chapter- 3 = 21/11/13

CHAPTER-3 BUDDHIST MORALITY

3.1 MINOR MORALITY (CULA-SILA)

Once the Bhagava

[1][1] (the Exalted One) made a long journey from Rajagaha to Nalanda with a large company of bhikhus[2][2] numbering five hundred. Suppiya, a wandering ascetic, was also making a long journey from Rajagaha to Nalanda together with his pupil, the youth Brahmadatta.

In the course of the journey Suppiya, the wandering ascetic, maligned the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha in many ways the youth Brahmadatta, the pupil of Supiya, however, praised  the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha in many ways. Thus the teacher and pupil, each saying things directly contradictory to the other, followed , behind the Bhagava and the company of bhikkhus.

Then the bhagava went up the King’s Rest House at the Ambalatthika garden to put up there there with his company of bhikkhus for one night. The wandering ascetic, Suppiya approached the same Rest House with his pupil, the youth Brahmadatta, to put up there for one  night. At the garden also, the

wandering ascetic, Suppiya maligned the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha in many ways, whereas his pupil, the youth Brahmadatta, praised the Budha, the Dhamma and the Samgha in many ways. And in this manner the teacher and the pupil were each saying things directly contradictory to the other.

Then as the night ended the day dawned, the bhikhus congregated in the pavilion when the following conversation arose:  “ Friendsǃ How wonderful ǃ And , indeed, how marvelous, Friends, that what has never happened before has now happened ǃ The Exalted One, the All-knowing, the all seeing, the Homage worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened, understands with clear penetration the varied dispositions of sentient beings. ( As an example of how there are varied dispositions of sentient beings, the bhikhus continued to say)[3][3]  this wandering ascetic, Suppiya, maligned the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha  in many ways, whereas his pupil, the youth Brahmadatta, praised the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Samgha in many ways.  The teacher and the pupil, each saying things directly contradictory to the other, followed behind the Budhha and the company of Bhikhus.”

The Buddha,  knowing the subject of their talk [4][4] came to the pavilion, took the seat prepared for him and asked: “ Bhikhusǃ what were you talking about as you are assembled here? What was the subject of your unfinished conversation before I came ?” On thus being questioned, the bhikhus told the Buddha thus :

“Venerable Sirǃ As the night ended and the day dawned, we congregated in this pavilion and the following conversation arose:

‘ Friends ǃ How wonderful ǃ And, indeed, how marvelous, Friends that what has never  happened before has now happened ǃ The Exalted One the All-knowing, the All-seeing, the Homage- Worthy, the perfectly Self-Enlightened, understands with clear penetration the varied dispositions of sentient beings.

This wandering ascetic, suppiya, maligned the Buddha, the Dhammaand and the Samgha in many ways whereas his pupil, the youth Brahmadatta , praised the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha in many ways.  The teacher and the pupil, each saying things directly contradictory to the other, followed behind the Buddha and The company bhikhus.’ “This, Venerable Sir, was the unfinished conversation before the Buddha came in.”   Bhikhusǃ If others should malign the Buddha , the Dhamma and the Samgha, you must not feel resentment, nor displeasure, nor anger on that account.

Bhikhusǃ If you feel angry or displeased when others malign the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha it will only be harmful to you (because then you will not be able to practice the Dhamma).  Bhikhusǃ if you feel angry or displeased when others malign the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha, will you be able to discriminate their good speech from bad? “No, indeed, Venerable Sirǃ” said the Bhikhus. If others malign me, or the Dhamma, or the Samgha, you should explain (to them)  what is false as false, saying ‘ It is not so.  It is not true. It is, indeed, not thus with us. Such fault is not be found among  us.’ Bhikhusǃ if others should praise the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha, you should not feel pleased, or delighted, or elated on that account.  Bhikhusǃ  if you feel pleased, or delighted or elated, when others praise me or the Dhamma, or the Samgha it will only be harmful to you. [5][5]  Bhikhusǃif others praise me , the Dhamma, or the Samgha, you should admit what is true as true, saying  ‘ It is so. It is true, it is thus with us. In fact, it is to be found among us. 

Minor Morality[6][6] – Bhikhusǃ when a world ling[7][7] praise the buddha[8][8] he might to do so only in respect of matters of trifling and inferior nature, of more morality.[9][9] And

What are  those matters of a trifling inferior nature, of mere morality, by which  a world ling might praise the Tathagata?

Bhikhusǃ In his praise of Tathagata world ling might say thus: ‘ Samana Gotama abandons all thoughts of taking life and abstains from destruction of life , setting aside the stick and sword, ashamed to do evil, and he is compassionate and dwells with solicitude for the welfare of all living beings.’ Bhikhusǃ In his praise of the Tathagata, a world ling might say thus: ‘Samana abandons all thoughts of taking what is not given and abstains from taking what is not given .He accepts only what  is given, wishing to receive only what is given.  He establishes himself in purity by abstaining from committing theft.’  Bhikhusǃ In his praise of the Tathagata, a worldling might say thus:  “Samana Gotama abandons all thoughts of leading a life of unchastity and practices chastity, remaining virtuous and abstinent from sexual intercourse, the practice of lay people.’

Bhikhusǃ In his praise of the Tathagata ,  a worldling might say thus:  ‘ Samana Gotama abandons all thoughts of telling lies and abstains from telling lies,  speaking only the truth , combining truth with truth, remaining steadfast (in truth) trustworthy and not deceiving.’

Bhikhusǃ In his praise of the Tathagata, a worldling might say thus: “Samana Gotama Abandons all  thoughts of slandering and  abstains from slander. Hearing things from these people to sow the seed of discovered among them.  Hearing things from those people, he does not relate them to those people to sow the seed of discord among them. He reconciles those who are at variance. He encourages those who are in accord.  He delights in unity, loves it and rejoices in it.  He speaks to create harmony.

Bhikhusǃ In his praise of the Tathgat, aworldling might say thus: “Samana Gotama abandons all thoughts of speaking harshly and abstains from harsh speech. He speaks only blameless words, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, courteous, pleasing to many and heartening to many.’

Bhikhusǃ In his praise of the Tathagata, a worldling might say thus: ‘Samana Gotama abandons all thoughts of taking frivolously and abstain from being truthful .His speech is appropriate to the occasion, being truthful, beneficial , consistent with the Doctrine and the Discipline, memorable, timely and opportune, with reasons, confined within limits and conducive to welfare.’ In his praise of the Tathagata, a worldling might say thus: ‘Samana Gotama abstains from destroying all seeds and vegetation.

 ‘Samana Gotama takes only one meal a day, not taking food at night and fasting after mid-day.

“Samana Gotama abstains from dancing, singing, music and watching (entertainments) that is a stumbling block to the attainment of morality.    

“Samana Gotama abstains from wearing flowers, using perfumes and anointing with unguents.

“Samana Gotama abstains from the use of high and luxurious beds and seats.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of  gold and silver.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of uncooked cereals.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of uncooked meat.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of women and maidens.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of male and female  slaves.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of goats and sheep.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of chickens and pigs.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of elephants cattle, horses and mares.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from the acceptance of cultivated or uncultivated land.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from acting as messenger or courier.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from buying and selling.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from using false weights and measures and counterfeits.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from such dishonest practices as bribery , cheating and fraud.

“ Samana Gotama abstains from maiming, murdering, holding persons in captivity, committing highway robbery, plundering villages and engaging in dacoity.

O Bhikhusǃ Such are things that might be said should a world ling praise the Tathagata.

3.2 MIDDLE MORALITY (MAJJIMA-SILA)

And then there are certain respected samanas and brahmanas (recluses in general) who, living on the food offered out of faith ( in Kamma and its results), are given to destroying such things as seeds and vegetation. And what are such things? They of five kinds, namely, root-germs, stem-germs, node-germs, plumule-germs and seed-germs. Samana Gotama abstains from destroying such seeds and vegetation. Bhikhusǃ A worldling might praise the Tathagata in this manner.

And then there are certain respected samanasand brahmanas who, living on the food offered out of faith (in kamma and its results) are given to strong up and using thing offered, such as ccoked rice , beverages, clothing, sandals beds, unguents and eatables. SamanaGotama abstains from  storing up and using such things. Bhikhusǃ A worldling might praise theTathagata in the manner.

13. And then there are certain respected samanasand  brahmanas who, living on the food offered out of faith (in kamma and its results) are given to watching (entertainments) that is a stumbling block to  the attainment of morality. And what are such entertainments? They are: dancing , singing, music, shows, recitations, hand-clapping, brass-instrument-playing, drum-playing, art exhibitions, playing with  an iron ball , bamboo raising games, rituals of washing the bones of the dead, elephant-fights horse-fights buffalo-fights, bull-fights, goal-fights, sheep-fights,  cock-fights, quail-fights, fighting with quarter-staffs, boxing, wrestling, military, tattoos, military reviews route marches and troop- movements, Samana Gotama abstains from watching (entertainments) which  is a stumbling block to the attainment of morality. Bhikhusǃ A world ling might praise the Tathagata in this manner.

14. And then are certain respected samanas and Brahmanas who, living on the food offered out of faith (in kamma and tis results) , are given to gambling (and taking part I sports and games) that weakness one’s vigilance (in the practice of morality). And what are such sports and games? They are: playing chess using on eight-squared or ten-squared broads: playing imaginary chess using the sky as a chess- boards: playing chess on moon-shaped chess-boards; flipping cowries with thumb and finger; throwing dice; playing up cat; playing with brush and paints; playing marbles; playing at whistling with folded leaves: playing with miniature ploughs; acrobatics; turning palm-leaf wheel; measuring with toy-baskets made of leaves; playing with miniature chariots; playing with small bows and arrows; alphabetical riddles; mind-reading and simulating physical defect. SamanaGotamaabstains from gambling(and taking part in such sports and games) that weakens one’s vigilance(in the practice of morality )  A worldling, bhikkhus, might praise the Tathagata in this manner.

15 And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the food offered out of faith (in Kammaand its results), are given to using high and luxurious  beds and their furnishings. And What are they? They are: high couches; divans raised on sculptured legs; long-fleeced carpets; woolen coverlets with quaint ( geometrical ) designs; white woolen coverlets; woolen coverlets with fringes on one or both sides; gold-brocaded coverlets with floral designs; mattresses stuffed with cotton; woolen coverlets with pictorial designs; woolen coverlets with fringes on one or both sides; gold-brocaded coverlets; silk coverlets; large carpets (wide enough for sixteen dancing girls to dance on) ; saddle cloth and trappings for elephants and horses; upholstery for carriages, rugs made of black panther’s hide, rugs made of antelope’s hide, red canopies and couches with red bolsters at each end . Samana Gotama abstain from using such high and luxurious, beds and their furnishings . A worldling, bhikkhus, might praise the Tathagata in the manner.

16. And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the food offered out of faith (in Kammaand its results), are given to beautifying or adorning themselves. And what are such embellishment and adornments? They are; using perfumed cosmetics, getting massaged, taking perfumed baths, developing one’s physique, using mirrors, painting eye-lashes dark , decorating (oneself) with flowers, applying powder  lotion to the body, beautifying the face with powder and lotion, wearing bangles, tying the hair into a top-knot, carrying walking sticks or ornamented hollow cylinders (containing medicinal herbs )or swords, using multi-colored umbrellas or footwear (with gorgeous designs), wearing a turban or hair-pin set with rubies, carrying a Yak-tail fan and wearing long white robes with fringes. SamanaGotama abstainsfrom such embellishment and adornment. A  worldling,  bhikkhus, might praise theTathagata in this manner.

17-And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

food offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), are given to engaging

themselves in unprofitable talk ( that is contrary to correct practice conducive to

the attainment  of deva realms and Nibbana), such as talk about kings, thieves,

ministers,  armed forces, calamities, battles, food, drinks, clothing, beds, flowers,

unguents, relatives, vehicles, villages, market-towns, cities, provinces, womenfolk,

heroes, streets, waterfronts, the dead and the departed, trivialities, the universe, the

oceans, prosperity, adversity , and so on. [10][10] Samana Gotama abstain from engaging

himself in such unprofitable talk. A worlding, bhikhus, might praise the Tathagata

in this manner.  18.And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who,

living on the food offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), are given to

mutually disparaging  disputes. And what are they? (They are as follows:) “ You

do not know this Doctrine and Discipline. I know this Doctrine and Discipline .

How  practice is wrong . My practice is right. My speech is coherent and sensible.

Your speech is not coherent and sensible. What you should say first , you say last;

and  what you should say last, you say first. What you have long practiced to say

has been upset now. I have exposed the faults in your doctrine. You stand rebuked.

Try to escape from this censure or explain it if you can.” Samana Gotama abstains

from such mutually disparaging disputes. worldling, Bhikkhus, might praise the

Tathagata in this manner.

 And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the food

offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), are given to serving as messengers

or couriers. And what are  such services? They are: going from this place to that

place, or coming from that place to this place and taking things from this place to

that place, or bringing things from that place to this place, on behalf of kings,

ministers, Brahmins, householders and youths. Samana Gotama abstain from

serving as messenger or courier. A worldling , bhikhus, might praise the Tathagata

in this manner.

 And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the food

offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), practice deceitful pretension

(attainments), flattery (for gain), subtle insinuation  by signs and indications (for

gain), using pressure (to get offering ) and the seeking of more gain  by cunning

offer of gifts. Samana Gotama abstain  from such pretension and flattery.

Aworldling, Bhikkhus, might praise the Tathagata in this

manner.

3.3 Major Morality(Maha-Sila)

And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the food

offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), make a  wrong-full living by means

of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of deva realms

and Nibbana. And what are such low arts? They are: fortune telling from a study

of physical characteristics , or of signs and omens, or of lightning; interpreting

dreams;reading physiognomy; prognosticating from a study of rat-bites; indicating

benefits fromfire-oblation with different kinds of firewood, or with different kinds

of ladles, with husks, broken rice, whole rice clarified butter, oil, oral spells;

forecasting good or bad fortune from the signs and marks of a piece of land; being

versed in state affairs; reciting spells in the graveyard to eliminate

danger; reciting spells to overcome evil spirits; using  magical formulae learnt in a

mud-house;  charming snakes and curing snake-bites; treating poisoning; curing

scorpion-stings or rat-bites; treating poisoning; curing scorpion-stings or rat-bites;

interpreting animal and bird sounds and the cawing of crows; foretelling the

remaining length of life; diverting the flight of arrows; and identifying the cries of

animals, Samana Gotama abstains from making a wrongful living by such means.

A worldling,bhikhus, might praise the Tathagata in this manner.

22-And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

food offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), make a  wrong-full living by

means of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of deva

realms and Nibbana. And what are such low arts? They are: reading the portents of

gems; dresses, sticks, daggers, swords, arrows, bows and other weapon; reading

the characteristics of women, men, young men, young women, male slaves, female

slaves, elephants, horses, buffaloes, bulls and other cattle, goats, sheep , chicken,

quails, iguanas, pointed-eared animals[11][11], tortoises and game-beasts, Samana

Gotama abstains from making a wrongful living by such means.  A worldling ,

bhikhus, might praise the Tathagata in this manner.

