English
"Just as, O king, if a house were falling down, a man would support it with another piece of wood, and that house, being supported, would not fall, even so, O king, energy has the characteristic of support; all wholesome qualities, supported by energy, do not decline, do not deteriorate" (Miln 2.1.12). Or, just as when a battle is joined between a small and a large army, the small army might retreat, and then they would report to the king, and the king would send a strong force, and being exerted by that force, the whole army would defeat the enemy army, even so, energy does not allow co-arisen and associated qualities to retreat or withdraw, it lifts them up, it exerts them. Therefore it is said, "energy has the characteristic of exertion." Another way: energy has the characteristic of effort, it has the essence of supporting co-arisen qualities, it has the manifestation of non-collapse, in the statement, "being stirred up, he applies himself wisely" (AN 4.113). It is the foundation for sustained effort, or the basis for initiating energy. Right effort, it should be seen, is the root of all attainments. Because it remembers, or it itself remembers, or it is merely remembrance, it is mindfulness. It is an indriya in the sense of dominance, because it overcomes forgetfulness, or it causes the state of an indriya in the characteristic of establishing. Mindfulness itself is an indriya, thus satindriya. And this mindfulness has the characteristic of non-forgetting, and the characteristic of embracing. Just as the treasurer of a king, protecting ten kinds of jewels, in the evening and morning, reminds the king of his sovereign wealth, so mindfulness reminds one of wholesome states. Therefore, the elder said: "Just as, great king, the treasurer of a wheel-turning king, in the evening and morning, reminds the wheel-turning king of his glory: 'So many, O king, are the elephants, so many the horses, so many the chariots, so many the infantry, so much the silver, so much the gold, so much all the property; may the king remember it.' Even so, great king, mindfulness does not forget wholesome states: 'These are the four foundations of mindfulness, these are the four right efforts, these are the four bases of power, these are the five indriyas, these are the five powers, these are the seven factors of enlightenment, this is the noble eightfold path, this is serenity, this is insight, this is knowledge, this is liberation, these are the supramundane states.' Thus, great king, is mindfulness characterized by non-forgetting." Just as the advisor-jewel of a wheel-turning king, knowing what is harmful and beneficial to the king, removes what is harmful, and brings about what is beneficial, so mindfulness, investigating the courses of beneficial and harmful states, 'These states, such as bodily misconduct, are harmful,' removes the harmful states, 'These states, such as bodily good conduct, are beneficial,' embraces the beneficial states. Therefore, the elder said: "Just as, great king, the advisor-jewel of a wheel-turning king knows what is beneficial and harmful to the king: 'These are beneficial to the king, these are harmful, 'These are helpful, these are unhelpful,' then he rejects the harmful and embraces the beneficial. Just so, great king, when mindfulness arises, it investigates the courses of beneficial and unbeneficial things, 'These things are beneficial, these things are unbeneficial, these things are helpful, these things are unhelpful,' then he rejects the unbeneficial things and embraces the beneficial things. Thus, great king, mindfulness has the characteristic of embracing." Another way: mindfulness has the characteristic of non-forgetting, the essence of non-confusion, the manifestation of protection, or the manifestation of directing towards the object, having the stable perception as its basis, or having the foundations of mindfulness regarding the body, etc., as its basis, but because of being firmly established in the object, it should be seen like a stake, and like a doorkeeper because of guarding the eye-door, etc. Concentration is the act of properly fixing and establishing the mind on the object. That itself is an faculty in the sense of dominance because of overcoming distraction. Or, that which causes the state of mastery in the characteristic of non-distraction is an faculty. Concentration itself is an faculty, the faculty of concentration. But its characteristics, etc., should be understood in the same way as stated below. One understands, therefore wisdom. What does one understand? The noble truths in the way of 'This is suffering,' etc. But in the commentary it is said, "It makes known, therefore wisdom." What does it make known? It makes known impermanence, suffering, non-self. That itself is an faculty in the sense of dominance because of overcoming ignorance. Or, that which causes the state of mastery in the characteristic of seeing is an faculty. Wisdom itself is an