English
like the steady flame of a lamp in a windless place. And here, although like those entering by breaking the object, four states on the wholesome side plunge into the object, faith, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, therefore faith is called "inclining," And "non-wavering" for sati, "one-pointedness" for concentration, and "thorough comprehension" for wisdom. In the unwholesome category, there are three: craving, views, and ignorance. Therefore, these are called "floods." Nevertheless, their distinct characteristics are established. In the unwholesome category, one-pointedness is not called "immersion" because it is associated with restlessness. Unwholesome states, though united with concentration in the function of compressing into one object, are of a nature to scatter immediately, like water sprinkled on dust. Therefore, here, access and attainment do not occur. But since wholesome states, like a place smeared after repeatedly pouring and rubbing water, are capable of continuous unwavering activity all day long, access and attainment do occur. Therefore, it should be understood that "immersion" is used there. They live by it, or it is merely the means of living, therefore it is life. It has the characteristic of maintaining co-nascent states, its function is the continuation of those states, its manifestation is the establishment of those states, its proximate cause is the basis for states to be maintained. It maintains those states only at its own moment of existence, like water does lotuses, not at the moment of dissolution. Because it dissolves itself, it continues only in relation to the states it itself has caused to arise, like a regulator should be seen. They have faith by it, or it itself has faith, or it is merely the act of having faith, therefore it is faith. It has the characteristic of believing, or the characteristic of conviction, its essence is serenity, like a water-clarifying gem, or its essence is leaping forward, like a heroic man crossing a flood, its manifestation is non-sluggishness, or its manifestation is resolution, its proximate cause is the object of faith, or its proximate cause is the factors of stream-entry such as hearing the good Dhamma, it should be seen like seeds held in the hand. They remember by it, or it itself remembers, or it is merely the act of remembering, therefore it is mindfulness. It has the characteristic of non-wavering, its essence is non-confusion, its manifestation is protection, or its manifestation is facing the object, its proximate cause is firm perception, or its proximate cause is the foundations of mindfulness such as the body. Firm establishment on the object. They should be seen as fixed like a boundary post, and as a doorkeeper guarding the door of the eye, etc. Because one is ashamed of evil conduct of body, etc., it is called shame (hirī), this is another word for modesty. Because one is afraid of those same things, it is called dread (ottappa), this is another word for being alarmed by evil. Here, shame has the characteristic of abhorrence of evil, dread has the characteristic of being terrified. Shame has the function of not doing evil in the manner of modesty, dread has the function in the manner of terror. Just as one cannot bear to pick up an iron ball smeared with filth, or red-hot, one should understand the non-doing of evil through their respective characteristics of abhorrence and terror. And these have the manifestation of shrinking back from evil in the manner described, they have the grounds of self-respect and regard for others, like the behavior of a woman of good family and a prostitute, and they should be seen as guardians of the world. But the arising of both of these, with the characteristic of dominance as the defining mark, and setting aside the matrix, their arising from within and without respectively, their dominance by self and the world, their established nature of modesty and fear, and their characteristic of showing the fear of reproach and blame, are extensively explained in the Aṭṭhasālinī (DhsA. 1 Balarāsivaṇṇanā), those who desire it should take it from there. It does not cling, therefore it is non-clinging, or it does not cling by itself, or it is merely non-clinging, therefore it is non-greed (alobha). The same method applies to non-aversion and non-delusion. Among these, non-greed has the characteristic of non-sticking of the mind to the object, or the characteristic of non-adherence, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf, it has the function of non-attachment, like a liberated monk, it has the manifestation of non-clinging, like a man fallen in filth. Non-aversion has the characteristic of non-harshness, or the characteristic of non-opposition, like a favorable friend, it has the function of removing hatred, or the function of removing torment, like sandalwood, it has the manifestation of gentleness, like the full moon. Non-delusion has the characteristic of penetrating