Dighanikaya 26: 3. Cakkavattisuttavaṇṇanā

Explanation of Having Oneself as an Island and Refuge

"Thus have I heard" is the Cakkavattisutta. Here is the explanation of the unfamiliar words: "in Mātulā" means in the town of that name. Making that town his alms-resort, he was dwelling in a woodland thicket not far away. Here, regarding "There the Blessed One addressed the monks," this is the narrative sequence:

At the time of this discourse's origin, the Blessed One, having risen in the morning twilight from the attainment of great compassion, surveyed the world and saw that through this discourse revealing the future lineage, eighty-four thousand living beings residing in the town of Mātulā would attain the Dhamma. Early in the morning, accompanied by twenty thousand monks, he reached the town of Mātulā. Hearing that the Blessed One had arrived, the khattiyas residing in the town of Mātulā went out to welcome him, invited the One of Ten Powers, led him into the town with great honour, prepared a seating place, sat the Blessed One on an expensive couch, and gave a great donation to the Saṅgha of monks headed by the Buddha. Having finished his meal, the Blessed One thought: "If I teach the Dhamma to these people in this place, this area will be crowded; there will be no room for the people to stand or sit, and indeed there will be a great assembly."

Then, without giving thanks for the meal to the royal families, he took his bowl and left the town. The people thought: "The Teacher is leaving without even giving thanks for our [meal]; surely the meal-hall was displeasing. Indeed, one cannot capture the mind of Buddhas; making friends with Buddhas is like grabbing a venomous snake with a raised hood by the neck. Come, sirs, let us ask the Tathāgata for forgiveness." The residents of the entire town left right along with the Blessed One. As the Blessed One was walking, he saw a mātula tree standing in a Magadhan field, well-endowed with branches and twigs, with dense shade, spreading over an area of about a karīsa, [and thought:] "If I sit at the foot of this tree and the Dhamma is taught, there will be room for the great multitude to stand and sit." Turning back, stepping off the path, and approaching the foot of the tree, he looked at Ānanda Thera, the Treasurer of the Dhamma. Just by the sign of the look, the Thera, knowing "The Teacher wishes to sit," arranged and offered the Well-Farer's great robe. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Then the people sat down before him. The Saṅgha of monks sat on both sides and behind, and deities stood in the sky; thus, surrounded by the great assembly, there the Blessed One addressed the monks.

"Those monks" means the monks seated there receiving the Dhamma. "Islands unto yourselves" means: dwell having made yourselves an island, a shelter, a cave, a destination, a final resort, a foundation—this is the meaning. "Refuges unto yourselves" is a synonym for the very same thing. "With no other refuge" is an expression rejecting taking refuge in another. For another is not a refuge to another, because one is not purified through another's exertion. And this has also been said: "For oneself is one's own protector; who else indeed could be a protector?" (Dhp 160). Therefore he said: "with no other refuge." But what here is called "oneself"? The mundane and supramundane Dhamma. Therefore he said: "having the Dhamma as an island, having the Dhamma as a refuge, with no other refuge." "Observing the body in the body" and so forth have been explained in detail in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna.

"In your pasture" means in a suitable place to wander. "In your own" means in your own property. "In the domain of your fathers" means in the domain inherited from your fathers. "Of those who wander" means of those who are roaming. There is also the reading "carantaṃ" [accusative singular]; the meaning is just the same. "Will not find" means will not obtain, will not see. "Māra" means the deity Māra, Māra as death, and also Māra as defilements. "An opportunity" means an opening, a flaw, a gap. And this meaning should be explained by the story of the hawk that seized a quail who had come out of a place among clods of earth, perched on an archway, and was basking in the morning sun. For this has been said:

"In the past, monks, a falcon swooped down suddenly and seized a quail. Then, monks, while being carried away by the falcon, the quail lamented thus: 'Unfortunate are we, lacking in merit are we, that we wandered into an improper resort, the domain of another! If today we had wandered in our own resort, our ancestral domain, this falcon would not have been enough for me as far as fighting goes.' 'What then, quail, is your resort, your ancestral domain?' 'Namely, where the ground is plowed with a wooden plow, the place of clods.' Then, monks, the falcon, not proud of his own strength, not speaking boastfully of his own strength, released the quail: 'Go, quail, but even having gone there, you will not escape!'

Then, mendicants, the quail went to a place of clods turned up by the plow, climbed up on a large clod, and stood challenging the hawk: ‘Come on now, hawk! Come on now, hawk!’ Then, mendicants, that hawk, overweening in her own strength, bragging about her own strength, folded both wings and swooped down suddenly on the quail. But when, mendicants, the quail knew, ‘This hawk has come very close,’ he slipped right inside that clod. Then, mendicants, the hawk shattered her own breast right there. Thus it is, mendicants, for one who roams out of their resort, in the territory of others.

Therefore, mendicants, do not roam out of your resort, in the territory of others. For those roaming out of their resort, mendicants, in the territory of others, Māra will find a foothold, Māra will find an object. And what, mendicants, is not the resort of a monk, the territory of others? It is the five cords of sensual pleasure. What five? Sights cognizable by the eye—desirable, pleasing, agreeable, charming, bound up with sensual desire, enticing; sounds cognizable by the ear… odours cognizable by the nose… tastes cognizable by the tongue… tangibles cognizable by the body—desirable, pleasing, agreeable, charming, bound up with sensual desire, enticing. This, mendicants, is not the resort of a monk, the territory of others.

Roam, mendicants, in your resort… and so on… Māra will not find an object. And what, mendicants, is the resort of a monk, his own ancestral territory? It is the four establishments of mindfulness. What four? Here, mendicants, a monk dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection regarding the world; he dwells observing feelings in feelings… he dwells observing the mind in the mind… he dwells observing dhammas in dhammas, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection regarding the world. This, mendicants, is the resort of a monk, his own ancestral territory” (Saṃyutta Nikāya 5.371).

‘Of wholesome states’ (kusalānaṃ) means of those having the characteristic of faultlessness. ‘Due to undertaking’ (samādānahetu) means due to living having undertaken [them]. ‘Thus this merit increases’ (evamidaṃ puññaṃ pavaḍḍhati) means in this way this mundane and supramundane fruit of merit increases; and as ‘fruit of merit’ one should understand both ever higher merit and the result of merit.

Explanation of the Account of King Daḷhanemi, the Wheel-Turning Monarch

Here, wholesome action is twofold: leading to the round of rebirths (vaṭṭagāmī) and leading to the cessation of the round (vivaṭṭagāmī). Therein, what is called the wholesome leading to the round of rebirths is the gentle and tender mind arisen through affection between parents and sons and daughters, and between sons and daughters and parents. The wholesome leading to the cessation of the round refers to the thirty-seven factors of awakening divided into ‘the four establishments of mindfulness’ and so on. Among them, the culmination of merit leading to the round of rebirths is the glorious majesty of a wheel-turning monarch in the human world; [the culmination] of the wholesome leading to the cessation of the round is the attainment of the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna. There, he will show the result of the wholesome leading to the cessation of the round at the conclusion of the discourse.

Here, however, in order to show the result of the wholesome leading to the round of rebirths—saying: ‘Mendicants, when sons and daughters did not abide by their parents’ admonition, then they declined in life span, beauty, and sovereignty; but when they abided, then they prospered’—he began the teaching, by way of the connection with the wholesome leading to the round of rebirths: ‘In the past, mendicants…’. Therein, ‘wheel-turning monarch’ and so on have already been explained in detail in the Mahāpadāna Sutta (Commentary to the Dīgha Nikāya 2.33).

