English
Its function is to be the object of ear-consciousness. Its manifestation is to be the sphere of that (ear-consciousness). It is of many kinds, such as drum sound, tabor sound, and so on. Odour is characterized by impinging on the nose. Its function is to be the object of nose-consciousness. Its manifestation is to be the sphere of that (nose-consciousness). It is of many kinds, such as root odour, heartwood odour, and so on. Taste is characterized by impinging on the tongue. Its function is to be the object of tongue-consciousness. Its manifestation is to be the sphere of that (tongue-consciousness). It is of many kinds, such as root taste, trunk taste, and so on. 438. The female faculty is characterized by femaleness. Its function is to manifest as female. Its manifestation is the signs, marks, and gestures of a female... the manifestation of the state of being a cause for the male. The male faculty is the characteristic of the male state, the male is the flavor of manifestation, the manifestation of the state of being a cause for the signs, marks, and postures of the male. Both of these pervade the entire body like the body-sensitivity, and it cannot be said that it is located in the place where the body-sensitivity is located or not located in the place where it is not located, and there is no intermingling like form and taste. 439. The life faculty is the characteristic of maintaining co-arisen forms, its function is to make them proceed, its manifestation is to establish them, its proximate cause is the state of being that which is to be sustained. Even when there is the arrangement of the characteristic of maintenance and so on, it maintains those co-arisen forms only at the moment of their existence, like water maintaining lotuses and so on. It also sustains the phenomena arisen from their respective causes like a nurse sustaining a child. It proceeds only in connection with phenomena that have proceeded by themselves, like a regulator. It does not proceed after dissolution, due to the absence of itself and that which is to be made to proceed. It does not establish at the moment of dissolution, because it is itself dissolving, like the oil of a wick diminishing a lamp flame. And it is not devoid of the power of maintenance, proceeding, and establishment; it should be understood that it accomplishes each of these at the aforementioned moment. 440. The heart-base is the characteristic of being the support for the mind-element and the mind-consciousness element, its function is to bear those elements, its manifestation is to uphold them. Inside the heart, it stands, being made beneficial by the functions of supporting and so on, which are present depending on the blood of the kind described in the discourse on mindfulness of the body, being sustained by season, mind, and food, being maintained by life, and accomplishing the state of being the base for the mind-element, the mind-consciousness element, and the phenomena associated with them. 441. Body-intimation is the change of posture, the cause of the stiffening, supporting, and movement of the co-arisen physical body by the mind-originated wind-element that causes progression and so on; its function is to manifest intention, its manifestation is the state of being the cause of bodily movement, its proximate cause is the mind-originated wind-element. And this body-movement Because it makes intentions known, and because it is known by the body's movement, it is called "bodily intimation." And by its movement, due to the movement of mind-born forms connected to it, even those born of temperature, etc., move, and thus actions like advancing occur. This should be understood. Verbal intimation is the change in appearance, a condition for the impact of appropriated earth-element, arisen from mind, causing speech to break forth. Its function is to reveal intentions. Its manifestation is being the cause of vocal sound. Its proximate cause is the mind-born earth-element. And this, because it makes intentions known by vocal sound, and because it is known by that speech, called vocal sound, it is called "verbal intimation." Just as in the wilderness, seeing a water-sign like a raised and tied gosīsa tree, one understands "there is water here," so too, taking bodily movement and vocal sound, bodily and verbal intimations are understood. 