Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

Introduction to 3.1.6
Dutiyaparisuddhasuttaṃ
(Perfectly Pure - 2)

Imāya dhammānudhammapaṭipattiyā Buddhaṃ pūjemi

By this practice of walking on the path of Dhamma uprightly I pay respect to Buddha.

The Buddha told Ānanda that the only way for everyone, householder or Bhikkhu alike, to properly honour the Buddha was:

“Yo kho, ānanda, bhikkhu vā bhikkhunī vā upāsako vā upāsikā vā dhammānudhammappaṭipanno[3] viharati sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī[4], so tathāgataṃ sakkaroti garuṃ karoti māneti pūjeti apaciyati, paramāya pūjāya. Tasmātihānanda, dhammānudhammappaṭipannā viharissāma sāmīcippaṭipannā anudhammacārinoti. Evañhi vo, ānanda, sikkhitabban”ti.

“Whoever, Ānanda, whether Bhikkhu or Bhikkhunī, lay male disciple or lay female disciple practices the Dhamma accordingly, lives uprightly to the Dhamma and dwells in the Dhamma, he is paying his respect towards the Tathāgata, he expresses his veneration, he honours, reveres, esteems him and pays his highest reverence. Therefore, Ānanda, thus you should train yourself: We shall practice the Dhamma accordingly, we shall live uprightly to the Dhamma and dwell in the Dhamma!”

Thus, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno, living uprightly in the Dhamma for Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis demands completely fulfilling perfect morality, following certain practises in order to perform perfect conduct as a member of those who have changed their linage:–sīlaṃ ācārapaññatti[5] dhutaṅgasamādānaṃ[6] yāva gotrabhuto[7] sammāpaṭipadā veditabbā–by not violating their rules of training in the slightest degree so they are called: living in accordance with Dhamma:–aṇumattampi[8] na vītikkamati, ayaṃ dhammānudhammappaṭipanno nāma.

Although this inclusion of offerings–gandhapūjaṃ mālāpūjaṃ karoti–as performance of material worship by the commentator remains rather dubious it may also point to the fact that devotional offerings by the time of Buddhaghosa for lay people were of common practise (see lesson 2.1.11), especially as the remaining advise supports the emphasis that the Buddha always gave for the practical application of Dhamma, even for laypeople. This insertion remains especially obscure, because at the same time the same commentary explains why the Bhagavā rejected such kind of worship. He did it out of compassion for his assembly and followers and because he wanted the sāsana to last for a long period:–Parisānuggahena[12] ceva sāsanassa ca ciraṭṭhitikāmatāya[13].–If the Bhagavā had not rejected this kind of whorship in this way:–Sace hi bhagavā evaṃ na paṭikkhipeyya[14], anāgate sīlassa āgataṭṭhāne[15] sīlaṃ na paripūressanti[16], samādhissa āgataṭṭhāne samādhiṃ na paripūressanti, vipassanāya āgataṭṭhāne vipassanāgabbhaṃ[17] na gāhāpessanti[18].–then there would not have been any condition in future for the practice of sīla and no attainment of sīla, there would not have been any condition for the practice of samādhi and no attainment of samādhi and there would have been any condition for the practice of Vipassanā that would cause to conceive Vipassanā.–Upaṭṭhāke[19] samādapetvā[20] pūjaṃyeva kārentā viharissanti. Āmisapūjā ca nāmesā sāsanaṃ ekadivasampi …… na sakkoti.–It would have caused their attendants to live by performing worship only, which is called material worship and cannot sustain the sāsana even for a single day.

May these utterly pure and utterly spotless eight Dhammas of the Dutiyaparisuddhasuttaṃ, that arise only while the Vinaya and the Tathāgata exist, be applied still today. Because it was said: –Yena kammaṃ kataṃ, tasseva hoti. Sammāpaṭipatti pana tathāgatassa anucchavikā[21] pūjā. Sā hi tena patthitā[22] ceva, sakkoti sāsanañca sandhāretuṃ.–Whatever deed performed, is only that of the doer. It is this perfect conduct that is to pay one’s appropriate respect to the Tathāgata. This is exactly what he desired and what can maintain the sāsana!