Rohitassa Sutta

Textual Scholarship
1

My personal belief (I understand it may differ from others) is this:

Abhidhamma describes world of experience, rather than “objective, materialistic” world independent of the observer and thus independent of dukkha and relevance of the person.

As Rohitassa Sutta says

Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos, the cessation of the cosmos, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the cosmos.”

AN 4:45 To Rohitassa | Rohitassa Sutta | sutta on dhammatalks.org

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Rohitassasuttavaṇṇanā
5. Commentary on the Discourse on Rohitassa

1192

45. Pañcame yatthāti cakkavāḷalokassa ekokāse bhummaṃ.

In the fifth (discourse), ‘where’ means the ground in one place of the cakkavāḷa (world-sphere) world.

Na cavati na upapajjatīti idaṃ aparāparaṃ cutipaṭisandhivasena gahitaṃ.

‘Does not pass away, does not re-arise’ refers to being caught in this succession of passing away and re-arising.

Gamanenāti padagamanena.

‘By going’ means by step-by-step going.

Lokassa antanti satthā saṅkhāralokassa antaṃ sandhāya vadati.

‘The end of the world’ means the Teacher speaks with reference to the end of the world of formations.

Ñāteyyantiādīsu ñātabbaṃ daṭṭhabbaṃ pattabbanti attho.

In phrases like ‘to be known,’ it means to be known, to be seen, to be attained.

Iti devaputtena cakkavāḷalokassa anto pucchito, satthārā saṅkhāralokassa kathito.

Thus, the end of the cakkavāḷa world was asked by the devaputta, and the end of the world of formations was spoken of by the Teacher.

So pana ‘‘attano pañhena saddhiṃ satthu byākaraṇaṃ sametī’’ti saññāya sampahaṃsanto acchariyantiādimāha.

Thinking, ‘the Teacher’s answer accords with my question,’ he, delighting, spoke the words ‘Amazing!’ and so on.

1193

Daḷhadhammāti daḷhadhanu uttamappamāṇena dhanunā samannāgato.

‘A strong archer’ means one endowed with a strong bow, a bow of excellent measure.

Dhanuggahoti dhanuācariyo.

‘Archer’ means a master of archery.

Sikkhitoti dvādasa vassāni dhanusippaṃ sikkhito.

‘Trained’ means trained in the art of archery for twelve years.

Katahatthoti usabhappamāṇepi vālaggaṃ vijjhituṃ samatthabhāvena katahattho.

‘Practiced hand’ means one whose hand is practiced to the extent of being able to shoot even the tip of a cow’s hair.

Katūpāsanoti katasarakkhepo dassitasippo.

‘Practiced in the use of weapons’ means one who has displayed his skill in shooting arrows.

Asanenāti kaṇḍena.

‘With an arrow’ means with a dart.

Atipāteyyāti atikkameyya.

‘Would pass beyond’ means would transcend.

Yāvatā so tālacchādiṃ atikkameyya, tāvatā kālena ekaṃ cakkavāḷaṃ atikkamāmīti attano javasampattiṃ dasseti.

He shows his swiftness, saying, “I can traverse one world-system in the time it takes for him to pass beyond a palm tree.”

1194

Puratthimā samuddā pacchimoti yathā puratthimā samuddā pacchimasamuddo dūre, evaṃ me dūre padavītihāro ahosīti vadati.

‘From the eastern ocean to the western’ means, he says, “My traversing of steps was as far as the western ocean is from the eastern ocean.”

So kira pācīnacakkavāḷamukhavaṭṭiyaṃ ṭhito pādaṃ pasāretvā pacchimacakkavāḷamukhavaṭṭiṃ atikkamati, puna dutiyapādaṃ pasāretvā paracakkavāḷamukhavaṭṭiṃ atikkamati.

He, standing on the rim of the eastern world-system, extends one foot and crosses the rim of the western world-system; then he extends his second foot and crosses the rim of another world-system.

Icchāgatanti icchā eva.

‘The coming of desire’ means just desire.

Aññatrevāti nippapañcataṃ dasseti.

‘Apart from that’ indicates the state of being free from proliferation.

Bhikkhācārakāle kiresa nāgalatādantakaṭṭhaṃ khāditvā anotatte mukhaṃ dhovitvā kāle sampatte uttarakurumhi piṇḍāya caritvā cakkavāḷamukhavaṭṭiyaṃ nisinno bhattakiccaṃ karoti, tattha muhuttaṃ vissamitvā puna javati.

It seems that during his alms round, he would chew a tooth-stick of nāgalatā creeper, wash his mouth in the Anotatta Lake, then, when the time came, go for alms in Uttarakuru, and sitting on the rim of a world-system, he would partake of his meal, resting there for a moment before continuing his journey.

