English
spreads into the being through the umbilical cord. As it is said: Whatever food and drink the mother consumes, by that, the being sustains itself, hidden within the mother's womb. And in the commentary, "by that, the being sustains itself," means that the cord, which has arisen from the being, is connected to the mother's abdominal wall. It is hollow like a lotus stalk. Through it, the essence of food circulates and the essence of food... It produces the form arising from the womb. Thus he passes ten months. "Gone into the mother's womb" means hidden within the mother's womb. It is said that the meaning is "gone inside the mother's womb." But there, it should be understood that "cord arisen from the navel" is said with reference to the time of the umbilical cord's arising. For indeed, at the time of the embryo and so on, an umbilical cord would not yet have arisen. But for those born from moisture and spontaneously arisen beings, it is based on the diffusion of nutritive essence at the time of swallowing whatever they have obtained or their own saliva. Therefore it is said, "arising from food, based on the diffusion of nutritive essence." "Of the seventeenth consciousness above the death-consciousness" means of the seventeenth life-continuum consciousness in the preceding time, above the death-consciousness. Karma-born forms do not arise, because they have not arisen from that point onwards; therefore, the death-consciousness is the seventeenth. Not otherwise. "Earlier" is said referring to the very moment of the arising of that seventeenth consciousness. "From that onwards" means in the subsequent moment, of the extent of sixteen consciousness-moments, from the death-consciousness. "And mind-born and food-born forms" means the continuum of mind-born forms and the continuum of food-born forms cease, because their arising is impossible in a continuum not sustained by craving. Whatever should be said here has already been said in the section on the arising of form. "The decads of sex" are karma-originated, having sensual lust as their cause; thus, its non-obtainment in the form realm, which is produced by karma of developing detachment from that, is stated. And food-born kalāpas are not obtained because of the absence of swallowed food, and for that very reason, because of the absence of form arising even from internal food gone into the body. But the Elder Ācariya Ānanda describes the absence of odors, tastes, and nutritive essence even in the form kalāpas obtained there. In the form realm, at the moment of rebirth, five sense-bases appear: the eye-base, the form-base, the ear-base, the mind-base, and the phenomena-base. Five elements appear: the eye-element, the form-element, the ear-element, the mind-consciousness element, and the phenomena-element. Three nutriments appear: the nutriment of contact, the nutriment of mental volition, and the nutriment of consciousness. and as stated in the Vibhaṅga. Here, even though tangibles are rejected in the Rūpa-world in the Pāli text, the great elements are not prevented from being obtained there, due to the existence of other functions. But for odors and tastes, there are no other functions by which they might exist even as mere phenomena. Therefore, the non-mention of them indicates their non-existence there— this is the teacher's intention. However, the four elements do exist there, as it is said: "In the non-percipient beings, three great elements depend on one great element," and so on. But the tangible sense-base and the tangible element are rejected there. Therefore, even though all intrinsic phenomena are similar in their phenomenal nature, the special function by which odor, taste, tangible, and edible food are so called— due to its non-existence, their non-perceivability there by those names is referred to in the Vibhaṅga, in the Kathāvatthu, and in the Yamaka, meaning their rejection there in all cases. But for the great elements, which exist as mere resultant phenomena, their inclusion in the phenomenal sense-base and phenomenal element would be appropriate, so they say. "Three decades and the life-nonad"— here, according to Acariya Ānanda's view, it should be said: "Three septads— the eye-septad, the ear-septad, the base-septad— and the life-hexad." "It remains" (abhiricchatīti) means that when something is not obtained, it is first excluded, and then, by virtue of being obtainable there, it remains. Or it means "it is in excess." Here, why is the life-nonad not mentioned separately in the Kāma-world as it is in the Rūpa-world? In the Rūpa-world, due to the absence of a supporter of food and another life-force that pervades the entire body and sustains it, this very life-nonad, standing in both those places, sustains the entire body. This is evident, so the life-nonad is mentioned separately there. In the Kāma-world, however, many other supporters and sustainers are evident. Therefore, the life-nonad might not have been mentioned