Page Text
________________
MAHÂ-PARINIBBÂNA-SUTTA.
107
And in whatsoever doctrine and discipline, Subhadda, the noble eightfold path is found, is found the man of true saintliness of the first and the second and the third and the fourth degree. Now in this doctrine and discipline, Subhadda, is found the noble eightfold path, and in it alone, Subhadda, is the man of true saintliness. Void are the systems of other teachers-void of true saints. And in this one, Subhadda, may the brethren live the Life that's Right, so that the world be not bereft of Arahats 1
word translated man of true saintliness,' or 'true saint,' is in the text Samano, on which see the note on page 105. I am at a loss how to render the word adequately here.
1 Arahats are those who have reached Nirvana, the supreme goal,' the highest fruit' of the Noble Eightfold Path. To live "the Life that's Right' (sammâ) is to live in the Noble Path, each of the eight divisions of which is to be sammâ, round, right and perfect, normal and complete. To live right (sammâ) is therefore to have-1. Right views, free from superstition. 2. Right aims, high and worthy of the intelligent and earnest man. 3. Right paano speech, kindly, open, truthful. 4. Right conduct, in all concerns of life. 5. Right livelihood, bringing hurt or danger to no living thing. 6. Right perseverance, in all the other seven. 7. Right mindfulness, the watchful, active mind. 8. Right contemplation, earnest thought on the deep mysteries of life. In each of these the word right is sammâ, and the whole paragraph being on the Noble Path, the allusion is certainly to this central doctrine of the Buddhist Dhamma.
Buddhaghosa says that that bhikkhu sammâ viharati, who, having himself entered the Noble Path, leads his brother into it, and this is, no doubt, good Buddhism. But it is a practical application of the text, a theological exegesis, and not a philological explanation. Even so it seems to lay the stress too much on bereft,' and too little on · Arahats.'
In the last words of the prose we seem to have a reminiscence of what were once verses, which may have run
Suññâ pavâdâ samanehi aññe;
Digitized by Google
| SR No. | 007674 |
| Book Title | Dhammapada |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1881 |
| Total Pages | 2540 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 45 MB |