… The Sub-commentary suggests an alternative way of dealing with spare robes: placing them under shared ownership and—because none of the three robes may be placed under shared ownership—calling them simply “cloth” (cīvara). This, however, plays havoc with Pc 59 and the general purpose of shared ownership in the Canon as a way of keeping cloth that is not being used. Thus …
… For example, you can learn how to calm the mind by breathing in a soothing way, and to calm the breath by holding in mind a perception that allows for a smooth flow of energy throughout the body. In this way the Buddha’s instructions for breath meditation show how to fabricate the present experience of body and mind in a way that fosters …
… MN 36 relates that the turning point in the Buddha’s own practice—when he abandoned the path of self-affliction and turned to the middle way—hinged on his realization that there is nothing blameworthy in the pleasure to be found in jhana. Thus, there is nothing to fear.
This pleasure plays an important function in the practice. To begin with, it enables …
… The king must stamp him
out!”
Then King Pasenadi Kosala, with a cavalry of roughly five
hundred horsemen, drove out of Sāvatthī in the middle of the day
and entered the monastery. Driving as far as the ground
permitted, he got down from his chariot and proceeded on foot to
the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed
One, he sat …
… How can I inflict on others what is displeasing & disagreeable to me?’ Reflecting in this way, he refrains from taking life, gets others to refrain from taking life, and speaks in praise of refraining from taking life. In this way his bodily behavior is pure in three ways.
“Furthermore, he reflects thus: ‘If someone, by way of theft, were to take from me what …
… right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
“Now when a disciple of the noble ones discerns kamma in this way, the cause by which kamma comes into play in this way, the diversity of kamma in this way, the result of kamma in this way, the cessation of kamma in this way, and the path …
… This is the way leading to the cessation of stress.”
In this way he remains focused internally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or externally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or both internally & externally on mental qualities in & of themselves. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to mental qualities, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to …
… And just this noble eightfold path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of ignorance….
Now when a disciple of the noble ones discerns ignorance in this way, discerns the origination of ignorance in this way, discerns the cessation of ignorance in this way, & discerns the way of practice leading to the cessation of ignorance in this way, when—having entirely abandoned …
… The Parivāra (XV.10.9), trying to collate these two patterns into one, lists five ways in which a schism can take place: discussion, announcement, vote, transaction, and recitation. The Commentary interprets the five ways as four steps in a single process (with the last two ways counting as alternative forms of a single step):
1) Discussion. A bhikkhu aiming at schism advocates any …
… Acceptance in the Middle Country and rehabilitation. [Mv.V.13.12]
tatra bhikkhave yvāyaṁ dasavaggo bhikkhusaṅgho ṭhapetvā ekaṁ kammaṁ abbhānaṁ dhammena samaggo sabbakammesu kammappatto.
“Of these, the quorum-of-ten Saṅgha of monks—if united and in accordance with the Dhamma—is competent for the doing of all transactions except for one: rehabilitation.
tatra bhikkhave yvāyaṁ vīsativaggo bhikkhusaṅgho dhammena samaggo sabbakammesu kammappatto.
“Of these …
… In this way, he discovered the middle way through a level of heedfulness that was anything but moderate. And even though the Buddha later recommended that his followers develop the same degree of heedfulness and determination, their path is considerably lightened by the fact that he survived his search, and succeeded, so that he could act as an admirable friend to give confidence and …
… The Buddha responds by addressing the question, “Knowing in what way, seeing in what way, does one without delay put an end to effluents?”
SN 22:82Puṇṇama Sutta | The Full-moon Night
A thorough discussion of issues related to the five aggregates. Toward the end of the discussion, a monk thinks that he has found a loophole in the teaching. The way the Buddha …
… Then the thought occurred to the monks, “How many (ways of) reciting the Pāṭimokkha are there?”
bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
They reported the matter to the Blessed One.
pañcime bhikkhave pātimokkhuddesā nidānaṁ uddisitvā avasesaṁ sutena sāvetabbaṁ ayaṁ paṭhamo pātimokkhuddeso.
“Monks, there are these five (ways of) reciting the Pāṭimokkha: Having recited the nidāna, the rest may be announced as ‘heard.’ This is the first way …
… I do this as a way of following the example set by the Buddha: When discussing the teachings of his contemporaries to non-monastic audiences, he would quote their teachings but without naming the teachers (DN 1; MN 60; MN 102), the purpose being to focus attention not on the person but on the teaching. In that way he could discuss the reasoning behind …
… Touched by contact in various ways,
he shouldn’t keep conjuring self.
Stilled right within,
a monk shouldn’t seek peace from another,
from anything else.
For one stilled right within,
there’s nothing embraced,
so how rejected?
As in the middle of the sea
it is still,
with no waves upwelling,
so the monk—unperturbed, still—
should not swell himself
anywhere.” — Sn 4 …
… The way leading to sickliness makes people sickly, the way leading to health makes people healthy. The way leading to ugliness makes people ugly, the way leading to beauty makes people beautiful. The way leading to lack of influence makes people uninfluential, the way leading to influence makes people influential. The way leading to poverty makes people poor, the way leading to wealth makes …
… tathā tathā rathaṁ pesesi yathā yathā aññeneva senā agamāsi aññeneva ratho.
“He drove it in such a way that the king’s entourage went one way, and the chariot another.
athakho bhikkhave brahmadatto kāsīrājā dūraṁ gantvā dīghāvuṁ kumāraṁ etadavoca tenahi bhaṇe māṇavaka rathaṁ muñcassu kilantomhi nipajjissāmīti.
“Then, after they had gone far, King Brahmadatta said to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘I say then, my young man …