English
In "Consciousness is the Sphere" in the results, consciousness here is just the first immaterial wholesome consciousness. And that should be understood as having occurred in the immediately preceding existence. And the state of nothingness is the non-existence of that itself. In functional minds, however, consciousness refers to two kinds of first immaterial consciousness: wholesome and functional. And the state of nothingness is the non-existence of those two kinds of consciousness. 56. In the summary verse, "by the distinction of objects" means by the distinction of the four objects that are to be supported: the kasina-removed space, and so on. Indeed, there are two kinds of four objects here: the four to be transcended, and the four to be supported. Among these, in the first immaterial, form The object of the fifth jhāna. The kasiṇa sign is to be transcended. Having opened that, the space obtained is to be taken as object. In the second formless attainment, the space, object of the first formless attainment, is to be transcended. The consciousness of the first formless attainment is to be taken as object. In the third formless attainment, that consciousness of the first formless attainment is to be transcended. Its non-existence is to be taken as object. In the fourth formless attainment, that non-existence is to be transcended. The consciousness of the third formless attainment is to be taken as object. Although this formless consciousness is fourfold by way of the four things to be transcended, yet because here the objects themselves are taken in their own nature, as in "infinite space," etc., its distinction by their distinction is to be understood as evident. Formless consciousness stands in four ways by distinction of object. That same stands in twelve ways by distinction of wholesome, resultant, and functional. An ultimate exposition of formless consciousness. 57. Now, showing the supramundane consciousness as it arises, he says "stream-entry path consciousness," and so on. There, "sota" (stream) means it flows, it runs, it proceeds without turning back, like the flow of water in the Ganges and other rivers. For it, from its source up to the great ocean, flows, runs, and proceeds without turning back. Like a stream, so it is a stream. The Noble Eightfold Path, as it is said: "Indeed, friends, the Noble Eightfold Path." Namely, Right View... Right Concentration. This, friends, is called the stream. For when this also arises. From then on, by way of pervading with its power, it flows, runs, and proceeds without turning back, until the element of Nibbāna without remainder. As it is said: Just as, monks, whatever great rivers there are. Namely, the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī. All of them tend towards the ocean, incline towards the ocean, slope towards the ocean. Even so, monks, a monk cultivating and making much of the Noble Eightfold Path tends towards Nibbāna, inclines towards Nibbāna... inclined towards Nibbāna. Here, the non-return should be understood as the non-recurrence of defilements abandoned by each path, and as the gradual maturation of faculties like faith. As it is said: "Just as, monks, a pot overturned pours out water, it does not pour it back in. Even so, monks, one who develops and makes much of the Noble Eightfold Path pours out evil unwholesome states, does not pour them back in." And as it is said: "The defilements abandoned by the knowledge of the Stream-entry Path, those defilements one does not return to, does not go back to, does not come back to," and so on. And just as ordinary people, even having abandoned defilements, return to them again; even being born with three roots, they again become two-rooted or rootless; because even if born in the highest existence, they are again found in the lower realms. Even the virtuous become immoral again. Even the concentrated become insane or deranged again. Even the wise become unwise, idiots, or mutes again. The Noble Ones are not like that. They do not return again to the defilements abandoned by each path. They do not return to the state of an ordinary person or a lower Noble One. They only attain the mature state of faculties like faith, gradually. All this is accomplished by the power of the Noble Path itself, and it should be understood that they are rooted in that path, which is the original source of the name 'stream'. The initial entering and attaining of that stream is Stream-entry (Sotāpatti). The path by which Stream-entry is attained is the Stream-entry Path (Sotāpatti-magga). Alternatively, since it is said, "The Noble One who has entered the stream of Dhamma is declared," all the factors of enlightenment, both mundane and supramundane, within the continuum of Noble Ones, proceeding with an irreversible course — as they are destined for higher enlightenment and destined for Nibbāna without remainder — are called 'stream' in the sense described. The path by which one initially enters