English
not non-obstructive and so on. Therefore, these are true by the characteristic of their non-existence elsewhere and their pervasiveness there. Thus the ancients said: “Four, in accordance with awakening, cut off the four defilements; and the four, for those whose defilements are destroyed, establish the noble individuals. “For obstructiveness and so on are not found elsewhere than in these; and their non-obstructiveness is not declared to be true.” They are called Noble Truths because they are to be penetrated by the Noble Ones, or because they are the truths of the Noble One, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, taught by him. These are fourfold, in terms of defiled and undefiled results and causes, as stated in “the four Noble Truths,” and so on. Among these, suffering is so called because it is contemptible and empty. Origin is the arising of suffering, so called because suffering originates from it, being the cause for the arising of suffering, established by karma and other conditions. Cessation of suffering is the non-arising and cessation of suffering here, or by means of this. The path leading to the cessation of suffering is that by which one goes to, or practices, the cessation of suffering. 47. The sixty-nine phenomena, namely, mental concomitants, the sixteen subtle material forms, and Nibbāna, are counted as the mind-base among the bases, and the mind-element among the elements. 49. “The remaining mental concomitants” means the fifty mental concomitants apart from feeling and perception. Why are feeling and perception distinguished? Because they are instrumental in the enjoyment of the cycle of existence. For in phenomena pertaining to the three realms, feeling operates under the sway of enjoyment, and perception, by way of perversions such as seeing beauty in the unbeautiful, causes feeling to operate in that manner. Therefore, because they are the primary causes of transmigration, these have been taught separately. For this was said by the teacher: “To distinguish and demonstrate the enjoyment in the cycle of existence and the pursuit of that enjoyment, the two aggregates have been declared.” 50. Why is Nibbāna included in the sense-sphere elements, but not in the aggregates? It is said: "due to the absence of distinctions." For the aggregates are so called because of their nature as a heap, distinguished by past, etc. Nibbāna, due to the absence of distinctions, is excluded from the aggregate classification, it is liberated. 51. By the distinction of six doors and six objects, there are twelve sense-spheres. By the distinction of six doors, six objects, and the corresponding consciousnesses arising dependent on both, there are eighteen elements in sequence. 52. Having three planes means "three-planed" (tibhūma). "Three-planed" (tebhūmaka) is the same as "three-planed" (tibhūma). Here, kamma and its result revolve, this is the cycle (vaṭṭa). Craving (taṇhā) is threefold by way of sensual craving, etc. Again, eighteenfold by way of six objects. Fifty-fourfold by way of past, future, and present. One hundred and eightfold by way of internal and external. Why is craving alone called the origin of suffering, even though there are other causes of suffering? Because it is the principal cause. Because it is the cause of the diversity of kamma, and by becoming an associate of kamma, it is the cause of the diversity of suffering. Therefore, craving is a special cause of suffering. The path is called the practice leading to the cessation of suffering. The path is considered supramundane. Thus, the reiteration of "path" should be understood. 53. Those associated with the path, excluding the eight factors, the remaining factors associated with the path, and the fruit with its associates— these are directly excluded, separated from the four truths. However, indirectly, in the discourse on the faculty of knowing the unknown, it is said: "a factor of the path, included in the path." Therefore, the factors of right view, etc., in the fruit-states, can be included in the truth of the path. And the other factors associated with the path and fruit, can be included in the truth of suffering, by their common nature as suffering of formations. In this way, the teaching of the truths becomes all-inclusive. Why are these many phenomena, such as aggregates, taught? Because the Blessed One also taught them in that way. Why did the Blessed One teach them in that way? To fulfill three purposes. Here, because the welfare of beings is intended. Indeed, beings are of three kinds: confused about mind-and-matter or both, with keen, very keen, or dull faculties, and with concise, medium, or extensive inclinations. Among these, for those confused about mind, the grasping of aggregates is because mind is divided into four there. For those confused about matter, the grasping of sense bases is because matter is divided into eleven and a half there. For those confused about both, the grasping of elements is because both are extensively divided there. Similarly, for those with keen faculties and those with concise inclinations, the grasping of aggregates, and so on, should be applied. This three-fold division, seen as beneficial due to the causes of arising, ceasing, and both, is not otherwise; thus, it should be understood as grasping the truth. The description of all classifications is finished. Thus, in the Abhidhammatthavibhāvinī, a commentary on the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, The description of the Compendium Chapter is finished. 8. Description of the Condition Chapter 1. Now, to show the conditions of the mind-and-matter phenomena mentioned, according to the method of dependent origination and the Paṭṭhāna, “of which” and so on is begun. The construction is: “I will now explain the division of those conditions, of those conditioned phenomena, and the distinctions of that mode of conditioning, in this place after the Compendium Chapter, as appropriate, in accordance with the mode of being a condition for those respective conditioned phenomena and those respective conditions, regarding the conditions by which conditioned phenomena are conditioned, and how those condition-phenomena are helpful for the existence and arising of those conditioned, condition-produced phenomena.” 2. Therein, dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) is the arising of results by going equally dependent on the collection of conditions; it is the mode of conditioning. Paṭṭhāna, meaning “various kinds of bases or conditions are here,” is the great treatise of the infinite methods of Paṭṭhāna; the method taught therein is the Paṭṭhāna method. 3. Therein, in those two methods. The existence of that which is by nature existing by the existence of that condition-phenomenon is “its-existence-being-by-its-existence”; that itself is merely a mode, by that. is characterized by the mere mode of its being due to that. By this, its being characterized by the mere mode of its non-being due to the absence of that is also shown in essence. For the characteristic of a condition should be shown by way of presence and absence. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases." (Dependent on, the result comes from this, hence condition. The result stands here, due to its dependent existence, hence stability. The stability, which proceeds by striking and specifying, called condition, is the stability of a striking condition. For the method of dependent origination, proceeding by taking up the mere mode of its being due to that, proceeds without specifying, without regard to the particular fixed conditions such as causes. This, however, proceeds by taking up and specifying the particular mode of the power of those various conditions such as causes to be the various conditions of that other phenomenon, and so it is spoken of with reference to the stability of a striking condition. Some, however, explain: "The stability spoken of by striking the throat, palate, etc., is the stability of a striking condition." But that merely reveals the ridiculousness of their statement upon hearing it. For neither the method of dependent origination, nor any other method, can be taught without striking the throat, palate, etc. Having mixed: the intention is that the teachers, compilers, etc., elaborate and expand by mixing the method of origination into dependent origination itself, by way of its being due to that, and by way of conditions such as causes; but we will show them separately. Description of the Method of Dependent Origination 4. Not knowing is ignorance. Or it finds, obtains, what is not to be found, such as bodily misconduct; or it does not find what is to be found, such as bodily good conduct; or it does not make known what is to be known, such as the four truths; or it causes to run when absent; or it does not cause to run when present—this is ignorance. This is a name for unknowing regarding the four noble truths, the past, etc., the four. Ignorance itself is the condition. which is conditioned by ignorance. From that ignorance, they fashion the conditioned, thus they are called fabrications, wholesome and unwholesome actions. These are of three kinds: meritorious fabrications, demeritorious fabrications, and imperturbable fabrications. Among these, the thirteen wholesome volitions of the sense and fine-material spheres are meritorious fabrications; the twelve unwholesome volitions are demeritorious fabrications; the four volitions of the immaterial sphere are imperturbable fabrications. Thus, these twenty-nine volitions are called fabrications. The resultant consciousness, nineteenfold by way of rebirth-linking, thirty-twofold by way of occurrence, is called consciousness. Name and form are name-and-form. Here, name refers to the three aggregates of feeling and so on; form, however,