English
There, what is the connection of prior and subsequent? That in a verse or in discourses, words, eighty of them, are thus or thus, of that verse or discourse, which are the former words and which are the latter ones, those should be connected. Thus, that connection of prior and subsequent is known. When one verse is begun, two or three, if in one part of it, the meaning of what is spoken is not indicated by unspoken verses, that should be inferred. Whatever is to be said, for one seeking it, if there is doubt in the search, or for that person, other designations should be sought. This is called the connection of prior and subsequent. Skill is: skill in the subject matter and its origin, skill in expression and language, skill in the intention of the teaching, skill in the connection of prior and subsequent. There, that verse or its origin is sought. For finding, the meaning should not be directly pointed out; (rather, through) skill in the subject matter and origin, (and) skill in meaning— by these four aspects, the meaning being sought is found as it truly is. And then, all that is unsurpassed, whether by subject matter or by origin, which is the intention, expression, language, and connection, that should be taught thus by the meaning of the discourse, through prior and subsequent. This is the four-fold method. 50. There, which is the turning method? In one word-position, one seeks the remaining word-position; it turns to the counterpart, that method is called "turning". Just as what, indeed? "The heedless among the reeds" - these are the verses. What is heedlessness? It is the proximate cause for the forsaking of wholesome states. And the forsaking of wholesome states, what is its proximate cause? The indulgence in unwholesome states. What is its proximate cause, the indulgence in wholesome states? What is its proximate cause, the indulgence in defilement-objects? Thus, through heedlessness, come the delusion-faction, wrong view, ignorance, and the craving-and-lust faction. Therein, craving and view are the four cankers. Craving is the canker of sensual desire, the canker of becoming, the canker of wrong view, and the canker of ignorance. Therein, the view that "it exists in the mind" and "it is permanent in mental formations" is the canker of sensual desire through clinging to the five sense-objects. Attachment to rebirths is the canker of becoming. Therein, the physical body is the proximate cause for the canker of sensual desire and the canker of becoming. The mental body is the proximate cause for the canker of wrong view and the canker of ignorance. Therein, clinging and inward attachment are the characteristic of the canker of sensual desire. Wishing, weaving, and forming the bodily formations are the characteristic of the canker of becoming. Adherence and grasping are the characteristic of the canker of wrong view. Non-penetration of phenomena and lack of comprehension are the characteristic of the canker of ignorance. These four cankers are the four clingings. The canker of sensual desire is the clinging to sensual desire. The canker of becoming is the clinging to becoming. The canker of wrong view is the clinging to wrong view. The canker of ignorance is the clinging to a doctrine of self. From these four clingings arise the five aggregates. Therein, the canker of ignorance is to be abandoned in the mind; it is abandoned in the mind by one who contemplates the mind. The canker of wrong view is to be abandoned in phenomena; it is abandoned in phenomena by one who contemplates phenomena. The canker of becoming is to be abandoned in attachment; it is abandoned in feelings by one who contemplates feelings. The canker of sensual desire is to be abandoned in the five sense-objects; it is abandoned in the body by one who contemplates the body. Therein, contemplation of the body embraces the Noble Truth of Suffering. Contemplation of feelings is the condition for the five faculties: the faculty of pleasure, the faculty of pain, the faculty of joy, the faculty of sorrow, and the faculty of equanimity; the sevenfold defilement-approach thereby embraces the origin. Contemplation of the mind in the mind embraces cessation. Contemplation of phenomena among phenomena resorts to the path. By his seeing in the four, all of his are abandoned. By which first designated, for the arrogant, for the heedless, their defilements grow. For one who knows, for one who sees, there is the destruction of defilements. Suffering, its origin, its cessation, the path, indeed, are unwholesome states. Thus they should be sought. As long as that unwholesome state's course, then by its opposite, one seeks unwholesome states. By the method of those defilements, it revolves. This is called the revolving method. Thus also wholesome states should be sought. Having approached unwholesome states. There, this is the ground of the revolving method: mindfulness, establishments, and perversions, and the four knowledges, and the path leading to the arising of personality, and the path leading to the cessation of personality. 