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B030302Vibhaṅga mūlaṭīkā(vibhanga root commentary)

English

of speaking the Dhamma. Indeed, due to the Blessed One's inexhaustible and immeasurable spontaneous knowledge, and the perfection of his actions, even if the teaching of the Dhamma is continuously given, it never becomes exhausted; on the contrary, it always increases more and more. "Of energy" means of zeal in practicing for the welfare of others. "Of liberation" means of the liberation that is the fruit. Here, the non-loss of concentration and so on should be understood as unique, because their respective opponents have been abandoned together with their latent tendencies. But as for desire and so on, it is also due to the union with great compassion. The rest is easily understood. 1. "Those very Dhamma" means those very Dhammas comprised of good qualities and so on, in groups of three and two. The construction is: "to be divided according to aggregates and so on, as stated in the suttas according to aggregates and so on." "But are they not stated in the suttas in terms of analytical knowledge?" Although they are not stated in their exact form, they are indeed stated in meaning, because the division of knowledge into causes and effects and so on is stated, as in "knowledge of aging and death, knowledge of the origin of aging and death" (Samyutta Nikaya 2.33). Or, because analytical knowledges are found in the Paṭisambhidāmagga (Paṭi. Ma. 2.30), those Dhammas are indeed stated in the suttas even in terms of analytical knowledge. "Therein" means in that sutta. "Briefly" means concisely. Indeed, in the suttas, the aggregates and so on are taught only by way of summary and explanation, not by detailed exposition and so on. Therefore, it is said that they are stated there briefly. Or "therein" means in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī. For there too, "At that time, there are four aggregates" and so on (Dhammasaṅgaṇī 58), the aggregates... are briefly stated. Herein, the aggregates and so forth are analyzed by means of this, thus it is an analysis. These very things are scattered, established here, by means of this, thus it is a treatise. It is both an analysis and a treatise, thus it is the Vibhaṅga-pakaraṇa. By the meaning-illuminator of the word ‘ādi’ (and so forth), as in "thus, or such a one, abstaining from seeing dancing, singing, music, and shows, and so forth," it illuminates the meaning of the word ‘ādi’. By the meaning-illuminator of ‘pakāra’ (manner), as in "thus, monks, the fool is fearful, the wise one is fearless, and so forth," it clarifies the meaning of ‘pakāra’. By "it indicates the whole by a part," it shows that the word ‘iti’ (thus) in "the aggregate of form…and so forth…the aggregate of consciousness" has the meaning of indication. Indeed, the word ‘iti’ is seen to have the meaning of indication, as in "‘it exists,’ Kaccāna, this is one extreme, and so forth." Or it has the meaning of completion, as in "therefore, monks, be heirs of Dhamma to me, not heirs of material things. I have compassion for you: ‘how might my disciples be heirs of Dhamma, not heirs of material things?’" This is a completion, by showing a part of the Suttanta-bhājanīya, that is, "the five aggregates: the aggregate of form…and so forth…the aggregate of consciousness," because its meaning is thus included. Therein, in the Vibhaṅga-pakaraṇa. In "excluding Nibbāna," if the analysis of aggregates is stated at the beginning for those excluding Nibbāna…and so forth… because the aggregates have fewer terms, then surely, because it encompasses all phenomena together with Nibbāna, and because the truths have fewer terms than the aggregates and sense bases and so forth, which encompass all phenomena, the analysis of truths should be stated at the beginning? No, even there, in the analysis of the truth of suffering, the aggregates are to be analyzed by a part. As it is said: "Therein, what is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering…and so forth… in brief, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering." Here, however, it is without remainder. The aggregates are analyzed, excluding Nibbāna. Because the aggregates have fewer terms, the analysis of aggregates is stated at the beginning. Furthermore, those deluded by form, those deluded by the formless, those deluded by both— these are three kinds of persons to be awakened. Likewise, those with concise understanding, those with expansive understanding, those with neither too concise nor too expansive understanding. And those with keen faculties, those with dull faculties, those with moderate faculties. Among these, for the benefit of those deluded by the formless, the teaching of aggregates. For those deluded by form, the teaching of sense bases. For those deluded by both, the teaching of elements. Likewise, for those with concise understanding, the teaching of aggregates. For those with neither too concise nor too expansive understanding, the teaching of sense bases. For those with expansive