1. Renounced
1Thus have I heard.484 His verses are at Th 1209-79. Vv. 707-57 are parallel to Th 1209-62, but with variant readings and major differences especially in the verses corresponding to vv. 753-57. The verses are collected and translated in Ireland, Vaṅgīsa: An Early Buddhist Poet. For the resolution of philological problems posed by these verses I have relied largely upon Norman’s notes in EV I.
On one occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was dwelling at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine together with his preceptor, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa.485 Cetiyas are memorial shrines, similar to stūpas, originally made from mounds of earth. Spk : Before the Buddhas arise the shrines such as Aggāḷava and Gotamaka are the haunts of yakkhas and nāgas, etc., but when Buddhas arise people drive the spirits away and build monasteries there.
Now on that occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, newly ordained, not long gone forth, had been left behind as a caretaker of the dwelling.
2Then a number of women, beautifully adorned, approached the Aggāḷavaka Park in order to see the dwelling. When the Venerable Vaṅgīsa saw those women, dissatisfaction arose in him; lust infested his mind.486 I translate anabhirati as “dissatisfaction,” and the nearly synonymous arati as “discontent.” Although the meanings of the two words overlap, arati is often glossed in the commentaries as discontent with remote lodgings and with meditation (pantasenāsanesu c ’ eva bhāvanāya ca ukkaṇṭhitaṁ: Spk I 264,29-31 [to 7:17]) or discontent with the Buddha’s Teaching (sāsane aratiṁ: Spk I 269,23-24 [to 8:2]). Anabhirati usually implies distress caused by sensual passion, often inducing a wish to give up the celibate life and return to the enjoyment of sensual pleasures. In the expression sabbaloke anabhiratasaññā, “the perception of nondelight in the entire world,” anabhirata is used in a positive sense as the designation for a particular topic of insight meditation (see AN V 111,3-7). The delight (abhirati) that Vaṅgı̄sa will arouse in himself is, of course, delight in the holy life, not the unwholesome delight in the five sense objects, a mode of craving.
Then it occurred to him: “It is a loss for me indeed, it is no gain for me! It is a mishap for me indeed, it is not well gained by me, that dissatisfaction has arisen in me, that lust has infested my mind. How could anyone else dispel my dissatisfaction and arouse delight? Let me dispel my own dissatisfaction and arouse delight by myself.”
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having dispelled his own dissatisfaction and aroused delight by himself, on that occasion recited these verses:
4, 707 “Alas, though I am one who has renounced,
Gone from home into homelessness,
These thoughts still run over me,
Impudent thoughts from the Dark One.487From the Dark One (kaṇhato). Spk: “From the dark faction, the faction of Māra.” Māra is addressed as Kaṇha in the refrain of the verses at MN I 337-38.5, 708 “Even if mighty youths, great archers,
Trained men, masters of the bow,
A thousand such men who do not flee
Should surround me on all sides,488Spk explains uggaputtā in pāda a as the powerful and royal sons of aristocrats (uggatānaṁ puttā mahesakkhā rājaññabhūtā). CPD, s.v. ugga, says they are members of the ugga caste, a mixed caste sprung from a kṣatriya father and a śūdrā mother. Members of this caste, it seems, served as police, guards, and professional soldiers. Spk glosses daḷhadhammino as “those of firm bows bearing a teacher’s bow of the maximum size” (daḷhadhanuno uttamapamāṇaṁ ācariyadhanuṁ dhārayamānā); see n. 181 above, II, n. 365, and EV I, n. to 1210. With Spk, I take apalāyinaṁ as a metrically shortened genitive plural used in apposition to sahassaṁ, not as an accusative singular. Spk paraphrases pāda d: te samantā sarehi parikireyyuṁ; “they might surround (me) with arrows on all sides.” Although Spk-pṭ glosses parikireyyuṁ with vijjheyyuṁ, “they might shoot,” the use of the expression samantā parikiriṁsu at Ja VI 592,11-15 clearly shows that parikireyyuṁ does not imply shooting. (The wrong spelling parikaraṁsu in Ee of Ja should be corrected to parikiriṁsu as in Be: Ja II 372, vv. 2431-35.) The commentary (Ja VI 589,5) glosses the word with parivārayiṁsu, “to accompany (as members of a retinue).”6, 709 And if women were to come here
Still more numerous than this,
They would never make me tremble
For I stand firmly in the Dhamma.489I read pāda d with Ee1 as dhamme s’ amhi patiṭṭhito and take s’ amhi to be a conjunct of so amhi, with so functioning as the first person pronoun, a common enough form in Pāli. Ee2 supports this with its reading dhamme sv amhi patiṭṭhito. The whole expression dhamme s’ amhi patiṭṭhito would then be a nominative periphrastic construction, with the word order inverted in compliance with the metre. Th 1211 can also support this interpretation if read, as Norman suggests, as dhamme svamhi. Be and Se, however, have the accusative patiṭṭhitaṁ , apparently in apposition to maṁ in pāda c. Commenting on the basis of this reading, Spk explains dhamme samhi as meaning sake sāsanadhamme, “in my own Dhamma teaching,” with samhi understood as the locative singular of sa < Skt sva. While this interpretation at first sight seems strained, we do find sehi dhammehi at Sn 298, glossed by Pj II 319,16 as sakehi cārittehi. This shows that the reading accepted by Spk is feasible, though less plausible than the alternative. Spk connects the simile with this verse thus: “If a thousand archers were to shoot arrows all around, a trained person might take a staff and knock down all the arrows in flight before they strike him, bringing them to his feet. One archer cannot shoot more than one arrow at a time, but these women each shoot five arrows at a time, by way of form and the other sense objects. If more than a thousand of these were to shoot in such a way, still they would not be able to shake me.”[186]7, 710 “I have heard this as a witness
From the Buddha, Kinsman of the Sun:
The path leading to Nibbāna—
That is where my mind delights.490Spk explains maggaṁ in pāda c as a transformation of case (liṅgavipallāsa). Spk: “This statement refers to insight (vipassanā); for that is the preliminary phase of the path leading to Nibbāna. His mind delights in his own tender insight called the path leading to Nibbāna.”8, 711 “If, while I am dwelling thus,
You approach me, Evil One,
I will act in such a way, O Death,
That you won’t even see my path.”491Spk: “I will so act that you will not even see the path I have gone along among the realms of existence, modes of origin, etc.” See vv. 49 (= 105), 479, 494.
