Commentary on the stanza beginning with diṭṭhivisūkāni (wriggling of opinion)

111. What is the origin of the stanza, beginning with “Diṭṭhivisūkāni?” It is said that a certain king of Benares, who had gone to solitude thought thus: “Just as there are things that are hot and so on as repulsion of cold and so on, is there, indeed, in this way, devolution as repugnance of evolution (or round of rebirths), or not?” he asked his ministers:?Do you know the devolution, (or the escape from the rounds of rebirths) (vivaṭa)? They replied: “O great king we do know it”. The king enquired what it was. Thereupon the ministers spoke about such a views as eternalism (sasata) and nihilism (uccheda), in such manner as began with. “The world is finite, etc.” The king, saying to himself: “These people do not know; all these are false doctrines”, saw, by himself, the unseemliness and impropriety, thought thus: “There is devolution (or escape from rounds of rebirth), which is the repugnance of evolution (or rounds of rebirths); it should be sought”, abdicated his sovereignty, became a recluse, developed spiritual insight, and visualised silent buddhahood. He recited this stanza of joyous utterance as well as the expositional stanza in the midst of the silent buddhas.

111.1. Here is its meaning:- Diṭṭhivisūkāni (wriggling of opinion) is: sixty two heretical views. They are wriggling because they mean to distort, pierce and be repugnant towards the right path and right view; thus, they are wriggling of opinion (or distortions of view; or the view itself amounts to distortions and so it is wriggling of opinion. Upātivatto is: to have crossed over by the path of insight. patto niyāma attained the assured state by not being liable to be punished in purgatory and because of having one's end (or goal) in full enlightenment of silent buddhahood; or the first stage of sanctification (paṭhama magga), reckoned as the righteous way to salvation. To this extent the accomplishment of whatever is to be done for attainment of the first magga and its consequential gain are spoken of. Now paṭiladdhamagga is: by this, it points out the consequential gain of the remaining stages of sanctification (magga). Uppannananomhi is to be construed as: I am one, with knowledge of silent buddhahood arisen. With this is shown the fruition (phala). Anaññaneyyo is to be construed as: One should not be led by others saying: ‘This is truth’. By this is shown the state of self-knowledge or silent buddhahood. Or, this shows: when the knowledge of silent buddhahood is attained, since there is no such thing as being led by others, there is self-achievement, by means of quietude of heart (samatha), and spiritual insight (vipassanā). Diṭṭhivisūkāni upātivatto is niyāmam patto, to have attained the assured state by the beginning magga;paṭiladdhamaggo, the consequently gained right-paths (magga), with the rest; with the knowledge of fruition (phala), there was uppannañāṇa, the arisen knowledge; all that was achieved but by oneself; thus, one was anaññaneyyo, not led by others.

The rest is to be understood even in the said manner.

The Commentary on the stanza, beginning with diṭṭhivisūka, has ended.