English
Being childish, it is childishness. Wisdom is also comprehension. It rightly understands the meaning, the cause, and the Four Noble Truths. But when ignorance arises, it does not allow one to understand that form, hence non-comprehension. Through the force of delusion, it is delusion. Through the force of extreme delusion, it is extreme delusion. Through the force of complete delusion, it is complete delusion. Through the expression "he experiences what is not to be experienced," it is ignorance. Because it sinks and overwhelms in the round of existence, it is the flood of ignorance. Because it binds in the round of existence, it is the yoke of ignorance. Because it is not abandoned, it arises again and again, hence it is the underlying tendency of ignorance. Like thieves lying in wait for travelers on the road, it lies in wait for the wholesome mind, seizes it, and plunders it, hence it is the lying-in-wait of ignorance. Just as when the bar called a 'latch' falls at the city gate, the going out of people from the inner city to the outer city and the entering of people from the outer city to the inner city are obstructed, so too, for one in whose body this has fallen, the going of knowledge that leads to Nibbāna is obstructed, hence it is called the latch of ignorance. It is unwholesome, and it is a root; or it is the root of unwholesome things, hence it is an unwholesome root. But that is none other; here, what is intended is delusion, hence delusion is an unwholesome root. This is called ignorance; this, having such characteristics, is called ignorance. Thus, the characteristics of ignorance should be understood in terms of twenty-five expressions. Now, this ignorance, having such characteristics, although said to be unknowing of suffering and so on, is nevertheless a part of the truth of suffering, is co-arisen with it, takes it as its object, and obscures it; it is not a part of the truth of the origin, but is co-arisen with it, takes it as its object, and obscures it; it is neither a part of the truth of cessation, nor is it co-arisen with it, nor does it take it as its object, it only obscures it; it is also not a part of the truth of the path, nor is it co-arisen, It does not make that an object, it only obscures. When ignorance arises focusing on suffering, it obscures that. When ignorance arises focusing on origin, it obscures that. When ignorance does not arise focusing on cessation, it obscures that. When ignorance does not arise focusing on the path, it obscures that. Two truths are difficult to see, profound. Two truths are profound, difficult to see. Moreover, the noble truth of the cessation of suffering is both profound and difficult to see. There, suffering is obvious, but profound because its characteristic is difficult to see. The same method applies to origin. Just as drawing out essence by churning the great ocean is a burden, or lifting sand from the foot of Mount Meru is a burden, or extracting juice by crushing a mountain is a burden; in the same way, two truths are difficult to see because of their profundity, but the truth of cessation is exceedingly profound and exceedingly difficult to see. Thus, this darkness of delusion, which obscures the four noble truths that are difficult to see because of their profundity and profound because of their difficulty to see, is called ignorance. Explanation of the term "ignorance." Explanation of the term "formations." In the section on formations, without mentioning the formations already stated below, but only showing the formations conditioned by ignorance, what are the formations conditioned by ignorance? He begins with "meritorious formation." There, "meritorious" means it purifies its maker, fulfills his intention, and produces a praiseworthy existence. "Formation" means it forms the result and the form of action. Meritorious itself is formation, meritorious formation. Opposite to meritorious is demeritorious. Demeritorious itself is formation, demeritorious formation. That which does not waver is imperturbable. Imperturbable itself is formation, and it forms an imperturbable existence, thus imperturbable formation. Initiated by the body, or proceeding from the body, or a formation of the body, thus bodily formation. The same method applies to verbal formation and mental formation. There, the first triad is taken according to the Discourse on Investigation. There, Indeed, it was said: "If one fabricates a meritorious formation, consciousness goes to merit. If one fabricates a demeritorious formation, consciousness goes to demerit. If one fabricates an imperturbable formation, consciousness goes to imperturbability." The second triad is taken in accordance with the Vibhaṅga Sutta immediately following it, and it can also be said to be taken in the manner of the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta. For there it was said: "There are these three