2. Discontent
1On one occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was dwelling at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine together with his preceptor, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa. Now on that occasion, when the Venerable Nigrodhakappa returned from his alms round, after his meal he would enter the dwelling and would come out either in the evening or on the following day.
2Now on that occasion dissatisfaction had arisen in the Venerable Vaṅgīsa; lust had infested his mind. Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “It is a loss for me indeed, it is no gain for me! It is a mishap for me indeed, it is not well gained by me, that dissatisfaction has arisen in me, that lust has infested my mind. How could anyone else dispel my dissatisfaction and arouse delight? Let me dispel my own dissatisfaction and arouse delight by myself.”
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having dispelled his own dissatisfaction and aroused delight by himself, on that occasion recited these verses:
4, 712 “Having abandoned discontent and delight
And household thoughts entirely,
One should not nurture lust towards anything;
The lustless one, without delight—
He is indeed a bhikkhu.492Spk: Discontent and delight (aratiñ ca ratiñ ca): discontent with the dispensation [Spk-pṭ: dissatisfaction with the fulfilment of virtue and the development of serenity and insight] and delight in the cords of sensual pleasure. Household thoughts (gehasitañ ca vitakkaṁ): having abandoned in all ways evil thoughts connected with “the household,” i.e., with the five cords of sensual pleasure. The next couplet plays upon the double meaning of vanatha; see n. 474. Spk glosses vanathaṁ as kilesamahāvanaṁ , “the great woods of defilements,” and nibbanatho as nikkilesavano, “without the woods of defilements.” The last word in pāda d is read arato in Be, Se, and Ee2, but in Ee1 as anato, “uninclined.” Spk (both Be and Se) reads arato in the lemma and glosses taṇhāratirahito, “devoid of delight on account of craving,” but anato and nati would also fit the lemma and gloss respectively, as nati too is a synonym for taṇhā. The reading at Th 1214 is avanatho, which expresses virtually the same idea as nibbanatho.5, 713 “Whatever exists here on earth and in space,
Comprised by form, included in the world—
Everything impermanent decays;
The sages fare having pierced this truth.493Kiñci should be brought into pāda b (as at Th 1215) and connected semantically with yam in pāda a. Spk explains jagatogadhaṁ in pāda b as what exists within the earth, e.g., in the realm of the nāgas, but I take the expression in a wider sense, supported by Th-a III 190,4-5, which glosses: “Whatever is mundane, conditioned, included in the three realms of existence.” “Everything impermanent decays (parijīyati sabbam aniccaṁ)”—this, says Spk, was “the elder’s great insight” (mahāvipassanā).6, 714 “People are tied to their acquisitions,
To what is seen, heard, sensed, and felt;
Dispel desire for this, be unstirred:
They call him a sage
Who clings to nothing here.494Spk identifies the upadhi in pāda a as the “acquisitions” of the aggregates, defilements, and volitional formations; see n. 21. No explanation is given for the exclusion of “acquisitions as sensual pleasures” (kāmūpadhi) which the context seems to allow, indeed even to require. In commenting on pāda b, Spk says paṭigha, “the sensed,” comprises odour and taste, while muta, “the felt,” denotes the tactile object. Th-a III 190,15-20 inverts the explanation: paṭigha is glossed as phoṭṭhabba, and muta as gandha-rasa. The familiar tetrad is diṭṭha, suta, muta, and viññāta (see 35:95; IV 73,4-7); the commentaries explain muta as comprising odour, taste, and the tactile object, and viññāta as mental objects. Norman translates muta as thought (its original sense), implying that this tetrad corresponds to the more familiar one, with paṭigha assuming the usual role of muta and the latter serving in place of viññāta. In deference to Spk and Th-a, I prefer to translate the present tetrad in a way that comprises only the five external sense bases and thus as signifying the five cords of sensual pleasure.[187]7, 715 “Then those caught in the sixty,
Led by their own thoughts—
There are many such among the people
Who have settled on wrong doctrine:
One who would not join their faction anywhere,
Nor utter corrupt speech—he is a bhikkhu.495The readings of pāda ab vary among the different eds. I prefer that of Ee2: Atha saṭṭhisitā savitakkā/Puthū janatāya adhammaniviṭṭhā. The metre is irregular Vegavatī. The verse is obscure and evidently challenged the ingenuity of the commentators. Spk paraphrases: “Then many unrighteous thoughts attached to the six sense objects have settled upon the people” (atha cha ārammaṇanissitā puthū adhammavitakkā janatāya niviṭṭhā). This explanation is flawed in two respects: (i) it construes the subject as vitakkā, thoughts, when the Pāli reads savitakkā, a bahubbīhi compound denoting persons with thoughts; if we take sa here to represent Skt sva rather than saha, savitakkā means those who are led by (or full of) their own thoughts; (ii) it explains saṭṭhi as cha, six, when it properly means sixty. Th-a III 190,28-31 mentions the opinion held by some commentators that saṭṭhisitā is an allusion to the sixty-two views of the Brahmajāla Sutta, and the verse does in fact echo the closing simile of that sutta (DN I 45,25-27): “Just as all large sea creatures are caught in the fisherman’s net, so all these speculative thinkers are trapped within this net of sixty-two cases; here they are caught whenever they emerge” (te imeh’ eva dvāsaṭṭhiyā vatthūhi antojālīkatā ettha sitā va ummujjamānā ummujjanti). In pāda c, vaggagatassa should be resolved vaggagato assa. Spk takes the line to mean that one should not join the faction of defilements (kilesavagga), but I understand it literally. In fact, at Sn 371b we find vaggagatesu na vaggasāri dhīro, “Among those who are factious, the wise one does not follow a faction.” Pj II 365,20-24 explains this by reference to the sixty-two speculative views, thus linking it to the present verse. See in this connection GD, p. 217, n. to 371.
