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B0102051904paṭiniddesavāro (comparative interpretation chapter)

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and predominant formations, one develops, based on seclusion, based on dispassion, based on cessation, culminating in relinquishment. 14. All concentration has knowledge as its root, has knowledge as its forerunner, follows after knowledge. As before, so after; as after, so before. As by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. Thus, with an open mind, unrestricted, one develops a luminous mind. The five wholesome faculties, co-arising with the mind, arise when the mind arises, cease when the mind ceases. Name-and-form, having consciousness as its cause, arisen conditioned by consciousness, its cause is cut off by the path. Consciousness, without nutriment, unrejoiced in, without re-linking, that ceases. Name-and-form also, without cause, without condition, does not produce rebirth. Thus, consciousness With the cessation of consciousness, wisdom and mindfulness and name-and-form cease. Therefore the Blessed One said – “This question you asked, Ajita, I will tell you: Where name and form, without remainder, cease; With the cessation of consciousness, there it ceases.” “And those whose Dhamma is reckoned, And those who are trainees, many here; Their conduct, O wise one, when asked, please tell me, venerable sir.” 15. These three phrases were asked, these three questions. Why? By way of the practice of abandoning preceded by insight for trainees and non-trainees, thus indeed he said. By “And those whose Dhamma is reckoned,” he asks about Arahantship. By “And those who are trainees, many here,” he asks about the trainee. By “Their conduct, O wise one, when asked, please tell me, venerable sir,” he asks about abandoning preceded by insight. Therein is the answer – “One should not crave for sensual pleasures, One should be undisturbed in mind; Skilled in all phenomena, a mindful monk should wander.” All bodily action of the Blessed One is preceded by knowledge, accompanied by knowledge. All verbal action is preceded by knowledge, accompanied by knowledge. All mental action is preceded by knowledge, accompanied by knowledge. In past aspects, there is unhindered knowledge and vision. In future aspects, there is unhindered knowledge and vision. In present aspects, there is unhindered knowledge and vision. And what is the obstruction to knowledge and vision? That ignorance and lack of vision concerning impermanence, suffering, and non-self, this is the obstruction to knowledge and vision. Just as if a person here were to see the forms of stars, but not know them by counting or signs, this is the obstruction to knowledge and vision. But for the Blessed One, there is unhindered knowledge and vision, for the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have unobstructed knowledge and vision. Therein, by a trainee, the mind should be guarded in two things: greed for defiling phenomena, and aversion for agitating phenomena. Therein, whatever is desire, infatuation, longing, affection, play, the Blessed One, preventing that, said thus: “One should not crave for sensual pleasures.” He spoke of the destruction of obsessions, saying, ‘‘One should be undisturbed in mind.’’ For thus, a trainee, being covetous, produces unarisen defilements, and makes arisen defilements grow. But he whose resolve is undisturbed, who strives without covetousness, he generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts the mind, and applies himself for the non-arising of unarisen evil unwholesome states. He generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts the mind, and applies himself for the abandonment of arisen evil unwholesome states. He generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts the mind, and applies himself for the arising of unarisen wholesome states. He generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts the mind, and applies himself for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, growth, development, and perfection of arisen wholesome states. 16. Which are the unarisen evil unwholesome states? Sense-desire thought, ill-will thought, harmful thought. These are the unarisen evil unwholesome states. Which are the arisen evil unwholesome states? Latent tendencies, roots of unwholesomeness. These are the arisen evil unwholesome states. Which are the unarisen wholesome states? Those faculties of a stream-enterer. These are the unarisen wholesome states. Which are the arisen wholesome states? Those faculties of the eighth person. These are the arisen wholesome states. By which one restrains sense-desire thought, this is the faculty of mindfulness. By which one restrains ill-will thought, this is the faculty of concentration. By which one restrains harmful thought, this is the faculty of energy. By which one abandons, dispels, makes an end of, brings to naught, does not tolerate arisen evil unwholesome states, this is the faculty of wisdom. That which is conviction, acceptance in these four faculties, this is the faculty of faith. Therein, where should the faculty of faith be seen? In the four factors of stream-entry. Where should the faculty of energy be seen? In the four right exertions. (in) these. Where is the faculty of mindfulness to be seen? In the four foundations of mindfulness. Where is the faculty of concentration to be seen? In the four jhānas. Where is the faculty of wisdom to be seen? In the four noble truths. Thus, the trainee, diligent in all wholesome states, is said by the Blessed One to have an unagitated mind. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "He should be unagitated in mind." 17. "Skilled in all states." The world is of three kinds: the world of defilements, the world of becoming, the world of faculties. Therein, from the world of defilements, the world of becoming arises, which produces the faculties. When the faculties are developed, there is full understanding of what is to be known. That should be investigated in two ways: by understanding through vision and understanding through development. Indeed, when the trainee fully understands what is to be known, then what is to be known is fully understood through perceptions and mental applications accompanied by disenchantment. For him, two states reach skillfulness: skillfulness in vision and skillfulness in development. That knowledge is to be understood in five ways: direct knowledge, full understanding, abandoning, development, realization. Therein, what is direct knowledge? That knowledge of the inherent characteristics of states, and analytical knowledge of states, and analytical knowledge of meaning – this is direct knowledge. Therein, what is full understanding? Having thus directly known, that full understanding: "This is wholesome, this is unwholesome, this is blameworthy, this is blameless, this is dark, this is bright, this is to be cultivated, this is not to be cultivated. These states, thus grasped, produce this result. For those thus grasped, this is the meaning." This is full understanding. Having thus fully understood, three states remain: to be abandoned, to be developed, and to be realized. Therein, which states are to be abandoned? Those that are unwholesome. Therein, which states are to be developed? Those that are wholesome. Therein, which states are to be realized? That which is unconditioned. He who knows thus is called skilled in meaning, skilled in states, skilled in auspiciousness, skilled in results, skilled in income, skilled in outgo, skilled in means, endowed with great skill. "has come," therefore the Blessed One said, "skilled in all phenomena." "A mindful monk should wander," by that, for the sake of a pleasant abiding in this very life, when going forward, when going back, when looking ahead, when looking around, when bending, when stretching, when wearing the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe, when eating, drinking, chewing, tasting, when defecating and urinating, when going, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, being silent, one should abide with mindfulness and clear comprehension. These two practices were allowed by the Blessed One: one for those who are purified, one for those who are purifying themselves. Who are purified? Arahants. Who are purifying themselves? Learners. For the faculties of an Arahant have accomplished their task. That which is awakening, that is fourfold: by the direct comprehension of suffering, by the direct abandonment of the origin, by the direct development of the path, by the direct realization of cessation. He who thus knows this fourfold awakening, he is called mindful when going forward, mindful when going back, due to the destruction of lust, due to the destruction of hatred, due to the destruction of delusion. Therefore the Blessed One said, "A mindful monk should wander," therefore he said – "In sensual pleasures, he should not crave, [Ajita, said the Blessed One] He should be undisturbed in mind; Skilled in all phenomena, a mindful monk should wander." Thus it should be asked, thus it should be answered. And the recitation of the Sutta should be brought into harmony both in meaning and in wording. For wording devoid of meaning becomes idle chatter. And the meaning of a poorly placed word or phrase becomes difficult to understand. Therefore, it should be recited with both meaning and wording. And the Sutta should be analyzed. Is this Sutta a direct statement, a connected statement, of explicit meaning, of implicit meaning, leading to defilement, leading to penetration, leading to the unconditioned? Where are all the truths of this Sutta to be seen, at the beginning, middle, or end? Thus the Sutta should be analyzed. Therefore Venerable Mahākaccāyana said – "That which is asked and answered, and the recitation of the Sutta." The method is investigation, analysis. 3. Method of Reason The Analysis 18. Therein, what is the reasoning method? “Of all methods,” this is the reasoning method. What does it connect? The four great authorities: the Buddha-authority, the Saṅgha-authority, the authority of many elders, the authority of a single elder. These are the four great authorities.