English
and the absence of distinction like "this is below, above, or across from that," is the samanantara condition. And the ability to produce: because phenomena are inactive, when that (condition) has ceased or exists in whatever manner, then those phenomena possess their respective distinctions, its... that is to be understood as a state. And the term 'time' is used with reference to the arising of phenomena, so it should be understood that there is no interval of time for one who emerges from cessation, for the attainments of the fruit of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, for those falling from the non-percipient realm, and for the preceding decease and succeeding rebirth, due to the uninterrupted sequence of cessation and arising. For there is no arising of formless phenomena in between these, which could be called an interval of time. Nor does the arising of material phenomena create an interval for the arising of formless phenomena, because they belong to different continuities. The continuities of material and immaterial phenomena are indeed two, though they operate by mutually assisting each other, they are distinct due to their dissimilar natures. And within a single continuity, that which occurs between the preceding and succeeding becomes an interval-maker by being included in that continuity. And there is nothing of that kind in between the attainments of the fruit of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Nor does non-existence create an interval, because it is non-existence itself. Therefore, just as with one impulsion immediately following another, or one life-continuum immediately following another, there is an uninterrupted sequence, and indeed an immediate sequence. Similarly, the capacity for arising of the decease-consciousness of neither-perception-nor-non-perception should also be understood. Here, the causal relationship of arising is evident in the immediate condition and so on, thus the capacity for arising is stated. But for present phenomena, taken with a demarcation of beginning and end, which do not receive the designation "arises," the causal relationship of immediate condition and so on is stated as "a past phenomenon is a condition for a present phenomenon by way of immediate condition," and so on. Thus, it is understood that this is not only for arising. For the designation of "present" is not without demarcation, like the designation of "wholesome" and so on, so that it would only be a designation of that which is endowed with mere arising. And for this very reason, there are no dependent origination sections and so on in the past triad. "Just as it arises, with the state of arising," here too, it should be understood that the evident causal relationship of arising also indicates the causal relationship of subsistence, but in the case of co-arising of conditioned phenomena, The helpfulness is not the condition of co-nascence. The helpfulness of one's helper is the condition of mutuality, and helpfulness should be seen only in terms of mutuality, not in terms of co-nascence and so on. For some co-nascent conditions are not mutual conditions, and the groups of things that are helpers of a helper are not mutual conditions by being pre-nascent or post-nascent. Just as the earth element is the support for other elements, like the earth for trees and so on, and the eye and so on are helpers for eye-consciousness and so on, and the aggregates and so on are supports for their respective supports, like cloth and so on for the work of the mind. Whatever cause is a support, it is said to be a support because its existence depends on its result. Among these, that which is abundant is determined to be a strong support. In "done" (pakato), the prefix "pa-" indicates that it is well-done, signifying its ability to produce its own result. And thus, what is done becomes done in one's own continuum, so it says "in one's own continuum." And to show that doing is twofold, production and cultivation, it says "produced or" and so on. Here, "cultivated or" should be understood to show the cultivation of enjoyment by clinging to the body, and the cultivation of an object by knowing and so on. By this, the strong support of things cultivated, even future things like the perfection of the eye, is stated through the cultivation of the object. Just as the helpfulness of phenomena that would not become a cause for the non-interruption of the continuum without the post-nascent, and which are helpers in a post-nascent manner, is the post-nascent condition, a helpfulness distinguished by aspects like being disjoined; similarly, the helpfulness of physical bases and objects that would not become helpers without being pre-nascent, and which are helpers in a pre-nascent manner, is the pre-nascent condition, a helpfulness distinguished by aspects like being a support or an object. Thus, in all cases, the helpfulness of conditions, distinguished by the aspect of another condition, should be applied. Just as the consciousness of food and hope for the bodies of vulture chicks, by this, it proceeds by way of mental volition as food. It shows the supporting nature of the physical body by those formless phenomena. Therefore, without saying "like the hope for food," it takes up volition. The meaning of 'cultivation' is the repeated doing or continuation of what is to be done, by means of an effort similar to oneself, in the manner of wholesome states, etc., or the bringing about of a nature similar to oneself, which is 'habit'. The meaning is "like the previous previous applications" in texts etc., or "like the previous previous cultivations." Mental application is mental action, the meaning is exertion. Just as bodily and verbal application is communication, so mental application is volition. That volition, in the continuum distinguished by the action arisen from it, becomes helpful by that very nature of action to resultants, kamma-born, and formless phenomena that arise in the confluence of other conditions. For it is due to the arising of that nature of action that they arise, not otherwise. What then is to be said about its helpfulness to co-arisen phenomena? By "being tranquil and without effort," it shows the similar resultant nature of wholesome and unwholesome phenomena, which are energetic resultant-nature phenomena, in terms of having an object, etc. For that tranquil, effortless state is achieved because resultants are not to be accomplished by effort, or by effort in another way, but by the mere fact that kamma has been done when other conditions are fulfilled; it is not a tranquility of the cessation of defilements. It is precisely because of such a tranquil nature that bhavanga and the like are difficult to discern. Even in the five doors, the apprehension of forms etc. is known by the occurrence of javana; but resultants, being merely impinging, receiving, and investigating, are indeed difficult to discern. "For the state of being tranquil and without effort" means "for the purpose of being tranquil and without effort." By this, it shows the resultant-favorable occurrence even of non-resultant phenomena that are dependent on it. Even though there is generation, the supporting function is the primary function of nutriments, so it says, "by being the support of forms and formless phenomena." For the supporting function exists for formless nutriments even when there is generation, and for the nutriment of food-born form that produces food-born form, and it exists for the nutriment of form that supports four-originated form even when there is no generation. But if there is no supporting function, there is no generating function for nutriments, thus support Eating is primary. Even food, while generating, generates only by continuously sustaining. Thus, the state of sustaining is the state of food. Here, by "in the sense of dominance," it is not the sense of dominance as a weighty state, like the dominant conditions, by overcoming obstacles to occurrence and then causing occurrence. Rather, in functions like seeing, by eye-consciousness and so on; in living, by living beings; in states of happiness, by happy ones; in determining, exerting, establishing, non-distraction, and knowing — in the occurrence of "I shall know what is not known," in knowing, and in the state of one who has known, by faith and other co-arisen states — thus, in these respective functions, the eye and so on are followed by their conditions. Indeed, in those respective functions, the eye and so on have mastery, and their conditions occur there by following them. However, although there is a following of the female and male faculties by gender signs and so on, that is not due to their being conditions. Just as life and food are conditions for those for whom they are conditions, they are their sustainers and supporters, and they are non-separated conditions. Not so are female and male states helpful to gender signs and so on in any way. Rather, for gender signs and so on, which occur by their own respective conditions, just as there is a conditioning for the apprehension of "female" or "male," and since they do not occur in a continuum associated with that in any other way, their being followed by gender signs and so on, and their being a faculty, is spoken of. Therefore, their being a faculty-condition is not stated. Here, in "the eye and so on are only for immaterial phenomena," it should be understood that the faculties of pleasure and pain are also included by the term "eye and so on." For vitakka and so on, which are in the nature of observing the characteristic and the object, the sense of observing is the common function of vitakka and so on, which is to approach the object by way of thinking and so on, and to look or ponder. "Excluding the pair of pleasant and painful feelings" means excluding the pair of pleasure-faculty and pain-faculty. By saying "all" and then "seven jhāna factors,"