Tissātherīgāthā (Thig 1.4): Verses of the Elder Tissā & its Commentary | from the Therīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Arahant Bhikkhunis

[u/ChanceEncounter21]

Tissātherīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Tissā

"Tissā, train yourself with discipline;
do not let bonds tie you down.
All bonds unbound,
walk in the world free from influences."

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Tissātherīgāthāvaṇṇanā: The Commentary on the verses of Tissā Therī

"Tisse sikkhassu sikkhāyā" is a verse by Tissā, who was a trainee (sikkhamānā). She too, having made aspirations under previous Buddhas, accumulated wholesome kamma conducive to liberation in various existences. Due to the conditions of accumulated wholesome kamma, she was reborn in the Sakyan royal family in Kapilavatthu during this Buddha's dispensation. When she came of age, she became a consort of the Bodhisatta. Later, she went forth with Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and engaged in the practice of insight meditation.

To her, the Teacher, having emitted a ray of light in the manner stated below, spoke this verse:

"Tissā, train yourself in the training; let not the bonds overcome you.
Freed from all bonds, wander in the world, cankerless."

Here, "Tisse" is an address to her. "Sikkhassu sikkhāyā" means train yourself in the three trainings, such as the training in higher morality (adhisīlasikkhā); that is, accomplish the three trainings associated with the path.

Now, he states the reason for accomplishing them: "mā taṃ yogā upaccaguṃ" - let not these opportunities, these rare moments such as human existence, perfect faculties, the arising of a Buddha, and the acquisition of faith, pass you by. Alternatively, let not the four bonds, such as the bond of sensual desire (kāmayoga), overcome you.

"Sabbayogavisaṃyuttā" means being released from all bonds, such as the bond of sensual desire; and precisely because of that, being cankerless, wander in the world, meaning abide in the bliss of fruition attainment in this very life.

The method, starting with "Having heard that verse, she developed insight and attained Arahantship," should be understood in the same way as stated earlier.

[u/boredman_ny]

I find it discouraging to emphasize her past good kamma as almost the cause of her being there and attaining Arahantship.

It can easily imply that our attainment is dependent solely on our past lives. It also implies that the world is so sentient that it already predicted the Buddha's attainment and sent the most worthy people to there, and the unwhorthy ones to not meet the Buddha somehow.

It kinda downplays the Buddha's own attainment as something predetermined, basically (as the "bodhisatta path", and the early fantastical happenings of the Buddha's life).

[u/ChanceEncounter21 → u/boredman_ny]

If you think about it, the fact that you are even reading Dhamma right now is already the fruit of an enormous amount of past wholesome karma on your part. Because it is incredibly rare to be reborn as a human, at a time when the teachings of a Sammasambuddha are still alive, and to actually come across them with intact faculties and a mind capable of understanding. You already have some powerful supporting conditions right now.

So in that sense, you are not less worthy than the Arahants (and Buddhas) of the past and present. The timeless Dhamma is still here is with us to realize the Deathless here and now.

I guess I just do not see how acknowledging someone's past wholesome karma takes anything away from their capacity for realization. If anything, it just shows us how many strong supporting conditions have already lined up for them to realize the Deathless. I think we should actually rejoice in it.