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The Anudīpanī - Further Explanations

Definition of Pāramī

The set of ten virtues including Dāna (Alms-giving), Sīla (Morality), etc., is called Pāramī, Perfections.

A Bodhisatta (Future Buddha), being endowed with these ten virtues such as Dāna, Sīla. etc., is known as a Parama or Extraordinary Personality. On this basis, therefore. the etymology of Pāramī is: Paramānaṁ Bhāvo (State of Extraordinary Personalities), which is derived from two things: the knowledge of those who see and know them as such and the saying of those who see and know them that they really are. An alternative etymology is Paramānaṁ Kammaṁ (Work of Extraordinary Personalities); hence their course of conduct, consisting of Dāna, Sīla, etc., is called Pāramī.

The order of the ten Perfections should be known by the following verse:

"Dānaṁ sīlañca nekkhammaṁ paññāvīriyena pañcamaṁ.
khantisaccamadhiṭṭhānaṁ mettupekkhā ti te dasa."

"Alms-giving, Morality, Renunciation, Wisdom, Energy as the fifth,
Forbearance, Truthfulness, Resolution, Loving-kindness and Equanimity; all these make ten (Perfections)."

Each perfection is of three categories, namely,
(1) Pāramī (Ordinary Perfection);
(2) Upapāramī (Higher Perfection) and
(3) Paramatthapāramī (Highest Perfection).
(For instance, Dāna is of three categories:
(1) Dāna Pāramī (Ordinary Perfection of Alms-giving),
(2) Dāna Upapāramī (Higher Perfection of Alms-giving) and
(3) Dāna Paramatthapāramī (Highest Perfection of Alms-giving).
So are Sīla and each of the remaining virtues.)
Thus there are thirty kinds of Perfection in its detailed enumeration.

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Difference between Pāramī, Upapāramī and Paramatthapāramī

With regard to these three categories,
(1) Properties such as one's own gold, silver, etc., and family members such as one's own children and wife,
(2) Limbs big and small such as one's own hands, legs, etc., and
(3) One's own life should be noted first.
Then referring to Dāna,
(1) Gift of properties is Dāna Pāramī,
(2) Gift of limbs big and small is Dāna Upapāramī and
(3) Gift of life is Dāna Paramatthapāramī.

Similarly (1) Observance of Morality at the sacrifice of properties, (2) Observance of Morality at the sacrifice of limbs big and small and (3) Observance of Morality at the sacrifice of life are to be understood as Sīla Pāramī, Sīla Upapāramī and Sīla Paramatthapāramī respectively. In the case of the remaining eight perfections, too, the same way of classification should be applied.

Different views held by different commentators may be looked up in the exposition of the word 'Ko Vibhāgo' in the Pakiṇṇakakathā of the Cariyāpiṭaka Commentary.

Adhimuttimaraṇa

Voluntary passing away by self-determination is called Adhimuttimaraṇa. It is the kind of death that takes place as soon as one resolves "May death come unto me.'' Such a death could happen only to Future Buddhas, not to others.

When a Future Buddha is reborn, sometime in a Deva or a Brahmā World where the span of life is extremely long, he is aware of the fact that, living in a celestial world, he has no chance whatever to fulfil and cultivate Perfections, Sacrifices and Practices, and feels such a lengthy life in that celestial abode is boredom. Then after entering his mansion, he shuts his eyes and no sooner has he resolved, "May my life-faculty cease to be", than he experiences the impact of death and passes [pg4] away from that divine realm. Indeed his resolution materialises partly because he has little attachment to his body as he has particularly conditioned the continuity of his body by attaining higher knowledge and partly because his resolution based on overwhelming compassion for beings is intense and pure.

As he has control of mind, so has he control of deed; accordingly, when he dies such a voluntary death, he is reborn in the human world as a prince, a brahmin, etc., so that he can fulfil any Perfections he wishes to. That is why, though our Future Buddha Gotama had lived in many an existence in the Brahmā Abode without losing his attainment of Jhāna, he existed only for a short time in that Brahmā World and died voluntarily and passed from the Brahmā existence into the human existence and built up elements of Perfections.