Pāda d reads no pana duṭṭhullabhānī sa bhikkhu, which Spk-pṭ explains as an injunction not to speak words connected with sensuality (kāmapaṭisaṁyuttakathā). Th 1217 reads here duṭṭhullagāhī, “one should not grasp what is corrupt,” which Th-a explains as referring to the grasping of corrupt views.8, 716 “Proficient, long trained in concentration,
Honest, discreet, without longing,
The sage has attained the peaceful state,
Depending on which he bides his time
Fully quenched within himself.”496Spk identifies “the peaceful state” (of pāda c) with Nibbāna and paraphrases pāda d thus: “Fully quenched by the full quenching of defilements in dependence on Nibbāna, he awaits the time of his parinibbāna [Spk-pṭ: the time of the Nibbāna element without residue] ” (nibbāna paṭicca kilesaparinibbānena parinibbuto parinibbānakālaṁ [anupādisesanibbānakālaṁ] āgameti).
3. Well Behaved
1On one occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was living at Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava Shrine together with his preceptor, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa. Now on that occasion, the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, because of his own ingenuity, had been looking down at other well-behaved bhikkhus.497 Spk states that he prided himself on his learning; however, paṭibhāna is used to mean skill in verbal expression and thus probably refers here specifically to Vaṅgı̄sa’s poetic talent.
Then the thought occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “It is a loss for me indeed, it is no gain for me! It is a mishap for me indeed, it is not well gained by me, that because of my ingenuity I look down upon other well-behaved bhikkhus.”
2Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having aroused remorse in himself, on that occasion recited these verses:
3, 717 “Abandon conceit, O Gotama,
And leave the pathway of conceit entirely.
Infatuated with the pathway of conceit,
For a long time you’ve been remorseful.498Asesaṁ should be moved from pāda c into pāda b. Spk explains “pathway of conceit” (mānapathaṁ) as the object of conceit and the states coexistent with conceit, but it may be just a metaphorical expression for conduct governed by conceit. Spk says he addressed himself as “Gotama” (the Buddha’s clan name) because he is a disciple of the Buddha Gotama, but this is hard to accept; see v. 721 just below where Ānanda is so addressed because he actually was a member of the Gotama clan. I do not know of any other instance of monks addressing themselves (or others) as “Gotama” simply on the ground that they are disciples of the Buddha Gotama. In the next verse we should twice read mānahatā in place of Ee1 mānagatā. Th-a glosses mānena hataguṇā, “with good qualities destroyed by conceit.”4, 718 “People smeared by denigration,
Slain by conceit, fall into hell.
People sorrow for a long time,
Slain by conceit, reborn in hell.5, 719 “But a bhikkhu never sorrows at all,
A path-knower practising rightly.
He experiences acclaim and happiness;
Truly they call him a seer of Dhamma.499Spk explains maggajino in pāda b as a “path-conqueror,” i.e., “one who has conquered defilements by the path,” but I follow Norman’s suggestion (at GD, p. 164, n. to 84) that the word is a variant of maggaññu (< Skt mārgajña), formed by resolution with an epenthetic (svarabhakti) vowel rather than by assimilation.[188]6, 720 “Therefore be pliant here and strenuous;
Having abandoned the hindrances, be pure.
Having entirely abandoned conceit,
Be an end-maker by knowledge, peaceful.”500Th-a glosses akhilo in pāda a with pañcacetokhilarahito, “devoid of the five kinds of mental barrenness,” with reference to MN I 101,9-27. The five are doubt and perplexity about the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, and training, and anger towards one’s co-religionists. This seems preferable to interpreting the word by way of the three khila—greed, hatred, and delusion (see n. 84)—as the five cetokhila are said to be obstacles to “ardour, exertion, persistence, and striving” and their elimination is thus a prerequisite for strenuous effort. In pāda d, vijjāyantakaro is a syntactical compound, here with the first member an instrumental or ablative; see n. 68. The verse lacks a finite verb, but Th-a says that the verse was spoken by way of self-admonition, and I have therefore supplied imperatives to convey this effect. The verse can be seen as describing a progression: “First be rid of the five obstacles to striving, then be strenuous. By effort abandon the five hindrances and attain purity of mind through concentration. On this basis, develop insight into nonself and abandon conceit. Thereby you will eradicate the taints by knowledge, make an end to suffering, and dwell in the peace of Nibbāna.”
