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B040101Visuddhimagga(purification path treatise)

English

of kamma leading to bad destinations. Why? Because the ordinary person, overwhelmed by ignorance, like a cow condemned to slaughter, overcome by the heat of fire, the blows of a cudgel, and exhaustion, by that distress of exhaustion, like drinking hot water, even though it is tasteless and brings harm to oneself, defilement Even though it brings no peace, no delight, and leads to a bad destination, and is harmful to oneself, one undertakes various kinds of actions leading to a bad destination, such as killing living beings. But the special cause for actions leading to a good destination is craving for existence. Why? Because the ordinary person, overcome by craving for existence, just as that cow mentioned, by craving for cold water, drinks cold water with delight, relieving its weariness, so too, with delight, free from the torment of defilements, by attaining a good destination, relieving the weariness of suffering in bad destinations, one undertakes various kinds of actions leading to a good destination, such as abstaining from killing living beings. 586. Among these states, which are the head of the cycle of rebirth, sometimes the Blessed One teaches a discourse based on a single state. For example, "Thus, monks, volitional formations are conditioned by ignorance, consciousness is conditioned by volitional formations," and so on (SN 2.23). And also, "Monks, when one dwells contemplating delight in states conducive to clinging, craving grows; with craving as condition, clinging," and so on (SN 2.52). Sometimes it is based on both. For example, "Monks, for an ignorant fool, veiled by ignorance, conjoined with craving, this body has thus arisen. Thus, this body itself and external mind-and-matter— these are the two. Conditioned by these two are contact and the six sense bases, by which the fool, being touched, experiences pleasure and pain," and so on (SN 2.19). Among those discourses, "Ignorance is the condition for volitional formations" should be understood here as a discourse based on a single state, namely ignorance. Thus, the determination should be understood here according to the difference in discourses. 587. "Atthato" means the meaning of the terms like ignorance. For example, bodily misconduct and so on, which are not fit to be fulfilled, are called "avindiya" (not to be found/understood), meaning "not attained." Ignorance is that which finds (understands) what is not to be found (understood). Conversely, bodily good conduct and so on are called "vindiya" (to be found/understood); ignorance is that which does not find (understand) what is to be found (understood). The aggregates' characteristic of being a heap, the sense bases' characteristic of being a sphere, the elements' characteristic of being empty, the faculties' characteristic of being dominant, the truths' characteristic of being thus. It makes unknown, thus ignorance. It makes unknown the fourfold meaning spoken of as suffering and so on, in the sense of oppression and so on, thus ignorance. In saṃsāra, which is without end, it makes beings run through all births, states of existence, stations of consciousness, and abodes of beings, thus ignorance. It runs in things like men and women which do not exist in ultimate reality, but does not run in aggregates and so on which do exist, thus ignorance. Furthermore, it is ignorance because it conceals the elements of eye-consciousness and so on, their bases and objects, and the dependent origination and dependently arisen phenomena. That on which a result depends, that is a condition. "Depends on" means "not without, not apart from." "Comes" means "arises and continues." Furthermore, the meaning of condition is the meaning of helper. That is ignorance, and that is a condition, thus ignorance-condition. Therefore, from ignorance as condition. They fashion the conditioned, thus formations. Furthermore, formations are of two kinds: formations conditioned by ignorance, and formations denoted by the word 'saṅkhāra'. Among these, the three meritorious, demeritorious, and imperturbable formations, and the three bodily, verbal, and mental formations, these six are formations conditioned by ignorance. All of them are merely mundane wholesome and unwholesome volitions. However, these four: conditioned formations, fashioned formations, fashioning formations, and applied formations, are formations denoted by the word 'saṅkhāra'. Among these, all dependently arisen phenomena mentioned in "Impermanent, alas, are formations" and so on are called conditioned formations. The material and immaterial phenomena of the three realms, produced by kamma, are called fashioned formations in the commentaries; they are also included in "Impermanent, alas, are formations." However, a separate place where they are mentioned is not found. But the wholesome and unwholesome volitions of the three realms are called fashioning formations; their place of mention