Vassasatāyukoti tadā dīghāyukakālo hoti, ayaṃ pana vassasatāvasiṭṭhe āyumhi gamanaṃ ārabhi.

‘Having a lifespan of a hundred years’ refers to a time when lifespans were long; but this one began his journey with a hundred years of life remaining.

Vassasatajīvīti taṃ vassasataṃ anantarāyena jīvanto.

‘Living for a hundred years’ means living that hundred years without interruption.

Antarāyeva kālaṅkatoti cakkavāḷalokassa antaṃ appatvā antarāva mato.

‘Passed away in the midst’ means he died in the midst of his journey, without reaching the end of the world-system.

So pana tattha kālaṃ katvāpi āgantvā imasmiṃyeva cakkavāḷe nibbatti.

Even after dying there, he was reborn in this very world-system.

1195

Appatvāti saṅkhāralokassa antaṃ appatvā.

‘Without having reached’ means without having reached the end of the world of formations.

Dukkhassāti vaṭṭadukkhassa.

‘Of suffering’ means of the suffering of saṃsāra.

Antakiriyanti pariyantakaraṇaṃ.

‘Making an end’ means bringing to an end.

Kaḷevareti attabhāve.

‘In this body’ means in one’s own existence.

Sasaññimhi samanaketi sasaññe sacittake.

‘Endowed with perception and mind’ means with perception and with mind.

Lokanti dukkhasaccaṃ.

‘The world’ means the truth of suffering (dukkha-sacca).

Lokasamudayanti samudayasaccaṃ.

‘The origin of the world’ means the truth of origin (samudaya-sacca).

Lokanirodhanti nirodhasaccaṃ.

‘The cessation of the world’ means the truth of cessation (nirodha-sacca).

Paṭipadanti maggasaccaṃ.

‘The path’ means the truth of the path (magga-sacca).

Iti ‘‘nāhaṃ, āvuso, imāni cattāri saccāni tiṇakaṭṭhādīsu paññapemi, imasmiṃ pana catumahābhūtike kāyasmiṃyeva paññapemī’’ti dasseti.

Thus, he shows, “Friends, I do not declare these four noble truths in things like grass and sticks, but in this body made of the four great elements itself.”

Samitāvīti samitapāpo.

‘Having calmed’ means having calmed defilements.

Nāsīsatīti na pattheti.

‘Does not long’ means does not yearn for.

Chaṭṭhaṃ uttānatthamevāti.

The sixth is just clear in meaning.

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5-6. Rohitassasuttādivaṇṇanā
5-6. Commentary on the Rohitassa Sutta and others

1416

45-46. Pañcame (saṃ. ni. ṭī. 1.1.107) ekokāseti cakkavāḷassa pariyantasaññite ekasmiṃ okāse.

In the fifth*, “in one place” means in one place designated as the boundary of the cakkavāḷa.

Bhummanti ‘‘yatthā’’ti idaṃ bhummavacanaṃ.

“Locative” means the word “where” is in the locative case.

Sāmaññato vuttampi ‘‘so lokassa anto’’ti vacanato visiṭṭhavisayameva hoti.

Although stated generally, “that is the end of the world” refers to a specific domain.

‘‘Na jāyati, na mīyatī’’ti vatvā puna ‘‘na cavati, na upapajjatī’’ti kasmā vuttanti āha **‘‘idaṃ aparāparaṃ…pe… gahita’’**nti.

Why, after saying “does not arise, does not die,” is it said again, “does not pass away, does not reappear”? It says, “this is successive… (and so on)… grasped.”

Padagamanenāti padasā gamanena.

“By walking a yojana” means by walking step by step.

Satthā saṅkhāralokassa antaṃ sandhāya vadati upari sabbāni pakāsetukāmo.

“The Teacher speaks with reference to the end of the saṅkhāra-world,” intending to explain all things further.

Saṅkhāralokassa hi anto nibbānaṃ.

Indeed, the end of the saṅkhāra-world is Nibbāna.

1417

Daḷhaṃ thiraṃ dhanu etassāti daḷhadhanvā, so eva ‘‘daḷhadhammā’’ti vutto.

One who has a strong, firm bow is called daḷhadhanvā; he is also called “daḷhadhammā.”

Tenāha **‘‘daḷhadhanū’’**ti.

Therefore, it says, “one with a strong bow.”

Uttamappamāṇaṃ nāma sahassathāmadhanu.

“The ultimate measure” is a bow with the strength of a thousand*.

Dhanuggaṇhanasippacittakatāya dhanuggaho, na dhanuggahaṇamattenāti āha **‘‘dhanuggahoti dhanuācariyo’’**ti.

