English
Those words and phrases should be brought into the Sutta, should be shown in the Vinaya, should be placed in the Dhamma-nature. Into which Sutta should they be brought? Into the Four Noble Truths. In which Vinaya should they be shown? In the Vinaya of passion, in the Vinaya of hatred, in the Vinaya of delusion. In which Dhamma-nature should they be placed? In Dependent Origination. If it enters into the Four Noble Truths, if it is shown in the Vinaya of defilements, and it does not contradict the Dhamma-nature, then it does not generate cankers. Whatever is connected by the four great authorities, by whatever it is connected, in whatever way it is connected, that should be taken. 19. When a question is asked, how many terms are there in the question? It should be analyzed term by term, it should be investigated. If all the terms express one meaning, it is one question. If four terms express one meaning, it is one question. If three terms express one meaning, it is one question. If two terms express one meaning, it is one question. If one term expresses one meaning, it is one question. By examining it, it should be known whether these phenomena have different meanings and different expressions, or whether these phenomena have one meaning and only the expression is different. How might this be? Just as that deity asked the Blessed One a question: “By what is the world struck down? By what is it surrounded? By what dart is it pierced? By what is it always smoking?” These four terms were asked. How are those three questions known? For the Blessed One answers the deity: “By death is the world struck down, by old age is it surrounded, by craving…” pierced by the dart of craving, ever fuming with desire.” 20. Here, old age and death—these two are the characteristics of the conditioned. In old age there is change, death is the end of life. Here, old age and death are different in meaning. For what reason? Even those in the womb die, and they are not old. And there is death for devas, but their bodies do not decay. It is possible to counteract old age, but it is not possible to counteract death, except for those with psychic power within their sphere of power. As for what is said, “pierced by the dart of craving,” those who are free from passion are seen to grow old and die. If craving were like old age and death, then all young people would also be free from craving. And just as craving is the origin of suffering, so too old age and death would be the origin of suffering, and craving would not be the origin of suffering, for old age and death are not the origin of suffering, craving is the origin of suffering. And just as craving is to be abandoned by the path, so too old age and death would be to be abandoned by the path. By this reasoning and other reasons, it should be investigated. If a difference in meaning is found to be consistent with reasoning, then it should also be investigated from the perspective of expression. Whether “dart” or “fuming,” these phenomena are one in meaning. For it is not reasonable that desire and craving are different in meaning. When the intention of craving is not fulfilled, anger and resentment arise in the nine bases of ill-will. By this reasoning, old age and death and craving are different in meaning. But that which the Blessed One has designated by two names, “desire” and “craving,” this the Blessed One has designated by two names, “desire” and “craving,” with respect to external objects as their support. All craving, by the characteristic of attachment, has one characteristic. Just as all fire, by the characteristic of heat, has one characteristic, yet it obtains different names according to its fuel, such as wood-fire, grass-fire, chip-fire. Fire, dung-fire, chaff-fire, rubbish-fire, all fire indeed has the characteristic of heat. Thus all craving has one characteristic, that of clinging. But according to its object and clinging, it is called by various names: desire, craving, arrow, smoldering, stream, poison, attachment, weariness, creeper, conceit, bond, hope, thirst, delight. Thus all craving has one characteristic, that of clinging. As stated in the synonyms. "Hope and longing and delight, flowing and established in many elements; arising from the root of ignorance, and chattered about, all of them have been eliminated by me, together with their roots." This is a synonym for craving. As the Blessed One said: "For one who has not abandoned passion for form, who has not abandoned desire, who has not abandoned affection, who has not abandoned thirst, who has not abandoned feverish longing." Thus, for feeling, for perception, for mental formations, for consciousness, "for one who has not abandoned passion, who has not abandoned desire, who has not abandoned affection, who has not abandoned thirst, who has not abandoned feverish longing," the entire discourse should be expanded. This is a synonym for craving. Thus it is fitting. 21. All approaches to suffering are rooted in the formation of sensual craving. But it is not fitting that all approaches to disenchantment are rooted in the abandonment of sensual craving. With this reasoning, it should be investigated with other reasons. Just as the Blessed One teaches impurity to a person of lustful temperament, the Blessed One teaches loving-kindness to a person of hateful temperament. The Blessed One teaches dependent origination to a person of deluded temperament. If the Blessed One were to teach the mind-release of loving-kindness to a person of lustful temperament, or a pleasant path with slow direct knowledge, or a pleasant path with swift direct knowledge, or abandonment preceded by insight, the teaching would not be fitting. Thus, whatever is the appropriate abandonment for lust, the appropriate abandonment for hatred, the appropriate abandonment for delusion, all that, having been investigated by means of analysis, by means of reasoning. should be applied. As far as the sphere of knowledge. For one abiding in loving-kindness, being mindful, that ill-will will overcome the mind— this teaching is not fitting. That ill-will goes to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. For one abiding in compassion, being mindful, that harm will overcome the mind— this teaching is not fitting. That harm goes to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. For one abiding in appreciative joy, being mindful, that discontent will overcome the mind— this teaching is not fitting. That discontent goes to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. For one abiding in equanimity, being mindful, that lust will overcome the mind— this teaching is not fitting. That lust goes to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. For one abiding in the signless, being mindful, that consciousness will proceed following signs in that very way— this teaching is not fitting. That signs go to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. "I am" is gone, "I am this" I do not perceive. And yet for me, that doubt, the dart of perplexity, "what am I?" "how am I?", will overcome the mind— this teaching is not fitting. That doubt, the dart of perplexity, goes to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. Or just as for one who has attained the first jhana, being mindful, that sensual desire and ill-will conduce to increase— this teaching is not fitting. That they conduce to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. Or that perceptions and mental formations accompanied by initial thought conduce to abandonment— this teaching is not fitting. That they conduce to increase— this teaching is fitting. For one who has attained the second jhana, being mindful, that perceptions and mental formations accompanied by initial and sustained thought conduce to increase— this teaching is not fitting. That they conduce to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. Or that perceptions and mental formations accompanied by equanimity and happiness conduce to abandonment— this teaching is not fitting. That they conduce to increase— this teaching is fitting. For one who has attained the third jhana, being mindful, that perceptions and mental formations accompanied by rapture and happiness conduce to increase— this teaching is not fitting. That they conduce to abandonment— this teaching is fitting. Or perceptions and attentions accompanied by purity of mindfulness of equanimity, to say they lead to decline is not right. To say they lead to distinction is right. For one who has attained the fourth jhana, being mindful, perceptions and attentions accompanied by equanimity, to say they lead to distinction is not right. To say they lead to decline is right. Or perceptions and attentions accompanied by the sphere of infinite space, to say they lead to decline is not right. To say they lead to distinction is right. For one who has attained the sphere of infinite space, being mindful, perceptions and attentions accompanied by form, to say they lead to distinction is not right. To say they lead to decline is right. Or perceptions and attentions accompanied by the sphere of infinite consciousness, to say they lead to decline is not right. To say they lead to distinction is right. For one who has attained the sphere of infinite consciousness, being mindful, perceptions and attentions accompanied by the sphere of infinite space, to say they lead to distinction is not right. To say they lead to decline is right. Or perceptions and attentions accompanied by the sphere of nothingness, to say they lead to decline is not right. To say they lead to distinction is right. For one who has attained the sphere of nothingness, being mindful, perceptions and attentions accompanied by the sphere of infinite consciousness, to say they lead to distinction is not right. To say they lead to decline is right. Or perceptions and attentions accompanied by the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, to say they lead to decline is not right. To say they lead to distinction is right.