23 And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

food offered out of faith (in Kamma and itsresults), make a  wrong-full living by

means of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of deva

realms and Nibbana. And what are such low arts? They are: making predictions

about kings doing to war ; about  kings coming  back from war; about kings 

advancing  in battle  from their home country ; about kings from foreign countries

retreating; about kings from foreign countries advancing in battle ; about kings

retreating to their home country; about kings from their home country proving

victorious; about kings from foreign countries losing  battles; about kings from

foreign countries winning battles; about   kings  in their home country  losing

battles; and about probabilities of victories and losses of warring kings.  Samana

Gotama abstains from making  a  wrongful living by such means .  A worldling , 

bhikkhus, might praise the  Tathagata in this manner.

 24 And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

food offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), make a  wrong-full living by

means of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of deva

realms and Nibbana. And what are they? They are: making predictions about the

eclipse after of moon or of that sun , about the conjunction of a group of stars with

a planet,  about the correct or incorrect course of the moon, the sun and the

planets;  about meteors , earthquakes  and thunder ; about the rising and setting of

the moon, the sun and the planets; about the phenomena of darkness and

brightness  following such rising and  setting; about the effects of the eclipse of the

moon or of the sun, or of the planets; about the effects of the moon or the sun

taking the right course; about the effects of the moon of the sun taking the wrong

course; about the effects of the right course; about the effects of the moon or the

sun taking the wrong course;  about the effects of the moon or the sun  taking the

wrong course; about the effects of planets taking the right course; about the effects

of the planets taking the wrong course; about the effects  of meteors, comets, and

thunder; about the effects of the rising and setting of the moon, or of  the sun, or of

the planets; of the moon ,  or the sun, or the planets; and about the effects  of the

phenomena of darkness or brightness following such rising and setting samana

gotama  abstains from making a wrongful living by  such means. A worldling,

bhikkhus, might praise the tathagata in this manner.

25-And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

Food offered out of faith (in Kamma and itsresults), make a wrong-full living

 by means of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of

deva realms and Nibbana. And what are they? They are: predicting rainfall or

drought, abundance or famine,  peace or calamity, disease or health, and

knowledge of counting on the fingers or of arithmetical or mathematical

calculations, of versification, and of treatises of controversial matters (such as the

origin of the Universe etc.) . Samana Gotama abstains from making a wrongful

living by such means.  A worldling, bhikhus, might praise  the Tathgata in this

manner.

26.And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

food offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), make a  wrong-full living by

means of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of deva

realms and Nibbana. And what are they? They are: bringing the bride to the

bridegroom; leading away the bride from her father’s  home; arranging betrothal,

or divorce; making predictions relating to acquisition or distribution of property;

causing gain or loss of fame and prosperity; curing the tendency to abort or

miscarry, easting spells to cause immobility of the tongue or the jaws; reciting a

spell to stop an attacking hand or to cause inability to speak or to hear;  conducting

seances with the aid of mirrors, or employing young women or female slaves as

mediums; propitiating the sun or the Brahma; making fire issue from the month by

means of a spell; and making invocations to the goddess of glory, Samana Gotama

abstains from making a wrongful living by such means. A worldling , bhikkhus,

might praise  the Tathagata in this manner.

27. And then there are certain respected samanas brahmanas who, living on the

food offered out of faith (in Kamma and its results), make a  wrong-full living by

means of low arts contrary to correct practice conducive to the attainment of deva

realms and Nibbana. And what are they? They are: propitiating the dewas by

promises of offerings; making offerings to dewas for favors granted; causing

possession by spirits or exorcising them; casting spells with magical formulae

learnt in a mud-house; turning a eunuch into a man; turning a man into a eunuch;

practicing the art of choosing building-sites; propitiating the dewas while 

choosing building-sites; practicing the profession of mouth-washing or bathing;

fire-worshipping; causing vomiting; giving purgatives; using emetics, or catharses;

letting out phlegm etc. From the head; preparing ear-drops or eye drops; preparing

medicinal snuff, or eye ointment to remove cataracts; preparing eye-lotions; curing

cataracts; doing surgery; practicing pediatrics ; preparing basic drugs and dressing

sores and removing the dressing. Samana Gotama abstain from making a wrongful

living by such means. A worldling, bhikkhus, might praise the Tathagata in this

manner.  Bhikhusǃ These are the matters of a trifling and inferior nature, of mere

morality, in respect of which a worldling might speak when praising

 the Tathagata.

3.4 Confidence in the Purity of the Virtue

When a person believes with rational though in the basic Ratana or Facts of Life,

he or she can become a true Buddhist, sooner or later. Therefore the important and

basic points one should believe in as a Buddhist are mentioned here. Here only

those teachings that one should know to become a true Buddhist are selected.

 A genuine Buddhist  has a clear  fain in Three Jewels or Three Gems so That he

or she will have fight view and right conduct. One should not have a wavering

mind about the Buddha, the Dhmma and the Samgha, the Three in comparables. 

There should be no doubt about the last that the Buddha is the Enlightened and 

Pure One, that the Dhamma surely leads to supreme truth and ultimate peace, and

that the Samgha is the community of noble  ones. When unique virtues of each

jewel are known clearly one will have no skepticism at  all. So the virtues of the

Three Jewels are mentioned as follows:

The Nine Great Virtues of The Buddha

The Omniscient Buddha possesses the Nine Great Virtues of Chief Characteristics-

(1) Araham: He is far  away from all mental defilements; He has destroyed all mental defilements; He has cut off the rounds of  samsaric  lives completely; He  is worthy of respect and homage from all sentient beings; He does not do evil deeds in solitude, and never indulges in them even  when  other are not present. So  Araham comprehends these noble and sacred powers of the Buddha. Perfection is his greatest virtue.  

(2) Sammasambuddha: The Buddha wins Supreme Enlightenment by his own efforts and by himself alone. No external help, such as God or Savoir or A vatar(Incarnate Being ) are necessary. His own  Parami- Perfections alone make him realize the highest truths of life. This means a Virtue / Characteristic of  Sammasambuddha.

(3)  Vijja-carana sampanna: He has acquired the pure knowledge and moral conduct  in many past lives and in the present life . So  he has perfect knowledge and conduct, with the title of Vijja-carana Sampanno.

(4) Sugata: He has reached the Bliss of Nibbana by walking the Right Path (Well-gone). And he teaches only the Right Way to Peace and Purity, by speaking the truth always. So he is endowed with Sugata.

(5) Lokavidu: he fully knows and understands the nature of Three worlds, namely,the World of living beings (Satta loka). The World of Conditioned Things (Sankhara Loka). He is the knower of the worlds. Lokavidu.

(6) Anuttaropurisa dhammasarathi: He is the unsurpassed Guide of men to be tamed. He is tames civilizes those who are worthy of his teaching. So Anuttaropurisa dhmma sarathi Guna  is attained.

(7) Satthadeva manussanam: he is the teacher of gods and men, the supreme teacher earning the title Sattha deva manussanam.

(8) Buddho: As  he has realized the Four Noble Truth with the highest conduct and insight, he is known as Buddha. The Ultimate Truths are  known to him.

(9)  Bhagava: he has six great mental and spiritual powers  and other supernormal powers. So, he is known as Bhaghava.

     

 (b) The Six Great Virtues of the Dhamma

(1)  The Dhamma is well and correctly taught (Svakkhato). Or Dhamma is well-expounded.

(2) The Dhamma is immediately apparent or realizable. (Sanditthiko)

(3) The Dhamma is timeless and has immediate effects for those who follow it. (Akaliko)

(4) The Dhamma is worthy of investigation. And of the nature of personal invitation. (Ehipassiko)

(5) The Dhamma is worthy of progress by one constant practice.  (Opaneyyiko)

(6) The Dhamma is to be attained by the wise, each for himself. (Paccattam Veditabbo)

The above Six Great Noble Qualities belong to the Dhamma.

(c) The Nine Virtues of the Samgha

(1) Of good conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Enlightened Buddha. (Suppattipanno)

(2) Of upright conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Enlightened Budhha (Ujuppattipanno)

(3) Of wise conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Enlightened Buddha. (Nayappattipanno)

(4) Of dutiful conduct is the Order of the Disciples of the Enlightened  Buddha. (Samicippattipanno)

(5) This order of the Disciples of the Enlightened Buddha, namely, these Four Pairs of Persons, the Eight Kinds of Ariya Individuals, are worthy  of offerings. (Ahuneyyo)

(6) Is worthy of hospitality,.(Pahuneyyo)

(7) Is worthy of gifts .(Dakkhineyyo)

(8) Is worthy of reverence.  (Anjalikaraniyo)

(9) Is an incomparable field of merit to the world. (Anuttaram punna khettam lokassa) So a true, confident Buddhist, knowing the virtue / characteristics of Ti-Ratana, always revere and respect the three jewels mentioned above.

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3.5 DESCRIPTION      OF    VIRTUE    (SILA-NIDDESA)
23.   (iv) WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF VIRTUE? Its benefits are the acquisition of the several special qualities beginning with non-remorse. For this is said: 'Ananda, profitable, habits (virtues) have non-remorse as their aim and, non-remorse as their benefit' (A.v,1). Also it is said further 'Householder, there are these five benefits for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue. What five? Here, householder, one who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, comes into a large fortune as a consequence of diligence; this is the first benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue. Again, of one who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, a fair name is spread abroad; this is the second benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue. Again, whenever one who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, enters an assembly, whether of khattiyas, (warrior nobles) or brahmans or householders or ascetics, he does so without fear or hesitation; this is the third benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue. Again one who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, dies unconfused; this is the fourth benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue. Again, one who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, on the break up of the body, after death, reappears in a happy destiny, in the heavenly world; this is the fifth benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue' (D.ii,86). There are also the many benefits of virtue beginning with being dear and loved and ending with destruction of cankers described in the passage beginning 'If a bhikkhu should wish "May I be dear to my fellows in the life of purity and loved by them, held in respect and honoured by them", let him perfect the virtues' (M.i.33). This is how virtue has as its benefits the several special qualities beginning with non-remorse. [10]
24.   Furthermore,
            Dare anyone a limit place
            On benefits that virtue brings,
            Without which virtue clansmen find
            No footing in the dispensation?
            No Ganges, and no Yamuna,
            No Sarabhu, Sarassati,
            Or flowing Aciravati,
            Or noble River of Mahi,
            Is able to wash out the stain
            In things that breathe here in the world;
            For only virtue's water can
            Wash out the stain in living things.
            No breezes that come bringing rain,
            No balm of yellow sandalwood,
            No necklaces beside, or gems,
            Or soft effulgence of moonbeams,
            Can here avail to calm and soothe
            Men's fevers in this world; whereas
            This noble, this supremely cool,
            Well-guarded virtue quells the flame.
            Where is there to be found the scent
            That can with virtue's scent compare,
            And that is borne against the wind
            As easily as with it? Where
            Can such another stair be found
            That climbs, as virtue does, to heaven?
            Or yet another door that gives
            Onto the City of Nibbana?
            Shine as they may, there are no kings
            Adorned with jewelry and pearls
            That shine as does a man restrained
            Adorned with virtue's ornament.
            Virtue entirely does away
            With dread of self-blame and the like;
            Their virtue to the virtuous
            Gives gladness always by its fame.
            From this brief sketch it may be known
            How virtue brings reward, and how
            This root of all good qualities
            Robs of its power every fault.
25.   (v) Now here is the answer to the question, HOW MANY KINDS OF VIRTUE ARE THERE?
   1. Firstly all this virtue is of one kind by reason of its own characteristic of composing.
   2. It is of two kinds as keeping and avoiding.
   3. Likewise as that of good behaviour and that of the beginning of the life of purity.
   4. As abstinence and non-abstinence,
   5. As dependent and independent,
   6. As temporary and lifelong,
   7. As limited and unlimited.
   8. As mundane and supramundane. [11]
   9. It is of three kinds as inferior, medium, and superior.
  10. Likewise as giving precedence to self, giving precedence to the world, and giving precedence to the Dhamma (Law).
  11. As adhered to, not adhered to, and tranquillized.
  12. As purified, unpurified,and dubious.
  13. As that of the Trainer, that of the Non-trainer, and that of the neither-trainer-nor-non-trainer.
  14. It is of four kinds as partaking of diminution, of stagnation, of distinction, of penetration.
  15. Likewise as that of bhikkhus, of bhikkhunis, of the not-fully-admitted, of the-laity,
  16. As natural, customary, necessary, due to previous causes,
  17. As virtue of Patimokkha restraint, of restraint of sense faculties, of purification of livelihood, and that concerning requisites.
  18. It is of five kinds as virtue consisting in limited purification, etc.; for this is said in the Patisambhida: 'Five kinds of virtue: virtue consisting in limited purification, virtue consisting in unlimited purification, virtue consisting in fulfilled purification, virtue consisting in unadhered-to purification, virtue consisting in tranquillized purification' (Ps.1,42).
  19. Likewise as abandoning, refraining, volition, restraint, and non-transgression.
26.   1. Herein, in the section dealing with that of one kind,the meaning should be understood as already stated.
  2. In the section dealing with that of two kinds: fulfilling a training precept announced by the Blessed One thus 'This should be done' is keeping; not doing what is prohibited by him thus 'This should not be done' is avoiding. Herein, the word-meaning is this; they keep (caranti) within that, they proceed as people who fulfil the virtues, thus it is keeping (caritta); they preserve, they protect, avoidance, thus it is avoiding. Herein, keeping is accomplished by faith and energy; avoiding, by faith and mindfulness. This is how it is of two kinds as keeping and avoiding.
27.   3. In the second dyad good behaviour is the best kind of behaviour. Good behaviour itself is that of good behaviour; or what is announced for the sake of good behaviour is that of good behaviour. This is a term for virtue other than that which has livelihood as eighth. {9} It is the initial stage of the life of purity consisting in the path, thus it is that of the beginning of the life of purity. This is a term for the virtue that has livelihood as eighth. It is the initial stage of the path because it has actually to be purified in the prior stage too. Hence it is said 'But his bodily action, his verbal action, and his livelihood, have already been purified earlier' (M.iii,289). Or the training precepts called 'lesser and minor' (D.ii,154) [12] are that of good behaviour; the rest are that of the beginning of the life of purity. Or what is included in the Double Code (the Bhikkhus' and Bhikkhunis' Patimokkha) is that of the beginning of the life of purity; and that included in the duties set out in the Khandhakas [of the Vinaya] is that of good behaviour. Through its perfection that of the beginning of the life of purity comes to be perfected. Hence it is said also 'that this bhikkhu shall fulfil the state consisting in the beginning of the life of purity without having fulfilled the state consisting in good behaviour - that is not possible' (A.iii,14-15). So it is of two kinds as that of good behaviour and that of the beginning of the life of purity.
28.   4. In the third dyad virtue as abstinence is simply abstention from killing living things etc.; the other kinds consisting in volition, etc., are virtue as non-abstinence. So it is of two kinds as abstinence and non-abstinence.
29.   5. In the fourth dyad there are two kinds of dependence: dependence through craving and dependence through [false] views. Herein, that produced by one who wishes for a fortunate kind of becoming thus 'Through this virtuous conduct, (rite) I shall become a [great] deity or some [minor] deity' (M.i,102) is dependent through craving. That produced through such [false] view about purification as 'Purification is through virtuous conduct (rites)' (Vbh.374) is dependent through [false] view. But the supramundane, and the mundane that is the pre-requisite for the aforesaid supramundane, are independent. So it is of two kinds as dependent and independent.
30.   6. In the fifth dyad temporary virtue is that undertaken after deciding on a time limit. Lifelong virtue is that practised in the same way but undertaking it for as long as life lasts. So it is of two kinds as temporary and lifelong.
31.   7. In the sixth dyad the limited is that seen to be limited by gain, fame, relatives, limbs, or life. The opposite is unlimited. And this is said in the Patisambhida. 'What is the virtue that has a limit? There is virtue that has gain as its limit, there is virtue that has fame as its limit, there is virtue that has relatives as its limit, there is virtue that has limbs as its limit, there is virtue that has life as its limit. What is virtue that has gain as its limit? Here someone with gain as cause, with gain as condition, with gain as reason, transgresses a training precept as undertaken: that virtue has gain as its limit' (Ps.i;43), [13] and the rest should be elaborated in the same way. Also in the answer dealing with the unlimited it is said 'What is virtue that does not have gain as its limit? Here someone does, not with gain as cause, with gain as condition, with gain as reason, even arouse the thought of transgressing a training precept as undertaken, how then shall he actually transgress it? That virtue does not have gain as its limit' (Ps.i,44), and the rest should be elaborated in the same way. So it is of two kinds as limited and unlimited.
32.   8. In the seventh dyad all virtue subject to cankers is mundane; that not subject to cankers is supramundane. Herein, the mundane brings about improvement in future becoming and is a prerequisite for the escape from becoming, according as it is said: 'Discipline is for the purpose of restraint, restraint is for the purpose of non-remorse, non-remorse is for the purpose of gladdening, gladdening is for the purpose of happiness, happiness is for the purpose of tranquillity, tranquillity is for the purpose of bliss, bliss is for the purpose of concentration, concentration is for the purpose of correct knowledge and vision, correct knowledge and vision is for the purpose of dispassion, dispassion is for the purpose of fading away [of greed], fading away is for the purpose of deliverance, deliverance is for the purpose of knowledge and vision of deliverance, knowledge and vision of deliverance is for the purpose of complete extinction [of craving etc.] through not clinging. Talk has that purpose, counsel has that purpose, support has that purpose, giving ear has that purpose, that is to say, the liberation of the mind through not clinging' (Vin.v,164). The supramundane brings about the escape from becoming and is the plane of Reviewing Knowledge. So it is of two kinds as mundane and supramundane.
33.   9. In the first of the triads the inferior is produced by inferior zeal, [purity of] consciousness, energy, or inquiry; the medium is produced by medium zeal, etc.; the superior, by superior [zeal, and so on]. That undertaken out of desire for fame is inferior, that undertaken out of desire for the fruits of merit is medium, that undertaken for the sake of the noble state thus 'This has to be done' is superior. Or again that defiled by self-praise and disparagement of others etc., thus 'I am possessed of virtue, but these other bhikkhus are ill-conducted and evil-natured' (M.i,193) is inferior; undefiled mundane virtue is medium; supramundane is superior. Or again that motivated by craving, the purpose of which is to enjoy continued existence, is inferior; that practised for the purpose of one's own deliverance is medium; the virtue of the perfections practised for the de1iverance of all beings is superior. So it is of three kinds as inferior, medium, and superior.
34.   10.   In the second triad that practised out of self-regard by one who regards self and desires to abandon what is unbecoming to self [14] is virtue giving precedence to self. That practised out of regard for the world and out of desire to ward off the censure of the world is virtue giving precedence to the world. That practised out of regard for the Dhamma (Law) and out of desire to honour the majesty of the Dhamma is virtue giving precedence to the Dhamma. So it is of three kinds as giving precedence to self, and so on.
35.   11.   In the third triad the virtue that in the dyads was called 'dependent' (no. 5) is adhered-to because it is adhered-to through craving and [false] view. That practised by the magnanimous ordinary man as the prerequisite of the path, and that associated with the path in Trainers, are not-adhered-to. That associated with trainers' and non-trainers' fruition is tranquillized. So it is of three kinds as adhered-to, and so on.
36.   12. In the fourth triad that fulfilled by one who has committed no offence or has made amends after committing one is pure. So long as he has not made amends after committing an offence it is impure. Virtue in one who is dubious about whether a thing constitutes an offence or about what grade of offence has been committed or about whether he has committed an offence is dubious. Herein, the meditator should purify impure virtue. If dubious, he should avoid cases about which he is doubtful and should get his doubts cleared up. In this way his mind will be kept at rest. So it is of three kinds as pure, and so on.
37.   13. In the fifth triad the virtue associated with the four paths and with the [first] three fruitions is that of the trainer. That associated with the fruition of Arahantship is that of the non-trainer. The remaining kinds are that of the neither-trainer-nor-non-trainer. So it is of three kinds as that of the Trainer, and so on.
38.   But in the world the nature of such and such beings is called their 'habit (sila)', of which they say 'This one is of happy habit (sukha-sila), this one is of unhappy habit, this one is of quarrelsome habit, this one is of dandified habit'. Because of that it is said in the Patisambhida figuratively 'Three kinds of virtue (habit); profitable virtue, unprofitable virtue, indeterminate virtue' (Ps.i,44). So it is also called of three kinds as profitable, and so on. Of these, the unprofitable is not included here since it has nothing whatever to do with the heads beginning with the characteristic, which define virtue in the sense intended in this [chapter]. So the threefoldness should be understood only in the way already stated.
39.   14. In the first of the tetrads:
                The unvirtuous he cultivates,

