>>73
Awesome, I'll just keep it all in the same thread. It'd be nice to see more people here too.
I'll continue with the second half to the first pair.
==Verse 2 - Matthakundali Vatthu (The story of Matthakundali)
Manopubbangama dhamma
<mind | preceded by> <mental phenomena>
All mental phenomena are preceded by the mind.
NOTE: The word Dhamma is so fluid in the Pali and Buddhist context and can mean any number of things such as: doctrine, nature, truth, morality, proper conduct, proper practice. In this context I believe it mainly means any thing which arises to your consciousness which, by your perception, is a momentary truth. From this perspective it can mean any thought or feeling (both internally mentally formed i.e. grief and mentally formed from a physical cause i.e. pain, pleasure).
manosettha manomaya
<mind | governed/directed> <mind | made>
manasa ce pasannena
<mind> <if(with)> <pure>
If with a pure mind
NOTE: After consulting Lily de Silva's Pali Primer (https://dcbuddhiststudies.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/desilvapaliprimer.pdf) I think this line (and the similar line in the first verse) may actually be mana (mind) sace(if) pasannena(pure/clear/enlightened) because sace is one word and so is mana.
bhasati va karoti va
One speaks or acts
tato nam sukha manveti
<hence> <so> <happiness> <follows>
Happiness follows him
chayava anapayini.
<shadow> <never leaving>
Like the shadow which never leaves him
NOTE: I also believe that chayava needs to be split into chaya va as the word chaya is shadow and va is like/as.
NOTE: You may notice that some words seem similar to English when pronounced such as maya/made mana/mind chaya/shadow. The reason for this is Pali's close relationship with Sanskrit, an older Indo-European language of India which has close relations to Greek and Latin and thus is somewhat related to English and most European languages. Many of you may have already known this but I thought it was worth noting.
"The Story of Matthakundali
While residing at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered Verse (2) of this book, with reference to Matthakundali, a young Brahmin. Matthakundali was a young brahmin, whose father, Adinnapubbaka, was very stingy and never gave anything in charity. Even the gold ornaments for his only son were made by himself to save payment for workmanship. When his son fell ill, no physician was consulted, until it was too late. When he realized that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside on to the verandah, so that people coming to his house would not see his possessions.
On that morning, the Buddha arising early from his deep meditation of compassion saw, in his Net of Knowledge, Matthakundali lying on the verandah. So when entering Savatthi for alms-food with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of the brahmin Adinnapubbaka. The Buddha sent forth a ray of light to attract the attention of the youth, who was facing the interior of the house. The youth saw the Buddha; and as he was very weak he could only profess his faith mentally. But that was enough. When he passed away with his heart in devotion to the Buddha he was reborn in the Tavatimsa celestial world.
From his celestial abode the young Matthakundali, seeing his father mourning over him at the cemetery, appeared to the old man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa world and also urged him to approach and invite the Buddha to a meal. At the house of Adinnapubbaka the question of whether one could or could not be reborn in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound faith in the Buddha, without giving in charity or observing the moral precepts, was brought up. So the Buddha willed that Matthakundali should appear in person; Matthakundali soon appeared fully decked with celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa world. Then only, the audience became convinced that the son of the brahmin Adinnapubbaka by simply devoting his mind to the Buddha had attained much glory.
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 2: All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness (sukha) follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.
At the end of the discourse Matthakundali and his father Adinnapubbaka attained Sotapatti Magga and Sotapatti Phala. Adinnapubbaka also donated almost all his wealth to the cause of the Buddha's Teaching."