is found in "This person, monks, shrouded in ignorance, fashions a meritorious formation" and so on. Bodily, mental... And that energy which is called volitional formation, that, "As far as the course of formation goes, having gone that far, it stood, as if struck by an axle," and so on, is found in (A.N. 3.15). And not only these, but also many other formations, "Indeed, friend Visākha, for a bhikkhu entering the cessation of perception and feeling, first the verbal formation ceases, then the bodily formation, then the mental formation," and so on, are found by the word 'formation' in the manner of (M.N. 1.464). Among these, there is no formation that would not be included among the conditioned formations. What is said from here on, such as "formations are a condition for consciousness," should be understood in the manner already stated. But what is unsaid: It discerns, thus consciousness. It bends, thus name. It is afflicted, thus form. It extends into the future and leads to the future, thus sense-base. It touches, thus contact. It feels, thus feeling. It trembles, thus craving. It grasps, thus clinging. It becomes and causes to become, thus existence. Generating is birth. Aging is decay. They die by this, thus death. Grieving is sorrow. Lamenting is lamentation. It causes suffering, thus suffering. Or it afflicts in two ways, by arising and by persisting, thus suffering. The state of being dejected is dejection. Excessive vexation is despair. They arise, meaning they come into being. And not only with sorrow and so on, but indeed, the word 'arise' should be connected with all terms. Otherwise, if it is said "formations conditioned by ignorance," it would not be understood what they do. But when connected with 'arise', "ignorance is that and it is the condition," thus "ignorance-condition." Therefore, by "formations arise conditioned by ignorance," the distinction between cause and effect is made. This method applies everywhere. "Thus" is an illustration of the stated method. By this, it shows that the causes are ignorance and so on, not creation by a god and so on. "Of this" means of what has been stated. "Of the entire" means unmixed, or whole. "Of the mass of suffering" means of the aggregate of suffering, not of a being, not of pleasure or beauty and so on. "Origin" means arising. "Is" means arises. Thus, here, the determination should be understood in terms of meaning. 588.From characteristics, etc., of ignorance, etc., from characteristics, etc. That is to say – Ignorance has the characteristic of not knowing, its function is to delude, its manifestation is concealment, its proximate cause is the influxes. Formations have the characteristic of constructing, their function is to accumulate, their manifestation is volition, their proximate cause is ignorance. Consciousness has the characteristic of knowing, its function is to be a forerunner, its manifestation is rebirth-linking, its proximate cause is formations, or its proximate cause is object and base. Mentality has the characteristic of bending, its function is to be conjoined, its manifestation is inseparability, its proximate cause is consciousness. Materiality has the characteristic of being afflicted, its function is to be dispersed, its manifestation is being indeterminate, its proximate cause is consciousness. The six sense bases have the characteristic of being a base, their function is seeing, etc., their manifestation is being a basis and a door, their proximate cause is mentality-materiality. Contact has the characteristic of touching, its function is impingement, its manifestation is conjunction, its proximate cause is the six sense bases. Feeling has the characteristic of experiencing, its function is to enjoy the taste of the object, its manifestation is pleasure and pain, its proximate cause is contact. Craving has the characteristic of being a cause, its function is to delight, its manifestation is insatiability, its proximate cause is feeling. Clinging has the characteristic of grasping, its function is not letting go, its manifestation is the strengthening of craving and views, its proximate cause is craving. Becoming has the characteristic of action and its result, its function is to bring about existence, its manifestation is wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate, its proximate cause is clinging. Of birth, etc., the characteristics, etc., should be understood in the manner stated in the exposition of the truths. Thus, here, the determination should also be understood from characteristics, etc. 589.From being of one kind, etc., here, ignorance from being not knowing, not seeing, delusion, etc., is of one kind. From non-practice and wrong practice, it is of two kinds. Likewise, from being volitional and non-volitional. From being conjoined with the three feelings, it is of three kinds. From not penetrating the four truths, it is of four kinds. From concealing the five destinations and their dangers, it is of five kinds. But from being door and object,