21 (1) Uruvelā (1)649
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!”
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, on one occasion I was dwelling at Uruvelā, by the goatherds’ banyan tree on the bank of the Neranjarā River, just after I had attained full enlightenment. Then, while I was alone in seclusion, a course of thought arose in my mind thus: ‘It is painful to dwell without reverence and deference. Now what ascetic or brahmin can I honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on?’
“Then it occurred to me: (1) ‘If my aggregate of virtuous behavior were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in virtuous behavior than myself whom I could honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on.
(2) “‘If my aggregate of concentration were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However … I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in concentration than myself….
(3) “‘If my aggregate of wisdom were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However … I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in wisdom than myself….
(4) “‘If my aggregate of liberation were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in liberation than myself whom I could honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on.
“It occurred to me: ‘Let me then honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on this Dhamma to which I have become fully enlightened.’
“Then Brahmā Sahampati, [21] having known with his own mind the reflection in my mind, disappeared from the brahmā world and reappeared before me just as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm. He arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, bent down with his right knee on the ground, reverently saluted me, and said: ‘So it is, Blessed One! So it is, Fortunate One! Bhante, those who were the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones in the past—those Blessed Ones, too, honored, respected, and dwelled in dependence only on the Dhamma. Those who will be the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones in the future—those Blessed Ones, too, will honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on the Dhamma. Let the Blessed One, too, who is at present the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on the Dhamma.’
“This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Having said this, he further said this:
“‘The perfect Buddhas of the past,
the Buddhas of the future,
and the present Buddha
who removes the sorrow of many:
all those dwelled, now dwell,
and [in the future] will dwell
revering the good Dhamma.
This is the nature of the Buddhas.
“‘Therefore one desiring the good,650
aspiring for greatness,
should revere the good Dhamma,
recollecting the Buddhas’ teaching.’
“This was what Brahmā Sahampati said. He then paid homage to me, and keeping me on his right, he disappeared right there. Then, having acknowledged Brahmā’s request and what was proper for myself, I honored, respected, and dwelled in dependence only on the Dhamma to which I had become fully enlightened. And now that the Saṅgha has acquired greatness, I have respect for the Saṅgha, too.” [22]
22 (2) Uruvelā (2)
“Bhikkhus, on one occasion I was dwelling at Uruvelā, by the goatherds’ banyan tree on the bank of the Neranjarā River, just after I had attained full enlightenment. Then a number of brahmins, old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage, approached me and exchanged greetings with me. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, they sat down to one side and said to me:
“‘We have heard, Master Gotama: “The ascetic Gotama does not pay homage to brahmins who are old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage; nor does he stand up for them or offer them a seat.” This is indeed true, for Master Gotama does not pay homage to brahmins who are old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage; nor does he stand up for them or offer them a seat. This is not proper, Master Gotama.’651
“It then occurred to me: These venerable ones do not know what an elder is or what the qualities that make one an elder are. Even though someone is old—eighty, ninety, or a hundred years from birth—if he speaks at an improper time, speaks falsely, speaks what is unbeneficial, speaks contrary to the Dhamma and the discipline, if at an improper time he speaks words that are worthless, unreasonable, rambling, and unbeneficial, then he is reckoned as a foolish [childish] elder.
“But even though someone is young, a youth with black hair, endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, if he speaks at a proper time, speaks what is truthful, speaks what is beneficial, speaks on the Dhamma and the discipline, and if at a proper time he speaks words that are worth recording, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial, then he is reckoned as a wise elder.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four qualities that make one an elder. What four?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them.
(2) “He has learned much, [23] remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned. Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life—such teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, investigated with the mind, and penetrated well by view.
(3) “He is one who gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life.
(4) “With the destruction of the taints, he has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it.
“These are the four qualities that make one an elder.”
The dullard with a restless mind652
who speaks much chatter,
his thoughts unsettled,
delighting in a bad teaching,
holding bad views, disrespectful,
is far from an elder’s stature.
