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Paramatthadīpanī Saṅgahamahāṭīkāpāṭha -(Ultimate Meaning Lamp Summary / Abhidharma Great Commentary)(English | 中文 | བོད་ཡིག)

English

For that too is said to be "attained and dwelt in the first jhāna" as a result of that very supramundane wholesome jhāna being done and developed. And that too does not gain practice from states on the same plane. However, in both cases, because it has come about through accumulation and development from the first act of attention onwards, it is considered to have gained practice even from volitions on different planes, and thus accumulated. It is said that it is developed. Therefore, even if the initial karma-producing exalted consciousness is obtained near death, it should not be said that it does not yield result as proximate karma. And how could the consciousness of supernormal knowledge, being very sharp, be weak, since it is well-practiced through various advertence-process-moments even by those on the same plane? For this reason, this view is rejected in the sub-commentary. For it is said there: "Some say that the jhānas, being strong due to repeated practice from the same plane, yield results. But supernormal knowledge, even if it has the nature of jhāna, is weak due to its absence in that particular object, being an 'outsider'. Therefore, they say, it does not yield results." That is not reasonable. For supernormal knowledge can also attain mastery through repeated preparation. However, the commentators wish to say that the consciousness of supernormal knowledge, being the benefit of the fourth jhāna concentration, is like its fruit, standing in the place of the fruit. Therefore, it does not yield results. But its act of magical transformation, etc., is greater than the act of ripening. In every way, when accomplishing the act of transformation, etc., the power of ripening is exhausted together with that power. Therefore, it is also reasonable that it does not yield results again. "Fifth jhāna" means the fifth jhāna of three kinds, such as limited, which has not attained the state of supernormal knowledge. "That alone" means the fifth jhāna alone. "Having developed dispassion for perception" means: When there is mind, there are attachment, aversion, and delusion. When there is no mind, one is said to have attained Nibbāna in this very life. Thus, seeing the danger in the mind itself, one develops dispassion for perception together with the aspiration for a mind-less existence, either through the air kammaṭṭhāna or, according to some, through the limited space kammaṭṭhāna. "They arise among the non-percipient beings" means: By whatever posture they die here, by that same posture they arise there. The intention is that these are only heretics who preach the doctrine of action and deed. For those who preach the doctrine of inaction do not have jhāna development. But non-returners arise in the Pure Abodes. However, non-returners in the Pure Abodes No others arise, not others such as once-returners, this is the meaning. By this, the arising of non-returners in other Brahma worlds is not denied. Among non-returners, one with much faith arises in Aviha, one with much energy in Atappa, one with much mindfulness in Sudassa, one with much concentration in Sudassī, one with much wisdom in Akaniṭṭha. Having developed them in due order, they arise in the formless realms in due order, this is the connection. Here, "having developed the first jhāna to a limited extent," and so on, all this is said in terms of the arrangement of the first jhāna and so on, as their respective ripening grounds. But ordinary people, stream-enterers, and once-returners who have attained the attainments, are reborn in the desired realm among the ripening grounds of the attainments they have gained. Among these, an ordinary person, if there is craving, is reborn even in the sense-realm. But the others, if their jhānas are not lost, are reborn even in the sense-realm. But for the others, if their jhānas are not lost, craving for the sense-existence is not possible for them, so only those with lost jhānas are reborn there. [163] In the Vibhāvanī, however, regarding the rebirth of those stream-enterers and once-returners in the sense-existence due to craving, it is said: "Thus, even in the sense-existence, by the power of kamma in the sense-sphere. 