Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

144 Vimuttimaggaemancipation, has tamed beings. Therefore, he is named "guide of men to betamed". 1"Teacher of divine and human beings": The Blessed One has rescueddivine and human beings from the fearful forest of birth, decay and death.Therefore, he is called "teacher of divine and human beings". And again,he has taught the way of insight and the way of meditation, jhana. Therefore,he is called "teacher of divine and human beings". Thus, in these ways shoulda man recall (the qualities) of him who comes and goes in the same way.Further, there is the teaching of the principal teacher: In four waysshould the Blessed One be remembered. He came to the world for the lasttime by his own efforts in the past. He was endowed with excellent virtue.He benefltted the world. During twenty incalculable 2 aeons from his firstaspiration to his last birth, he had seen the faculties and the bases of faculties ofcountless 3 number of commoners. Therefore, he pities the world thus: "Ihave attained to liberation; now, I should liberate these. I have tamed myself;now, I should tame these. I have gained knowledge; now, I should causeknowledge to arise in these. I have reached Nibbdna; now, I should causethese also to reach it". 4He has reached completion and contentment in the fulfilling of charity,virtue, renunciation, fortitude, truth, resolution, loving-kindness, equanimity,energy and wisdom. He revealed the birth stories of the time when he was aBodhisatta, in order to encourage others to gain the light. He was born as ahare and practised charity. 5 One should recollect on virtue through theSarhkhapala birth-story; 6 on renunciation, through the Maha-Govinda birthstory;7 on fortitude, through the Khanti birth-story; 8 on truth, through theMaha Sutasoma birth-story; 9 on resolution, through the Dumb-Cripple's birthstory;10 on loving-kindness, through the Sakka birth-story; 11 on equanimity,through the Lomaharhsa birth-story; 12 on energy, through the Chief of Merchants'birth-story; 13 (on wisdom), through the Deer birth-story. 14 One shouldalso recollect on the word of the father in the Dighiti-Kosala birth-story 15 andone should recollect on the reverence of the White Six-tusked Elephant-sage. 161. Cp. Sn.-a. II, 443: Vicitrehi vinayanupdyehi purisadamme sdreti ti purisadammasdrathi.2. Asankheyya. 3. Lit. 10,000,000,000,000.4. Cp. (a) It. 123: Danto damayatam setthosanto samayatam isi,mutto mocayatam aggotinno tdrayatarh varo.(b)D. Ill, 54-5: Buddho so Bhagavd bodhdya dhammam deseti, danto so Bhagavddamathdya dhammam deseti, santo so Bhagavd samathdya dhammam deseti,tinno so Bhagavd tarandya dhammam deseti, parinibbuto so Bhagavd parinibbdndyadhammam desetiti.5. J. No. 316, C. Pit. 82-3. 6. J. No. 524, C. Pit- 91.7. D. II, 230-251, C. Pit- 76. 8. J. No. 313.9. J. No. 537, C. Pit. 101-1. 10. Temiya J. No. 538, C. Pit. 96.11. J. No. 31. 12. Nidana-katha, p. 10, C. Pit. p. 102.13. Kuhaka J. No. 89, Seri Vanija J. No. 3. 14. J. No. 206 (?)15. J. No. 371. 16. J. No. 514.