English
Regret is also a causal condition. Wisdom from outside, and the voice, and internal appropriate attention, are also causal conditions. Therein, what is 'imputation'? That mind which has been cultivated for a long time, and mental factors too. Here, all cultivated phenomena, good will be their reward, good will be the rebirth and future state. Thus, whatever human enjoyments and uses, all are good rewards, this is 'imputation'. 89. The verse "Above, below, everywhere dispassionate" [see Ud. 61 in Udāna]. Therein, what is 'above'? That which will be above this, the non-returner, this is 'above'. 'Below' is that which has passed, gone beyond, this was called 'without a basis', thus 'above'. Therein, concerning the past, the eternalist view of those who speculate about the past, and the view of the future of some, the annihilationist view which is of those who speculate about the future, these views are the annihilationist view and the eternalist view. Therein, this eternalist view, these fifteen points of self-identity view, adhere to permanence. "My self has form, form is in my self, my self is form" – by what is said, they cover wisdom. That annihilationist view, that adheres to five hundreds of annihilations. They see "that is the soul, that is the body," "my self is form" – such a fourfold self-identity view, by annihilation and by permanence. Thus, in the five aggregates, by the twenty-object view, fifteen points adhere to the past. By the eternalist view, five points adhere to the future, by the annihilationist view. Therein, those who see "I am this," perceive form as self; he is an annihilationist. And he sees "my self has form, and form is in my self, or self is in form" – thus it is also the annihilationist view. He recollects from self, the eternalist view, and recollects from the past. He does not perceive "I am this." For him, the defilements of views are abandoned. He who, in the three times, in the past and in the future, by that specified designation, above Below, in every way, one free from passion, does not perceive "I am," by this door, by this application, by this means, this stage of insight and the fruit of stream-entry, that noble application, with a samsara that has come to an end, without rebirth. Whoever has a noble application, for rebirth, whether the five faculties are soft, or moderate, or strong, all conduce to the abandonment of rebirth. The flood of views, the flood of sensuality, the flood of becoming, and the flood of ignorance, are limited. Therein, by way of exposition, the four noble truths, with the five faculties and the fruit of stream-entry, are two truths: the path and cessation. With the origination of personality, are two truths: suffering and its origin. This is the way of exposition. Therein, what is analysis? Not perceiving "I am this," one abandons the three fetters to be abandoned by insight. This is analysis. Therein, what is suitability? There are three kinds of individuals: some are those who understand quickly, some are those who understand after explanation, some are those who need guidance. Those who understand quickly have keen faculties, then those who understand after explanation have soft faculties, then those who need guidance have soft faculties. Therein, those who understand quickly, by keenness of faculties, having reached the stage of insight, attain the fruit of stream-entry, and become one-seeded. This is the first stream-enterer. Those who understand after explanation, with soft faculties, having reached the stage of insight, attain the fruit of stream-entry, and become family-to-family. This is the second stream-enterer. Therein, those who need guidance, having reached the stage of insight, attain the fruit of stream-entry, and become one who goes to the highest seven times. This is the third stream-enterer. There is this suitability, with soft, moderate, and strong faculties, one should realize the soft, moderate, and strong stage, or by the abandonment of personality view, one abandons wrong views. This is suitability. Therein, what is the proximate cause? Therein, personality view is the proximate cause of all wrong views. Personality is the proximate cause of name-and-form. Name-and-form is the proximate cause of personality view. The five faculties, being material, are the proximate cause of desire for form. The six sense bases are the proximate cause of egoism. Therein, what is the characteristic? No? When two views are abandoned, there, one view goes to the abandonment of views. Above and below, dispassionate, he is dispassionate towards all things that cause passion. In that corresponding realm, this they understand, he sees as it really is. He touches all dependent origination. This is the sign-method. 