English
And from that, by the saying, "From the arising of the cankers, there is the arising of ignorance," ignorance, which is the cause of the cankers, is grasped by the grasping of aging. From that, "With ignorance as condition, formations" — thus the wheel of becoming revolves. Moreover, having said, "With formations as condition, consciousness," and then saying, "With becoming as condition, birth," the revolving of the wheel of becoming without cessation is shown. Here, by consciousness, rebirth for one shrouded in ignorance is shown; by birth, for one conjoined with craving. Since both continue in both cases, the meaning is revealed that the wheel of becoming, caused by ignorance and craving, revolves without cessation. Thus, even the teaching ending with aging and death does not indicate the absence of further continuation beyond that, because it is not for that purpose. Nor can it be understood that it is said again merely to show another condition, because that is accomplished by the teaching of both in one place. Similarly, whatever action is caused by ignorance, that should be understood as also caused by craving. Whatever is caused by craving, that should be understood as also caused by ignorance. Why? Because the two roots of existence are not separate from each other. Just as when one speaks of the volitional formations of kamma-existence due to craving, with clinging to sense pleasures as their cause, one shows that ignorance is the cause of formations not without craving for existence. Similarly, when explaining that same ignorance as a cause, one shows that craving for existence is the cause of kamma-existence not without ignorance. Therefore, it should be understood that the connection between these factors, such as formations arising from ignorance and other causes that occurred previously, and existence arising from craving, clinging, and other causes, is shown in this way: existence has craving and clinging as its cause, formations have ignorance as their cause, birth has existence as its cause, consciousness has formations as its cause, old age and death have birth as their cause, and name-and-form and so on have consciousness and so on as their cause. The explanation of the summary section is finished. Explanation of the term Ignorance 226. "Is called father" means someone is called the father of someone else in the sense of being a father. And when being called, to avoid doubt, he is distinguished from other friends like Datta. Showing this, it says, "long... and so on... Datta." "As it truly is" means not otherwise. "From the function and nature" means from the function of covering, and from the place of arising. "By way of the cause of grasping" means by way of being the cause of grasping. The phrase "which turn away from other white things" should be brought in and connected. "While covering" means while proceeding in the manner of covering. And because it proceeds in that way, the objects of suffering associated with it, associated with ignorance, arise. "Therefore," means because they are not profound in their nature, ignorance arises as their object, making them difficult to see. "Of the others" means of cessation and the path. Even though they are similar in being excellent and undefiled, to show the distinction between what has a cause and what does not, "of the path" and so on was said. The explanation of the term Ignorance is finished. Explanation of the term Formations "Purifies from unwholesome results" by this, it states the freedom of merit from the suffering of results. "From suffering" by this, it states the freedom from mental suffering. "From defilement" by this, it states the freedom from the suffering of defilements. Or, "from unwholesome results" by this, it means that merit in the future shows what is beneficial. By "from the defilement of suffering," it shows what is beneficial for existence and what is pleasant for existence. By "by its production," it means by the production of what is beneficial and pleasant. "Producer of worthy existence" means producer of worship. In phrases like "thus this merit increases," the fruit of merit is also called merit, so it says, "leading to merit" means "leading to the attainment of existence." "Initial development" is the development that occurs in kasiṇas, as in "earth, earth." Or, in "earth, earth," the word "iti" here means "beginning" or "kind." By that, other kasiṇas are included. "Initial development" means the primary development. Indeed, that is called "preparatory work." "Making a circle" is making a kasiṇa circle. By way of giving means by way of renouncing things to be given. Mental and psychic phenomena are that by which giving is given. "Therein" refers to those mental and psychic phenomena. "Concerning giving" means with reference to the renunciation produced by them. Or, having established it as it is produced. "With reference to" is a synonym for that. Or, having made it so that the act of giving, produced by the associated phenomena, reaches its completion by way of production. Indeed, the completion of actions like giving is by way of intention. "In others" refers to phrases like "concerning morality." "Even dissimilar" is connected to "even dissimilar to oneself, it is produced matter." Even without the result of the fourth jhana. "Called craving for form" refers to the craving for form mentioned in "craving for form." "Guñja" means a substance to be held, the size of a guñja fruit. Similarly, "taṇḍula" (rice grain). "Only a difference in wording" means that there is no difference in meaning, so it states the absence of a difference in meaning: "for the act of taking, etc., is just an occurrence at the body-door." "By the former" refers to "occurring at the body-door." For that is a characteristic of the door, as it only speaks of occurrence. "By the latter" refers to the phrase "taking," etc. "In the apprehension of bodily and verbal formations" refers to the designation. "In the apprehension of bodily and verbal volitions" refers to the definition. "Of consciousness" refers to rebirth-linking consciousness. However, it is a condition for co-arisen and immediately preceding consciousness. "Wholesome" When it is said "and are of the nature to ripen," here, the volitions of direct knowledge in the continuum of trainees and ordinary people are intended, not others. It is said thus. Thereby, it shows that the volition of direct knowledge, as described, could be a condition for rebirth consciousness, being of a wholesome nature, or being of the nature to ripen, like other wholesome and unwholesome volitions. However, this is not exclusively true for supramundane wholesome states. For that is not a condition for rebirth consciousness. If it were said to be a producer of results, even then, it would not be exclusively true for deeds that have ceased. For there is no production of results for that. Therefore, it is said: "Not by the production of results is there wholesomeness and the nature to ripen." Indeed, the active and energetic occurrence of other states that ripen, that kind of occurrence in a continuum where defilements are not abandoned, is called the nature to ripen, and wholesomeness by virtue of being blameless. Even so, if the volition of direct knowledge is of the nature to ripen, how can it be without ripening? It is impossible. To show that impossibility, it is said: "But that..." and so on. For if the volition of direct knowledge were to produce a result, it would produce it either on its own plane or on another plane. There, the production of a result on another plane is inappropriate due to the absence of conditions, and because it is not observed. Therefore, it is said: "For not..." and so on. It would produce a result on its own plane, with an unspecifiable object, or with a limited object, etc. Since the result of the rūpa-plane is shown to have an object similar to its kamma among those, and since the volition of direct knowledge has a limited object, etc., it would not produce an unspecifiable object. Similarly, due to the rūpa-plane result having an exclusively unspecifiable object, it would not produce a limited object, etc. This is the impossibility. Therefore, it is said: "and an object similar to itself..." and so on. There, "three-stationed" means having three stations: rebirth, life-continuum, and death. It is said that the object of the result is taught as not different from the wholesome, by "earth kasina, water kasina," and so on. Therefore, it is said: "In the chapter on the arising of consciousness... and so on... it is stated." "The rūpa-plane three- and four-fold jhānas, from wholesome, from result, and from functional, the result of the fourth jhana is space..." The dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, The dimension of nothingness— These states are not to be said To have a limited object, Nor to have an exalted object, Nor to have an immeasurable object. Thus, the resultant consciousness of the fine-material sphere is said to have an object that is entirely not to be described, And so it is said: "There is no resultant consciousness of the fine-material sphere that has a limited object, etc." This impossibility proves the absence of resultant consciousness for the volitional act of supernormal knowledge that has a limited object, etc., But not for that which has an object not to be described. For that too exists, so it is not all-pervading. To show another reason for its non-production of resultant consciousness, It is said: "And in the kasinas," etc. Supernormal knowledge, being the expansion of concentration, Is merely the benefit of concentration, And so it is called "similar to the fruit of concentration." The mere accomplishment of whatever desired task, Such as the various acts of determination, transformation, Or hearing divine sounds, Is the volitional act of supernormal knowledge, Not a fruit in a future time,