Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(144):Valliya
Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids.
Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala
Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'.
Chapter II.
Two Verses[]
144. Valliya[]
Reborn in this Buddha-age at Vesālī, in a brahmin's family, he was named Kaṇhamitta. Come of age, he saw the majesty of the Buddha when the latter came to Vesālī, [132] and believing, he took orders under Mahā-Kaccana. dull of insight, and beginning to make effort, he was so long dependent upon the wisdom of his co-religionists that they called him Valliya (Creeper-shoot), saying, 'Like ivy and such plants, that cannot grow leaning on nothing, so he cannot get on without leaning on someone who is wise.'[1]
And it came to pass that he went to hear Thera Veṇudatta preach, and becoming by that heedful and intelligent and ripe in knowledge, he asked that proficient teacher, saying:
[167] Yaɱ kiccaɱ saḷhaviriyo yaɱ kaccaɱ boddhumicchatā,||
Karissaɱ nāvarujjhassaɱ passa viriyaɱ parakkamaɱ.|| ||
[168] Tvaɱ ca me maggamakkhāhi añjasaɱ amatogadhaɱ,||
Ahaɱ monena monissaɱ gaŋgāsoto'va sāgaranti.|| ||
[167] All that by earnest work has to be done,
All that one gladly to awaken to truth must do.
All that shall be my work nor shall I fail.
O see my forward strides in energy!
[168] And do you show me how and where to go -
The Path that's founded on Ambrosia -[2] So I in silent study pondering
Shall to the silence of the seers attain,
As glides great Gangā's river to the main.[3]
Then Veṇudatta gave him an exercise for study, and he, working at it, not long after won arahantship(enlightenment). Declaring aññā(supreme attainment), he uttered those same verses.
[1] Apparently a different Thera from the Valliyas of LIII. and CXXIII., in whose case Valliya would seem to be no nickname. I have called valli (creeper) 'ivy,' because of its typically representing for us such a character. On Mahā-Kaccana, see CCXXIX. Veṇudatta is not met with elsewhere.
[2] Nibbāne paṭiṭṭhitattā (Commentary).
[3] The quarter verse ahaɱ monena monissaɱ has been perhaps unduly expanded, but it was to do justice to the association, for classic Indian literature, between the seer or sage (muni) and silence (cf. Chāndogya Upanishad, viii. 5, 2). The simile of the Ganges illustrates both silent progress and attainment. Nevertheless, the Commentary will have nothing to do with silence; for it, monena is 'by wisdom or insight,' and monissaɱ is 'I shall know or discern (Nibbāna).'
2.3-4 [144] Commentary on the stanza of Valliyatthera[]
The stanza starting with yaṃ kiccaṃ daḷhavīriyena constitutes that of the venerable Thera Valliya. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a brahmin family at the time of the Blessed One Sumedha; on having attained the age of intelligence, he reached proficiency in the arts and sciences, gave up his wealth of eighty crores, renounced the world became a hermit recluse, had a hermitage built on the bank of a river, in a forest region, at the foot of a hill and was dwelling there, when he met the Master who went near him for the purpose of uplifting him; he became pious-minded, spread out his antelope skin and offered (it to Him). He made reverential offerings of flowers and sandal wood, offered mango fruits and paid his homage with five touching-ground postures (pañcapatiṭṭhita). Making manifest the comfort (sampatti) of His ‘seated seat’, to him, the Blessed One spoke words of thanks and departed. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, and was reborn in a brahmin family at Vesālī when this Buddha arose. He gained the name “Kaṇhamitta.” On having come of age, he saw the power of the Master when the latter went to Vesālī, aptly gained pious faith and became a monk in the presence of the Thera Mahākaccāna. He, being of meagre wisdom, and slow effort, dwelt but depending on his wise fellow-leader of holy life for a long time. Monks used to call him Valliya only, saying: “According as a creeper is not able to grow increasingly without depending on trees and so on, in the same way, this one also is not able to increasingly develop without depending on any wise one.” Subsequently, however, he approached the Thera Venudatta, abided by his advice, made himself mindful and fully aware (sampajāno), dwelt on and spoke two stanzas asking the Thera the serial order of proper practice (paṭipattikkama) since he had reached the all-round maturity of knowledge (ñāṇa).
167. “Whatever should be done with firm
exertion, and whatever ought to be
done by one who wishes to be enlightened,
I shall do; I shall not neglect.
Do see my exertion and effort.
168. “You, sir! Please speak to me of
the right path (magga), straight
diving into nibbāna (amatogadhaṃ);
I shall aptly attain nibbāna by the
knowledge of the right path (monena)
similar to the stream of the river
Gaṅgā reaching the ocean.
There, yaṃ kiccaṃ daḷhavīriyena means: Whatever duty is to be done and aptly practised by means of firm exertion and steady effort (thira parakkama); in other words with firm exertion and manly endurance (dorayha). Yaṃ kiccaṃboddhumicchatā means: whatever duty should be done by one who wants to and desires to aptly penetrate into the fourfold noble truths, or even nibbāna. Karissaṃ nāvarrajjhissati means: I shall do that now, I shall not miss: I shall aptly practise according as I am instructed (to do). Passa vīrivaṃ parakkamaṃ means: when regulating one’s life according to righteousness (dhamma) and from carrying it out (īraṇato) in due form (vidhi) is vīriyaṃ (exertion), from the stepping upon (akkamana) another and further place is “parakkama (effort);” if there be no belief, see my right effort which had gained the name vīriya and parakkama thus: thus, he shows the state of his own desire to do.
