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are slain by the first knowledge. The latent tendencies of sensual desire and aversion are slain by the third knowledge. The latent tendencies of conceit, craving for existence, and ignorance are slain by the fourth knowledge. Among the defilements: the defilement of hatred is slain by the third knowledge. The others are slain by the fourth knowledge. Among the unwholesome courses of action: taking life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, false speech, and wrong view— these are slain by the first knowledge. Slanderous speech, harsh speech, and ill-will— these three are slain by the third knowledge. Frivolous talk and covetousness— are slain by the fourth knowledge. Among the unwholesome states of mind: the four associated with wrong view, and the one associated with doubt— these five are slain by the first knowledge. The two associated with aversion are slain by the third knowledge. are to be abandoned by the first knowledge, the rest are to be abandoned by the fourth knowledge. And that which is to be abandoned by which, that is to be abandoned by that, it is said. Therefore it is said: "Thus, these are the means of abandoning these defilements, such as the fetters, according to their proper application." 831. Do these (paths) abandon these defilements in the past and future, or in the present? What then? If it is in the past and future, then the effort becomes fruitless. Why? Because those to be abandoned do not exist. If in the present, even then it is fruitless, because those to be abandoned exist along with the effort, and the development of the path becomes defiled, or there is a disjunction of defilements, and there is no present defilement that is disjoined from the mind. This is not an ordinary question. For in the Pāḷi itself, having said: "He abandons defilements, he abandons past defilements, he abandons future defilements, he abandons present defilements," and again having said: "If he abandons past defilements, then he destroys what is already destroyed, he ceases what has ceased, he removes what has departed, he sets what has set. He abandons what is past and does not exist," it is rejected: "He does not abandon past defilements." Likewise, having said: "If he abandons future defilements, then he abandons what is unborn, he abandons what has not arisen, he abandons what has not come into being, he abandons what has not appeared. He abandons what is future and does not exist," it is rejected: "He does not abandon future defilements." Likewise, having said: "If he abandons present defilements, then one who is lustful abandons lust. One who is hateful abandons hatred, one who is deluded abandons delusion, one who is bound abandons conceit, one who is grasped abandons wrong view, one who is distracted abandons restlessness, one who is unsettled abandons doubt, one who is firm abandons latent tendencies. Dark and bright phenomena occur in conjunction. The development of the path becomes defiled," and having rejected all by saying: "He does not abandon past defilements, he does not abandon future defilements, he does not abandon present defilements," (then it implies) "Therefore, there is no development of the path, there is no realization of the fruit, there is no defilement..." "abandonment of defilements, there is no realization of the Dhamma." At the end of the question, having acknowledged, "It is not that there is no development of the path... (and so on)... there is no realization of the Dhamma," when asked, "How is that like?" this was said: Just as a young tree, without produced fruit, a man might cut it at the root. Those fruits of that tree, not yet produced, they, not yet born, are not born, not yet arisen, do not arise, not yet come into being, do not come into being, not yet manifested, do not manifest. Even so, arising is a cause, arising is a condition for the production of defilements. Seeing danger in arising, the mind inclines to non-arising. Because the mind inclines to non-arising, those defilements that would arise conditioned by accumulation, they, not yet born, are not born, not yet arisen, do not arise, not yet come into being, do not come into being, not yet manifested, do not manifest. Thus, with the cessation of the cause, there is the cessation of suffering. Continuity is a cause. Thus, with the cessation of the cause, there is the cessation of suffering. Sign is a cause. Thus, with the cessation of the cause, there is the cessation of suffering. Accumulation is a cause. Because the mind inclines to non-accumulation, those defilements that would arise conditioned by accumulation, they, not yet born, are not born, not yet arisen, do not arise, not yet come into being, do not come into being, not yet manifested, do not manifest. Thus, with the cessation of the cause, there is the cessation of suffering. Thus there is development of the path, there is realization of the fruit, there is abandonment of defilements, there is realization of the Dhamma. 