English
For them, to show the arising of formations and so forth by their respective appropriate causes, the forward teaching was given. Even if for others that meaning is possible, their arising is not for that very meaning, due to the existence of another meaning. But this is for that very meaning; thus, its being for that meaning is stated. Ignorance, which conceals the danger of existence, is the origin. From that, formations arise. From that, consciousness. And thus, to show the sequence of the arising of existence. For one who reflects, the realization of various fruits that occurred in the prior part of enlightenment. Following that, tracing back, the cause of aging-and-death etc., which is birth etc., that was comprehended. To show that, the reverse teaching was given. Or, the connection is: for one who reflects, the reverse teaching was given. Indeed, the Blessed One, even when teaching, having reflected on the world fallen into suffering, taught to show the prior part... etc. Food, craving, and so forth, are the present time. Formations, ignorance, are the past time. With this intention, it is said: "going back to the past time." Or, foods to be produced by craving are the future time. Craving and so forth are the present. Formations, ignorance, are the past. But showing the direct result, and then showing its cause, it is fitting to show the sequence of cause and effect. Foods produced by former craving are the present time. Craving and so forth are the past. Formations, ignorance, are even more past than that, stated to show the beginningless nature of transmigration. Thus, "to the past time" means "to the more distant past time" is the appropriate meaning. Or, the four nutriments are those that nourish the arising of renewed existence in the future – "I do not say 'one nourishes'. If I were to say 'one nourishes', then there would be a proper question: 'Who, indeed, Venerable Sir, nourishes?' I do not say thus. But if, when I do not say thus, someone..." Thus he might ask: ‘For what, Venerable Sir, is consciousness-food?’ This is a proper question, and here is a proper answer: ‘Consciousness-food is for the arising of renewed existence in the future.’ From the word, because of its association, and because of its being the cause of the arising of contact and volition, and of physical food. For by it, there is the accumulation of volitional consciousness for the body sustained by it, and for one desiring it. For food is said to be a proximate cause of faith and so on, and of greed and so on. Therefore, in this passage, “these foods, included in the cycle of kamma, are the present time,” the former meaning is appropriate. From the past time onwards, “Thus, monks, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations,” and so on, the meaning is that this teaching was given to show those who do not understand the sequence of causes and effects in the past and beyond, by presenting the origin of foods as a refutation, without turning back. “To show the future time” means to show those who do not understand and do not see the future time, by showing the present cause directly, and then showing it through the sequence of causes and effects. Considering the word ‘root cause’, the neuter gender is used for “not without cause.” If it were without cause, the Sutta would be contradicted, so he brings in the Sutta to show this. The head of the cycle story, the cause of the cycle, is also the cause of kamma. Ignorance is also the cause of craving for existence, and craving arises for existence whose danger is concealed by ignorance, so ignorance is especially the head, thus it is called “root cause.” Lest one should grasp permanence from the non-discernment of the prior end, which is not known, he says, “And thus, monks, it is said,” and so on. By this, he shows the meaning that the non-discernment of the prior end is stated because there is no prior arising before this, due to its not being discerned. In the statement of results, which are to be spoken of in the order of ignorance and craving as causes, the phrase “going to good and bad destinations” is to avoid contradiction with the rules of grammar. For in a compound, the revered one is placed first. Hunters, it is said, so that the flesh does not stick to the bone, again and again heat and pound, make it drink hot water, and kill the cow, whose flesh is loosened from the bone, and is weakened. Therefore it is said: "Even heated by fire," and so on. Therein, just as the cow to be killed, overcome by ignorance, undertakes the drinking of hot water as described, so the ordinary person (undertakes) the action leading to a bad destination as described. But just as she, seeing the disadvantage in drinking hot water, by way of craving, undertakes drinking cold water, so this one, due to the weakness of ignorance, seeing the disadvantage in actions leading to a bad destination, by way of craving, undertakes actions leading to a good destination. Indeed, in