                He visits not the virtuous,
                And in his ignorance he see 

                 No fault in a transgression here, [15]
                With wrong thoughts often in his mind
                His faculties he will not guard
                Virtue in such a constitution
                Comes to partake of diminution.
                But he whose mind is satisfied
                With virtue that has been achieved,
                Who never thinks to stir himself
                And take a meditation subject up,
                Contented with mere virtuousness,
                Nor striving for a higher state -
                His virtue bears the appellation
                Of that partaking of stagnation.
                But who, possessed of virtue, strives
                With concentration for his aim -
                That bhikkhu's virtue in its function
                Is called partaking of distinction.
                Who finds mere virtue not enough
                But has dispassion for his goal -
                His virtue through such aspiration
                Comes to partake of penetration.
  So it is of four kinds as partaking of diminution, and so on.
40.   15. In the second tetrad there are training precepts announced for bhikkhus to keep irrespective of what is announced for bhikkhunis. This is the virtue of bhikkkus. There are training precepts announced for bhikkhunis to keep irrespective of what is announced for bhikkhus. This is the virtue of bhikkhunis. The ten precepts of virtue for male and female novices are the virtue of the not fully admitted. The five training precepts - ten when possible - as a permanent undertaking, and eight as the factors of the Uposatha Day, {10} for male and female lay followers are the virtue of the laity. So it is of four kinds as the virtue of bhikkhus, and so on.
41.   16. In the third tetrad the non-trangression on the part of Uttarakuru human beings is natural virtue. Each clan's or locality's, or sect's, own rules of conduct are customary virtue. The virtue of the Bodhisatta's mother described thus, 'It is the necessary rule, Ananda, that when the Bodhisatta has descended into his mother's womb, no thought of men that is connected with the cords of sense desire comes to her' (D.ii,13) is necessary virtue. But the virtue pure beings as Maha-Kassapa, etc., and of the Bodhisatta in his various births is virtue due to previous causes. So it of four kinds as natural virtue, and so on.
42.   17, In the fourth tetrad:
  (a) the virtue described by the Blessed One thus, 'Here a bhikkhu dwells restrained with the Patimokkha restraint, possessed of the [proper] conduct and resort, and seeing fear in the slightest fault, he trains himself by undertaking the precepts of training' (Vbh.244), is virtue of restraint.
  (b) that described thus, 'On seeing a visible object with the eye, [16] he apprehends neither the signs nor the particulars through which, if he left the eye faculty unguarded, evil and unprofitable states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he enters upon the way of its restraint, he guards the eye faculty, undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear ... On smelling an odour with the nose ... On tasting a flavour with the tongue ... On touching a tangible object with the body ... On cognizing a mental object with the mind, he apprehends neither the signs nor the particulars through which, if he left the mind faculty unguarded, evil and unprofitable states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he enters upon the way of its restraint, he guards the mind faculty, undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty (M.i,180), is virtue of the restraint of the sense faculties.
  (c) Abstinence from such wrong livelihood as entails transgression of the six training precepts announced with respect to livelihood and entails the evil states beginning with 'Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain' (M.iii,75) is virtue of livelihood purification.
  (d) Use of the four requisites that is purified by the reflection stated in the way beginning 'Reflecting wisely, he uses the robe only for protection from cold' (M.i.10) is called virtue concerning requisites.
43.   Here is an explanatory exposition together with a word-commentary, starting from the beginning.
  (a) Here: in this dispensation. A bhikkhu: a clansman who has gone forth out of faith and is so styled because he sees fear in the round of rebirths (samsare bhayam ikkhanata) or because he wears cloth garments that are torn and pieced together, and so on.
  Restrained with the Patimokkha restraint; here 'Patimokkha (Rule of the Community)' {11} is the virtue of the training precepts; for it frees (mokkheti) him who protects (pati) it, guards it, it sets him free (mocayati) from the pains of the states of loss, etc., that is why it is called 'Patimokkha'. 'Restraint' is restraining; this is a term for bodily and verbal non-transgression. The Patimokkha itself as restraint is 'Patimokkha restraint'. 'Restrained with the Patimokkha restraint' is restrained by means of the restraint consisting in that Patimokkha; he has it, possesses it, is the meaning. Dwells: bears himself in one of the postures. [17]
44.   The meaning of possessed of [the proper] conduct and resort etc., should be understood in the way in which it is given in the text. For this is said: 'Possessed of [the proper] conduct and resort: there is [proper] conduct and improper conduct. Herein, what is improper conduct? Bodily transgression, verbal transgression, bodily and verbal transgression - this is called improper conduct. Also all unvirtuousness is improper conduct. Here someone makes a livelihood by gifts of bamboos, or by gifts of leaves, or by gifts of flowers, fruits, bathing powder, and tooth sticks, or by flattery, or by bean-soupery, or by fondling, or by going on errands on foot, or by one or other of thc sorts of wrong livelihood condemned by the Buddhas - this is called improper conduct. Herein, what is [proper] conduct? Bodily non-transgression, verbal non-transgression, bodily and verbal non-transgression - this is called [proper] conduct. Also all restraint through virtue is [proper] conduct. Here someone does not make a livelihood by gifts of bamboos, or by gifts of leaves, or by gifts of flowers, fruits, bathing powder, and tooth sticks, or by flattery, or by bean-soupery, or by fondling, or by going on errapds on foot, or by one or other of the sorts of wrong livelihood condemned by the Buddhas - this is called [proper] conduct.
45.   '[Proper] resort: there is [proper] resort and improper resort. Herein, what is improper resort? Here someone has prostitutes as resort, or he has widows, old maids, eunuchs, bhikkhunis, or taverns as resort; or he dwells associated with kings, kings' ministers, sectarians, sectarians' disciples, in unbecoming association with laymen; or he cultivates, frequents, honours, such families as are faithless, untrusting, abusive and rude, who wish harm, wish ill, wish woe, wish no surcease of bondage, for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, for male and female devotees [18] - this is called improper resort. Herein, what is [proper] resort? Here someone does not have prostitutes as resort ... or taverns, as resort; he does not dwell associated with kings, ... sectarians' disciples, in unbecoming association with laymen; he cultivates, frequents, honours, such families as are faithful and trusting, who are a solace, where the yellow cloth glows, where the breeze of sages blows, who wish good, wish well, wish joy, wish surcease of bondage, for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, for male and female devotees - this is called [proper] resort. Thus he is furnished with, fully furnished with, provided with, fully provided with, supplied with, posssessed of, endowed with, this [proper] conduct and this [proper] resort. Hence it is said "Possessed of [the proper] conduct and resort"' (Vbh.246-7).
46.   Furthermore [proper] conduct and resort should also be understood here in the following way; for improper conduct is twofold as bodily and verbal. Herein, what is bodily improper conduct? 'Here someone acts disrespectfully before the Community, and he stands jostling elder bhikkhus, sits jostling them, stands in front of them, sits in front of them, sits on high seat, sits with his head covered, talks standing up, talks waving his arms, ... walks with sandals while elder bhikkhus walk without sandals, walks on a high walk while they walk on a low walk, walks on a walk while they walk on the ground, ... stands pushing elder bhikkhus, sits pushing them, prevents new bhikkhus from getting a seat, ... and in the bath house ... without asking elder bhikkhus he puts wood on [the stove], ... bolts the door, ... and at the bathing place he enters the water jostling elder bhikkhus, enters it in front of them, bathes jostling them, bathes in front of them, comes out jostling them, comes out in front of them, ... and entering inside a house he goes jostling elder bhikkhus, goes in front of them, pushing forward he goes in front of them, ... and where families have inner private screened rooms in which the women of the family, ... the girls of the family, sit, there he enters abruptly, and he strokes a child's head' (Nd1.228-9). This is called bodily improper conduct.
47.   Herein, what is verbal improper conduct? 'Here someone acts disrespectfully before the Community. Without asking elder bhikkhus he talks on the Dhamma, answers questions, recites the Patimokkha, talks standing up, [19] talks waving his arms, ... having entered inside a house, he speaks to a woman or a girl thus "You, so-and-so of such-and-such a clan, what is there? Is there rice gruel? Is there cooked rice? Is there any hard food to eat? What shall we drink? What hard food shall we eat? What soft food shall we eat? Or what will you give me?" - he chatters like this' (Nd1.230). This is called verbal improper conduct.
48.   Proper conduct should be understood in the opposite sense to that. Furthermore, a bhikkhu is respectful, deferential, possessed of conscience and shame, wears his inner robe properly, wears his upper robe properly, his manner inspires confidence whether in moving forwards or backwards, looking ahead or aside, bending or stretching, his eyes are downcast, he has (a good) deportment, he guards the doors of his sense faculties, knows the right measure in eating, is devoted to wakefulness, possesses mindfulnes and full-awareness, wants little, is contented, is strenuous, is a careful observer of good behaviour, and treats the teachers with great respect. This is called (proper) conduct. This firstly is how (proper) conduct should be understood.
49.   (Proper) resort is of three kinds: (proper) resort as support, (proper) resort as guarding, and (proper) resort as anchoring.
  Herein, what is (proper) resort as support? A good friend who exhibits the ten instances of talk, {12} in whose presence one hears what has not been heard, corrects what has been heard, gets rid of doubt, rectifies one's view, and gains confidence: or by training under whom one grows in faith, virtue, learning, generosity and understanding - this is called (proper) resort as support.
50.   What is (proper) resort as guarding? Here 'A bhikkhu, having entered inside a house, having gone into a street, goes with downcast eyes, seeing the length of a plough yoke, restrained, not looking at an elephant, not looking at a horse, a carriage, a pedestrian, a woman, a man, not looking up, not looking down, not staring this way and that' (Nd 1. 474). This is called (Proper) resort as guarding.
51.   What is (proper) resort as anchoring? It is the four foundations of mindfulness on which the mind is anchored; for this is said by the Blessed One: 'Bhikkhus, what is a bhikkhu's resort, his own native place? It is these four foundations of mindfulness' (S.v,148). This is called (proper) resort as anchoring.
  Being thus furnished with... endowed with, this (proper) conduct and this (proper) resort, he is also on that account called 'one possessed of (proper) conduct and resort'. (20)
52.   Seeing fear in the slightest fault (§42): one who has the habit (sila) of seeing fear in faults of the minutest measure, of such kinds as unintentional contravening of a minor training rule of the Patlmokkha, as an unprofitable thought. He trains himself by undertaking (samadaya) the precepts of training: whatever there is among the precepts of training to be trained in, in all that he trains by taking it up rightly (samma adaya). And here, as far as the words 'one restrained by the Patimokkha restraint', virtue of Patimokkha restraint is shown by Discourse in Terms of Persons. {13} But all that beginning with the words 'possessed of (proper) conduct and resort' should be understood as said in order to show the way of practice that perfects that virtue in him who so practises it.
53.   (b) Now as regards the virtue of restraint of faculties shown next to that in the way beginning 'on seeing a visible object with the eye', herein, 'he' is a bhikkhu established in the virtue of Patimokkha restraint. On seeing a visible object with the eye: on seeing a visible object with the eye-consciousness that is capable of seeing visible objects and has borrowed the name 'eye' from its instrument. But the Ancients (Porana) said 'The eye does not see a visible object because it has no mind. The mind does not see because it has no eyes. But when there is the impingement of door and object he sees by means of the consciousness that has eye-sensitivity as its physical basis. Now (an idiom) such as this is called an "accessory locution (sasambharakatha)", like "He shot him with his bow", and so on. So the meaning here is this: "On seeing a visible object with eye-consciousness,"'. {14}
54.   Apprehends neither the signs: he does not apprehend the sign of woman or man, or any sign that is a basis for defilement such as the sign of beauty, etc.: he stops at what is merely seen. Nor the particulars: he does not apprehend any aspect classed as hand, foot, smile, laughter, talk, looking ahead, looking aside, etc., which has acquired the name 'particular (anubyanjana)' because of its particularizing (anu anu byanjanato) defilements, because of its making them manifest themselves. He only apprehends what is really there. Like the Elder Maha-Tissa who dwelt at Cetiyapabbata.
55.   It seems that as the Elder was on his way from Cetiyapabbata to Anuradhapura for alms, a certain daughter-in-law of a clan, who had quarrelled with her husband and had set out early from Anuradhapura all dressed up and tricked out like a celestial nymph to go to her relatives' home, saw him on the road, and being low-minded, [21] she laughed a loud laugh. [Wondering] 'What is that ?', the Elder looked up, and finding in the bones of her teeth the perception of foulness (ugliness), he reached Arahantship. {15} Hence it was said:
            He saw the bones that were her teeth,
            And kept in mind his first perception;
            And standing on that very spot
            The Elder became an Arahant.
But her husband who was going after her saw the Elder and asked 'Venerable sir, did you by any chance see a woman?'. The Elder told him:
            Whether it was a man or woman
            That went by I noticed not;
            But only that on this high road
            There goes a group of bones.
56.   As to the words through which, etc., the meaning is: by reason of which, because of which non-restraint of the eye faculty, if he, if that person, left the eye faculty unguarded, remained with the eye door unclosed by the door-panel of mindfulness, these states of covetousness, etc., might invade, might pursue, might threaten, him. He enters upon the way of its restraint: he enters upon the way of closing that eye faculty by the door-panel of mindfulness. It is the same one of whom it is said he guards the eye faculty, undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty.
57.   Herein, there is neither restraint nor non-restraint in the actual eye faculty, since neither mindfulness nor forgetfulness arises in dependence on eye-sensitivity. On the contrary when a visible datum as object comes into the eye's focus, then, after the life-continuum has arisen twice and ceased, the functional mind-element accomplishing the function of adverting arises and ceases. After that, eye-consciousness with the function of seeing; after that, resultant mind element with the function of receiving; after that, resultant root-cause-less mind-consciousness-element with the function of investigating; after that, functional root-cause-less mind-consciousness-element accomplishing the function of determining arises and ceases. Next to that, impulsion impels. {16} Herein, there is neither restraint nor non-restraint on the occasion of the life-continuum, or on any of the occasions beginning with adverting. But there is non-restraint if unvirtuousness or forgetfulness or unknowing or impatience or idleness arises at the moment of impulsion. When this happens, it is called 'non-restraint in the eye faculty'. [22]
58.   Why is that? Because when this happens, the door is not guarded, nor are the life-continuum and the consciousnesses of the cognitive series. Like what? Just as, when a city's four gates are not secured, although inside the city house doors, storehouses, rooms, etc., are secured, yet all property inside the city is unguarded and unprotected since robbers coming in by the city gates can do as they please, so too, when unvirtuousess, etc., arise in impulsion in which there is no restraint; then the door too is unguarded, and so also are the life-continuum and the consciousness of the cognitive series beginning with adverting. But when virtue, etc., has arisen in it, then the door too is guarded and so also are the life-continuum and the consciousnesses of the cognitive series beginning with adverting. Like what? Just as, when the city gates are secured, although inside the city the houses, etc., are not secured, yet all property inside the city is well guarded, well protected, since when the city gates are shut there is no ingress for robbers, so too, when virtue, etc., have arisen in impulsion, the door too is guarded and so also are the life-continuum and the consciousnesses of the cognitive series beginning with adverting. Thus although it actually arises at the moment of impulsion, it is nevertheless called 'restraint in the
59. eye faculty'. So also as regards the phrases on hearing a sound with the ear and so on. So it is this virtue which in brief has the characteristic of avoiding apprehension of signs entailing defilement with respect to visible objects, etc., that should be understood as Virtue of restraint of faculties.
60.   (c) Now as regards the virtue of livelihood purification mentioned above next to the virtue of restraint of the faculties (§42), the words of the six precepts announced on account of livelihood mean, of the following six training precepts announced thus: 'With livelihood as cause, with livelihood as reason, one of evil wishes, a prey to wishes, lays claim to a higher than human state that is non-existent, not a fact', the contravention of which is Defeat; 'With livelihood as cause, with livelihood as reason, he acts as go-between', the contravention of which is an offence entailing a Meeting of the Order; 'With livelihood as cause, with livelihood as reason, he says "A bhikkhu who lives in your monastery is an Arahant"', the contravention of which is a Serious Offence in one who is aware of it; 'With livelihood as cause, with livelihood as reason, a bhikkhu who is not sick eats superior food that he has ordered for his own use', the contravention of which is an offence Requiring Expiation; 'With livelihood as cause, with livelihood as reason, a bhikkhuni who is not sick eats superior food that she has ordered for her own use'; the contravention of which is an Offence Requiring Confession; 'With livelihood as cause, with livelihood as reason, one who is not sick eats curry or boiled rice [23] that he has ordered for his own use', the contravention of which is an Offence of Wrongdoing (Vin.v,146). Of these six precepts.