832. By this, what is illuminated? The abandonment of defilements that have gained a footing is illuminated. But those that have gained a footing, are they past, future, or present? They are indeed those that have gained a footing and arisen. 833. Indeed, what has arisen is of many kinds, in terms of being present, having passed away, having found an opportunity, and having gained a footing. Among these, all that is reckoned as endowed with arising, aging, and cessation is called 'presently arisen'. That which has ceased after experiencing the object-flavor, reckoned as 'experienced and passed away', wholesome and unwholesome, that which has ceased without reaching the three (arising, etc.), reckoned as 'passed away', and the rest of conditioned phenomena, are called 'passed away and arisen'. "Those deeds that were done by him in the past," (M.N. 3.248) in this way, the karma spoken of, even though past, having prevented other results, by itself... Having made an opportunity for the result, and standing thus, and the result, though not yet arisen, having such an opportunity made, because it certainly arises in such an made opportunity, it is called 'arisen by making opportunity'. The uneradicated unwholesome (kamma) in those various planes is called 'arisen by obtaining the plane'. 834. Here, the difference between 'plane' and 'that which has obtained the plane' should be understood. For 'plane' means the five aggregates of the three planes, which are the objects of insight. 'That which has obtained the plane' means the class of defilements capable of arising in those aggregates. Therefore, that plane is said to be 'obtained', and so it is called 'that which has obtained the plane', but not in the sense of an object. For if it were in the sense of an object, even if all past and future (aggregates) were fully understood, defilements would arise concerning the aggregates of Arahants, like Mahākaccāna and Uppalavaṇṇā, just as defilements arose concerning the aggregates of Soreyya the merchant and Nanda the youth. And if that were 'that which has obtained the plane', then because it cannot be abandoned, no one would abandon the root of existence. But 'that which has obtained the plane' should be understood in the sense of a basis. Wherever aggregates not fully understood by insight arise, there, from the time of their arising, the class of defilements, the root of the cycle of existence, lies latent in them. That should be understood as 'that which has obtained the plane' by virtue of being unabandoned. 835. And there, for whomsoever defilements lie latent in which aggregates by virtue of being unabandoned, for him, those very aggregates are the basis for those defilements, not the aggregates belonging to others. And for defilements lying latent unabandoned in past aggregates, past aggregates are the basis, not others. This is the method for future and so on. Similarly, for defilements lying latent unabandoned in sense-sphere aggregates, sense-sphere aggregates are the basis, not others. This is the method for form-sphere and formless-sphere (aggregates). But in the case of stream-enterers and so on, for whichever noble person, in whichever aggregates, that particular class of defilements, the root of the cycle of existence, has been abandoned by that particular path, for that person, those aggregates do not obtain the designation of 'plane' as they are not the basis for those abandoned defilements, the roots of the cycle of existence. For the ordinary person, all the defilements, the roots of the cycle of existence, are un... By reason of the nature of what is to be abandoned, whatever action is done, it is wholesome or unwholesome. Thus, because of action and defilements, the cycle revolves. The root of this cycle is in the form aggregate itself, not in the feeling aggregate and so on. Or in the consciousness aggregate itself, not in the form aggregate and so on, this should not be said. Why? Because it lies latent indiscriminately in all five aggregates. 836. How? Like the earth-sap and so on in a tree. Just as in a great tree, standing on the surface of the earth, relying on earth-sap and water-sap, and because of that, having grown with roots, trunk, branches, twigs, shoots, leaves, flowers, and fruits, filling the sky, and continuing the lineage of trees through a succession of seeds until the end of an eon, it should not be said that this earth-sap and so on is only in the root, not in the trunk and so on... ...or only in the fruit, not in the root and so on. Why? Because it pervades indiscriminately all parts, from the root onwards. But just as some man, disgusted with the flowers and fruits of that very tree, might drive a poisonous thorn called 'frog-thorn' into it from four directions, then that tree, afflicted by that contact with poison, because the earth-sap and water-sap are exhausted, and having reached a state of not flowing, would not be able to produce offspring again.