English
Having asked about the investigation of the characteristic method, "which phenomena" and so on, was said to briefly show the phenomena. Here, "which phenomena" means which groups of phenomena. "Of a single characteristic" means of a similar characteristic. "Of those phenomena" means of those group-phenomena of similar characteristic; and this is for determination. "In a single phenomenon" means in a single phenomenon of similar characteristic. When it is stated by the Blessed One in the Pāḷi, it means that the remaining phenomena of similar characteristic are stated by the similar characteristic of the stated phenomenon. To show by determining that when this phenomenon is stated in detail regarding the phenomena of the characteristic method, these phenomena of similar characteristic are also stated, it says, "How would it be?" and so on. Its meaning is: it asks, "How would that manner be, by which manner they are stated?" The meaning is: that manner, by which manner they are stated, would be the state of similar characteristics. What did the Blessed One say? The Blessed One said, "The eye, monks," and so on. When "The eye, monks, is unstable," and so on, is stated, the statement "The ear, monks, is unstable," and so on, is also stated. Or because the internal sense bases are of similar characteristic with the characteristic of instability and so on. Because of having the same characteristic of non-existence, or because it is said that only by way of sense-bases should one characteristic be spoken of, to show one characteristic even by way of aggregates, "as it was said" and so on, was spoken. "Regarding past form, Radha, one is not attached. Do not delight in future form. For the present form, practice for disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, relinquishment, and letting go." When this was said, "Regarding past feeling, Radha, one is not attached. Do not delight in future feeling. For the present feeling, practice for disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, relinquishment, and letting go," and so on, would have been said. "Because of having the same characteristic of non-attachment, or having the same characteristic as the aggregates, it is said that only by way of aggregates and sense-bases should phenomena of one characteristic be spoken of." Because it is said thus, to show that it should also be spoken of by way of mindfulness foundations, "as it was said" and so on, was spoken. There, just as the Blessed One spoke by that one characteristic, so too, by that one characteristic, even unspoken phenomena become spoken; this is the meaning. Those insight practitioners, who are always well-established in the five aggregates, always developing mindfulness of the body, those practitioners do not engage in unwholesome things like beauty and pleasure, or actions like farming and trade. They are diligent in wholesome things like the unattractive and unpleasant, or things related to the body; thus the Blessed One said, is the connection. Here, one 'iti' word is omitted. Thus, in the verse beginning "and of those", by the mindfulness that is present, that has arisen in the body, such as hair, spoken of by the Blessed One in its own form, the remaining mindfulness of feelings, and mindfulness of mind, and mindfulness of phenomena, are spoken of as having one characteristic, by way of being foundations of mindfulness. In brief, "always well-established, always mindfulness of feelings... always mindfulness of mind... always mindfulness of phenomena," thus it should be said. "Only by way of the foundations of mindfulness should phenomena of one characteristic be spoken of." Because it is said thus, "similarly, whatever" and so on, was spoken. There, whatever form-base... whatever is seen by eye-consciousness, whatever sound-object is heard by ear-consciousness, whatever smell, taste, or touch-object is cognized by consciousness through the nose-consciousness and the rest, thus, when the Blessed One has stated what is seen and the rest in its true nature, then whatever else is cognized, being a mind-object, is said by the Blessed One to be of a single characteristic, as an object to be apprehended; this is the meaning. Or, when the Blessed One has spoken of whatever visible form is seen, then, by that being said, whatever is heard and so on is also said; this is the initial meaning to be applied separately. Therefore it is said: "seen, or heard, or cognized." Since it is to be asked, "When mindfulness of the body is mentioned, are only mindfulness of feelings and the rest to be spoken of?" to show that the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment are also mentioned, "and as the Blessed One said" and so on is stated. There, "as" means by which characteristic of deliverance, and by which single characteristic the Blessed One spoke, so by that single characteristic they are said; this is the meaning. "Therefore, because you are overcome by covetousness and distress in my dispensation