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B020301Dhammasaṅgaṇi aṭṭhakathā(dharma collection commentary)

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in the two existences in the realm of sensual desire, here they cease, subside, go to their end, and are stilled. 'With the cessation of the volitional consciousness by the knowledge of the path of arahantship, whatever name and form would arise in the realm of form or the realm of formlessness, here they cease, subside, go to their end, and are stilled. With the cessation of the final consciousness of the arahant who is passing away into the Nibbāna-element without remainder of clinging, wisdom, mindfulness, name, and form, here they cease, subside, go to their end." "Suppressing" (Cūḷaniddesa, Ajitamāṇavapucchāniddesa 6). This, for now, is the analysis of the sign. 'Path-master'— Here, does the path waver or not? It wavers. For the Tathāgata and Sāriputta Thera, all four paths were of easy practice and swift understanding. For Mahāmoggallāna Thera, the first path was of easy practice and swift understanding, the upper three paths were of difficult practice and swift understanding. Why? Because he was overcome by sleep. It is said that the Sammāsambuddha attended to the Thera for seven days like a young boy. The Thera also sat down one day, drowsing. Then the Teacher said to him, "Are you wavering, Moggallāna? Are you wavering, Moggallāna?" (A. Ni. 7.61). Even for a disciple who has attained such great super-knowledge, the path wavers, what will it not waver for others? For some monks, all four paths are of difficult practice and slow understanding, for some, of difficult practice and swift understanding, for some, of easy practice and slow understanding, for some, of easy practice and swift understanding. For some, the first path is of difficult practice and slow understanding, the second path is of difficult practice and swift understanding, the third path is of easy practice and slow understanding, the fourth path is of easy practice and swift understanding. Just as the path wavers, so too does the dominance. For some monks, all four paths are dominated by desire, for some, dominated by effort, for some, dominated by mind, for some, dominated by investigation. For some, however, the first path is dominated by desire, the second by effort, the third by mind, the fourth by investigation. The miscellaneous talk is finished. The Great Exposition of the First Path, Twentyfold 357. Now, since one developing supramundane wholesome qualities not only develops jhāna in the sense of contemplating, but also develops the path in the sense of deliverance, and mindfulness in the sense of presence, By way of striving, right effort; by way of success, the bases of power; by way of dominance, the faculties; by way of being unshaken, the strengths; by way of awakening, the factors of enlightenment; by way of being true, truth; by way of non-distraction, serenity; by way of emptiness, the Dhamma; by way of essence, the aggregates; by way of sphere, the sense bases; by way of empty nature, without essence, the elements; by way of condition, nutriment; by way of contact, contact; by way of feeling, feeling; by way of perceiving, perception; by way of intending, intention; by way of cognizing, the mind he develops. Therefore, to show the meaning of these nineteen terms, it was said again, "Which states are skillful?" Thus, "This he develops, this he develops," twenty methods are taught, both according to the inclinations of individuals and by the elegance of the teaching. For those in the assembly of gods sitting to hear the Dhamma who understand the supramundane as "absorption" when it is spoken of in terms of contemplation... ...for them, "absorption" is spoken of according to what is suitable... ...for those who understand "mind" when it is spoken of in terms of cognition, for them, "mind" is spoken of according to what is suitable. This here is "the inclination of individuals." But the Perfectly Enlightened One, by his own supreme enlightenment, his ten powers, four confidences, four kinds of analytical knowledge, and his six uncommon knowledges, determines and shows the teaching as he wishes. If he wishes, he shows the supramundane as absorption in terms of contemplation; if he wishes, in terms of escape... ...if he wishes, the supramundane as mind in terms of cognition. This is called "the elegance of the teaching." There, just as ten methods are distinguished in the place where the supramundane is spoken of as absorption, so too should the same be understood in the case of the path and the rest. Thus, in twenty places, making ten each, two hundred methods are distinguished. 