English
For the faithful one, relying on faith, not shirking extreme cold or heat, doing various new works, and attending to duties, he heats himself, torments himself, experiences suffering rooted in seeking, thinking, "I will generate wealth and do meritorious deeds." The virtuous one, too, for the sake of protecting virtue, by living in the open air and so on, he heats himself, torments himself, experiences suffering rooted in seeking, by going on alms rounds and so on. The learned one, too, thinking, "I will practice in accordance with my great learning," practicing in the manner described, he heats himself, torments himself, experiences suffering rooted in seeking. The generous one, too, being inclined to generosity, not reserving even the bare necessities for his own sustenance, but giving them away, or even giving away limbs and so on, he heats himself, torments himself, experiences suffering rooted in seeking, for the sake of producing things that should be given away. The wise one, too, thinking, "I will increase wisdom more and more," relying on his wisdom, not counting cold or heat, applying himself to recitation and reflection, he heats himself, torments himself, seeing the danger in wrong livelihood and the benefit in right livelihood, abandoning wrong livelihood, seeking a livelihood with a pure way of living, he experiences suffering rooted in seeking. "Of bodily pleasure," at the time of enjoying the implements of pleasure that have arisen relying on the attainment of faith and so on, and of the tangible body of refined form arising from faith and so on, and of the tangible body of form arising from joy and rapture rooted in non-remorse due to them, at the time of the arising of pleasure, and at the time of the fruition of pleasure arising from their doing, "of bodily pleasure." In the manner described, at the time of the arising of suffering, and at the time of being subjected to beatings, bindings, and so on by those who cannot tolerate the attainment of qualities such as faith and so on, "of bodily suffering." However, at the time of fruition attainment that occurs relying on faith and so on, each of these, by way of the condition of reliance, in the fruition attainment... It should be understood that there is an obstruction. Wholesome action means wholesome volition is a decisive support for its own result, but only strong volition is obtained, not weak. Here is a story: A woman, intending to hang herself, attached a rope to a tree and made the necessary arrangements. Then a thief, approaching the house at night, thought, "I will tie something with this rope and carry it away," and approached to cut it with a knife. Then the rope became a venomous snake and hissed. The thief, frightened, retreated. The woman, leaving her house, put the noose around her neck and hanged herself, dying. Thus, strong volition, preventing an obstacle, becomes a decisive support for its own result. But this should not be taken as absolute. For a deed that has an opportunity certainly ripens, overcoming the obstacle to its result, but it should not be said that an action that generates a result is not a decisive support for its result. Action here should be understood as pertaining to all four planes of existence. But what was said later, "the path is a decisive support for the attainment of fruition," is in terms of non-volition. Therefore, this indicates that whatever phenomenon generates a result, that is a decisive support for its own result. Killing a living being supported by greed means killing a living being in relation to something one is attached to, or in opposition to it, or for its sake. In the case of taking what is not given, and so on, the meaning should be understood in the same way. Breaking into a house means it is stated in terms of taking what is not given. There, breaking in means breaking into a house. Stealing stealthily means stealing secretly. Making it a single household means surrounding and plundering a single house with many others. Lying in wait on the road means committing the act of highway robbery. Supported by hatred, and so on, means making hatred that arose in the manner of "he did me wrong," and so on, a decisive support. Supported by delusion means making delusion, which conceals the drawbacks in killing living beings, and so on, a decisive support. Supported by conceit means, "Am I not able to kill? Am I not able to take?" making conceit Having made a basis. Or perhaps, having been disrespected, insulted, or despised by someone, that humiliation also serves as a basis. "Relying on a view" means having adopted a view, like Brahmins in sacrifices or like the Pādasika Milakkhus. "Relying on a wish" means having made a wish, such as "If this thing succeeds for me, I will perform such a sacrifice for you," which is a form of requesting a deity, or "Kill so-and-so for me, bring me what belongs to so-and-so, or come and be my helper while I do these deeds." Thus, having made a