‘Slipped down’ (osakkitaṃ) means slipped down even slightly. ‘Fallen from its place’ (ṭhānā cutaṃ) means completely departed from its position. That wheel-treasure, it is said, stood suspended in the air at the entrance of the inner palace as if struck by an axle. Then, having driven in two acacia posts on both sides of it, they tied a thread across the top of the wheel-treasure facing the rim. Below as well, they tied one facing the rim. Between them, when the wheel-treasure sank even a tiny bit from the upper thread, it was called ‘slipped down’; when its upper edge had passed and gone below the position of the lower thread, it was called ‘fallen from its place’—and that would happen when there was an exceedingly grave fault. Even a drop the size of a thread, or one or two fingers’ breadth, is indeed ‘fallen from its place’. It was in reference to that that it was said: ‘slipped down, fallen from its place’.

‘Then you should inform me’ (atha me āroceyyāsi) means: ‘Dear child, from today onwards you must go three times a day to attend to the wheel-treasure; as you go in this way, when you see the wheel-treasure slipped down or fallen from its place even slightly, then you should report it to me. For my life is placed in your hands.’ ‘Saw’ (addasa): remaining heedful, going and watching three times a day, one day he saw it.

"Then indeed, monks": monks, then King Daḷhanemi, having heard that "the wheel-jewel has slipped down," with strong grief arisen, thinking: "Now I will not live long, remainder of my life is small, now is not my time for enjoying sensual pleasures, now is my time for going forth," having wept and lamented, had his eldest son, the prince, summoned and said this. "Bounded by the ocean": meaning bounded by just the single surrounding ocean. For this was his family property. But that bounded by the world-sphere arose by the power of merit; it is not possible to give that. However, handing over his family property, he said, "bounded by the ocean." "Hair and beard": for even those who go forth into the ascetic going forth first shave off their hair and beard. From then on, they tie up their overgrown hair and wander about. Therefore it was said: "having shaved off hair and beard."

"Ochre garments": meaning dyed with astringent dye. Having done so from the beginning, later they also wear bark garments. "He went forth": meaning having gone forth. And having gone forth, he lived right in his royal auspicious grove. "In the royal seer": in the king-seer. For renunciants of brahmin stock are called "brahmin seers"; but renunciants of royal stock who have abandoned the white parasol are royal seers. "Disappeared": vanished, came to non-existence like the flame of an extinguished lamp. "Reported": weeping and lamenting, he made it known. "Paternal": it is not an inheritance that comes from a father; it cannot be reached by one who is lazy, of low energy, and living having undertaken the ten unwholesome courses of action. But it indicates that, relying on one's own well-done deed, this is to be attained only by fulfilling the tenfold or twelvefold duty of a wheel-turning monarch. Then, urging him to the practice of the duty, he said: "Come now, you," and so forth. There, "noble": in the faultless. "In the duty of a wheel-turning monarch": in the duty of wheel-turning monarchs.

Explanation of the Noble Duty of a Wheel-Turning Monarch

"The Dhamma": the Dhamma of the ten wholesome courses of action. "Relying on": having made just that the support with a mind resolved upon it. "Honoring the Dhamma": acting in this way so that the Dhamma when done is well done. "Respecting the Dhamma": respecting it through the arising of reverence for it. "Esteeming the Dhamma": dwelling making that very Dhamma dear and venerable. "Worshiping the Dhamma": referring to it and offering worship to it through the worship of perfumes, garlands, and so forth. "Revering the Dhamma": showing humble conduct toward that very Dhamma by gestures such as making an añjali. "The Dhamma as your standard, the Dhamma as your banner": having the Dhamma as your standard and banner because of proceeding with that Dhamma placed at the front like a standard and raised up like a banner, is the meaning. "Taking the Dhamma as sovereign": becoming one who takes the Dhamma as sovereign because of having become one whose sovereign is the Dhamma, through doing all actions solely under the influence of the Dhamma. "Provide righteous protection, defense, and guarding": it is righteous because it has Dhamma; and protection, defense, and guarding is "protection, defense, and guarding." There, on the statement, "Protecting another, one protects oneself" (SN 5.385), patience and so forth are protection. For this was said: "And how, monks, does one protecting another protect oneself? Through patience, non-harming, a mind of loving-kindness, and sympathy" (SN 5.385). The screening of garments, cloaks, houses, and so forth is defense; guarding to ward off dangers such as thieves is guarding; arrange, maintain, and establish all that well, is the meaning. Now, showing where that should be arranged, he said "among the people within," and so forth.

Herein, this is the summary of the meaning: establish your sons and wives, known as the people within, in moral restraint, give them cloth, perfumes, garlands, and so forth, and ward off all dangers for them. In the cases of the armed forces and so forth, this is the same method. But this is the distinction: the armed forces should also be assisted without letting time elapse, by providing food and wages. The consecrated khattiyas should also be supported by providing jewels such as noble thoroughbred horses. The subordinate khattiyas should also be gratified by providing conveyances and vehicles suitable for them. Brahmins, with gifts such as food, drink, and cloth. Householders, by providing cooked food, seed, ploughs, ploughshares, draught-bulls, and so forth. Likewise the town dwellers, who are townspeople, and the country dwellers, who are country people. Ascetics and brahmins who have calmed evil and warded off evil should be honored by providing ascetics' requisites. Beasts and birds should be reassured by granting safety from danger.

"In the realm": in the place where one's own authority runs. "Unrighteous conduct": unrighteous action. "Let it not occur": manage it in such a way that it does not occur, is the meaning. "Ascetics and brahmins": those who have calmed evil and warded off evil. "Refrained from intoxication and negligence": refrained from the ninefold intoxication of conceit, and from negligence called abandonment of the mind to the five strands of sensual pleasure. "Established in patience and gentleness": established in patience through endurance and in mildness of character. "Themselves alone": they are said to tame, calm, and bring to final extinguishment themselves alone by taming their own lust and so forth. "From time to time": at proper times. "You should completely avoid": you should completely avoid it just like excrement, poison, or fire. "Having undertaken": having properly taken it up just like a garland of fragrant flowers or the deathless, you should proceed.

Standing here, the duty should be brought together. One towards the inner people, the armed forces; one towards the khattiyas; one towards followers; one towards brahmins and householders; one towards town and country folk; one towards ascetics and brahmins; one towards beasts and birds; one is the rejection of unrighteous deeds; one is the provision of wealth to the destitute; and one is approaching ascetics and brahmins to ask questions—in this way it is tenfold. But for one counting householders and kinds of birds separately, it is twelvefold. Or for one counting what was not mentioned before, it should be understood as twelvefold by way of the abandoning of unrighteous lust and unlawful greed. ‘This, dear child, is the custom’ (idaṃ kho tāta taṃ) means this tenfold or twelvefold duty of a noble wheel-turning monarch. ‘For one observing’ (vattamānassa) means for one observing having fulfilled [it]. ‘On that very Uposatha day’ (tadahuposathe) and so on have been explained in the Mahāsudassana Sutta.

‘By his own opinion’ (samatena) means by his own judgement. ‘Indeed’ (sudaṃ) is merely a particle. ‘Governs’ (pasāsati) means administers. This is what is meant: Having abandoned the ancient royal lineage, the royal succession, and the royal Dhamma, he administers the country relying solely on his own opinion. Thus he arose as the final man who terminated the lineage of Daḷhanemi, like Kaḷārajanaka of the lineage of Makhādeva. ‘Later as before’ (pubbenāparaṃ) means the later period being similar to the former period. ‘The countries do not thrive’ (janapadā na pabbanti) means they do not prosper. ‘As [in the time] of the former ones’ (yathā taṃ pubbakānaṃ) means they do not thrive in the way they thrived for the former kings, being similar both earlier and later. In some places they are empty, devastated and looted, and the vitality even of sesame oil, honey, molasses, and so forth, as well as of gruel, cooked rice, and so forth, declined—this is the meaning.

