From: ,
Aññatarabhikkhuvatthu2.8 The Story about a Certain BhikkhuThe story title in the original translation aligns with the Pāli title. The romanized editorial label Aññatarabhikkhussa Vatthu was removed because it has no separate corresponding Pāli passage.
Appamādarato bhikkhūti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto aññataraṃ bhikkhuṃ ārabbha kathesi.“A monastic who delights in heedfulness,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a certain bhikkhu.{1.281} marks page 281 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text. [28.325] marks page 325 of volume 28 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
So kira satthu santike yāva arahattā kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathāpetvā araññaṃ pavisitvā ghaṭento vāyamanto arahattaṃ pattuṃ nāsakkhi.It seems that this bhikkhu obtained from the Teacher a subject of meditation leading to Arahatship and went forth to the forest. Although he strove and struggled with might and main, he was unable to attain Arahatship.
So “visesetvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathāpessāmī”ti tato nikkhamitvā satthu santikaṃ āgacchantoThereupon he said to himself: “I will ask the Teacher to explain the subject of meditation in greater detail.” So he departed from his place of residence and set out to return to the Teacher.visesetvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathāpessāmī means the bhikkhu intends to ask for his meditation subject to be explained further, not for a different subject ‘better suited to my needs.’
antarāmagge mahantaṃ dāvaggiṃ uṭṭhitaṃ disvā vegena ekaṃ muṇḍapabbatamatthakaṃ abhiruyha nisinno araññaṃ ḍayhamānaṃ aggiṃ disvā ārammaṇaṃ gaṇhi – “yathā ayaṃ aggi mahantāni ca khuddakāni ca upādānāni ḍahanto gacchati,On the way he saw a great forest fire raging. Accordingly he quickly climbed up to the top of a bald mountain and sat down. As he watched the fire consume the forest, he concentrated his mind on the following thought: “Even as this fire advances, consuming all fuel both great and small,vegena says the bhikkhu climbed the bare mountain quickly; this action had been omitted from the original translation. The editorial heading ‘On Top of a Mountain’ was removed because it has no separate Pāli passage. {1.282} marks page 282 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text. upādānāni are the fuel consumed by the forest fire. The original translation called both this fuel and the fetters ‘obstacles.’
evaṃ ariyamaggañāṇaggināpi mahantāni ca khuddakāni ca saṃyojanāni ḍahantena gantabbaṃ bhavissatī”ti.so also ought I to advance, consuming all fetters both great and small by the fire of knowledge of the noble path.”saṃyojanāni are fetters that the monk burns with the fire of noble-path knowledge. The original translation called them ‘attachments.’
Satthā gandhakuṭiyaṃ nisinnova tassa cittācāraṃ ñatvā, “evameva, bhikkhu,The Teacher, even as he sat in his Perfumed Chamber, became aware of the course of his thoughts and spoke as follows: “Bhikkhu, this is precisely true.
mahantānipi khuddakānipi upādānāni viya imesaṃ sattānaṃ abbhantare uppajjamānāni aṇuṃthūlāni saṃyojanāni, tāni ñāṇagginā jhāpetvā abhabbuppattikāni kātuṃ vaṭṭatī”ti vatvā obhāsaṃ vissajjetvā tassa bhikkhuno abhimukhe nisinno viya paññāyamāno imaṃ obhāsagāthamāha –Just as fire consumes all fuel both great and small, so also is it necessary with the fire of knowledge to consume and utterly destroy all fetters both small and great which arise within these living beings.” And sending forth a radiance, appearing as though sitting face to face with that bhikkhu, he pronounced the following verse bringing illumination:The Teacher says the fetters (saṃyojanāni) are to be burned with knowledge. The original translation called them ‘attachments.’ obhāsaṃ vissajjetvā says the Teacher sent forth radiance and appeared as though sitting before the bhikkhu; the original translation had turned the radiance into ‘a radiant image of himself.’
“Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassi vā; Saṃyojanaṃ aṇuṃ thūlaṃ, ḍahaṃ aggīva gacchatī”ti.A monastic who delights in heedfulness, seeing danger in heedlessness, advances like fire burning the fetter, small or large.The repeated Pāli transcription of verse 31 was removed because it has no separate corresponding passage in the local Pāli story. ḍahaṃ says the bhikkhu advances while burning the fetter; the original translation had reduced this to advancing ‘against’ it. {1.283} marks page 283 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Tattha appamādaratoti appamāde rato abhirato, appamādena vītināmentoti attho. Pamāde bhayadassi vāti nirayuppattiādikaṃ pamāde bhayaṃ bhayato passanto,The complete Pāli explanation of verse 31 has no translation in the original edition and remains Pāli-only under this paragraph.
tāsaṃ vā uppattīnaṃ mūlattā pamādaṃ bhayato passanto. Saṃyojananti vaṭṭadukkhena saddhiṃ yojanaṃ bandhanaṃ pajānaṃ vaṭṭe osīdāpanasamatthaṃ dasavidhaṃ saṃyojanaṃ.
Aṇuṃ thūlanti mahantañca khuddakañca. Ḍahaṃ aggīva gacchatīti yathā ayaṃ aggī etaṃ mahantañca khuddakañca upādānaṃ ḍahantova gacchati.
Evameso appamādarato bhikkhu appamādādhigatena ñāṇagginā etaṃ saṃyojanaṃ ḍahanto abhabbuppattikaṃ karonto gacchatīti attho.
Gāthāpariyosāne so bhikkhu yathānisinnova sabbasaṃyojanāni jhāpetvā saha paṭisambhidāhi arahattaṃ patvā ākāsenāgantvā tathāgatassa suvaṇṇavaṇṇaṃ sarīraṃ thometvā vaṇṇetvā vandamānova pakkāmīti.At the conclusion of the verse that bhikkhu, even as he sat there, consumed all the fetters and attained Arahatship, together with the analytic knowledges. And straightaway, soaring through the air, he approached the Teacher, praising and glorifying the golden body of the Realised One. And even as he paid homage to him, he departed.sabbasaṃyojanāni says he burns all the fetters; the original ending had not preserved this detail. vandamānova pakkāmi means the bhikkhu departed while paying homage, rather than after completing his homage.
Aññatarabhikkhuvatthu aṭṭhamaṃ.The Pāli closing title Aññatarabhikkhuvatthu aṭṭhamaṃ is Pāli-only and has no corresponding translated line.