This footnote carries Rhys Davids' whole reading of Nirvana. Childers' Pali dictionary had glossed parinibbuto as extinguished, extinct, dead; Rhys Davids replies that the Nikāyas use the word of the living, in one passage of "a living horse", and that "The Buddhists never say entered into Nirvana of a deceased person." On this view Nirvana is a state reached in life, freedom and peace, and only figuratively a death, much as the Christian phrase entered into rest is figurative. The running title of this suttanta, the Book of the Great Decease, sits a little uneasily beside the note; the translator's own argument pulls against his title.
Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)
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1 This is merely a stock phrase for introducing verses which repeat the idea of the preceding phrase (see above, paragraph 32). It is an instructive sign of the state of mind in which such records are put together, that these verses could be ascribed to Gotama himself without any feeling of the incongruity involved.
2 The last word, Parinibbuto, was misunderstood by Childers. \ It is used in the Nikayas of living persons in the sense of set free
(from evil), at peace. In one passage (M. I, 446) it is even used of a living horse. In all of these passages Childers's rendering 'extinguished, extinct, dead ' would be quite inexplicable. Such passages are Majjhima I, 45, 235, 251 ; II, 102 ; Thera-gatha 5, 7, 8, 9, &c. ; Sutta Nipata 359, 758; Sarayutta III, 26, 54; Itivuttaka 52, 56; Dhammapada 89. The same usage is still found in later books (Milinda 50 ; Jataka IV, 303, 453). But, just as in the somewhat analogous Christian expression entered into rest, the word (still in its ordinary meaning as above) is once or twice used, figuratively, of Arahants who have died. They are at peace, set free. There is no word in the Buddhist phrase corresponding to the Christian ' entered.' The Buddhists never say entered into Nirvana of a deceased person. So far as I know the phrase occurs only once (Sutta Nipata 514), and then it is used of a living person.
D. ii. 124. THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASK. I 33 mind set round with intelligence is set quite free from the Intoxications, that is to say, from the Intoxication of Sensuality, from the Intoxication of Becoming, from the Intoxication of Delusion, from the Intoxication of Ignorance.'
5, 6. Now when the Exalted One had remained at Bha/^a-gama as long- as he desired, he addressed the venerable Ananda, and said : — ' Come, Ananda, let us go to Hatthi-gama.'
[Then in similar words, end of § i and §§2, 3, and 4 repeated, it is related how the Buddha went there, and then on to Amba-gama, and then on to Jambugama, at each place holding similar discourses ; and then went on to Bhoga-nagara.]
7. Now there at Bhoga-nagara the Exalted One stayed at the Ananda Shrine.
There the Exalted One addressed the brethren and said : — ' I will teach you, O brethren, these four Great Authorities \ Listen thereto, and give good heed, and I will speak.'
[124] ' Even so, lord ! ' said the brethren, in assent 2, to the Exalted One, and the Exalted One spoke as follows : —
8. 'In the first place, brethren, a brother may say thus : — " From the mouth of the Exalted One himself
1 The meaning of mahapadesa is not quite clear. Perhaps it should be rendered ' true authorities.' I have followed Buddhaghosa in taking apadesa as the last part of the compound. He says: — mahapadesa ti maha-okase maha-apadese va. Buddhadayo mahante mahante apadisitva vuttani mahakara;/ani ti attho, ' the causes (authorities) alleged when referring to Buddha and other great men.' Mr. Samarasekara takes it as maha-padesa.
2 I ought perhaps to have explained why I have ventured to differ from Childers in the rendering of the common word patisuwati. The root sru seems to have meant 'to sound' before it meant 'to hear'; and, whether this be so or not, pati-suwati means not simply ' to consent,' but ' to answer (assentingly).' It has been pointed out to me that answer was formerly andstverian where swerian is probably not unrelated to the root svar, 'to sound.'
134 XVL MAHA PARINIBBANA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 124.
have I heard, from his own mouth have I received it. This is the truth, this the law, this the teaching of the Master." The word spoken, brethren, by that brother should neither be received with praise nor treated with scorn. Without praise and without scorn every word and syllable should be carefully understood and then put beside the Suttas [the stock paragraphs learnt by heart in the community] and compared with the Vinaya [the rules of the Order]1. If when so compared they do not harmonize with the Suttas, and do not fit in with the rules of the Order, then you may come to the conclusion : — " Verily, this is not the word of the Exalted One, and has been wrongly grasped by that brother." Therefore, brethren, you should reject it. But if they harmonize with the Suttas and fit in with the rules of the Order, then you may come to the conclusion : — " Verily, this is the word of the Exalted One, and has been well grasped by that brother." This, brethren, you should receive as the first Great Authority.