4. Ānanda
1On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, in the morning, the Venerable Ānanda dressed and, taking bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms with the Venerable Vaṅgīsa as his companion. Now on that occasion dissatisfaction had arisen in the Venerable Vaṅgīsa; lust had infested his mind.501 Spk: Once, when the Venerable Ānanda was invited to the royal palace to teach the Dhamma to the womenfolk, he brought along Vaṅgı̄sa, then newly ordained, as his companion. When Vaṅgı̄sa saw the women, beautifully attired in their best ornaments, lust infested his mind, and at the first opportunity he revealed his distress to Ānanda. Vism 38 (Ppn 1:103), which cites the verses (though in a different sequence), relates that Vaṅgı̄sa had become overpowered by lust when he caught sight of a woman on his alms round soon after going forth. A Skt version of the same story, with the verses, is cited in Enomoto, CSCS, pp. 44-45.
Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa addressed the Venerable Ānanda in verse:
2, 721 “I am burning with sensual lust,
My mind is engulfed by fire.
Please tell me how to extinguish it,
Out of compassion, O Gotama.”502He addresses Ānanda as “Gotama” because Ānanda was a member of the Gotama clan. Here there is surely a word play on nibbāpana (and on nibbāpehi in v. 723c) as meaning both the extinguishing of a fire and the attainment of Nibbāna.
[The Venerable Ānanda:]
3, 722 “It is through an inversion of perception
That your mind is engulfed by fire.
Turn away from the sign of beauty
Provocative of sensual lust.503Vv . 722 and 724-25, though spoken by Ānanda, are included among Vaṅgı̄sa’s verses as Th 1224-26. The “inversion of perception” (saññāya vipariyesā) is fourfold: perceiving permanence, happiness, selfhood, and beauty in what is actually impermanent, suffering, nonself, and foul; see AN II 52,4-7.4, 723 “See formations as alien,
As suffering, not as self.
Extinguish the great fire of lust;
Don’t burn up again and again.504The verse is not found in Th proper, but occurs in the text of Th cited in ThA, though without comment. The idea expressed in pādas ab is at Th 1160-61, ascribed to Mahāmoggallāna.5, 724 “Develop the mind on foulness,
One-pointed, well concentrated;
Apply your mindfulness to the body,
Be engrossed in revulsion.505At Sn II, 11 (pp. 58-59) both this verse and the next are included in the Buddha’s advice to his son Rāhula. The meditation on foulness (asubha) is the contemplation of the parts of the body, as at 51:20 (V 278,6-14), or the cemetery meditations, as at 46:57-61.6, 725 “Develop meditation on the signless,
And discard the tendency to conceit.
Then, by breaking through conceit,
You will be one who fares at peace.”506The signless (animitta), according to Spk, is insight (vipassanā ), so called because it strips away the “signs” of permanence, etc.
5. Well Spoken
1At Sāvatthī.507 The entire sutta is at Sn III, 3 (pp. 78-79).
There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus!”
2“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
3“Bhikkhus, when speech possesses four factors, then it is well spoken, not badly spoken, and it is blameless, not blameworthy among the wise. What four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu speaks only what is well spoken, not what is badly spoken. He speaks only on the Dhamma, not on non-Dhamma. [189] He speaks only what is pleasant, not what is unpleasant. He speaks only what is true, not what is false. When speech possesses these four factors, it is well spoken, not badly spoken, and it is blameless, not blameworthy among the wise.”508 The Buddha’s statement seems partly redundant by making well spoken (subhāsita) one among four factors of well-spoken speech. Spk proposes a solution by first defining well-spoken speech in the wider sense as speech that brings benefit, and by then correlating the four factors of well-spoken speech with the four aspects of right speech—being truthful, conducive to harmony, gentle, and meaningful. Well-spoken speech in the narrower sense is identified with speech that promotes harmony. At AN III 243,27-244,6 well-spoken speech is defined by way of five different factors all external to itself: it is spoken at the proper time, is truthful, gently stated, beneficial, and spoken with a mind of lovingkindness.
4This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:
5, 726 “What is well spoken, the good say, is foremost;
Second, speak Dhamma, not non-Dhamma;
Third, speak what is pleasant, not unpleasant;
Fourth, speak the truth, not falsehood.”
6Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”509 See n. 227.
7The Blessed One said: “Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”
8Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses:
9, 727 “One should utter only such speech
By which one does not afflict oneself
Nor cause harm to others:
Such speech is truly well spoken.10, 728 “One should utter only pleasant speech,
Speech that is gladly welcomed.
When it brings them nothing evil
What one speaks is pleasant to others.11, 729 “Truth, indeed, is deathless speech:
This is an ancient principle.
