1.
Maha-Cunda Thera was the brother of the venerable Sariputta Thera.
2.
Self-doctrines or world-doctrines (atta-vada, lokavada). According to
Comy., this refers: (a) to the twenty types of personality-belief (sakkaya-ditthi),
i.e., four for each of the five aggregates (khandha); (b) to eight wrong
views about self and world, as being eternal, not eternal, both eternal and not
eternal, neither eternal nor not eternal, and the same four alternatives
concerning finite and infinite.
3.
In a monk who is only at the beginning of his (meditative) reflections
(adim-eva manasikaroto). Comy.: "This refers to one who is at the
beginning of his insight-meditation (vipassana-bhavana) and has not yet
attained to Stream-entry," when the fetter of personality-belief is
finally eliminated. The beginner's insight-practice extends from the
"discernment of mentality and corporeality" (namarupa-pariccheda)
up to the "knowledge of rise and fall" (udayabbaya-ñana), on
which see Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), Chs. XVIII, XX,
XXI.
According
to the Comy., the Thera's question concerns those who overrate the degree of
their achievement, i.e., those who believe that, in their meditative practice,
they have achieved this or that result while actually they have not.
Overestimation (abhimana), in that sense, "does not arise in
ignorant common people (bala-puthujjana) who are entirely engrossed in
worldly life, nor does it arise in Noble Disciples (ariya-savaka);
because in a Stream-winner the overestimation does not arise that he is a
Once-returner, etc. Self-overestimation can occur only in one who actually
practices (meditation) and has temporarily subdued the defilements by way of
tranquillity or insight. Maha-Cunda Thera, being an Arahat, was no self-overrater
himself, but in formulating his question, he put himself in the place of one
who is; or, as others say, there may have been such "self-overraters"
among his pupils, and for conveying to them the Buddha's reply, he put his
question.
4.
(The object) in which (yattha). Comy.: yattha (where) = yasmim
arammane. The object, or basis, the five aggregates, because all false
views on self and world can refer only to the five aggregates to one of them.
See Discourse on the Snake Simile (Wheel No. 47/48), p. 8, and Anatta
and Nibbana, by Nyanaponika Thera (Wheel No. 11), p. 18 (quotation).
5.
In which these views arise (yattha uppajjanti), i.e., arise for the
first time, without having occurred earlier (Comy.).
Underlie
(anusenti), i.e., habitually occur (cf. anusaya,
"tendency," which may be latent or active). Comy.: "This refers
to views which, having been indulged in repeatedly, have become strong and have
not been removed." Sub.Comy.: "By ultimate elimination (samuccheda-vinaya-vasena)."
Become
active (samudacaranti). Comy.: "Wrong views have arrived at the
(action-) doors of body and speech," i.e., which have found expression in
words and deeds.
6.
With right wisdom (sammappaññaya). Comy.: "With insight-wisdom,
ending with the knowledge pertaining to the path of Stream-entry."
7.
As it actually is (yatha-bhutam). Comy.: "Because the five
aggregates exist only in that manner (i.e., as something 'that is not mine,'
etc.). But if conceived in the way 'It is mine,' etc., it simply does not exist
(n'ev'atthi)."
8.
This is not mine: hereby craving (tanha) is rejected.
9.
This I am not: this refers to the rejection of conceit (mana).
10.
This is not my self: this refers to the rejection of false views (ditthi).
11.
Abandoning... discarding (pahanam... patinissaggo). Comy.: "Both
terms are synonymous with the ultimate eradication of wrong views, taking place
at Stream-entry when the fetter of personality belief is destroyed."
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