English
But having collected them together, it is called the aggregate of volitional formations. Thus, the aggregate of volitional formations is like a plantain trunk. Consciousness, too, is 'like an illusion' in the sense of being without essence. And in the sense of being unattainable. Just as an illusion is trivial and quickly arises, so too is consciousness. For it is even more trivial and arises even more quickly than that. Therefore, it is as if a person has come with the mind. As if coming, as if standing, as if sitting. The mind is one thing when coming, another during going and so on. Thus, consciousness is like an illusion. And illusion deceives the multitude, making them grasp whatever it may be, even saying, "This is gold, silver, pearls." Consciousness also deceives the multitude, making them grasp with that very mind as if coming, as if going, as if standing, as if sitting. The mind is one thing when coming, another during going and so on. Thus, consciousness is like an illusion. And especially, even a beautiful object, even a gross, internal form, should be seen as repulsive. Feeling, not being free from the three kinds of suffering, should be seen as suffering. Perception and volitional formations, being uncontrollable, should be seen as not-self. Consciousness, being subject to arising and passing away, should be seen as impermanent. 'For one who sees thus, there is accomplishment of purpose': And from seeing thus, in two ways, in brief and in detail, whatever accomplishment of purpose there is, from that, the method of determination should be understood, just as follows: Briefly, indeed, seeing the five aggregates of clinging as like an enemy with an upraised sword, one is not harmed by the aggregates. In detail, however, seeing forms and so on as like a lump of foam and so on, one is not one who sees substance in what is insubstantial. And especially, seeing internal form as repulsive, one understands nutriment consisting of morsels, abandons the perversion of seeing beauty in the repulsive, crosses over the flood of sensuality, is disjoined from the yoke of sensuality, becomes without the taint of sensuality, breaks the bodily tie of covetousness, does not cling to clinging to sensuality. Seeing feeling as suffering, one understands nutriment consisting of contact, abandons the perversion of seeing happiness in suffering, crosses over the flood of becoming, is disjoined from the yoke of becoming, becomes without the taint of becoming, breaks the bodily tie of ill-will, does not cling to clinging to mere rules and vows. Seeing perception and volitional formations as not-self, one understands nutriment consisting of mental volition, abandons the perversion of seeing self in what is not-self, crosses over the flood of views, is disjoined from the yoke of views, becomes without the taint of views, [thinking] "This is truth," He breaks the body-tie of clinging, He does not grasp at the taking of self-views. Seeing consciousness as impermanent, He fully understands the nutriment of consciousness, He abandons the perversion of seeing permanence in the impermanent, He crosses over the flood of ignorance, He is disjoined from the yoke of ignorance, He is without defilements from the taint of ignorance, He breaks the body-tie of clinging to rites and vows, He does not grasp at the taking of views. Thus, great is the benefit, Of seeing as a slayer, and so on; Therefore, the wise one should see The aggregates as a slayer, and so on. Explanation of the Suttanta Division. 2. Explanation of the Abhidhamma Division 32. Now, there is the Abhidhamma Division. There, the exposition of the aggregate of form should be understood in the same way as expanded in the section on form below. 34. In the exposition of the aggregate of feeling, "of one kind" means with one aspect. "Associated with contact" means associated with contact. All feeling is of the four planes. In the pair of "with cause," feeling of the four planes is with cause, and only feeling of the sense-sphere is without cause. In this way, the feeling stated with the "wholesome" term, and so on, should be understood. Moreover, this aggregate of feeling is shown as of one kind because of being associated with contact, of two kinds because of being with or without cause, of three kinds because of origin, of four kinds because of difference in plane, of five kinds because of faculty. There, the faculties of pleasure and pain, having the body-sensitivity as their base, are only of the sense-sphere. The faculty of joy, having the sixth base or without a base, is of the three planes. The faculty of displeasure, having the sixth base, is of the sense-sphere. The faculty of equanimity, having the four sensitivities of eye, etc., as its base, the sixth base, and without a base, is of the four planes. It is shown as of six kinds because of the base. There, the first five feelings, having the five sensitivities as their base, are only of the