Commentary on the stanza on sīla (precept)

127. what is the origin of the stanza starting with Sīhova? It is said that there was a faraway royal garden of the king of Benares. The king rose up as early as possible, went to his royal garden, descended from his conveyance, on his way there, went near the place of water saying to himself: “I shall wash my face”. it happened that at that very place, a lioness gave birth to a lioncalf and had gone out for food; the royal retainers saw it and informed the king thus: “Your majesty! Here is a lion-calf”. the king said to himself: “They say that the lion is not afraid of anyone”, and ordered to beat such things as drums and so on, in order to ascertain it. Although it heard that sound the lion-calf slept on where he already was. Then the drums were made to be beaten up to the third time; that little lion, on the third occasion, lifted up its head, looked at all the crowd of people, and slept in that self-same manner. Then the king said thus:- “Let us go to it until such time it's mother comes back”, went to it and thought thus: “In spite of the fact that it had just been born, the little lion does not tremble and does not fear; to be sure, namely, I, also, having discarded the tormenting craving (taṇhā), and heresy (diṭṭhi), would not get worried nor afraid”. Taking that object of contemplation, the king went on and saw again fishermen, who had caught fishes, fastened the spread nets at tree-branches, and the very unattached wind going through that spread net, and again took (for his object of contemplation), characteristic sign in it thus: “To be sure, namely, I also, having split open the net of craving (taṇhā), heresy (diṭṭhi) and delusion (moha), go unattached similarly.”

127.1. Later, the king went to his royal garden, sat himself down on the bank of the stone-slab-lotus lake, saw the wind-struck lotus flowers bending and touching the water, and the same lotus flowers again standing at their original positions unsmeared by water after the windblowing was over, he took up in it a characteristic sign thus: “To be sure, namely, just as these lotuses, which sprung up in the water stand without being besmeared with water, similarly, I also, born in the world should stand not being besmeared with the world.” The king bethought himself again and again thus: “Just as the little lion, the wind and lotuses, similarly, I should be fearless unattached and un-besmeared”, abdicated his sovereignty, became a monk, developed spiritual insight, visualised silent buddhahood, and recited this stanza of joyous utterance.

127.2. Sīha (lion) there, connotes four kinds of lion:- grass (tiṇa) lion; yellow (paṇḍu) lion; black (kāla) lion, and hairy (kesara) lion. Of them, the hairy lion or lion with mane, is said to be chief; here, that mane-lion is meant. Vāto (wind) is of many a kind by way of the east direction and so on. Paduma (lotus) in such colours as red, white and so on. Amongst them any kind of wind and any sort of lotus is but fitting. There, wherefore, namely, is fear, it is due to self-affection. Self-affection again, namely, is the stain of craving. That also is due to greed whether connected with or without heresy or speculation. That greed also is but craving desire (taṇhā). there, in the case good people, however, it happens in the absence of ascertainment and so on, due to delusion;delusion again is ignorance (avijjā). There the rejection of craving (taṇhā) is by cessation or meditative attainment (samatha); the rejection of ignorance (avijjā), is by spiritual insight (vipassanā). Therefore, having forsaken self-affection by means of jhāna (samatha), saddesu (amongst sounds) amidst impermanence misery and so on, Sīhe va asantasanto (fearless like the little lion) forsaking delusion by means of spiritual insight; vāto va jālamhi (like the wind in the net) in aggregates (khandha), abodes of sense (āyatana), and so on, asajjamāno (being unattached or unstuck) having abandoned greed as well as heresy associated with greed by means of the selfsame cessation (samatha);padumam va toyena (like the lotus flower with water) unbesmeared by the greed of wealth of all existences. Here again, precept (sīla) is the proximate cause of jhīma (samatha); cessation (samatha) is the proximate cause of concentration (samādhi), concentration is the proximate cause of spiritual insight (vipassanā); thus, when in this way two deeds (dhamma) are accomplished; three aggregates (khandha) are simply accomplished. there, on account of the mass of or aggregate of precept (sīla), he becomes bold or courageous. like the little lion, amidst sounds, he is not afraid of being desirous of getting angry with the malicious bases. Like the wind in the net, having the nature of penetration, by means of the aggregate or mass of wisdom he is not afraid of being desirous of getting angry with the malicious bases. like the wind in the net, having the nature of penetration, by means of the aggregate or mass of wisdom he is unattached to such a diversity of objects (dhamma), as aggregates (khandha) and so on. Like the lotus with water, he, being devoid of lust (rāga), by means of the aggregate (or mass) of concentration (samādhi), he is not smeared (or stained) by lust (rāga). Similarly, it should be understood as fearless, unattached and unsmeared in the light of discarding (or forsaking) the three roots of evil deeds as well as craving and ignorance (taṇhāvijjā), as and when they occur, by means of cessation (samatha) and spiritual insight (vipassanā), as well as by means of the mass (or aggregates) of precepts (sīla), concentration (samādhi) and knowledge or wisdom (paññā). the rest is in the manner aforesaid.

The Commentary on the stanza, starting with sīla, has ended.