Mahakhandhako - The Great Chapter

Vinayapiñake Mahàvaggassa Pañhamo Bhàgo
The First Section of the Great Division in the Discipline Collection

Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammàsambuddhassa
Reverence to him, the Gracious One, the Worthy One, the Perfect Sambuddha

Mahàkhandhako 1-4
The Great Chapter 1-4 Only the first four sections have been prepared here, as they form a continuous narrative which is lost in later sections.⁰¹

[I. The First Teachings] These titles written between square brackets are added by the present editor to help outline the story.⁰²

Bodhikathà
1. The Story about the Awakening (Tree) Cf. Udàna 1.1. The first section in the Mahàkhandaka occurs also as the first 3 discourses in the Udàna in somewhat different form, which will be noted as we come across them.⁰³
(Conditional Origination)

Tena samayena Buddho Bhagavà Uruvelàyaü viharati,
At that time the Awakened One, In the Udàna after the usual Evaü me sutaü, This I heard, which is said to have been spoken by ânanda, a different formula is used: Ekaü samayaü Bhagavà... At one time the Gracious One... The Tena samayena... formula is normally used in the Vinaya in its place.⁰⁴ the Gracious One, was dwelling near Uruvelà, Although the Commentary gives a number of explanations, it seems to me that Uruvelà would mean Great Sands, which must have described the area in Lord Buddha's time.⁰⁵

najjà Neraÿjaràya tãre Bodhirukkhamåle pañhamàbhisambuddho.
on the bank of the river Neraÿjarà, at the root of the Awakening tree, in the first (period) after the complete and perfect Awakening. Although here this obviously refers to the period immediately after the Awakening, the pañhamàbhisambuddha is taken to refer to the first 20 years after that event.⁰⁶

Atha kho Bhagavà Bodhirukkhamåle
o Then at that time the Gracious One sat at the root of the Awakening tree Comm: Bodhi vuccati catåsu Maggesu ÿàõaü; Awakening is said (because of) knowledge in regard to the four Paths (of Awakening).⁰⁷

sattàhaü ekapallaïkena nisãdi vimuttisukhapañisaüvedã.
in one cross-legged posture for seven days experiencing the happiness of liberation.

Atha kho Bhagavà rattiyà pañhamaü yàmaü,
Then the Gracious One, for the first watch of the night,

pañiccasamuppàdaü anulomapañilomaü manasàkàsi:
applied his mind thoroughly to conditional origination in forward and reverse order: In the Udàna, the first discourse only has the forward order, the second the reverse order, and the third has both, as the first verse refers to the arising of suffering (only) and the second to its cessation, it would seem the Udàna's version is more authentic. For complementary doctrinal and grammatical notes I refer the reader to my translation of the Udàna under the title Exalted Utterances elsewhere on this website.⁰⁸

ßAvijjàpaccayà saïkhàrà,
ßBecause of ignorance there are (volitional) processes,

saïkhàrapaccayà viÿÿàõaü,
because of (volitional) processes: consciousness,

viÿÿàõapaccayà nàmaråpaü,
because of consciousness: mind and body,

nàmaråpapaccayà saëàyatanaü,
because of mind and body: the six sense spheres,

saëàyatanapaccayà phasso,
because of the six sense spheres: contact,

phassapaccayà vedanà,
because of contact: feeling,

vedanàpaccayà taõhà,
because of feeling: craving,

taõhàpaccayà upàdànaü,
because of craving: attachment,

upàdànapaccayà bhavo,
because of attachment: continuation,

bhavapaccayà jàti,
because of continuation: birth,

jàtipaccayà jaràmaraõaü,
because of birth: old age, death,

sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupàyàsà sambhavanti,
grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair (all) arise,

evam-etassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
and so there is an origination of this whole mass of suffering.

Avijjàya tveva asesaviràganirodhà saïkhàranirodho,
But from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, there is the cessation of (volitional) processes,

saïkhàranirodhà viÿÿàõanirodho,
from the cessation of (volitional) processes, the cessation of consciousness,

viÿÿàõanirodhà nàmaråpanirodho,
from the cessation of consciousness, the cessation of mind and body,

nàmaråpanirodhà saëàyatananirodho,
from the cessation of mind and body, the cessation of the six sense spheres,

saëàyatananirodhà phassanirodho,
from the cessation of the six sense spheres, the cessation of contact,

phassanirodhà vedanànirodho,
from the cessation of contact, the cessation of feeling,

vedanànirodhà taõhànirodho,
from the cessation of feeling, the cessation of craving,

taõhànirodhà upàdànanirodho,
from the cessation of craving, the cessation of attachment,

upàdànanirodhà bhavanirodho,
from the cessation of attachment, the cessation of continuation,

bhavanirodhà jàtinirodho,
from the cessation of continuation, the cessation of birth,

jàtinirodhà jaràmaraõaü,
from the cessation of birth, old age, death,

sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupàyàsà nirujjhanti,
grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair (all) cease,

evam-etassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotãû ti.
and so there is a cessation of this whole mass of suffering.û

Atha kho Bhagavà, etam-atthaü viditvà,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,

tàyaü velàyaü imaü udànaü udànesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

ßYadà have pàtubhavanti dhammà
ßWhen (the nature of) things Comm: Dhammà ti anulomapaccayàkàrapañivedhasàdhikà Bodhipakkhiyàdhammà ... Catu-Ariyasaccadhammà; the (nature of) things means things on the side of Awakening that effect the experience of the causal series in forward order ... [or] ... (understanding the nature of) the Four Noble Truths. This verse refers to understanding the origination of suffering.⁰⁹ becomes really manifest

âtàpino jhàyato bràhmaõassa,
To the ardent meditating bràhmaõa, Comm: bràhmaõassà ti bàhitapàpassa khãõàsavassa; to the one who has destroyed the pollutants and removed wickedness.¹⁰

Athassa kaïkhà vapayanti sabbà,
Then all his doubts disappear,

Yato pajànàti sahetudhammanû-ti.
Since he knows (the nature of a) thing and its cause.û Comm: avijjàdikena hetunà sahetukaü imaü saïkhàràdiü kevalaü dukkhakkhandhadhammaü pajànàti; he knows ignorance and so on and its cause, together with its cause, this whole mass of suffering beginning with (mental) processes and so on.¹¹

Atha kho Bhagavà rattiyà majjhimaü yàmaü,
Then the Gracious One, Udàna has a longer opening here parallel to the first discourse; the same remark applies to the next section, cf. Udàna 1.2 and 1.3.¹² for the middle watch of the night,

pañiccasamuppàdaü anulomapañilomaü manasàkàsi:
applied his mind thoroughly to conditional origination in forward and reverse order: