English
one might describe the Tathāgata as standing or moving, of that From the destruction of consciousness, dispassion, cessation, relinquishment, letting go, the Tathāgata is liberated from the reckoning of consciousness. The Tathāgata is not reckoned as existing, not reckoned as not existing, not reckoned as both existing and not existing, not reckoned as neither existing nor not existing. Rather, he is reckoned as deep, immeasurable, unreckonable, extinguished, due to the destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion. "Coming" means coming here. "Going" means future existence. Coming and going do not exist. "Not here" refers to the six internal sense bases. "Not beyond" refers to the six external sense bases. "Not in between both" means one does not see a self in phenomena arisen from contact. "This is the end of suffering" refers to dependent origination. It is twofold: worldly and supramundane. Therein, the worldly is: from ignorance as condition, volitional formations, up to old age and death. The supramundane is: for one endowed with virtue, non-regret arises, up to knowing "there is no more for this state of being." Therefore, the Blessed One said: "For one who is dependent, there is wavering; for one who is not dependent, there is no wavering... ...this is the end of suffering." 44. Whatever sorrows and lamentations there are, and manifold sufferings in the world, these arise dependent on what is dear; when what is dear is absent, these do not exist. Therefore, those are happy and free from sorrow, for whom there is nothing dear anywhere in the world; Therefore, desiring freedom from sorrow and defilement, one should not make anything dear anywhere in the world. "Whatever sorrows and lamentations there are, and manifold sufferings in the world, these arise dependent on what is dear" – this is painful feeling. "When what is dear is absent, these do not exist" – this is pleasant feeling. Feeling is the aggregate of feeling. This is the descent through the aggregates. From feeling as condition, craving; from craving as condition, clinging; from clinging as condition, becoming; from becoming as condition, birth; from birth as condition, old age and death; thus all. This is the descent through dependent origination. Therein, pleasant feeling has two faculties – the faculty of pleasure and the faculty of joy. Painful feeling has two faculties – the faculty of pain the faculty of displeasure. This is the descent by way of faculties. Those same faculties are included in formations, those formations that are with defilements, that are life-continuum, those formations are comprised in the element of phenomena. This is the descent by way of elements. That element of phenomena is included in the sense-base of phenomena, that sense-base which is with defilements, which is life-continuum. This is the descent by way of sense-bases. Therefore, indeed, they are happy, free from sorrow, for whom there is no dear thing anywhere in the world; Therefore, desiring freedom from sorrow, freedom from defilement, one should not make anything dear anywhere in the world. This is the abandoning of craving. With the cessation of craving, there is the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, there is the cessation of becoming; thus, all. This is the descent by way of dependent origination. That same abandoning of craving is tranquility. That tranquility is two faculties: the faculty of mindfulness and the faculty of concentration. This is the descent by way of faculties. That same tranquility is the aggregate of concentration. This is the descent by way of aggregates. That same tranquility is included in formations, those formations that are without defilements, and not life-continuum, those formations are comprised in the element of phenomena. This is the descent by way of elements. That element of phenomena is included in the sense-base of phenomena, that sense-base which is without defilements, and not life-continuum. This is the descent by way of sense-bases. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Whatever sorrows..." For one desiring sensual pleasures, if that is fulfilled for him; Surely he becomes joyful in mind, the mortal, having obtained what he desires. But for that one desiring, for that being in whom craving has arisen; If those sensual pleasures decline, he suffers as if pierced by an arrow. Whoever avoids sensual pleasures, as one avoids the head of a snake; He overcomes this entanglement in the world, being mindful. There, that joyfulness of mind, this is approval. What is said: "he suffers as if pierced by an arrow," this is aversion. Approval and aversion, moreover, are on the side of craving. And for craving, the ten material sense-bases are the proximate cause. This is the descent by way of sense-bases. Those same ten material things are the body of form conjoined with name, that duality is name-and-form. Conditioned by