English
"I am unable to uncover the rebirth and make the mind-and-matter that arose at the moment of death the object of meditation." Instead, that same base jhana should be entered again and again. And having risen from it again and again, that place should be recollected. For one who does this, just as a strong man, cutting down a great tree for the pinnacle of a gabled house, even if he cannot cut down the great tree merely by cutting branches and leaves because the axe-blade is blunt, does not lay down the burden, but goes to the smithy, has a sharp axe made, and then comes back and cuts; and when it becomes blunt again, he has it made sharp again in the same way and cuts. As he cuts in this manner, since what has been cut does not need to be cut again, and what has not been cut silently) The user wants a translation of the provided Pāli text into English. I need to ensure: 1. **Output only the English translation.** No Pāli, no introductory/concluding remarks. 2. **Maintain original segment structure.** If the Pāli is short, multi-line sentences, the English should reflect that. 3. **Reflect the rhythm of folk chants as much as possible.** This implies short, direct phrases, possibly with some repetition or parallel structure if present in the original. 4. **No other descriptive text.** Let's break down the Pāli text and translate it segment by segment, keeping the rhythm in mind. **Segment 1:** "a chedanato nacirasseva mahārukkhaṃ pāteyya, evamevaṃ pādakajjhānā vuṭṭhāya pubbe āvajjitaṃ anāvajjitvā paṭisandhimeva āvajjanto nacirasseva paṭisandhiṃ ugghāṭetvā cutikkhaṇe pavattitanāmarūpaṃ ārammaṇaṃ kareyyāti. Kaṭṭhaphālakakesohārakādīhipi ayamattho dīpetabbo." * "a chedanato nacirasseva mahārukkhaṃ pāteyya" - by cutting, soon a great tree would fall. * "evamevaṃ pādakajjhānā vuṭṭhāya" - just so, rising from the base jhāna, * "pubbe āvajjitaṃ anāvajjitvā" - not attending to what was attended to before, * "paṭisandhimeva āvajjanto" - but attending only to the rebirth-linking, * "nacirasseva paṭisandhiṃ ugghāṭetvā" - soon opening up the rebirth-linking, * "cutikkhaṇe pavattitanāmarūpaṃ ārammaṇaṃ kareyyāti." - he would make the mind-and-matter arisen at the moment of death the object. * "Kaṭṭhaphālakakesohārakādīhipi ayamattho dīpetabbo." - This meaning should also be explained by examples like wood-splitters and hair-pullers. **Segment 2:** "Tattha pacchimanisajjato pabhuti yāva paṭisandhito ārammaṇaṃ katvā pavattaṃ ñāṇaṃ pubbenivāsañāṇaṃ nāma na hoti. Taṃ pana parikammasamādhiñāṇaṃ nāma hoti. Atītaṃsañāṇantipi eke vadanti. Taṃ rūpāvacaraṃ sandhāya na yujjati. Yadā panassa bhikkhuno paṭisandhiṃ atikkamma cutikkhaṇe pavattitanāmarūpaṃ ārammaṇaṃ katvā manodvārāvajjanaṃ uppajjati, tasmiñca niruddhe tadevārammaṇaṃ katvā cattāri pañca vā javanāni javanti. Sesaṃ pubbe vuttanayeneva purimāni parikammādināmakāni kāmāvacarāni honti. Pacchimaṃ rūpāvacaraṃ catutthajjhānikaṃ appanācittaṃ. Tadāssa yaṃ tena cittena saha ñāṇaṃ uppajjati, idaṃ pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇaṃ nāma. Tena ñāṇena sampayuttāya satiyā anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati. Seyyathidaṃ, ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo…pe… iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussaratīti (dī. ni. 1.244)." * "Tattha pacchimanisajjato pabhuti yāva paṭisandhito ārammaṇaṃ katvā pavattaṃ ñāṇaṃ pubbenivāsañāṇaṃ nāma na hoti." - There, the knowledge that arises, taking as object from the last sitting up to the rebirth-linking, is not called knowledge of past lives. * "Taṃ pana parikammasamādhiñāṇaṃ nāma hoti." - But that is called preparatory concentration knowledge. * "Atītaṃsañāṇantipi eke vadanti." - Some also call it knowledge of the past. * "Taṃ rūpāvacaraṃ sandhāya na yujjati." - That is not appropriate when referring to the form sphere. * "Yadā panassa bhikkhuno paṭisandhiṃ atikkamma cutikkhaṇe pavattitanāmarūpaṃ ārammaṇaṃ katvā manodvārāvajjanaṃ uppajjati," - But when for that monk, having gone beyond the rebirth-linking, a mind-door adverting arises, taking as object the mind-and-matter arisen at the moment of death, * "tasmiñca niruddhe tadevārammaṇaṃ katvā cattāri pañca vā javanāni javanti." - and when that ceases, four or five impulsion thoughts impel, taking that very object. * "Sesaṃ pubbe vuttanayeneva purimāni parikammādināmakāni kāmāvacarāni honti." - The rest, as said before, the former ones are called preparatory and so on, belonging to the sense sphere. * "Pacchimaṃ rūpāvacaraṃ catutthajjhānikaṃ appanācittaṃ." - The last is a form-sphere fourth-jhāna absorption thought. * "Tadāssa yaṃ tena cittena saha ñāṇaṃ uppajjati, idaṃ pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇaṃ nāma." - Then, the knowledge that arises with that thought is called knowledge of the recollection of past lives. * "Tena ñāṇena sampayuttāya satiyā anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati." - With the mindfulness associated with that knowledge, he recollects various kinds of past lives. * "Seyyathidaṃ, ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo…pe… iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussaratīti (dī. ni. 1.244)." - That is to say, one birth, two births... and so on... thus he recollects various kinds of past lives with their modes and details (Dī. Ni. 1.244). **Segment 3:** "404. Tattha ekampi jātinti ekampi paṭisandhimūlaṃ cutipariyosānaṃ ekabhavapariyāpannaṃ khandhasantānaṃ. Esa nayo dvepi jātiyotiādīsupi. Anekepi saṃvaṭṭakappetiādīsu pana parihāyamāno kappo saṃvaṭṭakappo, vaḍḍhamāno vivaṭṭakappoti veditabbo. Tattha saṃvaṭṭena saṃvaṭṭaṭṭhāyī gahito hoti, taṃmūlakattā. Vivaṭṭena ca vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī, evañhi sati yāni tāni ‘‘cattārimāni, bhikkhave, kappassa asaṅkhyeyyāni. Katamāni cattāri? Saṃvaṭṭo, saṃvaṭṭaṭṭhāyī, vivaṭṭo, vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyīti (a. ni. 4.156 thokaṃ visadisaṃ) vuttāni, tā" * "404. Tattha ekampi jātinti ekampi paṭisandhimūlaṃ cutipariyosānaṃ ekabhavapariyāpannaṃ khandhasantānaṃ." - 404. There, "one birth" means one stream of aggregates rooted in one rebirth-linking, ending in death, belonging to one existence. * "Esa nayo dvepi jātiyotiādīsupi." - This is the method for "two births" and so on. * "Anekepi saṃvaṭṭakappetiādīsu pana parihāyamāno kappo saṃvaṭṭakappo, vaḍḍhamāno vivaṭṭakappoti veditabbo." - But in "many contracting aeons" and so on, a diminishing aeon should be understood as a contracting aeon, and an increasing one as an expanding aeon. * "Tattha saṃvaṭṭena saṃvaṭṭaṭṭhāyī gahito hoti, taṃmūlakattā." - There, by "contracting" is taken "remaining in contraction," because it is rooted in that. * "Vivaṭṭena ca vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyī," - And by "expanding" is taken "remaining in expansion." * "evañhi sati yāni tāni ‘‘cattārimāni, bhikkhave, kappassa asaṅkhyeyyāni. Katamāni cattāri? Saṃvaṭṭo, saṃvaṭṭaṭṭhāyī, vivaṭṭo, vivaṭṭaṭṭhāyīti (a. ni. 4.156 thokaṃ visadisaṃ) vuttāni, tā" - For thus, those things that were said: "These, monks, are four incalculable periods of an aeon. Which four? Contraction, remaining in contraction, expansion, remaining in expansion" (A. Ni. 4.156, slightly different), those... (the sentence is cut off). I will translate the cut-off sentence as it is, ending with "those...". Now, I will assemble the translation, keeping the requested format and rhythm.by cutting, soon a great tree would fall. Just so, rising from the base jhāna, not attending to what was attended to before, but attending only to the rebirth-linking, soon opening up the rebirth-linking, he would make the mind-and-matter arisen at the moment of death the object. This meaning should also be explained by examples like wood-splitters and hair-pullers. There, the knowledge that arises, taking as object from the last sitting up to the rebirth-linking, is not called knowledge of past lives. But that is called preparatory concentration knowledge. Some also call it knowledge of the past. That is not appropriate when referring to the form sphere. But when for that monk, having gone beyond the rebirth-linking, a mind-door adverting arises, taking as object the mind-and-matter arisen at the moment of death, and when that ceases, four or five impulsion thoughts impel, taking that very object. The rest, as said before, the former ones are called preparatory and so on, belonging to the sense sphere. The last is a form-sphere fourth-jhāna absorption thought. Then, the knowledge that arises with that thought is called knowledge of the recollection of past lives. With the mindfulness associated with that knowledge, he recollects various kinds of past lives. That is to say, one birth, two births... and so on... thus he recollects various kinds of past lives with their modes and details (Dī. Ni. 1.244). 404. There, "one birth" means one stream of aggregates rooted in one rebirth-linking, ending in death, belonging to one existence. This is the method for "two births" and so on. But in "many contracting aeons" and so on, a diminishing aeon should be understood as a contracting aeon, an increasing one as an expanding aeon. There, by "contracting" is taken "remaining in contraction," because it is rooted in that. And by "expanding" is taken "remaining in expansion." For thus, those things that were said: "These, monks, are four incalculable periods of an aeon. Which four? Contraction, remaining in contraction, expansion, remaining in expansion" (A. Ni. 4.156, slightly different), those... are taken possession of. Therein are three destructions: destruction by water, destruction by fire, destruction by wind. There are three limits of destruction: the Abhassara realm, the Subhakiṇha realm, the Vehapphala realm. When an eon is destroyed by fire, below the Abhassara realm it is burned by fire. When it is destroyed by water, below the Subhakiṇha realm it is dissolved by water. When it is destroyed by wind, below the Vehapphala realm it is scattered by wind. In detail, however, always one Buddha-field is destroyed. A Buddha-field is of three kinds: the birth-field, the authority-field, and the range-field. Therein, the birth-field extends to ten thousand world-systems,