1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, possessing the ten powers and the four grounds of self-confidence, the Tathāgata claims the place of the chief bull of the herd, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel thus: [n.57] The ten powers, which are powers of knowledge (ñāṇabala), are expounded at MN12.9–20, where they are called Tathāgata powers (tathāgatabala). The ten types of knowledge are also claimed by the Venerable Anuruddha at SN52:15–15:24, but in part only, according to Spk. A detailed analysis is at Vibh 335–44. The four grounds of self-confidence (vesarajja) are explained at MN1.71–72. In brief, they are the confidence: (i) that no one can challenge his claim to be enlightened about all phenomena; (ii) that no one can challenge his claim to have eradicated all the taints; (iii) that no one can challenge him regarding the states he declares to be obstacles; and (iv) that no one can challenge his claim that his teaching leads the one who practises it to liberation from suffering.
Spk glosses brahma as seṭṭha, uttama, "the best, the highest," and explains the Brahma-wheel as the purified Wheel of the Dhamma (visuddhadhammacakka). This is twofold, the knowledge of penetration (paṭivedhañāṇa) and the knowledge of teaching (desanañṇa). The former originates from wisdom and brings the Buddha’s own attainment of the noble fruits; the latter originates from compassion and enables him to teach in such a way that his disciples attain the fruits. The knowledge of penetration is supramundane (lokuttara), the knowledge of teaching mundane (lokiya). Both are self-begotten types of knowledge belonging exclusively to the Buddhas, not held in common with others. sn.ii.28

‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling, such its origin, such its passing away; such is perception, such its origin, such its passing away; such are volitional formations, such their origin, such their passing away; such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away. [n.58] This stock meditation formula on the five aggregates is also found in SN at SN12.23, 22:78, 22:89, 22:101. It occurs too in the two versions of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta at DN II 301,29–302,13 and MN I 61,3–8. The origin (samudaya) and the passing away (atthaṅgama) of the aggregates are explained from the standpoint of diachronic conditionality at SN22.5 and from the standpoint of synchronic conditionality at SN22.56, 57. See too n. 123.

Thus when this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases. [n.59] This is the abstract formula of dependent origination: imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imass’ uppādā idaṁ uppajjati; imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati. Spk-pṭ explains that what is meant by existence in the first part of the formula is not actual presence as such but "the state of not having been brought to cessation by the path"; similarly, what is meant by nonexistence in the second part of the formula is not mere absence as such but "the state of having been brought to cessation by the path." A long, complex explanation of the formula (abridged in Spk-pṭ) is found at Ud-a 38–42 (translated in Masefield, The Udana Commentary, 1:66–72). See too n. 14 above. The use of the formula here, immediately following the statement on the aggregates, connects the origin and passing away of the five aggregates to dependent origination, indicating that the former should be understood in terms of the latter.

With ignorance as condition, volitional formations come to be;
with volitional formations as condition, consciousness;
with consciousness as condition, name-and-form;
with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases;
with the six sense bases as condition, contact;
with contact as condition, feeling;
with feeling as condition, craving;
with craving as condition, clinging;
with clinging as condition, existence;
with existence as condition, birth;
with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.

Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;
with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness;
with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form;
with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases;
with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact;
with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling;
with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving;
with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence;
with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease.

Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.’"

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Dasabalasamannāgato, bhikkhave, tathāgato catūhi ca vesārajjehi samannāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti –

iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo, iti vedanā iti vedanāya samudayo iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo, iti saññā iti saññāya samudayo iti saññāya atthaṅgamo, iti saṅkhārā iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo, iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo.

Iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati. Imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati.

Yadidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ … pe …

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho … pe …

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.