English
Even the beautiful, means sensual desire. For it is called "beautiful" by its mode of apprehension, and because it is a "sign" for another sensual desire arising in that mode, it is also called "sign." The mental attention that is not a means to the desired welfare and happiness is unwise attention. Therein, in both kinds of beautiful signs, those to be produced and those that are objects. Even the unbeautiful, means meditation on the unbeautiful. That, however, should be seen as occurring in the ten unbeautiful objects, such as hair, etc. For the perception of hair, etc., is called the perception of the unbeautiful, as stated in the Girimānanda Sutta. Here, it should be understood that the showing of both the four kinds of unwise attention and wise attention is done for the sake of a complete showing. Among these, however, the mental attention of "beautiful" and "unbeautiful" in the unbeautiful is intended here, or the others are also in accordance with it. They say that for one moderate in food, because sloth and torpor do not overcome, sensual lust, not finding an opportunity, is abandoned. However, he produces the perception of repulsiveness in food, dependent on food, the showing of the unbeautiful, etc., of its transformation, its support, and that which is its condition, and the showing of the body's dependence on food, etc., so his sensual desire is indeed abandoned. And by the Abhidhamma method, all greed is a hindrance of sensual desire, he said: "by the path of arahantship." Regarding the "specified, unspecified, and pervading directions," it should be understood in the cultivation of loving-kindness that "specified" means by way of oneself, a respected person, a very dear person, a friend, and a neutral person; "unspecified" means when a boundary is made; and "pervading directions" means by way of pervading one direction. Or, "specified pervading directions" means by way of monastery, street, village, etc., and "unspecified" means by way of the eastern direction, etc., without specifying a monastery, etc. "Spreading to the directions" is thus said, referring to the two kinds of apprehension: "specified and unspecified spreading to the directions." Apprehension should be seen up to the access concentration. For what is apprehended, repeated practice is development. Therein, based on "all beings, all breathing things, all creatures, all persons, all those with an individual existence," it is fivefold. And for each one, "May they be free from enmity, free from affliction, free from trouble, may they happily maintain themselves" is practiced in four ways. Thus, there is the twenty-fold unspecified spreading of loving-kindness. "All females, all males, all noble ones, all ignoble ones, all devas, all humans, all those in states of woe" is practiced in seven ways, based on seven specifications. Thus, there is the twenty-eight-fold specified spreading of loving-kindness. And there is the ten-fold spreading of loving-kindness to the directions, practiced in ten ways, based on specifying the ten directions. Or, for each direction, by combining the seven (beings), etc., the females, etc., and the freedom from enmity, etc., the unspecified and specified spreading should be understood as having 480 distinctions. "Bending of the body" means the bending of the body in various ways. "Taking the sign in overeating" means taking the sign of sloth and torpor in overeating. The meaning is taking the cause and non-cause of sloth and torpor, thinking: "Eating this much is a cause for sloth and torpor; eating this much is not." Because the ascetic practices are dependent on energy, it is said: "Also by suitable talk dependent on ascetic practices." Remorse, too, arising from regretting what was done and not done, has the same characteristic as restlessness, being by nature unsettled. Therefore, the unsettledness of mind is called "restlessness and remorse." For one who is learned, discerning meanings and so on from the texts and their meaning, there is no distraction of mind. And by practicing according to the method, and by applying appropriate remedies, there is no regret for what was done or not done. Therefore, it is said: "Even by much learning, restlessness and remorse are abandoned." And association with the elders leads to the practice of the elders. Because it brings about mental tranquility, it is said to cause the abandonment of restlessness and remorse. However, it should be understood that "elders" here refers to those who uphold the Vinaya, dispel remorse, and are good friends, without necessarily considering their age. "That which stands here" is a basis. A basis for doubt is doubt... are grounds for doubt. They are called grounds for doubt because doubt arises in these things. Even though doubt regarding the eight things is abandoned through much learning and questioning, nevertheless, because doubt rooted in the Triple Gem is the source of other doubts, it is said, "concerning the three