12.
The Book of the Twelves
1.
Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sīlava
608-619. In the Book of Twelves, the verses beginning with "morality only" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Sīlava. 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, was born as the son of King Bimbisāra in Rājagaha; his name was Sīlava. When he had come of age, King Ajātasattu, wishing to kill him, having set a fierce rutted elephant upon him, even making efforts by various means, was not able to kill him, because for a being in the last existence there is no danger to life in between without attaining arahantship. Having seen the news of him, the Blessed One commanded the Elder Mahāmoggallāna - "Bring the prince Sīlava." The elder, by the power of supernormal power, brought him together with the elephant. The prince, having descended from the elephant, having paid respect to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. The Blessed One taught the Teaching suited to his disposition. He, having heard the Teaching, having gained faith, having gone forth, doing the work of insight, before long, having attained arahantship, dwelt in the Kosala country. Then Ajātasattu commanded his men "Kill him." They, having gone to the elder's presence, standing there, having heard the talk on the Teaching spoken by the elder, with religious emotion arisen, having become those with confident minds, went forth. The elder, to them -
608.
For morality, when practised, brings all success.
609.
Praise and gain of joy, and after death, rejoicing in heaven.
610.
But the immoral one, practising evil, falls away from friends.
611.
Praise, fame and commendation, the moral one always obtains.
612.
The chief of all phenomena, therefore one should purify morality.
613.
And the ford of all Buddhas, therefore one should purify morality.
614.
Morality is the foremost ornament, morality is a marvellous armour.
615.
Morality is the foremost cosmetic, by which one's scent spreads in every direction.
616.
Morality is the best conveyance, by which one goes in every direction.
617.
Everywhere unhappy is the fool, unconcentrated in morality.
618.
Everywhere glad is the wise one, well concentrated in morality.
619.
Among human beings and gods, victory comes from morality and wisdom."
He taught the Teaching with these verses.
Therein, "one should train in morality here, in this world": "here" is merely a particle; a son of good family who desires welfare in this world of beings should train from the very beginning in morality alone, which is of such divisions as observance and avoidance and so on; and in training, he should train in it as well-trained, having made it well trained, thoroughly pure and complete by establishing the state of being unbroken and so on. Or "in this world" means he should train in morality from the very beginning among the things to be trained in, in this world of activities. Because morality is the support even for the achievement of right view, he said "for morality" and so on. Therein, "hi" is a word expressing reason. Because morality, when practised, cultivated and guarded, brings near and conduces all success - namely human success, divine success and the success of Nibbāna - to the being who possesses it.
Showing in detail the meaning stated in brief as "morality brings all success," he said beginning with "one should guard morality." Therein, "should guard" means should protect. For by abstaining from killing living beings and so on, and by fulfilling all kinds of duties, one guards it through overcoming the opposing factors. "The wise one" means one endowed with wisdom; this is a showing of the means of guarding it, for by the power of knowledge there is the undertaking and the non-violation of it. "Wishing for" means desiring. "Three happinesses" means three kinds of happiness. Or the sign of happiness is intended by "happiness." "Praise" means fame, or the praising by the wise. "Gain of joy" means the gain of contentment. Some also read "vittalābha"; the meaning is gain of wealth. For one who is moral, through diligence, attains a great mass of wealth. "After death" means having died. "Rejoicing in heaven" means in the heavenly world with desirable types of sensual pleasure; and the connection is: wishing for rejoicing. The explanation is: wishing for praise and gain of joy in this world, and for rejoicing through divine success in the world beyond, one should guard morality.
"By self-control" means by the restraint of body and so on. For one who is self-controlled, not vexing anyone through bodily misconduct and so on, giving the gift of fearlessness, binds friends through being dear and agreeable. "Falls away" means departs. "Practising evil" means doing evil deeds such as killing living beings and so on. For beings who wish one's welfare do not associate with an immoral person; on the contrary, they avoid him.
"Disrepute" means lack of virtue, or blame to one's face. "Ill fame" means disgrace, absence of praise. "Praise" means virtue. "Fame" means praise, widely spread renown. "Commendation" means praise to one's face.
"Beginning" means root. For morality is the beginning of wholesome mental states. As he said - "Therefore, monk, you should purify the very beginning in wholesome mental states. And what is the beginning of wholesome mental states? Morality that is well purified." "Support" means foundation. For morality is the support of all super-human achievements. Therefore he said - "Having been established in morality" and so on. "And the mother of good qualities" means having become the mother of good qualities such as serenity meditation, insight meditation and so on; the meaning is "producer." "The chief of all phenomena" means the chief, having become the entrance, the door of occurrence, of all blameless qualities such as gladness and so on; this is the meaning. "Therefore" means because of being the beginning and so on. "Should purify" means one should accomplish by making it unbroken and so on.
"Boundary" means a boundary in the sense of not being transgressible by misconduct; the meaning is "limit." Or "velā" because it shakes immorality, agitates and destroys it; thus it is "boundary." Morality is restraint because of closing the door of arising of bodily misconduct and so on. "Gladdening" means pleasing, because of causing the mind to rejoice through being a cause of freedom from remorse. "And the ford of all Buddhas" means having become the ford for all Buddhas - enlightened as noble disciples, Individually Enlightened Ones, and Fully Enlightened by themselves - for washing away the stain of defilements and for plunging into the great ocean of Nibbāna.
"Morality is incomparable power" means incomparable power and the strength of an army in crushing the army of Māra. "The highest weapon" means the highest instrument for cutting defiling mental states. It is an ornament in the sense of adorning the body of virtues. "Foremost" means the highest at all times and also substantial. It is a marvellous armour because of protecting one's own life. Some also read "abbhida"; the meaning is impenetrable.
It is a bridge in the sense of not sinking through mental defilements in crossing the great flood of the realms of misery and in crossing the great flood of the round of rebirths. "Influential" means of great power. "An unsurpassed fragrance" means an unsurpassed fragrance because of blowing against the wind in all directions, because of captivating all people. Therefore he said "by which one's scent spreads in every direction" - by which fragrance of morality one who is endowed with that blows forth in every direction, in all directions. "Disodisā" is also a reading; the meaning is the ten directions.
"Indeed the foremost provision" means provision is a parcel of boiled rice. Just as a man, having taken a parcel of boiled rice, going along the road, is not wearied on the way by the suffering of hunger, so too even one accomplished in morality, having taken the pure provision of morality, practising through the wilderness of the round of rebirths, is not wearied wherever he goes - thus morality is called the foremost provision. Likewise morality is the highest sustenance because of not being shared with thieves and so on, and because of accomplishing the desired success in each and every place. That which, passing beyond this and that place, conveys and causes one to reach the desired place, is a conveyance, a vehicle. Being untroubled by anyone, because of being the cause for attaining the desired place, morality is the best conveyance. "By which" means by which conveyance one goes "in every direction" - even to non-destination and destination, one goes easily to this and that direction.
"Right here he obtains blame" means even in this world, unhappy, with mind corrupted by lust and so on, he obtains blame and reproach as "immoral, of bad character." After death, even in the world beyond, in the realm of misery, he obtains blame by the men of Yama and so on by such words as "a man of misfortune, lowborn" and so on. Not only does he obtain blame, but indeed everywhere the unhappy fool, in this world with mind corrupted by the conduct of misconduct, in the world beyond through the arising of suffering by way of bodily punishment and so on - everywhere the fool is unhappy. How? "Unconcentrated in morality" means one whose mind is not rightly established in morality, whose mind is unestablished.
"Right here he obtains fame" means even in this world, glad, he obtains fame as "a good person, moral, of good character." After death, even in the world beyond, in heaven, "This good person is moral, of good character. For thus he has been reborn in the company of the gods" - by such words and so on he obtains fame. Not only does he obtain fame, but indeed the wise one, endowed with energy, well concentrated in morality, with mind applied, with mind well established, everywhere, in this world through the conduct of good conduct, in the world beyond through the acquisition of success, is glad, having attained pleasure. "Morality here is the highest" means morality is twofold: mundane and supramundane. Therein, firstly the mundane brings a distinction of rebirth among the warrior-caste millionaires and so on in the sensual world, in the heavenly world and in the Brahma world, and is the cause for the state of being an obtainer and so on. But the supramundane transcends even the entire suffering of the round of rebirths - thus morality is indeed the highest. For thus it has been said -
By the middling, to divinity, and by the highest, one becomes pure."
"If, monks, a monk should wish - 'May I be an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick,' 'he should be one who fulfils morality,' 'Monks, the mental aspiration of one who is moral succeeds because of its purity.'
But regarding the supramundane morality, whose opponent has been entirely abandoned, which turns back the suffering of the round of rebirths beginning from the seventh existence, there is nothing at all to be said about its state of being the highest. "But the wise one is the best" means "the wise person is the best, the supreme, the foremost indeed" - by the standpoint of persons he declares the supremacy of wisdom itself. Now, showing the supreme state of morality and wisdom by function, he said "victory comes from morality and wisdom." In "jayanti" a change of gender should be understood, or "was" is the remainder of the expression. Therein, "paññāṇaṃ" is wisdom in the sense of understanding; victory over opponents comes from morality and from wisdom. For wisdom does not come to be without morality, and without wisdom morality is not functional; and this is mutually supportive. For it was said "wisdom is cleansed by morality, morality is cleansed by wisdom." "Among human beings and gods" - this is a showing of the distinction of their respective domains. For there those operate with distinction; concentration here, however, is on the side of morality because of being the foundation for wisdom, or on the side of wisdom because it is to be developed and because of having morality as its foundation.