51. Therein, what is the method of analysis? Whatever is to be explained by analysis is called the method of analysis. Just as, having come, is a person again, or not having come, does not speak, for one who questions, a question going beyond something for someone – this is called the method of analysis. Therein, what is the method of transformation? Whatever is a designation of the opposite, this is called the method of transformation. Just as it was said by the Blessed One, for a person with right view, wrong view is worn out, and in detail, all the path factors. This is called the method of transformation. Therein, what is the method of synonyms? By many synonyms, one phenomenon is taught; He who knows it in the Sutta, a Sutta-knower, that is called the method of synonyms. Just as Venerable Sāriputta, concerning one matter, was praised by the Blessed One with various synonyms: "Sāriputta is greatly wise, Sāriputta is swiftly wise, Sāriputta is keenly wise" – this is a synonym for wisdom. And just as in the Path Analysis, for the purpose of leading out, each path factor is designated by synonyms. Thus, synonyms for ignorance. One unwholesome root, being that very thing, in those various regions, they know it by various names. Not indeed by this They speak of that, but it refers to something else. "For the monk who has abandoned all desires" - desires are spoken of. "One who has crossed over doubt" - he speaks of doubt in those very desires. "Those who delight in listening" - he speaks of delight in those very desires. Thus, regarding the Dhamma taught in the Sutta, its investigation is: "Of which Dhamma is this the name? Of which Dhamma is this the synonym?" For the Omniscient One, whatever expression there is for whomever, he teaches accordingly. So its synonym should be sought. This is the synonym method. 52. What then is the designation method? The Sutta points to the Four Noble Truths, a designation by summary. That which is a designation of origin. In edible food, there is desire, there is lust, as long as it is established. There, consciousness designates the designation of arising. In edible food, there is no desire... (etc.) ... a designation of eradication. "His mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, his mind is liberated from the taint of becoming, his mind is liberated from the taint of ignorance" - this designates the designation of abandonment. "He whose craving is foremost, whose wisdom revolves" - this verse designates the designation of what is pleasing. Thus, the Blessed One designates one Dhamma as a pleasing designation. It is not that, by stating "craving is the origin of suffering," the origin of craving must be designated everywhere. For example, "he does not tolerate, he dispels, he abandons an arisen thought of sensual desire" - this is a designation of rejection. Thus, for all phenomena, wholesome and unwholesome, whatever becomes its field of Dhamma, that very Dhamma proceeds there. The remaining phenomena are its followers. That designation is twofold: dependent designation and independent designation. What is independent designation? "Develop concentration, monks. A concentrated monk, monks, knows things as they really are." "He knows 'form is impermanent' as it really is" - this is independent designation and dependent designation. That designation is of wisdom and of morality, like the four jhānas. Cultivate. He has the faculty of concentration. The four faculties are pliant. They are dependent on four. Three are firmly established. The faculty of concentration is dependent. The four faculties are dependent. The faculty of wisdom is independent regarding the four noble truths. The faculty of energy is independent regarding the foundations of mindfulness and right efforts. Thus, that dhamma is self-sufficient in its own basis, in its own field. And it should be made known there. Its opposing destruction should be pointed out. Herein is this manifold designation: For what reason is this dhamma designated? This is called designation. 53. What is the "descent" method there? It should be descended into six dhammas. Which six? In the aggregates, elements, sense-bases, faculties, truths, dependent origination. There is no such Sutta, or verse, or explanation. It is not found in any one of these six dhammas. To this extent, all that teaching, whether aggregates, or elements, or sense-bases, or truths, or dependent origination, therein, among the five aggregates, the aggregate of feeling is the basis for lust, hatred, and delusion. Therein are three feelings: for pleasant feeling, there is joy with applied thought; for painful feeling, there is sorrow with applied thought; for neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, there is equanimity with applied thought. And whatever is felt therein, this is the truth of suffering. Among the aggregates, the aggregate of formations: