Dighanikaya 19: 6. Mahāgovindasuttavaṇṇanā

"Thus have I heard" introduces the Mahāgovindasutta. Therein, this is the commentary on the terms not self-evident: "Pañcasikha" (pañcasikho) means having five crests of hair, having five coils of hair. It is said that while performing meritorious actions in the human realm, when he was young, in the time of being a boy with five crests of hair, he became the leader of cowherd boys. Gathering other boys as well, he walked about outside the village at crossroads, building a rest house, digging a lotus pond, constructing a bridge, making rough paths smooth, removing trees that struck the axles of wagons, performing meritorious deeds of such kinds; and while still young, he passed away. That state of existence of his was agreeable, lovely, and pleasing. Having passed away, he was reborn in the realm of the four great kings with a lifespan of ninety-hundred-thousand years. His bodily frame was three gāvutas in extent, like a block of gold. Adorning himself with as many as a thousand cartloads of ornaments, anointing himself with perfumes equivalent to nine jars, wearing heavenly crimson garments, fastening an ear-ornament of red gold, he goes about with five curls dangling down his back, in the very manner of a youth with five crests of hair. Therefore, they recognize him simply as 'Pañcasikha'.

"As the night was advancing" (abhikkantāya rattiyā) means as the night was passing, as one part had elapsed, is the meaning. "Of transcendent beauty" (abhikkantavaṇṇo) means of extremely desirable, pleasing, and charming complexion. For by nature too his complexion was charming, but having arrived having adorned himself, he was of transcendent beauty. "Entirely" (kevalakappaṃ) means completely, all around. The word 'kevala' here has the meaning of 'without remainder', as in the phrase 'entirely fulfilled' (kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ). The word 'kappa' has the meaning of 'all around', as in phrases such as 'the entire (kevalakappaṃ) Jeta Grove'. "Having illuminated" (obhāsetvā) means having pervaded with radiance, having made it one illumination, one brilliance, like the moon and like the sun, is the meaning.

Explanation of the Assembly of the Devas

"In the Sudhammā Hall" (sudhammāyaṃ sabhāyaṃ) means in the hall produced as the result of a jewel-sized karṇikāra tree by the woman named Sudhammā. Its floor, it is said, was made of crystal, its bolts made of gems, its pillars made of gold, its capitals and roof-beams made of silver, its gargoyles of coral, its rafters, brackets, and fascias made of the seven jewels, its roof covered with tiles of sapphire, its roof-terrace made of gold, its pinnacle made of silver; it was three hundred yojanas in length and breadth, nine hundred yojanas in circumference, five hundred yojanas in height—in such a hall, the Sudhammā Hall.

In the phrases beginning with "Dhataraṭṭha": Dhataraṭṭha, the king of the gandhabbas, surrounded by a hundred thousand crores of gandhabba deities, having caused a hundred thousand crores of golden shields and golden spears to be taken up, seated in the eastern direction facing west, having placed the devas in the two deva realms in front.

Virūḷhaka, the king of the kumbhaṇḍas, surrounded by a hundred thousand crores of kumbhaṇḍa deities, having caused a hundred thousand crores of silver shields and golden spears to be taken up, seated in the southern direction facing north, having placed the devas in the two deva realms in front.

Virūpakkha, the king of the nāgas, surrounded by a hundred thousand crores of nāgas, having caused a hundred thousand crores of great shields made of gems and golden spears to be taken up, seated in the western direction facing east, having placed the devas in the two deva realms in front.

It should be understood that Vessavaṇa, the yakkha king, surrounded by a hundred thousand crores of yakkhas, having had large coral-made shields and golden spears seized by the hundred thousand crores, sat in the northern direction facing south, having placed the devatās in front in the two deva realms.

Regarding "Then our seat is at the rear," the opportunity to sit falls to us behind them. Beyond that, we get neither to enter nor to see. But the reason for the assembly here is precisely of the four kinds previously mentioned. Among them, the gathering for entering the rains has been detailed. Just as on the day of entering the rains, so too on the full moon day of the Great Pavāraṇā, having assembled, they consult: "Having gone where, in whose presence shall we hold the Pavāraṇā today?" There, Sakka, king of the devas, usually holds the Pavāraṇā at the Piyaṅgudīpa Mahāvihāra alone. The remaining devatās, taking heavenly flowers such as the pāricchattaka and heavenly sandalwood powder, go to their own pleasing places and hold the Pavāraṇā. Thus they assemble for the purpose of the gathering for the Pavāraṇā.

