Maha Buddhavamsa鈥擳he Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes The Buddha鈥檚 Sojourn at the Ambalatthika Garden contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as the Buddha Declared the Seven Factors of Non-Decline for Rulers. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).
Part 9 - The Buddha鈥檚 Sojourn at the 础尘产补濒补峁弓丑颈办腻 Garden
Then the Buddha, after staying at 搁腻箩补驳补丑补 for as long as He wished, said to Venerable 膧苍补苍诲补: 鈥淐ome, 膧苍补苍诲补, let us go to the 础尘产补濒补峁弓丑颈办腻 garden (Mango Grove).鈥�
鈥淰ery well, Sir,鈥� 膧苍补苍诲补 assented.
(Note: The Buddha addressed 膧苍补苍诲补 from among many bhikkhus surrounding Him because 膧苍补苍诲补 was always in close attendance.)
Having expressed his assent to the Buddha, 膧苍补苍诲补 signalled to the bhikkhus: 鈥淔riends, make ready with your alms-bowl and great robe. The Bhagav膩 intends to go to the 础尘产补濒补峁弓丑颈办腻 garden.鈥�
Then the Buddha, accompanied by many bhikkhus, went to the 础尘产补濒补峁弓丑颈办腻 garden where He stayed at the King鈥檚 rest house.
While there also, considering His approaching death, the Buddha discoursed to the bhikkhus on the same theme, i.e.,:
鈥淪uch is 蝉墨濒补 (morality); such is 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 (concentration); such is 辫补帽帽腻 (wisdom). Concentration that is developed through morality is highly efficacious and productive. Wisdom that is developed through concentration is highly efficacious and productive. The mind that is developed through wisdom is thoroughly liberated without any remnant from the moral taints or pervasive defilements (腻蝉补惫补s), namely kamm腻蝉补惫补 (the taint of sense-desire), bhav腻蝉补惫补 (the taint of hankering after continued existence), and avijj腻蝉补惫补 (the taint of ignorance of the Four Ariya 罢谤耻迟丑蝉).鈥�
Herein, in the passage, 鈥淪uch is 蝉墨濒补, this is 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, such is 辫补帽帽腻,鈥� morality (蝉墨濒补) refers to mundane morality, i.e. the Fourfold Purity (肠补迟耻辫腻谤颈蝉耻诲丑颈 蝉墨濒补); 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 means mundane concentration at the threshold of perfect concentration (耻辫补肠腻谤补-蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) and perfect concentration (appan膩-蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) itself. 笔补帽帽腻 means mundane Insight (惫颈辫补蝉蝉补苍腻-辫补帽帽腻). All these three factors are the necessary conditions for magga-帽腻峁嘺.
鈥�Concentration developed through morality鈥� means supramundane concentration pertaining to magga and phala, magga concentration and phala concentration. Concentration of magga is highly efficacious because it leads to the fruition of the Ariya鈥檚 Knowledge (Ariya-phala). (Phala means direct result.) It is also highly productive because it has the superb consequence (腻苍颈蝉补峁噑补) of liberation or pacification. (膧苍颈蝉补峁噑补 means indirect result or consequence.) The same interpretation should be understood for similar statement that follow. Concentration of phala produces the direct result of abandoning the burning defilements through tranquillity (patippassaddhi-辫补丑腻苍补), and gives the indirect result or consequence of the peace of cessation or extinction of defilements.
鈥�Wisdom developed through concentration鈥� means supramundane Knowledge (magga-帽腻峁嘺 and phala-帽腻峁嘺). Its direct result and indirect result or consequence should be construed as in the case of concentration.
鈥�The mind developed through wisdom鈥�, 鈥渨isdom鈥� means mundane Insight (惫颈辫补蝉蝉补苍腻-辫补帽帽腻) and wisdom associated with 箩丑腻苍补;mind here means supramundane consciousness of magga-phala. Magga consciousness completely eradicates defilements as abandoning through destruction (samuccheda 辫补丑腻苍补). Phala-consciousness thoroughly liberates one from the moral taints as abandoning through tranquillity (pa峁璱patssaddhi-辫补丑腻苍补).