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B030309Abhidhammamātikāpāḷi(abhidharma summary verses)

English

or, without touching possessions such as those taken by others, thinking, "I will observe morality," then morality with a form as its object occurs in the mind-door. Thus, morality-related activity with a form as its object occurs in three ways, according to the door. When, having given the aforementioned kind of beautiful object, one contemplates that very beauty, or the entire form aggregate, while walking, as impermanent, etc., then development-related activity with a form as its object occurs in the body-door. When, having made a verbal distinction, one contemplates it, development-related activity with a form as its object occurs in the speech-door. When, without agitating the bodily and verbal aspects, one contemplates it, development-related activity with a form as its object occurs in the mind-door. Thus, development-related activity with a form as its object occurs in three ways, according to the door. Thus, the distribution of occurrence of wholesome activity with a form as its object in the nine action-doors should be understood in terms of the threefold basis of meritorious action. In this very way, the distribution of occurrence of wholesome activity with a form as its object in the thirty action-doors should be understood and connected in terms of the tenfold basis of meritorious action. And just as with activity with a form as its object, so too with the five wholesome activities with sound, etc., as their objects... The division by way of meritorious deeds, and the method of application, should be understood as appropriate. Furthermore, the sound is not like a root or tuber that can be taken with the hand and given. But when, resolving "this is my gift of sound," one gives drums and other instruments to the Triple Gem, or makes offerings with them, or gives medicine such as sarabha to preachers, or announces the hearing of the Dhamma, or performs a sermon with melodious recitation, then the sound becomes an object of wholesome consciousness. Similarly, in the relinquishing of objects such as scents, the scent becomes the object. The object of Dhamma, however, should be understood in terms of nutriment, life faculty, and dependence on them. For when one gives foods and drinks, ghee, fresh butter, and the like that are rich in nutriment, thinking "this will be my gift of nutriment," or brings medicine or a doctor to the sick, or destroys weapons, nets, or snares that obstruct life, or releases a living being in danger of execution, thinking "this will be my gift of life, due to the way of life being dependent on it," and also thinks in mind "this will be my gift of the five faculties, or the sixteen subtle forms of matter, or the mind and mental factors," then the Dhamma becomes an object of wholesome consciousness. The rest is just the same. This is the application of objects established in various things. Even in a single thing, six objects can be obtained. For in alms-food there is an agreeable color, a crackling sound at the time of eating, a scent, a taste, a tangible object, nutriment, or the life faculty and faculties dependent on it, and cognitions related to these, so six objects should be understood. Similarly, in robes and other things, and in clothes and other things, it should be understood as appropriate. Here also, the nature of being made of giving, morality, and meditation, and the state of bodily, verbal, and mental action, should be understood in the manner already stated. And just as with wholesome deeds, so also with unwholesome deeds, the arrangement of object, action, and door, and the method of application to demeritorious deeds, should be understood appropriately according to what has been said. Thus, among these thousands of kinds of wholesome thoughts, in terms of object, meritorious deeds, action, and door, half are associated with knowledge, depending on the four bases of success. Some are fourfold, but those dissociated from knowledge are halved, threefold each by way of the three dominances excluding investigation, those two again are threefold each by way of the three inferiorities, those again, in countless world-systems, in countless beings each, arising in each one in endless ways, such as past, future, present, gross, subtle, etc., are endless and immeasurable. All those, the Fully Awakened One, as if weighing with immeasurable Buddha-knowledge on a great scale, as if putting into a great basket and measuring, having completely determined in every way, having brought to unity through great compassion, in the sense of being similar in the sphere of sense-desire, again, in the sense of being accompanied by joy and equanimity, in the sense of being associated with and dissociated from knowledge, and in the sense of being unprompted and prompted, he divided them into sections and taught, as the world-knower, the teacher of gods and humans. This is the summary here, the detailed explanation, however, from