Thus the elder, teaching the Teaching to those monks by means of morality, declared the final liberating knowledge through the illumination of his own well-purified morality and other such qualities.
The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sīlava is concluded.
2.
Commentary on the Verses of the Elder Sunīta
620-631. "In a low family" and so on are the verses of the Venerable Elder Sunīta. What is the origin? This one too, having formed aspirations under former Buddhas, having accumulated merits in this and that existence, wandering in the round of rebirths among gods and humans, in a time devoid of a Buddha, having been reborn in a family home, having come of age, having become bent on play together with foolish people, going about, having seen a certain Individually Enlightened One walking for almsfood in the village, said: "What is the use of your going about for almsfood, having covered the entire body like one whose body is completely wounded? Should not one's livelihood be earned by farming, trading, and so on? If you are not able to do those, go from house to house removing urine, excrement, and so on, and afterwards live by cleansing sites" - thus he reviled him. He, by that action, having been tormented in hell, by the remainder of the result of that very action, even in the human world, having been reborn in a remover of withered flowers family for many hundreds of births, he earned his livelihood in that way. And in this arising of a Buddha, having been reborn in a remover of withered flowers family itself, he earns his livelihood by the work of cleansing excrement, not obtaining even so much as food and clothing.
Then the Blessed One, in the last watch, having entered upon the great compassion attainment that was the Buddha's habitual practice, having emerged from it, surveying the world with the Buddha-eye, having seen the decisive support for arahantship blazing within Sunīta's heart like a lamp inside a pot, when the night became light, in the earlier period of the day, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, surrounded by the community of monks, entered Rājagaha for almsfood. He proceeded along that street in which Sunīta was doing the work of cleansing excrement. Sunīta too, having made heaps here and there of scraps of food, excrement, refuse, and so on, having put them into baskets, carrying them on a carrying pole, having seen the Teacher surrounded by the community of monks coming, being bashful, with a heart confused by agitation, not finding a path to go or a place to hide, having placed the carrying pole beside a wall, as if entering sideways with one side, clinging to the wall, stood with joined palms. Some say "He wished to depart through a hole in the wall."
The Teacher, having reached his vicinity, thinking "This one, being bashful towards me who have come, prompted by his own wholesome roots, is ashamed even of a face-to-face meeting because of the lowness of his birth and his work; come, let me produce self-confidence in him," having addressed him "Sunīta" with a divine voice as sweet as the call of the Indian cuckoo, excellent, deep, resounding throughout the entire city, said "Will you be able to go forth from this miserable livelihood?" Sunīta, by that word of the Teacher, as if sprinkled with the Deathless, experiencing lofty joy and pleasure, said "Blessed One, if even those like me obtain the going forth here, why should I not go forth? Give me the going forth, Blessed One." The Teacher said "Come, monk." He, at that very moment, having obtained the going forth and full ordination by the "Come, monk" form, wearing bowl and robes created by supernormal power, having become like an elder of sixty rains retreats, stood in the presence of the Teacher. The Blessed One, having led him to the monastery, told him the meditation subject. He, first having produced the eight attainments and the five direct knowledges, having developed insight, became a possessor of the six higher knowledges. Him, the gods beginning with Sakka and the Brahmās, having approached, paid homage. Therefore it was said -
The thoroughbred, overcome by birth and ageing, Sunīta they pay homage to with confident minds" and so on.
The Blessed One, having seen him honoured by the host of gods, having smiled, praising him, taught the Teaching with the verse "By austerity, by the holy life." Then several monks, wishing to make him roar a lion's roar, asked "Friend Sunīta, from what family did you go forth, how did you go forth, and how did you penetrate the truths?" He, making known all that -
620.
My work was lowly, I was a remover of withered flowers.
621.
Having made the mind humble, I paid homage to many people.
622.
The great hero entering the best city of the Magadhans.
623.
Out of compassion for me alone, the highest of men stood still.
624.
I requested the going forth from the highest of all beings.
625.
'Come, monk,' he said to me, that was my full ordination.
626.
I did the Teacher's word, as the Conqueror exhorted me.
627.
During the middle watch of the night, I purified the divine eye;
In the last watch of the night, I shattered the mass of darkness.
628.
Inda and Brahmā, having come, paid homage to me with joined palms.