In the deva world, however, there is a creeper called Āsāvatī. Thinking, "It will flower," the devas attend on it for a thousand years. When the Pāricchattaka is flowering, they attend on it for one year. Starting from its stage of yellow leaves and so forth, they are overjoyed. As he said:

“At the time, mendicants, when the Pāricchattaka Koviḷāra of the Tāvatiṃsa devas has yellow leaves, at that time the Tāvatiṃsa devas are overjoyed: ‘Now the Pāricchattaka Koviḷāra has yellow leaves; before long it will shed its leaves.’ At the time, mendicants, when the Pāricchattaka Koviḷāra of the Tāvatiṃsa devas has shed its leaves, it develops shoots, it develops buds, it develops swellings, it develops blossoms. At that time the Tāvatiṃsa devas are overjoyed: ‘Now the Pāricchattaka Koviḷāra has developed blossoms; before long it will be in full bloom.’

For fifty leagues all around, mendicants, radiance spreads from the fully blooming Pāricchattaka Koviḷāra; its fragrance travels one hundred leagues with the wind. Such is the majesty of the Pāricchattaka Koviḷāra.”

When the Pāricchattaka has blossomed, there is no work of climbing, nor work of bending [branches] with a hook, nor work of using a basket to bring flowers. A cutting wind arises and cuts the flowers from their stems; a catching wind catches them; a bringing wind brings them into the Sudhammā council hall; a sweeping wind sweeps out the old flowers; a spreading wind, dancing, spreads the petals, pericarps, and filaments. In the middle place is the Dhamma seat: a jeweled throne one league in size, held above by a white parasol of three leagues. Immediately next to it, the seat of Sakka, king of the devas, is prepared; next to that, for the thirty-three devaputtas; next, for other devatās of great authority. But for ordinary devatās, the flower pericarps themselves are their seats.

The devas enter the deva council and sit down. Then a swirl of pollen rises from the flowers, strikes the pinnacle above, and falls down, making the bodies of the devatās, three gāvutas in size, appear as though treated with lac dye. That festival of theirs concludes after four months. Thus they assemble for the purpose of enjoying the Pāricchattaka festival.

On the eighth day of the month, however, the great hearing of the Dhamma is proclaimed in the deva world. There, in the Sudhammā deva council hall, either Sanaṅkumāra Mahābrahmā, or Sakka, king of the devas, or a monk who is a Dhamma preacher, or another devaputta who is a Dhamma preacher speaks a Dhamma talk. On the eighth of the fortnight, the ministers of the four great kings; on the fourteenth, their sons; and on the fifteenth, the four great kings themselves set forth taking a golden plate and real cinnabar, and roam through the villages, market towns, and royal capitals. Having written on the golden plate with real cinnabar: “Such-and-such woman or man has gone to the Buddha for refuge, gone to the Dhamma for refuge, gone to the Saṅgha for refuge; observes the five precepts; observes the eight-factored Uposatha each month; fulfills attendance on mother; fulfills attendance on father; in such-and-such place made an offering with a hundred lotus handfuls and a pot of flowers; erected a thousand lamps; arranged a hearing of the Dhamma at an off-season time; constructed a railing with an umbrella, an enfolded railing, a bulging railing, a lion throne, and a lion staircase; fulfills the three good conducts; undertakes and conducts themselves in the ten wholesome courses of action,” they bring it and place it into the hands of Pañcasikha. Pañcasikha places it into the hands of Mātali. Mātali the charioteer gives it to Sakka, king of the devas.

When those performing meritorious deeds are not many, the book is small. As soon as they see it, the devas become displeased: "Alas, sirs, the multitude lives negligent! The four states of deprivation will be filled, and the six deva worlds will be empty." But if the book is large, as soon as they see it, the devas are overjoyed: "Alas, sirs, the multitude lives diligent! The four states of deprivation will be empty, and the six deva worlds will be filled; having placed ahead the greatly meritorious who have arrived after making merits in the Buddha's Dispensation, we shall obtain [the chance] to celebrate the festival!" Taking that book, Sakka, king of the devas, reads it aloud. When he speaks in his natural manner, the sound covers twelve leagues. And when he speaks with a raised voice, it stands covering the entire celestial city of ten thousand leagues. Thus they assemble for the purpose of hearing the Dhamma. But here, they should be understood as having assembled for the purpose of the gathering for the Pavāraṇā.

