Khuddaka Nikaya - Nettippakarana - Second Grouping - Illustrative Quotations 4

Khuddaka Nikaya - Nettippakarana ( The Guide ) - Second Grouping - Illustrative Quotations 4

ACCORDING TO
KACCANA THERA

TRANSLATED FROM THE PALI BY
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
Pali Text Society
[iv. (a)]
884. Herein, what is seeing 21
(Such as clearly evince the Noble Truths
Well taught by Him profound in understanding,
Although they may be mightily neglectful,
Still they can never take an eighth existence) (Sn. 230).
This is seeing.
885. (As a locking-post deep-planted in the earth
Would stand unshaken by the four winds' blast,
[169] So too is the True Man, I say, that sees
The Noble Truths by undergoing them) (Sn. 229).
This is seeing.
886. (Bhikkhus, when a noble hearer possesses the four factors of
Stream-Entry he could, if he wished, declare himself to himself thus:
'I have exhausted [risk of rebirth in] the hells, the animal womb, the
ghost realm, the states of unease, the bad destinations, and the per-
ditions; I am a Stream-Enterer, no longer inseparable from the idea
of perdition, certain [of rightness], and bound for enlightenments
(A. v, 182; Pe 52) (after running on and on and going the roundabout
among gods and men seven times at most, I shall make an end of
suffering) (cf. A. i, 233). (Whatfour? Here, bhikkhus, (i) a noble
hearer's faith in a Perfect One is completely established, with roots
fully developed, invincible by monk or divine or god or Mara or High
Divinity or anyone in the world in any way that accords with the
idea [of truth], (ii) He has reached his goal in the True Idea:) (cf.
M. i, 320) ('The True Idea is well proclaimed by the Blessed One,
to be seen for oneself, not delayed (timeless), inviting inspection,
onward-leading, and directly experienceable by the wise) (§297; A.
iii, 285), (That is to say, the disillusionment of vanity, . . . cessation^
(§297; A. ii, 34). ((iii) And for him both householders and those gone
forth from the house-life who are with him in the True Idea are wished
for, desired, agreeable and likablo ( ). ((iv) And he
possesses the kinds of virtue desired by Noble Ones untorn, unrent,
unblotched, unmottled, liberating, commended by the wise, not mis-
apprehended, and conducive to concentration ) (cf. §298). (When a
noble hearer is possessed of these four factors of Stream-Entry he could,
884/1 Seen. 46/1.

if he wished, declare himself to himself thus: 'I am .. . [as above] . . .
/ shall make an end of suffering) [as above].
[170] This is seeing.
[iv (b)]
887. Herein, what is keeping in being ?
( Whose faculties
1
are well maintained in being
As to himself, without, and to all the world,
Who, this and the next world knowing, bides his time
Keeping [the path] in being in himself,
'Tis such as he that can be called 'well tamed'*)
(Sn. 576;Pe52).
This is keeping in being.
888. (Bhikkhus, there are these four traces of the True Idea.
1
What
four ? Non-covetousness is a trace of the True Idea, non-ill-will is a
trace of the True Idea, right mindfulness is a trace of the True Idea,
and right concentration is a trace of the True Idea. These are the
four traces of the True Idea) (A. ii, 29; Pe 52).
This is keeping in being.
[iv (c)]
889. Herein, what is seeing and keeping-in-being ?
(Five one should sever, five abandon,
And five too one should keep in being;
The bhikkhu who outstrips five clingings
1
Is called 'One who has crossed the flood') (Dh. 310).
'Five one should sever, five abandon' is seeing. 'And five too
one should keep in being, The bhikkhu who outstrips five clingings
is called "One who has crossed the flood" ' is keeping in being.
This is seeing and keeping-in-being.
2
887/1 The 5 faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and
understanding.
888/1 NettiA glosses dhammapadd ('traces of the True Idea') by dhamma-
kotthdsd, which means 'parts of the True Idea' ; but it seems admissible to
take pada here as 'trace' or 'footprint' (as in M. Suttas 27 and 28).
889/1 'The first "five" are the 5 near-side fetters, the second "five" the
5 further-side fetters (D. iii, 234), the third "five" the faculties beginning with
faith, the "five clingings" are those of lust, hate, delusion, conceit, and views'
(NettiA, 216).
889/2 This explanatory paragraph is missing in both Ba and Rb.

890. (Bhikkhus, there are these three faculties. What three ? The
I-shatt-(mve4o-kn(m-finally-the-as-yet-not-finally-know faculty, the
act-of-final-knowing faculty, and the final-knower faculty) (S. v,
204; Pe 51, 66). (What is the I-shall-come-to-know-finally-the-as-yet-
not-finally-known faculty ? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu arouses will to
actualize the as yet unactualized noble truth of suffering, he makes
efforts, instigates energy, exerts his cognizance, and endeavours. He
arouses will to actualize the as yet unactualized [171] noble truth of the
origin of suffering . . . of cessation of suffering . . . He arouses will to
actualize the as yet unactualized noble truth of the way leading to
cessation of suffering, he makes efforts, instigates energy, exerts his
cognizance, and endeavours. This is the I-shall-come-to-know-
finally-the-as-yet-not-finally-known faculty ) ( ; Pe 66).
This is seeing.
(What is the act-of-final-knowing faculty? Here, bhikkhus, a
bhikkhu understands how it is, thus 'This is suffering9
; he understands
how it is, thus 'This is the origin of suffering'; he understands how it
is, thus 'This is cessation of suffering'; he understands how it is, thus
'This is the way leading to cessation of suffering'. This is the act-of-
final-knowing faculty. What is the final-knower faculty? Here,
bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, verifying by his own direct acquaintanceship,
here and now enters upon and abides in the heart-deliverance and
understanding-deliverance that are taintless with [final] exhaustion of
taints. He understands 'Birth is exhausted, the divine life has been
lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond'.
This is the final-knower faculty ) ( ; Pe 67).
1
This is keeping in being.
This is seeing and keeping-in-being.