But one accomplished in virtue,
learned and discerning,
self-controlled in the factors of firmness,
who clearly sees the meaning with wisdom;
gone beyond all phenomena,
not barren, discerning;653
who has abandoned birth and death,
consummate in the spiritual life,
in whom there are no taints—
he is the one I call an elder.
With the destruction of the taints
a bhikkhu is called an elder.
23 (3) The World654
“Bhikkhus, the Tathāgata has fully awakened to the world;655 the Tathāgata is detached from the world. The Tathāgata has fully awakened to the origin of the world; the Tathāgata has abandoned the origin of the world. The Tathāgata has fully awakened to the cessation of the world; the Tathāgata has realized the cessation of the world. The Tathāgata has fully awakened to the way leading to the cessation of the world; the Tathāgata has developed the way leading to the cessation of the world.
(1) “Bhikkhus, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, [24] examined by the mind—all that the Tathāgata has fully awakened to; therefore he is called the Tathāgata.656
(2) “Bhikkhus, whatever the Tathāgata speaks, utters, or expounds in the interval between the night when he awakens to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment and the night when he attains final nibbāna,657 all that is just so and not otherwise; therefore he is called the Tathāgata.658
(3) “Bhikkhus, as the Tathāgata speaks, so he does; as he does, so he speaks. Since he does as he speaks and speaks as he does, therefore he is called the Tathāgata.659
(4) “Bhikkhus, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, the Tathāgata is the vanquisher, the unvanquished, the universal seer, the wielder of mastery; therefore he is called the Tathāgata.”
Having directly known all the world—
all in the world just as it is—
he is detached from all the world,
disengaged from all the world.
the wise one who has untied all knots.
He has reached the supreme peace,
nibbāna, inaccessible to fear.
He is the Buddha, his taints destroyed,
untroubled, all doubts cut off;
having reached the destruction of all kamma,
he is liberated in the extinction of acquisitions.
He is the Blessed One, the Buddha,
he is the lion unsurpassed;
in this world with its devas,
he set in motion the wheel of Brahmā.
Thus those devas and human beings
who have gone for refuge to the Buddha
assemble and pay homage to him,
the great one free from diffidence:
“Tamed, he is the best of tamers;
peaceful, he is the seer among peace-bringers;
freed, he is the chief of liberators;
crossed over, he is the best of guides across.”
Thus indeed they pay him homage,
the great one free from diffidence.
In this world together with its devas,
there is no one who can rival you.
24 (4) Kāḷaka
[Thus have I heard.]660 On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāketa, at Kāḷaka’s Park.661 There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!”
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this: [25]
“Bhikkhus, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, examined by the mind—that I know.
“Bhikkhus, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, examined by the mind—that I have directly known. It has been known by the Tathāgata,662 but the Tathāgata did not become subservient to it.663
“Bhikkhus, if I were to say, ‘In this world with its devas … whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, examined by the mind—that I do not know,’ that would be a falsehood on my part.
“Bhikkhus, if I were to say, ‘In this world with its devas … whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, examined by the mind—that I both know and do not know,’ that too would be just the same.664
“Bhikkhus, if I were to say, ‘In this world with its devas … whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, examined by the mind—that I neither know nor do not know,’ that would be a fault on my part.665
(1) “So, having seen what can be seen, the Tathāgata does not misconceive the seen, does not misconceive the unseen, does not misconceive what can be seen, does not misconceive one who sees.666 (2) Having heard what can be heard, he does not misconceive the heard, does not misconceive the unheard, does not misconceive what can be heard, does not misconceive one who hears. (3) Having sensed what can be sensed, he does not misconceive the sensed, does not misconceive the unsensed, does not misconceive what can be sensed, does not misconceive one who senses. (4) Having cognized what can be cognized, he does not misconceive the cognized, does not misconceive the uncognized, does not misconceive what can be cognized, does not misconceive one who cognizes.
