English
Just as "he sleeps on the earth, therefore 'buffalo'," "they go, therefore 'cows'." Thus, wholesome The conventional meaning of the word 'ala' should be understood. In the exposition of wisdom, 'skill' is stated in the Abhidhamma (Dhs. 16). And because of its existence, the word 'kusala' (wholesome) arises. Thus, 'kusala' due to its connection with skill, this is an Abhidhamma explanation. 'Kusala' means the state of being wholesome. Since there is no blameless opposition for results (vipāka) and so on, only wholesome (kusala) is called the characteristic of blamelessness. The emphasis "only the characteristic of blamelessness" is made to prevent the nature of pleasant results from being a characteristic. And that prevention is done by desiring the object as its manifestation. By the taste in the sense of accomplishment, the taste of purity. By manifestation in the sense of result, the manifestation of a desirable result. Intrinsic nature is unique, like the quality of hardness, contact, and so on. Common characteristic is shared, like the nature of impermanence and so on. Here, the characteristic of wholesome should be seen as common, being a shared nature among all wholesome things, or as intrinsic nature due to its uniqueness from unwholesome things and so on. Mode of manifestation means the mode of knowledge's appearance as something to be grasped. But a result, depending on its cause, appears as its reflection, or appears face-to-face, so it is manifestation. "It knows" refers to the grasping of an object, distinguished by the functions of perception and wisdom. Since it is common to all minds, wherever and however the meaning is taken, there and in that way it should be grasped. That which accumulates by way of repeated practice, and that which is accumulated, conditioned by kamma, is thus called 'citta' (mind). But that which is not so, the two minor functional consciousnesses and the last impulsion, should be understood as 'citta' due to its varied thinking that is obtained. The arising of laughter, however, is just like other impulsion-processes. "Of minds" means "of varied things." For being included within it, even a part is called 'citta' by way of collective designation, just as when parts of mountains, rivers, oceans, etc., are seen, it is said that mountains, etc., are seen. 'Caraṇa' (conduct) is the mental canvas to be traversed, having grasped. 'Rūpāni' (forms) are images. 'Internal' refers to that which is bound to the faculties. 'Made by mind' or 'varied'. Thus, it is said with reference to the mind being the root cause. For the mind is the cause of kamma. And to clarify that meaning, it is said, "distinctions of bodily kamma, etc." "Diversity of gender" means diversity of form, or diversity of bodies having different forms of limbs and minor limbs. According to conventional usage, special aspirations arise in those to be designated as male, female, etc., and from that, special kammas. Thus, this diversity of kamma arises from the diversity of conventional usage. In phrases like "Apā...pe...kādi," the word "etc." includes the various distinctions mentioned in the suttas concerning destinies, rebirths, individual existences, and worldly conditions. Here, "diversity of kamma, etc." should be understood as diversity of kamma according to wholesome and unwholesome. For diversity is indeed the state of having dissimilar natures. The manifoldness of wholesome kamma should be understood in terms of giving, etc., and good bodily conduct, etc.; and the manifoldness of unwholesome kamma in terms of stinginess, etc., and bad bodily conduct, etc. For manifoldness is indeed the state of having many kinds. The distinctions of giving, etc., in terms of giving food, etc.; of good bodily conduct, etc., in terms of abstaining from killing, etc.; of stinginess, etc., in terms of stinginess regarding dwelling places, etc.; and of bad bodily conduct, etc., in terms of killing, etc., should be understood. For a distinction of each kind is a sub-distinction. The determination of diversity, etc., is their being determined and ascertained in such and such a way. By this method, diversity of gender, etc., should be understood. For these are produced by the diversity of kamma, etc. Having shown the arising of present gender from kamma, and in sequence, the completion of present kamma, and then by showing the production of future diversity of gender, etc., thus connecting the cycle of existence, it is said, "dependent on the diversity of kamma," etc. There, by the former word "kamma," ignorance and volitional formations are taken; by the word "gender, etc.," consciousness, etc., up to existence are taken; and by the word "destiny, etc.," birth, old age, and death are taken. This should be understood. There, "destiny" refers to the five destinies, such as hell, etc. Their diversity is the state of being footless, etc. For they are thus distinguished. "Rebirth" refers to being born as cattle, buffalo, khattiya, etc. the births in the realm of the Great Kings and so on, their distinctions are explained. For some Khattiyas are high due to family, possessions, power, and so on, while others are low. Due to being inferior, they are inferior, due to being brought to a principal state, they are excellent, due to being rich, they are well-faring, due to being poor, they are ill-faring. Or, high and low should be connected with family, inferior and excellent with power, well-faring and ill-faring with possessions. "Good-colored and bad-colored" means spoken of in terms of the purity and impurity of colors like white and dark. "Well-born and ill-born" means being born with a complete or incomplete body due to features like the circumference of a banyan tree or due to growth and development. "Well-formed and ill-formed" means in terms of the formation of the limbs and minor limbs. Further, it is said, a Sutta that proves the mind's being made by mind, as stated, is "from kamma," and so on. For kamma arises from the mind, and since everything that arises from it is mind, it proves that all mind is made by mind. Since the sign (liṅga) arises from kamma, and the sign-perception (liṅgasaññā) that arises from it is due to kamma as the root cause, and due to the sign as the proximate cause, it says, "from kamma... they arise." Alternatively, sign and perception are sign-perception, meaning they arise from kamma and from the sign respectively. "They go to distinction from perception," means these phenomena go to the distinction of male and female designations from male and female sign-perception, meaning they are to be designated in such and such a way. By this verse, the mind made by mind is shown in terms of dependent origination across past and present existences. "The world itself is born" (pajāti) the latter line should be seen as the explanation of the former line. Just as the linchpin is the fastener of a chariot, so kamma is the fastener of the chariot of the world of beings; this analogy should be understood. And by this verse, the mind's being made by kamma-consciousness is shown in terms of two existences. "Fame" (kitti) is praise spoken behind one's back, widespread renown. "They praise" (pasaṃsanti) is praise spoken to one's face, eulogy. "Distinction of kamma" (kammanānākaraṇaṃ) means the distinction arising from kamma, which is inferred from kamma-born things, and belongs to kamma itself. or a difference. 'Owners of their kamma' means 'lying in kamma'. 'Heirs of kamma' means 'receiving the inheritance that is to be given by kamma'. And because the wombs of egg-born beings and others arise from kamma, kamma itself is the womb, the cause for the acquisition of existence for them, thus 'kamma-wombed'. Kamma is a relative for them in the sense of a bond, thus 'kamma-relatives'. 'Of the mind' means 'of the kamma-consciousness'. And its not having found an opportunity, due to being obstructed by another kamma, and due to the person being reborn in a place where it cannot ripen, should be understood. Even existing kamma-consciousness, which is to be felt in later existences, should be seen as lacking the remaining conditions, due to the absence of co-operating conditions like the application of time. 'A certain mind' refers to a certain part of the mind's activity, that which is to be done by the mind. Having experienced and having been, it has gone away, thus 'gone-after-being'. For 'having been experienced' is expressed by the word 'being' in the general sense of 'being'. For the general is specified by the prefix. And the word 'experienced' should be understood as referring to the experiencer, due to the absence of a desire to speak of kamma. By way of grasping at alternatives, one experiences the taste of objects, unwholesome and wholesome, with lust and so on, and their opposites. It is not result, because it is thrown by the force of kamma. Nor is it action, due to the extreme weakness of the rootless, and due to the extremely calm occurrence of those arising in one whose defilements are destroyed, who possesses six-limbed equanimity. And here, in the former method, it is said 'gone-after-being' with the intention of speaking only of wholesome and unwholesome. That which is said in "for the abandoning of unwholesome states that have arisen, for the stability of wholesome states that have arisen" (Saṃ. Ni. 5.651-662; Vibha. 390-391), taking 'arisen' here, the abandoning and growth of similar things is stated. But in the latter method, by the word 'and', wholesome and unwholesome are also drawn in, and all conditioned things are spoken of, with the intention of describing the state of 'gone-after-being'. Past kamma that has arisen by way of creating an opportunity to ripen, and future result that has begun to arise from that, are called 'arisen by creating opportunity'. That which is understood even without the word 'arisen', arises...