suffering, craving follows ignorance; in happiness, ignorance follows craving. Thus (it is said): by being covered by ignorance, and conjoined with craving. "This body" means the conscious body, the five aggregates; or, from the saying "contact due to the six sense bases," it is said that this is the cause of contact, (meaning) the six sense bases. "Samudāgato" means arisen. And "external name-and-form" means the external conscious body, the five aggregates, or the six sense bases. "Itthetaṃ" means thus this. Both one's own and others' five aggregates and twelve sense bases, established as door and object, are called "the pair"— this is the meaning. "Contact due to the pair"— elsewhere, eye-contact and so on are said to arise due to pairs like eye and forms; but here, internal and external sense bases (are meant). "Indeed, this is called the great pair," it is said (in Saṃ. Ni. Aṭṭha. 2.2.19). This is the meaning here: elsewhere, eye-contact and so on are said to arise dependent on the pairs stated as "dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises; the coming together of the three is contact," and so on (Saṃ. Ni. 2.43), (meaning) "the eye and forms... and the mind and mental objects." But here, "this very body" is said, making the remaining phenomena dependent on the basis of the eye and so on. Having taken the body of the eye and so on as one, as "internal sense base," "external name-and-form" is said, (meaning) the object of form and so on as one, as "external sense base." These three, internal and external, sense bases are said to be the condition for contact, therefore they are called the great duality. And thus it was said: “This meaning should be shown by one’s own and others’ five aggregates and six sense bases.” For “this body” refers to one’s own five aggregates, such as the eye, with its support; “external name-and-form” refers to others’ form and so on. Similarly, “this body” refers to one’s own internal sense bases, “external name-and-form” refers to others’ external ones. Otherwise, if “this body” were said only of the internal sense bases, then the internal sense bases alone would not be one’s own five aggregates, and the explanation by one’s own and others’ five aggregates would not be possible. “Six sense bases” means six causes for contact, by which causal sense bases, the fool, touched by the arisen contact, experiences pleasure and pain. By the word “etc.” should be joined: “Of a wise person, monks, whose ignorance is covered, and who is yoked to craving, by one of these or another,” etc. For in that discourse, the Blessed One, having made the volitional formations dependent on ignorance and craving, and having taken consciousness, name-and-form, and the six sense bases by the term “body,” and having made the contact of the six sense bases in this body dependent on them, and showing the special causal relation of feeling, showed the dependent co-arising ending in feeling, rooted in the ignorance and craving of past existences, for both fools and wise persons. And again, showing the distinction between fools and wise persons— “Monks, the ignorance by which the fool is covered, and the craving by which he is yoked, by which this body has come into being— that ignorance of the fool is not abandoned, and that craving is not exhausted. For what reason? Monks, the fool did not lead the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering. Therefore, at the breaking up of the body, the fool goes to a body; going to a body, he is not liberated from birth… from suffering, I say.” Having shown the ignorance and craving originating from feeling, and the clinging and becoming Making them unattached, by showing birth and so on, with phrases like "becomes one with the body," from the arising of present causes, dependent origination with both roots is stated. And by its opposite, for the wise person, from the exhaustion of present causes, reverse dependent origination with both roots (is stated). Because it is a special condition for karma leading to bad destinations, ignorance is called "it finds what is not to be found." And similarly, because it is not a special condition for what is to be found, it is called "it does not find what is to be found." The sphere is the functioning, the arising of eye-consciousness and so on, which are dependent on oneself. Because it is of the nature of delusion, and is not comprehension, it makes things unknown, not understood. And it makes one run in what is without end. By means of the five kinds of etymological characteristics— addition of letters, inversion, alteration, destruction, and special meaning of roots— taking the letters 'a', 'vi', 'ja' in all three parts, having dropped other letters, and having added a second 'j', it is called "avijjā." Having shown the meaning of the letters, to show the meaning of its nature, it says "furthermore" and so on. The bases and objects of eye-consciousness and so on cannot be known by ignorance