formations, monks. Which three? Bodily formation, verbal formation, mental formation." But why are they taken in accordance with these suttas? This is because this Abhidhamma is not newly made, nor spoken by external seers, disciples, or deities. But this is spoken by the All-Knowing Conqueror. Indeed, in the Abhidhamma, even in the Sutta, the thread is not indicated as uniform, for the purpose of illuminating this meaning. Now, to show those formations in terms of their divisions, he says, beginning with "Therein, what is a meritorious formation?" Therein, "wholesome intention" is said, without restriction, even of the four-plane intention. However, because it is restricted, the eight sense-sphere wholesome intentions, and the five form-sphere wholesome intentions, these thirteen intentions are called a meritorious formation. By "consisting of giving," etc., the occurrence of those very intentions in terms of the bases of meritorious action is shown. Therein, only the eight sense-sphere ones consist of giving and morality. But all thirteen consist of cultivation. Just as one reciting a practiced Dhamma does not know one or two connecting ideas, but knows them later when reflecting; even so, for one doing kasina preliminary work, for one reviewing a practiced jhāna, and for one attending to a practiced meditation subject, even non-associated with knowledge, cultivation occurs. Therefore, it was said, "But all thirteen consist of cultivation." Therein, in "consisting of giving," etc., "the intention, volition, and act of intending that arise concerning giving, on account of giving – this is called a meritorious formation consisting of giving. Concerning morality…pe… cultivation The intention, planning, and act of intending that arise when undertaking and focusing on development – this is called the meritorious act of development. This is the concise explanation. However, the intention that occurs at three times is called meritorious by giving, from the moment of producing each of the four requisites such as robes, or the six objects such as forms, or the ten objects of giving such as food, starting from their production, in the preliminary stage, at the time of giving, and later when recollecting with a mind of joy. But for the purpose of perfecting morality, the intention that occurs when going to the monastery thinking "I will ordain," when ordaining, when bringing the wish to fruition, when reflecting "I am ordained, it is good, very good," when restraining the precepts, when reflecting on the requisites such as robes, when restraining the sense doors such as the eye door in relation to visible objects that have come into the range of sight, and when purifying one's livelihood is called meritorious by morality. The intention that occurs when developing the eye as impermanent, suffering, and not-self, in the way of insight mentioned in the Discrimination, in forms... in phenomena, eye-consciousness... mind-consciousness, eye-contact... mind-contact, feeling born of eye-contact... feeling born of mind-contact, perception of forms... perception of phenomena, old age and death as impermanent, suffering, and not-self is called meritorious by development. This is the detailed explanation. In the exposition of the demeritorious act, the unwholesome intention is the intention associated with the twelve unwholesome consciousnesses. Although the two consciousnesses accompanied by displeasure, having placed them there, also arise in the realms of form and formlessness, they do not draw rebirth there; they only cause ripening as a result in the sense-sphere, and are therefore called belonging to the sense-sphere. In the exposition of the imperturbable act, the wholesome intention is the intention belonging to the formless realm, the four wholesome intentions belonging to the formless realm. These four are called the imperturbable act because of the state of imperturbability and because of the act of producing imperturbability. For the three The twelve wholesome resultant and functional consciousnesses, and the fifteen immaterial-sphere consciousnesses, are called 'imperturbable' because of their impermanent nature and lack of trembling. Among them, the wholesome form-sphere consciousness, though imperturbable, generates similar or dissimilar, agitated or imperturbable, form and formless existences, and is therefore not called 'imperturbable formation'. However, resultant and functional consciousnesses do not produce results because they are not causative. Similarly, immaterial-sphere resultant and functional consciousnesses also do not produce results. Therefore, these eleven consciousnesses are only imperturbable, not formations. But the four immaterial-sphere wholesome consciousnesses, just as shadows are similar to elephants and horses, generate only the formless and imperturbable, similar to themselves, and are therefore called 'imperturbable formation'.