English
then that very thing would be transcended, not its object. And it is not reasonable to transcend the development of the non-object by seeing fault in the object. And in the Pāli, it is said: 'Having mindfully entered the attainment of infinite consciousness, and arisen from it, one develops that very consciousness.' (Cūḷani. Upasīvamāṇavapucchāniddesa 39) It is not said: 'one develops that very sphere of infinite consciousness,' or 'one develops that very thing.' However, in 'Infinite consciousness,' 'one attains the sphere of infinite consciousness' (Vibha. 508), both are stated here: the object, which is consciousness, and the sphere of infinite consciousness. When the word 'that' refers to what is indicated as the starting point, from which one has arisen, in either of these two, the word 'consciousness' is for turning back from the sphere of infinite consciousness. Therefore, the transcending of the development of the consciousness of the first formless attainment is stated. 'Dependent on that' means 'supported by that'. Just as a place in a secluded outer space, independent of and without that top of the pavilion, so is the place of the third formless attainment in the seclusion and disappearance of the consciousness attached to space. The description of wholesome states in the formless realm is concluded. Description of wholesome states in the three realms. 269. These five methods, such as the method of desire-dominance, are said with reference to the preceding methods' inclination towards that method at the end of the desire-dominance method. But this manner is not in accordance with the Pāli. For in the Pāli, it is not said that methods like the pure method, etc., are stated, and then methods like the energy-dominance method, etc., are stated. In the Great Treatise, by seven great sections, varied by methods like the direct method, and so on, the inferiority... divided into three. And because these twenty worldly great ways are part of the middle Dhamma, it is said, "divided therein," not because these ways occurred there in that order. Having thus shown their place of division, now, at the conclusion of this discussion of the three-realm wholesome, to show the eighteen doors of action, it begins with "in this place." Or, having distinguished them from the inferior and superior, and showing their inclusion in the middle group, a division of these three-realm wholesome ways is made in the inferior triad. The connection of "in this place," etc., is as stated. In the middle group of the inferior triad, those actions that are with result, performed through attachment to the cycle of existence, such as giving, etc., should be considered inferior. Those performed through detachment from the cycle of existence, such as giving, etc., should be considered superior. Those without result should be considered middle. And because they are without result, excluding the middle group among them, the other two are nine entirely attached to the cycle of existence, and nine serving as a basis for detachment. Thus, eighteen doors of action. They are actions, and they are doors as causes for their respective results, hence doors of action. Or, the minds in those places are doors of action, it says. Or, the respective doors are the body, etc. The eighteen Khattiyas, the nine who are incapable, such as the lowest of the low triad, and the nine who are capable, such as the highest of the high triad, should be understood according to their actions. Similarly, Brahmins, etc., and Devas should be connected. The forty-eight gotra-caraṇas are subdivisions of these same Khattiyas, etc. "A wholesome consciousness of the sense-sphere arises... ...consciousness as dominance" (Dhs. 269-270) Thus, the dominance of consciousness is stated. The word "consciousness" is used to define the moment in the aggregate of consciousness and mental factors, so it says, "stated in terms of the associated phenomena." The description of the three-realm wholesome is concluded. Description of the supramundane wholesome 277. "It crosses the world" By this, it speaks of the practice of transcending the world. "It goes beyond" By this, the end of the world, establishment in the fruit, is the fruit. Together By "having completely overcome," Nibbana is meant. For "having completely overcome" means having escaped. "Having overwhelmed" means having become disjoined. All three meanings should be applied to each of the paths, or only to the path, as that is intended here. "Momentary" refers to the non-occurrence of a single path twice in succession. It increases by wisdom that is capable of not transgressing the mutual qualities of phenomena. Instead of saying "niyyātīti niyyāniyaṃ" (that which leads out is leading out), by shortening the long 'ī' and changing 'ya' to 'ka', it is said "niyyānikaṃ" (leading out). That by which one leads out is niyyānaṃ (leading out), and niyyānikaṃ is just niyyānaṃ, like a venayika (disciplinarian). Here, instead