Dhamma Synopses
Ovāda-pāṭimokkh’ādi Pāṭha
Passage on the Ovāda-pāṭimokkha, etc.
Udiṭṭhā kho tena Bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammā-sambuddhena, Ovāda-pāṭimokkhaṁ tihi gāthāhi,
This was said by the Blessed One, the One who Knows, the One who Sees, the Worthy One, Rightly Self-awakened, in the three verses of the Ovāda-pāṭimokkha:
Khantī paramaṁ tapo tītikkhā.
Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ vadanti buddhā.
Na hi pabbajito parūpaghātī;
Samaṇo hoti paraṁ viheṭhayanto.
Patient forbearance is the highest austerity.
Unbinding is highest: that’s what the Buddhas say.
He is no monk who harms another;
nor a contemplative, he who oppresses another.
Sabba-pāpassa akaraṇaṁ
Kusalassūpasampadā
Sacitta-pariyodapanaṁ:
Etaṁ buddhāna-sāsanaṁ.
The non-doing of all evil, the performance of what is skillful,
the cleansing of one’s own mind: This is the Buddhas’ teaching.
Anūpavādo anūpaghāto
Pāṭimokkhe ca saṁvaro
Mattaññutā ca bhattasmiṁ
Pantañ-ca sayan’āsanaṁ.
Adhicitte ca āyogo:
Etaṁ buddhāna-sāsanan-ti.
Not reviling, not injuring,
restraint in line with the monastic code,
moderation in food, dwelling in seclusion,
devotion to the heightened mind: This is the Buddhas’ teaching.
Aneka-pariyāyena kho pana tena Bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammā-sambuddhena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ samādhi sammadakkhāto paññā sammadakkhātā.
In many ways the Blessed One, the One who Knows, the One who Sees, the Worthy One, Rightly Self-awakened, has rightly declared virtue, rightly declared concentration, rightly declared discernment.
Kathañ-ca sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared virtue?
Heṭṭhimena-pi pariyāyena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā. Uparimena-pi pariyāyena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā.
The Blessed One has rightly declared virtue with a basic explanation, and the Blessed One has rightly declared virtue with a higher explanation.
Kathañ-ca heṭṭhimena pariyāyena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared virtue with a basic explanation?
“Idha ariya-sāvako pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesu-micchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, surā- meraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hotīti.” Evaṁ kho heṭṭhimena pariyāyena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā.
“There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones abstains from taking life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from illicit sex, abstains from lying, abstains from distilled & fermented drinks that cause heedlessness.” In this way the Blessed One has rightly declared virtue with a basic explanation.
Kathañ-ca uparimena pariyāyena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared virtue with a higher explanation?
“Idha, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pāṭimokkha-saṁvara-saṁvuto viharati ācāra-gocara-sampanno, aṇumattesu vajjesu bhaya-dassāvī samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesūti.” Evaṁ kho uparimena pariyāyena, sīlaṁ sammadakkhātaṁ Bhagavatā.
“There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the Pāṭimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults.” In this way the Blessed One has rightly declared virtue with a higher explanation.
Kathañ-ca samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared concentration?
Heṭṭhimena-pi pariyāyena, samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā. Uparimena-pi pariyāyena, samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā.
The Blessed One has rightly declared concentration with a basic explanation, and the Blessed One has rightly declared concentration with a higher explanation.
Kathañ-ca heṭṭhimena pariyāyena, samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared concentration with a basic explanation?
“Idha ariya-sāvako vossagg’ārammaṇaṁ karitvā, labhati samādhiṁ labhati cittass’ekaggatanti.” Evaṁ kho heṭṭhimena pariyāyena, samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā.
“There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, having made relinquishment his preoccupation, gains concentration and unification of awareness.” In this way the Blessed One has rightly declared concentration with a basic explanation.
Kathañ-ca uparimena pariyāyena, samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared concentration with a higher explanation?
“Idha bhikkhu vivicc’eva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi, sa-vitakkaṁ sa-vicāraṁ vivekajam-pīti- sukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
“There is the case where a monk—quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful (mental) qualities—enters & remains in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
Vitakka-vicārānaṁ vūpasamā, ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodi-bhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ, samādhijam-pīti-sukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
“With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.