Kappa or Aeon

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What is called (ကမ္ဘာ) (Kambhā) in Myanmar is Kappa in Pāḷi. Therefore it is said in the text of the Buddhavaṁsa: "Kappe ca satasahasse, caturo ca asaṅkhiye" etc.

The duration of a Kappa cannot be calculated by the number of years. It is known only by inference. Suppose there is a big granary which is one yojana each in length, breadth and height and which is full of tiny mustard seeds. You throw out just one seed each century; then all the mustard seeds may have been thrown out, but the period called Kappa may not have come yet to an end. (From this, it is to be inferred that the word Kappa in Pāḷi or the word Kambhā in Myanmar is an extremely long portion of time. But nowadays that the word Kambhā exactly means such a period is forgotten, and the word is used in the sense of the mass of the earth as in the expressions (ကမ္ဘာမ္ရေပ္ရင္) (earth surface), (ကမ္ဘာမ္ရေလုံံး) (the globe), etc.

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Divisions of Kappa

It should therefore be noted that Kambhā and Kappa are the same. The Kappa is of six divisions:
(1) Mahākappa, (2) Asaṅkhyeyyakappa, (3) Antarakappa, (4) Āyukappa, (5) Hāyanakappa and (6) Vaddhanakappa.

One Mahākappa is made up of four Asaṅkhyeyyakappas, namely, (a) the Kappa in the Process of Dissolution (Saṁvaṭṭakappa), (b) the Kappa in the State of Dissolution (Saṁvaṭṭaṭṭhāyīkappa), (c) the Kappa in the Process of Evolution (Vivaṭṭakappa) and (d) the Kappa in the State of Evolution (Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyīkappa). (That is to say, these four Asaṅkhyeyyakappas called Saṁvaṭṭa Asaṅkhyeyyakappa, Saṁvaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa, Vivaṭṭa Asaṅkhyeyyakappa and Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa make one Mahākappa).

Of these four Asaṅkhyeyyakappas, the Saṁvaṭṭakappa is the period beginning from the falling of the great rain, that heralds the dissolution of Kappa till the extinction of flames if the Kappa is to be dissolved by fire; or till the receding of floods if the Kappa is to be dissolved by water; or till the cessation of storms if the Kappa is to be dissolved by the air element.

The Saṁvaṭṭaṭṭhāyīkappa is the period beginning from the moment of dissolution of the world by fire, water or the air element till the falling of the great rain that heralds the evolution of a new world.

The Vivaṭṭakappa is the period beginning from the falling of the great rain that heralds the evolution of a new world till the appearance of the sun, the moon, and the stars and planets.

The Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyīkappa is the period beginning from the appearance of the sun, the moon and the stars and planets to the falling of the great rain that heralds the dissolution of the world.

Thus there are two kinds of Kappa-dissolving rain: one is the great rain which falls in any Kappa when it is nearing its dissolution either by fire, or by water or by the air element. First, there is a great downpour of rain [pg6] all over the universe that is to be dissolved. Then taking advantage of the falling of the rain, people start cultivation. When there come up plants big enough for cattle to feed on, the rain completely ceases to fall. It is the rain that heralds the dissolution of a Kappa.

The other kind is also a great downpour but it falls when a Kappa is to be dissolved by water. It is not an ordinary rain fall, but a very unusual one, for it has the power to smash even a rocky mountain into smithereens.

(An elaborate description of the dissolution of a Kappa by fire, water or the air element is given in the chapter on the Pubbenivāsānussati Abhiññā of the Visuddhimagga translation.) The above-mentioned four Asaṅkhyeyyakappas are of the same duration, which cannot be reckoned in terms of years. That is why they are known as Asaṅkhyeyyakappas (Aeons of Incalculable Length).

These four Asaṅkhyeyyakappas constitute one Mahākappa (Great Aeon). The Myanmar word Kambhā is (sometimes) used in the sense of the Pāḷi Mahākappa; the Myanmar language has no separate word for Asaṅkhyeyyakappa, but it adopts () (Asaṅkhyeyya-kap) as a derivative from Pāḷi.

