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the mind-faculty is stated first. And that formless self becomes defiled and agitated by means of these. And to show that the clinging to happiness and suffering, and liberation from it, occur through not fully knowing and fully knowing these, immediately after, the five faculties of feeling are stated. To show the path for the purification of that defiled one, or for liberation from those various clingings, immediately after, the five faculties beginning with faith are stated. To show the beginning, middle, and end of the attainment of purification by that path, finally... These three supramundane faculties are said. [212] In the Vibhāvanī, however, "By this much the intended meaning is accomplished, therefore others are not taken" it is said. That is not appropriate. Indeed, it is not appropriate to say that even if there are other states worthy of being faculties, by this much the intended meaning is accomplished, therefore those others are not taken by the Blessed One and the Elder. Because no other state worthy of being a faculty is possible. If indeed it were possible, a hundred or even a thousand would certainly be taken. "They are strong," they endure and crush opposing states as they arise, therefore they are powers. Just as they are strong for the weak. "They crush dangers." Here, "weak" means feeble. "Nanti" refers to a person of weak energy. "They are strong" means they act forcefully, they overwhelm. "Dangers" means weak dangers such as lust, etc. Moreover, because they are unshakable by opposing states, they are called "powers" in the sense of an axle. Therefore, the inability to be shaken by the opposing state called lack of faith is called the power of faith. The inability to be shaken by the opposing state called laziness is called the power of energy. The inability to be shaken by forgetfulness is called the power of mindfulness. The inability to be shaken by restlessness is called the power of concentration. The inability to be shaken by ignorance is called the power of wisdom. The remaining two pairs, however, should be connected as mutual opposites. [213] In the Vibhāvanī, however, Saying that the pair of evil powers cannot be connected as opposites, "the pair of shamelessness and fearlessness of wrongdoing, however, is in the stability of co-arisen states" it is said. That is not good. "Stability in co-arisen states" and "unshakability by opposites" are not different in meaning. The powers of energy and concentration are wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate. Shamelessness and fearlessness of wrongdoing are unwholesome powers. The rest are wholesome and indeterminate. "Dominant factors." Here, "pati" means master, lord. That, however, is of two kinds: a lord of a part and a lord of the whole. Among these, the faculties, in the sphere of others, acting under the sway of others, only in their own sphere make others act under their sway... They make themselves masters, Thus they are called local lords. Having attained the state of mastery, Which proceeds by distinguishing Through the power of prior formations, Or through the power of prior coming, There is no other second lord. Therefore, a superior lord, Is an Adhipati. They also say, "A master of those of firm conduct," Is an Adhipati. Desire itself is the master, Thus, desire-mastery. "What deed does not succeed for one with desire?" Thus, by the power of prior formations, Or by the power of well-cultivated desire In past existences, Desire is the wish to act, Which proceeds by making the conjoined states In various wholesome and unwholesome actions Like a great flood carrying grass and leaves, Dependent on oneself and others, Always holding the yoke. This method applies to the others too. "Do not the last three states here, While taking on the nature of mastery, Take it on without abandoning their nature as faculties? Thus, being masters, Do they not also act dependently By way of their faculty function?" "True, but the function of mastery is one thing, The function of a faculty is another. There is no fault here." Just as a Wheel-turning King Learns a divine knowledge From one of his own chaplains. By this, the king Does not cease to be a Wheel-turner. Nor does he act dependently on another Because of that knowledge. For the function of a Wheel-turner's kingship is one thing, The function of learning knowledge is another. This comparison should be understood thus. There, the function of mastery is To carry the yoke, Without regard for specific functions, Overpowering with incomparable strength, Making co-arisen states Not turn back from their respective functions. The function of a faculty, however, Is said with reference to The function of knowing and so forth. They bring forth, They carry, they maintain, With a special, uncommon causal power, Beyond the generality of co-arisen and other conditions. Thus, they are called 'Nutriments'. Or, those various conditioning