“Venerating the Tathāgata” means venerating the Tathāgata for nine reasons. “And the Dhamma's excellence”: the meaning is the excellence of the Dhamma, divided into being well-proclaimed and so forth, and the Saṅgha's proper conduct, divided into practicing rightly and so forth.

Explanation of the Eight Factual Statements

"In accordance with truth" (yathābhucca) means in accordance with what is real, in accordance with actual nature. "In praise" (vaṇṇa) means in terms of qualities. "Uttered" (payirudāhāsi) means spoke. "Practicing for the welfare of the many" (bahujanahitāya paṭipanno): how is he practicing? Even when combining the eight qualities at the feet of Dīpaṅkara and making the aspiration for Buddhahood, he is truly "practicing for the welfare of the many."

Even when fulfilling these ten perfections—the perfection of giving, the perfection of virtue, the perfection of renunciation, the perfection of wisdom, the perfection of energy, the perfection of patience, the perfection of truthfulness, the perfection of determination, the perfection of loving-kindness, and the perfection of equanimity—over four incalculable periods and one hundred thousand aeons, he was "practicing for the welfare of the many."

Even when performing such difficult deeds at the time of being the ascetic Khantivādin, at the time of Prince Cūḷadhammapāla, at the time of the Nāga King Chaddanta, at the times of the Nāga Kings Bhūridatta, Campeyya, and Saṅkhapāla, and at the time of the Great Monkey, he was "practicing for the welfare of the many." Even when standing in the existence as Vessantara, giving the great gift of seven hundreds, causing the earth to tremble in seven places, and reaching the pinnacle of the perfections, he was "practicing for the welfare of the many." Even when remaining for the full span of life in the Tusita city in the existence immediately following that, he was "practicing for the welfare of the many."

Having seen the five omens there, requested by the deities of ten thousand world systems, having made the five great surveys, having given his promise for the sake of helping the devas, and passing away from the Tusita city, even when taking rebirth in the mother's womb, he was "practicing for the welfare of the many."

Even when dwelling in the mother's womb for ten months and emerging from the mother's womb in the Lumbinī grove; when dwelling in the household life for twenty-nine years, going forth in the Great Renunciation, and going forth [into homelessness] on the bank of the Anomā River; when mortifying himself with striving for six years, ascending the seat of awakening, and penetrating the knowledge of omniscience; when spending the seven weeks at the foot of the Bodhi tree; when arriving at Isipatana and setting in motion the supreme Wheel of the Dhamma; when performing the Twin Miracle; when descending [at the event of] the descent from the deva world; when remaining for forty-five years as a Buddha; when relinquishing the life formation; and when attaining final passing into the element of Nibbāna without remainder between the twin sāla trees, he was "practicing for the welfare of the many." As long as his relics, even the size of a mustard seed, endure, he is to be understood as "practicing for the welfare of the many." The remaining terms are synonyms for this very same thing. In that sequence, each subsequent word explains each preceding one.

"We do not see in the past, nor now": this means that even in the past we do not see anyone other than a Buddha, nor do we see anyone in the future, and now, precisely because there is no other Teacher, we do not see anyone apart from that Blessed One—this is the meaning here. For in the commentary it is said: having examined, "Past and future Buddhas are just like our Teacher, so what does Sakka mean?", it was stated, "Now, there is no other teacher at all practicing for the welfare of the many except our Teacher; therefore, he says, 'we do not see.'" And as here, so this meaning should be understood in the subsequent passages as well. And "well-proclaimed," etc., and "wholesome," etc., have the meanings already explained.

"Ganges water with Yamunā water" (gaṅgodakaṃ yamunodakena): at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamunā, the water unites and merges in color, in smell, and in taste; it is just uniform like molten gold in the middle, not disparate like when mixed with the water of the great ocean. The practice leading to the completely pure Nibbāna is also completely pure. For one cannot see Nibbāna in old age after performing medical work and the like in youth and frequenting improper resorts; rather, the practice leading to Nibbāna ought to be completely pure, like space. For just as space is unattached, pure, like the moon and sun traveling wherever they wish in space, so too the practice of a bhikkhu going to Nibbāna ought to be unattached and unbound to family or to group, like space. And that very [practice] was laid down, spoken, and taught by the Blessed One. Therefore it is said: "Nibbāna and the practice [leading to it] merge together."