The goal and the Dhamma, the good say,
Are established upon truth.510Spk: “‘Truth, indeed, is deathless speech’ (saccaṁ ve amatā vācā) means that the Buddha’s speech is similar to the Deathless because of its goodness (sādhubhāvena, Be; or its sweetness, if we read sādubhāvena with Se and Ee); or it is deathless because it is a condition for attaining Nibbāna the Deathless.” The former explanation indicates that the text is playing upon the two meanings of amata, “deathless” (= Nibbāna) and “ambrosia,” in Vedic mythology the drink of the immortal gods. Spk remarks on pādas cd: “Being established in truth they were established in the goal (or the good) of oneself and others; being established in the goal (the good), they were established in the Dhamma. Or else, sacca is to be taken as an adjective (= true) qualifying the goal and the Dhamma.”
Spk’s explanation presupposes that the three nouns—sacce, atthe, and dhamme—are proper locatives and āhu an aorist of honti (= ahū). Based on the work of Lüders, Norman suggests (at EV I, n. to 1229) that atthe and dhamme were originally nominatives in an Eastern dialect that had the nominative singular in -e, and were then mistaken for locatives in the process of “translation” into Pāli. I follow Norman in my rendering of the line. In the BHS version (Uv 8:14) the translation went in the opposite direction: into satyaṁ as a nominative and arthe and dharme as locatives.12, 730 “The secure speech which the Buddha utters
For the attainment of Nibbāna,
For making an end to suffering
Is truly the foremost speech.”511Spk-pṭ: “Since the Buddha speaks for the sake of security (khemāya), his speech is ‘secure,’ as it is the cause for the arising of security. Thus it is the foremost speech.”
6. Sāriputta
1On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that was polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning. And those bhikkhus were listening to the Dhamma with eager ears, attending to it as a matter of vital concern, directing their whole mind to it.
2Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: [190] ”This Venerable Sāriputta is instructing the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning. And those bhikkhus are listening to the Dhamma with eager ears…. Let me extol the Venerable Sāriputta to his face with suitable verses.”
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Venerable Sāriputta, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, friend Sāriputta! An inspiration has come to me, friend Sāriputta!”
4“Then express your inspiration, friend Vaṅgīsa.”
5Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Venerable Sāriputta to his face with suitable verses:
6, 731 “Deep in wisdom, intelligent,
Skilled in the true path and the false,
Sāriputta, of great wisdom,
Teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus.7, 732 “He teaches briefly,
He speaks in detail.
His voice, like that of a myna bird,
Pours forth inspired discourse.512Spk paraphrases pāda c as if it contained an implicit verb hoti and treats pāda d as an independent sentence with paṭibhānaṁ as subject. It seems more fitting, however, to take nigghoso in pāda c as the subject of udīrayi and paṭibhānaṁ as its object, and I translate accordingly. Spk explains the simile: “The elder’s sweet voice, as he teaches the Dhamma, is like the voice of a myna bird when, having tasted a sweet ripe mango, it strikes up a breeze with its wings and emits a sweet sound.” Spk glosses the verb with uṭṭhahati, and paraphrases with an intransitive sense: “Inspired discourse rises up (from him) endlessly, like waves from the ocean.” This implies that Spk reads udiyyati , the Be reading of Th 1232.8, 733 “As he teaches them, they listen
To his sweet utterance.
Uplifted in mind, made joyful
By his delightful voice,
Sonorous and lovely,
The bhikkhus incline their ears.”
7. Pavāraṇā
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park in the Mansion of Migāra’s Mother together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus, all of them arahants. Now on that occasion—the Uposatha day of the fifteenth—the Blessed One was sitting in the open surrounded by the Bhikkhu Saṅgha in order to hold the Pavāraṇā.513 The Uposatha is the Buddhist “observance day,” held in accordance with the phases of the moon. The major Uposathas occur on the full-moon and new-moon days, the fifteenth of the fortnight (except six times per year—two for each of the three seasons of the Indian calendar—when the Uposatha falls on the new-moon day of a shorter, fourteen-day fortnight). On these days the bhikkhus normally gather to recite the Pātimokkha, the code of monastic rules. At the end of the annual rains residence (vassāvāsa), however, the recital of the rules is replaced by a ceremony called the Pavāraṇā, the Invitation, at which each bhikkhu in order of seniority invites (pavāreti) the other bhikkhus in his fraternity to point out any misconduct on his part.
Then, having surveyed the silent Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Come now, bhikkhus, let me invite you: Is there any deed of mine, either bodily or verbal, which you would censure?”
2When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “Venerable sir, there is no deed of the Blessed One, either bodily or verbal, that we censure. [191] For, venerable sir, the Blessed One is the originator of the path unarisen before, the producer of the path unproduced before, the declarer of the path undeclared before. He is the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, the one skilled in the path. And his disciples now dwell following that path and become possessed of it afterwards. 514 On the Buddha as the originator of the path, see 22:58.
And I, venerable sir, invite the Blessed One: Is there any deed of mine, either bodily or verbal, which the Blessed One would censure?”
3“There is no deed of yours, Sāriputta, either bodily or verbal, that I censure. For you, Sāriputta, are wise, one of great wisdom, of wide wisdom, of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, of sharp wisdom, of penetrative wisdom. Just as the eldest son of a wheel-turning monarch properly keeps in motion the wheel [of sovereignty] set in motion by his father, so do you, Sāriputta, properly keep in motion the Wheel of Dhamma set in motion by me.”515 The eulogy of Sāriputta is at 2:29; see too n. 184. The wheel-turning monarch (rājā cakkavattī) is the ideal world-ruler of Buddhist tradition; see DN III 59-63 and MN III 172-77.
