English
Now, the framework for the discourse on the extraction of results should be established: First, Tipiṭaka Cūḷanāga Thera said: Sixteen resultant consciousnesses arise from one wholesome volition. Here, even the twelvefold path is ahetuka and trembles. But Moravāpivāsī Mahādatta Thera said: Twelve resultant consciousnesses arise from one wholesome volition. Here, even the tenfold path is ahetuka and trembles. Tipiṭaka Mahādhammarakkhita Thera said: Ten resultant consciousnesses arise from one wholesome volition, here, even the ahetuka trembles. In this place, they took up the Sāketa question. It seems that in Sāketa, lay followers, sitting in a hall, raised the question, 'When a volition is applied to an action, is there one rebirth or many?' Unable to decide, they approached the Abhidhamma Theras and asked. The Theras convinced them, 'Just as one sprout emerges from one mango seed, so there is only one rebirth.' Then one day, 'What about different volitions? Are the rebirths determined by the karma, diverse or uniform? Raising this question, unable to decide, they asked the elders. The elders explained, "Just as when many mango seeds are planted, many sprouts emerge, so too, rebirths are many." Furthermore, in this context, the term "upsurge-declaration" is used. For these beings, greed is also surging, hatred and delusion too; non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion as well. Who determines this surging state for them? Past causes determine it. Diversity exists at the very moment of karma accumulation. How so? "For one in whom, at the moment of karma accumulation, greed is strong, non-greed is weak, non-hatred and non-delusion are strong, hatred and delusion are weak, for that one, weak non-greed cannot overcome greed, but strong non-hatred and non-delusion can overcome hatred and delusion. Therefore, born according to the rebirth given by that karma, he is greedy, of pleasant disposition, not prone to anger, but wise, with knowledge like a diamond." "But for one in whom, at the moment of karma accumulation, greed and hatred are strong, non-greed and non-hatred are weak, non-delusion is strong, delusion is weak, he, in the same way as before, is both greedy and malicious, but wise, with knowledge like a diamond, like the Elder Dattabhaya." "But for one in whom, at the moment of karma accumulation, greed, hatred, and delusion are strong, the others are weak, he, in the same way as before, is both greedy and slow, but of pleasant disposition, not prone to anger." "Likewise, for one in whom, at the moment of karma accumulation, all three, greed, hatred, and delusion, are strong, non-greed and the others are weak, he, in the same way as before, is both greedy, malicious, and deluded." "But for one in whom, at the moment of karma accumulation, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion are strong, the others are weak, he, in the same way as before, is of few defilements, unmoved even upon seeing divine objects, but malicious and of slow wisdom." "But for one in whom, at the moment of karma accumulation, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion are strong, the others are weak, he, in the same way as before, is both non-greedy, and of pleasant disposition, but slow of He is without greed. ‘When, at the moment of accumulating karma, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion are strong, and the others are weak, then, in the same way as before, he is without greed and wise, but he is hateful and prone to anger. ‘But when, at the moment of accumulating karma, all three, non-greed, etc., are strong, and greed, etc., are weak, then, like the Elder Mahāsaṅgharakkhita, he is without greed, without hatred, and wise.’ Furthermore, in this place, a statement of causes is taken. Indeed, a tri-rooted action gives rise to a tri-rooted, a di-rooted, and an a-rooted result. A di-rooted action does not give rise to a tri-rooted result, but the other does. With tri-rooted action, rebirth is tri-rooted and di-rooted; it is not a-rooted. With di-rooted action, it is di-rooted and a-rooted; it is not tri-rooted. Unprompted wholesome action gives rise to unprompted and prompted results. Prompted action gives rise to prompted and unprompted results. Feeling should be altered by the object. By the impulsion, the retention should be determined. Now, in the views of each Elder, the sixteen aggregates, etc., should be understood. For one who has taken rebirth with a first fine-material-sphere result-consciousness similar to a first fine-material-sphere wholesome consciousness, having emerged from the womb and attained the ability to establish restraint and non-restraint, when an agreeable object comes into range at the eye-door, there is no measure of the objects that have passed by without the functional mind-element turning back to the life-continuum. Why is this so? Because of the weakness of the object. This is one empty occasion. But if it turns back to the life-continuum, with