separately, considering it not evident. But even in the Kāma-world, this life-force, in the manner of the digestive fire for food and so on, and the heat that arises from it, which sustains the entire body— is evident by the fire of the body. Regarding which it is said: When life, heat, and consciousness abandon this body, then it lies cast aside, like a useless log. Here, "life" refers to the life established in those two fires. "Heat" refers to those two fires. When these are uneven, being sharp or dull, various diseases arise in the body. As it is said: "He is afflicted with many diseases, many ailments. He is endowed with an unevenly digesting stomach, either too hot or too cold." But when they are even, beings are free from disease. As it is said: "He is afflicted with few diseases, few ailments. He is endowed with an evenly digesting stomach, neither too cold nor too hot, moderate, fit for exertion." Some, however, consider this to be only the digestive fire of food and drink. And in the Namarūpapariccheda, the Elder said: "The nine life-forms are distinct in the rūpa-world." In the Visuddhimagga, however, it is said that in the remaining four origins, the nine life-forms and the three eight-fold nutrient groups, making thirty-three rūpas each, are evident. Here, "in the eight" means in the three fire-elements and five wind-elements, excluding the digestive fire and breathing, thus in the eight. Thus, since it is found in the fire and wind elements pervading the entire body even in the kāma-world, this should be seen as pervading the entire body. Here, one might ask, why is the sequence of the cessation of rūpa-kalāpas not mentioned here in the rūpa-world as it is in the kāma-world? Because there is no difference. For in the rūpa-world too, at the time of death, the sequence of cessation, such as the non-arising of kamma-born rūpas from the moment of the standing phase of the seventeenth mind-moment after the death-consciousness, is similar to that in the kāma-world. The only difference here is that there is no cessation of food-born rūpas, nor is there the casting off of the corpse. Therefore, there too, the continuum of mind-born rūpas ceases in one moment, which is the duration of sixteen mind-moments after the death-consciousness. After that, the succession of season-born rūpas continues for only one or two finger-snaps and then ceases. This is appropriate. Indeed. Not, in such a short time, even with the continuity of matter proceeding, is it possible to obtain a dead body. For those who see, the disappearance of the body is perceived as if in a single moment. And as in the rūpa-world, so also in the kāma-world, for the rebirth-devas and for other spontaneously arisen beings. Indeed, their bodies, at the very moment of rebirth-linking, having arisen completely with a body born of kamma, are densely filled with kamma-born matter and are light in burden. Other types of matter proceed, depending on kamma-born matter. Therefore, at their death, when the kamma-born matter has ceased, those, having no support, cannot maintain their continuity for long. Having proceeded for a short while, they completely cease. It should be understood that for them, there is no laying down of a body. But what is to be clarified: "At the time of death for the Brahmās, due to the absence of a laying down of the body, all three-originated and two-originated types of matter cease simultaneously." That is not correct. If it is so, indeed, it would follow that the death-proximate consciousnesses of all rūpa-Brahmās do not generate matter. For it cannot be said that matter generated by death-proximate consciousness ceases simultaneously with kamma-born matter. And just as those (other types of matter) cease after proceeding for a short while due to the cessation of kamma-born matter, so also, it is not impossible to understand that temperature-born matter ceases after proceeding for a short while due to the cessation of mind-born matter. And not, in such a short time, even while they are proceeding, can there be a laying down of a body. But for the Brahmās, due to the existence of hindrances such as sloth and torpor, a variation such as lightness or heaviness is not impossible for the corresponding mind-born matter and the temperature-born matter following them. Therefore, having included the three qualities of lightness etc., it is said to be among the twenty-three types of matter. The twenty-three types of matter are those excluding the three (nose, tongue, body) and the two (vocal and bodily intimation). And these same, excluding eye, ear, heart-base, and the two intimations, are indeed seventeen types of matter for the non-percipient beings – this is the explanation. But for the non-percipient beings, heaviness, lightness, etc. The manner should be considered. Or should it not be considered? Because of the many causes of the breaking up and changing of material phenomena. In rebirth, at the moment of arising