Dighanikaya 11: 11. Kevaṭṭasuttavaṇṇanā

Explanation of the Story of the Householder’s Son Kevaṭṭa

‘Thus have I heard… at Nāḷandā’ is the Kevaṭṭasutta. Therein, this is the explanation of unfamiliar words. ‘In Pāvārika’s mango grove’: in the mango grove belonging to Pāvārika. ‘Kevaṭṭa’: this is the name of that householder’s son. He, it is said, was a wealthy householder worth forty crores, and was exceedingly devoted and confident. Purely on account of his abundance of faith, he thought: ‘If a single monk were to soar into the air at an interval of half a month, a month, or a year and display various miracles, all the people would become exceedingly inspired. What if I were to entreat the Blessed One and have him permit one monk to perform miracles?’ Thinking thus, he approached the Blessed One and spoke in this way.

Herein, 'prosperous' (iddhā) means accomplished; 'flourishing' (phītā) means grown through an abundance of diverse commodities. 'Thronged with people' (ākiṇṇamanussā) means crowded with people moving about as if striking shoulder against shoulder. 'May he instruct' (samādisatu) means let him command, let him place [them] in that position. 'Superhuman states' (uttarimanussadhammā) means beyond the state of human beings, or beyond human states consisting of the ten wholesome [courses of action]. 'All the more' (bhiyyosomattāya) means [they] will be exceedingly confident in excess, like a lamp already naturally blazing that receives an offering of oil. 'I do not' (na kho ahaṃ): the Blessed One laid down a training rule in connection with the story of the merchant of Rājagaha; therefore, he said 'I do not', and so forth.

'I do not destroy' (na dhaṃsemi): 'I do not destroy by the ruin of good qualities; I do not, having caused a breach of morality, place [them] in a low position by gradually bringing them down from a high position; rather, I speak looking forward to the growth of the Buddha's dispensation'—this is what he shows. 'Even a third time' (tatiyampi kho): there is truly no one able to speak having turned back a statement of the Buddhas up to three times. But this one was an intimate of the Blessed One; having increased intimacy and become a favorite, thinking 'I desire what is beneficial,' he spoke three times.

Commentary on the Miracle of Psychic Power

Then the Blessed One [thought]: 'Even when I turn [him] back, this lay follower repeatedly begs indeed. Come now, I will show him the danger in performing miracles'; having thought thus, he said 'There are three', and so forth. Herein, 'that bhikkhu to me' (amāhaṃ bhikkhuṃ) means that bhikkhu to me (amuṃ ahaṃ bhikkhuṃ). 'Gandhārī': a spell made by a seer named Gandhāra, or arisen in the Gandhāra country. For many seers lived there, it is said; the meaning is that it is a spell made by one of them. 'I am troubled' (aṭṭīyāmi) means I become as if afflicted and oppressed. 'I am ashamed' (harāyāmi) means I am embarrassed. 'I am disgusted' (jigucchāmi) means I give rise to disgust as if having seen excrement.

Commentary on the Miracle of Mind-Reading

'Of other beings' (parasattānaṃ) means of other sentient beings. The second [term] is a synonym for that itself. 'Points out' (ādisati) means speaks. 'Mental' (cetasikaṃ): joy and grief are intended. 'Thus too is your mind' (evampi te mano) means thus your mind is accompanied by joy, or accompanied by grief, or conjoined with thoughts of sensual desire and the like. The second [term] is a synonym for that itself. 'So too is your thought' (itipi te cittaṃ): so your thought occurs thinking of this and that matter—this is the meaning. 'The spell named Maṇikā' (maṇikā nāma vijjā): there is a spell in the world having acquired the name 'Cintāmaṇī'. He explains that by that one knows the mind of others.

Commentary on the Miracle of Instruction

'Think thus' (evaṃ vitakketha) means think setting in motion in this way thoughts of renunciation and the like. 'Do not think thus' (mā evaṃ vitakkayittha) means do not think setting in motion in this way thoughts of sensual desire and the like. 'Bring to mind thus' (evaṃ manasi karotha) means bring to mind in this way the perception of impermanence itself, or one of [the perceptions] such as the perception of suffering. 'Not thus' (mā evaṃ) means do not bring to mind in the manner of 'permanent', and so forth. 'This' (idaṃ): abandon this desire based on the five cords of sensual pleasure. 'Having entered upon this' (idaṃ upasampajja): having entered upon—having reached, having accomplished—this very supramundane state consisting of the divisions of the four paths and fruits, dwell. Thus the Blessed One shows that the variety of psychic power is the miracle of psychic power; speaking after knowing the mind of another is the miracle of mind-reading; and the continual teaching of the Dhamma by disciples and Buddhas is the miracle of instruction.