Antarakappa etc

At the beginning of the Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa (i.e. at the beginning of the world) people live for incalculable (Asaṅkhyeyya) years. As time goes on, they are overcome by such mental defilements as Lobha (greed), Dosa, (anger), etc., and consequently their life-span gradually decreases until it becomes only ten years. Such a period of decrease is called Hāyanakappa in Pāḷi or () (aeon of decrease) in Myanmar.

On the contrary, owing to the occurrence and uplift of such wholesome principles as sublime states of mind, namely, Mettā (Loving-kindness), etc., the life-span of generations of their descendents doubles up step by step until it becomes incalculable years. Such a period of increase in life-span from ten years to incalculable years [pg7] is called Vaddhanakappa in Pāḷi or () (aeon of increase) in Myanmar. (For further details of these two periods of increase and decrease in the human life-span, see the Cakkavatti Sutta of the Pāthika Vagga in the Dīgha Nikāya.)

Thus the life-span of human beings goes up and down between ten years and incalculable years as they develop meritoriousness or are overcome by their demeritoriousness. A pair of life-span, an increasing one and a decreasing one, is called an Antarakappa.

Three kinds of Antarakappa

At the beginning of the world, when people's life-span declines from incalculable years to ten years, a change of Kappa takes place. If the decline is due to the particularly overpowering state of greed, there occurs scarcity of food and all evil persons perish during the last seven days of the Kappa. Such a round of time is called Dubbhikkhantarakappa or the aeon of famine.

If the decline is due to the particularly overpowering state of bewilderment there occurs an epidemic of diseases and all evil persons perish during the last seven days of the Kappa. Such a round of time is called Rogantarakappa or the aeon of diseases. If the decline of life-span is due to the particularly overpowering state of hatred there occur killings of one another with arms and all evil persons perish during the last seven days of the Kappa. Such a round of time is called Satthantarakappa or the aeon of weapons.

(According to the Visuddhimagga Mahāṭīkā, however, the Rogantarakappa is brought about by the particularly overpowering state of greed, the Satthantarakappa by the particularly overpowering state of hatred and the Dubbhikkhantarakappa by the particularly overpowering state of bewilderment; then perish evil persons.)

The naming of each pair of life-spans - one increasing and the other decreasing as Antarakappa may be explained thus: before all is dissolved either by fire, water or the air element at the end of Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa [pg8] and whenever the life-span becomes ten years, all evil persons are perished with famine, diseases or weapons. In accordance with this statement, here it refers to the intermediate period of decrease between one period of total destruction and another.

After the calamity that befalls during the final seven days of each Antarakappa, the name Rogantarakappa, Satthantarakappa or Dubbhikkhantarakappa is given to the period of misfortune that befalls before the ten years life-span (not in the whole world but) in a limited region such as a town or a village; if there appears an epidemic of diseases, we say there is Rogantarakappa in that region: if there breaks out war, we say there is Satthantarakappa in that region; if there occurs starvation we say there is Dubbhikkhantarakappa in that region. Such a saying is just figurative because the regional incident is similar to the cosmic. When in prayers one mentions "three Kappas" from which one wishes to be free, one usually refers to these three great disasters.

At the completion of 64 Antarakappas (each Antarakappa consisting of a pair of increasing and decreasing aeons), a Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa comes to an end. Since there are no living beings (in human and celestial realms) during the Saṁvaṭṭa Asaṅkhyeyyakappa, Saṁvaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa and Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa, these Kappas are not reckoned in terms of Antarakappa consisting of a set of increasing and decreasing aeons. But it should be noted that each of these Asaṅkhyeyyakappas, lasting as long as 64 Antarakappas, are of the same duration as a Vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī Asaṅkhyeyyakappa.

Āyukappa

Āyukappa means a period which is reckoned in accordance with the span of Life (Āyu) of that period. If the life-span is one hundred, a century is an Āyukappa; if it is one thousand, a millennium is an Āyukappa.

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When the Buddha said, "Ānanda, I have developed the four Iddhipādas (bases of psychic power). If I so desire I can live either a whole Kappa or a little more than a Kappa," the Kappa therein should be taken as an Āyukappa, which is the duration of life of people living in that period. It is explained in the Aṭṭhaka Nipāta of the Aṅguttara Commentary that the Buddha made such a declaration meaning to say that he could live one hundred years on a little more if he so desired.

