English
These are questions pondered by the wise. Thus, it should be concluded here that unwholesome verbal action does not arise at the mind-door. But when, with mind accompanied by covetousness, he stirs up bodily action, doing things like seizing with the hand; with mind accompanied by ill-will, doing things like touching with a stick; with mind accompanied by wrong view, thinking, 'Khandas, Sivas, etc., are best,' he does things like saluting them, offering añjali, and providing seats and equipment, then the action is mental action, but the door is the body-door. Thus, unwholesome mental action arises at the body-door. Here, the volition is non-conventional. But when, with mind accompanied by covetousness, he stirs up verbal action, thinking, 'Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!'; with mind accompanied by ill-will, he says, 'May these beings be killed, or bound, or destroyed, or may they not exist!'; with mind accompanied by wrong view, he says, 'There is no giving, no sacrifice,' etc., then the action is mental action, but the door is the speech-door. Thus, unwholesome mental action arises at the speech-door. Here, the volition is non-conventional. But when, without stirring up bodily or verbal action, sitting alone, he generates thoughts accompanied by covetousness, ill-will, and wrong view, then the action is mental action, and the door is also the mind-door. Thus, unwholesome mental action arises at the mind-door. In this case, however, both the volition and the mental states associated with the volition arise at the mind-door itself. Thus, it should be understood that unwholesome mental action arises at all three doors. As for what was said, 'Likewise, wholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions,' here is the method: when, being unable to speak for some reason, he takes up these precepts with a gesture of the hand, 'I abstain from killing, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct,' then the action is bodily action, and the door is also the body-door. Thus. In this way, wholesome bodily action arises at the body door. The mental factors associated with those thoughts are either belonging to the category of volition, such as non-covetousness, or are non-conventional. But when one undertakes those same precepts by making a verbal declaration, then the action is bodily action, but the door is the door of speech. In this way, wholesome bodily action arises at the speech door. The mental factors associated with those thoughts are either belonging to the category of volition, such as non-covetousness, or are non-conventional. But when, as those precepts are being given, without moving the bodily or verbal expressions, one takes them in mind alone, saying, "I abstain from killing, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct," then the action is bodily action, but the door is the mind door. In this way, wholesome bodily action arises at the mind door. The mental factors associated with those thoughts are either belonging to the category of volition, such as non-covetousness, or are non-conventional. But it should be understood that for one undertaking the four precepts beginning with "abstaining from false speech" in the manner described, through body, etc., wholesome verbal action arises at the three doors. Here too, the mental factors are either belonging to the category of volition, such as non-covetousness, or are non-conventional. But for one who, with thoughts accompanied by non-covetousness, etc., moving the bodily expression, performs sweeping the courtyard of a shrine, offering flowers and incense, paying homage to shrines, etc., the action is mental action, but the door is the body door. In this way, wholesome mental action arises at the body door. Here, the volition is non-conventional. For one who, with a thought accompanied by non-covetousness, moving the verbal expression, thinks, "Oh, may what is another's property and equipment not be mine!" for one who, with a thought accompanied by non-ill-will, says, "May all beings be free from enmity, free from affliction, free from distress, may they maintain themselves happily!" for one who, with a thought accompanied by right view, recites, "There is giving," etc., the action is mental action, but the door is the speech door. In this way, wholesome mental action arises at the speech door. Here, the volition is non-conventional. But without moving the bodily or verbal expressions, sitting alone, just thinking in mind of non-covetousness, Producing thoughts associated with meditation is mental action, and the door is also the mind-door itself. Thus, wholesome mental action arises at the mind-door. But in this instance, volition and the mental states associated with volition also arise at the mind-door itself. There, in the cases of killing and stealing initiated by command, saying that the action is bodily action and the door is the body-door only by way of the action, one protects the action but breaks the door. In the cases of lying and so on initiated by a hand gesture, saying that the door is the body-door and the action is bodily action only by way of the door, one protects the door but breaks the action. Therefore, one should not break the door thinking "I will protect the action," nor break the action thinking "I will protect the door." But the action and the door should be understood according to the method as stated. For in speaking thus, one breaks neither the action nor the door. The discussion of action is finished. Now, in "the five consciousnesses are the five consciousness-doors," and so on, these five consciousnesses are named: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness. These five consciousness-doors are named: eye-consciousness-door, ear... nose... tongue... body-consciousness-door. Volition arising by way of these five doors should be understood as being neither bodily action nor verbal action, but only mental action. These six contacts are named: eye-contact, ear... nose... tongue... body... mind-contact. These six contact-doors are named: eye-contact-door, ear... nose... tongue... body... mind-contact-door. Eye-restraint, ear... nose... tongue... sensitive-body... insensitive-body-non-restraint, speech-non-restraint, mind-non-restraint – these eight non-restraints are named. In meaning, these are the five things: immorality, forgetfulness, ignorance, impatience, laziness. Among these, even one thing does not arise in the thoughts at the end of determining in the five doors, but arises only in the javana moment. In the javana Even when arisen, it is called lack of restraint at the five doors. The contact born with eye-consciousness is called eye-contact, the volition is called mind-action, that thought is called the mind-action door. Here, there is no fivefold lack of restraint. The contact born with receiving-consciousness is called mind-contact, the volition is called mind-action, that thought is called the mind-action door. Here too, there is no lack of restraint. The same method applies in investigating-consciousness and determining-consciousness. But the contact born with impulsive-consciousness is called mind-contact, the volition is called mind-action, that thought is called the mind-action door. Here, the lack of restraint is called eye-lack of restraint. The same method applies at the doors of ear, nose, tongue, and sensitive body. But when, without mind-door impulsive-consciousness, a pure bodily intimation, known as body-door, arises directing to any object such as form, then the contact born with that thought is called mind-contact, the volition is called body-action, but that thought is non-functional, because intimation has arisen, it does not go by the name mind-door. Here, the lack of restraint is called intimation-body lack of restraint. When, without body-door, the same kind of impulsive-consciousness arises directing to a pure verbal intimation, known as speech-door, then the contact born with that thought is called mind-contact, the volition is called speech-action, but that thought is non-functional, because intimation has arisen, it does not go by the name mind-door. Here, the lack of restraint is called speech lack of restraint. But when that kind of impulsive-thought arises without body and speech doors, being purely the mind-door itself, then the contact born with that thought is called mind-contact, the volition is called mind-action, but that thought is called the mind-action door. Here, the lack of restraint is called mind lack of restraint. Thus, based on these eight kinds of lack of restraint, these eight doors of lack of restraint should be understood: eye lack of restraint door, ear… nose… tongue… sensitive body… intimation body… speech… mind lack of restraint door. Eye Restraint of the ear... nose... tongue... sensitive body... vital body... speech... mind-restraint, these are the eight restraints. In essence, these are the five qualities: virtue, mindfulness, wisdom, patience, and effort. Even a single one of these qualities does not arise in the consciousness at the five doors, at the end of the determining process. It arises only in the moment of impulsion. Though arising in the impulsion, it is called restraint at the five doors. The arising of all of this, along with the contact born of eye-consciousness, should be understood in the same way as described for non-restraint, beginning with "eye-contact." Thus, based on these eight restraints, these eight doors of restraint should be understood: the door of eye-restraint... and so on... the door of mind-restraint. Discourse on the Paths of Unwholesome Action Killing living beings, taking what is not given, misconduct in sexual pleasures, false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, frivolous talk, covetousness, ill will, wrong view, these are the ten paths of unwholesome action.