“Thus, bhikkhus, being ever stable among things seen, heard, sensed, and cognized, the Tathāgata is a stable one.667 And, I say, there is no stable one more excellent or sublime than that stable one.”
Amid those who are self-constrained, the Stable One
would not posit as categorically true or false
anything seen, heard, or sensed,
clung to and considered truth by others.668
Since they have already seen this dart669
to which people cling and adhere, [26]
[saying] “I know, I see, it is just so,”
the Tathāgatas cling to nothing.
25 (5) The Spiritual Life
“Bhikkhus, this spiritual life is not lived for the sake of deceiving people and cajoling them; nor for the benefit of gain, honor, and praise; nor for the benefit of winning in debates; nor with the thought: ‘Let the people know me thus.’ But rather, this spiritual life is lived for the sake of restraint, abandoning, dispassion, and cessation.”670
The Blessed One taught the spiritual life,
not based on tradition, culminating in nibbāna,
lived for the sake of
restraint and abandoning.671
This is the path of the great beings,672
the path followed by the great seers.
Those who practice it
as taught by the Buddha,
acting upon the Teacher’s guidance,
will make an end of suffering.
26 (6) Deceivers673
(1) “Bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who are deceivers, stubborn, talkers, imposters, haughty, and unconcentrated are not bhikkhus of mine.674 (2) They have strayed from this Dhamma and discipline, and they do not achieve growth, progress, and maturity in this Dhamma and discipline. (3) But those bhikkhus who are honest, sincere, steadfast, compliant, and well concentrated are bhikkhus of mine. (4) They have not strayed from this Dhamma and discipline, and they achieve growth, progress, and maturity in this Dhamma and discipline.”
Those who are deceivers, stubborn, talkers,
imposters, haughty, unconcentrated,
do not make progress in the Dhamma
that the Perfectly Enlightened One has taught.
But those who are honest and sincere,
steadfast, compliant, and well concentrated,
make progress in the Dhamma
that the Perfectly Enlightened One has taught.
27 (7) Contentment
“Bhikkhus, there are these four trifles, easily gained and blameless. What four?
(1) “A rag-robe is a trifle among robes, easily gained [27] and blameless. (2) A lump of almsfood is a trifle among meals, easily gained and blameless. (3) The foot of a tree is a trifle among lodgings, easily gained and blameless. (4) Putrid urine is a trifle among medicines, easily gained and blameless.675
“These are the four trifles, easily gained and blameless. When a bhikkhu is satisfied with what is trifling and easily gained, I say that he has one of the factors of the ascetic life.”
When one is content with what is blameless,
trifling and easily gained;
when one’s mind is not distressed
because of a lodging,
robe, drink, and food,
one is not hindered anywhere.676
These qualities, rightly said
to conform to the ascetic life,
are acquired by a bhikkhu677
who is content and heedful.
28 (8) Noble Lineages678
“Bhikkhus, there are these four noble lineages, primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. What four?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu is content with any kind of robe, and he speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of robe, and he does not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of a robe.679 If he does not get a robe he is not agitated, and if he gets one he uses it without being tied to it, infatuated with it, and blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it and understanding the escape from it. Yet he does not extol himself or disparage others because of this. Any bhikkhu who is skillful in this, diligent, clearly comprehending and ever mindful, is said to be standing in an ancient, primal noble lineage.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu is content with any kind of almsfood, and he speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of almsfood, and he does not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of almsfood. If he does not get almsfood he is not agitated, and if he gets some he uses it without being tied to it, infatuated with it, and blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it and understanding the escape from it. [28] Yet he does not extol himself or disparage others because of this. Any bhikkhu who is skillful in this, diligent, clearly comprehending and ever mindful, is said to be standing in an ancient, primal noble lineage.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu is content with any kind of lodging, and he speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of lodging, and he does not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of lodging. If he does not get lodging he is not agitated, and if he gets it he uses it without being tied to it, infatuated with it, and blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it and understanding the escape from it. Yet he does not extol himself or disparage others because of this. Any bhikkhu who is skillful in this, diligent, clearly comprehending and ever mindful, is said to be standing in an ancient, primal noble lineage.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu finds delight in development, is delighted with development, finds delight in abandoning, is delighted with abandoning.680 Yet he does not extol himself or disparage others because of this. Any bhikkhu who is skillful in this, diligent, clearly comprehending and ever mindful, is said to be standing in an ancient, primal noble lineage.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four noble lineages, primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins.
“Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu possesses these four noble lineages, if he dwells in the east he vanquishes discontent, discontent does not vanquish him; if he dwells in the west he vanquishes discontent, discontent does not vanquish him; if he dwells in the north he vanquishes discontent, discontent does not vanquish him; if he dwells in the south he vanquishes discontent, discontent does not vanquish him. For what reason? Because he is a steadfast one who vanquishes discontent and delight.”
Discontent does not vanquish the steadfast one,681
[for] the steadfast one is not vanquished by discontent.682
The steadfast one vanquishes discontent,
for the steadfast one is a vanquisher of discontent. [29]
Who can obstruct the dispeller
who has discarded all kamma?
Who is fit to blame one who is like
a coin of refined gold?
Even the devas praise such a one;
by Brahmā too he is praised.
29 (9) Dhamma Factors
“Bhikkhus, there are these four Dhamma factors,683 primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. What four?
(1) “Non-longing is a Dhamma factor, primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which is not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which is not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. (2) Good will is a Dhamma factor, primal, of long standing … (3) Right mindfulness is a Dhamma factor, primal, of long standing … (4) Right concentration is a Dhamma factor, primal, of long standing … not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins.
“These are the four Dhamma factors, primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins.”
One should dwell free from longing
with a heart of good will.
One should be mindful and one-pointed in mind,
internally well concentrated.
30 (10) Wanderers
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. Now on that occasion a number of very well-known wanderers were residing at the wanderers’ park on the bank of the river Sappinī, namely, Annabhāra, Varadhara, Sakuludāyī the wanderer, and other very well-known wanderers.
Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and went to the wanderers’ park on the bank of the Sappinī. He sat down on a seat that was prepared and said to those wanderers: “Wanderers, there are these four Dhamma factors that are primal, [30] of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. What four?
(1) “Non-longing is a Dhamma factor that is primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which is not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which is not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. (2) Good will is a Dhamma factor that is primal, of long standing … (3) Right mindfulness is a Dhamma factor that is primal, of long standing … (4) Right concentration is a Dhamma factor that is primal, of long standing … not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins.
“These are the four Dhamma factors that are primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins.
(1) “If, wanderers, anyone should say: ‘I will reject this Dhamma factor of non-longing and point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who is full of longing, deeply passionate about sensual pleasures,’ I would respond to him thus: ‘Let him come, speak, and converse. Let me see how mighty he is!’ Indeed, it would be impossible for him to reject non-longing as a Dhamma factor and to point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who is full of longing, deeply passionate about sensual pleasures.
(2) “If anyone should say: ‘I will reject this Dhamma factor of good will and point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who has a mind of ill will and intentions of hate,’ I would respond to him thus: ‘Let him come, speak, and converse. Let me see how mighty he is!’ Indeed, it would be impossible for him to reject good will as a Dhamma factor and to point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who has a mind of ill will and intentions of hate.
(3) “If anyone should say: ‘I will reject this Dhamma factor of right mindfulness and point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who is muddled in mind and lacks clear comprehension,’ I would respond to him thus: ‘Let him come, speak, and converse. Let me see how mighty he is!’ Indeed, it would be impossible for him to reject right mindfulness as a Dhamma factor and to point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who is muddled in mind and lacks clear comprehension.
(4) “If anyone should say: ‘I will reject this Dhamma factor of right concentration and point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who is unconcentrated, with a wandering mind,’ I would respond to him thus: ‘Let him come, speak, [31] and converse. Let me see how mighty he is!’ Indeed, it would be impossible for him to reject right concentration as a Dhamma factor and to point out a [real] ascetic or brahmin who is unconcentrated, with a wandering mind.