of saying "neyyānikaṃ" (that which leads out), it is said without changing 'i' to 'e'. "Fruit" refers to the aggregate of consciousness and mental factors, which is the support for mutually associated phenomena, its own constituent parts. Or, fruit-knowledge is fruit, or right view and other factors. "In the supramundane state" means in the state of having transcended the world. By this, it includes the fruits and Nibbana. Among these, that which becomes a fruit is called a "ground." Just as the realms of sensual existence, etc., produced by kamma, are called "grounds" because they are the support for those endowed with them, similarly, the fruit produced by the path is called a "ground" for the noble disciple, because it is a support to be attained from time to time, and it is from there that the noble ones abide for a longer time. In "by way of cutting off and seclusion," the complete cutting off of those leading to the lower realms and the cutting off of darkness for others, like a flash of lightning, should be understood. Even mundane jhana does not succeed for an ordinary person or a noble one who has not yet made the effort, without the path. But for a noble one who has made the effort, since it succeeds by the path itself, and since there is no similarity with the noble path for such a jhana that has succeeded through wholesome action, like vipaka, and since it is not its vipaka, it cannot be said that the path is the path to that jhana. Therefore, the teaching was not given with such emphasis on the paths there, but a pure teaching was also given to include the aforementioned jhanas. Here, pa Not for anyone without practice is there attainment. Therefore, to show its difficulty, it is said, "difficult practice," and so on. Whatever number of times, once, twice, thrice, four times, many times— among these hindrance-times, whatever it may be. Once or twice the hindrance-times are indeed easy practice, and beyond that there is no easy practice. Thus, the Aṭṭhakathā teachers declared the thrice-hindrance-time to be difficult practice. When it is declared thus, there is nothing to say about the subsequent four-times hindrance-times and so on. The grasping of form and non-form by distinguishing them with their characteristics and so on is the discernment of form and non-form. The establishment that "this is merely name-and-form, not any other being and so on" is the establishment of name-and-form. If it is said: "The slowness of the path's manifestation for the discerned form and non-form might be due to the difficult attainment of the establishment of name-and-form and so on, and not merely due to the difficulty of discerning form and non-form, is it not that the practice is difficult?" That is not so. Even if the establishment of name-and-form and so on is easily attained due to the weakness of opposing defilements, the path's manifestation is slow due to the weakness of the faculties associated with such attained insight. Having discerned form and non-form, even having discerned them without difficulty. When discerned with difficulty, there is nothing to say. Similarly in the remaining cases. They declared this time to be difficult practice. At the end of the contemplation of groups, when the insight defilement arises during the observation of rise and fall, they declared the difficulty of the three-times hindrance to be difficult practice, as the practice ends there. Even if this is not difficult, if the former ones are difficult, the difficult practice is as stated, and thus it is not refuted. Or, as stated, all the difficulty of discerning form and non-form and so on is referred to as "this time" in terms of the three-times hindrance. For one for whom there is no difficulty everywhere, that is to be known as easy practice. Due to the difficulty of falsehood and so on, such as deceit, and being rough and non-grasping, in opposition to grasping, Right speech has an unobstructed nature. It, by its smooth nature, embraces the associated states and the people who listen to well-spoken words, which are the condition for right speech. It causes the task of bodily action to arise, and its own arising is an effort. Thus, abstinence, called right action, is said to have the nature of arising. Or, the uplifting and arising of associated states is like the lifting of a burden for bodily action, for a living being. Or, the purity and cleansing of associated states, or of livelihood itself, or of the life faculty's function. 283. "Dependent on the path" means that because it has the nature of the ultimate path, as a component of the path, it is dependent on the aggregate. 285. Establishment is by way of defilements, exertion is by way of volitional formations. Or, establishment is by way of craving, exertion is by way of views. "Enlightenment" should be understood as this collection of states that is spoken of. Like the components of an army or a chariot, this shows the non-existent nature