Pītiyā ca virāgā, upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno, sukhañ-ca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yan-taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti upekkhako satimā sukha-vihārīti, tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
“With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’
Sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā, pubbe va somanassa-domanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā, adukkham- asukhaṁ upekkhā-sati-pārisuddhiṁ, catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharatīti.” Evaṁ kho uparimena pariyāyena, samādhi sammadakkhāto Bhagavatā.
“With the the abandoning of pleasure & pain—as with the earlier disappearance of joys & distresses—he enters & remains in the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.” In this way the Blessed One has rightly declared concentration with a higher explanation.
Kathañ-ca paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared discernment?
Heṭṭhimena-pi pariyāyena, paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā. Uparimena-pi pariyāyena, paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā.
The Blessed One has rightly declared discernment with a basic explanation, and the Blessed One has rightly declared discernment with a higher explanation.
Kathañ-ca heṭṭhimena pariyāyena, paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared discernment with a basic explanation?
“Idha ariya-sāvako paññavā hoti, uday’attha-gāminiyā paññāya samannāgato, ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhaya-gāminiyāti.” Evaṁ kho heṭṭhimena pariyāyena, paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā.
“There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising and passing away—noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.” In this way the Blessed One has rightly declared discernment with a basic explanation.
Kathañ-ca uparimena pariyāyena, paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā?
And how has the Blessed One rightly declared discernment with a higher explanation?
“Idha bhikkhu ‘Idaṁ dukkhanti’ yathā-bhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘Ayaṁ dukkha-samudayoti’ yathā-bhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘Ayaṁ dukkha-nirodhoti’ yathā-bhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘Ayaṁ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī paṭipadāti’ yathā-bhūtaṁ pajānātīti.” Evaṁ kho uparimena pariyāyena, paññā sammadakkhātā Bhagavatā.
“There is the case where a monk discerns, as it has come to be, that ‘This is stress.’… ‘This is the origination of stress.’… ‘This is the cessation of stress.’… ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of stress.’” In this way the Blessed One has rightly declared discernment with a higher explanation.
Sīla-paribhāvito samādhi mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso. Samādhi-paribhāvitā paññā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā. Paññā-paribhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sammadeva āsavehi vimuccati, seyyathīdaṁ: kām’āsavā, bhav’āsavā, avijj’āsavā.
Concentration nurtured with virtue is of great fruit, great reward. Discernment nurtured with concentration is of great fruit, great reward. The mind nurtured with discernment is rightly released from the effluents, i.e., the effluent of sensuality, the effluent of becoming, the effluent of ignorance.
Bhāsitā kho pana Bhagavatā parinibbāna-samaye ayaṁ pacchima-vācā, “Handa-dāni bhikkhave āmantayāmi vo, vaya-dhammā saṅkhārā, appamādena sampādethāti.”
This final statement was spoken by the Blessed One at the time of his total unbinding, “Now, then, monks, I exhort you: All fabrications are subject to ending & decay. Reach consummation through heedfulness.”
Bhāsitañ’c’idaṁ Bhagavatā, “Seyyathāpi bhikkhave yāni kānici jaṅgalānaṁ pāṇānaṁ pada-jātāni, sabbāni tāni hatthi-pade samodhānaṁ gacchanti, hatthi-padaṁ tesaṁ aggam-akkhāyati, yadidaṁ mahantattena, evameva kho bhikkhave ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te appamāda-mūlakā appamāda-samosaraṇā, appamādo tesaṁ aggam-akkhāyatīti.”
This was also spoken by the Blessed One, “Just as the footprints of all legged animals are encompassed by the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant’s footprint is reckoned the foremost among them in terms of size; in the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in heedfulness, converge in heedfulness, and heedfulness is reckoned the foremost among them.”
Tasmā tih’amhehi sikkhitabbaṁ, “Tibb’āpekkhā bhavissāma, adhisīla-sikkhā-samādāne, adhicitta-sikkhā-samādāne, adhipaññā-sikkhā-samādāne, appamādena sampadessāmāti.” Evañ-hi no sikkhitabbaṁ.
Therefore we should train ourselves: “We will have keen regard for training in heightened virtue, training in heightened mind, & training in heightened discernment. We will attain consummation through heedfulness.” That’s how we should train ourselves.