Tvañca means: he addresses his good friend the giver of mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna). Me means my. Maggamakkhāhi means: Do speak of the noble path (magga); please teach the mental exercise of the four fold noble truths which will well make me attain the transcendental path (lokuttatamagga); thus, is the meaning. Añjasaṃ means: straight (ujukaṃ), from not following (anupagamana) the two extremes (anta) because of the state of the middle path of practice (paṭipadā). Amatagadhaṃ means: the state of being established in the immortal nibbāna by means of the condition of facilitating the attainment. Monena means by means of the knowledge of the wisdom of the right path (magga). Monissaṃ means:– I shall comprehand, I shall aptly penetrate and attain. Caṅgāsoto va sāgaraṃ means: according as the stream of the river (Gaṅgā) enters into the ocean without fail (avirajjhanto) definitely (ekaṃsato), in the same way I ask the Thera for my mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), thus: “Devoting myself to (anuyuñjanto) mental exercise, I shall attain nibbāna by means of the knowledge of the right path; therefore, do inform me that mental exercise.
On having heard that request, the Thera Veṇudatta gave him the mental exercise. He also engaging himself in the mental exercise, became eager for developing spiritual insight (vipassanaṃ ussukkāpetvā) and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:–
“Having given up the five strands of
sensual pleasures of lovely beauty,
joyful to the heart. I became a houseless
monk, having abandoned the wealth
of eighty crores.
Having become a monk, I dwelt on the
shore of a river abstaining from doing
evil deeds by means of my body and
avoiding wicked conduct of works.
Buddha the best came to me who was
dwelling all alone. I did not know
Him to be Buddha with whom I held my
conversation (paṭisanthāra).
Having made my conversational greeting
I enquired after His name and clan
Are you a divinity or a celestial
musician or else are you Sakka, the
pioneer donor (purindada)?
Who are you? Or whose son are you?
The great brahmā must have come here.
You illuminate all directions resembling
the rising sun.
O my dear friend! Thousand spoked
wheels are seen on your soles (pāde).
Who are you? Or whose son are you?
How are we to know you?
Do let me know your name and clan;
do dispel my doubts. I am not a divinity,
I am not Sakka, the pioneer donor.
In me there is no condition of brahmā.
I am most excellent of these. I had gone
beyond their sphere (visaya); I had
broken asunder the fetter of sensual
pleasure. Having had all my depravity
burnt, I had attained the most excellent
self-enlightenment. Having heard what He
said, I spoke this statement.
If you are omniscient Buddha, O great
Sage! You please take your seat.
You are the maker of the end of misery
(dukkha): I shall moke reverential
offering to you.
Having spread out my antelope skin,
I offered it to the Master. The Glorious
One sat Himself down there like a lion
in a mountain glen (girigabhare).
Swiftly did I climb the hill and collected
mango fruits, excellent Sal flowers as
well as much worthy sandal scent.
Having held up all of them quickly,
I approached the leader of the world;
Having held up all of them quickly,
I approached the leader of the world;
having offered the fruit to Buddha I
made reverential offering of Sala
flowers.
Having smeared (Buddha’s body) with
sandal scent, I paid my homage to the
Master; I became pious-minded and good
hearted accompanied by bountiful zest
(pīti).
Having taken His seat on (my) antelope
skin, Sumedha, the leader of the world,
announced my deed making me cheerful
(hāsayanto) then.
On account of fruit offering along
with both flower garlands and sweet
scent, he will enjoy himself in the
divine world for twenty five hundred
aeons (kappa).
He will be having his highest power
(vasavattī), with no decrease in his
mental intentions (anūna manasaṅkappo);
he will go to become a human being for
twenty six aeons (kappa).
He will become a world-king of mighty
magical powers bounded on four sides
(by oceans) in the city named Vebhāra,
created by the divine architect (vissa-
kamma).
(His palace) will be all gold adorned
with varieties of gems; even by this
means he will wander about his rounds
of repeated rebirths in (every) existence.
Everywhere he would be honoured (pūjito)
in his divine state and then in human
condition. When his last existence duly
arrives he will become a kinsman of brahmā.
Having specially come out of his household,
he will become houseless; having become
one who has gone to the further shore
of higher knowledge, he will enter nibbāna
canker-free.
Having said thus, the self-awakened
Buddha Sumedha, the leader of the world,
took His departure to the sky (anilañjase)
while I was making my reflection.
On account of that well-done deed,
with volition and resolution, I gave up
my human body and went to Tāvatiṃsa.
Having passed away from Tusita I sprang
up in my mother’s womb; there is no
decrease in my wealth, in whichever
womb I dwell.
When I had gone into my mother’s
womb, there did arise, as and when was
wanted, food and drinks for nourishment
by the desire of my mother.
By the fifth year from my birth, I
became a monk of houseless life; when
my hair was being shaved, I attained
Arahantship.
Seeking former deeds, I did not see
with my bosom (orena). I remembered
my deed thirty thousand aeons (kappa)
ago.
My adoration be to you, O Thorough-bred
Man! Adoration be to you, O most excellent
Man! Having come to your dispensation, I
have attained the unshaken path.
It was thirty thousand aeons (kappa)
ago that I made my special reverential
offering to Buddha. I do not remember
any evil existence; this is the fruitful
result of my reverential offering to
Buddha.
My depravity had been burnt. …
Buddha’s instruction had been carried
out.”
Having, however, attained Arahantship, the Thera spoke these self-same stanzas even, revealing his Arahantship (aññā).
The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Valliya is complete.