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having gone into many groups. The others, however, being attached to the bases of nose, etc., are causes for the arising of consciousness, even if they have gone into single groups. For even the sense faculties, having gone into single groups, become the support for consciousness. But they, together with the life-continuum, which is the immediate condition for the vibration of the life-continuum, How did it arise? “It arose together with advertence,” say others. “When the life-continuum has vibrated twice” means that the life-continuum has vibrated twice in the same object that was previously apprehended, in the sense of the vibration of the life-continuum being the cause for the arising of dissimilar consciousness. For when an object strikes the five sense-bases, due to their being in a suitable place, the stream of the life-continuum, being interrupted by the impact on the sense-bases, does not suddenly cease. Just as a person running fast, even if they wish to stop, will pass one or two steps before stopping, so too it arises twice before ceasing. The first consciousness is said to arise as if shaking the stream of the life-continuum, hence it is called “vibration of the life-continuum.” The second, because it arises in the manner of its cessation, is called “cessation of the life-continuum.” Here, however, it is stated without distinction as “when the life-continuum has vibrated twice.” But when a sense-base is struck by a form, etc., it is proper for that which is dependent on it to vibrate. How then can the life-continuum, which is dependent on the heart-base, vibrate? Because they are bound together as a continuum. Just as when a fly is sitting on a grain of sand on one side of a drum, and the other side is struck with a stick, etc., the drum skin and straps vibrate in succession, causing the sand to vibrate and the fly to fly away; in the same way, when a sense-base is struck by a form, etc., and the great elements dependent on it vibrate, then the other material qualities connected to them also vibrate in succession, and when the heart-base vibrates, the life-continuum dependent on it proceeds in the manner of vibration. And it has been said: “When one thing is struck, the vibration of another dependent on it occurs due to their being bound together, as explained by the simile of the grain of sand.” “Stream of the life-continuum” means the flow of the life-continuum. “Advertent” means as if saying “What is this?” making an advertence. “Seeing” means perceiving directly. But since it is said “having seen a form with the eye” (Dī. Ni. 1.213; A. Ni. 3.62; Vibha. 517), the eye-faculty alone accomplishes the act of seeing, not consciousness. Is it so? No, it is not so. Because matter, being blind, is unable to see forms. And if it were to see that form, then it would follow that even those endowed with other consciousnesses would see forms. If consciousness thus performs that function, then, because consciousness is unobstructed, even hidden forms would be seen. Let there be seeing even of what is hidden, for that which is obscured by crystal etc., there is no obstruction of light, but for that which is obscured by a wall etc., there is an obstruction of light. There, due to the absence of conditions, consciousness does not arise, so it is not apprehended by eye-consciousness. Here, by "by the eye," the meaning is "by that door as an instrument." Or, dependent actions are said to be bound to their support, just as "the beds are making a noise." "Receiving" means as if grasping that very form. "Investigating" means as if examining that very form. "Determining" means as if clearly discerning that very form. "Having obtained conditions" means that conditions have been obtained through wise attention and so on. "Whatever impulsion" is the connection. And in times of fainting or near death, six or five impulsions occur, therefore it says "mostly." "Following the impulsions" means they follow the impulsion for some time, like a river current carrying boats going against the current. "Their object is the object of that impulsion" (thus) "registering consciousnesses," by way of elision of the middle word, as in "Brahma's voice." And those are registering consciousnesses and also results, thus "resultant registering consciousnesses." "As is fitting" means in accordance with the object, the impulsion, and the being. But it will explain its own occurrence in that way. "Falling into bhavaṅga" means like the mind falling into bhavaṅga without occurring in the process-series, meaning it is said to arise as bhavaṅga. And here, for easy understanding of the occurrence of process-consciousness, they bring forth the mango simile and so on. And this is merely the mango simile (Dhammasaṅgaṇī Aṭṭhakathā, p. 498, Vipākuddhārakathā) – A certain man, they say, sleeping at the foot of a mango tree laden with fruit, having covered his head, Waking up to the sound of a single