61.   As regards scheming, etc. (§42), this is the text: 'Herein, what is scheming? It is the grimacing, grimacery, scheming, schemery, schemedness, {17} by what is called rejection of requisites or by indirect talk, or it is the disposing, posing, composing, of the deportment on the part of one bent on gain, honour and renown, of one of evil wishes, a prey to wishes - this is called scheming.
62.   'Herein, what is talking? Talking at others, talking, talking round, talking up, continual talking up, persuading, continual persuading; suggesting, continual suggesting, ingratiating chatter, flattery, bean-soupery, fondling, on the part of one bent on gain, honour and renown, of one of evil wishes, a prey to wishes - this is called talking.
63.   'Herein, what is hinting? A sign to others, giving a sign, indication, giving indication, indirect talk, roundabout talk, on the part of one bent on gain, honour and renown, of one of evil wishes, a prey to wishes - this is called hinting.
64.   'Herein, what is belittling? Abusing of others, disparaging, reproaching, snubbing, continual snubbing, ridicule, continual ridicule, denigration, continual denigration, tale-bearing, backbiting, on the part of one bent on gain, honour, and renown, of one of evil wishes, a prey to wishes. This is called belittling.
65.   'Herein, what is pursuing gain with gain? Seeking, seeking for, seeking out, going in search of, searching for, searching out, material goods by means of material goods, such as carrying there goods that have been got from here, or carrying here goods that have been got from there, by one bent on gain, honour and renown, by one of evil wishes, a prey to wishes - this is called pursuing gain with gain' (Vbh.352-3). {18}
66.   The meaning of this text should be understood as follows: Firstly, as regards description of scheming: on the part of one bent on gain, honour and renown is on the part of one who is bent on gain, on honour, and on reputation; on the part of one who longs for them, is the meaning. [24] Of one of evil wishes: of one who wants to show qualities that he has not got. A prey to wishes: {19} the meaning is, of one who is attacked by them. And after this the passage beginning or by what is called rejection of requisites is given in order to show the three instances of scheming given in the Maha-Niddesa as rejection of requisites, indirect talk, and that based on deportment.
67.   Herein, [a bhikkhu] is invited to accept robes, etc., and, precisely because he wants them, he refuses them out of evil wishes. And then, since he knows that those householders believe in him implicitly, when they think 'Oh, how few are our lord's wishes! He will not accept a thing! How lucky for us if he would accept just a little thing!' and they put fine robes, etc., before him by various means, he then accepts, making a show that he wants to be compassionate towards them - it is this hypocrisy of his, which becomes the cause of their subsequently bringing them even by cartloads, that should be understood as the instance of scheming called rejection of requisites.
68.   For this is said in the Maha-Niddesa: 'What is the instance of scheming called rejection of requisites? Here householders invite bhikkhus [to accept] robes, alms food, resting place, and the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick. One who is of evil wishes, a prey to wishes, wanting robes ... alms food ... resting place ... the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick, refuses ropes ... alms food ... resting place ... the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick, because he wants more. He says "What has an ascetic to do with expensive robes? It is proper for an ascetic to gather rags from a charnel ground or from a rubbish heap or from a shop and make them into a patchwork cloak to wear. What has an ascetic to do with expensive alms food? It is proper for an ascetic to get his living by the dropping of lumps [of food into his bowl] while he wanders for gleanings. What has an ascetic to do with an expensive resting place? It is proper for an ascetic to be a tree-root-dweller or an open-air-dweller. What has an ascetic to do with an expensive requisite of medicine as cure for the sick? It is proper for an ascetic to cure himself with putrid urine {20} and broken gall nuts." Accordingly he wears a coarse robe, eats coarse alms food, [25] uses a coarse resting place, uses a coarse requisite of medicine as cure for the sick. Then householders think "This ascetic has few wishes, is content, is secluded, keeps aloof from company, is strenuous, is a preacher of ascetism", and they invite him more and more [to accept] robes, alms food, resting places, and the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick. He says "With three things present a faithful clansman produces much merit: with faith present a faithful clansman produces much merit, with goods to be given present a faithful clansman produces much merit, with those worthy to receive present a faithful clansman produces much merit. You have faith; the goods to be given are here; and I am here to accept. If I do not accept then you will be deprived of the merit. That is no good to me. Rather will I accept out of compassion for you". Accordingly he accepts many robes, he accepts much alms food, he accepts many resting places, he accepts many requisites of medicine as cure for the sick. Such grimacing, grimacery, scheming, schemery, schemedness, is known as the instance of scheming called rejection of requisites' (Nd1,224-5).
69.   It is hypocrisy on the part of one of evil wishes, who gives it to be understood verbally in some way or other that he has attained a higher than human state, that should be understood as the instance of scheming called indirect talk, according as it is said: 'What is the instance of scheming called indirect talk? Here someone of evil wishes, a prey to wishes, eager to be admired [thinking] "Thus people will admire me" speaks words about the noble state. He says "He who wears such a robe is a very important ascetic". He says "He who carries such a bowl, metal cup, water filler, water strainer, key, wears such a waistband, sandal, is a very important ascetic". He says "He who has such a preceptor, ... teacher, ... who has the same preceptor, who has the same teacher, who has such a friend, associate, intimate, companion; he who lives in such a monastery, lean-to, mansion, villa, {21} cave, grotto, hut, pavilion, watch tower, hall, barn, meeting hall, [26] room, at such a tree root, is a very important ascetic". Or alternatively, all-gushing, all-grimacing, all-scheming, all-talkative, with an expression of admiration, he utters such deep, mysterious, cunning, obscure, supramundane talk suggestive of voidness as "This ascetic is an obtainer of peaceful abidings and attaiments such as these". Such grimacing, grimacery, scheming, schemery, schemedness, is known as the instance of scheming called indirect talk' (Nd1,226-7).
70.   It is hypocrisy on the part of one of evil wishes, which takes the form of deportment influenced by eagerness to be admired, that should be understood as the instance of scheming dependent on deportment, according as it is said: 'What is the instance of scheming called deportment?' Here someone of evil wishes, a prey to wishes, eager to be admired, [thinking] "Thus people will admire me", composes his way of walking, composes his way of lying down; he walks studiedly, stands studiedly, sits studiedly, lies down studiedly; he walks as though concentrated, stands, sits, lies down as though concentrated; and he is one who meditates in public. Such disposing, posing, composing, of deportment, grimacing, grimacery, scheming, schemery, schemedness, is known as the instance of scheming called deportment' (Nd1,225-6).
71.   Herein, the words by what is called rejection of requisites (§61) mean: by what is called thus 'rejection of requisites'; or they mean: by means of the rejection of requisites that is so called. By indirect talk means: by talking near to the subject. Of deportment means: of the four modes of deportment (postures). Disposing is initial posing, or careful posing. Posing is the manner of posing. Composing is prearranging; assuming a trust-inspiring attitude, is what is meant. Grimacing is making grimaces by showing great intenseness; facial contraction is what is meant. One who has the habit of making grimaces is a grimacer. The grimacer's state is grimacery. Scheming is hypocrisy. The way (ayana) of a schemer (kuha) is schemery (kuhayana) . The state of what is schemed is schemednes .
72.   In the description of talking: talking at is talking thus on seeing people coming to the monastery, 'What have you come for, good people? What, to invite bhikkhus? If it is that, then go along and I shall come later with [my bowl]', etc.; or alternatively, talking at is talking by advertising oneself thus 'I am Tissa, the king trusts me, such and such king's ministers trust me'. [27] Talking is the same kind of talking on being asked a question. Talking round is roundly talking by one who is afraid of householders' displeasure because he has given occasion for it. Talking up is talking by extolling people thus 'He is a great landowner, a great ship-owner, a great lord of giving'. Continual talking up is talking by extolling [people] in all ways.
73.   Persuading is progressively involving {22} [people] thus 'Lay followers, formerly you used to give first-fruit alms at such a time; why do you not do so now?' until they say 'We shall give venerable sir, we have had no opportunity', etc.; entangling, is what is meant. Or alternatively, seeing someone with sugarcane in his hand, he asks 'Where are you coming from, lay follower?' - 'From the sugarcane field, venerable sir.' - 'Is the sugarcane sweet there?' - 'One can find out by eating, venerable sir.' - 'It is not allowed, lay follower, for bhikkhus to say "Give [me some] sugarcane."' Such entangling talk from such an entangler is persuading. Persuading again and again in all ways is continual persuading.
74.   Suggesting is insinuating by specifying thus 'That family alone understands me; if there is anything to be given there, they give it to me only'; pointing to, is what is meant. And here the story of the Oil-seller should be told. {23} Suggesting in all ways again and again is continual suggesting.
75.   Ingratiating chatter is endearing chatter repeated again and again without regard to whether it is in conformity with truth and Dhamma. Flattery is speaking humbly, always maintaining an attitude of inferiority. Bean-soupery is resemblance to bean soup; for just as when beans are being cooked only a few do not get cooked, the rest get cooked, so too the person in whose speech only a little is true, the rest being false, is called a 'bean soup'; his state is bean-soupery.
76.   Fondling is the state of the act of fondling. [28] For when a man fondles children on his lap or on his shoulder like a nurse - he nurses, is the meaning -, that fondler's act is the act of fondling. The state of the act of fondling is fondling.
77.   In the description of hinting (nemittikata): a sign (nimitta) is any bodily or verbal act that gets others to give requisites. Giving a sign is making a sign such as 'What have you got to eat?', etc., on seeing [people] going along with food. Indication is talk that alludes to requisites. Giving indication: on seeing cowboys, he asks 'Are these milk cows' calves or buttermilk cows' calves?', and when it is said 'They are milk cows' calves, venerable sir' [he remarks] 'They are not milk cows' calves. If they were milk cows' calves the bhikkhus would be getting milk', etc.; and his getting it to the knowledge of the boys' parents in this way, and so making them give milk, is giving indication'.
78.   Indirect talk is talk that keeps near [to the subject]. And here there should be told the story of the bhikkhu supported by a family. A bhikkhu, it seems, who was supported by a family went into the house wanting to eat and sat down. The mistress of the house was unwilling to give. On seeing him she said 'There is no rice', and she went to a neighbour's house as though to get rice. The bhikkhu went into the storeroom. Looking round, he saw sugarcane in the corner behind the door, sugar in a bowl, a string of salt fish in a basket, rice in a jar, and ghee in a pot. He came out and sat down. When the housewife came back, she said 'I did not get any rice'. The bhikkhu said 'Lay follower, I saw a sign just now that alms will not be easy to get today.' - 'What, venerable sir?' - 'I saw a snake that was like sugarcane put in the corner behind the door; looking for something to hit it with, I saw a stone like a lump of sugar in a bowl. When the snake had been hit with the clod, it spread out a hood like a string of salt fish in a basket, and its teeth as it tried to bite the clod were like rice grains in a jar. Then the saliva mixed with poison that came out to its mouth in its fury was like ghee put in a pot.' She thought 'There is no hoodwinking the shaveling', so she gave him the sugarcane [29] and she cooked the rice and gave it all to him with the ghee, the sugar and the fish.
79.   Such talk that keeps near [to the subject] should be understood as indirect talk.
  Roundabout talk is talking round and round [the subject] as much as is allowed.
80.   In the description of belittling: abusing is abusing by means of the ten instances of abuse. {24} Disparaging is contemptuous talk. Reproaching is enumeration of faults such as 'He is faithless, he is an unbeliever'. Snubbing is taking up verbally thus 'Don't say that here'. Snubbing in all ways, giving grounds and reason, is continual snubbing. Or alternatively, when someone does not give, taking him up thus 'Oh, the prince of givers!' is snubbing; and the thorough snubbing thus 'A mighty prince of givers!' is continual snubbing. Ridicule is making fun of someone thus 'What sort of a life has this man who eats up his seed [grain]?'. Continual ridicule is making fun of him more thoroughly thus 'What, you say this man is not a giver who always gives the words "There is
81. nothing" to everyone?'. Denigration {25} is denigrating someone by saying that he is not a giver, or by censuring him. All round denigration is continual denigration. Tale-bearing is bearing tales from house to house, from village to village, from district to district, [thinking] 'So they will give to me out of fear of my bearing tales'. Backbiting is speaking censoriously behind another's back after speaking kindly to his face; for this is like biting the flesh of another's back, when he is not looking, on the part of one who is unable to look him in the face; therefore it is called backbiting. This is called belittling (nippesikata) because it scrapes off {25} (nippeseti), wipes off, {25} the virtuous qualities of others as a bamboo scraper {25} (velupesika) does unguent, {25} or because it is a pursuit of gain by grinding {25} (nippimsitva) and pulverizing others' virtuous qualities, like the pursuit of perfume by grinding the kinds of perfumed substances; that is why it is called belittling.
82.   In the description of pursuing gain with gain: pursuing is hunting after. Got from here is got from this house. There is into that house. Seeking is wanting. Seeking for is hunting after. Seeking out is hunting after again and again. [30] The story of the bhikkhu who went round giving away the alms he had got at first to children of families here and there and in the end got milk and gruel should be told here. Searching, etc., are synonyms for 'seeking' etc., and so the construction here should be understood thus: going in search of is seeking; searching for is seeking for; searching out is seeking out.
This is the meaning of scheming, and so on.
83.   Now [as regards the words] The evil states beginning with (§42): here the words beginning with should be understood to include the many evil states given in the Brahmajala Sutta in the way beginning 'Or just as some worthy ascetics, while eating the food given by the faithful, make a living by wrong livelihood by such low arts as these, that is to say, by palmistry, by forfune-telling, by divining omens, by interpreting dreams, marks on the body, holes gnawed by mice; by fire sacrifice, by spoon oblation, ...' (D.i,9).
84.   So this wrong livelihood entails the transgression of these six training precepts announced on account of livelihood, and it entails the evil states beginning with 'Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain'. And so it is the abstinence from all sorts of wrong livelihood that is virtue of livelihood purification, the word-meaning of which is this: on account of it they live, thus it is livelihood. What is that? It is the effort consisting in the search for requisites. 'Purification' is purifiedness. 'Livelihood purification' is purification of livelihood.
85.   (d) As regards the next kind called virtue concerning requisites, [here is the text: 'Reflecting wisely, he uses the robe only for protection from cold, for protection from heat, for protection from contact with gadflies, flies, wind, burning, and creeping things, and only for the purpose of concealing the private parts. Reflecting wisely, he uses alms food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for smartening nor for embellishment, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for the ending of discomfort, and for assisting the life of purity: "Thus I shall put a stop to old feelings and shall not arouse new feelings, and I shall be healthy and blameless and live in comfort." Reflecting wisely, he uses the resting place only for the purpose of protection from cold, for protection from heat, for protection from contact with gadflies, flies, wind, burning and creeping things, and only for the purpose of warding off the perils of climate and enjoying retreat. Reflecting wisely, he uses the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick only for protection from arisen hurtful feelings and for complete immunity from affliction' (M.i,10).] Herein reflecting wisely is reflecting as the means and as the way; {26} by knowing, by reviewing, is the meaning. And here it is the reviewing stated in the way beginning 'For protection from cold' that should be understood as 'reflecting wisely'.
86.   Herein, The robe is any one of those beginning with the inner cloth. He uses: he employs; dresses in [as inner cloth], or puts on [as upper garment]. Only [31] is a phrase signifying invariability in the definition of a limit {27} of a purpose; the purpose in the meditator's making use of the robes is that much only, namely, protection from cold, etc., not more than that. From cold: from any kind of cold arisen either through disturbance of elements internally or through change in temperature externally. For protection: for the purpose of warding off; for the purpose of eliminating it so that it may not arouse affliction in the body. For when the body is afflicted by cold, the distracted mind cannot be wisely exerted. That is why the Blessed One purmitted the robe to be used for protection from cold. So in each instance. Except that from heat means from the heat of fire, the origin of which should be understood as forest fires, and so on.