name-and-form is the six sense-bases. Conditioned by the six sense-bases is contact From contact, feeling; From feeling, craving; Thus all. This is the descent by dependent origination. That same name-and-form is the five aggregates; This is the descent by aggregates; That same name-and-form is the eighteen elements; This is the descent by elements; Therein, the body of form is these five material faculties, The body of name is these five immaterial faculties, These are the ten faculties. This is the descent by faculties. Therein, as it is said: "Whoever avoids sensual pleasures, As one avoids a snake's head, Being mindful, he overcomes this entanglement in the world." This is the Nibbāna element with residue remaining, This is the descent by elements. That same Nibbāna element with residue remaining is knowledge. From the arising of knowledge, ignorance ceases. From the cessation of ignorance, volitional formations cease. Thus all. This is the descent by dependent origination. That same knowledge is the aggregate of wisdom. This is the descent by aggregates. That same knowledge is two faculties – The faculty of energy and the faculty of wisdom. This is the descent by faculties. That same knowledge is included in volitional formations. Those volitional formations that are taintless, And not life-continuum, Those volitional formations are included in the element of phenomena. This is the descent by elements. That element of phenomena is included in the sphere of phenomena, Which sphere is taintless, And not life-continuum. This is the descent by spheres. Therefore the Blessed One said, "For one desiring desires..." Thus far, dependent faculties, aggregates, elements, and spheres Become convergences and descents. In this way, dependent faculties, aggregates, elements, and spheres Are to be descended into. Therefore, the venerable Mahākaccāyana said, "And dependent origination..." The method of descent is concluded. 13. Analysis of the Purification Method 45. Therein, what is the purification method? The verse "When the question is answered." As the venerable Ajita in the Pārāyana asks the Blessed One a question – "By what is the world enveloped? By what does it not shine forth? What do you say is its defilement? What is its great fear?" "The world is enveloped by ignorance, [Ajita, said the Blessed One] By desire and heedlessness it does not shine forth; Crav I declare it to be an anointing, suffering is its great fear. To the question "By what is the world enveloped?" the Blessed One clarifies the phrase "The world is enveloped by ignorance," but not the initial statement. To the question "By what does it not shine forth?" the Blessed One clarifies the phrase "It does not shine forth by doubt and heedlessness," but not the initial statement. To the question "What do you declare to be an anointing?" the Blessed One clarifies the phrase "I declare craving to be an anointing," but not the initial statement. To the question "What is its great fear?" "Suffering is its great fear" is the direct initial statement. Therefore, the Blessed One said, "The world is enveloped by ignorance." Streams flow everywhere, [thus spoke Venerable Ajita] What is the restraint of streams? Declare the stopping of streams, by what are streams closed off? Whatever streams there are in the world, [Ajita, thus spoke the Blessed One] Mindfulness is their restraint; I declare the stopping of streams, by wisdom are they closed off. To the question "Streams flow everywhere, what is the restraint of streams?" the Blessed One clarifies the phrase "Whatever streams there are in the world, mindfulness is their restraint," but not the initial statement. To the question "Declare the stopping of streams, by what are streams closed off?" "I declare the stopping of streams, by wisdom are they closed off" is the direct initial statement. Therefore, the Blessed One said, "Whatever streams there are in the world." Both wisdom and mindfulness, [thus spoke Venerable Ajita] And name-and-form, O friend; Being asked this by me, declare where this ceases. To the question – That question which you asked, Ajita, I will tell you; Where name-and-form ceases, without remainder; By the cessation of consciousness, there it ceases. This is a direct initial statement. Therefore, the Blessed One said, "That question which you asked." Where there is such a direct initial statement, that question is resolved. But where the initial statement is not direct, that question is not yet resolved. Therefore, Venerable Mahākaccāyana said, "In the resolved question." The assigned clarifying method. 14. Adhiṭ Analysis of the Method of Basis 46. What is the method of determination here? "Things are taught as having a single nature, and also as having diverse natures." Those that are taught there, they should be understood in that way. "Suffering" is a single nature. What is suffering there? Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering,