English
Although the analysis of words was explained first, it is very difficult to analyze the sutta word by word, and the analysis of words is not easy. Therefore, not taking that up, he first explains the analysis of questions and answers, saying, "How would it be?" and so on. Here, "How would it be?" means, "What kind of way should that analysis of questions be carried out?" This meaning should be understood. The meaning is that the analysis of questions should be carried out in the same way that Venerable Ajita asked the Buddha a question in the Pārāyana. Here, "Venerable" is an affectionate address. Ajita is one of the sixteen attendants of the brahmin Bāvarī. Pārāyana means "that by which one goes to the other shore (Nibbāna)"; it is a designation for the sixteen suttas beginning with the Ajita Sutta. "By what is the world enveloped, (thus spoke Venerable Ajita,) By what does it not shine forth; What do you say is its defilement, what is its great fear?" By the verse, "By what phenomenon is the world, the noble being, enveloped, covered?" thus Venerable Ajita asks. "For what reason does the aforementioned world not shine forth? What do you say is the defilement of this aforementioned world? What do you say is the great fear of that aforementioned world?" This is the meaning of what he asks. Thus, in this manner, these four lines of the verse, being questions, are stated in the form of questions, or as elucidating the meaning of the questions. But in terms of its main point, it is considered "one question," even though it should be called "fourfold" because it involves asking about four terms. But since only one meaning is desired to be known, it is called "one question." Since it is to be said, "State the reason," the reason is given: "due to grasping one object." This is what is said: "Even though four meanings— concealment, non-manifestation, defilement, and great fear— are included in the question, it should be understood that it is taken as 'one question' in terms of its main point, due to grasping one expressible meaning." Since it is to be said, "How are we to believe that there is grasping of one object?" it is said, "For thus he said." Thus, since the Blessed One said it by grasping one object, it is understood that you should believe in the grasping of one object. "By what is the world enveloped?" With this, it asks about the covering of the world as a basis, not the basis of various phenomena. "By what does it not shine forth?" With this, it asks about the non-shining of the world itself, not of phenomena with various natures. "State its defilement!" With this, it asks about the defilement of the world itself, not of phenomena with various natures. "What is its great fear?" With this, it asks about the great fear of that very world, not of phenomena with various natures. Therefore, the question beginning "By what is the world enveloped?" is to be analyzed as appropriate: among single-basis and multiple-basis questions, it is a single-basis question; among phenomenon-basis and being-basis questions, it is a being-basis question; among questions like "revealing the unseen," it is a question of "revealing the unseen." This is the intention. Since it is to be said, "The world that is taken as the 'basis' of the question is threefold," it is said, "The world is threefold," and so on. Among these, it is threefold because there are three kinds of this world. A being in the sense-sphere is afflicted by defilements like lust, so it is a defilement; and that defilement is the world, so it is the world of defilement, a being in the sense-sphere. For it is called the world of defilement due to the abundance of defilements like lust. It comes into being through jhānas and supernormal powers, so it is a bhava. The world is called 'bhava-loka' because it is 'bhava' (existence). It is the realm of fine-material beings. For it comes into being through jhānas and other attainments. One endowed with faculties is 'indriya'. The world is called 'indriya-loka' because it is 'indriya' (faculty). It is the realm of immaterial beings. For it becomes pure in faculties due to the abundance of imperturbable concentration. Thus, the designations of the worlds arise according to the nature of the phenomena, Therefore, they are not adopted by the Noble Ones. The analysis of questions in the section beginning with "By what is the world enveloped?" has been explained by the teacher and understood by us. Since it is to be asked, "Where is the analysis of answers explained?" Therefore, "There, the answer" and so on is stated. There, 'there' means in that question beginning with "By what is the world enveloped?" "By ignorance is the world enveloped, (Ajita, said the Blessed One,) By wavering and heedlessness it does not shine forth; Greed is its anointing, I say, Suffering is its great fear." This verse should be seen as the answer. There, "By ignorance is the world enveloped" means: Just as a chariot