Mahāsiva Thera, however, says, "the Āyukappa here is to be taken as the Mahākappa called Bhaddaka." (He says so because he holds that the Kamma that causes rebirth in the final existence of a Buddha has the power of prolonging his life-span for incalculable years and because it is mentioned in the Pāḷi Texts that Āyupālaka-phalasamāpatti, the Fruition-attainment that conditions and controls the Life-sustaining mental process called Āyusaṅkhāra, can ward off all its dangers.) But the Thera's view is not accepted by commentators.

The Saṅghabhedakakkhandhaka of the Vinaya Cūḷavagga states; "He who causes a schism of the Saṅgha is reborn in Niraya, realms of continuous suffering, and suffers there for a whole Kappa." "That Kappa is the life-span of Avīci, the lowest realm of continuous suffering", explains the Commentary. The life-span of Avīci inmates is equal to one eightieth of a Mahākappa according to the Terasakaṇḍa-Ṭīkā, a voluminous Sub-Commentary on the Vinaya. In the same work it is particularly mentioned that one eightieth of that duration should be reckoned as an Antarakappa (of Avīci inmates). It therefore follows that one Mahākappa is made up of 80 Antarakappas according to the reckoning of Avīci inmates.

It may be clarified that as mentioned above one Mahākappa has four Asaṅkhyeyyakappas, and one Asaṅkhyeyyakappa has 84 Antarakappas. Therefore one Mahākappa is equivalent to 256 Antarakappas by human calculations.

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If 256 is divided by 80, the remainder is 3 1/5. Therefore 3 1/5 Antarakappas of human beings make one Antarakappa of Avīci inmates. (In Avīci there is no evolving and dissolving kappas as in the human world. Since it is the place that knows suffering at all times, the end of each dissolving Kappa is not marked with the three periods of misfortune. One eightieth of a Mahākappa which is the life-span of Avīci inmates is their Antarakappa. Therefore by one Antarakappa of Avīci is meant 3 l/5 Antarakappas of human beings.)

In this way, it may be assumed that one Asaṅkhyeyyakappa is equal to 64 Antarakappas of human beings and 20 Antarakappas of Avīci inmates. Therefore when some Pāḷi texts (such as the Visuddhimagga Mahāṭīkā, the Abhidhammattha-vibhāvanī Ṭīkā, etc.) say that one Asaṅkhyeyyakappa contains either 64 or 20 Antarakappas, the figures do not contradict each other. The difference between the numbers (64 and 20) lies only in the manner of calculation. It should be noted that the two are of the same length of time.

A particularly noteworthy thing is a statement in the Sammohavinodanī, the Commentary on the Abhidhamma Vibhaṅga. In the exposition of Ñāṇa-vibhaṅga, it is said: "Only Saṅghabhedaka-kamma (the Act of Causing Schism in the Saṅgha) results in suffering a whole Kappa. Should a man owing to his such act be reborn in Avīci at the beginning or in the middle of the Kappa, he would gain release only when the Kappa dissolves. If he were reborn in that realm of suffering today and if the Kappa dissolves tomorrow, he should then suffer just one day and would be free tomorrow. (But) there is no such possibility."

On account of this statement there are some who opine that "The Saṅghabhedaka-kamma leads to Niraya for the whole aeon (in the sense of Mahākappa); he who commits this Kamma gains freedom only when the Kappa dissolves. As a matter of fact, the expression Kappaṭṭhitiyo (Lasting for the Whole Kappa) is explained in the Vibhaṅga Commentary only in a general manner; it does not [pg11] emphatically mention the word Mahākappaṭṭhitiyo (lasting for the whole Mahākappa). The expression Kappaṭṭhitiyo is based on a verse in the Vinaya Cūḷavagga which reads to the effect that "having destroyed the unity of the Saṅgha, one suffers in Niraya for the whole Kappa." Therefore the Kappa here should be taken only as Āyukappa but not Mahākappa. In the 13th chapter of the Kathāvatthu Commentary, it is said in dealing with Kappa that the verse has been composed with reference to Āyukappa (of Avīci inmates) which is only one eightieth of Mahākappa.

