Introduction 3.1.6: Dutiyaparisuddhasuttaṃ - Perfectly Pure-2
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.1.6 Dutiyaparisuddhasuttaṃ - Walking the Path of Dhamma Uprightly
Imāya dhammānudhammapaṭipattiyā Buddhaṃ pūjemi
By this practice of walking on the path of Dhamma uprightly, I pay respect to Buddha.
Anyone desirous to express his deep respect towards the Buddha and to show his gratitude should do so by following and applying that utterly pure Dhamma!
At Kusinārā after the Buddha’s last meal before finally passed away, according to the Mahāparinibbānasutta, nature embellished itself and displayed signs of deep respect by blooming with rare flowers, sandalwood powder, and heavenly fragrance and music filled the entire atmosphere. The Buddha addressed the Venerable Ānanda and told him that this was not the proper way to exhibit one’s respect towards a Tathāgata nor was he properly venerated, esteemed, honoured or worshiped in this way.
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 dhammānudhammappaṭipanno4 viharati sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī,5 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 and following the Dhamma within, the Dhamma for Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis demands … ‘completely fulfilling perfect morality, upholding described practices in order to perform perfect conduct as a member of those who have changed their lineage:
… sīlaṃ ācārapaññatti6 dhutaṅgasamādānaṃ7 yāva gotrabhuto8 sammāpaṭipadā veditabbā’‘aṇumattampi9 na vītikkamati, ayaṃ dhammānudhammappaṭipanno nāma.
… by not violating their rules of training in the slightest degree
so they are called: living in accordance with Dhamma.’
For layman or laywoman dhammānudhammappaṭipanno, according to the commentary, living uprightly in accordance to Dhamma demands:
Yo pana tīsu saraṇesu, pañcasupi sīlesu, dasasu sīlesu10 paripūrakārī11 hoti, māsassa aṭṭha uposathe karoti, dānaṃ deti, gandhapūjaṃ mālāpūjaṃ karoti, mātaraṃ pitaraṃ upaṭṭhāti, dhammike samaṇabrāhmaṇe upaṭṭhāti, ayaṃ dhammānudhammappaṭipanno nāma. Upāsikāyapi eseva nayo 12
Who takes refuge in the three gems, fulfils perfectly the five sīla as well as the ten sīla, performs his Uposatha13 every eighth (day) of a month, gives generously, makes offerings of perfumes and garlands, supports mother and father, supports upright ascetics and Brahmins, and that one practices the Dhamma accordingly. The same holds true for a laywoman.
Although this somewhat strange 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 practice, especially as the remaining advice emphasises that the Buddha always gave for the practical application of Dhamma, even for laypeople. This insertion remains especially obscure, because at the very same occasion 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.
If the Bhagavā had not rejected this kind of worship in this way:
Sace hi bhagavā evaṃ na paṭikkhipeyya,16 anāgate sīlassa āgataṭṭhāne17 sīlaṃ na paripūressanti,18 samādhissa āgataṭṭhāne samādhiṃ na paripūressanti, vipassanāya āgataṭṭhāne vipassanāgabbhaṃ19 na gāhāpessanti.20
… then there would not have been any condition in the future for the practice of sīla and if no attainment of sīla, there would not have been any condition for the practice of samādhi and if no attainment of samādhi, there would not have been any condition for the practice of Vipassanā that would give cause to conceive Vipassanā.
… Upaṭṭhāke21 samādapetvā22 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 Dutiyaparisuddhasutta,23 that arise only while the Vinaya and the Tathāgata exist, be still applied today.
Because it was said:
Yena kammaṃ kataṃ, tasseva hoti. Sammāpaṭipatti pana tathāgatassa anucchavikā24 pūjā. Sā hi tena patthitā25 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!
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māneti: to revere, honour.1
apaciyati: to be esteemed, honoured (passive).2
All quotes unless otherwise mentioned: Yamakasālā, Mahāparinibbānasuttaṃ, Mahāvaggaṭṭhakathā, Dīghanikāye.3
dhammānudhammappaṭipanno: dhamma + anu +dhamma +p + paṭipajjati (pp) – dhamma + accordingly + the dhamma + following, acting, embracing.4
anudhammacārino: anu + dhamma + cārino – in accordance + dhamma + walking, acting.5
ācārapaññatti: ācāro + paññatti – practice; right conduct + precept, ordinance, regulation.6
dhutaṅgasamādānaṃ: dhutaṅga + samādānaṃ: certain ascetic practices + taking, acquiring (the 13 dhutaṅga were additional but non-compulsory practices that the Buddha taught in order to enable reducing one’s needs, thus helping those who adopted these practices to become detached from pride, greed, and aversion. (dhuta – pp. of dhunāti: abandon, shaken off; aṅga – part of). Some of these were to wear abandoned robes; collecting alms-food without neglecting any house nor with making a choice; or solely dwelling in the forest or at the roots of a tree etc. The aim of these practices was to provide an environment as auspicious as possible for renunciation and meditation. It was when the Buddha’s antagonist Devadatta wanted to create his own fellowship that he requested the Buddha to install these more severe regulations, including not eating any meat or fish. For more details see 3.6.3 Parābhavasuttaṃ - The Causes of Downfall7
gotrabhuto: who is in a fit state to receive sanctification, of entering the lineage.8
aṇumatto: small, least.9
dasasu sīlesu: the ten sīla are: pāṇātipātā veramaṇi; adinnādānā; kāmesumicchācārā; musāvādā; pisuṇāya vācāya; pharusāya vācāya; samphappalāpā; abhijjhāya; byāpādā; micchādiṭṭhiyā veramaṇi. At times they are mistaken with the ten dasa sikhāpadāni of a novice.10
paripūrakārī: paripūra + kārī – full, perfect + doing.11
Mahāparinibbānasuttavaṇṇanā, Mahāvaggaṭṭhakathā, Dīghanikāye, also the next quotations.12
uposatha: as it was mentioned earlier (1.3.9 Saṅghabhedasuttaṃ - The Schism in the Saṅgha) for a householder these were the days when they offered food to the Bhikkhus or invited them to a meal in their house — ideally, they took the eight precepts and dedicated themselves to meditation, preferably with the moon cycle. Usually these Uposatha days are every eighth day of the month, the full and new moon and the two quarter moons in between. Some traditions observe Uposatha six times a month with the final two days of each lunar month.13
parisānuggahena: parisā + anuggahena – assembly, company + patronage; help.14
ciraṭṭhitikāmatāya: ciraṭṭhitiko + kāmatāya – lasting, enduring + out of desire.15
paṭikkhipati: to refuse, to reject.16
āgataṭṭhāne: āgata + ṭ + ṭhāne (pp.) – having arrived, having attained + state, condition.17
paripūressanti: (fut.) to complete, to attain.18
vipassanāgabbhaṃ: vipassanā + gabbhaṃ: vipassanā + the womb, interior, foetus.19
gāhāpessanti: cause to be taken; to deliver to.20
upaṭṭhāke: servant, attendant.21
samādapeti: (caus.) to incite, rouse.22
See 2.1.8 Dutiyapaṭipadāsuttaṃ - Why One Ought to Walk the Path Correctly.23
anucchavikā: suitable, appropriate.24
patthitā: (pp.) wished for, desired.25