wish. "Greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, view, wish, for greed." Here, greed is a basis for greed, and also for hatred and the others. The same method applies to hatred and the others. "Killing living beings, for killing living beings" means that a killer, being unrestrained, kills another living being. Or, if someone is harmed by him, and is then harassed by the victim's relatives and friends, he kills others among them. Thus, killing living beings is a condition by way of decisive support for killing living beings. But having killed the owner of goods or a guardian to steal another's goods, having killed the owner to violate his wife, falsely claiming "I did not kill," using slander to cover up what was done or to cause what was not done, similarly uttering harsh speech, engaging in frivolous talk, after killing another, coveting the wealth and possessions of others, thinking "May the friends and relatives of the one killed be destroyed," or taking up a view through difficult practices, thinking "Thus my killing of living beings will be worn away," killing living beings becomes a basis for stealing and other things. In this way, the meaning should be understood in the cycles rooted in stealing and the others as well. "Matricide, for matricide" means seeing someone else killing their mother and thinking "It is fitting to do so," or killing one's own mother, or killing in one life and then again in another, or in the same life saying "Go, kill my mother" repeatedly. Either by way of command, or by giving a second blow to ensure death with two blows, matricide becomes a condition for matricide. The remaining cases should be understood in the same way as appropriate. But because a strong unwholesome act is not a condition for a weak unwholesome act, they say the teaching was given only in terms of the sequence of the paths of action. That should not be taken as absolute. For having committed killing, etc., when questioned, "Why did you do this?" one might even become angry. One might also feel remorse. And even when a minor defilement arises, one might increase it and commit transgression. Therefore, the strong is indeed a condition for the weak, and the weak for the strong. But what was said in the descriptive section of the analysis of conditions, "It is a condition by way of strong causation," that was said of the strength of the causal state itself, not of the conditioning phenomena. For both strong and weak unwholesome actions are indeed strong causes. Giving alms conditioned by greed, etc., thinking, "Oh, may I be reborn in the company of the gods of the Four Great Kings," one gives alms conditioned by greed for rebirth or for enjoyments. The same method applies to undertaking precepts and observing the Uposatha. But developing jhāna for the suppression of greed, insight for the abandonment of greed, and the path for the eradication of greed, one develops them conditioned by greed. But developing higher knowledge and attainment for the sake of being free from greed, one develops them conditioned by greed. For only to that extent is one called free from greed. With faith, i.e., faith arising from giving, etc., the same method applies to virtue, etc. Just as one develops faith, etc., from giving, etc., conditioned by greed, so also greed, etc., should be understood as conditions for faith, etc. For the sake of its repulsion, i.e., for the sake of its rejection, meaning, for the sake of not giving an opportunity for its result. So be it with those that are reactive, but what about those that are non-reactive? Why is it said, "for the sake of opposing that," in the case of the immediately effective deeds? Because of his intention. His intention is, "I engage in order to oppose that," and taking that into account, it is said thus. Regarding "tormenting oneself dependent on lust," it should all be understood in the same manner as before, that he does so seeing the attainment of difficulty in one who is lustful. "Bodily pleasure" means either pleasure obtained by doing good through overcoming lust, etc., or pleasure arising from enjoying sensual pleasures by one who does not see danger in lust, etc. "Suffering" means either pleasure arising from tormenting oneself, etc., or suffering arising from killing, binding, etc., caused by lust, etc. "Fruition-attainment" means either having cut off lust, etc., and attained it, or having attained it while being oppressed by them. In the case of "bodily pleasure," etc., when pleasure arises, the former becomes a condition for the latter for one who enjoys that pleasure and repeatedly produces it with similar conditions. But for one who excessively indulges in extreme heat and cold, etc., pleasure in the former part becomes suffering in the latter part. For one who is inclined to sensuality, thinking, "How pleasant is the touch of the young ascetic woman's hairy arm!" bodily pleasure here becomes a condition for the bodily suffering of a hell-being.