here, monk, you, being ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, should remove covetousness and distress in the world by temporary suppression or by suppression through overcoming, and dwelling in the body, in the body of hair and so on, you should dwell contemplating the body, contemplating the body of hair and so on," when the Blessed One has said this, "Therefore, monk, you should dwell contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, removing covetousness and distress in the world. Therefore, monk, you should dwell contemplating mind in mind... ...distress. Therefore, monk, you should dwell contemplating phenomena in phenomena... ...distress" is said; this is to be understood as the brief meaning. The extensive meaning, however, has been stated in many ways in the commentary (Netti. Atth. 23), and so we have not elaborated it. "When one foundation of mindfulness is mentioned, why are the four foundations of mindfulness are said to be the foundations of mindfulness,” it is said, “ātāpī is the faculty of energy,” and so on. Here, by the word “ātāpī,” the faculty of energy that occurs in body, feelings, mind, and mental objects is meant. By the word “sampajāno,” the faculty of wisdom that occurs in body, feelings, mind, and mental objects is meant. By the word “satimā,” the faculty of mindfulness that occurs in body, feelings, mind, and mental objects is meant. By the word “vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ,” the faculty of concentration that occurs in body, feelings, mind, and mental objects is meant, not only in the body. If one were to say that in this way, for the meditator who contemplates the body as body, the four foundations of mindfulness reach completion in development, then it is to be understood that the four faculties of energy, wisdom, mindfulness, and concentration reach completion because they have a single characteristic, a similar characteristic, as the means for the four foundations of mindfulness. Therefore, it is said in the commentary: “Because there is no difference in the nature of these faculties in accomplishing the four foundations of mindfulness, they have a similar characteristic.” 24. Since it might be asked, “Even if this is said, only the four foundations of mindfulness should be mentioned, how can the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment be mentioned?” it is said, “in the four foundations of mindfulness,” and so on. Here, in the four foundations of mindfulness, as they are developed by a meditator, that meditator’s four right efforts reach completion in development. Similarly, the explanation should be made for the rest. The understanding of the four truths is enlightenment (bodha), the knowledge of the noble path is enlightenment. They lead to enlightenment, thus they are bodhaṅgamā. They belong to the side of enlightenment, the knowledge of the noble path, thus they are bodhipakkhiyā. Since it might be asked, “Are only wholesome states extracted as having a single characteristic, or are unwholesome states also?” it is said, “similarly unwholesome states,” and so on. Here, the meaning is that just as wholesome states are defined by a single characteristic, so too unwholesome states must be defined by a single characteristic. Since it might be asked, “How are they to be defined?” Showing that they should be determined by their nature of having one purpose, abandonment, he said, "Because of their single characteristic, abandonments go to their goal." There, "because of their single characteristic" means because of their identical characteristic with the nature of having one purpose, abandonment. Because it should be asked, "Which abandonment goes to its goal?" "In the four foundations of mindfulness," etc., was said. There, in the four... ...they go to full understanding. When the foundation of mindfulness on the body is developed by the practitioner, by that practitioner, the perversion of "beautiful" in the unlovely body, such as hair, is abandoned. For that practitioner, physical food goes to full understanding. Because it was said, "From the arising of food, there is the arising of form," the meaning is that for one abandoning desire-and-lust for the body, desire-and-lust for its cause, physical food, is also abandoned. When the foundation of mindfulness on feelings is developed, the perversion of "pleasure" in suffering is abandoned. For that practitioner, contact-food goes to full understanding. Because it was said, "From contact as condition, there is feeling," for one abandoning desire-and-lust for feeling, desire-and-lust for its condition, contact-food, is abandoned. When the foundation of mindfulness on mind is developed, the perversion of "permanent" in impermanent things is abandoned. For that practitioner, consciousness-food goes to full understanding. When the foundation of mindfulness on phenomena is developed, the perversion of "self" in non-self is abandoned. For that practitioner, volitional-consciousness-food goes to full understanding.