Therein, the miracle of instruction by means of the miracle of psychic power was customary for Mahāmoggallāna; the miracle of instruction by means of the miracle of mind-reading was customary for the General of the Dhamma. For when Devadatta, having split the Saṅgha and taken five hundred bhikkhus, was teaching the Dhamma to them with the deportment of a Buddha at Gayāsīsa, the General of the Dhamma, when the two chief disciples were sent by the Blessed One, taught the Dhamma having known their mental conduct; having heard the elder's Dhamma teaching, the five hundred bhikkhus became established in the fruit of stream-entry. Then Mahāmoggallāna, having repeatedly shown transformations, taught the Dhamma to them; having heard that, all became established in the fruit of arahantship. Then both great heroes, having taken the five hundred bhikkhus and soared up into the sky, returned right to the Veḷuvana. The miracle of instruction, however, is the continual teaching of the Dhamma of the Buddhas. Among them, the miracle of psychic power and the miracle of mind-reading are subject to reproach, faulty, do not endure for a long time, and because of not enduring for a long time they do not lead out [from saṃsāra]. The miracle of instruction is free from reproach, faultless, endures for a long time, and because of enduring for a long time it leads out [from saṃsāra]. Therefore, the Blessed One censures the miracle of psychic power and the miracle of mind-reading, and praises only the miracle of instruction.

Commentary on the Story of the Inquirer into the Cessation of Elements

'Formerly' (bhūtapubbaṃ): why was this begun by the Blessed One? In order to show the non-emancipating nature of the miracle of psychic power and the miracle of mind-reading, and to show the emancipating nature of the miracle of instruction alone. Furthermore, for all Buddhas there is indeed a certain bhikkhu called a seeker of the great elements who, searching for the great elements and wandering as far as the Brahmā realm, not having found one who could answer, comes and asks only the Buddha and becomes free from doubt. Therefore, to proclaim the greatness of the Buddhas, and because this matter was concealed, then the Blessed One, while teaching having revealed it, said 'Formerly', and so forth.

Therein, 'where now' (kattha nu kho): in what place, based upon what, for one who has attained what, do they cease without remainder by way of non-occurrence? This discussion on the great elements, however, has been stated in every way in the Path of Purification; therefore, it should be taken from there itself.

"The path to the gods": there is no distinct road for going to the world of the gods; rather, this is a designation for the knowledge of the modes of psychic power. For through it, exercising mastery with the body, he goes to the world of the gods even as far as the Brahmā world. Therefore it is said, "that path leading to the gods." "Where the [gods of the heaven of the] Four Great Kings were": without asking even the Blessed One who was standing near, impelled by nature, he approached, imagining: "The deities are of great supernatural power." "We too, bhikkhu, do not know": when asked a question belonging to the range of a Buddha, the deities do not know; that is why they spoke thus. Then that bhikkhu overpowered those deities, saying: "You cannot fail to answer this question of mine; answer quickly!" and asked again and again. They, thinking: "This bhikkhu is overpowering us; come, let us free ourselves from his hands," spoke beginning with: "There are, bhikkhu, the Four Great Kings." Therein, "more sublime": having surpassed [them], more attractive. "More exalted": superior in complexion, glory, authority, and so forth. In this manner the meaning should be understood in all sections.