629.
Whose mental corruptions are eliminated, you are worthy of offerings, dear sir.
630.
Having manifested a smile, spoke this matter.
631.
By this one is a brahmin, this is the highest brahmin quality."
With these verses he roared a lion's roar.
Therein, "low" means inferior, the lowest of all. For the state of being high and low among beings is relative; but this one, showing that he was born in the lowest of all, in a pukkusa family, said "I was born in a low family." Therefore it was said - "'Low' means inferior, the lowest of all." "Poor" means destitute; even some who are poor are sometimes obtainers of food and clothing, living without difficulty; but I, showing that at all times, through the difficulty of livelihood, I was inferior, not seeing even a drop worth seeing of a pot placed on an oven, said "with little food." Even some of low family who are poor have a livelihood with work that is not low; but showing that for me it was not so, he said "my work was lowly." Of what kind, if asked? "I was a remover of withered flowers" - just as one who is deficient in a hand is called "one with a hand," so by way of conventional usage, this one's designation was that is to say "a remover of withered flowers." Or he was so called because of the resemblance to a carpet of withered flowers on a dung-ground.
"Shunned" means despised both by birth and by work. "Of people" means by people. "Treated with contempt" means despised. "Scoffed at" means jeered at. "Having made the mind humble" means having raised up other people like Mount Sineru, having made oneself lower than even the dust of their feet, having made the mind low and humble in its occurrence. "I paid homage to many people" means I paid homage to the multitude of people whenever I saw them, making salutation with joined palms at the head, I bowed down.
"Then" is an indeclinable particle used to indicate a different subject. "I saw" means I perceived. "Of the Magadhans" - the Magadhans are princes who are provincial rulers; their abode, though a single province, is called "of the Magadhans" by conventional usage; the meaning is of the Magadhan province. "The finest city" means the highest city.
"Carrying-pole" means a pingo. "I requested the going forth" means when the Teacher had given the opportunity saying "Sunīta, will you be able to go forth?" I requested the going forth. "That was my full ordination" means by the mere utterance of the Teacher "Come, monk," there was the full ordination. "As he exhorted me" means just as he exhorted me saying "Thus develop insight meditation preceded by serenity meditation," so I did the Teacher's word, I practised. "During the night" and so on is the showing of the essence of that practice. Therein, because the knowledge of past lives and the knowledge of future events involve much work, "the first watch" and "the middle watch" are said as accusative expressions by way of absolute connection. Not so the knowledge of the elimination of mental corruptions, because it occurs by way of a single full realisation; therefore "in the last watch" should be seen as said in the locative sense. "Inda" means Sakka, the king of gods. "Brahmā" means the Great Brahmā. By the mention of Inda and Brahmā, the coming of other sensual realm gods and brahmā gods too is stated; this should be seen. For this is a superior designation, as in "the king has arrived." "They paid homage" means they made homage by body and by speech.
Therein, showing the homage done by body, having said "with joined palms," in order to show what was done by speech, "homage to you" and so on was stated. "Honoured by the host of gods" means by the mention of gods, since they are gods by way of rebirth, the Brahmā gods too are included. "Having manifested a smile" means the Teacher manifested a smile in dependence on the great fruitfulness of his own exhortation and the achievement of virtues of the gods and Brahmā gods. And when manifesting it, he does not show his teeth like others; rather, he opens his lips slightly, and to that extent, dense rays arising from his very white teeth, surpassing the rays of divine crystal and pearls, outshining the rays of stars, moon, and sun, having emerged, circumambulate the Teacher's face three times. Having seen that, even those going behind perceive that the Teacher has manifested a smile.
"By austere asceticism" means by restraint of the faculties; some say "by the undertaking of the ascetic practices." "By self-control" means by morality. "By taming" means by wisdom. "By the holy life" means by the remaining foremost conduct. "By this" means by the aforesaid austere asceticism and so on. One is a brahmin because of the state of having warded off evil. "This" means austere asceticism and so on as stated before. "The highest brahmin" means the highest brahmin, or the highest among brahmins, the best of all; "was" is the remainder of the expression. Or "brahmin" means committed to holy life; thus the highest commitment to holy life, not by birth and so on - this is the intention. For birth, family, region, clan, and achievement of these and so on are not the cause of noble status; rather, the training in higher morality and so on alone is the cause. Therefore he said -
A lotus might grow there, fragrant and delightful.
The disciple of the One Enlightened by himself outshines them with wisdom."
Thus the elder, answering the meaning asked about by those monks with these verses, roared a lion's roar.
The commentary on the verses of the Elder Sunīta is concluded.
The commentary on the Chapter of Twelves is concluded.