English
Here, in the case of unwholesome actions, bodily action such as killing arises in the body door and the speech door as appropriate, but not in the mind door. So also, verbal action such as lying. For one who merely thinks in the mind door for the purpose of accomplishing killing, etc., since the intention enters into mental actions only, whether the intention has reached the level of a path of action in the case of ill-will, etc., or has not reached the level of a path of action, it does not attain the status of bodily action, etc. But do they not commit killing, etc., by mere mental action through magic? No, because that cannot be accomplished without the application of bodily and verbal action such as eating unsalted food, sleeping on a bed of grass, and reciting spells. But mental action such as covetousness arises in all three doors. For at the time of doing things such as taking others' goods with the body due to covetousness, striking with a stick due to ill-will, and worshipping heretics due to wrong view, and at the time of the occurrence of speech such as desiring others' wealth, wishing harm by saying "let them be killed, let them be bound," and praising heretics and explaining their doctrines, the occurrence of that mental action in body and speech should be understood. But wholesome action of the sense-sphere such as abstaining from killing, bodily, verbal, and mental action, occurs individually in all three doors. There, for one who abstains from killing, etc., ending in frivolous talk, at the time of undertaking with a gesture of the hand, with a distinction of speech, and at the time of abstaining in the mind, the occurrence of those bodily and verbal actions in the three doors should be understood. At the time of doing bodily application associated with a mind free from covetousness, verbal application such as "may the property of others last long, may all beings be free from enmity, that Blessed One is an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One," and mere mental application, the occurrence of mental action in all three doors should be understood. Here, the impulsions arising at the five doors are not bodily or verbal actions, but only mental actions. And these do not attain the path of action, but are merely wholesome, etc. Only those mental actions that occur very strongly at the mind-door attain the path of action. However, the form and formless impulsions are exclusively mental actions consisting of development, and they occur only at the mind-door. Although the supernormal knowledges are productive of both intimation, they do not obtain the usage of bodily and verbal action. However, supramundane wholesome, even though not arising at the body and speech doors, is also bodily and verbal action by way of the abstinences that cause the complete abandonment of wrong speech, action, and livelihood. And by way of the remaining path factors, it is also mental action. Thus, all three actions are present in one moment, and that is development. But its door is only the mind-door. And just as the occurrence of wholesome at the three doors has been stated by way of abstinence from killing living beings, etc., so too should it be stated by way of the ten grounds for meritorious action. However, it is not discussed in the commentaries, yet it should be understood thus by way of reasoning. Among these, giving is only bodily action, or also verbal action. Giving approval and teaching are only verbal action. Morality, together with reverence and service, is also bodily action, and also verbal action. There, the nature of morality as bodily and verbal action is indeed established. However, the nature of reverence as bodily action should be understood as occurring at the time of offering flowers, etc., or paying homage, etc., and the nature of verbal action should be understood as occurring at the time of offering praise, etc. Also, the nature of service as bodily action should be understood as occurring at the time of doing it with one's own hands, and the nature of verbal action should be understood as occurring by way of providing the four requisites to the sick, etc., or by way of announcing and summoning with a word of command from superiors, etc. Development, listening, and straightening one's views are only mental action, and some say approval too. For listening, even according to the ear-door, is only mental action when it occurs at the mind-door by way of considering the meaning of the Dhamma. There, giving, reverence, service, giving approval, The teaching thus occurs only at the five doors of body and speech, not at the mind-door. Here, the occurrence at the body-door should be understood for one giving the acceptance-teaching by bodily gesture, and for one teaching the Dhamma. But virtue, meditation, approval, listening, and straightening of views, these five occur at all three doors. "I will not do this again," here, one abstains from misconduct in mind, and the occurrence at the mind-door should be understood in the case of virtue and approval, by way of approving. But what is said in the Aṭṭhasālinī, "Giving is threefold by way of body, speech, and mind action," etc., that is said by way of taking the occurrence at the mind-door in terms of the prior intention, but in the ultimate sense, it is only the determining intention that occurs at the body and speech doors. For there it is said, "Having reached the Vinaya sense, 'I will give' or 'I will do' is a different speech. By this characteristic, it is called giving. Having reached the Abhidhamma sense, however, from the time of thinking in the mind about an existing object, it is wholesome. In the subsequent part, one will do what should be done by body or speech" (DhsA. 1). Otherwise, by merely thinking "I will give," it would be called giving, and thus, for one not giving such an object according to the rule as thought, there would be un-given taking in the abandonment of the burden. Thus, killing living beings, etc., would also occur in the mind, and that is not fitting, therefore it should be taken in the way stated. Or else, the occurrence of giving at the mind-door should be understood because of the possibility of relinquishment, "Let him take all my possessions as given." Here, in the occurrence at the body-door of bodily actions such as giving and virtue, the action is bodily action, and the door is also the body-door. In the occurrence at the speech-door, the action is bodily action, but the door is the speech-door. Even in the occurrence at the mind-door, the action is bodily action, but the door is the mind-door. In the occurrence at the speech-door of speech actions such as teaching and approval, the action is also speech action. Action is verbal action, and the portal is the verbal portal. Action occurring at the body portal is still verbal action, but the portal is the body portal. Action occurring at the mind portal is still verbal action, but the portal is the mind portal. Action occurring at the mind portal, such as meditation, is mental action, and the portal is the mind portal. Action occurring at the body portal is still mental action, but the portal is the body portal. Action occurring at the verbal portal is still mental action, but the portal is the verbal portal. Thus, for killing and so on, and abstaining from killing and so on, the determination of action and the determination of portal should be understood without confusion, by appropriately connecting them according to what has been said. The Discourse on Determining Action by Portal is concluded. Now, since these ten kinds of meritorious deeds are thus included in three: giving, morality, and mental development. Giving a bowl is included in giving, as the commentary says, "Even rejoicing in approval." Respect and service are in morality. Teaching, listening, and straightening one's views are in mental development. Therefore, we will show how wholesome action with a form object occurs through the three portals in terms of giving, morality, and mental development. In the same way, it is possible to understand in terms of the others. Indeed, when wholesome action arises with a color object, it occurs through the three portals in terms of giving, morality, and mental development. How? When one obtains a gift of flowers, cloth, or the like, vivid with colors like blue and yellow, and, focusing on the color, thinks, "I will make a color offering," and reverently offers it to a shrine or the like with one's own hand, then wholesome giving with a form object occurs at the body portal, and that is threefold: initial intention, decisive intention, and subsequent intention. Thus, the threefold nature should be understood in all cases above. But when one orders one's sons, daughters, and others to give the aforementioned object by speaking with one's voice, then wholesome giving with a form object occurs at the verbal portal. But when one thinks, "I will give" the existing object, Thinking, "I will give," anticipating, fulfilling according to intention, then, through the force of prior intention, the donation-related activity occurs in the mind-door. Thus, donation-related activity with a form as its object occurs in three ways, according to the door. When, having obtained the aforementioned kind of beautiful object of donation, one reverently offers it with one's own hands, thinking, "Such giving of beautiful things is our family tradition," or, having relinquished possessions such as those taken by others, one observes morality, then morality with a form as its object occurs in the body-door. When, having ordered others to give the aforementioned kind of object of donation according to family tradition, or, having verbally removed possessions such as those taken by others, one observes morality, then morality with a form as its object occurs in the speech-door. When, thinking, "I will give" such an existing object according to family tradition,