This, however, is the distinction here: Sakka, king of the gods, thought, it is said: "This question is within the range of a Buddha; it cannot be resolved by anyone else. And this bhikkhu, like one blowing on a firefly having abandoned fire, or like one beating his belly having abandoned a drum, wanders about asking deities, having abandoned the fully awakened Buddha, the supreme person in the world. I will send him to the presence of the Teacher." Then he thought again: "Even if he goes very far, only in the presence of the Teacher will he become free from doubt. This person is indeed stubborn; let him become tired by wandering about for a while, and later he will understand." Then he spoke to him beginning with: "I too, indeed…" "The vehicle of Brahmā" is just like "the vehicle of the gods". "The path leading to the gods", or "the path leading to Brahmā", or "the bridge of the Dhamma", or "absorption of a single mind-moment", or "conclusive volition", or "exalted mind", or "knowledge of direct knowledge"—all this is merely a name for the knowledge of the modes of psychic power.

"A portent": a portent in the prior stage of arrival, like the rising of the dawn before the sunrise. Therefore they explained: "Now Brahmā will come; thus we know." "Became manifest": became visible. Then that Brahmā, questioned by that bhikkhu, knew that it was not his domain, and thought: "If I say 'I do not know,' these will despise me. On the other hand, if I say anything as if knowing, this bhikkhu, unsatisfied with the explanation, will refute me with an argument. Furthermore, when I say 'Bhikkhu, I am Brahmā' and so on, no one will believe my words. What if I make an evasion and send this bhikkhu right to the presence of the Teacher?" Thinking thus, he spoke beginning with: "Bhikkhu, I am Brahmā."

"Taking aside to one side": why did he do this? Out of deceitfulness. "External search": like one seeking oil pressing sand, he falls into an external search as far as the Brahmā world.

"A bird": a crow or a hawk. "That question, monk, should not be asked in this way": since this question ought to be asked with specification, but this monk, including even what is unappropriated [matter], asks it without specification, the Blessed One therefore forbids [it]. For this is customary for the Buddhas: to show the fault in the question of a person confused in questioning, to train [them] in the question, and then to answer the question. Why? Asking without knowing how to ask, one is difficult to instruct. Training [him] in the question, however, he spoke [the words] beginning with "Where do water and".

Therein, "finds no footing": does not become established; the meaning is: depending on what do these four great essentials become unestablished? He asks referring solely to what is appropriated. "Long and short": derived form is spoken of by way of shape. "Small and gross": minute or large; by this too merely color among derived form is spoken of. "Fair and foul": derived form is spoken of indeed as fair and foul. But is there derived form that is [inherently] fair or foul? There is not. Yet an agreeable or disagreeable sense object is spoken of. "Name and form": name, and form differentiated as long and so forth. "Ceases": is stopped; depending on what does this completely not proceed?

"Thus it should be asked": having shown the question, now showing the answer, having stated, "there the explanation is this," he spoke [the verse] beginning with "consciousness".

Therein, "consciousness" means that which is to be known: this is a designation for Nibbāna; and that, because of the absence of manifestation, is unmanifested. Because there is no end of arising, end of decay, or end of alteration of what is persisting for it, it is "endless." Furthermore, "pabha" is indeed said to be a name for a ford, for they drink here (papanti ettha), thus it is a drinking-place (papa); but the letter pa is made into bha. "That which has a ford everywhere" is sabbatopabha. For Nibbāna, just like the great ocean, from wherever they wish to descend, that very place is a ford, there is no such thing as a non-ford. Even so, among the thirty-eight meditation subjects, by whatever entrance they wish to descend into Nibbāna, that very entrance is a ford; for Nibbāna there is no such thing as a non-ford. Therefore it was said: "sabbatopabhaṃ". "Here water and": here in Nibbāna, depending on this Nibbāna, all this appropriated phenomenon spoken of in the manner beginning with "water" ceases, becomes non-proceeding.

Now, showing the means of its ceasing, he said: "with the cessation of consciousness, here this ceases." Therein, "consciousness": both the terminal consciousness and the karma-formative consciousness; for with the cessation of the terminal consciousness, here this ceases. Like the flame of an extinguished lamp, it goes to the state of conceptlessness. With the cessation by non-arising of the karma-formative consciousness too, it ceases by way of non-arising. As is said: "with the cessation of karma-formative consciousness through the knowledge of the path of stream-entry, except for seven existences, whatever name and form would arise in the beginningless saṃsāra, here these cease"; all should be understood in the manner stated in the Cūḷaniddesa. The rest is clear everywhere.

Thus in the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, the commentary on the Dīghanikāya,

The explanation of the Kevaṭṭa Sutta is finished.