English
"Having uprooted self-view, thus one crosses death" – this is the proof of the result-state of the preliminary practice of the Noble Path. For by whatever method the uprooting of self-view and the crossing of death may occur, that "thus" (evaṃ) implies this... Thus it is revealed. In the state of being the fruit of uprooting self-view and crossing over death, there is nothing to be said. But in the verse "Dhamma indeed," because the worldly fruit of merit is stated, it is said "this is the fruit." That which is to be produced, that is the fruit. That which produces, that is the means. This is the determination here. Therefore it is said "by this method" and so on. Attainment of requisites means the splendor of existence. Purity means the purity of knowledge and vision is intended, therefore it is said – "here too...etc...to be understood." And by "Since indeed" and so on, the same meaning is made clearer in another statement. They come in their own form in passages like "When, monks, a bhikkhu truly understands the origin, disappearance, gratification, danger, and escape from the five aggregates of clinging" (SN 3.26-28). They come in part in passages like "When, monks, one dwells contemplating gratification in things that bind" (SN 2.53), "much suffering, much tribulation, the danger here is greater" (MN 1.117), and "this is the escape from formations, namely Nibbāna" (Paṭis. 1.24; 3.41). They do not come in their own form, as in the Samaññaphala Sutta and so on. By way of meaning means by way of the meaning of what is to be gratified and so on. Not elaborated means not expanded upon. 2. "This method" means the remaining words to be investigated by analogy are pointed out. And with "to" in the sense of "being," it says "vissajjita means vissajjanā (explanation)." The meaning is that what appears in the Sutta does not appear in the commentary by way of explaining the meaning. The suitability of the question, "here is the sequence," shows this by distinguishing it from the sequence of the fourfold arrangement. "Connection of the question" means the connection of the question with the explanation. In the commentary, however, the connection of the lower teaching with the upper teaching, which arose from the question, is called "connection of the question." "Expecting the former" means expecting the questioned and explained words. Or by "of the Sutta," excluding the question-and-answer recitations, the remaining word-meaning of the method of investigation is included, so the inclusion of the word should also be understood. This In this section, the word "ca" in the verse should be understood merely as a filler word. When asked, "Is the eye impermanent?" the categorical answer, "Yes, the eye is indeed impermanent," is a categorical explanation. When asked, "Should the faculty of knowledge be developed and realized?" the answer given by distinguishing, "What pertains to the path should be developed, what pertains to the fruit should be realized," is an analytical explanation. When asked, "Is the faculty of knowledge wholesome?" the answer given by asking a counter-question, "Is 'wholesome' meant as 'blameless,' or as 'having a pleasant result'?" is an explanation by counter-question. When it is said, "Is the self eternal, or not eternal?" not answering by saying, "This is undeclared," etc., is setting aside. "Are these, 'wholesome' or 'phenomena,' one in meaning, or different in meaning?" This question is incomplete. But the incompleteness of the answer should be understood in the teaching according to the disposition of the one to be trained. That which is without a miracle has an answer. That which is with a miracle has no answer. The rest is easily understood in the explanation of the method of investigation. And here, from enjoyment and its cause up to the cause of command, in this way, even for causes, enjoyment, etc., should be understood. Therein, in brief, enjoyment is characterized by pleasure and its cause. It, especially, should be explained by the attainment of heaven. For that is its excellence. The remaining worldly attainments here should be understood as following from it. Its cause is the basis of meritorious action consisting of giving and morality. The danger is characterized by suffering and the cause of suffering. Due to its inclusion of the suffering of change and the suffering of conditioned states, even the suffering of the cycle of existence is included here. But especially, it should be seen as the degradation of sensual pleasures. And this (degradation) by means of defilement-objects and by its momentary manifestation, etc., should be explained. Its cause are the ten unwholesome courses of action. Renunciation is the escape. Its cause, appropriately, is the preliminary practice suitable for it. The fruit is indeed the fruit of the teaching. Its cause is the teaching. The means is indeed the means as stated. Its cause are the four wheels. The command is