Commentary on Biography of the thera Caṅkamanadāyaka

Stanzas starting with Atthadassissa munino constitute the biography of the venerable thera Caṅkamanadāyaka. This venerable thera, having done devoted service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of rebirths (vaṭṭa), in this or that existence, was reborn in a family house, at the time of the Glorious One, atthadassī; on having attained the age of intelligence, he came to have pious faith in the master; he had a cloister, shining like a heap of silver, executed with well-placed all-round work on a high foundation, made, spread over it white sand resembling pieces of pearl precious stones (muttadalla) and offered the same to the Glorious One. The Glorious One accepted the cloister, made him, moreover, attain happiness of physical and mental concentration, and prophesied thus: "This one will become a disciple of the Glorious One in the dispensation of Gotama in future. On account of that merit, he oft and on wandered about his rounds of rebirths among divine and human beings, enjoyed both kinds of bliss, was reborn in a family house when this Buddha arose; on having attained his developed age, he came to be endowed with pious faith, became a monk in the dispensation, before long attained arahatship, and became well-known as the thera Caṅkamanadāyaka, by the name of the meritorious deed done.

93. Having come to recollect the meritorious deed done by himself formerly, one day, he became pleasure-minded and uttered a stanza starting with atthadassissa munino in order to make manifest the deed done by him formerly. There, attahdassissa;(of Attahdassī), He who sees and notices the welfare; the connection (payojana), the increase, the mounting up nibbāna; thus, Atthadassī (the seer of welfare); in other words, He is in the habit of seeing and knowing the welfare of nibbāna; thus, Atthadassī; I had a cloister, joyful to the heart, adhering to the mind, conducive towards development, facilitating mind-fullness, made for that Glorious One, the sage Atthadassī, who was endowed with knowledge of escape (mona); thus, is the connection. The rest is but easily comprehensible by following the aforesaid method.

The commentary on the biography of the thera caṅkamanadāyaka has ended.