English
Is it not that it is the very attainment of the cessation of suffering, so it is not fitting that it is its own path? No, because of the attainment by the person, by which he attains, and because those causal phenomena are spoken of as both attainment and path. Even though there is no difference between the realization and the realizing phenomena, a distinction is made in the description by the person's realization and the nature of the realizing phenomena. Or else, the culmination of the attainment of the cessation of suffering is the fruit, and the path-nature of that attainment of the cessation of suffering should be seen. "Buddhas and others, the Noble Ones, penetrate" - here, the designation "Buddha and others" which occurs at the time of penetration, like in "The Buddha went to Rājagaha" (Sutta Nipāta 410) and so on, is applied to an earlier time and thus "Buddhas and others" is said. For those Buddhas and others penetrate by means of the four paths. "Truths to be penetrated by the Noble Ones are Noble Truths" - here, the elision of the latter part of the first word should be understood. "The Noble Ones penetrate this" - bringing unity through the sense of "to be penetrated", "this" is said. Therefore, because of the Tathāgata's nobility, his truths are called Noble Truths - this is the meaning. For by the Tathāgata himself they were attained, and by him alone... Because they are spoken, and because they are to be attained by others, they belong to him. In "ariyabhāvasiddhitopi" (also from the attainment of the noble state), the elision of the latter part of the compound, as in earlier instances, should be understood, meaning "truths that lead to the noble state are noble truths." In "ariyāni saccānītipi" (also noble truths), they are noble because they are to be penetrated, to be attained, due to their unerroneous nature; or this is a noble designation, to be understood as unfailing and unerroneous. In "bādhanalakkhaṇaṃ" (characteristic of oppression), oppression is the state of being suffering-suffering and its cause, or being afflicted by rise and fall. The continuous arising of suffering in various ways in existences and so forth, such as birth and so forth, or eye diseases and so forth, is the torment of the individual; that is its function, its taste. In "pavattinivattīsu" (in continuity and cessation), in the cycles of existence and liberation, it is grasped as continuity, thus its manifestation is continuity. "Pabhavo" (origin) means suffering arises from it, it is born in rebirth, the later existence is connected, joined with the former existence, and thus it proceeds. "When the latent defilements of craving are not uprooted, this suffering arises again and again" (Dhp. 338) – thus, repeated production, making it unceasing. "Palibodho" (hindrance) is the obstruction of escape from existence. "Santi" (peace) is the cessation of all suffering through the destruction of craving and so forth. "Accutirasaṃ" (taste of permanence) means the attainment of permanence. Or "cavanaṃ vā kiccaṃ" (or falling is the function) – meaning, by speaking of its absence as a function, it means the function of permanence. And permanence is the non-abandonment of one's nature, to be understood as unchangeability. "Animittapaccupaṭṭhānaṃ" (manifestation as signless) means it is grasped as signless due to the emptiness of the five aggregates as signs. "Niyyānaṃ" (escape) is the means of exit from the prison of cyclic existence through the uprooting of latent defilements. "Vuṭṭhānapaccupaṭṭhānaṃ" (manifestation as emergence) means it is grasped as the mind's emergence from signs and from continuity. "Māyā" (illusion) is said to be the opposite of the true nature of things, appearing like gold and so forth, but not being gold and so forth. But a mirage, appearing like water, is empty for those who approach it; not even a trace of substance is seen in it, thus it is called deceptive. The opposite state of mirage, illusion, and self is the state of being true and not contrary. "Ariyañāṇassa" (of noble knowledge) means unerroneous apprehension. Of what knowledge? By that, penetrative insights and reviews are understood. And their scope, their state as objects to be penetrated, should be seen. The characteristic of fire is heat. For it, even when the fuel like wood changes, is never contradictory, contrary, or unreal. "Subject to sickness, subject to old age, and also subject to death" (A.N. 3.39; 5.57) here, the worldly nature, beginning with birth, is spoken of. The upward length of humans, the horizontal length of some animals, the non-growth again of those who have reached the end of growth, and so on, they say. Among the states of being true, non-contrary, and real, the last is 'thusness', the first is 'non-falseness', the middle is 'non-otherwise-ness'. This is their distinction. Why is it said, "Nothing other than suffering is an oppressor"? Is not craving also an oppressor, like