"For those who are practicing" (paṭipannānaṃ): for those established in the practice. "For those who have lived [the holy life]" (vusitavataṃ): for those who have completed the dwelling. "He has found a companion" (laddhasahāyo): a companion for them, because of going together with them here and there. But the statement, "Unaccompanied, without a companion, peerless," was spoken in the sense of being without equal. "Dispelling" (apanujja): even in their midst, dwelling in the attainment of fruition, dispelling with his mind, having dispelled [distractions], he dwells devoted to delight in solitude—this is the meaning.

"Gain has accrued to that Blessed One" (abhinipphanno kho pana tassa bhagavato lābho): great gain arose for that Blessed One. Arising starting from when? Having attained supreme awakening, having passed the seven weeks, having set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma at Isipatana, gradually taming devas and humans, having ordained the three matted-hair ascetics, and gone to Rājagaha, it arose starting from the taming of Bimbisāra. In reference to which it was said: "At that time, indeed, the Blessed One was honored, respected, revered, worshipped, venerated, a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick" (Saṃ. Ni. 2.70). Gain and honor, born of the overflowing outflow of merit across four incalculable periods and one hundred thousand aeons, comes flooding over him like a great flood.

On one occasion, it is said, in Rājagaha, Sāvatthī, Sāketa, Kosambī, and Bārāṇasī, regular turn-by-turn almsgiving for the Blessed One arose. There, one person wrote on a leaf, ‘I will give a gift by spending a hundred [coins],’ and tied it to the monastery gate. Another [wrote], ‘I, two hundred.’ Another, ‘I, five hundred.’ Another, ‘I, a thousand.’ Another, ‘I, two thousand.’ Another, ‘I, five [thousand]. Ten [thousand]. Twenty [thousand]. Fifty [thousand].’ Another wrote, ‘I, a hundred thousand.’ Another, ‘I will give a gift by spending two hundred thousand,’ and tied it to the monastery gate. Even when he was wandering through the countryside, whenever the populace found an opportunity, thinking, ‘I will give a gift,’ they filled carts and followed right behind him. As it is said: ‘At that time, country folk, having loaded many carts with salt, oil, rice, and solid foods, followed right behind the Blessed One, thinking: “Wherever we get a turn, there we will provide a meal”’ (Mahāvagga 282). In this way, many other cases in the Khandhaka and the Vinaya are to be understood.

Moreover, at the Incomparable Almsgiving this gain reached its peak. On one occasion, it is said, when the Blessed One had returned to Jetavana after wandering through the countryside, the king invited him and gave a gift. On the second day, the citizens gave. Then the king gave more than their gift; the citizens more than his gift. When many days had passed in this manner, the king thought: ‘Day by day these citizens are surpassing me. There will be reproach, saying: “The king, the lord of the earth, was defeated in giving by the citizens!”’ Then Mallikā pointed out a scheme to him. In the royal courtyard he had a pavilion constructed of heartwood timber planks, had it thatched with blue water lilies, arranged five hundred seats, placed five hundred elephants behind the seats, and made each elephant hold a white parasol over each bhikkhu. Between every two seats, a royal maiden, adorned with all ornaments, ground fourfold perfume. As each [batch] was finished, she placed it in a perfume trough in the central area; another royal maiden turned it about with a bunch of blue water lilies. In this way, each bhikkhu had an entourage of three royal maidens. Another woman adorned with all ornaments took a palm-leaf fan and fanned him; another took a water strainer and strained water; another removed water from the bowl. For the Blessed One there were four priceless items: a footstool, a stand, a reclining board, and a gem on the base of the parasol—these four were priceless. The offering given to the most junior bhikkhu in the Saṅgha was worth a hundred thousand. And at that almsgiving, the Elder Aṅgulimāla was the most junior bhikkhu in the Saṅgha. An elephant brought near his seat was unable to approach him. Then they reported it to the king. The king asked: ‘Is there no other elephant?’ ‘There is a fierce elephant, but it is impossible to bring him.’ The fully awakened Buddha asked: ‘Great king, who is the most junior bhikkhu in the Saṅgha?’ ‘The Elder Aṅgulimāla, Blessed One.’ ‘Then, great king, let them bring that fierce elephant and station him there.’ Having adorned the elephant, they brought him. Through the elder’s majestic power, [the elephant] was unable to make even the slightest breath through his nostrils. In this way, alms were given continuously for seven days. On the seventh day, the king venerated the Possessor of the Ten Powers and said: ‘Blessed One, teach me the Dhamma.’