4“If, venerable sir, the Blessed One does not censure any deed of mine, bodily or verbal, does he censure any deed, bodily or verbal, of these five hundred bhikkhus?”
5“There is no deed, Sāriputta, bodily or verbal, of these five hundred bhikkhus that I censure. For of these five hundred bhikkhus, Sāriputta, sixty bhikkhus are triple-knowledge bearers, sixty bhikkhus are bearers of the six direct knowledges, sixty bhikkhus are liberated in both ways, while the rest are liberated by wisdom.”516 On the triple knowledge (tevijjā) and the six direct knowledges (chaḷabhiññā), see n. 395. Those liberated in both ways (ubhatobhāgavimutta) are arahants who attain arahantship along with mastery over the formless meditative attainments. Those liberated by wisdom (paññāvimutta) are arahants who attain the goal without mastering the formless meditations; for formal definitions see MN I 477,25-478,1, and 12:70 (II 123,26-124,2).
6Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”
7The Blessed One said: “Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”
8Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses:
9, 734 “Five hundred bhikkhus have gathered today,
The fifteenth day, for purification—
Untroubled seers who have ended renewed existence,
Who have cut off all fetters and bonds. [192]10, 735 “Just as a king, a wheel-turning monarch,
Accompanied by his ministers,
Travels all over this mighty earth
Bounded by the deep dark ocean—11, 736 So they attend on the victor in battle,
The unsurpassed caravan leader—
The disciples bearing the triple knowledge,
Who have left Death far behind.517On the wheel-turning monarch see n. 515. Spk explains that the Buddha is the victor in battle (vijitasaṅgāmaṁ) because he has won the battle against lust, hatred, and delusion, and because he has triumphed over the army of Māra. He is the caravan leader (satthāvāha) because he leads beings across the desert of saṁsāra on the chariot of the Noble Eightfold Path.12, 737 “All are true sons of the Blessed One,
Here no worthless chaff is found.
I worship the Kinsman of the Sun,
Destroyer of the dart of craving.”
8. Over a Thousand
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park, together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus, with 1,250 bhikkhus. Now on that occasion the Blessed One was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk concerning Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus were listening to the Dhamma with eager ears, attending to it as a matter of vital concern, directing their whole mind to it.
2Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “This Blessed One is instructing the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk concerning Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus are listening to the Dhamma with eager ears…. Let me extol the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses.”
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”
4“Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”
5Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses:
6, 738 “Over a thousand bhikkhus here
Attend upon the Fortunate One
As he teaches the dust-free Dhamma,
Nibbāna inaccessible to fear.518Spk: Nibbāna is called “inaccessible to fear” (akutobhayaṁ, lit. “no fear from anywhere”) because there is no fear from any quarter in Nibbāna, or because there is no fear from any quarter for one who has attained Nibbāna. More typically, akutobhaya is used as a personal epithet of the Buddha or an arahant, as at Dhp 196, Th 289, and Thı̄ 333; see EV I, n. to 289. Even in the present case we cannot be certain that the expression is not used in apposition to the Buddha rather than to Nibbāna, as both are accusative singulars, but I follow Spk.7, 739 “They listen to the stainless Dhamma
Taught by the Perfectly Enlightened One.
The Enlightened One indeed shines
Honoured by the Bhikkhu Saṅgha.8, 740 “O Blessed One, your name is ‘Nāga,’
The best seer of the seers.
Like a great cloud bearing rain
You pour down on the disciples.519On nāga see n. 84. Spk explains the ambiguous expression isīnaṁ isisattamo as “the seventh seer of the seers beginning with Vipassı̄,” referring to the lineage of the seven Buddhas. Spk-pṭ offers, besides this explanation, an alternative based on sattama as the superlative of sant: “He is the best, the highest, the supreme (sattamo uttaro [sic: read uttamo?] seṭṭho) of seers including paccekabuddhas, Buddhist disciples, and outside seers.” I agree with Norman that this second alternative is more likely to be correct; see EV I, n. to 1240.[193]9, 741 “Having emerged from his daytime abode
From a desire to behold the Teacher,
Your disciple Vaṅgīsa, O great hero,
Bows down in worship at your feet.”
10“Had you already thought out these verses, Vaṅgīsa, or did they occur to you spontaneously?”520 The contrast is between pubbe parivitakkitā and ṭhānaso paṭibhanti. Spk explains that the Buddha asked this question because other bhikkhus had been criticizing Vaṅgı̄sa, thinking that he neglected study and meditation and passed all his time composing verses. The Master wanted to make them recognize the excellence of his spontaneous ingenuity (paṭibhānasampatti).
11“I had not already thought out these verses, venerable sir; they occurred to me spontaneously.”
12“In that case, Vaṅgīsa, let some more verses, not already thought out, occur to you.”
13“Yes, venerable sir,” the Venerable Vaṅgīsa replied. Then he extolled the Blessed One with some more verses that had not been previously thought out:
14, 742 “Having overcome the deviant course of Māra’s path,
You fare having demolished barrenness of mind.