358. Now, to show the distinction of dominance, it is begun again, "Which states are skillful?" There, the supramundane absorption brought about by making desire the burden, the chief, the foremost, is called dominance by desire. The same method applies to the rest. Thus, in the previous With two hundred pure ones, and in the cases of authority over desire, etc., also two each, the King of Dhamma showed the first path, dividing it into a thousand ways. The First Path is concluded. The Second Path 361. Now, to show the second path and so on, beginning again with "Which qualities are wholesome?" There, "For the attenuation of sensual desire and ill-will," means for the attenuation of these defilements. Here, attenuation should be understood in two ways: by infrequent occurrence and by weak obsession. For the Once-Returner, like the great crowd following the wheel, defilements do not arise frequently, but arise only occasionally; and even when they arise, they arise in a sparse manner, like sprouts in a field sparsely sown. Even when arising, like the great crowd following the wheel, they do not arise crushing, pervading, covering, and causing darkness. But because they are abandoned by two paths, they arise weakly, weakly. They arise in a thin manner, like a layer of cloud or a fly's wing. Here, some elders say, "Although defilements arise slowly for the Once-Returner, they arise thickly, for his sons and daughters are seen." But this is not a valid measure. For sons and daughters can be produced even by merely touching limbs. But because they are abandoned by two paths, there is no thickness of defilements. Therefore, the attenuation of his defilements should be understood in two ways: by infrequent occurrence and by weak obsession. "By the second," both in terms of numerical count and in terms of the second arising, "by the second." "For the attainment of the stage," means for the attainment of the fruit of commonality. The same method applies in the third and fourth cases. But I will speak only of the difference. "A different faculty" means a faculty of knowing. Without transgressing the limit known by the first path, it is said to be a faculty of knowing those four noble truths known by that path. The meaning should be understood in the section on definition in the same way. In the section on divisions also, in the same way. There are nine faculties. The rest should be understood as in the previous method. The second path is finished. The Third and Fourth Paths 362. In the third, for the complete abandoning, it is for the purpose of completely abandoning those fetters that have been attenuated by the Sakadāgāmi path. In the fourth, for the complete abandoning of rūparāga, arūparāga, māna, uddhacca, and avijjā, it is for the purpose of completely abandoning these five higher fetters. Here, rūparāga is the desire and lust for the realm of form. Arūparāga is the desire and lust for the formless realm. Māna is the conceit that is subject to the Arahatta path. Likewise, uddhacca and avijjā. In these two paths also, the ninth is the faculty of final knowledge itself. A Thousand Methods for the Four Paths In all the paths, by the order of words, there are sixty-six terms, with the four faultless qualities, there are sixty-four. But without mixing, there are thirty-three. The sections on the compartments and the sections on emptiness are natural. Just as in the first path, so too in the second and so on, there are a thousand methods each, thus the King of the Dhamma showed by dividing the four paths into four thousand methods. In the Saccavibhaṅga, sixty thousand methods of the supramundane are established based on these. In the Satipaṭṭhānavibhaṅga, twenty thousand methods of the supramundane, in the Sammappadhānavibhaṅga, twenty thousand, in the Iddhipādavibhaṅga, thirty-two, in the Bojjhaṅgavibhaṅga, thirty-two, in the Maggaṅgavibhaṅga, twenty-eight thousand methods of the supramundane are established based on these. Here, however, in the four paths, there are only four thousand methods. In those, in the first jhāna, the eight factors are divided in the first path; likewise in the second and so on. There, in the first path, right view abandons wrong view, thus it is right view. Right thought and the others should also be understood as abandoning wrong thought and so on. In this case, since the sixty-two kinds of views have been abandoned by the first path, there is no view to be abandoned by the three higher paths. How then is it called right view there? Just as poison exists, or is, 'Whether it exists or not, it is simply called a medicine,' so too, 'Whether wrong view exists or not, this is simply called right view.' 'If it is merely a name, then there is no need for right view in the three higher paths, the path factors are not fulfilled, therefore, right view must be made functional, the path factors must be fulfilled.' Here, functional right view should be explained according to the attainment. For there is a conceit that is an obstacle to the three higher paths, and it stands in the place of view. Right view abandons that conceit. For in the path of stream-entry, right view abandons wrong view. But for the stream-enterer, there is a conceit that is an obstacle to the path of once-returning, and it stands in the place of view, right view abandons that conceit.