Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Yo, bhikkhave, tathāgatena evaṃ ācikkhiyamāne desiyamāne paññapiyamāne paṭṭhapiyamāne vivariyamāne vibhajiyamāne uttānīkariyamāne¹ na jānāti na passati tamahaṃ, bhikkhave, bālaṃ puthujjanaṃ andhaṃ acakkhukaṃ ajānantaṃ apassantaṃ kinti karomi!²

When, Bhikkhus, that (phenomenon),³ has been pointed out, taught, made known, got established, revealed, distinguished and made clear by the Tathāgata and is not understood or seen by an ignorant person who is blind, has no insight, does not understand nor see, then, Bhikkhus, what can I do.

The Tathāgata having reached supreme enlightenment is also ‘thus come’ (tathā āgata). He ‘thus arrived’ at perfect enlightenment by strenuously engaging himself from the very beginning, according to his aspiration, by fully maturing all bodhipakkhiyodhammā⁴ in the same manner as the Buddhas before him did, starting from Vipassī, for the benefit of all beings and the whole world:

Yathā sabbalokahitāya ussukkamāpannā⁵ purimakā sammāsambuddhā āgatā, yathā vipassī bhagavā āgato, yathā sikhī bhagavā, yathā vessabhū bhagavā, yathā kakusandho bhagavā, yathā koṇāgamano bhagavā, yathā kassapo bhagavā āgato.⁶

Or else just as the Bhagavā Vipassī … up to … the Bhagavā Kassapo have perfectly done:

… Atha vā yathā vipassī bhagavā … pe … kassapo bhagavā …

 by developing and bringing to full growth the four satipaṭṭhāna, the four right endeavours (sammappadhāne), the four spiritual attainments (iddhipāde), the five faculties (pañcindriyāni), the five strengths (balāni), the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaṅge) and the Noble Eightfold Path. In the same manner, the Bhagavā has arrived at and fully perfected them:

… cattāro satipaṭṭhāne, cattāro sammappadhāne, cattāro iddhipāde, pañcindriyāni, pañca balāni, satta bojjhaṅge, ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bhāvetvā brūhetvā⁷ āgato, tathā amhākampi bhagavā āgato.

Therefore he is Tathāgata, is rightly called ‘having thus come’: Evaṃ tathā āgatoti tathāgato.

A Tathāgata has undergone his endeavours for the benefit of all! His wisdom, that he acquired, expressed and shared in the Dvedhāvitakkasutta is wonderfully summarised in the following lines:

Tathāgatassa buddhassa, sabbabhūtānukampino;
Pariyāyavacanaṃ⁸ passa, dve ca dhammā pakāsitā.
Pāpakaṃ passatha cetaṃ, tattha cāpi virajjatha;
Tato virattacittāse, dukkhassantaṃ karissathā’ti. ⁹

Behold the two Dhamma teachings, made known in succession by the Tathāgata,
The Buddha, out of compassion for all beings.
Thus may you also perceive what is evil, getting repulsed by it.
And with the base of such a disgusted mind, make an end of misery!

The sutta continues by describing how the Buddha entered from the base of such a calm and tranquil mind into further stages of absorption. It is the base of a mind free from thoughts of desire, ill will or violence that enables a meditator to proceed further.

Āraddhaṃ kho pana me, bhikkhave, vīriyaṃ ahosi asallīnaṃ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṃ cittaṃ ekaggaṃ.¹⁰

Indeed thus unremitting, assiduous energy was aroused by me, Bhikkhus, persistent awareness established, the body calmed and tranquil, the mind made concentrated and one-pointed!

The discourse concludes with the Buddha’s instruction to apply this realisation.

Yaṃ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṃ sāvakānaṃ hitesinā¹¹ anukampakena anukampaṃ upādāya, kataṃ vo taṃ mayā. Etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni; jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino¹² ahuvattha.¹³

Ayaṃ vo amhākaṃ anusāsanī’ti.

What, Bhikkhus, by a compassionate teacher out of benevolence wishing welfare for his disciples could be done, that I have done for you! There are these roots of trees, these empty places! Meditate, Bhikkhus, do not delay or else you will regret it later.

This is my instruction to you!

May more and more be able to realize these instructions by developing a healthy starting point through leaving behind all thoughts of unwholesomeness!