the beginning in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī, and in its commentary, the Aṭṭhasālinī, should be known in every way. Thus, the determination should be understood by way of the distinction of object, etc. Sense-sphere wholesome states are concluded. Form-sphere wholesome states, however, are fivefold by way of the distinction of association with the jhāna factors. That is to say: associated with initial application, sustained application, rapture, happiness, and one-pointedness is the first jhāna; then, more peaceful, having transcended initial application, associated with sustained application, rapture, happiness, and one-pointedness is the second jhāna; then, more peaceful, having transcended sustained application, associated with rapture, happiness, and one-pointedness is the third jhāna; then, more peaceful, devoid of rapture, associated with happiness and one-pointedness is the fourth jhāna; then, more peaceful, happiness having ceased, associated with equanimity and one-pointedness is the fifth jhāna. Thus, the determination should be understood by way of the distinction of association. From the statement of the Dhamma onwards, however, in the first jhāna, having set aside the three abstinences mentioned in the first sense-sphere wholesome state, there are thirty-six remaining states. Therein, the four, beginning with desire, are... Uṇā and Muditā, these six are excluded. The rest, up to the end of the void section, is all similar to what was said about the first wholesome consciousness in the sense sphere. Only the absence of abstinences, the absence of the fifth path factor in the summary section, and the state of the form sphere due to the difference of the plane, are the distinctions; the rest is just the same. The first jhāna. Likewise, in the second jhāna, only the absence of initial thought in the statement of the Dhamma, and the state of the jhāna factors of the fourth jhāna in the summary section, are the distinctions; the rest is just like the first. The second. Likewise, in the third jhāna, only the absence of sustained thought in the statement of the Dhamma, and the state of having three jhāna factors in the summary section, are the distinctions; the rest is just like the second. The third. Likewise, in the fourth, only the absence of joy in the statement of the Dhamma, and the state of having two jhāna factors in the section on elements, are the distinctions; the rest is just like the third. The fourth. Likewise, in the fifth, only the absence of compassion, sympathetic joy, etc., in the statement of the Dhamma, the absence of gladness in the place of happiness, the state of equanimity as a jhāna factor among the jhāna faculties in the section on elements, and the state of the equanimity faculty, are the distinctions; the rest is just like the fourth. The fifth. In the word analysis, however, the second is the subsiding of initial and sustained thought, the third is the fading away of joy, the fourth is the going to its end of happiness; thus the fourfold method also comes, which is said because of the possibility of overcoming initial and sustained thought with a single effort by those of sharp wisdom. There, since the second and so on are entirely equal to the third and so on in the fivefold method, all the determination should be understood in the same way as said there, and also the fact of being included therein. The fourfold method. But we will explain the determination according to the distinctions of object and so on only by the fivefold method, and it is possible to know even by the fourfold method in accordance with that. Thus also above, in the supramundane. These five kinds of wholesome form-sphere Dhammas are each eightfold due to the difference of kasiṇa objects, namely, earth kasiṇa, water, fire, air, blue, yellow, red, and white kasiṇas, and are tenfold together with light and space kasiṇas. In the word analysis, however, the light kasiṇa Because it is included in the earth kasiṇa, it should be seen as not being taken separately, but for the space kasiṇa, because there is no possibility of opening it up, it is not a formless attainment. For even if it is repeatedly opened up, it is still just space. Therefore, the fifth form-sphere jhāna that arises there leads to a distinction in existence and to a pleasant abiding in this very life, and it is also a foundation for higher knowledge and insight, but because it is formless, it is not a foundation for cessation. But the remaining nine kasiṇas are also foundations for cessation. This is the distinction between them. And the mindfulness of breathing jhāna should also be seen as included in the air kasiṇa. This is the discourse on the kasiṇas. Thus, based on the kasiṇas, these are eightfold, but based on the spheres of mastery, they are each eightfold. For the Blessed One said: "Perceiving formlessness internally, one sees forms externally, limited ones, and having mastered them...pe... unlimited ones. Having mastered them...pe... limited fair and ugly ones...pe...