He is a dhanuggaha due to his skill and artistry in handling a bow, not merely by holding a bow; thus it says, “dhanuggaha means a master archer.”

‘‘Dhanuggaho’’ti vatvā ‘‘sikkhito’’ti vutte dhanusikkhāya sikkhitoti viññāyati.

When it says “dhanuggaha” and then “trained,” it is understood that he is trained in archery.

Sikkhā ca ettakena kālena sikkhantassa ukkaṃsagatā hotīti āha **‘‘dvādasa vassāni dhanusippaṃ sikkhito’’**ti.

And training reaches its peak for one who trains for such a period; thus it says, “trained in archery for twelve years.”

Usabhappamāṇeti vīsati yaṭṭhiyo usabhaṃ, tasmiṃ usabhappamāṇe padese.

“Usabhappamāṇe” means twenty staffs make an usabha; in that area of usabha-measure.

Vālagganti vālakoṭiṃ.

Vālagga means the tip of a hair.

Katahatthoti paricitahattho.

Katahattho means one with a practiced hand.

Katasarakkhepoti thiralakkhe ca calalakkhe ca paresaṃ dassanavasena sarakkhepassa katāpī.

Katasarakkhepo means one who has made a shot, by showing others how to shoot at both fixed and moving targets.

Tenāha **‘‘dassitasippo’’**ti, ‘‘katayoggo’’ti keci.

Therefore, it is said “dassitasippo” (one who has displayed skill); some say “katayoggo” (one who has practiced).

Asanti etenāti asanaṃ, kaṇḍo.

That by which they shoot is asanaṃ, an arrow.

Tālacchādinti tālacchāyaṃ.

Tālacchādiṃ means a palm-leaf shade.

Sā pana ratanamattā vidatthicaturaṅgulā.

That is, however, the size of a jewel, a span and four finger-breadths.

1418

Puratthimā samuddāti ekasmiṃ cakkavāḷe puratthimā samuddā.

From the eastern ocean means from the eastern ocean in one world-system.

Samuddasīsena puratthimacakkavāḷamukhavaṭṭiṃ vadati.

By “ocean’s head,” it refers to the mouth-rim of the eastern world-system.

Pacchimasamuddoti etthāpi eseva nayo.

The same method applies to the western ocean.

Nippapañcatanti adantakāritaṃ.

Nippapañcataṃ means being unadorned.

Sampatteti tādisena javena gacchantena sampatte.

Sampatte means having arrived, by one going with such speed.

Anotatteti etthāpi ‘‘sampatte’’ti padaṃ ānetvā sambandho, tathā ‘‘nāgalatādantakaṭṭha’’nti etthāpi.

Here too, in Anotatte, the word “sampatte” should be brought in to connect, and similarly in “nāgalatādantakaṭṭhaṃ”.

Tadāti yadā so lokantagavesako ahosi, tadā.

Tadā means when he was seeking the end of the world, then.

Dīghāyukakāloti anekavassasahassāyukakālo.

Dīghāyukakālo means a time of many thousands of years of life.

Cakkavāḷalokassāti sāmaññavasena ekavacanaṃ, cakkavāḷalokānanti attho.

Cakkavāḷalokassa is a singular noun in a general sense; the meaning is “of the world-systems.”

Imasmiṃyeva cakkavāḷe nibbattipubbaparicayasiddhāya nikantiyā.

Due to the affection established by previous familiarity, having been born in this very world-system.

1419

Sasaññimhi samanaketi na rūpadhammamattake, atha kho pañcakkhandhasamudāyeti dasseti.

In the conscious, with mind indicates that it is not merely a material phenomenon, but rather a collection of the five aggregates.

Samitapāpoti samucchinnasaṃkilesadhammo.

Samitapāpo means one whose defilements have been eradicated.

Chaṭṭhaṃ uttānameva.

The sixth is clear.

1420

Rohitassasuttādivaṇṇanā niṭṭhitā.

The commentary on the Rohitassa Sutta and so forth is concluded.

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Ok but what is this observer?

In the Paṭhamaaparijānana sutta

Without directly knowing and fully understanding the ear, without developing dispassion towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of destroying suffering

And the same for sounds and hearing and the other ayatanas.
While hearing arises at the ear when contacted by sound, the conditions for sound are not manufactured in this fathom long body.

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5 Aggregates.

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could you give more details, it might be a useful point.

do you agree with this?

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The observer is not Atta.

What do you mean? If the vocal cords make a certain motion, certain sound is produced. Usually, the mind has to formulate something to say and then the vocal cords produce the physical wave we call “speech”.

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Sorry I should have said " not all sounds".
For instance the sound of a dog barking or a car or someone talking is not produced in this fathom long body, although the hearing arises at the ear door.

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