states And conditioned states, Arising internally, Well carry and bear Themselves, Their own conditioning function, And their conditioned function, By means of these. Thus, they are 'Nutriments'. As it is said: "All beings are sustained by nutriment." And here, by "all beings," All... The internally arisen dependent co-arisen phenomena are spoken of. "Food-sustaining" means "condition-sustaining." It means, "sustaining by way of the twenty-four conditions, as appropriate." Is it not that here only the condition-food is spoken of? Not the food-condition. But here, the four kinds of food-condition phenomena are spoken of. True, but among all the twenty-four conditional phenomena named "food" by way of condition, those phenomena which are specifically called the four foods are spoken of. They are established as being food even for those condition-foods. In this sense, the great significance of the four foods becomes clear. There, just as the power of barley seeds or rice seeds is primary for the production of sprouts. After that, having reached the state of a crop, for six or five months, for its growth or sustenance, the power of earth-essence and water-essence is primary. Even so, for sensual beings who subsist on physical food, the power of kamma is primary for the production of rebirth-linking form. After that, for the duration of life, for growth or sustenance, the power of temperature and food is primary. For kamma-born forms, even though they persist until near death, they persist only when supported by temperature and food. And temperature performs its function only when supported by food. Therefore, the four-continuum form of those beings, if not supported by physical food, does not persist for long. Only when supported, it persists for the duration of life. And just as birds or gnats and mosquitoes, etc., take food with their beaks and nourish their bodies. Without a beak, not getting food, they die. Even so, these beings, taking delight in objects through contact, accomplishing enjoyment and consumption called feeling, reaching the fullness of craving, fulfilling the three rounds of existence, even up to today, continue to revolve in the rounds. If indeed there were no contact, not getting the essence of objects, with feeling devoid of enjoyment, there would be no opportunity for the arising of craving, and thus the three rounds of existence would not be. Just as those birds and so on, spreading their wings, not falling in between, from tree to tree, from forest to forest, wandering, sustain themselves. When wings are not present, not accomplishing movement, they fall and die. Even so, these beings, having willed with volition, whose characteristic is striving, accomplishing the accumulation of kamma, wandering from existence to existence, revolve in the cycle up to today. If indeed there were no such thing as volition, there would be no kamma-cycle. And in its absence, no result-cycle. And in its absence, no defilement-cycle that follows it, so there would be no such thing as a cycle. And just as those birds and so on, discerning with their eyes the range of perception or that particular direction, sustain themselves throughout life. When the eye is not present, not finding anything to be taken or any place to go, they die right there. Even so, associated phenomena, with consciousness, whose characteristic is knowing the object, having obtained that particular object, generating contact and so on in each of them, turn the threefold cycle. If indeed there were no such thing as consciousness, there would be no obtaining of objects for contact and so on, so there would be no cycle at all. Therefore it is said: "Four nutriments... Consciousness is the fourth." And in the Saṃyutta: "These four nutriments, monks, for the maintenance of beings that have come to be, or for the support of beings seeking birth: physical food, coarse or subtle, contact is the second, mental volition is the third, consciousness is the fourth," it is said. Therein, "beings that have come to be" means those who have reached growth. "Beings seeking birth" means those existing in the embryonic stage and so on. The mode of occurrence of these four nutriments, as far as possible, in the beginningless cycle of existence, or in each particular existence, for maintenance or for support, should be understood in the manner stated. But in the commentary, "what is the nutriment here? What does it nourish?" Physical food nourishes the eight constituents of matter, including nutritive essence. The nutriment of contact nourishes the three feelings. The nutriment of mental volition nourishes the three existences. The nutriment of consciousness nourishes rebirth-linking mind-and-matter, it is said. This is stated in terms of its manifest result. is to be seen. But the production of the eight-fold nutriment of vitality is not the great function of food taken in mouthfuls. The great function is the sustenance of the four continuous streams of formations.