Behold him, the releaser from bondage,
Unattached, dissecting into parts.521Spk: The deviant course of Māra’s path (ummaggapathaṁ Mārassa) refers to the emergence of the hundreds of defilements, called a path because they are the path into the round of existence. On barrenness of mind (khila) see n. 500. In pāda d, I read asitaṁ bhāgaso pavibhajjaṁ, with Se and Ee1 & 2. Be reads pavibhajaṁ. Spk glosses as vibhajantaṁ, an accusative present participle, but Norman suggests pavibhajjaṁ may be an absolutive with -ṁ added, and Spk mentions a v.l. pavibhajja, a clear absolutive. Spk paraphrases: “who analyses the Dhamma by way of such groups as the establishments of mindfulness,” etc. The explanation sounds contrived, but it is difficult to determine the original meaning.15, 743 “For the sake of leading us across the flood
You declared the path with its many aspects.
The seers of Dhamma stand immovable
In that Deathless declared by you.522In pāda c, Be reads tasmiṁ ce in text, while Ee2 has tasmiṁ ca, which Spk (Be) reads in the lemma (but not in the text); the latter is the reading at Th 1243. Norman, on metrical grounds, suggests amending the latter to tamhi ca or tasmi[ṁ] ca. Se and Ee1 have tasmiṁ te, which Spk (Se) has in the lemma. Spk glosses with tasmiṁ tena akkhāte amate (Be and Se concur). Since here the aorist akkhāsi can be taken as either second person or third person, I translate on the supposition that the second person is intended, which is consistent with carasi in the previous verse. Th 1242 has carati, which justifies the translation of the parallel verse in that work as a third person. I also take te to be the enclitic for tayā rather than tena. I understand the clause to be a true locative rather than a locative absolute and take “the Deathless” here to be a contraction of “the path to the Deathless,” alluded to in pāda b. This has the support of Spk-pṭ, which says: amate akkhāte ti amatāvahe dhamme desite, “‘In that Deathless declared’ means in that Dhamma taught (by you) which brings the Deathless.”16, 744 “The light-maker, having pierced right through,
Saw the transcendence of all stations;
Having known and realized it himself,
He taught the chief matter to the five.523[He] saw the transcendence of all stations (sabbaṭṭhitīnam atikkamam addasa). Spk: “He saw Nibbāna, the transcendence of all the standpoints of views and of all the stations of consciousness.” Six standpoints of views (diṭṭhiṭṭhāna) are mentioned at MN I 135,27-136,2; eight at Paṭis I 138,14-26). Four stations of consciousness (viññāṇaṭṭhiti) are at DN III 228,6-13, seven at DN III 253,9-20; see too 22:54. Spk: The chief matter (agga) is the supreme Dhamma; or if the v.l. agge is adopted, the meaning is: at the beginning, first of all. The five (dasaddhānaṁ, lit. “half of ten”) are the bhikkhus of the group of five (i.e., the first five disciples). Thus the meaning is: He taught the chief Dhamma to the five bhikkhus, or he taught the five bhikkhus at the beginning (of his ministry).17, 745 “When the Dhamma has been so well taught,
What negligence is there for those who understand it?
Therefore, living diligent in the Blessed One’s Teaching,
One should always reverently train in it.”
9. Koṇḍañña
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Then the Venerable Aññā Koṇḍañña, after a very long absence, approached the Blessed One, prostrated himself with his head at the Blessed One’s feet, kissed the Blessed One’s feet, [194] stroked them with his hands, and announced his name thus: “I am Koṇḍañña, Blessed One! I am Koṇḍañña, Fortunate One!”524 The elder’s first name is spelled Aññāsi in Be and Ee1; here I follow Se and Ee2. He was one of the first five disciples and the very first to obtain comprehension of the Dhamma; it was for this reason that he was given the name “Aññā” (or “Aññāsi”), which means “understanding” (or “understood”). See 56:11 (V 424,8-11). According to Spk, the “very long absence” was twelve years, during which he dwelt on the bank of the Mandākini Lotus Pond in the Chaddanta Forest in the Himalayas, a dwelling place favoured by paccekabuddhas. He was fond of seclusion and thus rarely joined the community.
2Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “This Venerable Aññā Koṇḍañña, after a very long absence, has approached the Blessed One … kisses the Blessed One’s feet, strokes them with his hands, and announces his name…. Let me extol the Venerable Aññā Koṇḍañña in the Blessed One’s presence with suitable verses.”
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”
4“Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”
5Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Venerable Aññā Koṇḍañña in the Blessed One’s presence with suitable verses:
6, 746 “Enlightened in succession to the Buddha,
The elder Koṇḍañña, of strong endeavour,
Is one who gains pleasant dwellings,
One who often gains the seclusions.525Enlightened in succession to the Buddha (buddhānubuddho). Spk: First the Teacher awakened to the Four Noble Truths and after him the Elder Koṇḍañña awakened to them. The pleasant dwellings (sukhavihārā) are the “pleasant dwellings in this present life” (diṭṭthadhammasukhavihārā), i.e., the jhānas and fruition attainment; the seclusions (vivekā) are the three seclusions (of body through physical solitude, of mind through jhāna, and seclusion from the acquisitions by destruction of all defilements). Buddhānubuddhasāvakā is used in a more general sense in 16:5 (II 203, 7) with reference to the old generation of enlightened monks.7, 747 “Whatever may be attained by a disciple
Who practises the Master’s Teaching,
All that has been attained by him,
One who trained diligently.8, 748 “Of great might, a triple-knowledge man,
Skilled in the course of others’ minds—
Koṇḍañña, a true heir of the Buddha,
Pays homage at the Teacher’s feet.”526In pāda c we should read buddhadāyādo with Be, Se, and Ee2, as against Ee1 buddhasāvako. Spk states that although only four abhiññās are mentioned, the elder possessed all six. He had come to take leave of the Buddha as he realized the time for his parinibbāna was approaching. After this meeting he returned to the Himalayas and passed away in his hut. The elephants were the first to mourn his death and honoured him by escorting his body in procession across the Himalayas. Then the devas built a casket for the body and passed it up through the various celestial realms so the devas and brahmās could pay final homage to him, after which the casket was returned to earth for the cremation. The remains were brought to the Buddha, who placed them in a cetiya, “and even today, it is said, that cetiya still stands.”