birth, by being a cause of suffering? No, because it is taken separately as the origin of the oppressor. Or, like birth and so on, the state of suffering as a basis, and the suffering of suffering, is the oppressor, not the origin of suffering. Thus, there is no implication of craving being an oppressor when taken as the origin. Therefore it is said, "Nothing other than suffering is an oppressor." By the rule of being an oppressor, suffering is indeed an oppressor, and only suffering is an oppressor – this is the meaning, by thus establishing the oppressor-nature in both ways. Without it, nothing else. Even though there are other defilements, other unwholesome things, roots of wholesome things with taints, and other wholesome things with taints, as causes of suffering, their state as causes of suffering does not exist without craving. But even without them, craving's state as a cause of suffering exists, because craving produces suffering even without wholesome things (but with unwholesome), and without form-sphere things (but with sense-sphere things). Because of its state of being a true deliverance. In both ways, its state of deliverance is truly fixed. Not like the wrong path, due to its contrariness, or like the worldly path, due to its uncertainty, which is not true. It is a true deliverance, the path. Its state is true deliverance. Therefore, because of its state of true deliverance. Everywhere, in both ways, truly fixed... "the state of being truly reversed" is said, so he says, "thus, from the non-perversion of truth," and so on. "Extraction of meanings" is the extraction of possible meanings of the word 'sacca' (truth), or stating the possible meanings and then extracting the intended meaning. "Truth of abstention" refers to abstention from false speech. For the word 'sacca' is not established in other abstentions. The view held, "This alone is truth, all else is vain," is 'view-truth'. "Nibbāna is the undeceiving state, the Noble Ones know it as truth" (Sn 763). Because it is the undeceiving state, Nibbāna is called the ultimate truth. The understanding of that and of the path leading to it, this realization, is the cause of non-dispute. Thus, both are called 'truth' in the mixed verse: "Indeed, there is one truth, no second exists, knowing which, people do not dispute." (Sn 890; Mahāni. 119) "This is not suffering, a Noble Truth," should one come to say, "this position does not exist." By this, it shows the non-perversion of birth and so on as the Noble Truth of Suffering. "Another suffering is a Noble Truth," should one come to say, "this position does not exist." By this, it shows the certainty of the Noble Truth of Suffering in birth and so on. Even if somehow someone with such a mind were to come, to show that there is no one capable of explaining by the Dhamma, or of explaining their own assertion, it is said: "I will explain this... (etc.)... should one come to say, 'this position does not exist.'" The unalterable nature of birth and so on, and the absence of anything else being such, is here the non-existence of a position. Even if someone were to come, let them come, but the position does not exist. This is the meaning of the Sutta here. This method applies to the second Sutta as well. There, however, the attainment and direct experience is the first (truth). Its cause is the second. Its cessation is the third. That which leads to its attainment is the fourth. Thus it should be understood. By one desiring Nibbāna, no other task is to be done than full understanding and so on. Nor is there any other duty of Dhamma-knowledge than this. And the things to be fully understood and so on are limited to these. Thus, only four are stated. In the manner of those who see the danger in craving: "Craving... It is said “this is the highest among objects and so on.” Similarly, for those who see fault in the dwelling, which is the five strands of sensual pleasure, which is all objects of desire, or which is suffering in the three existences, it is said “this is the highest among dwellings and so on.” By “suffering with its cause,” it shows that suffering is a cause for great alarm, by showing its unbroken continuity. It does not comprehend all at once, like the knowledge of penetration, but rather, it comprehends gradually, hence it is "gradual comprehension" (anubodha). Or, "gradual comprehension" is comprehension accompanied by listening, reflection, views, contemplation, and patience. For it does not comprehend directly, but rather it grasps by inferring from listening and so on. By "to be done" (kiccatoti), it means from the perspective of full understanding and so on. For by performing those functions, they become clear to it. For the path-knowledge, arising in the mind that is withdrawing from formations through the contemplation of turning away, fully comprehends suffering by taking the unformed, the escape from suffering, as its object; it abandons craving