English
the first two (truths) are merely empty, the state of immortality (Nibbāna) is empty of self. The path is devoid of permanence, happiness, and self; thus is emptiness in them. Or, three are empty of cessation, and cessation is empty of the remaining three. Or, here the cause (origination) is empty of fruit (cessation) due to the absence of suffering in origination, and in the path, cessation... not pregnant with the effect, like the primal nature of the naturalists. And the effect is empty of cause, because of the non-conjunction of suffering and its origin, and cessation and the path; not an effect conjoined with its cause, like the two-atom aggregate of the conjunction theorists. Therefore it is said – Here, the three are empty of cessation, and by the three, even Nibbāna is empty; The cause is empty of the effect, and the effect is empty of that cause. Thus, the determination by emptiness should be understood. Discourse on the Determination of the One-fold, etc. 568. By the one-fold, etc.: Here, all suffering is one-fold, by way of its nature of occurring. Two-fold, by way of name-and-form. Three-fold, by way of the distinction of rebirth-existence in the sense-sphere, form-sphere, and formless-sphere. Four-fold, by way of the distinction of the four nutriments. Five-fold, by way of the distinction of the five aggregates of clinging. The origin is also one-fold, by way of its nature of causing to occur. Two-fold, by way of being conjoined with views or not conjoined with views. Three-fold, by way of the distinction of craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence. Four-fold, by way of being abandoned by the four paths. Five-fold, by way of the distinction of delighting in form, etc. Six-fold, by way of the distinction of the six classes of craving. Cessation is also one-fold, by way of its nature as the unconditioned element. But by way of aspect, it is two-fold, by way of the distinction of with remainder and without remainder. Three-fold, by way of the appeasement of the three existences. Four-fold, by way of being attainable by the four paths. Five-fold, by way of the appeasement of the five delights. Six-fold, by way of the distinction of the destruction of the six classes of craving. The path is also one-fold, by way of its nature of being developed. Two-fold, by way of the distinction of tranquility and insight, or by way of the distinction of seeing and developing. Three-fold, by way of the distinction of the three aggregates. For this (path), having parts, is encompassed by the three aggregates which are without parts, like a city by a kingdom. As it is said – “Indeed, friend Visākha, the three aggregates are not encompassed by the Noble Eightfold Path, but rather, friend Visākha, the Noble Eightfold Path is encompassed by the three aggregates. And friend Visākha, right speech, right action, and right livelihood— these qualities are encompassed in the aggregate of morality. And right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration— these qualities are encompassed in the aggregate of concentration. And right s right view, and right thought, these states are included in the wisdom aggregate.” Here, right speech and the other two are indeed virtue itself, therefore, by their nature, they are included in the virtue aggregate. Although in the Pāli text, the designation “in the virtue aggregate” is made in the locative case, the meaning should be understood in the instrumental sense. Among right effort and the other two, concentration, by its own nature, cannot establish itself in one-pointedness on the object. But it can do so when it receives help from effort, which accomplishes the function of exertion, and from mindfulness, which accomplishes the function of non-forgetfulness. Here is an analogy: Just as among three friends who have entered a park, saying, “We will play a festival game,” one might see a fully bloomed campaka tree and, raising his hand, be unable to pick it. Then the second one would bend down and offer his back; even standing on his back, he might tremble and be unable to pick it. Then the other one would offer his shoulder. Standing on one’s back and leaning on the other’s shoulder, he could pick flowers as he wished, adorn himself, and play the festival game. This should be understood as similar to that. The three friends who entered the park together are like the three states, right effort and the others, which arise together. The fully bloomed campaka tree is like the object. Concentration, unable to establish itself in one-pointedness on the object by its own nature, is like the one unable to pick even by raising his hand. Effort is like the friend who bent down and offered his back. Mindfulness is like the friend who stood offering his shoulder. Just as the other, standing on one’s back and leaning on the other’s shoulder, can pick flowers as he wishes, even so, concentration, having received help from effort accomplishing the function of exertion and from mindfulness accomplishing the function of non-forgetfulness, can establish itself in one-pointedness on the object. Therefore, concentration itself is included in the concentration aggregate by its own nature, while effort and mindfulness are included by their function. In right view and right thought, wisdom by its own nature The mind cannot discern an object as impermanent, suffering, and non-self by itself. But by striking and striking with applied thought, it can. How? Just as a money-changer, wishing to examine a coin placed in his hand on all sides, cannot turn it over with the palm of his hand alone. But by turning it over and over with his finger joints, he can examine it here and there. Even so, wisdom by its own nature cannot discern an object as impermanent and so on. But by applied thought, which has the characteristic of application, the function of striking and re-striking, as if turning it over and over, taking it and taking it, it can discern what is given. Therefore, here too, right view itself is included in the wisdom aggregate by its nature, while right thought is included by way of action. Thus, the path is comprised of these three aggregates. Therefore it is said: "threefold by way of the three aggregates." Fourfold by way of the stream-entry path and so on. Moreover, all truths are of one kind because they are unerroneous, or because they are to be fully understood. They are of two kinds as mundane and supramundane, or as conditioned and unconditioned. They are of three kinds as to be abandoned by seeing, by development, and as not to be abandoned. They are of four kinds by way of being fully understood and so on. Thus, here, the determination by one kind and so on should be understood. 569. By way of similar and dissimilar: All truths are similar to each other because they are unerroneous, empty of self, and difficult to penetrate. As it is said: "What do you think, Ānanda, which is more difficult or harder to achieve: one who from afar would shoot an arrow through a tiny keyhole successively, without missing, or one who would pierce the tip of a hair split a hundred times with another tip?" "This, Venerable Sir, is more difficult and harder to achieve: one who would pierce the tip of a hair split a hundred times with another tip." "More difficult to pierce than that, Ānanda, do they pierce who truly understand: 'This is suffering.'" …etc… this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering, they penetrate it as it really is. They are dissimilar by distinguishing their own characteristics. And the first two are similar due to their profundity, being difficult to fathom, being mundane, and being associated with defilements. They are dissimilar by the distinction of result and cause, and by being to be fully understood and to be abandoned. And the latter two are similar due to their profundity, being difficult to fathom, being supramundane, and being unassociated with defilements. They are dissimilar by the distinction of object and subject, and by being to be realized and to be developed. And the first and third are similar by way of result. They are dissimilar by being conditioned and unconditioned. And the second and fourth are similar by way of cause. They are dissimilar by being exclusively wholesome and unwholesome. And the first and fourth are similar by being conditioned. They are dissimilar by being mundane and supramundane. And the second and third are similar by being neither in training nor beyond training. They are dissimilar by having an object and not having an object. Thus, in such ways, and by methods, the discerning one; Should understand the Noble Truths' similarities and dissimilarities. Thus, in the Path of Purification, made for the joy of good people, In the section on the development of wisdom, The Exposition of Faculties and Truths, The sixteenth chapter. 17. Exposition of the Grounds of Wisdom Discourse on Dependent Origination 570. Now, since among these phenomena, which are the grounds for this wisdom, and which are described as 'phenomena such as aggregates, sense bases, elements, faculties, truths, and dependent origination,' it is dependent origination itself, and the phenomena arisen dependently (included by the word 'etcetera') that remain to be explained, therefore, the turn has come for their exposition. Among these, phenomena beginning with ignorance, should be understood as dependent origination. For this was said by the Blessed One – "And what, monks, is dependent origination? Monks, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, ...