English
'Whatever is a condition for whatever': and here, whatever clinging is a condition for, from that too the determination should be understood, is the meaning. But what here is a condition for what? Whatever Whatever the condition, it surely exists. For an ordinary person is like a madman. Without considering, 'this is right, this is wrong,' due to clinging to whatever, desiring any kind of existence, they surely do any kind of action. Therefore, some say, "Rūpa and arūpa existences do not arise from clinging to rites and vows," that should not be accepted. But it should be accepted that all arise from all, just as: Here, someone, through hearsay or following views, thinking, "Pleasures are abundant both in the human world, in noble families of warriors, etc., and in the six sensual desire deva-worlds," deceived by unwholesome teachings, etc., for the sake of attaining them, thinking, "Pleasures are attained by this action," due to clinging to sensual pleasures, they even commit bodily misconduct, etc. By the completion of misconduct, they are born in the lower realms. Or, desiring visible pleasures, or guarding them when obtained, due to clinging to sensual pleasures, they even commit bodily misconduct, etc. By the completion of misconduct, they are born in the lower realms. There, the action that is the cause of their arising is kamma-bhava, the aggregates produced by the action are upapatti-bhava, saññā-bhava and pañcavokāra-bhava are included within that. But another, with wisdom strengthened by wholesome teachings, etc., thinking, "Pleasures are attained by this action," due to clinging to sensual pleasures, they perform bodily good conduct, etc. By the completion of good conduct, they are born among devas or humans. There, the action that is the cause of their arising is kamma-bhava, the aggregates produced by the action are upapatti-bhava. Saññā-bhava and pañcavokāra-bhava are included within that. Thus, clinging to sensual pleasures is a condition for sensual existence, with its divisions, and all that is included within it. Another, having heard or imagined, "Pleasures are more abundant in rūpa and arūpa existences," by clinging to sensual pleasures alone, having produced rūpa and arūpa attainments, by the power of attainment, they are born in the rūpa and arūpa Brahma worlds. There, the action that is the cause of their arising is kamma-bhava, the aggregates produced by the action are upapatti-bhava. Existence arises. Perception, non-perception, neither perception nor non-perception, one-constituent, four-constituent, five-constituent existences, are all included therein. Thus, craving-grasping, with its distinctions, and with its inclusions, is a condition for both form and formless existences. Furthermore, "This self, in a sense-sphere attainment existence, or in one of the form or formless existences, is annihilated, utterly annihilated," taking up this annihilation view, one performs action in accordance with it. That action of theirs is action-existence, the aggregates produced by that action are rebirth-existence. Perception-existence and the rest are all included therein. Thus, view-grasping, with its distinctions, and with its inclusions, is a condition for all three existences: sense-sphere, form, and formless. Furthermore, "This self, in a sense-sphere attainment existence, or in one of the form or formless existences, is happy, free from torment," through self-doctrine grasping, one performs action in accordance with it. That action of theirs is action-existence, the aggregates produced by that are rebirth-existence. Perception-existence and the rest are all included therein. Thus, self-doctrine grasping, with its distinctions, and with its inclusions, is a condition for the three existences. Furthermore, "This morality and practice, in a sense-sphere attainment existence, or in one of the form or formless existences, for one who perfects it, attains perfect happiness," through morality and practice grasping, one performs action in accordance with it. That action of theirs is action-existence, the aggregates produced by that are rebirth-existence. Perception-existence and the rest are all included therein. Thus, morality and practice grasping, with its distinctions, and with its inclusions, is also a condition for the three existences. Thus, here, whatever is a condition for what, the determination should be understood from that. But how is it a condition, for which existence, in what way? For form and formless existences, grasping is a dependence condition; And for sense-sphere existence, through co-nascence and so on, it should be understood. For form and formless existences, and for the sense-sphere existence included in sense-sphere existence, this fourfold grasping, is a dependence condition, for the rebirth-existence of wholesome action in the sense-sphere. Not in one way is it a condition. In the realm of desire, the karmic becoming associated with oneself is a condition through the modes of co-nascent, mutual conditionality, dependence, association, presence, and non-departure, and through co-nascent and other conditions. But for the dissociated, it is a condition only through the condition of dependence. Explanation of becoming as a condition for birth. Explanation of terms such as birth, aging, and death. 