English
the liberation of tranquilization, which is the Blessed One's fruition-liberation, is intended. Therefore, it is said: "experiencing the bliss of liberation, the bliss of fruition attainment." And "liberation" is the mind's state of being freed by way of tranquilization from defilements, or the mind itself... then it should be known as liberated. The happiness born of that liberation, or associated with it, is the happiness of liberation. “That equanimity, venerable sir, spoken of by the Blessed One in the context of existing happiness” (M.N. 2.88) —by this saying, equanimity here should also be known as happiness. Thus it is said in the Sammohavinodanī (Vibh.A. 232): “Equanimity, being tranquil, is indeed spoken of as happiness.” For the Blessed One enters the attainment of Arahantship, which is the fourth jhāna, not any other. Or else, “the calming of these is happiness” (D.N. 2.221, 272) —in such passages, just as the calming of the suffering of formations is called “happiness,” so too, the appeasement-liberation obtained in the highest fruit, due to the calming of all the suffering of defilements, is here to be known as “happiness.” Now, “atha” is a particle in the sense of a new topic. “Kho” is a filler word. By “atha,” in the sense of a new topic, it indicates a different topic from the experience of the happiness of liberation. What is that? It is the contemplation of dependent origination. “Of the night” is a genitive case in the sense of a part-whole relationship. “The first” is an accusative case in the sense of continuous connection. For the Blessed One was engaged in that contemplation for the entire first watch of that night. “Paccayākāraṃ” means the conditioned phenomena such as ignorance. “Paṭicca” means having gone facing, that is, without rejecting the causal aggregate. And facing means the production of the fruit as a component of the cause, the causal aggregate. “Without rejecting” means that it does not produce by itself without becoming a component of that causal aggregate. By this, the multiplicity of causes is shown. For the group of causes is indicated by each head of cause, such as ignorance. “Sahitaṃ” means collected, that is, not separated. For the conditioned phenomena, such as ignorance, produce phenomena that are mutually inseparable only when collected. By this, the multiplicity of dependently arisen phenomena is shown. By both, the method of “one not from one” (Vibh.A. 226, Saṅkhārapadaniddesa; Vism. 2.617) is illuminated. From one cause, here no single result exists, nor many; nor one from many causes; but from many causes, many indeed arise. Thus indeed, from many causes like seasons, earth, seeds, and water, many results indeed, like form, smell, taste, and sprouts, are seen arising. But that which is said: "From ignorance, formations; from formations, consciousness"— this showing of single cause and effect— there, a purpose is found. For the Blessed One, sometimes due to prominence, sometimes due to obviousness, sometimes due to uniqueness, and according to the teaching style and the trainees, reveals only one cause or one effect. Indeed, "From contact, feeling" he spoke of only one cause and one effect. For contact is the principal cause of feeling, as feeling is determined by contact. And feeling is the principal effect of contact, as contact is determined by feeling. "Diseases arise from phlegm" (Mahāni. 5) due to obviousness, he spoke of one cause. For phlegm is obvious here, not kamma and so forth. "Whatever unwholesome states there are, monks, all these have unwise attention as their root" due to uniqueness, he spoke of one cause. For unwise attention is unique to unwholesome states, while object-bases and so forth are common. Therefore, ignorance, even though other causes of formations exist here, such as object-bases and co-arising states, and by the saying "for one who observes gratification, craving increases" (Saṃ. Ni. 2.52) and "from the arising of ignorance, the arising of taints" (Ma. Ni. 1.104), it is the cause of other causes of formations like craving, thus due to its prominence; and "Monks, an ignorant one, gone into ignorance, even performs meritorious formations"— due to its obviousness and uniqueness as a cause of formations, it should be understood as revealed. Thus, everywhere, in the showing of single cause and effect, the method should be applied as appropriate. Therefore, the ancients said: "One is not from one here, nor many from many, nor one from many; a result exists. But there is a purpose in showing a single cause and effect." "It is able to be attained," thus it is 'dependent' (paṭicca). For whoever attains and comprehends it, for him it leads to the complete cessation of suffering. "It produces rightly and together," thus it is 'arising' (samuppāda). For a conditioned phenomenon, producing its own result, produces it completely, not deficiently. And those phenomena it produces, it produces all of them together, not one by one. Thus, it is 'dependent' and it is 'arising', therefore it is 'dependent arising'. In this way, the meaning here should be understood. 