses in me the meditation subject of mindfulness of the body connected with dispassion regarding the body. One day, it is said, the elder, having seen a human corpse being devoured by a crow, obtained the perception of foulness; with reference to that he spoke thus. By that he shows "because of the complete absence of desire and lust towards the body, I wish to dwell indeed in the forest." "Yañca" - the word "ca" has the meaning of conjunction; by that he shows "hear yet another reason for my dwelling in the forest." That one gone forth, because of dwelling in friendliness and because of having requisites that are not enticing, due to the absence of anyone needing to be guarded, others such as servants and so on do not guard. And the one gone forth does not guard others, due to the very absence of any who constitute impediments of possessions, because there are none such. "That monk indeed sleeps happily" means that monk, because of having completely cut off defilement-sensuality, without expectation towards objects of sensual pleasure in every respect, devoid of expectation, sleeps happily wherever anywhere. The meaning is that because of the absence of anxiety and apprehension for him, the forest and the village are the same.
Now, in order to show the delightfulness of mountains, forests, and so on, and that he had formerly dwelt there, "with clear waters" and so on was stated. Therein, "I have dwelt" means formerly dwelt by me. "Frequented by beasts of prey" means in a forest frequented by beasts of prey such as lions, tigers, and so on.
"I do not know of any thought" means: "May these living beings, whatever breathing beings, be killed, be slain by weapons such as arrows and spears and so on, be slaughtered, be afflicted by blows of the fist and so on, or by any other manner whatsoever may they reach suffering, may they attain it" - thus he shows dwelling in friendliness: I do not know of having produced such an evil thought connected with hate, conjoined with aversion, therefore ignoble, of the variety of anger, cruelty, and so on; wrong thought has never arisen before.
Now, by "attended upon" and so on, he shows his own fulfilment of the task. Therein, "attended upon" means served by way of carrying out exhortation and instruction. "Laid down" means put down. "Heavy burden" means the heavier burden of the aggregates.
"I do not delight in death" means I do not wish for death thinking "How might death come to me?" "I do not delight in life" means I do not wish for life either, thinking "How might I live long?" By this he shows equanimity of mind regarding death and life. "And I await the time" means I merely wait for the time of final Nibbāna. "Earning wages" means earning wages, doing work for hire. "Like a hired servant" means just as a hired servant doing work for another, even though not delighting in the completion of the work, while still doing the work looks forward to the end of the day, just so I too, even though not delighting in life, by the sustaining of individual existence, even though not delighting in death, I await the time of conclusion. The remainder is according to the method already stated.
The commentary on the verses of the Elder Saṃkicca is concluded.
The commentary on the Chapter of Elevens is concluded.