the instruction. Its (cause is) the world being aflame with the fire of lust, etc., the Great Teacher's great... And the application of dawn is the cause. Similarly, in the four noble truths, enjoyment with the origin, danger with suffering, release with the path and cessation, or the path is the means, its instruction is the command, the Nibbāna-element without remainder is the fruit. Thus, together with the gradual discourse, by way of determination of the Buddhas' special discourse on Dhamma, analysis should be understood. The connection of a word with its meaning is the cause. For it is the cause of its occurrence, the desire to know for a question, and the desire to speak. For the four (types of questions) like illuminating the unseen, there is the desire to know, for the other, the other. A question is the cause for an answer. Thus, for the rest too, it should be said as appropriate. 3. The examination of the suitability and unsuitability of expressions and meanings: by the taking of 'expression', a word is taken; by the taking of 'meaning', the satisfactions and so on, together with questions and so on, are taken. Indeed, the subject matters of the analysis mode, endowed with distinctions like suitability and unsuitability, are the subject matters of the suitability mode and so on. For example, distinguished by the state of being a proximate cause and that which has a proximate cause, those very things are the subject matters of the proximate cause mode. Distinguished by the characteristic and that which is to be characterized, and determined, are for the characteristic mode; distinguished by the manifestation of expressions and so on, are for the fourfold array mode; distinguished by revolving according to similar phenomena and dissimilar phenomena, are for the revolving mode; distinguished by divisions of planes and so on, are for the division mode; distinguished by turning around from the opposite, are for the reversal mode; distinguished by synonyms and alternative expressions, are for the synonym mode; distinguished by the designation of origin and so on, are for the designation mode; distinguished by descending through the doors of aggregates and so on, are for the descent mode; distinguished by purifying the initiation of words, meanings, and questions, are for the purification mode; distinguished by determining the general and the specific, are for the determination mode; distinguished by equipping with causal phenomena, are for the equipment mode; distinguished by determining what is to be abandoned and what is to be cultivated, are the subject matters of the imposition mode. "The natural etymology of the expression, the non-contradiction of the meaning with the suttas and so on, is suitability." By this, unnatural etymology, and contradiction with the suttas and so on, are shown to be unsuitability. Therefore, the cause of suitability and unsuitability shows. 4. By "right attention, etc.," the word "etc." includes both common factors like listening to the True Dhamma and associating with good people, and uncommon factors like the giver and receiver. "Arises" means suitable for that Dhamma, as appropriate. In "as far as all dhammas," "all" means a partial "all," not absolutely "all." Just as this word "all" in the first alternative is limited in scope to the dhammas mentioned in the sutta, so too in the second alternative, by determining the proximate causes and their effects, and by grasping the dhammas delimited by each context, it is also limited in scope, not encompassing all dhammas without remainder. The "proximate cause method" is characterized by determining a chain of causes, such as "what are the proximate causes of the dhammas mentioned in the sutta, and what are their effects?" The "requisite method," however, is characterized by explaining the specific nature of the dhammas mentioned in the sutta as being the condition for their respective effects. Thus, even though both involve an investigation of causes, this is the difference between the proximate cause method and the requisite method. 5. Just as in phrases like "in words that are co-referential and similar," the word "similar" means "same," so too here, the word "one" in "one characteristic" means "same," like "one arising" in phrases such as "one taste, one development" (Kathā. 473). Therefore, it says "same characteristic." In "by way of explanation," the suffix "ana" is in the sense of object, meaning "by way of what is to be explained." "Characteristic" means a distinguishing mark. In phrases like "those with diverse bodies and diverse perceptions" (Dī. Ni. 3.341, 357, 359; A. Ni. 9.24) and "not attending to diverse perceptions," concomitance should be understood. For dhammas accompanied by perception are included there by the mention of perception. In phrases like "giving binds friendships" (Saṃ. Ni. 1.246; Su. Ni. 189), sameness of function is implied. For pleasant speech and beneficial conduct,