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B030309Abhidhammamātikāpāḷi(abhidharma summary verses)

English

as if it were a different continuum falling into one continuum. But the absence of activity in ignorance, thinking, "Formations should be produced by me," or in formations, thinking, "Consciousness should be produced by us," and so on, is called the method of non-activity. The mother abandons the self-view, understanding the absence of a creator, while the one wrongly seeing, even without activity, seizes the inaction view, not grasping the nature-ordained causality of ignorance, etc. The arising of formations, etc., from ignorance, etc., as causes, is like the arising of curds, etc., from milk, etc., and not from others; this is called the principle of suchness. The one rightly seeing abandons the causeless view and the inaction view, understanding the result according to the cause, while the one wrongly seeing, not grasping the arising of results according to causes, seizes the causeless view and determinism, not grasping the impossibility of something arising from anywhere, or for anyone; this is the difference in principle here, thus should the meaning beyond the Pāli be understood. The commentary on the topic outline of the Analysis of Dependent Arising is finished. Commentary on the Topic Outline of the Analysis of the Foundations of Mindfulness In the topic outline of the Analysis of the Foundations of Mindfulness, first, in terms of meaning, "four" is a numerical determination, indicating neither less nor more than that. In "foundations of mindfulness," there are two kinds of mindfulness: mindfulness as object and mindfulness itself. In passages such as, "I will teach you, monks, the arising and passing away of the four foundations of mindfulness" (SN 5.408), mindfulness as object is called "foundation of mindfulness," its meaning is establishment, establishment in that; what is established? Mindfulness. The establishment of mindfulness is the foundation of mindfulness. Or, foundation is the principal place, the establishment of mindfulness is the foundation of mindfulness. But in passages such as, "The four foundations of mindfulness, developed and cultivated, perfect the seven factors of enlightenment" (MN 3.147), it is mindfulness itself. Its meaning is establishment, establishment is foundation, it approaches, advances, and proceeds. Mindfulness itself, by being the foundation, is the foundation of mindfulness. Or, mindfulness is so called in the sense of remembering, and that is a foundation in the sense of approaching, thus, foundation of mindfulness, this is what is intended here. If so, why is it said "foundations of mindfulness" in the plural? Because of the multiplicity of mindfulness. For there are many kinds of mindfulness, due to the difference in objects. Here, in this Dispensation, it means this Dispensation alone is the support for the person who develops the forty-four kinds of mindfulness in all ways, through internal and other means. It shows that there is no other Dispensation. For it was said: "Here, monks, is the ascetic..." "...empty are the doctrines of other ascetics." "Monk" means one who sees fear in Saṃsāra. Therefore, even if there was not a single monk sitting near the Blessed One as He sat in the deva-world and taught mindfulness, still, whether deva or human, layperson or renunciate, only one who rightly sees fear in Saṃsāra and practices according to the instruction is called a monk, it shows that there is no other. As it was said: "Though adorned..." "Internal" means one's own internal. "Body": here, "āyo" means that from which things come. What comes? Repulsive things like hair, and so on. Thus, "body" means the coming of repulsive things. Or, "body" is also a collective term for limbs and parts, hair, and so on, the body of form, meaning in one's own body. "Contemplating the body" means one who is in the habit of contemplating the body. And having said "body," the second mention of "contemplating the body" is done to show that "one does not contemplate a single phenomenon separate from the limbs and parts of the body, nor does one contemplate a male or female separate from hair, body hair, and so on, nor does one contemplate a single phenomenon separate from the elements and derived elements, but rather, like one contemplating the components of a chariot, the parts of a city, or the divisions of a banana trunk, one contemplates only the collection of limbs and parts, hair, and so on, and elements and derived elements, in due order." Thus, here, no male or female, or any other phenomenon, is seen separate from the collection of phenomena as stated above, but only in the collection of phenomena as stated above do fools make wrong assumptions and cling to the idea of beauty. But this yogi, contemplating the body there, is only contemplating impermanence, suffering, non-self, and repulsiveness. Or, whatever the fourteen things beginning with in-breathing and out-breathing in the Great