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The Discourse about the Great Emancipation

An English translation of one of the longest discourses in the canon, detailing the last year of the Buddha’s life, and his final teachings (Mahāparinibbānasuttaṁ, DN 16)

An English translation of one of the longest discourses in the canon, detailing the last year of the Buddha’s life, and his final teachings (Mahāparinibbānasuttaṁ, DN 16)

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<strong>The</strong> Second Chapter for Recitation<br />

and of reverential salutation,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y are an unsurpassed field of merit for <strong>the</strong> world.’<br />

He is endowed with <strong>the</strong> lovely Ariyan virtue, 60 unbroken, faultless,<br />

unspotted, unblemished, productive of freedom, praised by <strong>the</strong> wise,<br />

not adhered to, leading to concentration.<br />

This is <strong>the</strong> presentation of <strong>the</strong> Teaching, Ānanda, called <strong>the</strong> Mirror of<br />

(<strong>the</strong> True Nature of) Things endowed with which a Noble Disciple<br />

desiring to do so may declare <strong>about</strong> himself: ‘Exhausted is (birth in)<br />

Hell, exhausted is (birth in) an animal's womb, exhausted is (birth in)<br />

<strong>the</strong> realm of <strong>the</strong> Fallen Spirits, exhausted is falling into an unfortunate<br />

destiny in <strong>the</strong> lower realms, I am a Stream-Enterer, no longer subject<br />

to falling (into <strong>the</strong> lower realms), and have a fixed destiny ending in<br />

Final Awakening.’ ”<br />

* * *<br />

<strong>The</strong>re also <strong>the</strong> Gracious One, while living near Nādika in <strong>the</strong> Brick<br />

House, spoke frequently to <strong>the</strong> monks <strong>about</strong> <strong>the</strong> Teaching, (saying):<br />

60 Comm: Pañca sīlani hi Ariyasāvakānaṁ kantāni honti, bhavantare pi<br />

avijahitabbato; <strong>the</strong> five virtuous (precepts) are lovely to <strong>the</strong> Noble disciples,<br />

and will not be given up even in a future life (for this meaning s.v. PED,<br />

bhava). This must be <strong>the</strong> meaning here, and not in-between lives, which is<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r possible translation, but wouldn't fit in with <strong>the</strong> texts or <strong>the</strong><br />

Commentaries.<br />

57

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