mango fruit falling nearby, removing the cloth from his head, opening his eyes, seeing it, taking it, squeezing it, smelling it, knowing it was ripe, eating it, swallowing what was in his mouth along with saliva, and then sleeping there again. Here, the man's sleeping time is like the bhavaṅga state, the time of the fruit falling is like the time of the object striking the sense door, the time of waking up to its sound is like the time of adverting, the time of opening his eyes and looking is like the time of eye-consciousness arising, the time of taking it is like the time of receiving, the time of squeezing is like the time of investigating, the time of smelling is like the time of determining, the time of eating is like the time of javana, the time of swallowing what was in his mouth along with saliva is like the time of registering, and the time of sleeping again is like the bhavaṅga state again. What is illuminated by this simile? That the striking of the sense door by the object is its sole function, adverting's is merely apprehending the object, eye-consciousness's is merely seeing, receiving and the others' is merely grasping and so on, but javana's is experiencing the taste of the object, and registering's is experiencing what has already been experienced by javana. Thus, the distinctness of the dhammas from each other, in terms of their functions, is illuminated. It should be understood that consciousness, thus proceeding, even without a director or agent saying, "You, adverting, arise after bhavaṅga; you, seeing, arise after adverting," and so on, proceeds solely by the law of consciousness, just as in the law of seasons, seeds, and so on. 11. By this, the seventeen moments of consciousness are completed – this is the connection. 12. "Appahontātītakanti" means "having become insufficient and passed." "Natthi tadārammaṇuppādo" means that in the case of an object lasting fourteen thought-moments, registering does not arise because the object has already ceased. For in one thought-process, among some present objects, there are no past objects. Fifteen thought-moments. In cases of short life, after the arising of javana, only one mind-moment remains. Since it is insufficient for a double arising of tadārammaṇa, a second tadārammaṇa does not arise. Even the first does not arise. Indeed, the arising of tadārammaṇa is limited to twice in the Pāḷi, as in the enumeration of mind-processes, in all instances, "tadārammaṇa are two" refers to the occurrence of only two mind-moments. What is said in the Paramatthavinicchaya: "Tadālamba once or twice, āvajjanā and others once," should be understood as stated in accordance with the view of the Majjhimabhāṇakas. However, since the view of the Majjhimabhāṇakas is rejected in the Sammohavinodanī due to its inconsistency with the Pāḷi mentioned above, the teacher himself, not intending it, did not state the arising of tadārammaṇa once either here or in the Nāmarūpapariccheda. 13. After the arising of voṭṭhabbana, an object with a remaining life of six mind-moments, being very weak due to its short life, does not become a condition for the arising of javana. For javana, when it arises, always arises with a life of seven mind-moments, with this intention, it is said: "and javana not arising." And this 'tvā' suffix is in the sense of cause, meaning "due to the non-arising of javana." Otherwise, the same agent for the subsequent action would not be obtained. "Twice or thrice" means twice or thrice. Some say that "thrice" is merely for the purpose of verbal elegance. But that is merely their insistence. For even if it is said "voṭṭhabbana alone revolves twice," there is no inelegance in the statement, nor is there any statement in the commentaries or elsewhere that obstructs its occurrence thrice. And thus, in various places, the Sinhalese commentators also explain it as "twice or thrice." "Voṭṭhabbana alone revolves" means voṭṭhabbana arises again and again. But that having reached the interval, there is no cessation of the mind's activity, remaining in eye-consciousness and so on. Regarding this, Ānandācariya (Dhammasaṅgaṇī Mūlaṭīkā 498, Vipākuddhārakathāvaṇṇanā) states: "Adverting is a contiguous condition for wholesome and unwholesome aggregates." Since adverting is said to be a contiguous condition for wholesome and unwholesome states, and since there is no difference in meaning between determining and adverting, when it arises, determining would necessarily occur as a contiguous condition for kāmāvacara wholesome, unwholesome, and functional impulsion, and not otherwise. Therefore, in states like fainting, due to the weakened speed, the impulsion's full completion must be restricted to a small object, and not to the determining occurring two or three times. Although he indicates this, the three-rooted results are indeed stated as contiguous conditions. But the death-consciousness of Arahants, occurring as death, does not become a contiguous condition for anything.