‘Ministers and courtiers’ (amaccā pārisajjā) means both ministers and those who attend the royal assembly. ‘Accountants and high officials’ (gaṇakamahāmattā) means both astrologer-reciters and the like, and high ministers. ‘Troopers’ (anīkaṭṭhā) means elephant trainers and so forth. ‘Doorkeepers’ (dovārikā) means guards of the gate. ‘Those living by counsel’ (mantassājīvino): ‘counsel’ (mantā) refers to wisdom; this is a designation for those wise high officials who make a living depending on that.

Exposition of the Talk on the Decline of Lifespan, Beauty, and So Forth

‘Yet to the destitute’ (no ca kho adhanānaṃ): but because of strong greed he did not bestow wealth on destitute people. ‘When it is not being bestowed’ (nānuppadiyamāne) means while it is not being given; or this very [word] is the reading. ‘Poverty’ (dāliddiyaṃ) means the condition of being poor. ‘And support yourself’ (attanā ca jīvāhi) means live and maintain yourself—this is the meaning. In the words ‘leading upwards’ (uddhaggikaṃ) and so forth: it is ‘leading upwards’ because its high path is by way of granting fruits in progressively higher planes. It is ‘heavenly’ (sovaggikā) because it is beneficial for heaven, producing rebirth there. It is ‘having happy results’ (sukhavipākā) because its fruition is pleasant in the place where one is reborn. It ‘leads to heaven’ (saggasaṃvattanikā) because it produces the ten supreme distinctions of divine appearance and so forth. He establishes such a sacrificial gift, an offering—this is the meaning.

‘It will increase’ (pavaḍḍhissati) means it will grow, it will become abundant. ‘I should thoroughly put a stop to it’ (sunisedhaṃ nisedheyyaṃ) means I should completely restrain it. ‘Eradication’ (mūlaghaccaṃ) means struck down at the root. ‘With a harsh sound’ (kharassarena) means with a rough noise. ‘With a drum’ (paṇavena) means with an execution drum.

‘We will cut off their heads’ (sīsāni nesaṃ chindissāma): we will likewise cut off the heads of those from whom we steal even a mere handful of roots, in such a way that no one will even know that it was stolen; why should it matter to us now, when even the king acts like this and kills others?—this was their intention. ‘They began’ (upakkamiṃsu) means they undertook. ‘Highway robbery’ (panthaduhanaṃ) means highway slaughter, brigandage conducted on the road.

‘No, sire’ (na hi, deva): he, it is said, thought: ‘This king has people executed when an admission is given out of their own mouths that “It is true, sire”; come now, let me tell a lie!’ So, out of fear of death, he said, ‘No, sire.’

‘A certain’ (ekidaṃ): here, ‘idaṃ’ is merely a particle; ‘certain beings’ is the meaning. ‘Misconduct’ (cārittaṃ) means sexual misconduct. ‘Covetousness and ill will’ (abhijjhābyāpādā) means both covetousness and ill will. ‘Wrong view’ (micchādiṭṭhi) means the oppositional view that grasps at extremes, such as ‘there is nothing given’ and so forth.

‘Unrighteous lust’ (adhammarāgo) means lust directed toward improper objects, such as one's mother, maternal aunt, paternal aunt, maternal uncle’s wife, and so forth. ‘Unrestrained greed’ (visamalobho) means excessive, intense greed even with regard to permissible objects of use. ‘Perverted desire’ (micchādhammo) means lustful desire of men for men and of women for women.

In ‘lack of filial respect for mothers’ (amatteyyatā) and so forth: one who is good to their mother is ‘respectful of mothers’ (matteyya); his state is ‘filial respect for mothers’ (matteyyatā)—this is a designation for right conduct towards a mother. Its absence, as well as the opposition to it, is ‘lack of filial respect for mothers’. In ‘lack of filial respect for fathers’ (apetteyyatā) and so forth, the method is the same. ‘Not honouring the elders in the clan’ (na kule jeṭṭhāpacāyitā) means the failure to practice veneration and humble conduct towards the elders in the clan.

Exposition of the Era of the Ten-Year Lifespan

‘When these’ (yaṃ imesaṃ) means at which time, among these [beings]. ‘Fit for marriage’ (alaṃpateyyā) means fit to be given to a husband. ‘These flavours’ (imāni rasāni) means these foremost flavours in the world. ‘Will thoroughly vanish’ (atibyādippissanti): they will disappear entirely; or this very [form] is the reading. ‘There will not even be the term “wholesome”’ (kusalantipi na bhavissatīti) means there will not even be the name ‘wholesome’; even the mere concept will not be known—this is the meaning. ‘They will be venerated and praised’ (pujjā ca bhavissanti pāsaṃsā ca) means they will be worthy of worship and worthy of praise. At that time, it is said, human beings will indeed venerate and praise such a person, thinking, ‘By such-and-such a person his mother was beaten, his father was beaten, ascetics and brahmins were deprived of life, he does not even acknowledge the existence of elders in the clan—what a man!’

‘Nor will there be [the recognition]: “This is my mother”’ (na bhavissati mātāti vā) means there will be no respectful thought such as ‘this is my mother’. Speaking various kinds of vulgar talk, they will approach them with disrespectful conduct, as one would a woman in the house. In the case of maternal aunts and so forth, the method is the same. And here, ‘maternal aunt’ (mātucchā) means mother's sister. ‘Uncle's wife’ (mātulānī) means maternal uncle's wife. ‘Teacher's wife’ (ācariyabhariyā) means the wife of the teacher who instructs in the crafts. ‘Wives of venerable elders’ (garūnaṃ dārā) means the wives of paternal uncles, whether younger or older brothers of one's father, and so forth. ‘Promiscuity’ (sambhedaṃ) means promiscuous mixture, or the breaking of boundaries.

‘Fierce enmity will be present’ (tibbo āghāto paccupaṭṭhito bhavissati) means powerful anger will be present by way of repeatedly arising. The other two terms are synonyms for this very same thing. For anger strikes (āghāteti) the mind, thus it is ‘enmity’ (āghāta). It ruins (byāpādeti) the welfare and happiness of oneself and of others, thus it is ‘ill will’ (byāpāda). Because it corrupts the mind, it is called ‘mental corruption’ (manopadosa). ‘A fierce murderous mind’ (tibbaṃ vadhakacittaṃ) means a murderous thought to kill another even if one is pleased [with them]. To show instances of this, ‘even a mother towards her son’ (mātupi puttamhi) and so forth is said. ‘Of a deer-hunter’ (māgavikassa) means of a hunter of deer.

"Sword-interval-aeon" means an intermediate aeon [brought about] by the sword. Before reaching the dissolution aeon, it is destruction of the world midway. And this intermediate aeon is of three kinds: the famine-interval-aeon, the disease-interval-aeon, and the sword-interval-aeon. There, when greed is prevalent among living beings, the famine-interval-aeon occurs. When delusion is prevalent, the disease-interval-aeon [occurs]. When hatred is prevalent, the sword-interval-aeon [occurs]. There, those destroyed by the famine-interval-aeon are mostly reborn in the realm of the petas. Why? Because of the strength of their craving for food. Those destroyed by the disease-interval-aeon are mostly reborn in heaven. Why? For a mind of loving-kindness arises in them: 'Oh, may other beings indeed not have a disease of this kind!' Those destroyed by the sword-interval-aeon are mostly reborn in hell. Why? Because of their intense malice toward one another.

