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

English

having fully understood the subject, their mind proceeds without clinging to those phenomena, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. In the mind-stream of beings, they obstruct the arising of unarisen wholesome states, and prevent the growth of arisen ones. Therefore, they are called hindrances. Desire in the sense of wishing. Intention in the sense of intending. Thus, sensual desire. Strong attachment. This is a hindrance, the hindrance of sensual desire. But because it is said in the Paṭṭhāna that the hindrance of sensual desire in the immaterial realms is a condition for the hindrance of restlessness, there is no remaining greed — apart from attachment to material and immaterial existence — that is not included in sensual desire. And it should be understood that the opposition to jhāna belongs only to attachment to the five sense objects. Being afflicted is ill-will. The meaning is the corruption of the mind. Any fault whatsoever. Why here are sloth and torpor and restlessness and remorse — two pairs of phenomena — spoken of as a single hindrance? Because they are similar in function, in cause, and in opposition. Thus, in terms of function, the pair of sloth and torpor causes mental states to be sluggish. The pair of restlessness and remorse causes mental states to be uncalm. In terms of cause, the former pair has weariness, laziness, and drowsiness as its cause. The latter pair has thoughts about loss of relatives, etc., as its cause. In terms of opposition, the former pair is opposed to energy. The latter pair is opposed to tranquility. They lie latent, thus they are latent tendencies. Corresponding. Meaning: they arise having obtained a cause. Or, they lie latent again and again, thus they are latent tendencies. Until one does not attain the path, until then, being unexhausted in between, they arise again and again when a cause is obtained. Here, 'arising' should be understood as the state of being ready to arise due to not being abandoned. But not an arising in their own form. If it is asked, how is this known? Because it is said that for whom the latent tendency of sensual lust arises, for him also the latent tendency of aversion arises. And so, in the Pāli, it is said that for an ordinary person, all seven latent tendencies lie latent together in the 'latent tendency section', and arise together in the 'arising section'. As it is said: "For an ordinary person, the latent tendency of ignorance lies latent. Sensual lust. Aversion. Conceit. Views. Doubt. And the latent tendency of lust for existence lies latent." Similarly in the 'arising section'. Moreover, without reaching the stage of full manifestation in their own form, they lie latent in the mental continuum, being in harmony and not in conflict with the wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate mental states that arise. They are latent tendencies because they lie dormant, not having arisen as distinct associated phenomena. Or, they lie latent again and again, thus they are latent tendencies. Naturally, in those very sensual lusts, etc., where they lie latent, they arise again and again, and lie latent again and again, in a double or triple manner. Meaning: they entwine themselves over and over again in a lying manner. This is a designation for sensual lusts, etc., that are in the first of the three stages of lust, etc. Indeed, there are three stages: the latent stage, the manifest stage, the transgression stage. Among these, those sensual lusts, etc., which arise and move the bodily and verbal actions, their state of so occurring is called the transgression stage. Those which occur in the mind itself, co-arising with impulsion consciousness, their state of so occurring is called the manifest stage. But those which, without even reaching the state of co-arising with impulsion, lie latent in the mental continuum like residual impressions, and stand as seeds for reaching manifestation, and by whose power, when a pleasant sign or similar object comes into view, the advertence (to it) for the manifestation of lust, etc., causes the life-continuum to be unskillfully... It revolves. And the undeveloped mind, by whose power it does not attain tranquility, for them, such states that arise are called latent-tendency-states. The sense-desire and so on, existing in that state, are called latent tendencies. But they are not non-ultimate realities, being of the nature of absolute ultimate reality. Nor are they wholesome or indeterminate, being of the nature of absolute unwholesome. Nor are they opposed to wholesome or indeterminate, because they are not found as separate associated phenomena. Nor are they free from the three times, because they arise dependent on phenomena of the three times. But when they abandon their latent state and reach the state of manifestation, then they also reach the state of separate associated phenomena. And their state of having an object and so on becomes