'It is accomplished, monks, the aspiration of one endowed with virtue, because of its purity,' for thus it is said." That is not appropriate. When their jhānas are not lost, they are exclusively destined for the Brahma world. For they are called "jhāna non-returners." And the loss of their jhānas occurs only due to various hindrances, not due to sense-desire and so on. Why? Because it is well suppressed by the jhāna that accompanies the path. For this is said in the Aṅguttara: "With the arising of vision, monks, for the noble disciple, three fetters are abandoned. ... He, quite secluded... enters and abides in the first jhāna. If, monks, at that time the noble disciple should pass away, there is no fetter for him by which fetter bound the noble disciple would return to this world." And here, "if at that time," and so on, that... If one dies without losing the jhāna, one will certainly go to the Brahma-world. But for one who loses it, that fetter is manifest, it is shown. And in the Paṭisambhidāmagga commentary, it is said that for those who have attained jhāna, even for non-returners, there is no condition for rebirth only in the Brahma-world. Here, "those who have attained jhāna" means those who have attained the great jhāna, stream-enterers and once-returners. "There is no condition" means that for them, due to insight, craving for rebirth in the sensual realm does not exist. Therefore, it should be understood that for these two types of trainees, even though they are subject to falling, when jhāna is present, there is no craving for existence in the sensual realm. But for a non-returner, even if his neck is cut with a weapon while he is sleeping and he is killed, there is no such thing as dying without attaining jhāna. For he is said to be one who has perfected concentration. However, women, even if they attain the eight attainments and are reborn in the Akaniṭṭha realm in the next existence, they are not reborn among the Great Brahmas who are in positions of authority. Due to their inferior aspiration, they are reborn only among the purohitas and parisajjas. Thus, in the commentaries, in the explanation of the meaning of the Sutta passage, "It is not possible for a woman to become a Brahma," "Brahmatta" is intended to mean "Great Brahmatta." And it is said that a woman, having developed jhāna here and passed away, is reborn in the company of the Brahma-parisajjas, not among the Great Brahmas. Here, "Brahma-parisajjas" should be understood to include the Brahma-purohitas. For they are the assembly of the Brahmas. This is stated in the Saṃyutta: "Then, monks, the Blessed One Sikhī addressed the monk Abhitu: 'May you speak, brahmin, a discourse on Dhamma to the Brahma, to the Brahma-assembly, and to the Brahma-parisajjas.'" And when there is an assembly, there are those born in the assemblies. Here, "Brahma" means the Great Brahma. "Brahma-parisāyā" means the group of Brahma-purohitas. But since "Brahma-parisajjas" is stated, is it not fitting that they are included in "not among the Great Brahmas" itself? And not. That a woman might become a Sakka, might become a Māra, might become a Brahmā, that is not possible. Since it is said that such rulers as Sakka and others exist, here the rejection of such rulership is possible. Therefore, in the Netti, it is said: "A woman cannot become a Mahābrahmā, that is not possible." By this much, the existence of purohita and pārisajja brahmās in the Vehapphala and other higher Brahma realms is established. Therefore, in the Saṃyutta Commentary, it is said: "Just as there are young storekeepers for the elders, so too there are pārisajja brahmās for the brahmās." But in the Vibhāvanī, it is said: "It is stated in the commentary that women, whether noble or ignoble, who have attained the eight attainments, are reborn only among the pārisajja brahmās." There, "only among the pārisajja brahmās" means even if reborn in Akanittha, they are reborn only as attendant brahmās of the brahmās. The meaning to be understood is: not as Mahābrahmās. But in the Maṇimañjūsā, it is said: "They are reborn only among the pārisajja brahmās, not among the purohita brahmās and so on." That should not be accepted. And what is said there, that Sāmāvatī and others were first reborn among the pārisajja brahmās. That too does not accord with the commentary. But since they realized the noble fruits in this very existence, therefore, the non-returners among them were reborn in the Suddhāvāsas. Others were reborn, some in Tāvatiṃsa, some in Paranimmitavasavattī, so it is said in the Udāna Commentary. Moreover, here, the noble ones reborn in Vehapphala, Akanittha, and the three highest formless realms are not reborn elsewhere. Those reborn in the remaining Brahma realms are not reborn in lower planes. [The Tetrad of Kamma]. 155. Death by exhaustion of life-span, death by exhaustion of kamma, and so on, should be connected. There, even when the kammic power is not exhausted, death by the complete exhaustion of the life-span, as fixed for each class of beings, is called death by exhaustion of life-span. In each existence, by weak kamma, ni For a being whose lifespan is not yet exhausted, death occurring prematurely solely due to the exhaustion of kamma-power is called 'death by kamma-exhaustion'. Death due to the simultaneous exhaustion of both (lifespan and kamma-power) is called 'death by exhaustion of both'. Even while both (lifespan and kamma-power) are still existing, death of a being whose aggregates' continuum is prematurely interrupted by destructive kamma done in previous lives or in this life, giving rise to various diseases, afflictions, being swallowed by the earth, struck by lightning, and other life-threatening dangers,