Is there a commentary to AN5.184 Charnel Ground Dwellers?

General Theravada topics
1

I am not very familiar with navigating the commentaries. Is there a commentary to AN5.184? I looked at Tipiṭaka Translation but it just seems to skip over that sutta.

Any insight is appreciated.

2

yes it seems to skip the sutta:

Commentary to the preceding:

Pañcaka-chakka-sattakanipāta-aṭṭhakathā - Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka
181. Catutthassa paṭhame mandattā momūhattāti neva samādānaṃ jānāti, na ānisaṃsaṃ.

181. In the first (Sutta) of the fourth (chapter), mandattā momūhattā means he knows neither the undertaking (of the practice) nor its advantages.

Attano pana mandattā momūhattā aññāṇeneva āraññako hoti.

But due to his own dullness and bewilderment, he becomes a forest dweller out of ignorance.

Pāpiccho icchāpakatoti ‘‘araññe me viharantassa ‘ayaṃ āraññako’ti catupaccayasakkāraṃ karissanti, ‘ayaṃ bhikkhu lajjī pavivitto’tiādīhi ca guṇehi sambhāvessantī’’ti evaṃ pāpikāya icchāya ṭhatvā tāya eva icchāya abhibhūto hutvā āraññako hoti.

Pāpiccho icchāpakato means he becomes a forest dweller, having evil desires, thinking, “When I dwell in the forest, people will offer me the four requisites and honors, saying, ‘This bhikkhu is modest and secluded’,” and thus overcome by that very desire.

Ummādavasena araññaṃ pavisitvā viharanto pana ummādā cittakkhepā āraññako nāma hoti.

But one who enters the forest and dwells there due to madness is called a forest dweller by ummādā cittakkhepā (madness, derangement of mind).

Vaṇṇitanti idaṃ āraññakaṅgaṃ nāma buddhehi ca buddhasāvakehi ca vaṇṇitaṃ pasatthanti āraññako hoti.

Vaṇṇitaṃ means this forest-dwelling practice (araññakaṅga) is praised and commended by Buddhas and Buddha’s disciples; thus he becomes a forest dweller.

Idamatthitanti imāya kalyāṇāya paṭipattiyā attho etassāti idamatthī, idamatthino bhāvo idamatthitā.

Idamatthitaṃ means this noble practice has a purpose (attho etassa); idamatthī (it has this purpose), and idamatthino bhāvo (the state of having this purpose) is idamatthitā.

Taṃ idamatthitaṃyeva nissāya, na aññaṃ kiñci lokāmisanti attho.

Relying solely on this purpose, not on any worldly gain, is the meaning.

Sesamettha ito paresu ca uttānatthameva.

The rest here and in subsequent (sections) is straightforward.

3

Ah! I hadn’t even considered that. Thank you. Great resource.

4

Quite often, the commentaries do not repeat themselves — sometimes this is even per volume or per Nikāya.

Those dealing with practice can be found in the Path to Purification or possibly even in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta Commentary.

You might find what you are looking for in the Path to Purification on printed page 267.

You can begin at this section below:

  1. xi. The charnel-ground-dweller’s practice is undertaken with one of the following statements: “I refuse what is not a charnel ground,” or “I undertake the charnel-ground-dweller’s practice.”

You would be surprised at how much of the commentary is translated by humans. Those should be the first choice books to grab, but it is excellent that you are using some of the online tools. For practice related items.. the vsm is quite good.

Enjoy!

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