235. In the explanations of birth and so on as conditioned by becoming, the determination of birth and so on should be understood in the same way as stated in the Discourse on Truth. Here, becoming refers only to karmic becoming. For that is the condition for birth, not rebirth-becoming. And that is a condition in two ways only, as a condition of karma and as a condition of dependence. Here, one might ask: How is it to be known that "becoming is a condition for birth"? Because of the discernment of distinctions such as inferiority and superiority, even when external conditions are complete. For even when the external conditions of generating parents, sperm, blood, and food are complete, a distinction of inferiority and superiority is seen in beings, even in twins. And that is not without a cause, since it is not always and in all beings; nor is it caused by anything other than karmic becoming, since there is no other cause in the internal continuum of beings produced by it; therefore, it is caused by karmic becoming. For karma is the cause of the distinctions of inferiority and superiority in beings. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Karma divides beings, that is, into inferiority and superiority" (Majjhima Nikāya 3.289). Therefore, it should be known that "becoming is a condition for birth." And since without birth there is no such thing as aging and death, and there are no such things as sorrow and so on, but with birth there is aging and death, and for the fool touched by the suffering called aging and death, there is either connection with aging and death or non-connection, and there are such things as sorrow and so on, therefore it should be understood that this is a condition for aging and death and for sorrow and so on. And that is a condition in one way only, in the category of dependence. Explanation of birth and so on as conditioned by becoming. 242. The meaning of "Thus is the arising" and so on is in the same way as stated in the section on enumeration. To be understood. Saṅgati and the like are synonyms for arising. Because here, sorrow and the like are mentioned at the end, therefore, that ignorance, which is said at the beginning of this cycle of existence, "Conditioned by ignorance are volitional formations," that – With sorrow and the like, ignorance, is established, the beginning of this cycle of existence is unknown; Devoid of a maker or experiencer, empty with twelve kinds of emptiness. It constantly, continuously, proceeds, it should be understood. How is ignorance established by sorrow and the like? How is this cycle of existence of unknown beginning? How is it devoid of a maker or experiencer? How is it empty with twelve kinds of emptiness? Here, sorrow, suffering, displeasure, and despair are inseparable from ignorance, and lamentation is for the deluded; therefore, with those established, ignorance is indeed established. Moreover, it is said, "With the arising of the taints, there is the arising of ignorance." And these sorrows and the like arise from the arising of the taints. How? With the separation from desired objects, sorrow arises from the arising of the taint of sense-desire. As it is said – "For that being who desires, born of longing; Those desires diminish, he is pierced as if by a dart, he suffers." And as it is said – "From desire, sorrow is born." And all these arise from the arising of the taint of views, as it is said – "For him, 'This is my form, this is my form,' abiding in attachment, that form changes, becomes otherwise. From the change and otherness of that form, arise sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair." And just as they arise from the arising of the taint of views, so also from the arising of the taint of becoming, as it is said – "Those gods who are long-lived, beautiful, full of happiness, abiding for a long time in lofty mansions, even they, having heard the Tathagata's teaching, mostly experience fear, agitation, and terror," seeing the five premonitory signs, like the gods terrified by the fear of death. And just as they arise from the arising of the taint of becoming, so also from the arising of the taint of ignorance, as it is said – "That fool, monks, experiences in this very life threefold suffering and displeasure." "I perceive" thus. Therefore, since these arise from the arising of defilements, they, when decaying, perfect the defilements that are the cause of ignorance. And when defilements are perfected, ignorance is also perfected due to its conditionality. Thus, here, it should be understood that 'ignorance is perfected by sorrow and so on.'