Dighanikaya 22.373_9

22.373_9

Keci pana ‘‘na pāraṃ diguṇaṃ yantī’’ti gāthānayena yasmā ekavāraṃ nibbānaṃ gacchati, tasmā ‘‘ekāyano’’ti vadanti, taṃ na yujjati. Imassa hi atthassa sakiṃ ayanoti iminā byañjanena bhavitabbaṃ. Yadi pana ekaṃ ayanamassa ekā gati pavattīti evaṃ atthaṃ yojetvā vucceyya, byañjanaṃ yujjeyya, attho pana ubhayathāpi na yujjati. Kasmā? Idha pubbabhāgamaggassa adhippetattā. Kāyādicatuārammaṇappavatto hi pubbabhāgasatipaṭṭhānamaggo idhādhippeto, na lokuttaro, so ca anekavārampi ayati, anekañcassa ayanaṃ hoti.

Some, however, following the method of the verse 'They do not go to the beyond twice', say it is 'ekāyana' because it goes to Nibbāna once. That is not correct. For to express this meaning, the phrasing should be 'sakiṃ ayano' [going once]. But if the meaning were construed and stated as 'its going is one (ekaṃ ayanamassa), a single course and occurrence', the phrasing would be fitting, yet the meaning is not fitting either way. Why? Because here the preliminary path is intended. For the preliminary path of mindfulness meditation, operating on the four objects beginning with the body, is what is intended here, not the supramundane one; and that [preliminary path] goes many times, and its going is manifold.