The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [630]
1028 Maggakkhāyı̄ Tathāgato. Compare Dhp 276: “You yourselves must strive; the Tathāgatas only point the way.”
1029 The following as at MN 5.32.
1030 Paramajjadhammesu. MA: The doctrine of Gotama is supreme, the highest, among contemporary teachings—the teachings of the six outside teachers.
SUTTA 108
1031 MA says that after the Buddha’s relics had been distributed, Ven. Ānanda had come to Rājagaha for the recitation of the Dhamma (at the first Great Council).
1032 King Pajjota was a friend of King Bimbisāra of Magadha, who had been killed by his son Ajātasattu. According to MA, Ajātasattuthought King Pajjota might seek to avenge his friend’s murder.
1033 See DN 16.1.2–5/iii.72–76.
1034 The import of this statement is that the Sangha is not governed by the personal judgements of its members but by the Dhamma and disciplinary code laid down for it by the Buddha. In this the bhikkhus follow the Buddha’s final injunction: “What I have taught and explained to you as Dhamma and Discipline will, at my passing, be your teacher” (DN 16.6.1/ii.154).
1035 See n.525.
SUTTA 109
1036 The fifteenth day of the fortnight. See n.59 and n.809.
1037 MA explains that this bhikkhu was himself an arahant and the teacher of sixty other bhikkhus who lived with him in the forest, striving in meditation. With their teacher’s guidance they had developed various insight knowledges but could not attain the paths and fruits. Therefore their teacher brought them to see the Buddha in the hope that he could guide them to the supramundane attainments. The teacher asks the questions, not because he has doubts, but in order to dispel the doubts of his disciples.
1038 Chandamūlakā. MA glosses chanda by taṇhā, craving, which is the origin of the suffering comprised by the five aggregates.
1039 As at MN 44.6.
1040 In the material form aggregate each of the four great elements is a condition for the other three and for derived material form. Contact is a condition for each of the three middle aggregates, as it is said: “Contacted one feels, bhikkhus; contacted one perceives; contacted one wills” (SN 35:93/iv.68). MA explains that at the moment of conception, the material phenomena and the three mental aggregates that arise are the mentality-materiality that is a condition for the rebirth consciousness. During the course of life the physical sense faculties and the sense objects together with the three mental aggregates are the mentality-materiality that is a condition for sense consciousness.
1041 As at MN 44.7–8.
1042 It seems that this bhikkhu had difficulty in understanding how kamma can produce results without a self to receive them.
1043 The readings of this sentence are highly divergent in different editions. The same sutta appears at SN 22:82/ iii.104, and the reading there (paṭpucchā vinı̄tā) seems preferable to the reading here (in PTS, paṭicca vinı̄tā; in BBS, paṭvinı̄tā). The translation here follows the Sȧyutta text. Ñm’s translation, based on the PTS Majjhima text, reads: “Now, bhikkhus, you have been trained by me in dependent [conditionality] in various instances.” Neither version is idiomatic Pali, and the commentaries to both Nikāyas are silent.
1044 MA: The sixty bhikkhus discarded their original meditation subjects and investigated a new subject (based on the Buddha’s discourse, MṬ). Without breaking their posture, right in their seats they attained arahantship.
SUTTA 110
1045 Asappurisa. MA glosses by pāpapurisa, an evil man.
SUTTA 111
1046 Anupadadhammavipassanā. MA explains that he developed insight into states in successive order by way of the meditative attainments and the jhāna factors, as will be described. The two-week period referred to fell from the time of Ven. Sāriputta’s ordination under the Buddha to his attainment of arahantship while listening to the Buddha explain the comprehension of feeling to Dı̄ghanakha (see MN 74.14).
1047 The first five states in the list are the jhāna factors proper of the first jhāna; the following states