and attains that stream is Stream-entry. And that Stream-entry is the Path, thus Stream-entry Path. The limb of Stream-entry, which is called the first path, is the Stream-entry Limb. In the commentaries it is said, 'Magga' means path, means way. It seeks Nibbāna, it is sought by those who desire Nibbāna, it goes killing defilements, so they say 'magga'. [54] But in the Vibhāvanī, it is said: "Sotāpatti is that by which the stream of the Noble Path is entered from the beginning." It is said to be a person. That is not good. For the word 'sotāpatti' is nowhere seen to apply to a person. [55] By this, the statement "his path is the sotāpatti-magga" is also rejected. The mind associated with the sotāpatti-magga is the sotāpatti-magga-citta. [56] But in the Tīkās, it is said: "The path-mind attained by sotāpatti is the sotāpatti-magga-citta." That is not good. For the word 'sotāpatti' in connection with the word 'citta' is nowhere seen in the Pāli texts. 58. By way of rebirth, he comes to this world once by virtue of his morality, hence 'sakadāgāmī' (once-returner). He is one who has attained the second fruit. For, since his sensual desire latent tendencies are not eradicated, and due to the existence of defilements that lead to the sensual realm, and because he is said to be of that nature, even if he is in the highest existence, he is still naturally one who will return to this sensual realm by way of rebirth. For this is said in the Catukkanipāta: "Here, Sāriputta, for a certain person, the lower fetters are not abandoned; he enters and dwells in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception in this very life. Not having fallen away, when he dies, he is reborn among the devas who have attained the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. Having passed away from there, he is a 'returner', having come to this state of being. But here, Sāriputta, for a certain person, the lower fetters are abandoned; he enters and dwells in this very life... Having passed away from there, he is a 'non-returner', not having come to this state of being." And in the commentaries, 'itthattaṃ' is said to mean "this state of having the five aggregates in the sensual realm." And this meaning is stated in terms of the course of defilements, not in terms of the course of persons. For the Sotāpannas and Sakadāgāmins, who have become Brahmā, do not return even to the lower Brahmā realms by way of rebirth. How much less to the sensual realm? How is this understood? e. In the section on latent tendencies – It is said that for one who passes away from the sense-sphere and is reborn in the form-sphere or formless-sphere, for some, seven latent tendencies lie dormant; for some, five latent tendencies lie dormant; for some, three latent tendencies lie dormant. And it is said that for one who passes away from the form-sphere or formless-sphere and is reborn in the sense-sphere, only seven latent tendencies lie dormant. This is understood from what has been said. In the former statement, seven are mentioned for the ordinary person. Five are mentioned for the two, the stream-enterer and the once-returner. Three are mentioned for the non-returner. In the latter statement, however, because there is no going to the sense-sphere for rebirth for those who have become Brahmā-like, the stream-enterers, once-returners, and non-returners, it is said that only seven are for the ordinary person. And in the Dhammahadaya Vibhaṅga Commentary, it is said: "Stream-enterers and once-returners who are reborn in the form-sphere do not come back here; they attain final Nibbāna there. These are called jhāna-non-returners." And it is said: "For noble disciples reborn in the nine Brahmā worlds, there is rebirth in that same realm or rebirth in higher realms. There is no rebirth in lower realms. But for ordinary persons, there is rebirth in that same realm, rebirth in higher realms, and rebirth in lower realms." This has been said. And that non-return is accomplished by the power of jhāna, which is a companion to the path, not by the power of the path itself. And here, the phrase "this world" has two meanings in the commentaries: "this human world" or "this sense-sphere world." In the former meaning, "comes back" means "comes back from the deva world." In the latter, it means "comes back even from the Brahmā world." In the Pāli, however, the latter meaning seems to be the one stated. For it is said in the Puggalapaññatti: "The non-returner is to be seen as one who does not come back to this state. The stream-enterer and once-returner are to be seen as ones who come back to this state." And here, "not coming back to this state" indicates the meaning that the non-returner does not come back to this sense-sphere world. "Coming back to this state" indicates that both the stream-enterer and the once-returner come back to this sense-sphere world once more. coming to the world once, means once-returner. Why? Because in continuous sentences,