English
Just as a sighted man, looking at three stakes placed in order—a thorn stake, an iron stake, a golden stake—does not himself fear, but merely has the judgment: "whoever falls on these stakes, all will experience no small suffering"; even so, the knowledge of the manifestation of fear does not itself fear, but merely has the judgment concerning the three existences (bhāvas) similar to three pits of glowing coals, and similar to three stakes: "past formations have ceased, present ones are ceasing, future ones will cease." But because for him, formations that have gone to all existences, births, destinies, stations, and abodes, having become afflicted and fearful, manifest as fear, therefore it is called 'manifestation of fear'. Thus, concerning its manifestation as fear, this is the Pāli text: "When one attends to impermanence, what manifests as fear? Suffering. When one attends to non-self, what manifests as fear? When one attends to impermanence, the sign manifests as fear. When one attends to suffering, the process manifests as fear. When one attends to non-self, both the sign and the process manifest as fear." Therein, 'sign' means the sign of formations. This is a designation for past, future, and present formations. For one attending to impermanence, indeed, sees only the death of formations, therefore the sign manifests as fear for him. 'Process' means the process of material and immaterial existence. For one attending to suffering, indeed, sees only the state of constant oppression even in what is considered happiness, therefore the process manifests as fear for him. But one attending to non-self sees both of these as empty, hollow, void, without owner, without leader, like a deserted village, like a mirage, a city of gandhabbas, and so on. Therefore, both the sign and the process manifest as fear for him. Manifestation of Fear The knowledge of fear has ended. Discourse on the Knowledge of Contemplation of Danger 752. As he cultivates, develops, and makes much of that knowledge of the manifestation of fear, in all existences, origins, destinies, abodes, and dwellings of beings, no refuge, no shelter, no resort, no haven is found. In the formations that have gone to all existences, origins, destinies, abodes, and dwellings, there is no longing or clinging even for a single formation. The three existences are like pits of glowing embers full of burning coals; the four great elements are like venomous vipers; the five aggregates are like executioners with upraised swords; the six internal sense bases are like a deserted village; the six external sense bases are like village-destroying robbers; the seven stations of consciousness and the nine abodes of beings are like being ablaze, burning brightly, and luminous with the eleven fires; and all formations are like boils, diseases, darts, afflictions, and ailments, appearing as tasteless, flavorless, and a great mass of danger. How? For a timid person who desires to live happily, a forest thicket, even if beautifully formed, is like one with wild animals; caves are like those with tigers; water is like that with crocodiles and ogres; enemies are like those with upraised swords; food is like that with poison; a path is like that with robbers; a house is like one on fire; a battlefield is like one with an arrayed army. Just as that person, encountering these, such as the forest thicket with wild animals, becomes fearful, agitated, and his hair stands on end, seeing only danger all around, even so this meditator, by way of contemplating dissolution, when all formations appear as fearful, sees only the tasteless, the flavorless, the danger all around. When he sees thus, the knowledge of danger arises. Concerning this, it has been said: “How is wisdom in the manifestation of fear knowledge of danger? The arising is fearful—wisdom in the manifestation of fear is knowledge of danger. The continuing is fearful… the sign is fearful… the accumulation is fearful… rebirth is fearful… destiny is fearful… production is fearful… reappearance is fearful… birth is fearful… old age There is fear... in sickness, there is fear... in death, there is fear... in sorrow, there is fear... in lamentation, there is fear... in despair, there is fear. Wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Non-arising is safety, knowledge in the state of peace. Non-continuance... ...non-despair is safety, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is fear, non-arising is safety, knowledge in the state of peace. Continuance... ...despair is fear, non-despair is safety, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is suffering, wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Continuance... ...despair is suffering, wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Non-arising is happiness, knowledge in the state of peace. Non-continuance... ...non-despair is happiness, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is suffering, non-arising is