87.   From contact with gadflies and flies, wind and burning and creeping things: here gadflies are flies that bite; they are also called 'blind flies'. Flies are just flies. Wind is distinguished as that with dust and that without dust. Burning is burning of the sun. Creeping things are any long creatures such as snakes and so on that move by crawling. Contact with them is of two kinds: contact by being bitten and contact by being touched. And that does not worry him who sits with a robe on. So he uses it for the purpose of protection from such things.
88.   Only: the word is repeated in order to define subdivision of the invariable purpose; for the concealment of the private parts is an invariable purpose; the others are purposes periodically. Herein, private parts are any parts of the pudendum. For when a member is disclosed, conscience (hiri) is disturbed (kuppati), offended. It is called 'private parts (hirikopina)' because of the disturbance of conscience (hiri-kopana). For the purpose of concealing the private parts: for the purpose of the concealment of those private parts. [As well as the reading hirikopinapaticchadanattham'] there is a reading 'hirikopinam paticchadanattham'.
89.   Alms food is any sort of food. For any sort of nutriment is called alms food (pindapata - lit. lump-dropping)' because of its having been dropped (patitatta) into a bhikkhu's bowl during his alms round (pindolya). Or alms food (pindapata) is the dropping (pata) of the lumps (pinda); it is the concurrence (sannipata), the collection, of alms (bhikkha) obtained here and there, is what is meant.  Neither for amusement: neither for the purpose of amusement, as with village boys, etc.; for sake of sport, is what is meant. Nor for intoxication: not for the purpose of intoxication, as with boxers, etc.; for the sake of intoxication with strength and for the sake of intoxication with manhood, is what is meant. [32] Nor for smartening: not for the purpose of smartening, as with royal concubines, courtesans, etc.; for the sake of plumpness in all the limbs, is what is meant. Nor for embellishment: not for the purpose of embellishment, as with actors, dancers, etc.; for the sake of a clear skin and complexion, is what is meant.
90.   And here the clause neither for amusement is stated for the purpose of abandoning support for delusion; nor for intoxication is said for the purpose of abandoning support for hate; nor for smartening nor for embellishment is said for the purpose of abandoning support for greed. And neither for amusement nor for intoxicetion is said for the purpose of preventing the arising of fetters for oneself. Nor for smartening nor for embellishment is said for the purpose of preventing the arising of fetters for another. And the abandoning of both unwise practice and devotion to indulgence of sense pleasures should be understood as stated by these four. Only has the meaning already stated.
91.   Of this body: of this material body consisting of the four great primaries. For the endurance: for the purpose of continued endurance. And continuance: for the purpose of not interrupting [life's continued] occurrence, or for the purpose of endurance for a long time. He makes use of the alms food for the purpose of the endurance, for the purpose of the continuance of the body, as the owner of an old house uses props for his house, and as a carter uses axle grease, not for the purpose of amusement, intoxication, smartening; and embellishment. Furthermore, endurance is a term for the life faculty. So what has been said as far as the words for the endurance and continuance of this body can be understood to mean: for the purpose of maintaining the occurrence of the life faculty in this body.
92.   For the ending of discomfort: hunger is called 'discomfort' in the sense of afflicting. He makes use of alms food for the purpose of ending that, like annointing a wound, like counteracting heat with cold, and so on. For assisting the life of purity: for the purpose of assisting the life of purity consisting in the whole dispensation and the life of purity consisting in the path. For while this [bhikkhu] is engaged in crossing the desert of existence by means of devotion to the Three Trainings depending on bodily strength whose necessary condition is the use of alms food, he makes use of it to assist the life of purity just as those seeking to cross the desert used their child's flesh, {28} just as those seeking to cross a river use a raft, and just as those seeking to cross the ocean use a ship.
93.   Thus I shall put a stop to old feelings and shall not arouse new feelings: [33] thus as a sick man uses medicine, he uses [alms food, thinking]: 'by use of this alms food I shall put a stop to the old feeling of hunger, and I shall not arouse a new feeling by immoderate eating, like one of the [proverbial] brahmans, that is, one who eats till he has to be helped up by hand, or till his clothes will not meet, or till he rolls there [on the ground], or till crows can peck from his mouth, or till he vomits what he has eaten. Or alternatively, there is that which is called "old feelings" because, being conditioned by former kamma, it arises now in dependence on unsuitable immoderate eating - I shall put a stop to that old feeling, forestalling its condition by suitable moderate eating. And there is that which is called "new feeling" because it will arise in the future in dependence on the accumulation of kamma consisting in making improper use [of the requisite of alms food] now - I shall also not arouse that new feeling, avoiding by means of proper use the production of its root'. This is how the meaning should be understood here. What has been shown so far can be understood to include proper use [of requisites], abandoning of devotion to self-mortification, and not giving up lawful bliss (pleasure).
94.   And I shall be healthy: 'In this body, which exists in dependence on requisites, I shall, by moderate eating, have health called "long endurance" since there will be no danger of severing the life faculty or interrupting the [continuity of the] postures'. [Reflecting] in this way, he makes use [of the alms food] as a sufferer from a chronic disease does his medicine. And blameless and live in comfort (lit. and have blamelessness and a comfortable abiding): he makes use of them thinking 'I shall have blamelessness by avoiding improper search, acceptance and eating, and I shall have a comfortable abiding by moderate eating'. Or he does so thinking 'I shall have blamelessness due to absence of such faults as boredom, sloth, sleepiness, blame by the wise, etc., that have unseemly immoderate eating as their condition; and I shall have a comfortable abiding by producing bodily strength that has seemly moderate eating as its condition'. Or he does so thinking 'I shall have blamelessness by abandoning the pleasure of lying down, lolling and torpor through refraining from eating as much as possible to stuff the belly; and I shall have a comfortable abiding by controlling the four postures through eating four or five mouthfuls less than the maximum'. For this is said:
            'With four or five lumps still to eat,
            Let him then end by drinking water;
            For energetic bhikkhus' needs
            This should suffice to live in comfort'. (Thag.983) {29} [34]
Now what has been shown at this point can be understood as discernment of purpose and practice of the middle way.
95.   Resting Place (senasana): this is the bed (sena) and seat (asana). For wherever one sleeps (seti), whether in a monastery or in a lean-to, etc., that is the bed (sena); wherever one seats oneself (asati), sits (nisidati), that is the seat (asana). Both together are called 'resting-place (or abode - senasana)'.
  For the purppse of warding off the perils of climate and enjoying retreat: the climate itself in the sense of imperilling (parisahana) is 'perils of climate (utu-parissaya)'. Unsuitable climatic conditions that cause mental distraction due to bodily affliction can be warded off by making use of the resting place; it is for the purpose of warding off these and for the purpose of the pleasure of solitude, is what is meant. Of course, the warding off of the perils of climate is stated by [the phrase] 'protection from cold', etc., too; but, just as in the case of making use of the robes the concealment of the private parts is stated as an invariable purpose while the others are periodical [purposes], so here also this [last] should be understood as mentioned with reference to the invariable warding off of the perils of climate. Or alternatively; this 'climate' of the kind stated is just climate; but 'perils' are of two kinds: evident perils and concealed perils (see Nd1.12). Herein, evident perils are lions, tigers, etc., while concealed perils are greed, hate, and so on. When a bhikkhu knows and reflects thus in making use of the kind of resting place where these [perils] do not, owing to 'unguarded doors and sight of unsuitable visible objects, etc., cause affliction, he can be understood as one who 'reflecting wisely makes use of the resting place for the purpose of warding off the perils of climate'.
96.   The requisite of medicine as cure for the sick: here 'cure (paccaya = going against)' is in the sense of going against (pati-ayana) illness; in the sense of countering, is the meaning. This is a term for any suitable remedy. It is the medical man's work (bhisakassa kammam) because it is permitted by him, thus it is medicine (bhesajja). Or the cure for the sick itself as medicine is 'medicine as cure for the sick'. Any work of a medical man such as oil, honey, ghee, etc., that is suitable for one who is sick, is what is meant. A 'requisite (parikkhara)', however, in such passages as 'It is well supplied with the requisites of a city' (A.iv,106) is equipment; in such passages as 'The chariot has the requisite of virtue, the axle of jhana, the wheel of energy' (S.v,6) [35] it is an ornament; in such passages as 'The requisites for the life of one who has gone into homelessness that should be available' (M.i,104) it is an accessory. But here both equipment and accessory are applicable. For that medicine as a cure for the sick is equipment for maintaining life because it protects by preventing the arising of affliction destructive to life; and it is an accessory too because it is an instrument for prolonging life. That is why it is called 'requisite'. So it is medicine as cure for the sick and that is requisite, thus it is a 'requisite of medicine as cure for the sick'. [He makes use of] that requisite of medicine as cure for the sick; any requisite for life consisting of oil, honey, molasses, ghee, etc., that is allowed by a medical man as suitable for the sick, is what is meant.
97.   From arisen: from born, become produced. Hurtful: here 'hurt (affliction)' is a disturbance of elements, and it is the leprosy, tumours, boils, etc., originated by that disturbance. Hurtful (veyyabadhika) because arisen in the form of hurt (byabadha). Feelings: painful feelings, feelings resulting from unprofitable kamma - from those hurtful feelings. For complete immunity from affliction: for complete freedom from pain; so that all that is painful is abandoned, is the meaning.
  This is how this virtue concerning requisites should be understood. In brief its characteristic is the use of requisites after wise reflection. The word-meaning here is this: because breathing things go (ayanti), move, proceed, using [what they use] in dependence on these robes, etc., these robes, etc., are therefore called requisites (paccaya = ger. of pati + ayati); 'concerning requisites' is concerning those requisites.
98.   (a) So, in this fourfold virtue, Patimokkha restraint has to be undertaken by means of faith. For that is accomplished by faith, since the announcing of training precepts is outside the disciples' province; and the evidence here is the refusal of the request to [allow disciples to] announce training precepts (See Vin.iii,9-10). Having therefore undertaken through faith the training precepts without exception as announced, one should completely perfect them without regard for life. For this is said: [36]
            'As a hen guards her eggs,
            Or as a yak her tail,
            Or like a darling child,
            Or like an only eye,
            So you who are engaged
            Your virtue to protect,
            Be prudent at all times
            And ever scrupulous' (          ).
Also it is said further 'So too, Sire, when a training precept for disciples is announced by me, my disciples do not transgress it even for the sake of life' (A.iv,201).
99.   And the story of the Elders bound by robbers in the forest should be understood in this sense.
  It seems that robbers in the Mahavattani Forest bound an Elder with black creepers and made him lie down. While he lay there for seven days he augmented his insight, and after reaching the fruition of Non-return, he died there and was reborn in the Brahma World.
  Also they bound another Elder in Tambapanni Island (Ceylon) with string creepers and made him lie down. When a forest fire came and the creepers were not cut, he established insight and attained nibbana simultaneously with his death. When the Elder Abhaya, a preacher of the Digha Nikaya, passed by with five hundred bhikkhus, he saw [what had happened] and he had the Elder's body cremated and a shrine built. Therefore let other clansmen also
            Maintain the Rules of Conduct pure,
            Renouncing life if there be need,
            Rather than break virtue's restraint
            By the World's Saviour decreed.
100.   (b) And as Patimokkha restraint is undertaken out of faith, so restraint of the sense faculties should be undertaken with mindfulness. For that is accomplished by mindfulness, because when the sense faculties' functions are founded on mindfulness, there is no liability to invasion by covetousness and the rest. So, recollecting the Fire Discourse, which begins thus, 'Better, bhikkhus, the extirpation of the eye faculty by a red-hot burning blazing glowing iron spike than the apprehension of signs in the particulars of visible objects 'cognizable by the eye' (S.iv,168), this [restraint] should be properly undertaken by preventing with unremitting mindfulness any apprehension, in the objective fields consisting of visible data, etc., of any signs, etc., likely to encourage covetousness, etc., to invade consciousness occurring in connexion with the eye door and so on.
101.   [37] When not undertaken thus, virtue of Patimokkha restraint is unenduring: it does not last, like a crop not fenced in with branches. And it is raided by the robber defilements as a village with open gates is by thieves. And lust, leaks into his mind as rain does into a badly-roofed house. For this is said:
            'Among the visible objects, sounds, and smells,
            And tastes, and tangibles, guard the faculties;
            For when these doors are open and unguarded,
            Then thieves will come and raid as 'twere a village'
                        (        ).
            'And just as with an ill-roofed house
            The rain comes leaking in, so too
            Will lust come leaking in for sure
            Upon an undeveloped mind' (Dh.13).
102.   When it is undertaken thus, virtue of Patimokkha restraint is enduring: it lasts, like a crop well fenced in with branches. And it is not raided by the robber defilements, as a village with well-guarded gates is not by thieves. And lust does not leak into his mind, as rain does not into a well-roofed house. For this is said:
            'Among the visible objects, sounds and smells,
            And tastes and tangibles, guard the faculties;
            For when these doors are closed and truly guarded,
            Thieves will not come and raid as 'twere a village'
                        (        ).
            'And just as with a well-roofed house
            No rain comes leaking in, so too
            No lust comes leaking in for sure
            Upon a well-developed mind' (Dh.14).
103.   This, however, is the teaching at its very highest.
  This mind is called 'quickly transformed' (A.1,10), so restraint of the faculties should be undertaken by removing arisen lust with the contemplation of foulness, as was done by the Elder Vangisa soon after he had gone forth. [38]
  As the Elder was wandering for alms, it seems, soon after going forth, lust arose in him on seeing a woman. Thereupon he said to the venerable Ananda:
            'I am afire with sensual lust.
            And burning flames consume my mind;
            In pity tell me, Gotama,
            How to extinguish it for good' (S.i,188).
The Elder said:
            'You do perceive mistakenly,
            That burning flames consume your mind.
            Look for no sign of beauty there,
            For that it is which leads to lust.
            See foulness there and keep your mind
            Harmoniously concentrated;
            Formations see as alien,
            As ill, not self, so this great lust
            May be extinguished, and no more
            Take fire thus ever and again' (S.i,188).
The Elder expelled his lust and then went on with his alms round.
104.   Moreover a bhikkhu who is fulfilling restraint of the faculties should be like the elder Cittagutta resident in the Great Cave at Kurandaka, and like the Elder Maha-Mitta resident at the Great Monastery of Coraka.
105.   In the Great Cave of Kurandaka, it seems, there was a lovely painting of the Renunciation of the Seven Buddhas. A number of Bhikkhus wandering about among the dwellings saw the painting and said 'What a lovely painting, venerable sir!'. The Elder said 'For more than sixty years, friends, I have lived in the cave, and I did not know whether there was any painting there or not. Now, today, I know it through those who have eyes'. The Elder, it seems, though he had lived there for so long, had never raised his eyes and looked up at the cave. And at the door of his cave there was a great ironwood tree. And the Elder had never looked up at that either. He knew it was in flower when he saw its petals on the ground each year.
106.   The king heard of the Elder's great virtues, and he sent for him three times, desiring to pay homage to him. When the Elder did not go, he had the breasts of all the women with infants in the town bound and sealed off, [saying], 'As long as the Elder does not come let the children go without milk'. [39] 0ut of compassion for the children the Elder went to Mahagama. When the king heard [that he had come, he said] 'Go and bring the Elder in. I shall take the Precepts'. Having had him brought up into the inner palace, he paid homage to him and provided him with a meal. Then, saying 'Today, venerable sir, there is no opportunity. I shall take the Precepts tomorrow', he took the Elder's bowl. After following him for a little, he paid homage with the queen and turned back. As seven days went by thus, whether it was the king who paid homage or whether it was the queen, the Elder said 'May the king be happy'.
107.   Bhikkhus asked 'Why is it, venerable sir, that whether it is the king who pays the homage or the queen you say "May the king be happy"?'. The Elder replied 'Friends, I do not notice whether it is the king or the queen'. At the end of seven days (when it was found that] the Elder was not happy living there, he was dismissed by the king. He went back to the Great Cave at Kurandaka. When it was night he went out onto his walk. A deity who dwelt in the ironwood tree stood by with a torch of sticks. Then his meditation subject became quite clear and plain. The Elder, (thinking] 'How clear my meditation subject is today!', was glad, and immediately after the middle watch he reached Arahantship, making the whole rock resound. {30}
108.   So when another clansman seeks his own good,
            Let him not be hungry-eyed,
            Like a monkey in the groves,
            Like a wild deer in the woods,
            Like a nervous little child,