Mindfulness Discourse, The body is said to be near, and because of observing all of it in this very body, the meaning should also be understood in this way: "observing the body in the body," and so on. "Viharati" means moves. He breaks the bodily discomfort that has come upon him with one of the four postures, and he carries, that is, maintains, the existence without falling away. "Bahiddhā kāye" means in the body of another. "Ajjhattabahiddhā kāye" means in his own body at times, and in the body of another at times. For at times, the contemplation of the body arises in the internal and external bodies at one moment, but here the time of successive movement is spoken of for one whose meditation subject is proficient. "Ātāpī" means energetic with the energy that grasps the body. For since energy is called ātāpa because it burns up defilements, and he possesses that, therefore he is called ātāpī. "Sampajāno" means endowed with the clear comprehension that grasps the body. "Satimā" means endowed with the mindfulness that grasps the body. But since he grasps the object of mindfulness with mindfulness and contemplates it with wisdom, and does not come to an end in the interval with energy, therefore it should be understood that "ātāpī sampajāno satimā" is said here to show those qualities by the power of which that mindfulness is accomplished. Having shown thus the contemplation of the body as mindfulness meditation and its associated factors, now to show the factor of abandonment, "vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ" is said. There, "vineyya" means having abandoned by temporary abandonment or by abandonment through suppression. "Loke" means this body, which has been spoken of as having the distinction of internal and so on, is here called "loka" in the sense of decaying and disintegrating. But in the Vibhaṅga, since the greed and displeasure abandoned in the material body are also abandoned in feelings and so on, therefore all five aggregates of clinging are called "loka." The connection is that he abandons greed and displeasure, which are counted as sensual desire and ill-will, in that world. And it should be understood that by showing the abandonment of these two powerful qualities among the hindrances, the abandonment of the remaining hindrances is also spoken of. Especially here, greed... By subduing discontent and delight, in due order, the abandonment of the roots of success and failure of the body, of inclination and aversion, of non-delight in dwelling in oneself and in beautiful forms, and of projecting non-existent virtues and removing existent faults is stated. By that, the fruit born of the power of yoga for the practitioner, and the competence of yoga are shown. In regard to feelings, etc., internally, internally, etc., should be understood in the manner stated. Here, feelings are the three mundane feelings, likewise, mind and mental objects, their division will become clear in the Vibhaṅga method. But here, only the way in which one is called an observer of feelings, etc., by observing feelings, etc., should be shown. That is to say – in feelings, pleasant feeling should be observed as painful, painful as a dart, and the remaining as impermanent. As it was said – "He who sees pleasure as pain, sees pain as a dart; And sees the peaceful neither-painful-nor-pleasant, he sees it as impermanent." All these should be observed as painful, "Whatever is felt, that I call suffering," according to the saying. However, while observing thus, or while observing in terms of the perception of impermanence, etc., of beings, having investigated, "Who feels this feeling, to whom does this feeling belong, what is the cause of this feeling?" and observing, "No being, etc., feels it, the feeling does not belong to any being, etc., but this feeling arises due to the object, etc., as the cause," one is called an observer of feelings. Or, since pain, etc., are impossible at the moment of the arising of pleasure, etc., observing thus, "impermanent, unstable, subject to change," one is called an observer of feelings. By this same method, according to the way of the text, the manner of observing the remaining mind and mental objects should also be understood. Especially here, it should be understood that one is called an observer of mind and an observer of mental objects by observing mind in terms of impermanence, and mental objects in terms of non-self. The rest is very easy to understand. This, for now, is the meaning of the words here. Classification of mental objects. Here there is no difference, and though one in respect of recollection, it is said to be "four foundations of mindfulness" in respect of the object. Here, according to the Vibhaṅga method, in the Suttanta section, the first foundation of mindfulness is extensively explained in terms of contemplating the body, internal, external, and both, in the manner of the parts of the body, beginning with hair. Likewise, in the internal, etc., the second is extensively explained