English
Thus, in a discourse, or an exposition, or a verse, one should investigate what is asked, whether it is asked for unity or for diversity. If it is asked for unity, it should be answered with unity. If asked with difference, it should be answered with difference. If asked with reference to beings, it should be answered with reference to beings. If asked with reference to phenomena, it should be answered with reference to phenomena. Or however it is asked, so it should be answered. Therefore, the venerable Mahākaccāyana said: "Phenomena are of one nature." The assigned basis is the method. 15. Analysis of the Method of Requisites 49. Therein, what is the method of requisites? "Those phenomena that generate a certain phenomenon." Whatever phenomenon generates a certain phenomenon, that is its requisite. What is the characteristic of a requisite? The characteristic of generating is a requisite. Two phenomena generate: a cause and a condition. Therein, what is the characteristic of a cause, what is the characteristic of a condition? The characteristic of being uncommon is a cause, the characteristic of being common is a condition. Like what would it be? Just as for the arising of a sprout, the seed is uncommon, earth and water are common. For a sprout, earth and water are conditions; its intrinsic nature is the cause. Or just as when milk is put into a pot, it becomes curds, and there is no simultaneous co-existence of milk and curds. Just so, there is no simultaneous co-existence of cause and condition. Indeed, this saṃsāra arises with causes and with conditions. For it is said: "From ignorance as condition, volitional formations; from volitional formations as condition, consciousness;" thus the entire dependent origination. Thus, ignorance is the cause for ignorance, unwise attention is the condition. Former ignorance is the cause for later ignorance. Therein, former ignorance is the latent tendency of ignorance, later ignorance is the active manifestation of ignorance. The former latent tendency of ignorance is the cause for the growth of the later active manifestation of ignorance, like a seed and a sprout, due to being an immediate cause. But that in which a result arises, this is a cause for it due to being a remote cause. Indeed, cause is twofold: immediate cause and remote cause, thus for ignorance too, cause is twofold: immediate cause and remote cause. Just as the lamp-stand, the wick, and the oil are conditions for the lamp, not its intrinsic cause. For it is not possible to light the lamp-stand, the wick, and the oil without fire, though they are conditions for the lamp. The lamp itself is the intrinsic cause. Thus, intrinsic nature is the cause, external nature is the condition. Internal is the cause, external is the condition. The generator is the cause, the sustainer is the condition. The uncommon is the cause, the common is the condition. Non-interruption means continuity, arising means result, re-linking means re-existence, hindrance means obsession, non-eradication means latent tendency, non-penetration means ignorance, non-full-understanding means the seed of consciousness. Where there is non-interruption, there is continuity. Where there is continuity, there is arising. Where there is arising, there is result. Where there is result, there is re-linking. Where there is re-linking, there is re-existence. Where there is re-existence, there is hindrance. Where there is hindrance, there is obsession. Where there is obsession, there is non-eradication. Where there is non-eradication, there is latent tendency. Where there is latent tendency, there is non-penetration. Where there is non-penetration, there is ignorance. Where there is ignorance, there is defiled consciousness not fully understood. Where there is defiled consciousness not fully understood, there is the seed. The aggregate of morality is a condition for the aggregate of concentration. The aggregate of concentration is a condition for the aggregate of wisdom. The aggregate of wisdom is a condition for the aggregate of liberation. The aggregate of liberation is a condition for the aggregate of knowledge and vision of liberation. Knowledge of occasion is a condition for knowledge of suitability. Knowledge of suitability is a condition for knowledge of attainment. Knowledge of attainment is a condition for knowledge of self. Just as, dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. Therein, the eye is a condition by way of dominance. Forms are a condition by way of object. Light is a condition by way of strong support. Attention is the intrinsic cause. Formations are a condition for consciousness, the intrinsic cause. Consciousness is a condition for name-and-form. condition, its nature is cause. Name-and-form is a condition for the six sense-bases, its nature is cause. The six sense-bases are a condition for contact, its nature is cause. Contact is a condition for