'Elaboration' means the detailed explanation of the terms of dependent arising. We too, for fear of excessive elaboration, will not show that here, nor the elaboration to be spoken of later. 'In direct and reverse order' is an adverbial neuter designation, like in "the moon and sun revolve unevenly" and so on (A.N. 4.70). 'That very one' means that very mode of conditioning. Or 'spoken in the former way' means the mode of conditioning spoken of in the way beginning with "conditioned by ignorance are volitional formations". 'For continuance' means for the continuance of transmigration. 'He paid attention' means that whatever conditioned phenomenon is a condition for whatever dependently arisen phenomenon, in whatever way, by way of root condition and so on, he made all that in his mind, without distortion, without omission, without remainder, by way of reflection. In "conditioned by ignorance" and so on (VibhA. 225; Vism. 2.586-587; UdA. 1): 'Ignorance' is that which finds what should not be found, such as bodily misconduct. 'Ignorance' is that which does not find what should be found, such as bodily good conduct. 'Ignorance' is that which makes unknown the undistorted nature of phenomena. 'Ignorance' is that which makes beings run in beginningless transmigration, in existences and so on. 'Ignorance' is that which runs in what does not exist, and does not run in what exists. Or 'ignorance' is the opposite of knowledge. It should be understood as fourfold, beginning with "ignorance of suffering". 'Condition' is that without which the result does not come, arises and continues; or 'condition' means that which is helpful. And that is ignorance, and that is a condition, thus 'ignorance-condition'; therefore, 'conditioned by ignorance'. 'They construct', thus 'volitional formations', which are worldly wholesome and unwholesome volitions. These are meritorious, demeritorious, and imperturbable volitional formations. By way of object, three kinds are to be known. It discerns, thus consciousness, that, by way of mundane resultant consciousness, is thirty-twofold. It bends, thus mentality, the three aggregates beginning with feeling. It is afflicted, thus materiality, the fundamental elements and derived materiality like the eye. They extend, and they lead to extended suffering in saṃsāra, thus sense-base. It touches, thus contact. It feels, thus feeling. This pair, by way of door, is sixfold, by way of result, in grasping, is thirty-twofold. It thirsts, it trembles, thus craving, that, by way of sensual craving and so on, is briefly threefold, and extensively, one hundred and eightfold. It grasps, thus clinging, that, by way of sensual clinging and so on, is fourfold. It becomes and it causes to become, thus existence, that, by way of kamma and rebirth, is twofold. Generating is birth. Aging is decay. They die by it, thus death. Grieving is sorrow. Lamenting is lamentation. It causes suffering, thus suffering. Or, it digs in two ways, by way of arising and ceasing, thus suffering. The state of ill-mindedness is dejection. Great distress is despair. They arise, thus they are produced. And not only from sorrow and so on, but indeed, the word "they arise" should be connected with all terms. For thus, "conditioned by ignorance, formations arise" shows the determination of cause and effect. Therefore it is said, "conditioned by ignorance, formations arise — in this way, the meaning should be understood in all terms." But here, in "thus of this...etc....is the origin," this is the meaning. "Thus" is the demonstration of the indicated method. By that, it shows that the causes are ignorance and so on, not creation by a god and so on. "Of this" means of what has been said. "Of the entire" means unmixed, or whole. "Of the mass of suffering" means of the aggregate of suffering, not of a being, nor of what is pleasant or happy and so on. "Is the origin" means production arises. By this, one is utterly dispassionate towards formations, thus dispassion, it is the noble path, so it is said "by the path called dispassion." Cessation without remainder is complete cessation, having made it without remainder, having made it complete, cessation is eradication by way of abandoning latent tendencies through the supreme path. Ignorance is utterly eradicated, this is the meaning. Even though ignorance, abandoned by the lower paths, is abandoned by way of utter eradication, still, it is not abandoned completely. For ignorance leading to woeful states is abandoned by the first path. And likewise, ignorance that is a condition for rebirth in this world and everywhere in ignoble realms, is abandoned by the second and third paths respectively, not otherwise. But by the path of arahantship, it is abandoned without remainder. Cessation of arising means