things as they really are, or the characteristic of penetrating without stumbling, like the penetration of an arrow shot by a skilled archer, it has the function of illuminating objects, like a lamp not blown out, it has the manifestation of non-confusion, like a good guide in the forest. And all three of these are common. They should be seen as the root of wholesome deeds. Furthermore, here, non-greed is the cause for giving, non-hatred is the cause for morality, non-delusion is the cause for meditation. And through these three, in due order, arise the perception of renunciation, the perception of non-ill-will, the perception of non-harming, and thus the absence of taking things in excess or deficiency or in a distorted way, and thus the absence of the suffering of separation from the loved, the encounter with the unloved, the failure to obtain what is desired, and thus the absence of the suffering of birth, aging, and death, and the suffering of the states of ghosts, hell, and animals, and thus the condition of possessions, friends, self, and prosperity, and thus the possibility of abandoning sensual pleasures, abandoning self-mortification, and the middle way, and thus the possibility of the perceptions of the repulsive, the immeasurable, and the elements, the perceptions of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, and the divine, brahma, and noble abodes, and thus their expansion should be understood in ways such as these. Here, non-delusion is wisdom, and it has the characteristic of understanding. Consciousness has the characteristic of discerning. Perception has the characteristic of recognizing. What, then, is the difference between these perception, consciousness, and wisdom? It is merely recognizing, discerning, and understanding. For even though they share the quality of knowing, in perception, there is only the mere recognition in the form of "blue, yellow," etc., by way of merely producing a renewed recognition, like the seeing of coins, etc., by a child whose intelligence has not yet developed, in the form of merely the state of being a painted board, etc., and nothing beyond that. But in consciousness, there is knowing in the way described and in a more distinct way, such as impermanence, etc., like the seeing of coins, etc., by a villager in the way described and in the form of being worthy of enjoyment, etc., and nothing beyond that. But in wisdom, there is understanding in all ways, through those and the various ways described, and the causes such as the arising of the path, like the seeing of coins, etc., by a treasurer in all ways, such as those described, and counterfeit, flawed, and adulterated, etc. For there is nothing that wisdom cannot know. Thus, the difference between these should be understood in terms of the modes of recognizing, discerning, and understanding. Here, eye-consciousness, etc., lacking the co-nascent condition of initial thought, effort, etc., have a more extensive discerning of forms, etc., than the function of perception. They are unable to do any work, like the limbs of an army under the command of strength, they are to be understood as only following wisdom. Therefore, the Blessed One said, "With the five senses, one does not understand any dhamma, except for mere impingement," and so on. Tranquillizing the body is bodily tranquility. Tranquillizing the mind is mental tranquility. Here, 'body' means the three aggregates beginning with feeling. Both of these have the characteristic of calming bodily and mental agitation, the taste of suppressing bodily and mental agitation, the manifestation of the unfluttering coolness of body and mind, and body and mind as their proximate cause. And they should be seen as the opposites of defilements that cause the non-calming of body and mind, such as agitation. Lightness of the body is bodily lightness. Lightness of the mind is mental lightness. Thus, the meaning of the terms above should also be seen. Bodily lightness and mental lightness have the characteristic of calming heaviness of body and mind, the taste of suppressing their heaviness, the manifestation of their non-sluggishness, and they should be seen as the opposites of defilements that cause heaviness, such as sloth and torpor. Bodily pliancy and mental pliancy have the characteristic of calming stiffness of body and mind, the taste of suppressing their stiffness, the manifestation of non-resistance, body and mind as their proximate cause, and they should be seen as the opposites of defilements that cause stiffness, such as wrong views and conceit. Bodily fitness and mental fitness have the characteristic of calming the unworkability of body and mind, the taste of suppressing their unworkability, the manifestation of the accomplishment of body and mind in taking up an object, and they should be seen as the opposites of the remaining hindrances that cause the unworkability of body and mind. They bring about confidence in objects that inspire confidence,