feeling, its nature is cause. Feeling is a condition for craving, its nature is cause. Craving is a condition for clinging, its nature is cause. Clinging is a condition for becoming, its nature is cause. Becoming is a condition for birth, its nature is cause. Birth is a condition for old age and death, its nature is cause. Old age and death are a condition for sorrow, its nature is cause. Sorrow is a condition for lamentation, its nature is cause. Lamentation is a condition for pain, its nature is cause. Pain is a condition for dejection, its nature is cause. Dejection is a condition for despair, its nature is cause. Thus, whatever support there is, all of it is an ingredient. Therefore, the venerable Mahākaccāna said, "Those phenomena that generate this phenomenon." The assigned ingredient is a mode. 16. The Mode of Imputation (Samāropaṇa) 50. What is the mode of imputation? "Those phenomena that have this as their root, and those meanings that were proclaimed by the Sage." As many root-meanings as enter into one root-meaning, all of them are to be imputed. Just as in the mode of recurrence, many root-meanings enter. Therein, imputation is fourfold: root-meaning, synonym, development, abandonment. What is imputation by root-meaning? "Not doing any evil, the accumulation of skillfulness, the purification of one's own mind, this is the teaching of the Buddhas." What is its root-meaning? The three good conducts: bodily good conduct, verbal good conduct, mental good conduct—this is the root-meaning. Therein, what is bodily and verbal good conduct, this is the aggregate of virtue. In mental good conduct, what is non-covetousness and non-ill-will, this is the aggregate of concentration. What is right view, this is the aggregate of wisdom. This is the root-meaning. Therein, the aggregate of virtue and the aggregate of concentration are tranquility. The aggregate of wisdom is insight. This is the root-meaning. Therein, the fruit of tranquility is the liberation of mind through dispassion for lust. The insight... A fruit from craving, from the fading away of ignorance, liberation through wisdom. This is the proximate cause. 'Vana' is the proximate cause of 'vanatha'. And what is 'vana'? And what is 'vanatha'? 'Vana' means the five sense-pleasures; craving is 'vanatha'. This is the proximate cause. 'Vana' means the grasping of signs, such as "woman" or "man". 'Vanatha' means the grasping of secondary characteristics of those various limbs and minor parts, "Oh, the eye! Oh, the ear! Oh, the nose! Oh, the tongue! Oh, the body!" This is the proximate cause. 'Vana' means the six internal and external sense-bases not fully understood. That which arises dependent on both of these, the fetter that arises, this is 'vanatha'. This is the proximate cause. 'Vana' means latent tendency. 'Vanatha' means obsession. This is the proximate cause. Therefore the Blessed One said, "Having cut down both 'vana' and 'vanatha'." This is the explanation by proximate cause. 51. What then is the explanation by synonym? From the fading away of lust, liberation of mind is the fruit of one in training; from the fading away of ignorance, liberation through wisdom is the fruit of one beyond training. This is the synonym. From the fading away of lust, liberation of mind is the fruit of a Non-returner; from the fading away of ignorance, liberation through wisdom is the supreme fruit, Arahantship. This is the synonym. From the fading away of lust, liberation of mind is the transcending of the sense-sphere; from the fading away of ignorance, liberation through wisdom is the transcending of the three spheres. This is the synonym. Faculty of wisdom, power of wisdom, training in higher wisdom, aggregate of wisdom, enlightenment factor of investigation of states, enlightenment factor of equanimity, knowledge, right view, discernment, thorough discernment, moral shame, insight, knowledge of states, all this is the synonym. This is the explanation by synonym. What then is the explanation by development? As the Blessed One said: "Therefore, O monk, dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in the world." "Ardent" means the faculty of energy. "Clearly comprehending" means the faculty of wisdom. "Mindful" means the faculty of mindfulness. "Having removed covetousness and displeasure in the world" means the faculty of concentration. Thus, for one dwelling contemplating the body in the body, the four foundations of mindfulness go to the full development. By what k Why by development? Because the four faculties have a single characteristic. When the four foundations of mindfulness are developed, the four right efforts reach the perfection of development. When the four right efforts are developed, the four bases of psychic power reach the perfection of development. When the four bases of psychic power are developed, the five faculties reach the perfection of development. Thus all. For what reason?