"Perception of wild beasts" means the perception, 'This is a deer, this is a deer.' "Sharp weapons will appear in their hands" means that, it is said, whatever they merely touched with their hands, even down to a blade of grass or a leaf, would become a weapon itself. "Let us not [deprive] anyone" means: let us not deprive even a single person of life. "Nor anyone us" means: let no single person deprive us of life either. "What if we": thinking, 'This destruction of the world is present; two cannot preserve their lives standing in one place,' they considered this. "Thickets of woods" means an impenetrable place, thick with what are called woods—grass, thickets, creepers, and so on. "Thickets of trees" means an impenetrable place, thick with trees. "River chasms" means places difficult to traverse, such as the intermediate islands of rivers. "Mountain declivities" means rugged [terrain] caused by mountains, or uneven places upon mountains. "They will associate" means they will make [them] like themselves through cordial conversation, saying: 'How is it that I live, oh beings seen! You too live in like manner.'

Commentary on the Discussion of the Increase in Lifespan, Complexion, and so forth

"Great" means vast. "Let us abstain from taking life" means let us refrain from taking life. They also recite pāṇātipātaṃ virameyyāma, where the meaning is: let us abandon taking life. "Having a lifespan of twenty years": if the parents abstained from taking life, why did the children have a lifespan of twenty years? Because of the purity of the field. For their parents became virtuous. Thus, having grown within a virtuous womb, they were long-lived through this purity of the field. But those who passed away and were reborn right there became long-lived through the success of their own virtue.

"May we be" means let us become. "Having a lifespan of forty years" and so forth: the sections are to be understood in terms of those who abstained from taking what is not given, and so forth.

Commentary on the Arising of King Saṅkha

"Desire" means the craving that arises thus: 'Give me food.' "Lack of appetite" means not eating, a lack of vibrancy, bodily sluggishness; the meaning is a state of bodily weakness that produces a desire to lie down on account of food-induced drowsiness in those who have eaten food. "Old age" means evident old age. "Within a cock's flight": a cock's flight, meaning flying up from the roof-ridge of one village and landing on the roof-ridge of another village, exists among these [villages]; hence "within a cock's flight." There is also the reading kukkuṭasampādikā, with the meaning: a cock's stride, meaning cocks traveling on foot from one village to the next, exists among them. Both of these indicate densely packed habitation. "It will be filled, I think, like Avīci" means it will be filled without interval, like the great hell Avīci.

"When human beings, bhikkhus, have a lifespan of eighty thousand years, the Blessed One named Metteyya will arise in the world": this is not said of an increasing [lifespan]. For buddhas are not born while lifespan is increasing, but they are born while it is decreasing. Therefore, when that lifespan has increased, reaching an incalculable period, and then while decreasing stands at the period of eighty thousand years, then he will arise—this is the meaning. "He will lead [a company]" is said of those wandering while surrounding him. "A pillar" means a palace. "Built by King Mahāpanāda" means: with the king as the cause, it was built for his sake by Sakka, the king of devas, having sent the devaputta Vissakamma. In the past, it is said, two reed-workers, father and son, having had a leaf-hut built of reeds and udumbara wood for a paccekabuddha and having had him dwell there, served him with the four requisites. Having passed away, they were reborn in the deva realm. Of them, the father remained in the deva realm. The son, having fallen from the deva realm, was reborn in the womb of Sumedhā, queen of King Suruci. He became a boy named Mahāpanāda. Later, having raised the parasol, he became King Mahāpanāda. Then, through the power of his merit, Sakka, the king of devas, dispatched the devaputta Vissakamma, saying, 'Build a palace for the king.' He fashioned a palace for him, twenty-five leagues in height, made of the seven jewels, and having a hundred storeys. With reference to that, it was said in the Jātaka:

"Panāda was the name of that king, whose pillar was made of gold;
Crosswise sixteen [cubits] in height, upward they say a thousandfold.

A thousand parts, a hundred knobs, bearing banners, made of emerald;
There danced the gandhabbas, six thousand sevenfold.