442. The space element has the characteristic of delimiting form. Its function is to manifest the boundaries of form. Its manifestation is the limitation of form, or non-contact, being a gap, an opening. Its proximate cause is delimited form. By which, in delimited forms, there is "this is above, below, and across from this." 443. The lightness of form has the characteristic of non-sluggishness. Its function is to remove the heaviness of forms. Its manifestation is easy changeability. Its proximate cause is light form. The pliancy of form has the characteristic of non-stiffness. Its function is to remove the stiffness of forms. Its manifestation is non-opposition in all actions. Its proximate cause is pliant form. The adaptability of form has the characteristic of being suitable for bodily actions. Its function is to remove unsuitability. Its manifestation is non-weakness. Its proximate cause is adaptable form. But these three do not abandon one another. Even so, that lightness of forms, like that of a healthy person, which is non-sluggishness, a type of easy changeability, arising from conditions opposed to the disturbance of elements causing sluggishness of form, that modification of form is the lightness of form. But that of forms, like well-kneaded leather... Softness, a kind of pliancy that is controllable in all kinds of actions, arisen from conditions opposing the disturbance of elements that cause stiffness of matter— that modification of matter is the pliancy of matter. But that which, like well-worked gold, is the adaptability of matter, a kind of suitability for bodily actions, arisen from conditions opposing the disturbance of elements that cause unsuitability for bodily actions— that modification of matter is the adaptability of matter. Thus, the distinction between these should be understood. 444. The growth of matter has the characteristic of accumulation; its function is to cause matter to emerge from the past; its manifestation is emergence, or its manifestation is completeness; its proximate cause is accumulated matter. The continuity of matter has the characteristic of occurrence; its function is uninterrupted connection; its manifestation is non-interruption; its proximate cause is matter that causes uninterrupted connection. Both of these are synonyms for generated matter. But due to the diversity of aspects and for the sake of instruction, the teaching "growth and continuity" is given. Since there is no difference in meaning here, therefore, in the definition of these terms, it is said: "That which is the accumulation of sense bases, that is the growth of matter. That which is the growth of matter, that is the continuity of matter." (Dhs. 641-642) And in the Commentary, having said: "Accumulation means arising, growth means increase, continuity means occurrence," (DhsA. 641) an analogy is given: "Accumulation is like the time when water emerges in a dug well by the river bank; growth is like the time when it is full; continuity is like the time when it overflows and flows away." (DhsA. 641) And at the end of the analogy, it is said: "What is thus stated? By the sense base, accumulation is stated; by accumulation, the sense base is stated." Therefore, the first arising of matter, that is accumulation. That arising of other matters that arise subsequent to them, that is growth, due to its manifestation as increase. That arising of still other matters that arise again and again subsequent to them, that is called continuity, due to its manifestation as uninterrupted connection, so it should be understood. Matter Old age has the characteristic of ripening, its function is to bring near, its manifestation is the disappearance of newness, even though its essential nature does not depart, like the oldness of rice, its proximate cause is the ripening form. This refers to manifest old age, seen as a change in teeth, etc., by becoming broken, etc. But for immaterial phenomena, there is a hidden old age, which does not have such a change, and for earth, water, mountains, moon, sun, etc., there is an unceasing old age. Impermanence of form has the characteristic of breaking up, its function is to sink down, its manifestation is decay and dissolution, its proximate cause is the breaking up form. 445. Edible food has the characteristic of nutritive essence, its function is to bring forth form, its manifestation is to support, its proximate cause is the substance to be taken in as a morsel. This is a designation for the nutritive essence by which beings subsist. 446. These are indeed the forms mentioned in the Pāli canon. However, in the commentaries, other forms such as strength-form, arising-form, birth-form, sickness-form, and according to some, sloth-form, are introduced, and then, quoting "Indeed, you are the enlightened sage, there are no hindrances for you" (Sn 546), it is refuted that sloth-form does not exist. Among the others, sickness-form is already included by the inclusion of old age and impermanence, birth-form by the inclusion of growth and continuity, arising-form by the inclusion of the water element, strength-form by the inclusion of the air element. Therefore, it is concluded that none of them exist separately. Thus, these twenty-four kinds of derived form, and the four kinds of primary form mentioned before, make up twenty-eight kinds of form, neither less nor more. 447. All of that, by the method of being non-root, rootless, dissociated from roots, conditioned, mundane, and with defilements, etc., is of one kind. Internal and external, gross and subtle, far and near,