“If, wanderers, anyone thinks these four Dhamma factors should be censured and repudiated, then, in this very life, he incurs four reasonable criticisms and grounds for censure.684 What four?
“‘If you censure and repudiate this Dhamma factor of non-longing, then you must regard as worthy of worship and praise those ascetics and brahmins who are full of longing and deeply passionate about sensual pleasures. If you censure and repudiate this Dhamma factor of good will, then you must regard as worthy of worship and praise those ascetics and brahmins who have minds of ill will and intentions of hate. If you censure and repudiate this Dhamma factor of right mindfulness, then you must regard as worthy of worship and praise those ascetics and brahmins who are muddle-minded and lack clear comprehension. If you censure and repudiate this Dhamma factor of right concentration, then you must regard as worthy of worship and praise those ascetics and brahmins who are unconcentrated, with wandering minds.’
“If, wanderers, anyone thinks these four Dhamma factors should be censured and repudiated, then, in this very life, he incurs these four reasonable criticisms and grounds for censure. Even those wanderers Vassa and Bhañña of Ukkalā, who were proponents of non-causality, inactivity, and nihilism, did not think that these four Dhamma factors should be censured and repudiated. For what reason? From fear of blame, attack, and refutation.”685
One of good will, ever mindful,
inwardly well concentrated,
training to remove longing,
is said to be heedful. [32]
649 SN 6:2, I 138–40, records the incident in direct narrative mode. It includes a fifth factor: the knowledge and vision of liberation. Since it is set at the time of the Buddha’s enlightenment, it makes no mention of the Saṅgha, which arose only after the Buddha began to teach.
650 Ce reads atthakāmena; Be and Ee have attakāmena, “desiring self.” In pāda d, the plural of Buddha is in the Pāli, buddhānasāsanaṃ. Possibly the compound is a corruption of buddhānusāsanaṃ, “the Buddha’s instruction,” which would preserve a singular.
651 The placement of this sutta in the period just after the Buddha’s enlightenment seems strange. The words of the brahmins suggest that the Buddha, from a position of authority, participated in regular discussions with brahmins; yet he surely would not have done so before he began his career as a teacher. See 8:11, where a brahmin makes the same charge against the Buddha at a later time when he had already become a successful teacher.
652 I follow Ce in taking the poem to consist of three stanzas of six pādas each. Be divides it into four stanzas, the first with six pādas, the other three with four pādas.
653 In pāda c, I read with Ce saññato thiradhammesu, as against Be and Ee saññato dhīro dhammesu, “self-controlled and steadfast among phenomena.” In this, I follow Vanarata’s suggestion (in a personal communication) that the Ce reading “has the merit of both fitting the meter better and supplying a pun (between thira and thera, firm and elder).” This clause corresponds to the jhānas, “factors of firmness” referring to samādhi. Mp glosses “who clearly sees the meaning with wisdom” (paññāyatthaṃ vipassati) as seeing the meaning of the four noble truths with the wisdom of the path along with insight. It explains “gone beyond all phenomena” (pāragū sabbadhammānaṃ) as “gone beyond all such phenomena as the five aggregates” and “gone to the consummation of all [good] qualities” by the sixfold going beyond (chabbidhena pāragamanena): with respect to direct knowledge, full understanding, abandoning, development, realization, and meditative attainments. Mp does not explain the repetition of paṭibhānavā (“discerning”) in the verse, which seems peculiar.
654 Also at It §112, 121–23.
655 Mp identifies the world (loka) with the truth of suffering. The four tasks that the Tathāgata has accomplished here correspond to the four tasks regarding the four noble truths—fully understanding the truth of suffering, abandoning the truth of its origin, realizing its cessation, and developing the path—but with “fully awakened” (abhisambuddha) replacing “fully understood” (pariññāta) in regard to the first truth. See SN 56:11, V 422.
656 Mp, like other commentaries, explains the seen (diṭṭha) as the visible-form base; the heard (suta) as the sound base; the sensed (muta) as the bases of odor, taste, and tactile sensations; and the cognized (viññātaṃ) as the mental-phenomena base. The three terms “reached, sought after, examined by the mind” (pattaṃ pariyesitaṃ anuvicaritaṃ manasā) are simply elaborations of the cognized. Mp also explains that the suffix –gata, lit. “gone,” in the derivation of the word “Tathāgata,” means the same as abhisambuddha, “fully awakened to.”
657 Ce and Ee have merely parinibbāyati, as against Be anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyā parinibbāyati, “attains final nibbāna by way of the nibbāna element without residue remaining.” The latter reading may have entered Be from It §112, 121,21–22.
658 Sabbaṃ taṃ tath’eva hoti, no aññathā. Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ ti vuccati.
659 Yathāvādī tathākārī, yathākārī tathāvādī…. Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ ti vuccati.
660 Ce has this in brackets. Be and Ee do not have it at all.
661 According to Mp, Kāḷaka was a wealthy financier and the fatherin-law of Anāthapiṇḍika’s daughter Cūḷasubhaddā. At the time of her marriage, he had been a devotee of the naked ascetics and knew nothing about the Buddha or his teaching. Cūḷasubhaddā contrived to get him to invite the Buddha and the monks for a meal offering. After the meal, the Buddha gave a discourse that established him in the fruit of stream-entry. Kāḷaka then built a monastery in his park and donated both monastery and park to the Buddha. One day, when the bhikkhus who were natives of Sāketa were sitting in the meeting hall discussing the Buddha’s success in converting Kāḷaka, the Buddha read their minds and knew they were ready for a discourse that would settle them in arahantship. It would also cause the great earth to quake up to its boundaries. Hence he addressed the bhikkhus.
662 Mp: “By these three terms (jānāmi, abbhaññāsiṃ, viditaṃ) the plane of omniscience (sabbaññutabhūmi) is indicated.” In the history of Buddhism, as well as in modern scholarship, the question whether the Buddha claimed omniscience has been a subject of debate. The Buddha certainly rejected the claim that one could know everything all the time (see MN 71.5, I 482,4–18) as well as the claim that one could know everything simultaneously (see MN 90.8, II 127,28–30). But he also says that to hold that he totally rejects the possibility of omniscience is to misrepresent him (MN 90.5, II 126,31–27,11). Thus it seems to follow that what the Buddha rejected is the possibility of continuous and simultaneous knowledge of everything, but not discrete and intentional knowledge of whatever can be known (which would exclude much of the future, since it is not predetermined).
663 Taṃ tathāgato na upaṭṭhāsi. Mp: “The Tathāgata did not become subservient to any object at the six sense doors, that is, he did not take it up (na upagañchi) through craving or views. For it is said: ‘The Blessed One sees a form with the eye, but he has no desire and lust for it; the Blessed One is fully liberated in mind…. The Blessed One cognizes a phenomenon with the mind, but he has no desire and lust for it; the Blessed One is fully liberated in mind’ (see SN 35:232, IV 164–65). By this the plane of arahantship (khīṇāsavabhūmi) is indicated.”
664 Taṃ p’assa tādisameva. Mp: “That too would just be false speech.”
665 Taṃ mam’assa kali. Mp: “That statement would be a fault of mine. With the above three statements, the plane of truth (saccabhūmi) is indicated.”
666 Mp: “He does not misconceive (na maññati) visible form by way of craving, conceit, or views; and so for the other objects. By this passage, the plane of emptiness (suññatābhūmi) is explained.”
667 The word tādī, originally a simple referential term meaning “that one,” takes on a special sense when used to designate the Buddha or an arahant. Nidd I 114–15 explains that an arahant is called tādī because he has transcended preferences, given up (catto) defilements, crossed (tiṇṇo) the floods, and has a liberated (mutto) mind.
