The Koliyans were south-eastern neighbors of the Sakyans, with whom they had close ties in marriage and customs.

For derivation of this name, see note on DN 16:1.19.2.

Māyā means “illusion, trick, deceit”. Perhaps a reference to the “conversion trick” of which the Buddha was accused at MN 56:8.3 and AN 4.193:15.8. In his reply, the Buddha employs a careful logical method to demonstrate that his teaching is based on reason, not trickery.

It seems that police corruption is not new.

This uses the emphatic distributive form as at SN 42.8:1.5.

Ambho is not usually used by itself as a vocative, but rather as an interjection. This would work for this sentence (“Oh my, what did that man do?”) but not for the response below. It seems a vocative sense is demanded; perhaps we should read ambho purisa, ayaṁ puriso.

See AN 5.178.

The ascetic teachers are normally located in Magadha, but here we see that, like the Buddha, the wandered extensively.

Attributed to Ajita of the hair blanket at DN 2:23.2.

Attributed to Pūraṇa Kassapa at DN 2:17.2.

Dhammasamādhi (“immersion based on understanding of principle”) is a unique term, and appears to have caused some confusion. The commentary offers various explanations (see Bodhi’s note in Connected Discourses). MA 20 has 有法之定，名曰遠離, translated by Analayo/Bucknell as “there is a Dharma meditation called abandoning.” The context, however, makes the sense clear. Samādhi has its usual meaning of “immersion”. Dhamma means the “principle” of cause and effect, as in “observation of principles” (dhammānupassanā), “investigation of principles” (dhammavicaya), or “discernment of principles” (dhammavipassanā). This discourse describes how a meditator who has already entered absorption can then use wisdom to reflect on the principles of causality, which gives rise to joy and further immersion.

Tatra ce does not mean “if in that” (meditation state), but “if regarding that, if in that case”, and may often be translated simply as “if” (eg. AN 6.64:12.1, MN 22:38.1, Pli Tv Bu Pm:41.3).

Compare MN 60, which likewise uses a careful conditional logic, while employing the language of gambling to assess outcomes after death.

“Winning hand” (kaṭaggaha) is an expression from the classical Vedic game of chance. A large quantity of vibhītaka (“bedda”) nuts were placed in a hollow, from which players would take a handful. If the number of nuts was divisible by four, it was said to be a “perfect” (kaṭa) “hand” (gāha).