gems." In the Vinaya, familiarity with the rules causes the abandonment of doubt, as stated, "he doubts the training." Therefore, it is said, "even for one who has become skilled in the Vinaya." For one abundant in resolve, which is called acceptable faith, meaning one abundant in resolve that is called entering faith. Resolve should be understood as the production of resolve itself. Or, resolve is the inclination towards faith. The description of the chapter on hindrances is finished. Kha. Description of the chapter on factors of enlightenment Understanding the meaning of the Pāli text on the aggregates, etc., as the meaning of the aggregates, etc., it is said, "much questioning concerning the meaning of the aggregates... and insights." This shows that questions outside the Pāli text do not lead to wisdom as much as questions about the meaning. Due to weakness, the inability of energy, etc., to perform their own functions is stated, just like the inability of the water element, etc., in fire flames, etc. Regarding "hearing it while removing the bowl," they say that he heard it with divine ear, being endowed with the five supernormal powers. Due to the absence of the affection of clarity, meaning due to the absence of affection called clarity. Like the very rough dust on a donkey's back, which appears rougher, referring to something similar in extreme roughness. Stimulation and delight are gladdening and rejoicing. The description of the chapter on factors of enlightenment is finished. The meaning is that the first and the others are spoken of in terms of serenity-insight and pure insight. Mindfulness conjoined with the path is called contemplation of the body, as stated in the traditional way. Thus, the teaching stands in the person, meaning the teaching of the foundations of mindfulness, specified by the traditional way of "contemplating the body," etc., stands in the person. For it is not possible to say that one person is endowed with many things simultaneously, as that would imply the possibility of many instances of mindfulness in a single moment, but rather the person... But, when the dhammas are spoken of, having been touched upon and delimited by their own functions, showing that even one mindfulness has many names due to the distinction of functions, he says, "But in the body," and so on. Just as the function of a person is simply dhammas, and thus there is a distinction of persons such as 'one who contemplates the body' due to the distinction of dhammas, so too the dhamma is not the function of the dhamma, and thus there is no distinction of it due to the distinction of dhammas. Therefore, the single mindfulness, which is the eradication of the four perversions, perfected on the path, obtains four names due to the distinction of its function of eradication, without any other meaning. This is the intention here. The explanation of the Suttanta division is finished. 2. Explanation of the Abhidhamma division 374. In the Abhidhamma division, having placed and taught the foundations of mindfulness, which are specified by way of approach, in a person, with phrases like "And how, bhikkhu, does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating the body in the body? Here, bhikkhu, at whatever time... (and so on)... contemplating the body in the body with slow direct knowledge, the mindfulness at that time," and so on; then again, without touching upon the person and without making the specification of approach, the method of pure foundations of mindfulness is stated by way of a single mindfulness accomplishing the four functions, with phrases like "Among these, what is the foundation of mindfulness? Here, bhikkhu, at whatever time... (and so on)... with slow direct knowledge... (and so on)... the mindfulness at that time." This is the distinction between the two methods here. The explanation of the Abhidhamma division is finished. The explanation of the Satipaṭṭhāna Vibhaṅga is finished. 8. Sammappadhāna Vibhaṅga 1. Explanation of the Suttanta division 390. The 'efforts as causes' are understood as 'the meaning of the non-arising of unarisen evil, etc.,' and thus they are indeed such, and they accomplish that meaning. The word 'sammā' (right) illuminates this meaning, signifying that they are the cause, the principal cause, of the intended meaning, such as the non-arising of unarisen evil. Referring to the word 'sammā' as illuminating the meaning of 'skillful means' and 'wise attention,' it is said, 'efforts as skillful means, efforts as wise attention.' 'One who has entered upon the path' means one devoted to development. 'Bhusaṃ yogo' is application, 'payogova parakkamo' is exertion itself, 'payogaparakkamo' is applied exertion. 'These' refers to 'he strives,' and so on, which should be connected with 'applying himself, he strives,' and so on. Unarisen having attained inexpressibility of those arisen, unshaken, and uprooted, by objects attained on the planes of existence. 391. "Dhammacchanda"