or cart is covered by darkness endowed with four aspects— the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, a dense forest thicket, a layer of clouds, and midnight— so too is the world of beings enveloped and covered by ignorance, which has the characteristic of concealing the true nature of phenomena. And the Blessed One spoke, addressing "Ajita." "By wavering" means that due to doubt and heedlessness, the world as described does not shine forth. The Blessed One said, "I declare craving to be the 'anointing' of the world as described." The Blessed One said to Ajita, "I declare suffering— the suffering of the round of existence, such as birth— to be the 'great fear' of the world as described." Since it is to be asked, "How should one analyze with this answer?" Therefore, "These four terms" and so on is stated. There, "These four terms" refers to the verse terms stated in the question verse beginning with "By what is the world enveloped?" "By these four terms" refers to those stated in the answer verse, "By ignorance is the world enveloped." establish what has been answered. How? The first word with the first word, the second word with the second word, the third word with the third word, the fourth word with the fourth word is answered. In the first question, "By what is the world enveloped?" the first answer, "The world is enveloped by ignorance," was made, not in reverse order. Ignorance is the opposite of knowledge, therefore the world would be ignorant due to ignorance. How is it to be believed that it is enveloped? It is said, "The world is enveloped by hindrances." If so, "The world is enveloped by a hindrance" should be the answer. Considering this objection, it is said, "For all beings are hindered by ignorance." Since it must be asked, "By what statement is the state of all beings being hindered by ignorance to be believed?" "As the Blessed One said," etc., was spoken. "Of all beings, monks, of all living things, of all creatures, in a certain way, I declare there is only one hindrance, namely ignorance. For all beings are hindered by ignorance. And, monks, with the complete cessation, abandonment, and relinquishment of ignorance, I declare there is no hindrance for beings." That statement, in the way and manner the Blessed One spoke, by that statement, in that manner, you should believe that all beings are hindered by ignorance. "The world is enveloped by ignorance" by this phrase, it would not only be an answer to the first phrase, "By what is the world enveloped?" but also an answer to the second phrase, "By what does it not shine?" Considering this objection, "And by that," etc., was said. There, by that phrase, "The world is enveloped by ignorance," the answer to the first phrase, "By what is the world enveloped?" is appropriate and more appropriate. Because it is more appropriate, in the question "By what is the world enveloped?" the answer "The world is enveloped by ignorance" is what I must say. This is the intention. To the question, "By what does it not shine?" this answer, "It does not shine due to doubt and heedlessness," should be made, because it proceeds from doubt. The meaning is: the world does not shine. The answer should be given: the world, veiled by ignorance, does not shine. Because it is said: "How is the answer given: the world does not shine due to doubt and heedlessness?" Therefore, "the person" and so on is stated. There, the ordinary person, veiled by the coverings of ignorance, that ordinary person doubts with doubt. Because it should be asked: "What is that doubt with which one doubts?" It is said: "Doubt is called perplexity." Because it should be said: "Why does it not shine due to that?" It is said: "That one, doubting," and so on. Doubting with that, that ordinary person does not have faith in what should be believed; not having faith in what should be believed, he does not arouse the energy that should be aroused for the abandonment of unwholesome states and the realization of wholesome states; not arousing it, that person dwells in heedlessness in this world. Dwelling in heedlessness, the heedless person does not produce pure states; for that person not producing them, those pure states, not being produced, do not shine, they do not proceed in the manner of shining. Therefore, the intention is that the answer should be given: "The world does not shine due to doubt and heedlessness." Because it should be said: "By what statement should we believe in such a non-shining of pure states?" "As the Blessed One said," and so on, is stated. There – "Those who are far away shine, like the Himalayas, a mountain; Those who are not here are not seen, like arrows shot at night; They shine by their virtues, and by their fame and glory." – As the Blessed One spoke that verse, in what way, in what manner of not shining, so by that verse, spoken in that manner of not shining, you should indeed believe in the non-shining of pure states for such a person.