Divisions of Mahākappa

Mahākappa is divided into two classes: (1) Suññakappa or Empty Aeon and (2) Asuññakappa or Non-empty Aeon.

Of these two, the aeon in which Buddhas do not appear is Suññakappa or Empty Aeon; it means the aeon which is void of a Buddha.

The aeon in which Buddhas appear is Asuññakappa or Non-empty aeon; it means the aeon which is not void of a Buddha.

Though Buddhas do not appear in an Empty Aeon, that there can be appearance of Private Buddhas and Universal Monarchs, may be inferred from the Upāli Thera Sutta in the first Vagga of the Apadāna.

In the Upāli Thera Sutta and its Commentary, it is said two aeons prior to this one, Prince Khattiya, son of king Añjasa, on his departure from a park committed an offence against Pacceka Buddha Devala, No text mentions the appearance of a Buddha in that aeon. In the Commentary on the Bhaddaji Thera Sutta of the Apadāna, too, it is stated that the Thera had given alms-food to five hundred Pacceka Buddhas in a Suññakappa. It is clear from these texts that Pacceka Buddhas appear in Suññakappa. Again the Kusumāsaniya Thera Sutta of the Apadāna, mentions that "Future Kusumāsaniya was reborn as [pg12] Universal Monarch Varadassī Varadassana in the aeon that immediately followed". The Tiṇasanthara Thera Sutta of the same work also says that "Future Tiṇasanthara Thera was reborn as Universal Monarch Migasammata in the second aeon prior to the present one," suggesting that there is the possibility of the appearance of Universal Monarchs in any empty aeon.

The Non-Empty Aeon in which Buddhas appear is divided into five classes: (a) Sārakappa, (b) Maṇḍakappa, (c) Varakappa, (d) Sāramaṇḍakappa, and (e) Bhaddakappa. Of these (a) The aeon in which a single Buddha appears is known as Sārakappa, (b) The aeon in which two Buddhas appear is known as Maṇḍakappa, (c) The aeon in which three Buddhas appear is known as Varakappa, (d) The aeon in which four Buddhas appear is known as Sāramaṇḍakappa, and (e) The aeon in which five Buddhas appear is known as Bhaddakappa.

The aeon that witnessed the existence of Sumedha as mentioned in the Chapter on Sumedha the Brahmin is Sāramaṇḍakappa because there appeared four Buddhas in that aeon. The city of Amaravatī came into existence after the appearance of the three Buddhas, namely, Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, and Saraṇaṅkara and before the appearance of Dīpaṅkara.

The name Amaravatī

(p.35)

Amara means "God" (immortal being) and Vatī means "possession"; hence the great city which gods possess.

It is stated in the Bhesajjakkhandhaka of the Vinaya Mahāvagga and other places that as soon as the Brahmins Sunidha and Vassakāra planned to found the city of [pg13] Pāṭaliputta gods came first and distributed among themselves plots of land. Those plots of land occupied by gods of great power became residences of princes, ministers and wealthy persons of high rank; those plots of land occupied by gods of medium power became residences of people of medium rank; and those plots of land occupied by gods of little power became residences of people of low rank.

From this statement it may be supposed that gods came in hosts to take up residences for themselves and occupied them where a great royal city was to be established. Amaravatī was so named to denote the presence of gods who marked out their own locations in the city and protected them for their habitation.

The Pāḷi word Vatī signifies possession in abundance. In this world those who have just a little wealth are not called wealthy men but those who possess wealth much more than others are called so. Therefore the name Amaravatī indicates that, as it was a great royal residential city, it was occupied and protected by a large number of highly powerful gods.

Ten sounds

(p.35)

The Buddhavaṁsa enumerates only six sounds, not all ten. The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta of the Mahāvagga of the Dīgha Nikāya and the Buddhavaṁsa Commentary enumerate all ten. (This is followed by a comprehensive and critical survey of the ten sounds, Dasasadda which come differently in different texts, namely, the Buddhavaṁsa, the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta of the Dīgha Nikāya, Buddhavaṁsa Commentary, the Myanmar and Sri Lankan versions of the Jātaka Commentary, and the Mūla-Ṭīkā, for the benefit of Pāḷi scholars. We have left them out from our translation.)