sense-sphere, the sixth, with or without a base, is of the four planes. It is shown as of seven kinds there, by the distinction of those born of mind-contact, of eight kinds there, by the distinction of those born of body-contact, of nine kinds, by the distinction of those born of mind-consciousness-element contact in the sevenfold division, of ten kinds, by the distinction of those born of mind-consciousness-element contact in the eightfold division. These, in the sevenfold division, are the mind-contact born, the mind-element-contact born, the mind-consciousness-element-contact born, thus divided into two. In the eightfold division, with that, the body-contact born is also divided into two, pleasant and painful. In the ninefold division, the sevenfold mentioned, the mind-consciousness-element-contact born is divided into three according to wholesome, etc. In the tenfold division, the eightfold mentioned, the mind-consciousness-element-contact born is divided into three according to wholesome, etc. Here, the wholesome triad is mentioned only for completion. But in the sevenfold, eightfold, and ninefold divisions, the method is given in the appropriate place. For having attained the Abhidhamma, there is no place where the Tathāgata did not give the method in the appropriate place. This is one round based on the dyads. For the Teacher, in this Abhidhamma treatise, dividing the feeling aggregate, put triads into dyads, put dyads into triads, and brought forth both triads and dyads with an increasing method; in seven ways, twenty-four ways, thirty ways, in many ways, in all ways, he showed the feeling aggregate in many ways. Why? By the inclination of individuals and by the elegance of the teaching. For those deities in the assembly sitting to hear the Dhamma, those deities who are able to understand what is being said by taking triads and putting them into dyads, for their suitability, he taught in that way. For those who are able to understand what is being said in other ways, he taught in those ways. This is 'inclination of individuals' here. But the Perfectly Enlightened One, due to his great scope, is able to teach by putting triads into dyads, or dyads into triads, or by increasing both, or by the sevenfold method, etc., as he wishes. Therefore, he taught in these ways, this is his 'elegance of teaching'. There, the round of teaching by taking triads and putting them into dyads is called based on dyads. The round of teaching by taking dyads and putting them into triads is called based on triads. The round of teaching by increasing both triads and dyads is called It is called "āro ubhatovaḍḍhitako." At the end, "sattavidhenātiādivāro" and "bahuvidhavāro nāmāti" are called these four great sections. There, based on pairs, by adding each pair obtainable among pairs to the triads where they are not obtainable, removing the triads of feeling, the triads of joy, and the triads of visibility, and adding the remaining obtainable nineteen triads, there are nine hundred and fifty sections beginning with the section of combining the second pair with the first triad. All of these are summarized in the Pāli, showing what is appropriate to show in each place. But they should be understood in detail by one who is not confused. Based on triads, by adding each triad obtainable among triads to the pairs where they are not obtainable, removing the pairs beginning with the first pair, and adding the remaining obtainable fifty pairs beginning with the causal pair, there are nine hundred and fifty sections beginning with the section of combining the first triad with the second pair. All of these are summarized in the Pāli, showing what is appropriate to show in each place. But they should be understood in detail by one who is not confused. In the "ubhatovaḍḍhitaka," starting with the second pair in the two-fold division and the first triad in the three-fold division, by adding the obtainable nineteen pairs to the obtainable nineteen triads, nineteen sections beginning with the section of combining the second pair with the first triad are stated. Because this is "ubhatovaḍḍhitaka" due to the increase in both pairs and triads, it is called the third great section. In the seven-fold explanation of the "bahuvidhavāra," by adding four grounds to each of the nineteen triads obtainable from the beginning, nineteen seven-fold sections are stated. In the twenty-four-fold explanation also, nineteen sections are stated based on those same triads. Thus, in the "bahuvidhavāra" also. There is only one thirty-fold section, so all together there are fifty-eight sections. This is the Pāli explanation according to the division of sections here. Now, there is the meaning explanation. There, the seven-fold explanation is straightforward in meaning. In the twenty-four-fold explanation, eye contact... Conditioned, the feeling aggregate exists as skillful, should be understood in terms of the eight skillful consciousnesses of the desire realm.