English
Alternatively, stream-entry (sotāpatti) is that for which the noble path-stream is initially entered, referring to the person; his path is the stream-entry path; the consciousness associated with it is stream-entry path-consciousness. One who comes to this human world only once more for rebirth is a once-returner (sakadāgāmī). Here, having attained here, attains final Nibbāna here; having attained there, attains final Nibbāna there; having attained here, attains final Nibbāna there; having attained there, attains final Nibbāna here; having attained here, having been reborn there, attains final Nibbāna here. Among these five Once-Returners, the fifth is intended here. For he, having gone from here, returns here once again. His path is the Once-Returner path. Although a Once-Returner is truly one who has attained the fruit, as it is impossible for one endowed with the path to return in that way, the path that arose previously, being its cause, is distinguished from the fruit-attainer and is called "Once-Returner path" to delineate it from other paths. Similarly, the Non-Returner path. The consciousness associated with the Once-Returner path is the Once-Returner path consciousness. He does not return to this sense-sphere existence by way of rebirth-linking, therefore he is a Non-Returner. His path is the Non-Returner path. The consciousness associated with it is the Non-Returner path consciousness. He is worthy of special veneration due to being the foremost recipient of offerings, therefore he is an Arahant. Or, the enemies, meaning the defilements, or the spokes of the wheel of transmigration, the defilements, have been destroyed by him, therefore he is an Arahant. Or, he is an Arahant because there is no secrecy in doing evil. He is the eighth noble person. His state is Arahantship. This is a designation for the fourth fruit. The path that leads to it is the Arahantship path. The consciousness associated with it is the Arahantship path consciousness. The word "pi" (also) includes the sixty thousand distinctions mentioned in the Saccavibhaṅga (Vibh. 206; Vibh.A. 206-214) —four thousand distinctions for each path, according to a thousand modes for each— and also the manifold nature as stated below. Here is a brief explanation of the thousand modes. How? The Stream-Entry path, without mentioning the distinction of practice by the name of jhāna, is divided into two: merely empty and undirected. Then, by combining it with the four practices, it is individually divided into four, thus it is divided into ten by the name of jhāna. Similarly, path, mindfulness, right effort, bases of psychic power, faculties, powers, factors of enlightenment, truths, tranquility, aggregates, elements, sense bases, nutriment, contact, feeling, perception... This mind, by its very name, is divided into ten aspects each, according to the individuals who awaken in various ways. Therefore, by way of jhāna, and by way of the nineteen (factors) of the ten paths, etc., there are two hundred methods in twenty places, ten by ten. Again, combining these with the four dominants, each is divided into four. Thus, without mixing with the dominants, there are two hundred; when mixed, there are eight hundred. Thus, in the Stream-entry path, there are a thousand methods, and similarly in the Once-return path, etc. 32. That which is attained by Stream-entry, or the resultant consciousness of a Stream-enterer, a consciousness that is a result, is the Stream-entry resultant consciousness. And that resultant consciousness which is Arahantship is the Arahantship resultant consciousness. 34. "By the division of the four paths" means: due to the varying strengths of the faculties (weak, strong, very strong), the complete abandonment of personality view, doubt, and adherence to rites and rituals; the attenuation of sensual desire and ill-will; the complete abandonment of these very defilements; the complete abandonment of desire for form, desire for the formless, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance. Thus, by way of abandoning fetters, the four kinds of Stream-entry paths, etc., which are eightfold paths, by their mode of association, the supramundane wholesome consciousness, called the four paths, becomes fourfold. Its result, however, being the fruit of that wholesome consciousness, is similarly fourfold accordingly. Thus, the unsurpassed, called "unsurpassed" due to its having nothing higher, the supramundane consciousness, is considered to be eightfold – this is the explanation. However, due to the impossibility of resultant supramundane consciousness, its twelvefold nature is not stated. But why is it impossible? Because the path is momentary, lasting only one mind-moment. If the path-consciousness were to arise again and again, then its arising could be called a functional state. But since it is to be attained only by way of eradicating defilements, and by its single occurrence, like a lightning strike completely destroying trees, etc., the complete non-arising of those defilements is achieved. Therefore, even if it were to arise again, there would be nothing to do. And for the sake of a pleasant abiding in this very life, it is through the attainment of fruition alone that Nibbāna... Because it functions by way of an object, it never arises for trainees or non-trainees. Therefore, there is absolutely no supramundane functional consciousness. The description of supramundane consciousness is finished. Description of the Summary of the Enumeration of Consciousness 35. "Just twelve unwholesome (states)" and so on, is the summary of the enumeration of the previously mentioned consciousnesses of the four planes. 