The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [608]
690 This refers to the Buddha’s ability to discover by clairvoyance the states in which his disciples have taken rebirth.
691 Aññā: the knowledge attained by the arahant. It should be noted that whereas the declarations of attainment made by monks and nuns begin with arahantship, those for men and women lay followers begin with non-returning (in §18, §21). Though early Buddhism recognises the possibility of lay persons attaining arahantship, in all such cases attested to in the Nikāyas, they do so either when on the verge of death or just before requesting admission into the Sangha.
SUTTA 69
692 This is prohibited by Pāc 46 (Vin iv.98–101). A bhikkhu may visit families at these times only if he has informed another bhikkhu in the monastery of his intentions, except during the season for making and giving robes.
693 Abhidhamma abhivinaya. MA says that he should apply himself to learning the text and commentary to the Abhidhamma Piṭaka and the Vinaya Piṭaka. This is clearly anachronistic. On Abhidhamma in the context of the suttas, see n.362. Although there is no corresponding body of literature called “Abhivinaya,” it seems probable the word refers to a systematic and analytical approach to the study of the Vinaya, perhaps that embedded in the Suttavibhanga of the Vinaya Piṭaka.
694 MA: This refers to the eight meditative attainments. As a minimum he should become proficient in the preliminary work of one meditation subject, such as a kasi˚a.
695 MA: This refers to all the supramundane states. As a minimum he should become proficient in one approach to developing insight up to arahantship.
SUTTA 70
696 See n.671. In agreement with MN 66.6, MA explains that the Buddha had first prohibited the afternoon meal and then at a later time prohibited the night meal. He did this out of concern for the delicate bhikkhus in the Order, since they might have become fatigued too quickly if both late meals were prohibited simultaneously.
697 In the Vinaya Piṭaka, the bhikkhus led by Assaji and Punabbasuka are described as “unscrupulous and depraved” monks and are shown indulging in various kinds of bad conduct that corrupt the laity. At Kı̣̄̄giri an act of banishment was pronounced against them, and their refusal to obey led to the promulgation of Sanghādisesa 13 (Vin iii.179–84).
698 MA: This statement is made with pointed reference to pleasure experienced in eating a night meal, which does not conduce to the practice of a monk’s duties.
699 MA: The former type of pleasant feeling is the joy based on the household life, the latter the joy based on renunciation. Similarly, the next two sentences refer to the grief and equanimity based, respectively, on the household life and on renunciation. See MN 137.9–15.
700 §§8–10 serve to provide, by appeal to the Buddha’s perfect understanding, the grounds for his injunction to abandon all feelings based on the household life and to develop the feelings based on renunciation.
701 Here follows a sevenfold classification of noble individuals which categorises them not merely on the basis of their path and fruit attainment—as the more familiar eightfold scheme does—but according to their dominant faculty. Alternative definitions of these seven are offered by Pug 1:30–36/14–15.
702 Ubhatobhāgavimutta. MA: He is “liberated-in-both-ways” because he is liberated from the physical body by the immaterial attainments and from the mental body by the path (of arahantship). The Pug definition reads: “He contacts with the body and abides in the eight liberations, and his taints are destroyed by his seeing with wisdom.” MA says that the ubhatobhāgavimutta includes those who attain arahantship after emerging from one or another of the four immaterial attainments and the one who attains it after emerging from the attainment of cessation.
703 Paññāvimutta. MA: This includes those who attain arahantship either as dry-insight meditators (sukkha-vipassaka) or after emerging from one or another of the