Re: catusu ṭhānesu

Dear Aleix,

I could not find clarification of this statement in any ṭīkā (a search for catūsu ṭhānesūti in the ṭīkās brings up the four aspects of right effort or the four noble truths), but taking the statement in context, since the Elder Sāriputta is circumambulating the Buddha three times, my guess is that with each circumambulation he bows down in front of the Buddha, at his left, from behind, and at his right. This is commonly done in Sri Lanka when circumambulating a dagoba, so it may have been the practice when taking final leave of the Buddha. In the biography of Mahākassapa, we find his wife Bhaddā also bowing down to him in the four places:

‘‘Āma, ayya, pabbajitānaṃ mātugāmo nāma malaṃ, ‘pabbajitvāpi vinā na bhavantī’ti amhākaṃ dosaṃ dassanti, tumhe ekaṃ maggaṃ gaṇhatha, ahaṃ ekaṃ gaṇhitvā vinā bhavissāmā’’ti tikkhattuṃ padakkhiṇaṃ katvā catūsu ṭhānesu pañcapatiṭṭhitena vanditvā dasanakhasamodhānasamujjalaṃ añjaliṃ paggayha ‘‘satasahassakappappamāṇe addhāne kato mittasanthavo ajja bhijjatī’’ti vatvā ‘‘tumhe dakkhiṇajātikā nāma, tumhākaṃ dakkhiṇamaggo vaṭṭati. Mayaṃ mātugāmā nāma vāmajātikā, amhākaṃ vāmamaggo vaṭṭatī’’ti vanditvā maggaṃ paṭipannā. 

With best wishes,

Bhikkhu Bodhi

 

Dear friends,

I have a doubt regarding a passage in Sv II 551: thero tikkhattuṃ padakkhiṇaṃ katvā catusu ṭhānesu vanditvā

It refers to Sāriputta Thera paying homage to the Buddha for the last time. The ṭīkā does not comment on this passage. There are a few parallels, for instance Ja VI 84 udakena siñcitvā tikkhattuṃ padakkhiṇaṃ katvā catusu ṭhānesu vanditvā which in Cowell's translation is rendered: "and made his obeisance at the four several points" (could any English native speaker clarify me this usage of 'several'?). I was also translating catusu ṭhānesu as the four directions, because that is what the context seems to require (well, sort of...). However, the locative makes me doubt. vandati requires an accusative of object. Interestingly over 90% of the usages of vanditvā in the canon are with the accusative pāde "the feet". We could assume, perhaps, that the accusative is Bhagavantaṃ (bhagavantaṃ catusu ṭhānesu vanditvā), what would that mean? Theoretically it cannot refer to the four places in the career of a Buddha, because at that time the Buddha is still alive. I would like to know what you think of it and if you also see a problem, or there is no problem at all and the locative with vandati is perfectly normal in certain contexts. In that case, I would like to know exactly why Sāriputta bows down to the four directions. In the Jataka example that I have cited, the king pays obeisance to the four corners thinking that he has killed Sama, so it seems to be part of a death ritual. Do you think that could have any connection with our Pali passage?

Thank you very much in advance.

Best wishes and mettā,
Aleix

SSBU, Taunggyi

-- 
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Chuang Yen Monastery
2020 Route 301
Carmel NY 10512
U.S.A.

Sabbe sattā averā hontu, abyāpajjā hontu, anighā hontu, sukhī hontu!
願眾生無怨，願眾生無害，願眾生無惱，願眾生快樂！
May all beings be free from enmity, free from affliction, free from distress. May they be happy!