The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [634]
1091 In this passage the phrase “on that account, for that reason” (tannidānā tappaccayā) is of prime importance. As the Buddha will show in MN 136, a person who engages in evil conduct may be reborn in a heavenly world and a person who engages in good conduct may be reborn in a lower world. But in those cases the rebirth will be caused by some kamma different from the kamma in which the person habitually engages. Strict lawfulness applies only to the relation between kamma and its result.
1092 The “four cycles” are the elements, the bases, dependent origination, and the possible and the impossible.
SUTTA 116
1093 In Sri Lanka this sutta is regularly recited as a protective discourse and is included in the medieval compilation, Mahā Pirit Pota, “The Great Book of Protection.”
1094 This and the following are mountains surrounding Rājagaha.
1095 A paccekabuddha is one who attains enlightenment and liberation on his own, without relying on the Dhamma taught by the Buddha, but is not capable of teaching the Dhamma to others and establishing the Dispensation. Paccekabuddhas arise only at a time when no Dispensation of a Buddha exists in the world. For a fuller study of the subject see Ria Kloppenborg, The Paccekabuddha: A Buddhist Ascetic.
1096 Ayaṁ pabbato ime isı̄ gilati: a word play is involved here. The gili in Isigili is certainly a dialectical variant of giri, hill, but the text connects it to the verb gilati, to swallow, and to gala, throat, gullet.
1097 Tagarasikhin is referred to at Ud 5:4/50 and SN 3:20/i.92.
1098 Ñm remarks in Ms that without the aid of the commentary it is extremely difficult to distinguish the proper names of the paccekabuddhas from their descriptive epithets.
SUTTA 117
1099 Ariyaṁ sammā samādhiṁ sa-upanisaṁ saparikkhāraṁ. MA explains “noble” here as supramundane, and says that this is the concentration pertaining to the supramundane path. Its “supports and requisites,” as will be shown, are the other seven path factors.
1100 Pubbangamā, lit. “the forerunner.” MA says that two kinds of right view are forerunners: the right view of insight, which investigates formations as impermanent, suffering, and non-self; and the right view of the path, which arises as a consequence of insight and effects the radical destruction of defilements. The right view of insight as the forerunner seems to be shown in §§4, 10, 16, 22 and 28; the right view of the path as forerunner in §§34 and 35.
1101 This statement suggests that in order to acquire right view about the nature of reality, one must first be able to distinguish between wrong and right teachings on the nature of reality. MA says that this is the right view of insight which understands wrong view as an object by penetrating its characteristics of impermanence, etc., and which understands right view by exercising the function of comprehension and by clearing away confusion.
1102 This is mundane right view, a meritorious factor that conduces to a favourable rebirth but does not by itself transcend conditioned existence. The expression upadhivepakka is glossed by MA to mean that it gives results consisting in the acquisitions [MṬ: = the continuity of the five aggregates].
1103 This definition defines supramundane right view as the wisdom (paññā) found among the aids to enlightenment as a faculty, power, enlightenment factor, and path factor. The definition is formulated by way of the cognitive function rather than the objective content of right view. Elsewhere (MN 141.24) the right view of the path is defined as knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. We may understand that the conceptual comprehension of the four truths falls under mundane right view, while the direct penetration of the truths by realising Nibbāna with the path constitutes supramundane right view.
1104 MA: They accompany right view as its co-existents and precursors. Right effort