            Let him go with eyes downcast
            Seeing a plough yoke's length before,
            That he fall not in the power
            Of the forest-monkey mind.
109.   The Elder Maha-Mitta's mother was sick with a poisoned tumour. She told her daughter, who as a bhikkhuni had also gone forth, 'Lady, go to your brother. Tell him my trouble and bring back some medicine'. She went and told him. The Elder said 'I do not know how to gather root medicines and such things and concoct a medicine from them. But rather I will tell you a medicine: since I went forth I have not broken [my virtue of restraint of] the sense faculties by looking at the bodily form of the opposite sex with a lustful mind. By this [40] declaration of truth may my mother get well. Go and tell the lay devotee and rub her body'. She went and told her what had happened and then did as she had been instructed. At that very moment the lay devotee's tumour vanished, shrinking away like a lump of froth. She got up and uttered a cry of joy: 'If the Fully Enlightened One were still alive, why should he not stroke with his net-adorned hand the head of a bhikkhu like my son?'. So
110.      Let another noble clansman
            Gone forth in the Dispensation
            Keep, as did the Elder Mitta,
            Perfect faculty restraint.
111.   (c) As restraint of the faculties is to be undertaken by means of mindfulness, so Livelihood purification is to be undertaken by means of energy. For that is accomplished by energy, because the abandoning of wrong livelihood is effected in one who has rightly applied energy. Abandoning, therefore, unbefitting wrong search, this should be undertaken with energy by means of the right kind of search consisting in going on alms round, etc., avoiding what is of impure origin as though it were a poisonous snake, and using only requisites of pure origin.
112.   Herein, for one who has not taken up the Ascetic Practices any requisites obtained from the Community, from a group of bhikkhus, or from laymen who have confidence in his special qualities of teaching the Dhamma, etc. are called 'of pure origin'. But those obtained on alms round, etc., are of extremely pure origin. For one who has taken up the Ascetic Practices those obtained on alms round, etc. and - as long as this is in accordance with the rules of the ascetic practices - from people who have confidence in his special qualities of ascetism, are called 'of pure origin'. And if he has got putrid urine with mixed gall nuts and 'four sweets' {31} for the purpose of curing a certain affliction, and he eats only the broken gall nuts, thinking 'Other companions in the life of purity will eat the "four-sweets"', his undertaking of the ascetic practices is befitting, for he is then called a bhikkhu who is supreme in the Noble Ones' Heritages (See A.ii,28).
113.   As to the robe and the other requisites, no hint, indication, roundabout talk, or intimation, about robes and alms food is allowable for a bhikkhu who is purifying his livelihood. But a hint, indication, or roundabout talk, about a resting place is allowable for one who has not taken up the ascetic practices. [41].
114.   Herein, a 'hint' is when one who is getting the preparing of the ground, etc., done for the purpose of [making] a resting place is asked 'What is being done, venerable sir? Who is having it done?' and he replies 'No one'; or any other such giving of hints. An 'indication' is saying 'Lay follower, where do you live?' - 'In a mansion, venerable sir,' - 'But, lay follower, a mansion is not allowed for bhikkhus.' Or any other such giving of indication. 'Roundabout talk' is saying 'The resting place for the Community of Bhikkhus is crowded'; or any other such oblique talk.
115.   All, however, is allowed in the case of medicine. But when the disease is cured, is it or is it not allowed to use the medicine obtained in this way? Herein, the Vinaya specialists say that the opening has been given by the Blessed One, therefore it is allowable. But the Suttanta specialists say that though there is no offence,    nevertheless the livelihood
116. is sullied, therefore it is not allowable. But one who does not use hints, indications, roundabout talk, or intimation, though these are permitted by the Blessed One, and who depends only on the special qualities of fewness of wishes, etc., and makes use only of requisites obtained otherwise than by indication, etc., even when he thus risks his life, is called supreme in living in effacement, like the venerable Sariputta.
117.   It seems that the venerable one was cultivating seclusion at one time, living in a certain forest with the Elder Maha-Moggallana. One day an affliction of colic arose in him, causing him great pain. In the evening the Elder Maha-Moggallana went to attend upon him. Seeing him lying down, he asked what the reason was. And then he asked 'What used to make you better formerly, friend?'. The Elder said 'When I was a layman, friend, my mother used to mix ghee, honey, sugar and so on, and give me rice gruel with pure milk. That used to make me better'. Then the other said 'So be it, friend. If either you or I have merit, perhaps
118. tomorrow we shall get some'. Now a deity who dwelt in a tree at the end of the walk overheard their conversation. [Thinking] 'I will find rice gruel for the lord tomorrow', he went meanwhile to the family who was supporting the Elder [42] and entered into the body of the eldest son, causing him discomfort. Then he told the assembled relatives the price of the cure: 'If you prepare rice gruel of such a kind tomorrow for the Elder, I will set this one free'. They said 'Even without being told by you we regularly supply the Elder's needs', and on the following day they prepared rice gruel of the kind needed.
119.   The Elder Maha-Moggallana came in the morning and said 'Stay here, friend, till I come back from the alms round'. Then he went into the village. Those people met him. They took his bowl, filled it with the stipulated kind of rice gruel, and gave it back to him. The Elder made as though to go, but they said 'Eat, venerable sir, We shall give you more'. When the Elder had eaten, they gave him another bowlful. The Elder left. Bringing the alms food to the venerable Sariputta, he said 'Here, friend Sariputta, eat,'. When the Elder saw it, he thought 'The gruel is very nice. How was it got?', and seeing how it had been obtained, he said 'Friend, the alms food cannot be used'.
120.   Instead of thinking 'He does not eat alms food brought by the likes of me', the other at once took the bowl by the rim and turned it over on one side. As the rice gruel fell on the ground the Elder's affliction vanished. From then on it did not appear again during forty-five years.
121.   Then he said to the venerable Maha-Moggallana 'Friend, even if one's bowels come out and trail on the ground, it is not fitting to eat gruel got by verbal intimation', and he uttered this exclamation:
           'My livelihood might well be blamed,
            If I were to consent to eat
            The honey and the gruel obtained
            By influence of verbal hints.
            And even if my bowels obtrude
            And trail outside, and even though
            My life is to be jeopardized,
            I will not blot my livelihood (Miln.370).
            For I will satisfy my heart
            By shunning all wrong kinds of search;
            And never will I undertake
            The search the Buddhas have condemned' (        ). [43]
122.   And here too should be told the story of the Elder Maha-Tissa the Mango-eater who lived at Ciragumba (see §132 below). {32} So in all respects
            A man who has gone forth in faith
            Should purify his livelihood
            And, seeing clearly, give no thought
            To any search that is not good.
123.   (d) And, as livelihood purification is to be undertaken by means of energy, so virtue dependent on requisites is to be undertaken by means of understanding. For that is accomplished by understanding, because one who possesses understanding is able to see the advantages and the dangers in requisites. So one should abandon greed for requisites and undertake that virtue by using requisites obtained lawfully and properly, after reviewing them with understanding in the way aforesaid.
124.   Herein, reviewing is of two kinds: at the time of receiving requisites,and at the time of using them. For use is blameless in one, who at the time of receiving robes, etc., reviews them either as [mere] elements or as repulsive, {33} and puts them aside for later use, and in one who reviews them thus at the time of using them.
125.   Here is an explanation to settle the matter. There are four kinds of use: use as theft, {34} use as debt, use as an inheritance, use as a master. Herein, use by one who is unvirtuous and makes use [of requisites], even sitting in the midst of the community; is called 'use as theft'. Use without reviewing by one who is virtuous is 'use as a debt'; therefore the robe should be reviewed every time it is used, and the alms food lump by lump. One who cannot do this [should review it] before the meal, after the meal, in the first watch, in the middle watch, and in the last watch. If dawn breaks on him without his having reviewed it, he finds himself in the position of one who has used it as a debt. Also the resting place should be reviewed each time it is used. Recourse to mindfulness both in the accepting and the use of medicine is proper; but while this is so, though there is an offence for one who uses it without mindfulness after mindful acceptance, there is no offence for one who is mindful in using after accepting without mindfulness.
126.   Purification is of four kinds: purification by the Teaching, purification by restraint, purification by search, and purification by reviewing. Herein, virtue of the Patimokkha restraint is called 'purification by the Teaching'; [44] for that is so called because it purifies by means of teaching. Virtue of restraint of faculties is called 'purification by restraint'; for that is so called because it purifies by means of the restraint in the mental resolution 'I shall not do so again'. Virtue of livelihood purification is called 'purification by search'; for that is so called because search is purified in one who abandons wrong search and gets requisites lawfully and properly. Virtue dependent on requisites is called 'purification by reviewing'; for that is so called because it purifies by the reviewing of the kind already described. Hence it was said above (§125) 'There is no offence for one who is mindful in using after accepting without mindfulness'.
127.   Use of the requisites by the seven kinds of Trainers is called 'use as an inheritance'; For they are the Buddha's sons, therefore they make use of the requisites as the heirs or requisites belonging to their father. But how then, is it the Blessed One's requisites or the laity's requisites that are used? Although given by the laity, they actually belong to the Blessed One, because it is by the Blessed One that they are permitted. That is why it should be understood that the Blessed One's requisites are used. The confirmation here is in the Dhammadayada Sutta (M. Sutta 3).
  Use by those whose cankers are destroyed is called 'use as a master'; for they make use of them as masters because they have escaped the slavery of craving.
128.   As regards these kinds of use, use as a master and use as an inheritance are allowable for all. Use as a debt is not allowable, to say nothing of use as theft. But this use of what is reviewed by one who is virtuous is use freed from debt because it is the opposite of use as a debt or is included in use as an inheritance too. For one possessed of virtue is called a Trainer too because of possessing this training.
129.   As regards these three kinds of use, since use as a master is best, when a bhikkhu undertakes virtue dependent on requisites, he should aspire to that and use them after reviewing them in the way described. And this is said: [45]
            'The truly wise disciple
            Who listens to the Dhamma
            As taught by the Sublime One
            Makes use, after reviewing,
            Of alms food, and of dwelling,
            And of a resting place,
            And also of the water
            For washing dirt from robes' (Sn.391).
                'So like a drop of water
                Lying on leaves of lotus,
                A bhikkhu is unsullied
                By any of these matters,
                By alms food, [and by dwelling,]
                And by a resting place,
                And also by the water
                For washing dirt from robes' (Sn.392).
           'Since aid it is and timely
            Procured from another
            The right amount he reckons,
            Mindful without remitting
            In chewing and in eating,
            In tasting food besides:
            He treats it as an ointment
            Applied upon a wound' (        ).
                'So like the child's flesh in the desert
                Like the greasing for the axle,
                He should eat without delusion
                Nutriment to keep alive' (        ).
130.   And in connexion with the fulfilling of this virtue dependent on requisites there should be told the story of the novice Sangharakkhita the Nephew. For he made use of requisites after reviewing, according as it is said:
            'Seeing me eat a dish of rice
            Quite cold, my Preceptor observed:
            "Novice, if you are not restrained,
            Be careful not to burn your tongue".
            On hearing my Preceptor's words,
            I then and there felt urged to act
            And, sitting in a single session,
            I reached the goal of Arahantship.
            Since I am now waxed full in thought
            Like the full moon of the Fifteenth (See M.iii,277),
            And all my cankers are destroyed,
            There is no more becoming now'. [46]
                And so should any other man
                Aspiring to end suffering
                Make use of all the requisites
                Wisely after reviewing them.
  So virtue is of four kinds as 'virtue of Patimokkha restraint', and so on.
131.   18. In the first pentad in the fivefold section the meaning should be understood in accordance with the virtue of those not fully admitted to the Order, and so on. For this is said in the Patisambhida: '(a) What is virtue consisting in limited purification? That of the training precepts for those not fully admitted to the Order: such is virtue consisting in limited purification. (b) What is virtue consisting in unlimited purification? That of the training precepts for those fully admitted to the Order: such is virtue consisting in unlimited purification. (c) What is virtue consisting in fulfilled purification? That of Magnanimous Ordinary Men devoted to profitable things, who are perfecting [the course] that ends in Trainership, regardless of the physical body and life, having given up [attachment to] life: such is virtue of fulfilled purification. (d) What is virtue consisting in purification not adhered to? That of the several kinds of Trainer: such is virtue consisting in purification not adhered to. (e) What is virtue consisting in tranquillized purification? That of the Perfect One's disciples with cankers destroyed, of the Undeclared Enlightened Ones, of the Perfect Ones, accomplished and fully enlightened: such is virtue consisting in tranquillized purification' (Ps.i,42-3).
132.   (a) Herein, the virtue of those not fully admitted to the Order should be understood as virtue consisting in limited purification, because it is limited by the number [of training precepts, that is, 5 or 8 or 10].
  (b) That of those fully admitted to the Order is [describable] thus:
            Nine thousand millions, and a hundred
            And eighty millions then as well,
            And fifty plus a hundred thousand,
            And thirty-six again to swell
            The total restraint disciplines:
            These rules the Enlightened One explains
            Told under heads for filling out,
            Which the Discipline restraint contains. {35}
So although limited in number, [47] it should yet be understood as virtue consisting in unlimited purification, since it is undertaken without reserve and has no obvious limit such as gain, fame, relatives, limbs or life. Like the virtue of the Elder Maha-Tissa the Mango-eater who lived at Ciragumba (see §122 above).
133.   For that venerable One never abandoned the following Good Man's Recollection,
            'Wealth for a sound limb's sake should be renounced,
            And one who guards his life gives up his limbs;
            And wealth and limbs and life, each one of these,
            A man gives up who practices the Dhamma',
and never transgressed a training precept even when his life was in the balance, and in this way he reached Arahantship with that same virtue of unlimited purification as his support while he was being carried on a lay devotee's back. According as it is said:
            'Nor your mother nor your father
            Nor your relatives and kin
            Have done as much as this for you
            Because you are possessed of virtue'.
            So, stirred with urgency, and wisely
            Comprehending {36} with insight,
            While carried on his helper's back
            He reached the goal of Arahantship.
134.   (c) The Magnanimous Ordinary Man's virtue, which from the time of admission to the Order is devoid even of the stain of a [wrong] thought because of its extreme purity, like a gem of purest water, like well-refined gold, becomes the proximate cause for Arahantship itself, which is why it is called consisting of fulfilled purification; like that of the Elders Sangharakkhita the Great and Sangharakkhita the Nephew.
135.   The Elder Sangharakkhita the Great (Maha-Sangharakkhita), aged over sixty, was lying, it seems, on his deathbed. The Order of Bhikkhus questioned him about attainment of the supramundane state. The Elder said 'I have no supramundane state'. Then the young bhikkhu who was attending on him said 'Venerable sir, people have come as much as twelve leagues, thinking that you have reached nibbana. It will be a disappointment for many if you die as an ordinary man'. - 'Friend, thinking to see the Blessed One Metteyya, I did not try for insight [48]. So help me to sit up and give me the chance.' He helped the elder to sit up and went out. As he went out the Elder reached Arahantship and he gave a sign by snapping his fingers. The Order assembled and said to him 'Venerable sir, you have done a difficult thing in achieving the supramundane state in the hour of death'. - 'That was not difficult, friends. But rather I will tell you what is difficult. Friends, I see no action done [by me] without mindfulness and unknowingly since the time I went forth.' His nephew also reached Arahantship in the same way at the age of fifty years.
136.      'Now if a man has little learning
            And he is careless of his virtue,
            They censure him on both accounts,
            For lack of virtue and of learning.
                But if he is of little learning
                Yet he is careful of his virtue,
                They praise him for his virtue, so
                It is as though he too had learning.
            And if he is of ample learning
            Yet he is careless of his virtue,
            They blame him for his virtue, so
            It is as though he had no learning.
                But if he is of ample learning
                And he is careful of his virtue,
                They give him praise on both accounts
                For virtue and as well for learning.
            The Buddha's pupil of much learning
            Who keeps the Law with understanding -
            A jewel of Jambu River gold {37} -
            Who is here fit to censure him?
            Deities praise him [constantly],
            By Brahma also is he praised' (A.ii,7).
137.   (d) What should be understood as virtue consisting in purification not adhered to is Trainers' virtue, because it is not adhered to by [false] views, and ordinary men's virtue when not adhered to by greed. Like the virtue of the Elder Tissa the Landowner's Son (Kutumbiyaputta-Tissa-thera).
  Wanting to become established in Arahantship in dependence on such virtue, this venerable one told his enemies:
            'I broke the bones of both my legs
            To give the pledge you asked from me.
            I am revolted and ashamed
            At death accompanied by greed. [49]
            And after I had thought on this,
            And wisely then applied insight,
            When the sun rose and shone on me,
            I had become an Arahant' (see MA.i,233).
138.   Also there was a certain Senior Elder who was very ill and unable to eat with his own hand. He was writhing smeared with his own urine and excrement. Seeing him a certain young bhikkhu said 'Oh, what a painful process life is!'. The senior Elder told him 'If I were to die now friend, I should obtain the bliss of heaven; I have no doubt of that. But the bliss obtained by breaking this virtue would be like the lay state obtained by disavowing the training', and he added 'I shall die together with my virtue'. As he lay there, he comprehended that same illness [with insight], {36} and he reached Arahantship. Having done so, he pronounced these verses to the Order of Bhikkhus:
            'I am victim of a sickening disease
            That racks me with its burden of cruel pain;
            As flowers in the dust burnt by the sun,
            So this my corpse will soon have withered up.
                Unbeautiful called beautiful,
                Unclean while reckoned as if clean,
                Though full of ordure seeming fair
                To him that cannot see it clear.
            So out upon this ailing rotting body,
            Fetid and filthy, punished with affliction,
            Doting on which this silly generation
            Has lost the way to be reborn in heaven!' (Ja.ii,437).
139.   (e) It is the virtue of the Arahants, etc., that should be understood as tranquillized purification, because of tranquillization of all disturbance and because of purifiedness.
  So it is of five kinds as 'consisting in limited purification', and so on.
140.   19. In the second pentad the meaning should be understood as the abandoning, etc., of killing living things, etc.; for this is said in the Patisambhida:
Five kinds of virtue:   '(1) In the case of killing living things, (a) abandoning is virtue, (b) abstention is virtue, (c) volition is virtue, (d) restraint is virtue, (e) non-transgression is virtue. (2) In the case of taking what is not given, ... (3) In the case of sexual misconduct, ... (4) In the case of false speech, ... (5) In the case of malicious speech, ... (6) In the case of harsh speech, ... (7) In the case of gossip, ... [50] (8) In the case of covetousness, ... (9) In the case of ill will, ... 10) In the case of wrong view, ...
  '(11) Through renunciation in the case of lust, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (12) Through non-ill-will in the case of ill-will, ... (13) Through perception of light in the case of stiffness-and-torpor, ... (14) Through non-distraction, ... agitation, ... (15) Through definition of states (dhamma) ... uncertainty, ... (16) Through knowledge ... ignorance, ... (17) Through gladdening in the case of boredom, ...
  '(18) Through the first jhana in the case of the hindrances, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (19) Through the second jhana ... applied and sustained thought, ... (20) Through the third jhana ... happiness ... (21) Through the fourth jhana in the case of pleasure and pain, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (22) Through the attainment of the base consisting of boundless space in the case of perceptions of matter, perceptions of resistance, and perceptions of variety, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (23) Through the attainment of the base consisting of boundless consciousness in the case of the perception of the base consisting of boundless space, ... (24) Through the attainment of the base consisting of nothingness in the case of the perception of the base consisting of boundless consciousness, ... (25) Through the attainment of the base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception in the case of the perception of the base consisting of nothingness, ...
  '(26) Through the contemplation of impermanence in the case of the perception of permanence, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (27) Through the contemplation of pain in the case of the perception of pleasure. ... (28) Through the contemplation of not-self in the case of the perception of self, ... (29) Through the contemplation of dispassion in the case of the perception of delighting. ... (30) Through the contemplatipn of fading away in the case of greed, ... (31) Through the contemplation of cessation in the case of originating, ... (32) Through the contemplation of relinquishment in the case of grasping ...
  '(33) Through the contemplation of destruction in the case of the perception of compactness, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (34) Through the contemplation of fall [of formations] in the case of accumulating [kamma], ... (35) Through the contemplation of change in the case of the perception of lastingness, ... (36) Through the contemplation of the signless in the case of a sign, ... (37) Through the contemplation of the desireless in the case of desire, ... (38) Through the contemplation of voidness in the case of misinterpreting (insistence), (39) Through Insight into States that is Higher Understanding in the case of misinterpreting (insistence) due to grasping, ... (40) Through Correct Knowledge and Vision in the case of misinterpreting (insistence) due to confusion, ... (41) Through the contemplation of danger in the case of misinterpreting (insistence) due to reliance [on formations], ... (42) Through reflexion in the case of non-reflexion, ... (43) Through the contemplation of turning away in the case of misinterpreting (insistence) due to bondage, ...
  '(44) Through the path of Stream-entry in the case of defilements coefficient with [false] view, (a) abandoning is virtue, ... (45) Through the path of Once-return in the case of gross defilements, ... (46) Through the path of Non-return in the case of residual defilements, ... (47) Through the path of Arahantship in the case of all defilements, (a) abandoning is virtue, (b) abstention is virtue, (c) volition is virtue (d) restraint is virtue, (e) non-transgression is virtue.
  'Such virtues lead to non-remorse in the mind, to gladdening, to happiness, to tranquillity, to joy, to repetition, to development, to cultivation, to embellishment, to the requisite [for concentration], to the equipment [of concentration], to fulfilment, to complete dispassion, to fading away, to cessation, to peace, to direct-knowledge, to enlightenment, to nibbana' (Ps.i;46-7). {38}
141.   And here there is no state called abandoning other than the mere non-arising of the killing of living things, etc., as stated. But the abandoning of a given [unprofitable state] upholds [51] a given profitable state in the sense of providing a foundation for it, and concentrates it by preventing wavering, so it is called 'virtue (sila)' in the sense of composing (silana), reckoned as upholding and concentrating as stated earlier (§19).
  The other four things mentioned refer to the presence {39} of occurrence of will as abstention from such and such, as restraint of such and such, as the volition associated with both of these, and as non-transgression in one who does not transgress such and such. But their meaning of virtue has been explained already.
  So it is of five kinds as 'virtue consisting in abandoning' and so on.
142.   At this point the answers to the questions, 'What is virtue? In what sense is it virtue? What are its characteristic function, manifestation, and proximate cause? What are the benefits of virtue? How many kinds of virtue are there?', are complete.
143.   However, it was also asked (vi) WHAT IS THE DEFILING OF IT? and WHAT IS THE CLEANSING OF IT? We answer that virtue's tornness, etc., is its defiling, and that its untornness, etc., is its cleansing. Now that tornness, etc., is comprised under the breach that has gain, fame, etc., as its cause, and under the seven bonds of sexuality. When a man has broken the training course at the beginning or at the end in any instance of the seven classes of offences, {40} his virtue is called torn, like a cloth that is cut at the edge. But when he has broken it in the middle, it is called rent, like a cloth that is rent in the middle. When he has broken it twice or thrice in succession, it is called blotched, like a cow whose body is some such colour as black or red with a discrepant colour appearing on the back or the belly. When he has broken it [all over] at intervals, it is called mottled, like a cow speckled [all over] with discrepant-coloured spots at intervals. This in the first place is how there comes to be tornness with the breach that has gain, etc., as its cause.
144.   And likewise with the seven bonds of sexuality; for this is said by the Blessed One: 'Here, brahman, some ascetic or brahman claims to lead the life of purity rightly; for he does not [52] enter into actual sexual intercourse with women. Yet he agrees to massage, manipulation, bathing and rubbing down by women. He enjoys it, desires it and takes satisfaction in it. This is what is torn, rent, blotched and mottled in one who leads the life of purity. This man is said to lead a life of purity that is unclean. As one who is bound by the bond of sexuality, he will not be released from birth, ageing and death, ... he will not be released from suffering,
145. 'I say. Furthermore, brahman, ... while he does not agree to [these things], yet he jokes, plays and amuses himself
146. 'with women ... Furthermore, brahman, ... while he does not agree to [these things], yet he gazes and stares at women
147. 'eye to eye ... Furthermore, brahman, ... while he does not agree to [these things], yet he listens to the sound of women through a wall or through a fence as they laugh or talk or sing
148. 'or weep ... Furthermore, brahman, ... while he does not agree to [these things], yet he recalls laughs and talks and
149. 'games that he formerly had with women ... Furthermore, brahman; ... while he does not agree to [these things], [53] yet he sees a householder or a householder's son possessed of, endowed with, and indulging, the five cords of sense
150. 'desire ... Furthermore, brahman, while he does not agree to [these things], yet he leads the life of purity aspiring to some order of deities, [thinking] "Through this rite (virtue) or this ritual (vow) or this asceticism I shall become a [great] deity or some [lesser] deity". He enjoys it, desires it, and takes satisfaction in it. This, brahman, is what is torn, rent, blotched and mottled in one who leads the life of purity. This man ... will not be released from suffering, I say' (A.iv,54-6).
  This is how tornness, etc:, should be understood as included under the breach that has gain, etc., as its cause and under the seven bonds of sexuality.
151.   Untornness, however, is, accomplished by the complete non-breaking of the training precepts, by making amends for those broken for which amends should be made, by the absence of the seven bonds of sexuality, and, as well, by the non-arising of such evil things as anger, enmity, contempt, domineering, envy, avarice, deceit, fraud, obduracy, presumption, pride (conceit), haughtiness, conceit (vanity), and negligence (see M. Sutta 7), and by the arising of such qualities as fewness of wishes, contentment, and effacement (see M. Sutta 24).
152.   Virtues not broken for the purpose of gain, etc., and rectified by making amends after being broken by the faults of negligence, etc., and not damaged by the bonds of sexuality and by such evil things as anger and enmity, are called entirely untorn, unrent, unblotched, and unmottled. And those same virtues are liberating since they bring about the state of a freeman, and praised by the wise since it is by the wise that they are praised, and un-adhered-to since they are not adhered to by means of craving and views, and conducive to concentration since they conduce to access concentration or to absorption concentration. That is why their untornness etc., should be understood as 'cleansing' (see also Ch.VII, §101f.).
153.   This cleansing comes about in two ways: through seeing the danger of failure in virtue, and through seeing the benefit of perfected virtue. [54] Herein, the danger of failure in virtue can be seen in accordance with such suttas as that beginning 'Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers for the unvirtuous in the failure of virtue' (A.iii,252).
154.   Furthermore, on account of his unvirtuousness an unvirtuous person is displeasing to deities and human beings, is uninstructable by his fellows in the life of purity, suffers when unvirtuousness is censured, and is remorseful when the virtuous are praised. Owing to that unvirtuousness he is as ugly as hemp cloth. Contact with him is painful because those who fall in with his views are brought to long-lasting suffering in the states of loss. He is worthless because he causes no great fruit [to accrue] to those who give him gifts. He is as hard to purify as a cesspit many years old. He is like a log from a pyre (see Iti.99); for he is outside both [recluseship and the lay state]. Though claiming the bhikkhu state he is no bhikkhu, so he is like a donkey following a herd of cattle. He is always nervous, like a man who is everyone's enemy. He is as unfit to live with as a dead carcase. Though he may have the qualities of learning, etc., he is as unfit for the homage of his fellows in the life of purity as a charnel-ground fire is for that of brahmans. He is as incapable of reaching the distinction of attainment as a blind man is of seeing a visible object. He is as careless of the Good Law as a guttersnipe is of a kingdom. Though he fancies he is happy, yet he suffers because he reaps suffering as told in the Discourse on the Mass of Fire (A.iv,128-34).
155.   Now the Blessed One has shown that when the unvirtuous have their minds captured by pleasure and satisfaction in the indulgence of the five cords of sense-desires, in [receiving] salutation, in being honoured, etc., the result of that kamma, directly visible in all ways, is very violent pain, with that [kamma] as its condition, capable of producing a gush of hot blood by causing agony of heart with the mere recollection of it. Here is the text:
  'Bhikkhus, do you see that great mass of fire burning, blazing and glowing? - Yes, venerable sir. - What do you think, bhikkhus, which is better, that one [gone forth] should sit down or lie down embracing that mass of fire burning, blazing and glowing, or that he should sit down or lie down embracing a warrior-noble maiden or a brahman maiden or a maiden of householder family, with soft, delicate hands and feet? - It would be better, venerable sir, that he should sit down or lie down embracing a warrior-noble maiden ... [55] It would be painful, venerable sir, if he sat down or lay down embracing that great mass of fire burning, blazing and glowing.
156.   'I say to you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus, that it would be better for one [gone forth] who is unvirtuous, who is evil-natured, of unclean and suspect habits, secretive of his acts,who is not an ascetic and claims to be one, who does not lead the life of purity and claims to do so, who is rotten within, lecherous, and full of corruption, to sit down or lie down embracing that great mass of fire burning, blazing and glowing. Why is that? By his doing so, bhikkhus, he might come to death or deadly suffering, yet he would not on that account, on the break up of the body, after death, reappear in states of loss, in any unhappy destiny, in perdition, in hell. But if one who is unvirtuous, evil-natured, ... and full of corruption, should sit down or lie down embracing a warrior-noble maiden ... that would be long for his harm and suffering: on the break up of the body, after death, he would reappear, in states of loss, in an unhappy destiny, in perdition, in hell' (A.iv,128-9).
157.   Having thus shown by means of the analogy of the mass of fire the suffering that is bound up with women and has as its condition the indulgence of the five cords of sense-desires [by the unvirtuous], to the same intent he showed, by the following similes of the horse-hair rope, the sharp spear, the iron sheet, the iron ball, the iron bed, the iron chair, and the iron cauldron, the pain that has as its condition [acceptance of] homage and reverential salutation, and the use of robes, alms food, bed and chair, and dwelling [by unvirtuous bhikkhus]:
  'What do you think, bhikkhus, which is better, that one should have a strong horse-hair rope twisted round both legs by a strong man and tightened so that it cut through the outer skin, and having cut through the outer skin it cut through the inner skin, and having cut through the inner skin it cut through the flesh, and having cut through the flesh it cut through the sinews and having cut through the sinews it cut through the bones, and having cut through the bones it remained crushing the bone-marrow - or that he should consent to the homage of great warrior nobles, great brahmans, great householders?' (A.iv,129), [56]
and 'What do you think, bhikkhus, which is better, that one should have a strong man wound one's breast with a sharp spear tempered in oil or that he should consent to the reverential salutation of great warrior nobles, great brahmans, great householders?' (A.iv,130),
and 'What do you think, bhikkhus, which is better, that one's body should be wrapped by a strong man in a red-hot iron sheet burning, blazing, and glowing - or that he should use robes given out of faith by great warrior nobles, great brahmans, great householders? (A.iv, 130-1),
and 'What do you think, bhikkhus, which is better, that one's mouth should be prized open by a strong man with red-hot iron tongs burning, blazing and glowing, and that into his mouth should be put a red-hot iron ball burning, blazing and glowing, which burns his lips and burns his mouth and tongue and throat and belly and passes out below carrying with it his bowels and entrails - or that he should use alms food given out of faith by great warrior nobles, ... (A.iv,13l-2),
and 'What do you think bhikkhus, which is better, that one should have a strong man seize him by the head or seize him by the shoulders and seat him or lay him on a red-hot iron bed or iron chair, burning, blazing and glowing - or that he should use a bed or chair given out of faith by great warrior nobles, ...?' (A.iv,132-3),
and 'What do you think, bhikkhus, which is better, that one should have a strong man take him feet up and head down and plunge him into a red-hot metal cauldron burning, blazing and glowing, to be boiled there in a swirl of froth, and as he boils in the swirl of froth to be swept now up, now down, and now across - or that he should use a dwelling given out of faith by great warrior nobles ...?' (A.iv.133-4).
158.     What pleasure has a man of broken virtue
            Forsaking not sense pleasures, which bear fruit
            Of pain more violent even than the pain
            In the embracing of a mass of fire?