Now, in that assembly there were two ministers named Kāḷa and Juṇha. Kāḷa thought: 'The wealth of the royal family is being ruined! What will these people do? Having eaten and gone to the monastery, they will just sleep! If one of the king's servants had received this, what would he not have accomplished? Ah, the property of the king is being ruined!' Juṇha thought: 'Great indeed is this kingship! Who else would be able to do this? What kind of king is he who, even established in kingship, cannot give such a gift?' The Blessed One, looking at the disposition of the assembly and knowing the disposition of those two, thought: 'If today I deliver a Dhamma talk in accordance with Juṇha's disposition, Kāḷa's head will split into seven pieces. Now, out of compassion for beings, the perfections were fulfilled by me. On another day as well, when I am preaching the Dhamma, Juṇha will penetrate the path and fruit; but now I will look to Kāḷa.' So he spoke only a four-line verse to the king:

'Miserly persons certainly do not go to the world of the gods;
Fools indeed do not praise giving;
And the wise person, rejoicing in giving,
Thereby becomes happy in the hereafter.'

The king became displeased, thinking: ‘A great gift was given by me, yet the Teacher spoke to me only briefly of the Dhamma. I could not, I think, win the heart of the Possessor of the Ten Powers.’ Having eaten his morning meal, he went to the monastery, venerated the Blessed One, and asked: ‘Venerable sir, a great gift was given by me, yet no great thanksgiving was made for me. What, venerable sir, was my fault?’ ‘There was no fault of yours, great king. But the assembly was not pure; therefore I did not teach the Dhamma.’ ‘Why, then, Blessed One, was the assembly not pure?’ The Teacher revealed the reflections of the two ministers. The king questioned Kāḷa: ‘Is it so, dear Kāḷa?’ ‘It is so, great king.’ ‘When I am giving what belongs to me, what part of you hurts? I cannot look at you; banish him from my realm!’ he said. Then he had Juṇha summoned and asked: ‘Did you indeed think this, dear one?’ ‘Yes, great king.’ ‘May it be just according to your wish!’ [The king said:] ‘In that very pavilion, on those very arranged seats, seat five hundred bhikkhus, surround them with those very royal maidens, take wealth from the royal house, and give a gift for seven days just like that given by me.’ He gave in that way. Having given, on the seventh day he said: ‘Blessed One, teach the Dhamma.’

The Teacher, combining the thanksgiving for both gifts, taught a great Dhamma teaching as if making two great rivers full with a single torrent. At the conclusion of the teaching, Juṇha became a stream-enterer. The king, having gained confidence, gave the Possessor of the Ten Powers an external object. Thus is to be understood [the phrase] ‘a gain arose for that Blessed One.’

"Fame was achieved" means the praise of virtues and qualities. That too was achieved for the Blessed One starting from the Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma. For from that time on, even khattiyas have proclaimed the Blessed One's praise. Brahmins too, householders too, nāgas, supaṇṇas, gandhabbas, devatās, and even brahmās, having voiced renown, saying: "Thus indeed is that Blessed One..." and so on. Even followers of other sects gave Vararoja a thousand [pieces of money] and dispatched him, saying: "Proclaim the dispraise of the ascetic Gotama." Having taken the thousand, he scrutinized the Ten-Powered One from the soles of his feet up to the hair of his head; seeing not even a louse-sized fault, [he thought]: "In this faultless physical form—bestrewn with the thirty-two marks of a great man, adorned with the eighty minor characteristics, encircled by an arm-span aura, like a fully blossomed pāricchattaka tree, like the sky blazing with a host of stars, like the glorious Nandana grove with its wondrous flowers—if one were to speak dispraise, one's mouth would turn backwards and one's head would split into seven pieces; there is no way to speak dispraise; I will speak only praise!" And starting from the soles of his feet up to the hair of his head, he spoke only praise in more than a thousand lines of verse. Moreover, during the Twin Miracle, this praise reached its culmination. Thus "fame was achieved."

"As far as, I think, khattiyas" means that khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, suddas, nāgas, supaṇṇas, yakkhas, asuras, devas, and brahmās—all of them dwell full of affection, delighted and pleased. "Rapturous intoxication has departed," however, means: he does not, thinking 'So many people dwell full of affection for me,' become heedless through intoxication and consume food for the sake of play and the like; rather, the Blessed One consumes food with intoxication completely departed.

