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B040101Visuddhimagga(purification path treatise)

English

But how is this knowledge to be produced? This indeed succeeds by means of the divine eye; that is its preliminary work. Therefore, that bhikkhu, having increased light, should seek the mind by seeing the color of the blood flowing in reliance on the heart-form of another, with the divine eye. For when a mind of joy operates, then it is red, like a banyan fruit. When a mind of displeasure operates, then it is black, like a rose-apple fruit. When a mind of equanimity operates, then it is like clear sesame oil. Therefore, by that one, seeking the mind by seeing the color of another's heart-blood, thinking "this form arises from the faculty of joy, this from the faculty of displeasure, this from the faculty of equanimity," the knowledge of penetrating others' minds should be made strong. For when it is thus made strong, gradually one knows all sense-sphere minds, and form-sphere and formless-sphere minds, by passing from mind to mind, even without seeing the heart-form. And it is also said in the commentary: "One who desires to know another's mind in the formless realms, whose heart-form does he see, whose faculty-change does he observe? No one's. This is the domain of one with psychic power, that by directing attention to a mind anywhere, he knows the sixteen kinds of mind. But this explanation is for one who has not yet achieved such penetration." In "a mind with lust" and so on, the eight kinds of mind accompanied by greed should be understood as a mind with lust. The remaining four-realm wholesome and indeterminate minds are without lust. But the two minds of displeasure and the two minds of doubt and restlessness— these four minds are not included in this pair. But some elders include them too. The two kinds of mind of displeasure are called minds with aversion. All four-realm Which is wholesome, indeterminate, free from hatred. The remaining ten unwholesome consciousnesses are not included in this pair. But some elders include even them. As for "with delusion" and "without delusion," here, by way of individual persons, only the two (consciousnesses) accompanied by doubt and restlessness are "with delusion." But since delusion arises in all unwholesome states, all twelve kinds of unwholesome consciousness should be understood as "consciousness with delusion." The rest are "without delusion." That accompanied by sloth and torpor is "contracted." That accompanied by restlessness is "distracted." The form-sphere and formless-sphere (consciousnesses) are "exalted." The rest are "not exalted." All that belongs to the three planes is "with superior." The supramundane is "without superior." That which has attained access concentration and absorption concentration is "concentrated." That which has not attained either is "not concentrated." That which has attained liberation by way of substitution, suppression, eradication, tranquillization, or escape is "liberated." All five kinds that have not attained this liberation should be understood as "unliberated." Thus, a bhikkhu who has gained the knowledge of discerning others' minds knows all these kinds of consciousness, whether "with passion" ... (and so on) ... or "unliberated," as "unliberated consciousness." The discourse on the knowledge of discerning others' minds is concluded. Discourse on the knowledge of recollecting past lives 402. In the discourse on the knowledge of recollecting past lives, "for the knowledge of recollecting past lives" (Dī. Ni. 1.244) means "for the knowledge that is in the recollection of past lives." "Past lives" means the aggregates that dwelt in past existences. "Dwelt" means resided, experienced, arisen and ceased in one's own continuum. Or "dwelt phenomena." "Dwelt" means dwelt as an object, known and discerned by one's own consciousness, or known by others' consciousness in recollections of severed tree-stumps and so on; these are attained only by Buddhas. "Recollection of past lives" is the mindfulness by which one recollects past lives. "Knowledge" is the knowledge associated with that mindfulness. Thus, it is said "for the knowledge of recollecting past lives," meaning for the attainment and acquisition of this knowledge. "Of many kinds" means of various types, or by various ways... "Set in motion by the spokes," means "described." "Past abodes" means the continuum of dwelling here and there, taking the immediately preceding existence as the beginning. "Recollects" means he recollects, following again and again, either by way of the succession of aggregates or by way of death and rebirth. Indeed, six kinds of people recollect this past existence: heretics, ordinary disciples, great disciples, chief disciples, Paccekabuddhas, and Buddhas. Among them, heretics recollect only forty aeons, not beyond that. Why? Because of weak wisdom. For them, indeed, wisdom is weak due to being devoid of the discernment of mind-and-matter. Ordinary disciples recollect