            What pleasure has he in accepting homage
            Who, having failed in virtue, must partake
            Of pain that will excel in agony
            The crushing of his legs with horse-hair ropes? [57]

            What pleasure has a man devoid of virtue
            Accepting salutations of the faithful,
            Which is the cause of pain acuter still
            Than pain produced by stabbing with a spear?

            What is the pleasure in the use of garments
            For one without restraint, whereby in hell
            He will for long be forced to undergo
            The contact of the blazing iron sheet?

            Although to him his alms food may seem tasty,
            Who has no virtue, it is direst poison,
            Because of which he surely will be made
            For long to swallow burning iron balls.

            And when the virtueless make use of couches
            And chairs, though reckoned pleasing, it is pain
            Because they will be tortured long indeed
            On red-hot blazing iron beds and chairs.

            Then what delight is there for one unvirtuous
            Inhabiting a dwelling given in faith,
            Since for that reason he will have to dwell
            Shut up inside a blazing iron pan?

            The Teacher of the world, in him condemning,
            Described him in these terms: 'Of suspect habits,
            Full of corruption, lecherous as well,
            By nature evil, rotten too within'.

            So out upon the life of him abiding
            Without restraint, of him that wears the guise
            Of the ascetic that he will not be,
            And damages and undermines himself!

            What is the life he leads, since any person,
            No matter who, with virtue to his credit
            Avoids it here, as those that would look well
            Keep far away from dung or from a corpse?

            He is not free from any sort of terror,
            Though free enough from pleasure of attainment;
            While heaven's door is bolted fast against him,
            He is well set upon the road to hell.

            Who else if not one destitute of virtue
            More fit to be the object of compassion?
            Many indeed and grave are the defects
            That brand a man neglectful of his virtue.

  Seeing danger in the failure of virtue should be understood as reviewing in such ways as these. And seeing benefits in perfected virtue should be understood in the opposite sense.
159.   Furthermore, [58]
            His virtue is immaculate.
            His wearing of the bowl and robes
            Gives pleasure and inspires trust,
            His Going Forth will bear its fruit.

            A bhikkhu in his virtue pure
            Has never fear that self-reproach
            Will enter in his heart: indeed
            There is no darkness in the sun.

            A Bhikkhu in his virtue bright
            Shines forth in the Ascetics' Wood {41}
            As by the brightness of his beams
            The moon lights up the firmament.

            Now if the bodily perfume
            Of virtuous bhikkhus can succeed
            In pleasing even deities,
            What of the perfume of his virtue?

            It is more perfect far than all
            The other perfumes in the world,
            Because the perfume virtue gives
            Is borne unchecked in all directions.

            The deeds done for a virtuous man,
            Though they be few, will bear much fruit,
            And so the virtuous man becomes
            A vessel of honour and renown.

            There are no cankers here and now
            To plague the virtuous man at all;
            The virtuous man digs out the root
            Of suffering in lives to come.

            Perfection among human kind
            And even among deities,
            If wished for, is not hard to gain
            For him whose virtue is perfected;

            But once his virtue is perfected,
            His mind then seeks no other kind
            Than the perfection of nibbana,
            The state where utter peace prevails,

            Such is the blessed fruit of virtue,
            Showing full many a varied form,
            So let a wise man know it well
            This root of all perfection's branches.

160.   The mind of one who understands thus, shudders at failure in virtue and reaches out towards the perfecting of virtue. So virtue should be cleansed with all care, seeing this danger of failure in virtue and this benefit of the perfection of virtue in the way stated.
161. And at this point in the Path of Purification, which is shown under the headings of Virtue, Concentration and Understanding by the stanza, 'When a wise man, established well in virtue' (§l), Virtue, firstly, has been fully llustrated.

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[1][1]   Bhagava: this the the most frequently used appellation of the Bhuddha in the Suttanta Pitaka.

[2][2]  Bhikhus: A Bhikhu is amember of the Buddhist Order (the Samgha).

[3][3] As  explained in the Commentary.

[4][4] The Buddha, through his faculty of knowing other people’s minds and through his omniscience, already knew all that had happened and been discussed in his absence..But it was customary for him to ask the bhikhus or lay disciples what they had been discussing , as an introduction to a discourse he would give on the subject.

[5][5] Feeling of pleasure or delight due to faith in and devotion to the Buddha is meritorious (kusala Dhamma). But when the feeling of pleasure or delight is tainted with personal attachment to the Buddha , it becomes Demetrious (akusala dhamma). Thus it will be an obstacle in practicing the Dhamma , and will be harmful to the striving for Jhana,magga, phala.

[6][6] Minor Morality: the terms Minor Morality , Middle Morality and Major Morality are literal translations .These should not be taken as indicating that the latter  two are higher than the first. Minor Morality is basic morality most of which is applicable to all . the other  two are more comprehensive, mostly applicable  to Samanas and Brahmanas.

[7][7] Worldling: Puthujjhana one who has not attained any magga. 

[8][8] Tathagata:lit., “Thus come or thus gone “ (following the course and the practice of the former Buddha ). This application, meaning he who has won the  four Noble Truths, is used frequently by the Buddha in referring to himself or to former Buddhas. The commentary gives eight interpretation of this term.  

[9][9] Mere Morality: Morality (sila) as such is is trifling and inferior when compared with concentration (Samadhi) and wisdom (panna).

[10][10] And so on: by this is meant “forests, mountains, rivers and islands.’

[11][11] Pointed-eared animal ; kannika. The Commentary here says this term means pinnacles of houses or points of ear-ormaments.