"Speaking as he does" means that whatever he says with speech, his bodily action conforms to that very thing. And whatever he does with body, his verbal action conforms to that very thing. Neither does the body exceed speech, nor does speech exceed the body; speech accords with the body, and the body accords with speech. And just as:

"On the left he is a pig, on the right an antelope;
By his voice he is a hornless calf, by his horns an old ox." —

This pig-yakkha, seeing pigs, showed a left flank resembling a pig and, catching them, ate them; seeing antelopes, he showed a right flank resembling them and, catching them, ate them; seeing hornless calves, he made a calf's cry and, catching them, ate them; seeing bulls, he created horns resembling their horns and, when they approached from afar thinking 'He looks like a bull,' he caught and ate them. And just as in the Dhammikavāyasa Jātaka, the crow, when asked by birds, said: "I feed on the wind; because I feed on the wind I open my mouth, and out of fear of killing living beings I stand on only one foot; therefore you too—

‘Practice the Dhamma, blessing be upon you; practice the Dhamma, relatives;
One who practices the Dhamma sleeps at ease in this world and the next.’ —

thus produced confidence among the birds, and then—

‘Good indeed is this bird, twice-born and supremely righteous;
Standing on one foot, he speaks: “Dhamma! Dhamma!”’ —

in this way, he ate the birds that had come in confidence. For that reason, their speech does not accord with their body, nor their body with their speech; but it is not so for the Blessed One. Rather, he shows that the Blessed One's speech accords with his body, and his body accords with his speech.

"One by whom doubt has been crossed, overcome" is one who has crossed over doubt. "One whose perplexity of the form 'How is this? How is this?' has departed" is one whose perplexity has departed. For just as the common people are full of doubt: "This tree—what is the tree's name? This village, this countryside, this kingdom—what is the kingdom's name? Why indeed does this tree have a straight trunk, while this one has a crooked trunk? Why is one thorn straight, and another crooked? Why is one flower fragrant, and another foul-smelling? Why is one fruit sweet, and another not sweet?"—not so the Teacher. For the Teacher is free of perplexity, [knowing]: "Through the predominance of such-and-such elements, this is thus." And just as those who have attained the first absorption have doubt regarding the second absorption and so forth; for even Paccekabuddhas, due to the absence of conclusive determination regarding the knowledge of omniscience, certainly have doubt in conventional usage—it is not so for the Buddha. For he shows that the Blessed One is everywhere free of perplexity.

"One whose purpose is accomplished" means: just as some have their purposes accomplished and their wishes fulfilled through mere morality, some through mere insight, some through the first absorption …pe… some through the attainment of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, some through the mere state of a stream-enterer …pe… some through arahantship, some through the knowledge of a disciple's perfection, some through the knowledge of paccekabodhi; it is not so for my Teacher. Rather, he shows that my Teacher has his purpose accomplished through the knowledge of omniscience.

"Disposition, the original holy life" has the nominative case in an instrumental sense; the meaning is: through his supreme disposition, serving as an eminent foundation, and through the original holy life, being the ancient holy life, namely the noble path, he has crossed over doubt, his perplexity has departed, and his purpose is accomplished. For because of the statement: "In things unheard of before, he directly awakened to the truths by himself, and therein reached omniscience and mastery over the powers," the Blessed One's state of having his purpose accomplished was also accomplished through the noble path alone.

“Just like the Blessed One” means: they spoke while longing, “Just like the Blessed One, so also, wandering on tour in the four directions on the single continent of Jambudīpa, oh may four Conquerors teach the Dhamma!” Then others, desiring them to wander together in the three realms, said, “Three fully awakened Buddhas.” Still others thought, “Having fulfilled the ten perfections, the arising of four or three is rare. But if one were to dwell in a fixed residence teaching the Dhamma and one were to wander on tour, Jambudīpa would be splendid in this way, and [beings] would attain much benefit and happiness.” Having thought thus, they said, “Oh indeed, sirs!”

In “that is impossible and cannot happen,” here both “possibility” and “opportunity” are merely designations for a cause. For a cause is a “possibility” in that the result stands dependent upon it. And it is an “opportunity” like an opening, because without it [the result] does not exist elsewhere. “That” is the nominative in an instrumental sense. This is what is said: “That cause by which two Buddhas could arise together in a single world system—that cause does not exist.”