90. Therein, what is the four-fold method? In this discourse, what is the Buddha's intention? Those beings who will not delight, they will strive for the abandonment of views. This is the Buddha's intention here. This is the four-fold method. Therein, what is the revolving method? These soft five faculties, they are the lower-partaking five faculties. Completely, entirely, they uproot covetousness and ill-will, and by way of development, the strength of faith for the trainee's liberation, the upper-partaking, by way of view, the strength of faith, the faculty of energy, having been aroused, the faculty of mindfulness, having been grasped, they reach the ultimate conclusion. Therein, these faculties, this path is the abandonment of defilements. This cessation is a non-arising phenomenon in the future, this is suffering. This is the revolving method. Therein, what is the distinguishing method? "I am this," whoever perceives thus, he, however, with excessive worldly attachment, in which realm, but not by noble effort, he abandons identity view. What is said is, in that corresponding realm, with excess. Therein, in that corresponding realm, he attains excess in five ways: by virtue, by observance, by learning, by concentration, by the pleasure of renunciation. Therein, one who perceives attainment in the un-attained, takes on over-estimation. In this very context, the Buddha speaks this discourse: "Virtuous merely by observance." Therein, for one who perceives attainment in the un-attained, his concentration, that is with bait, served by ignoble men, but those ignoble men are called ordinary people. Bait, and that which, having approached the noble path, is worldly, ignoble, by that, concentration is ignoble, served by ignoble men. But whoever, by noble means, does not know, does not see as it really is, he abandons attainment. He who is led by noble concentration, served by non-ignoble persons, unworldly. There, non-ignoble persons are called noble individuals. The concentration served by them is served by non-ignoble persons. Therefore, one who does not perceive "I am this" as a divisible explanation, thus falls. What is the turning there? By this stage of insight, defilements are to be abandoned. By them, even those not specified by the Blessed One are abandoned, those that are to be specified. What is the synonym there? That which is self-view, soul-view. This is the stage. Which defilements are to be abandoned. Those are not abandoned, even if not specified by the Blessed One: eternalism and annihilationism, that is the view of limitation. And that which is the view of endlessness, that is eternalism. That which is annihilationism, that is the nihilistic view. That which is eternalism, that is the view of non-action. This is the synonym. What is the designation there? Craving is designated by the designation of a fetter. The path is designated by the designation of attainment. The faculties are designated by the designation of attainment. What is the descent there? The existing body is suffering, to be abandoned by insight. The origin is the path. And those faculties are specified in aggregates, elements, and sense bases. What is the purifying method there? That which the Blessed One spoke this discourse concerning, that is specified concerning it. What is the requisite there? The cause and condition of name-and-form is also consciousness, the cause, the seed. By that, ignorance and volitional formations are conditions. The way of turning back is not another mode of all existence, and the cause of all existence is the condition of another's goods. Thus, right view, and the voice from another, and proper attention are conditions. That wisdom which arises, this is the cause of right view, right intention arises, that which is right concentration, this is the requisite. What is the superimposition there? One who does not perceive "I am this" as suffering, as a disease... (etc.) fifteen terms. Virtues, Blessed One, for what purpose are they, what are their benefits? Virtues, Ananda, are for the purpose of non-regret, up to liberation. There are two kinds of meaning: personal meaning and verbal meaning. 91. Therein, what is the personal meaning? That which is not regretted afterwards, this is non-remorse, this is the personal meaning. Just as someone who cultivates this meaning might say, "Something is dependent on me here, for that purpose I undertake this action." This is the personal meaning. Therein, what is the verbal meaning? Moralities, bodily or verbal good conduct, is non-remorse. Therein, it is just the expression of morality and vows. Unrivalled good action, good conduct, this is non-remorse. Thus, up to liberation, in each and every word there are two meanings: personal meaning and verbal meaning, just as in this discourse, so in all discourses there are two meanings each. This is indeed the ultimate meaning and the highest meaning. That which, relying on the realization of Nibbāna, becomes one's own to be realized, that is called the meaning of what is done. This again understands the synonym. By this, the assigned meaning is obtained, the verbal meaning. Therein, the meaning that a disciple desires.