In the Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi [229]
31 At this point the Buddha preached to them his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, “The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dhamma”; see Text II,5. Several days later, after they had all become stream-enterers, he taught them the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta, “The Characteristic of Nonself,” upon hearing which they all attained arahantship; see Text IX,4(1)(c). The complete narrative is at Vin I 7–14. See Ñāṇamoli, The Life of the Buddha, p. 47.
32 The first section under the exposition of each noble truth simply reveals the knowledge of the truth itself (saccañāṇa).
33 The second section under the exposition of each noble truth reveals the knowledge of the task to be accomplished with regard to that truth (kiccañāṇa). The first noble truth is to be fully understood (pariññeyya), the second to be abandoned (pahātabba), the third to be realized (sacchikātabba), and the fourth to be developed (bhāvetabba).
34 The third section under the exposition of each noble truth reveals the knowledge of the completion of the task appropriate to that truth (katañāṇa). The first noble truth has been fully understood (pariññāta), the second has been abandoned (pahīna), the third has been realized (sacchikata), and the fourth has been developed (bhāveta).
35 The three phases (tiparivaṭṭa) are: (i) the knowledge of each truth; (ii) the knowledge of the task to be achieved regarding that truth; and (iii) the knowledge that this task has been completed. The twelve modes (dvādasākāra) are obtained by applying the three phases to the four truths.
36 This stock formulation implies that on this occasion, Koṇḍañña attained the first stage of enlightenment, stream-entry.
37 These are the devas of the six sense-sphere heavenly worlds and the brahma world.
CHAPTER III: APPROACHING THE DHAMMA
1. Among the criteria he proposes is the opinion of the wise, which shows that far from rejecting the opinions of others, the Buddha includes the opinions of the right sort of person among the standards for determining proper conduct. Other suttas tell us how we can judge who is truly wise; see Text III,4 and Text III,5.
2. Mp explains that this town was located at the edge of a forest. Various groups of wanderers and ascetics would stop there to spend the night before crossing the forest. During their stay they would give talks to the Kālāmas, and the Kālāmas were thus exposed to a wide range of philosophical theories. The conflicts between the different views caused them doubt and perplexity.
3. The above is a stock passage in the Nikāyas.
4. These ten inadequate criteria of truth can be grouped into three classes: (1) The first comprises the first four criteria, all positions based on reverence for tradition. Of these, (i) “oral tradition” (anussava) refers to the Vedic tradition, which, according to the brahmins, had originated with the primal deity and came down orally through successive generations. (ii) “Lineage” (paramparā) signifies an unbroken succession of teachings or teachers. (iii) “Hearsay” (or “report,” itikirā) may mean popular opinion or general consensus. And (iv) “a collection of texts” (piṭakasampadā) refers to religious texts regarded as infallible. (2) The second set, also made up of four terms, is comprised of four types of reasoning recognized by thinkers in the Buddha’s age; their differences need not detain us here. (3) The third set, made up of the last two items, refers to two types of personal authority: (i) the personal charisma of the speaker (perhaps including his external qualifications, e.g., that he is highly educated, has a large following, is respected by the king, etc.); and (ii) the speaker’s status as one’s own personal teacher (the Pāli word garu is identical with the Sanskrit guru). For a detailed analysis, see Jayatilleke, Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge , pp. 175–202, 271–75.
5. Greed, hatred, and delusion are the three unwholesome roots. The aim of the Buddha’s teaching, Nibbāna, is defined as the