manifest. Referring to this meaning, in the Kathāvatthu, their state of being phenomena with an object and their state of being a volitional formation aggregate are established. Just as, when a poisonous thorn is inserted into a fruit-bearing tree, the sap, which is the cause for the fruit's arising and is latent in the tree, perishes. The fruits that would have arisen in due season do not arise. Similarly, in a mind-continuum with latent tendencies, at the moment the path appears, with the arising of the path, each latent tendency perishes. But for that which has perished, there is no re-manifestation; how then transgression? Referring to this meaning, it is said here and there that the path abandons the future common class of defilements. There, "future common class" means "considered future," not absolutely future. For this reason, in the commentaries, it is said that the defilements which the path abandons should not be said to be past, or future, or present. And by this, it is shown that the wholesome and unwholesome actions, and the five aggregates of clinging, which the path abandons through the defilements, should not be said to be past, or future, or present. If so, then all the phenomena of the three planes, abandoned by the path, would be called time-free, unconditioned, and uncaused. No. Because they are of the nature of the three times, and of the nature of conditioned and caused. For when the path has not arisen, these are called... that phenomena will arise and cease, thus, by grasping with knowledge the characteristic of the conditioned, they attain the state of being of the three planes, and so on, by way of their characteristics. And having done so, the inherent natures that have not attained the state of separate associated phenomena, or are in the state of latent tendencies, or in the state of defilement-residues, or in the state of being accompanied by kamma, or are in the states of disposition, inclination, and character, their ultimate reality, their unwholesomeness, and so on, must be understood by way of their arising. [208] In the Vibhāvanī, however, it is said: “Indeed, defilements that are not abandoned, when they obtain a cause, are as if latent in the continuum, and so, in that state, they are called latent tendencies. These, however, are, in the ultimate sense, future defilements. Past and present ones are also said to be so, because they are of that nature.” Here, it is said that latent tendencies are future defilements that have never arisen in the continuum, and so they are as if latent in the continuum. That is not appropriate. For they are not as if latent. They are definitely latent. [209] And what is said there: “These, however, are, in the ultimate sense, future defilements.” That is also not appropriate. For latent tendencies not abandoned by the path are not called future. Nor can it be said that even abandoned ones are, in the ultimate sense, future. Because the general sense of future is intended. By this, the statement “Past and present ones are also said to be so, because they are of that nature” is refuted. Moreover, only those that have attained arising, abiding, and dissolution are definitely temporal. Thus, for latent tendencies that have not attained that, it is appropriate to speak of their presentness only in a figurative sense. And having done so, in the Pāḷi, only the present moment of arising is stated in the clause, “For whom the latent tendency of sensual lust arises, for him the latent tendency of aversion arises,” and so on, not the moment of cessation, nor the past or future moments. However, what is said in the Paṭisambhidāmagga: “If he abandons present defilements, then the lustful one abandons lust, the hateful one hatred, the deluded one delusion.” That refers to the definite present moment of those that have reached the stage of obsession. What is said should be seen. Therefore, in the commentaries, the arisen that is present, the arisen that has been and gone, the arisen that makes room, the arisen that is in common practice— these four kinds of arisen are not to be abandoned by the path. The arisen that has gained ground, the arisen that has seized the object, the arisen that is not suppressed, the arisen that is not uprooted— these four kinds are said to be abandoned by the path. Among these, the arisen that is present and the arisen that is in common practice— these two are momentarily present. The arisen that has been and gone is past. The arisen that makes room is future. But both of these are said to be arisen due to their proximity to the present. They are said to be proximate-present. "The arisen that has gained ground" is the name for the latent tendencies that lie dormant in one's aggregates and are not abandoned by the path. "The arisen that has seized the object" is the name for those same latent tendencies that, having once arisen in an object like a beautiful sign, remain in a state of extreme strength until the surge of their underlying defilement does not subside.