even a hundred aeons, even a thousand aeons, because of strong wisdom. The eighty great disciples recollect a hundred thousand aeons. The two chief disciples recollect one incalculable aeon and a hundred thousand. Paccekabuddhas recollect two incalculable aeons and a hundred thousand. Indeed, this much is their aspiration. But for Buddhas, there is no such limit. And heretics recollect only the succession of aggregates; they are not able to recollect by way of death and rebirth, letting go of the succession. For them, indeed, like the blind, there is no going to a desired place. But just as the blind go without letting go of their stick, so they recollect without letting go of the succession of aggregates. Ordinary disciples recollect even by the succession of aggregates, and they also pass by way of death and rebirth. Likewise the eighty great disciples. But for the two chief disciples, there is no need for the succession of aggregates. Seeing the death of one existence, they see the rebirth; again seeing the death of another, they see the rebirth; thus, they go passing by way of death and rebirth. Likewise Paccekabuddhas. But for Buddhas, there is no need for the succession of aggregates, nor is there a need for passing by way of death and rebirth. For them, indeed, in countless crores of aeons, below or above, whatever place they desire, that becomes manifest. Therefore, even countless crores of aeons, having condensed them like a repeated passage, whatever they desire, there... And there, entering, they go by way of lion-like entry. And for them, as they go thus, their knowledge, just as an arrow shot by an archer, skilled in piercing a hair, like Sarabhaṅga, does not get stuck in trees, creepers, etc., in between, but falls right on the target, does not get stuck, does not miss, even so, in the intervening existences, it does not get stuck, it does not miss, not getting stuck, not missing, it grasps just the desired place. And among these beings who recollect past lives, the vision of past lives for sectarians appears like the light of a firefly. For ordinary disciples, like the light of a lamp. For great disciples, like the light of a torch. For chief disciples, like the light of a medicinal star. For Paccekabuddhas, like the light of the moon. For Buddhas, it appears like the orb of the autumn sun, adorned with a thousand rays. And the recollection of past lives for sectarians is like the blind going by the tip of a stick. For ordinary disciples, like going by a stick bridge. For great disciples, like going by a leg bridge. For chief disciples, like going by a cart bridge. For Paccekabuddhas, like going by a great leg path. For Buddhas, like going by a great cart path. However, in this context, the recollection of past lives of disciples is intended. Therefore it is said: "He recollects" means "he follows and follows, recollecting by way of the sequence of aggregates or by way of death and rebirth." 403. Therefore, a beginner monk, who desires to recollect thus, having returned from his alms-round after his meal, having gone to a secluded place, being withdrawn, should enter the four jhāna states in sequence, and having emerged from the fourth jhāna, which is the basis for supernormal powers, should advert to his very last sitting. Then, the arranging of the seat, the entering of the dwelling, the putting away of the bowl and robe, the mealtime, the time of coming from the village, the time of wandering for alms in the village, the time of entering the village for alms, the time of leaving the monastery, the time of venerating the stupa ground and the Bodhi tree ground, the washing of the bowl, The time of eating, the time of receiving the bowl, the duties done from receiving the bowl until washing the face, the duties done at dawn, the duties done in the middle watch, the duties done in the first watch— thus, in reverse order, the duties of the entire day and night should be recollected. This much is clear even to an ordinary mind. But to a mind in preparatory concentration, it is exceedingly clear. If anything here is not clear, one should re-enter the base jhana, rise from it, and recollect. By this much, it becomes clear as if a lamp were lit. Thus, in this reverse order, the duties of the second day, and the third, fourth, and fifth days, and for ten days, half a month, a month, even up to a year, should be recollected. By this same method, for ten years, twenty years, up to one's rebirth in this existence, while recollecting, one should recollect the mind-and-matter that arose at the moment of death in the previous existence. Indeed, a wise bhikkhu is able to uncover the rebirth in the first attempt and make the mind-and-matter at the moment of death the object of meditation. However, since the mind-and-matter of the previous existence has entirely ceased and another has arisen, that place is like a deep pit, like utter darkness, difficult to see, difficult for the unwise. Therefore, one should not lay down the burden, saying,