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By Root 6063 0

̄mupādānaṁ upādiyati, would have to be rendered literally as “he does not cling to the clinging to sense pleasures,” which may obscure the sense rather than convey it. Upādāna in Pali is the object of its own verb form, while “clinging” in English is not. At one stage in his translation Ñm tried to circumvent this problem by borrowing the word upādāna’s other meaning of “fuel” and translating: “he no longer clings to sensual desires [as fuel for] clinging.” This, however, also borders on obscurity, and I have therefore attempted to cut through the difficulty by translating directly in accordance with the sense rather than in conformity with the Pali idiom.

SUTTA 12

177 The Sunakkhatta Sutta (MN 105) had been expounded to him by the Buddha, apparently before he joined the Sangha; the account of his defection is given in the Pāṭika Sutta (DN 24). He became dissatisfied and left the Order because the Buddha would not perform any miracles for him or explain to him the beginning of things.

178 Superhuman states (uttari manussadhammā) are states, virtues, or attainments higher than the ordinary human virtues comprised in the ten wholesome courses of action (see MN 9.6); they include the jhānas, the kinds of direct knowledge, and the paths and fruits. “Distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones” (alamariyañāṇadassanavisesa ), a frequently occurring expression in the suttas, signifies all higher degrees of meditative knowledge characteristic of the noble individual. Here, according to MA, it means specifically the supramundane path, which Sunakkhatta is denying of the Buddha.

179 The gist of his criticism is that the Buddha teaches a doctrine that he has merely worked out in thought rather than one he has realised through transcendental wisdom. Apparently he believes that being led to the complete destruction of suffering is, as a goal, inferior to the acquisition of miraculous powers.

180 All the sections to follow are intended as a rebuttal of Sunakkhatta’s criticism of the Buddha. §§6–8 cover the first three of the six direct knowledges (abhiññā), the last three appearing as the last of the ten powers of the Tathāgata. The latter, according to MA, are to be understood as powers of knowledge ( ñaṇabala) that are attained by all Buddhas as the fruit of their accumulation of merit. The Vibhanga (§§809–31/440–51) of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka provides an elaborate analysis of them.

181 On the Buddha’s sounding of his lion’s roar, see SN 22:78/iii.84–86. The Wheel of Brahmā is the supreme, best, most excellent wheel, the Wheel of the Dhamma (dhammacakka) in its twofold meaning: the knowledge penetrating the truth and the knowledge of how to expound the teaching (MA).

182 Vbh §809 explicates this knowledge by quoting at length MN 115.12–17. MA, however, explains it differently as the knowledge of the correlations between causes and their results.

183 This knowledge can be exemplified by the Buddha’s analysis of kamma in MN 57, MN 135, and MN 136. MA explains the possibility (ṭhāna) as the realm, circumstances, time, and effort—factors that can either impede or reinforce the result; the cause (hetu) is the kamma itself.

184 This knowledge will be elucidated in §§35–42 below.

185 The Tathāgata’s understanding of the many elements constituting the world will be found in MN 115.4–9.

186 Vbh §813 explains that the Tathāgata understands that beings are of inferior inclinations and superior inclinations, and that they gravitate towards those who share their own inclinations.

187 Vbh §§814–27 gives a detailed analysis. MA states the meaning more concisely as the Tathāgata’s knowledge of the superiority and inferiority of beings’ faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.

188 Vbh §828: The “defilement” (sankilesa) is a state causing deterioration, “cleansing” (vodāna) a state causing excellence, “emergence” (vuṭṭāna) is both cleansing and the rising out of an attainment. The eight liberations (vimokkhā) are enumerated in MN 77.22 and MN 137.26;