10. Moggallāna
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on the Black Rock on the Isigili Slope, together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus all of whom were arahants. Thereupon the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna searched their minds with his own mind [and saw that they were] released, without acquisitions.
2Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “The Blessed One is dwelling at Rājagaha on the Black Rock on the Isigili Slope…. Thereupon the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna has searched their minds with his own mind [and seen that they are] released, without acquisitions. Let me extol the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna in the Blessed One’s presence with suitable verses.” [195]
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”
4“Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”
5Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna in the Blessed One’s presence with suitable verses:
6, 749 “While the sage is seated on the mountain slope,
Gone to the far shore of suffering,
His disciples sit in attendance on him,
Triple-knowledge men who have left Death behind.7, 750 “Moggallāna, great in spiritual power,
Encompassed their minds with his own,
And searching [he came to see] their minds:
Fully released, without acquisitions!8, 751 “Thus those perfect in many qualities
Attend upon Gotama,
The sage perfect in all respects,
Gone to the far shore of suffering.”527In all eds. of SN and Th 1251 the text here reads sabbaṅgasampannaṁ in pāda a and anekākārasampannaṁ in pāda c, both accusative singulars set in apposition to the Buddha. This reading is doubtlessly ancient, for it is commented on as such by both Spk and Th-a. It is puzzling, however, that after having been described as “perfect in all respects” the Buddha should then be described as “perfect in many qualities”—almost as if his excellence is being diminished. I have accepted VĀT’s ingenious solution to this problem: amending the compound in pāda c to a nominative plural, anekākārasampannā, which then becomes a description, altogether apt, of the triple-knowledge arahants attending on the Buddha. These are the subject of payirūpāsanti, while Gotamaṁ remains the object, still qualified as sabbaṅgasampannaṁ. Note that at Th 1158c anekākārasampanne is used with reference to Sāriputta on the occasion of his parinibbāna; significantly, that verse mirrors v . 610 (SN I 158 = DN II 157), recited at the Buddha’s parinibbāna, extolling the Master as sabbākāravarūpete , “perfect in all excellent qualities.”
11. Gaggarā
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Campā on the bank of the Gaggarā Lotus Pond together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus, seven hundred male lay followers, seven hundred female lay followers, and many thousands of devatās. The Blessed One outshone them in beauty and glory.
2Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “This Blessed One is dwelling at Campā … and many thousands of devatās. The Blessed One outshines them in beauty and glory. Let me extol the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses.”
3Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”
4“Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”
5Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Blessed One to his face with a suitable verse: [196]
6, 752 “As the moon shines in a cloudless sky,
As the sun shines devoid of stain,
So you, Aṅgīrasa, O great sage,
Outshine the whole world with your glory.”
12. Vaṅgīsa
1 On one occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Vaṅgīsa had only recently attained arahantship and, while experiencing the happiness of liberation, on that occasion he recited these verses:
2, 753 “Drunk on poetry, I used to wander
From village to village, town to town.
Then I saw the Enlightened One
And faith arose within me.529Kāveyyamattā, “drunk on poetry,” occurs at v. 470a. Spk relates here the story of Vaṅgı̄sa’s first meeting with the Buddha, also found at Dhp-a IV 226-28; see BL 3:334-36. According to this story, Vaṅgı̄sa had been a wandering brahmin who earned his living by tapping the skulls of dead men and declaring their place of rebirth. When he met the Buddha, the Master presented him with several skulls, including the skull of an arahant. Vaṅgı̄sa could guess correctly the rebirth of the deceased owners of the other skulls, but when he came to the arahant he was baffled. He entered the Saṅgha for the purpose of learning how to determine an arahant’s realm of rebirth, but soon thereafter discarded this aim when he realized the holy life was lived for a nobler purpose.3, 754 “He then taught me the Dhamma:
Aggregates, sense bases, and elements.
Having heard the Dhamma from him,
I went forth into homelessness.4, 755 “Indeed, for the good of many,
The sage attained enlightenment,
For the bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs
Who have reached and seen the fixed course.530If this verse seems narrowly monastic in focus, its counterpart Th 1256-57 corrects the imbalance by mentioning all four classes of disciples: Indeed, for the good of many
5, 756 “Welcome indeed has it been for me,
My coming into the Buddha’s presence.
The three knowledges have been obtained,
The Buddha’s Teaching has been done.6, 757 “I know now my past abodes,
The divine eye is purified.
A triple knowledge man, attained to spiritual powers,
I am skilled in the course of others’ minds.”531Spk: Although the divine ear is not mentioned it should be included. Thus he was a great disciple who had attained the six abhiññās.
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