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Gahetvāti imassa pana padassa ayamatthadīpanā.Now the words and he should apprehend are illustrated as follows.
‘‘Tena yoginā kammaṭṭhānadāyakaṃ kalyāṇamittaṃ upasaṅkamitvā’’ti ettha vuttanayeneva vuttappakāraṃ kalyāṇamittaṃ upasaṅkamitvāAfter approaching the good friend of the kind described in the explanation of the words then approach the good friend, the giver of a meditation subject (§28 and §57–73),
buddhassa vā bhagavato ācariyassa vā attānaṃ niyyātetvāthe meditator should dedicate himself to the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, or to a teacher,
sampannajjhāsayena sampannādhimuttinā ca hutvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ yācitabbaṃ.and he should ask for the meditation subject with a sincere inclination [of the heart] and sincere resolution.
Tatra ‘‘imāhaṃ bhagavā attabhāvaṃ tumhākaṃ pariccajāmī’’ti evaṃ buddhassa bhagavato attā niyyātetabbo.Herein, he should dedicate himself to the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, in this way: “Blessed One, I relinquish this my person to you.”
Evañhi aniyyātetvā pantesu senāsanesu viharantoFor without having thus dedicated himself, when living in a remote abode
bheravārammaṇe āpāthamāgate santhambhituṃ asakkontohe might be unable to stand fast if a frightening object made its appearance,
gāmantaṃ osaritvāand he might return to a village abode,
gihīhi saṃsaṭṭho hutvābecome associated with laymen,
anesanaṃ āpajjitvātake up improper search
anayabyasanaṃ pāpuṇeyya.and come to ruin.
Niyyātitattabhāvassa panassa bheravārammaṇe āpāthamāgatepi bhayaṃ na uppajjati.But when he has dedicated himself in this way no fear arises in him if a frightening object makes its appearance;
‘‘Nanu tayā, paṇḍita, purimameva attā buddhānaṃ niyyātito’’ti paccavekkhato panassa somanassameva uppajjati.in fact only joy arises in him as he reflects: “Have you not wisely already dedicated yourself to the Enlightened One?”
Yathā hi purisassa uttamaṃ kāsikavatthaṃ bhaveyya, tassa tasmiṃ mūsikāya vā kīṭehi vā khādite uppajjeyya domanassaṃ.Suppose a man had a fine piece of Kāsi cloth. He would feel grief if it were eaten by rats or moths;
Sace pana taṃ acīvarakassa bhikkhuno dadeyya,but if he gave it to a bhikkhu needing robes,
athassa taṃ tena bhikkhunā khaṇḍākhaṇḍaṃ kariyamānaṃ disvāpi somanassameva uppajjeyya.he would feel only joy if he saw the bhikkhu tearing it up [to make his patched cloak].
Evaṃsampadamidaṃ veditabbaṃ.And so it is with this.
Ācariyassa niyyātentenāpi ‘‘imāhaṃ, bhante, attabhāvaṃ tumhākaṃ pariccajāmī’’ti vattabbaṃ.When he dedicates himself to a teacher, he should say: “I relinquish this my person to you, venerable sir.”
Evaṃ aniyyātitattabhāvo hi atajjanīyo vā hoti,For one who has not dedicated his person thus becomes unresponsive to correction,
dubbaco vā anovādakaro,hard to speak to, and unamenable to advice,
yenakāmaṃgamo vā ācariyaṃ anāpucchāva yatthicchati, tattha gantā,or he goes where he likes without asking the teacher.
tamenaṃ ācariyo āmisena vā dhammena vā na saṅgaṇhāti,Consequently the teacher does not help him with either material things or the Dhamma,
gūḷhaṃ ganthaṃ na sikkhāpeti.and he does not train him in the cryptic books.
So imaṃ duvidhaṃ saṅgahaṃ alabhantoFailing to get these two kinds of help, [116]
sāsane patiṭṭhaṃ na labhati,he finds no footing in the Dispensation,
nacirasseva dussīlyaṃ vā gihibhāvaṃ vā pāpuṇāti.and he soon comes down to misconducting himself or to the lay state.
Niyyātitattabhāvo pana neva atajjanīyo hoti,But if he has dedicated his person, he is not unresponsive to correction,
na yenakāmaṃgamo,does not go about as he likes,
suvaco ācariyāyattavuttiyeva hoti.is easy to speak to, and lives only in dependence on the teacher.
So ācariyato duvidhaṃ saṅgahaṃ labhantoHe gets the twofold help from the teacher
sāsane vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ pāpuṇātiand attains growth, increase, and fulfilment in the Dispensation.
cūḷapiṇḍapātikatissattherassa antevāsikā viya.Like the Elder Cūḷa-Piṇḍapātika-Tissa’s pupils.
Therassa kira santikaṃ tayo bhikkhū āgamaṃsu.Three bhikkhus came to the elder, it seems.
Tesu ekoOne of them said,
‘‘ahaṃ, bhante, tumhākamatthāyā’’ti vutte sataporise papāte patituṃ ussaheyyanti āha.“Venerable sir, I am ready to fall from a cliff the height of one hundred men, if it is said to be to your advantage.”
DutiyoThe second said,
‘‘ahaṃ, bhante, tumhākamatthāyā’’ti vutte imaṃ attabhāvaṃ paṇhito paṭṭhāya pāsāṇapiṭṭhe ghaṃsento niravasesaṃ khepetuṃ ussaheyyanti āha.“Venerable sir, I am ready to grind away this body from the heels up without remainder on a flat stone, if it is said to be to your advantage.”
Tatiyo ‘‘ahaṃ, bhante, tumhākamatthāyā’’ti vutte assāsapassāse uparundhitvā kālakiriyaṃ kātuṃ ussaheyyanti āha.The third said, “Venerable sir, I am ready to die by stopping breathing, if it is said to be to your advantage.”
Thero bhabbāvatime bhikkhūti kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathesi.Observing, “These bhikkhus are certainly capable of progress,” the elder expounded a meditation subject to them.
Te tassa ovāde ṭhatvā tayopi arahattaṃ pāpuṇiṃsūti ayamānisaṃso attaniyyātane.Following his advice, the three attained Arahantship. This is the benefit in self-dedication.
Tena vuttaṃ ‘‘buddhassa vā bhagavato ācariyassa vā attānaṃ niyyātetvā’’ti.Hence it was said above “dedicating himself to the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, or to a teacher.”
Sampannajjhāsayena sampannādhimuttinā ca hutvāti ettha panaWith a sincere inclination [of the heart] and sincere resolution (§123):
tena yoginā alobhādīnaṃ vasena chahākārehi sampannajjhāsayena bhavitabbaṃ.the meditator’s inclination should be sincere in the six modes beginning with non-greed.
Evaṃ sampannajjhāsayo hi tissannaṃ bodhīnaṃ aññataraṃ pāpuṇāti.For it is one of such sincere inclination who arrives at one of the three kinds of enlightenment,
Yathāha,according as it is said:
‘‘cha ajjhāsayā bodhisattānaṃ bodhiparipākāya saṃvattanti,“Six kinds of inclination lead to the maturing of the enlightenment of the Bodhisattas.
alobhajjhāsayā ca bodhisattā lobhe dosadassāvino,With the inclination to non-greed, Bodhisattas see the fault in greed.
adosajjhāsayā ca bodhisattā dose dosadassāvino,With the inclination to non-hate, Bodhisattas see the fault in hate.
amohajjhāsayā ca bodhisattā mohe dosadassāvino,With the inclination to non-delusion, Bodhisattas see the fault in delusion.
nekkhammajjhāsayā ca bodhisattā gharāvāse dosadassāvino,With the inclination to renunciation, Bodhisattas see the fault in house life.
pavivekajjhāsayā ca bodhisattā saṅgaṇikāya dosadassāvino,With the inclination to seclusion, Bodhisattas see the fault in society.
nissaraṇajjhāsayā ca bodhisattā sabbabhavagatīsu dosadassāvino’’ti.With the inclination to relinquishment, Bodhisattas see the fault in all kinds of becoming and destiny (Source untraced.)”
Ye hi keci atītānāgatapaccuppannā sotāpannasakadāgāmianāgāmikhīṇāsavapaccekabuddhasammāsambuddhā,For stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, those with cankers destroyed (i.e. Arahants), Paccekabuddhas, and Fully Enlightened Ones, whether past, future or present,
sabbe te imeheva chahākārehi attanā attanā pattabbaṃ visesaṃ pattā.all arrive at the distinction peculiar to each by means of these same six modes.
Tasmā imehi chahākārehi sampannajjhāsayena bhavitabbaṃ.That is why he should have sincerity of inclination in these six modes.
Tadadhimuttatāya pana adhimuttisampannena bhavitabbaṃ.He should be whole-heartedly resolved on that.
Samādhādhimuttena samādhigarukena samādhipabbhārena,The meaning is [117] that he should be resolved upon concentration, respect concentration, incline to concentration,
nibbānādhimuttena nibbānagarukena nibbānapabbhārena ca bhavitabbanti attho.be resolved upon Nibbāna, respect Nibbāna, incline to Nibbāna.
Evaṃ sampannajjhāsayādhimuttino panassa kammaṭṭhānaṃ yācatoWhen, with sincerity of inclination and whole-hearted resolution in this way, he asks for a meditation subject,
cetopariyañāṇalābhinā ācariyena cittācāraṃ oloketvā cariyā jānitabbā.then a teacher who has acquired the penetration of minds can know his temperament by surveying his mental conduct;
Itarenaand a teacher who has not can know it by putting such questions to him as:
kiṃ caritosi?“What is your temperament?”
Ke vā te dhammā bahulaṃ samudācaranti?or “What states are usually present in you?”
Kiṃ vā te manasikaroto phāsu hoti?or “What do you like bringing to mind?”
Katarasmiṃ vā te kammaṭṭhāne cittaṃ namatīti evamādīhi nayehi pucchitvā jānitabbā.or “What meditation subject does your mind favour?”
Evaṃ ñatvā cariyānukūlaṃ kammaṭṭhānaṃ kathetabbaṃ.When he knows, he can expound a meditation subject suitable to that temperament.
Kathentena ca tividhena kathetabbaṃ.And in doing so, he can expound it in three ways:
Pakatiyā uggahitakammaṭṭhānassa ekaṃ dve nisajjāni sajjhāyaṃ kāretvā dātabbaṃ.it can be expounded to one who has already learnt the meditation subject by having him recite it at one or two sessions;
Santike vasantassa āgatāgatakkhaṇe kathetabbaṃ.it can be expounded to one who lives in the same place each time he comes;
Uggahetvā aññatra gantukāmassaand to one who wants to learn it and then go elsewhere
nātisaṃkhittaṃ nātivitthārikaṃ katvā kathetabbaṃ.it can be expounded in such a manner that it is neither too brief nor too long.
Tattha pathavīkasiṇaṃ tāva kathentenaHerein, when first he is explaining the earth kasiṇa, there are nine aspects that he should explain. They are
cattāro kasiṇadosā,the four faults of the kasiṇa,
kasiṇakaraṇaṃ,the making of a kasiṇa,
katassa bhāvanānayo,the method of development for one who has made it,
duvidhaṃ nimittaṃ,the two kinds of sign,
duvidho samādhi,the two kinds of concentration,
sattavidhaṃ sappāyāsappāyaṃ,the seven kinds of suitable and unsuitable,
dasavidhaṃ appanākosallaṃ,the ten kinds of skill in absorption,
vīriyasamatā,evenness of energy,
appanāvidhānanti ime nava ākārā kathetabbā.and the directions for absorption.
Sesakammaṭṭhānesupi tassa tassa anurūpaṃ kathetabbaṃ.In the case of the other meditation subjects, each should be expounded in the way appropriate to it.
Taṃ sabbaṃ tesaṃ bhāvanāvidhāne āvibhavissati.All this will be made clear in the directions for development.
Evaṃ kathiyamāne pana kammaṭṭhāne tena yoginā nimittaṃ gahetvā sotabbaṃ.But when the meditation subject is being expounded in this way, the meditator must apprehend the sign as he listens.
Nimittaṃ gahetvātiApprehend the sign means that he must connect each aspect thus:
idaṃ heṭṭhimapadaṃ,“This is the preceding clause,
idaṃ uparimapadaṃ,this is the subsequent clause,
ayamassa attho,this is its meaning,
ayamadhippāyo,this is its intention,
idamopammanti evaṃ taṃ taṃ ākāraṃ upanibandhitvāti attho.this is the simile.”
Evaṃ nimittaṃ gahetvā sakkaccaṃ suṇantena hi kammaṭṭhānaṃ suggahitaṃ hoti.When he listens attentively, apprehending the sign in this way, his meditation subject is well apprehended.
Athassa taṃ nissāya visesādhigamo sampajjati, na itarassātiThen, and because of that, he successfully attains distinction, but not otherwise.
ayaṃ gahetvāti imassa padassa atthaparidīpanā.This clarifies the meaning of the words “and he must apprehend.”
EttāvatāAt this point the clauses
kalyāṇamittaṃ upasaṅkamitvāapproach the good friend, the giver of a meditation subject,
attano cariyānukūlaṃ cattālīsāya kammaṭṭhānesu aññataraṃ kammaṭṭhānaṃ gahetvātiand he should apprehend from among the forty meditation subjects one that suits his own temperament (§28)
imāni padāni sabbākārena vitthāritāni hontīti.have been expounded in detail in all their aspects.
Iti sādhujanapāmojjatthāya kate visuddhimagge Samādhibhāvanādhikāre Kammaṭṭhānaggahaṇaniddeso nāma Tatiyo paricchedo.The third chapter called “The Description of Taking a Meditation Subject” in the Treatise on the Development of Concentration in the Path of Purification composed for the purpose of gladdening good people.