understanding, the teaching of elements. For those with keen faculties, the teaching of aggregates. For those with moderate faculties, the teaching of sense bases. For those with dull faculties, the teaching of elements. By this purpose and sequence, the order of teaching the analyses of aggregates, sense bases, and elements should be understood. This triad of aggregates and so on, when understood through the cause of both arising and ceasing, leads to understanding things as they are, not otherwise— to show this, the teaching of the analysis of truths is presented. And that understanding of things as they are, especially through reliance on faculties— thus, the teaching of the analysis of faculties. And the meaning of 'mastery' of the faculties, as the specific causal condition for their respective resultant phenomena, being themselves causal phenomena— thus, the teaching of the analysis of causal modes, which shows the distinction between cause and resultant. And the understanding of the unperverted nature of causal modes, aggregates, and so on, through right attention in the foundations of mindfulness and so on— thus, the teaching of the analysis of foundations of mindfulness, right efforts, bases of psychic power, factors of awakening, and path factors. And this right attention in the foundations of mindfulness and so on, comes about through this practice— thus, the teaching of the analysis of jhānas and immeasurables. That right practice is possible for one established in such and such virtue— thus, the teaching of the analysis of training rules. And these are the benefits of the right practice as described— thus, the teaching of the analysis of analytical knowledges. And these specific knowledges arise when these defilements are abandoned, not otherwise— thus, the teaching of the analysis of defilements. Thus. To show that even for one who knows briefly the aggregates and so on as taught in this way, the attainment of the goal occurs, at the end, the teaching of the Dhamma-heart analysis proceeds. Thus, the reason for the order of teaching of these eighteen great analyses should be understood. "Of form and so on" means of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness. "Because of the absence of the nature of feeling and so on" means because of the absence of the nature of experiencing, perceiving, constructing, and so on, respectively. For form is not of the nature of feeling and so on, nor is feeling and so on of the nature of being crushed and so on. Since, by including feeling among form and so on, by summarizing as "four aggregates" and so on, six aggregates would have to be taught. "Because of the absence of anything else from being crushed and so on" means because of the absence of a summarized nature that can be spoken of as a heap, taking past and so on, other than the nature of being crushed, experiencing, and so on. For the nature of mental factors and so on is not the nature of feeling and so on. "In the counts below" means in the counts below five. "Incompleteness" means endlessness. For if, among form and so on, some or even one is not taken and spoken of, a teaching in terms of aggregates, encompassing all conditioned phenomena, is not possible. "Of the aggregate" means of the aggregate in the sense of a heap. Therefore it is said, "for not..." and so on. "By differentiated phenomena" means by phenomena with distinctions. "It shows the scope of the word 'khandha' together with its meaning." By this, it shows the occurrence of the word 'khandha' in the sense of a heap, like the word 'rāsi' (heap), as a denoter, because of its being another synonym. But in qualities and so on, it occurs only as a usage pertaining to that subject, not as a denoter, thus it says, "in qualities... (etc.)... not in the sense of the word." "The word 'khandha'" means the word 'khandha' placed near words like 'sīla' (virtue). Therefore it says, "it illuminates the sense of a heap endowed with qualities like virtue." "Some (say)" refers to Thera Dhammasiri. "Here" means in "the aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration" (Dī. Ni. 3.355). And not only he, even by the Aṭṭhakathā teachers, the meaning of 'quality' is intended here. Thus, in the Aṭṭhasālinī: "the aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration," and so on. by the meaning of 'good quality'. But is it not seen that the word 'khandha' alone, as in "The recluse, O Māṇava, speaks in praise of the three khandhas, not, friend Visākha, is the Noble Eightfold Path comprised of the three khandhas," and so on, denotes morality and so forth? No, even there, its occurrence in morality and so forth is seen only by way of the distinction of context and so forth. The word 'khandha' does not occur in the sense of the word 'paññatti' (concept), so it is not a synonym for 'paññatti' like the words 'nirutti' (etymology) and 'vohāra' (usage). This is the meaning. "A log of wood" is a concept; this shows that the word 'khandha' is used in a specific sense of 'paññatti'. "Consciousness aggregate" is the word 'khandha';