Mp: “Being ever stable … is a stable one (tādīyeva tādī): ‘Stable’ means exactly the same (ekasadisatā). The Tathāgata is the same both in gain and loss, fame and obscurity, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain…. By this the plane of the stable one (tādibhūmi) has been explained. As he concluded the teaching with these five planes, on each of the five occasions the earth quaked as testimony.”
668 I paraphrase Mp’s explanation of this verse: “He would not take even one claim of the speculative theorists (diṭṭhigatikā)—who are ‘self-constrained’ (sayasaṃvutesu) in the sense that they are constrained or blocked by their conceptions—to be categorical or supreme and trust it, believe it, fall back on it as true or false (evaṃ saccaṃ musā vāpi paraṃ uttamaṃ katvā na odaheyya, na saddaheyya, na pattiyāyeyya), thinking: ‘This alone is true and anything else is false.’” This explanation nicely connects the verse to the prose line, “the Tathāgata did not become subservient to it.”
669 Mp identifies the “dart” as the dart of views (diṭṭhisalla). Elsewhere craving is spoken of as the dart, for instance, at MN II 258,27, and SN I 40,7; in still other passages, the dart is sorrow, as at 5:48, 5:50.
670 Saṃvaratthaṃ pahānatthaṃ virāgatthaṃ nirodhatthaṃ. These four aims of the spiritual life, it seems, are the reason for including this sutta in the Fours.
671 Mp glosses nibbānogadhagāminaṃ with nibbānassa antogāminaṃ, “leading into nibbāna.”
672 All three editions that I consulted have mahantehi, but I prefer the reading in It §35, 28,17, mahattehi, glossed by It-a I 112,25, mahāātumehi uḷārajjhāsayehi, “by the great spirits, by those of lofty disposition.”
673 The sutta also occurs as It §108, 112–13. My division of the sutta into four parts is hypothetical, but apart from this no fourfold scheme is apparent.
674 Na me te bhikkhave bhikkhū māmakā. Mp. “They are not bhikkhus of mine; they do not belong to me” (te mayhaṃ bhikkhū mama santakā na honti).
675 Pūtimuttaṃ. There is a belief in traditional ayurvedic medicine that cow’s urine into which gall nuts have been soaked has potent medicinal properties. But Mp says that any urine counts, “for just as a golden-colored body is called a foul body, so even fresh urine is called putrid urine.”
676 Disā na paṭihaññati. Lit. “The region [or quarter] is not hindered.” But disā may be a truncated instrumental, with paṭihaññati referring to the monk. Thus “he is not hindered by [or ‘in’] any quarter.”
677 Reading with Ce bhikkhuno, as against Be and Ee sikkhato, “one in training.”
678 This is one of the most popular discourses in the Theravāda tradition. In Sri Lanka, during the Anurādhapura period, it was often used as the topic for long sermons crowning a festival; see Rahula 1956: 268–73. Mp explains “noble lineages” (ariyavaṃsā) as the lineages of the noble ones: all Buddhas, paccekabuddhas, and the Buddha’s disciples.
679 Mp explains contentment with each requisite by way of the three kinds of contentment. See p. 1600, note 55.
680 Mp: “Finds delight in development (bhāvanārāmo): He delights in developing the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right strivings, the four bases for psychic potency, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven enlightenment factors, the seven contemplations, the eighteen great insights, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, and the thirty-eight meditation objects. Finds delight in abandoning (pahānārāmo): He delights in abandoning the defilements of sensual desire and so forth.”
681 Reading with Be and Ee dhīraṃ. Ce has vīraṃ in pādas a and b, but dhīro in pādas c and d.
682 Mp says that pāda b explains pāda a. Because discontent is unable to vanquish the steadfast one, cannot overcome him, therefore discontent does not vanquish the steadfast one.
683 Dhammapadāni. Mp: “Portions of Dhamma” (dhammakoṭṭhāsā).
684 See p. 1646, note 416.
685 These two wanderers are also mentioned at MN 117.37, III 78,13, and SN 22:62, III 73,3. We do not have more information about them than what is said here.