the functional mind-element turning back to the life-continuum, without reaching the determining, in between, having stood in eye-consciousness or receiving or investigating, it will turn back, this situation does not exist. But having stood in the aspect of determining, one or two consciousnesses occur. Then, having obtained repetition, having stood in the place of impulsion, it descends again into the life-continuum, this also happens because of the weakness of the object. This occasion, however, is "what is seen, what is These are obtained when reciting "as heard by me," and so on. This is the second fruitless occasion. When the functional mind-element turns back the life-continuum, active thought-moments arise, and apperception occurs. At the end of apperception, there is the stage of registering the object. If that does not arise, it sinks back into the life-continuum. Here is an analogy: just as when a barrier is built in a river and water is directed towards a large field, the water goes and fills the fields on both banks, and the excess escapes through crab paths and other routes, and then sinks back into the river, so should this be seen. Here, the time of the water flowing in the river is like the time of the life-continuum thought-moment flowing. The time of building the barrier is like the time of the functional mind-element turning back the life-continuum. The time of the water flowing into the large field is like the arising of active thought-moments. The filling of the fields on both banks is like apperception. The water escaping through crab paths and other routes and then sinking back into the river is like apperception occurring and then sinking back into the life-continuum when registering the object does not arise. Thus, there is no counting the thought-moments that sink back into the life-continuum. This also happens because of the weakness of the object. This is the third fruitless occasion. But if a strong object comes into range, when the functional mind-element turns back the life-continuum, eye-consciousness and so on arise. In the place of apperception, the first wholesome thought-moment of the sense-sphere arises as apperception, and having occurred for six or seven times, it gives way to the stage of registering the object. When registering the object is established, a great resultant thought-moment, similar to it, is established. This obtains two names: because it is similar to the rebirth-linking consciousness, it is called 'root life-continuum,' and because it has taken the object that was grasped by apperception, it is called 'registering the object.' In this instance, eye-consciousness, receiving, investigating, and registering the object are four resultant thought-moments that are countable. When the second wholesome thought-moment arises as apperception, then a second resultant thought-moment, similar to it, is established as registering the object. This also... it obtains these names. Because it is dissimilar to the rebirth-linking consciousness, it is called 'adventitious life-continuum' and, in the same way as before, 'registering'. Together with this, the previous four become five. But when the third wholesome consciousness is the impulsion, then the third resultant consciousness similar to it, having become registering, occurs. This also, in the way described, obtains two names, 'adventitious life-continuum' and 'registering'. Together with this, the previous five become six. But when the fourth wholesome consciousness is the impulsion, then the fourth resultant consciousness similar to it, having become registering, occurs. This also, in the way described, obtains two names, 'adventitious life-continuum' and 'registering'. Together with this, the previous six become seven. But when in that door a 'pleasant-neutral object' comes into the range, even there, in the way described, three ineffective moments are obtained. But because feeling changes with the object, therefore there is neutral investigating. And at the end of the four neutral great wholesome impulsions, only four neutral great resultant consciousnesses occur as registering. These also, in the way described, obtain two names, 'adventitious life-continuum' and 'registering'. They are also called 'back life-continuums'. Thus, these five, together with the previous seven, become twelve. Thus, in the eye-door twelve, in the ear-door and so on, twelve each, there are seventy-two in total. Thus, when a deed is accumulated by one volition, seventy-two resultant consciousnesses arise. But by taking the most important, in the eye-door there are twelve, and the ear, nose, tongue, and body consciousnesses are four, so there are sixteen. In this place, they took the mango simile – it seems a man, having covered his head, lies down and sleeps at the foot of a mango tree bearing fruit. Then a ripe mango, having fallen from its stalk, as if wiping his ear lobe, fell to the ground with a 'thud'. He awoke at the sound of it.