English
Or, beings discern by this; this is consciousness. It bends towards the object; this is mentality (nāmaṃ). It is afflicted, it undergoes change; this is materiality (rūpaṃ). In the sense of a basis, it is a base (āyatanaṃ), like the abode of the devas for the devas. It touches; this is contact (phasso). Or, the associated phenomena touch by this; this is contact. It feels; this is feeling (vedanā). Or, beings feel, experience by this; this is feeling. It thirsts, it yearns; this is craving (taṇhā). The meaning is: due to constant thirst, it constantly wavers and yearns because of the object. Or, beings thirst, yearn, waver by this; this is craving. It grasps; this is clinging (upādānaṃ). The meaning is: it takes an unyielding hold. Or, beings cling by this; this is clinging. It becomes, it grows; this is existence (bhavo). Or, happiness and suffering become, are born, grow by this; this is existence. Being born is birth (jāti). Or, conditioned phenomena are born, appear by this; this is birth. Aging is decay (jarā). Or, they age, become old by this; this is decay. Grieving is sorrow (soko). Or, they grieve, experience mental anguish by this; this is sorrow. Lamenting is lamentation (paridevo). Or, having recounted this and that event, they lament, cry out by this; this is lamentation. It is difficult to endure, to bear; this is suffering (dukkhaṃ). The state of a distressed mind, a corrupted mind, is dejection (domanassaṃ). Great vexation is despair (upāyāso). Vexation means not being able to breathe easily. The meaning is despondency. Thus, in this way, as stated. Ignorance and formations, etc. Origination occurs in a sequential manner, due to conditions arisen. This is the connection. The meaning is this: The arising occurs of this entire mass of suffering, beginning with ignorance, this whole heap of suffering, unmixed with any happiness. And here two kinds of dependent origination methods: the Suttanta method, the Abhidhamma method. There, by the Suttanta method, ignorance is fourfold: concealing suffering, concealing the origin, concealing cessation, and concealing the path. But by the Abhidhamma method, it is known to be eightfold, with these four: concealing the past, concealing the future, concealing past and future, and concealing dependent origination. Formations, by the Suttanta method, are defiled wholesome and unwholesome volitions, and are of three kinds: demeritorious formation, meritorious formation, and imperturbable formation. There, the twelve unwholesome volitions are called demeritorious formations. Wholesome volitions of the sense-sphere and fine-material sphere are called meritorious formations. Wholesome volitions of the immaterial sphere are called imperturbable formations. But by the Abhidhamma method, all mundane and supramundane wholesome and unwholesome volitions are called formations. But all functional volitions are not included in the Vibhaṅga. And in the Commentary it is said: For functional phenomena, neither ignorance nor wholesome/unwholesome roots obtain the state of decisive support condition. Therefore, the mode of condition in terms of functional action is not stated. And ignorance and wholesome/unwholesome roots are not decisive support conditions for functional phenomena. Therefore, it is said that functional phenomena are not included in the teaching of dependent origination. And in the Saṃyutta it is said: "When, monks, a bhikkhu's ignorance is abandoned, knowledge has arisen. He, from the fading away of ignorance, from the arising of knowledge, neither forms a meritorious formation, nor a demeritorious formation, nor an imperturbable formation." But in terms of their own appropriate conditions, their dependent origination is not denied. For no conditioned thing is without dependent origination. There is such a thing as unrighteousness. This method applies to consciousness and so on. Consciousness, according to the Suttanta method, is the thirty-two kinds of mundane resultant consciousness. But according to the Abhidhamma method, it is the sixty-nine kinds of mundane and supramundane consciousness, excluding functional consciousness. Name-and-form, according to the Suttanta method, is the three aggregates beginning with feeling, co-arising with mundane consciousness; at rebirth, kamma-born matter; in the course of life, mind-born matter. But according to the Abhidhamma method, it is all three aggregates associated with wholesome, unwholesome, and resultant states, and matter of the kind mentioned. In the commentaries, however, all four-originated matter is included, even that supported by post-natal condition. [226] In the Vibhāvanī, however, it is stated, "Both of these here are accompanied by rebirth-linking consciousness." That is inappropriate. The six sense bases are just the six internal sense bases, distinguished everywhere in the Pāli texts. Some teachers, however, considering that the external sense bases are conditions for contact, include them here too. That also accords with the Pāli of the Nidānavagga. As it is said: "And what, monks, is the origin of the world? Dependent on eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition, feeling. With feeling as condition, craving. (etc.) ...grief and despair arise. This is the origin of the world. Ear... (etc.) Dependent on mind and mental objects, mind-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. (etc.) ...the origin of the world." Contact, feeling, and so on, in both methods, should be understood as associated with their respective consciousnesses. Craving and clinging are evident. Becoming is twofold: kamma-becoming and rebirth-becoming. And volition, which is mundane wholesome and unwholesome. Envy and so on, and non-envy and so on, associated with volition, constitute kamma-becoming. As it is said: "All kamma leading to becoming is kamma-becoming." But all mundane resultant aggregates, produced by kamma, and all kamma-born matter, are rebirth-becoming according to the Suttanta method. According to the Abhidhamma method, however, even supramundane aggregates are included in the Vibhaṅga. Birth, aging, and death for all... Characteristics of conditioned phenomena. Sorrow is the feeling of mental pain arising from the state of grieving when afflicted by the loss of relatives or similar misfortunes. Lamentation is the unpleasant sound produced by the mind in the state of weeping. Bodily painful feeling is suffering. Mental painful feeling is distress. Despair is the anger arising from the state of sinking and despondency due to the loss of relatives or similar misfortunes. This is the distinction here. For those in whom ignorance regarding the suffering of aggregates is not abandoned, it is also not abandoned regarding the other truths. Thus, they perceive happiness in the arising of aggregates. They perceive suffering in the cessation of aggregates. They perceive the path to happiness in the path to the arising of aggregates. They perceive the path to suffering in the path to the cessation of aggregates. Therefore, the conditioned formations of merit, demerit, and imperturbability, which are the conditions for the arising of aggregates, become a refuge for those beings who are not free from ignorance, who desire happiness, and who are averse to suffering. Thus it is said: "Conditioned formations are conditioned by ignorance." Here, it should be understood that demeritorious conditioned formations, which are evil conduct, arise from ignorance that conceals the present aggregates. And meritorious and imperturbable conditioned formations, which are good conduct, arise from ignorance that conceals the future aggregates. When conditioned formations exist, there is no hindrance for beings whose craving for existence is not abandoned, from rebirth immediately after death. Therefore, from conditioned formations, consciousness, mentality-materiality, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling— these five phenomena, called the 'self-existence', appear in the next existence. Among these, consciousness is said to be the principal and foremost. Thus it is said: "From conditioned formations, consciousness." And when consciousness exists, there is no hindrance to the arising of mentality-materiality, which are its origin. Thus it is said: "From consciousness, mentality-materiality." Up to this point, the complete body, that is, the material body, has been generally described. Even so, among these two bodies, those phenomena that are principal components in the designation of a being, and those other components like contact and so on, that have been mentioned above... i. When beings grasp the self more firmly, To show them separately, It is said: "From name-and-form, the six sense bases." When name-and-form exist, there is no obstruction to their arising. And contact, arisen from the six sense bases, When the six sense bases exist, certainly arises, Thus it is said: "From the six sense bases, contact." And feeling, arisen from contact, When contact exists, certainly arises, Thus it is said: "From contact, feeling." There is certainly no other source for craving like pleasant feeling, Thus it is said: "From feeling, craving." And sensual clinging is craving that, Having repeatedly acted upon a single object, Has attained firmness; And clinging to views, Through craving that is delighting, enduring, and relishing In oneself and in one's objects, Attains firmness, Thus it is said: "From craving, clinging." And those who cling, Certainly accumulate that karma-existence, Which is called the growth and increase of that particular object of clinging, Thus it is said: "From clinging, existence." The word 'existence' here means 'growth'. Just as: "Growth is well-known, decline is ill-known." When karma-existence exists, rebirth certainly arises, Thus it is said: "From existence, birth."