Commentary on the stanza relating to bamboo shoot (vaṃsa)

94. What is the origin of the stanza, beginning with “vaṃso visālo”? It is said that in the dispensation of the Glorious One Kassapa, three silent bodhisattas became renounced recluses, fulfilled the duty of going and coming back for twenty years and were reborn in the celestial world (devaloka). Passing away thence, the eldest of them was reborn in the royal family of Benares; the other two, in the royal families of border countries. Both the latter silent bodhisattas acquired mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), forsook their sovereignties, renounced the world by becoming a recluse, gradually became silent buddhas, lived in the mountain cave of Nandamūla, rose up from their effective meditation (samāpatti), one day, investigated and reflected asking themselves: “Having done what deed have we accordingly attained such a transcendental happiness as this?” They noticed their own individual practice at the time of Buddha kassapa. Thereafter investigating reflectively as to where their third was, they saw him reigning as king of Benares, remembered his qualities thus: “Naturally even, he is endowed with such virtues as scanty needs and so on; he is the adviser of us even; when spoken he is amenable to our talk and he is one who reproaches evil. Come, let us show an object of contemplation and keep him informed”. Seeking an opportunity, they saw him, wholly dressed up and adorned with all adornments, one day, on his way to his royal garden, went to him by air in the sky and stood at the foot of a bamboo bush at the gate of the garden. The big mass of people, not contented with their sight of their sovereign, went of looking at the king. Subsequently, the king, on looking over to find out whether there was anyone who did not occupy himself in having a look at him, the king, caught sight of the silent buddhas. With his seeing them even, there arose in the king, affection for them. He descended from the back of his royal elephant, approached them with calm behaviour and asked: “Venerable Sirs! What, namely, are you please?” They replied: “O great king, we are, by name, unattached”. The king enquired: “Venerable Sirs! What is the meaning of this word unattached (asajjamāna)?” They answered thus: “O great king, the word means not clinging.” Thereafter, having pointed out a bamboo bush, they said thus: “O great king! Just as for example, a man armed with a sword were to cut off this bamboo bush, which is growing entwined entirely with roots, trunks and branches, big and small, at its root, and whirl it round, the bamboo bush would not be able to rise, exactly in the same way, you who are tangled within as well as without, being attached and clung to that tangle and are stuck there. Or, just as for example, however, though having gone into its middle, this bamboo sprout stands without sticking to anything whatsoever, because it has not grown up with branches. It is, however, possible for it to rise after its having been cut off either at its top or at its root. Exactly, in the same way, we, without being tangled anywhere, go about everywhere in all directions” Having said so, the two silent buddhas then and there entered upon the fourth jhāna and went away through the sky to the Nandamūla cave, while the king was just looking on. Subsequent to that event the king thought: “When, indeed, would I also be unattached in this way”, stood even there, meditated to gain spiritual insight and visualised the silent buddhahood. When asked about his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), in the same manner as previously, he recited this stanza.

94.1. Vaṃsa there is bamboo. Visālo is spread out, extensive. The syllable ‘va’ is here for the purpose of emphasis. In other words, this ‘va’ is originally ‘eva’; but way of union (sandhi), the syllable e is elided; its connection is with another word. We shall have it connected later. Yathā is counterpart (or resemblance). Visatto is sticking, tangled, entwined. Puttesu dāresu ca is in son, daughter and wife. Yā apekkhā is such craving desire (taṇhā), such affection (sineha). Vamsakkalīrova asajjamāno, mot stuck like the bamboo shoot. What statement is it? Just as bamboo is extensive, it becomes ever bushy. Such affection for sons and wives as that also in this way are those things, because of the fact that they stand ever entwined and attached. That I, because of the affection for it, being possessed of affection, become tangled and stuck like the extensive bamboo bush; thus, having seen the disadvantage in affection, cutting off that affection by means of knowledge of the right path (magga), I now become like the bamboo shoot and being unattached by way of craving desire (taṇhā), pride (māna) and heresy (diṭṭhi), in such sensual objects as beauty of form, etc., or such matter as gains etc, or such rebirths as sensual existence, etc., i have achieved silent buddhahood. The rest should be understood in the same manner as before.

The commentary on the stanza relating to bamboo shoot has ended.