happiness, knowledge in the state of peace. Continuance... ...despair is suffering, non-despair is happiness, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is sensuality, wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Continuance... ...despair is sensuality, wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Non-arising is non-sensuality, knowledge in the state of peace. Non-continuance... ...non-despair is non-sensuality, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is sensuality, non-arising is non-sensuality, knowledge in the state of peace. Continuance... ...despair is sensuality, non-despair is non-sensuality, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is formations, wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Continuance... ...despair is formations, wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge of danger. Non-arising is Nibbāna, knowledge in the state of peace. Non-continuance... ...non-despair is Nibbāna, knowledge in the state of peace. Arising is formations, non-arising is Nibbāna, knowledge in the state of peace. Continuance... ...despair is formations, non-despair is Nibbāna, knowledge in the state of peace. Both arising and continuance, he sees as the sign of suffering; Accumulation and rebirth, this is knowledge of danger. Non-arising, non-continuance, and the signless as happiness; Non-accumulation, non-rebirth, this is knowledge in the state of peace. This knowledge of danger, arises in five ways; In five ways, in the state of peace, He understands ten knowledges; Skilled in two knowledges, he does not waver in various views. That is knowledge by way of knowing. It is wisdom by way of understanding. Therefore it is said, "Wisdom in the manifestation of fear, knowledge in danger" (Paṭisambhidāmagga 1.53). 753. Here, arising means the arising here due to previous kamma. Occurrence means the occurrence of what has thus arisen. Sign means all conditioned signs. Accumulation means kamma that is a cause for rebirth in the future. Rebirth means arising in the future. Destination means the destination by which that rebirth occurs. Production means the production of aggregates. Re-existence means the vipāka-occurrence spoken of as "of one who has attained or one who has re-existed" (Dhammasaṅgaṇī 1289, 1291). Birth means birth conditioned by existence, which is a cause for old age and so on. Old age and death, etc., are evident. And here, arising and so on, five in all, are stated as the basis of the knowledge of danger. The rest are synonyms of these. For indeed, production and birth, these two, are synonyms of arising and rebirth. Destination and re-existence, these two, are of occurrence. Old age and so on are of the sign. Therefore it is said— "He sees arising and occurrence, the sign as suffering; Accumulation and rebirth, this is knowledge in danger." And "This knowledge in danger arises in five ways." But "non-arising is safety," "knowledge in the state of peace," and so on, are stated to show the knowledge opposite to the knowledge of danger. Or, having seen danger in the manifestation of fear, this is also stated to generate reassurance for those whose hearts are agitated, that there is also fearlessness, safety, and freedom from danger. Or, because arising and so on are well-manifested as fear to him, his mind is inclined towards their opposite; therefore, this is also to be understood as stated to show the advantage of the knowledge of danger, which is established by way of the manifestation of fear. And here, that which is fear, since it is necessarily suffering. It is with bait, not being free from the bait of existence, the bait of the world, and the bait of defilements. And that which is with bait is merely a conditioned thing. Therefore "Arising is suffering," "wisdom regarding danger, knowledge of disadvantage," and so forth, is said. Even so, due to the diversity of aspects such as the aspect of fear, the aspect of suffering, the aspect of attachment, the diversity here should be understood in terms of its occurrence. "He understands the ten knowledges": Understanding the knowledge of disadvantage, he understands, penetrates, realizes the ten knowledges: five having arising and so forth as their object, and five having non-arising and so forth as their object. "Skill in two knowledges": This is in the skill of these two: the knowledge of disadvantage and the knowledge of the state of peace. "He does not waver in various views": He does not tremble in views that arise concerning the highest visible Nibbana and so forth. The rest here is clear. The knowledge of contemplation of disadvantage is finished. Discourse on the Knowledge of Contemplation of Dispassion 754. He thus, seeing all formations as disadvantageous, formations that are found in all existences, wombs, destinies, consciousness-stations, and abodes of beings, and are subject to breaking up, becomes dispassionate, wearies, and does not delight in them. Just as, a golden royal swan,