36. Having thus shown the summary by way of class, again, in order to show it by way of plane, "Fifty-fourfold in the sense-sphere" and so on, was said. One should speak of consciousnesses in the sense-sphere existence as fifty-fourfold; in the form-sphere existence, one should speak of fifteen; in the formless-sphere existence, one should speak of twelve; but in the supramundane, the nine-fold collection of states, one should speak of consciousnesses as eight-fold; this is the meaning of "should speak". And here, consciousnesses included in the sense-sphere existence and so on, by being objects of sense-craving and so on, are said to be consciousnesses in the sense-sphere existence and so on, even if they occur elsewhere than their own plane. Just as an animal, even if born in the womb of a human woman, is included among animals because it belongs to the animal realm. In some places, the consciousnesses are said to be "in the supramundane" like "branches on a tree", being a part of the nine-fold collection of supramundane states, though not included in a specific plane. Or else, "in the sense-sphere, in the form-sphere" is an indication of the elision of the latter part of the compound. Those that exist in the formless are formless. There is no consciousness superior to these, hence they are "supramundane", by way of the plural of application. In the sense-sphere, one should speak of sense-sphere consciousnesses as fifty-fourfold; in the form-sphere, one should speak of form-sphere consciousnesses as fifteen; in the formless-sphere, one should speak of formless consciousnesses as twelve. In the supramundane, one should speak of supramundane consciousnesses as eight-fold. This is how the connection here should be understood. 37. Thus, by way of the divisions of the four-plane consciousnesses, which are differentiated by the previously mentioned divisions of class, making it eighty-ninefold, the wise, who are especially discerning of meaning, divide the mind, consciousness. Or else, they divide it into one hundred and twenty-one. The description of the summary of the enumeration of consciousness is finished. Description of the Detailed Enumeration 38. By way of the jhāna factors, being similar to the first jhāna... and the first jhāna and that stream-entry path-consciousness, is the first jhāna stream-entry path-consciousness. Even in the case of the foundational jhāna, the contemplated jhāna, and the jhāna according to the individual's inclination, because of being similar to that jhāna in one way or another, due to the manifestation of factors like initial application, all four paths receive the designation of first jhāna and so on, and are each divided into five types. Therefore it is said: "by the division of jhāna factors," and so on. There, among the first jhāna and so on, whichever jhāna one attains, and having arisen from it, contemplates the formations, and the insight leading to emergence arises, that is the foundational jhāna, because it is the basis for the insight leading to emergence. Whichever jhāna one contemplates, and that insight arises, that is the contemplated jhāna. "Oh, may my path be like the first jhāna, with five factors, or like one of the second jhāna and so on, a path with four factors and so on," such an inclination arising in the meditator is called the jhāna according to the individual's inclination. There, by one who has attained one of the first jhāna and so on, and having arisen from it, contemplated the miscellaneous formations, and the path has been produced, for that person, that path is similar to that foundational jhāna among the first jhāna and so on. If, however, there is no jhāna as a foundation for insight, but merely having contemplated one of the first jhāna and so on, the path has been produced, for that person, it is similar to the contemplated jhāna. When, however, having attained some jhāna, and having arisen from it, and having contemplated another, the path has been produced, then it is similar to one of the two according to the individual's inclination. If, however, the individual has no such inclination, having arisen from a lower jhāna, and having contemplated the higher jhāna factors, the path produced is similar to the contemplated jhāna,