faculty, the faculty of wisdom. But this wisdom has the characteristic of illuminating and the characteristic of understanding. Just as when a lamp is lit in a house with four walls at night, darkness ceases and light appears, even so is wisdom with the characteristic of illuminating. There is no illumination equal to the illumination of wisdom. For a wise person sitting in one posture, the ten-thousandfold world-system becomes one light. Therefore the elder said: "Just as, great king, a man would bring a lamp into a dark house, the lamp, having entered, would dispel the darkness, and generate light, It illuminates, and makes forms apparent. Just so, great king, as wisdom arises, it dispels the darkness of ignorance, generates the light of knowledge, illuminates the light of wisdom, and makes the noble truths apparent. Thus, great king, wisdom has the characteristic of illumination. Just as a skilled physician knows foods suitable and unsuitable for the sick, so wisdom, as it arises, understands wholesome and unwholesome, what should be cultivated and not cultivated, inferior and superior, dark and bright, things with and without a counterpart. And this was said by the General of the Dhamma: "Because one understands, understands, friend, therefore it is called wisdom. What does one understand? One understands: This is suffering," and so on, to be expanded. Thus, its characteristic of understanding should be understood. Another way: wisdom has the characteristic of penetrating according to reality; or it has the characteristic of unswerving penetration, like the penetration of an arrow shot by a skilled archer. Its essence is the illumination of objects, like a lamp. Its manifestation is non-confusion, like a guide in the forest. It thinks, therefore it is mind; that is, it knows. But the commentary masters say: Like one measuring with a tube, or like one weighing with a great scale, it measures and understands the object, therefore it is mind. That itself, causing the meaning of lordship in the characteristic of thinking, is an organ. Mind itself is an organ, the mind-organ. This is a synonym for the consciousness stated below. Mind is beautiful because of its association with joy and gladness, therefore it is glad. The state of being glad is gladness. Causing the meaning of satisfaction in the characteristic, it is an organ. Gladness itself is an organ, the gladness-organ. This is a synonym for the feeling stated below. Beings live by it, the things associated with it, therefore it is life. Causing the meaning of maintaining in the characteristic, it is an organ. Life itself is an organ, the life-organ. It has the sovereignty of continuous existence. But the life-organ has the characteristic of maintaining the things inseparable from itself in terms of characteristics and so on, its essence is the continuation of those things, its manifestation is the establishment of those things. Not maintaining, existing only as a place for things to pass away. Even though there is a method with characteristics like preservation, it only preserves those things at the moment they arise, like water preserves lotuses, etc. It also protects things that arise from their own causes, like a nursemaid protects a child, and it proceeds only in connection with the self-arisen nature of things, like a regulator. It does not cause things to continue beyond their dissolution, because there is no self nor anything to be continued. Nor does it keep things in place at the moment of dissolution, because it is itself dissolving, like the diminishing oil of a lamp wick. And it should be understood that in the aforementioned moment, each thing is not without the power to preserve, proceed, and remain. Description of the Aggregate of Factors of the Path Among right view, etc., right view is so called because of the act of seeing. Right thought is so called because of the act of directing the mind. Right effort is so called because of the act of exertion. Right mindfulness is so called because of the act of attending. Right concentration is so called because of the act of non-distraction. However, according to the meaning of the words, right view is that which sees rightly, or by which one sees rightly. Right thought is that which thinks rightly, or by which one thinks rightly. Right effort is that which exerts rightly, or by which one exerts rightly. Right mindfulness is that which remembers rightly, or by which one remembers rightly. Right concentration is that which concentrates rightly, or by which one concentrates rightly. Moreover, right view is a view that is excellent or beautiful. The meaning of the words for the others should also be understood in this way. However, the characteristics, etc., have already been stated below. Description of the Aggregate of Strengths Among the strength of faith, etc., faith, etc., have the same meanings as stated above. However, "strength" should be understood in the sense of being unshakable.