English
And physical food, though it produces the eight-fold rūpas with nutriment, produces them only at its static moment, not at its arising moment. Just as the great elements, while supporting co-arisen rūpas, produce them together with themselves. the former sustain, not so is that food. But that, without the act of co-arising, sustains both co-arisen and non-co-arisen things. Thus, life-faculty of matter, without the act of co-arising, maintains co-arisen forms. Thus, these two phenomena, due to the absence of the characteristic of co-arising, are not included in the co-arisen condition. Now, to show that all twenty-four conditions, when collected, become four conditions, it is said that they go to the inclusion of object-proximate support. Here is the method of inclusion: Among the twenty-four conditions, the predominant condition is of two kinds: object and co-arisen. Therein, the object-predominant condition goes to inclusion in the three unwholesome actions. For even the mere object does not go to inclusion with kamma. How then can it be predominant? Here it might be asked: Why is it said that even the mere object, etc., does not go to inclusion? Are not rebirth-linking, life-continuum, and death-consciousness also due to kamma-objects? True. But here, in the Mūlaṭīkā, it is explained: Kamma, when performed, becomes kamma-condition for those arising in its wake, due to their being accumulated by action, not in the mode of an object. And it becomes object-condition by way of being mere sense-object, not by distinguishing a continuum in the mode of kamma-condition, which is called the production of results. Therefore, because those conditions are dissimilar in their mode of condition, they do not go to combination. The co-arisen predominant condition, however, is in the existent condition. The support condition is of three kinds: co-arisen, pre-arisen base, and pre-arisen base-object. Therein, the former two are in the existent condition. The latter, however, is in the two: object and existent conditions. If it is weighty, it is also in proximate support. The pre-arisen condition is of three kinds: pre-arisen object, pre-arisen base, and pre-arisen base-object. Therein, the pre-arisen base is in the existent condition. The other two are in the two: object and existent conditions. If they are weighty, they are also in proximate support. The kamma condition is of two kinds: co-arisen and diverse-momentary. Therein, the co-arisen is in the existent condition. The diverse-momentary, however, is of two kinds: strong and weak. Let's consider. Therein, the strong are of two kinds: timeless and timely, both are in decisive support. The weak, however, are solely karma-condition. All food-condition and all faculty-condition are in presence-condition. The dissociated-condition is of four kinds: co-arisen, object-pre-arisen, object-and-base-pre-arisen, and post-arisen. Therein, the first two and the last are in presence-condition. The third, however, is in two conditions: object-condition and presence-condition. If it is made weighty, it is also in decisive support. Among the remaining seventeen conditions, eight conditions by way of root, co-arisen, mutuality, result, jhana, path, association, and non-disappearance, and post-arisen, are in presence-condition. Five conditions by way of contiguity, immediate contiguity, repetition, absence, and disappearance, are in decisive support. Thus, all twenty-four conditions, when summarized by way of homogeneous collection, converge into the four conditions beginning with object. [236] In the explanation, however, That which is said, "There is no such condition," and so on, with the intention that "in each of these four, all twenty-four conditions converge," all of that is merely the teacher's opinion. [237] For what is said there: "There is no such condition that does not become an object for mind and mental factors," that is not appropriate. For here, convergence is not intended merely by the nature of phenomena. It is intended together with the meaning of condition. And the meaning of root-condition, etc., is not the meaning of object-condition, etc. This method applies also to "does not become a decisive support for its own conditioned phenomena." Here, the construction is: "There is no such condition that does not become a decisive support for its own conditioned phenomena." [238] And what is said there: "Because the world's arising is karma-caused, all do not transcend the nature of karma by way of the designation of result-cause." [239] And what is said: "And these exist both in ultimate reality and by worldly convention." Both of these, however, are entirely even against the teaching. Here means in this method of origination. Everywhere means in all co-arisen and similar conditions. For rebirth-consciousness is the head and seed of that entire existence, delimited by death, in the mutually connected space of mind-and-matter. From which arises the continuity of various mind-and-matter, like a great tree from a seed. As it is said: If, Ananda, consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would mind-and-matter coalesce in the mother's womb? No, venerable sir. If, Ananda, consciousness, having descended into the mother's womb, were to depart, would mind-and-matter come to be for this state? No, venerable sir. If, Ananda, consciousness were to be cut off while still young, of a boy or a girl, would mind-and-matter attain growth, increase, and fullness? No, venerable sir. Therefore, Ananda, this is the cause, this is the origin, this is the arising, this is the condition for mind-and-matter, namely, consciousness. There, "coalesce" means grow. For mind-and-matter is indeed the growth of consciousness. "Depart" means break up. "For this state" means for the sake of such an existence. "Growth, increase, and fullness" means growth in the first stage of life, increase in the middle stage of life, and fullness in the last stage of life, as stated in the commentary. Therefore, at the moment of rebirth, the origination of matter is to be understood as entirely conditioned by consciousness. And this rebirth-matter, once arisen, becomes the foundation and seed for all continuities of matter arisen from the four causes, which continue in that existence until death. Even very strong consciousness cannot generate matter if there is no previously arisen continuity of matter. The same applies to temperature and food. That is why, in the immaterial planes, even consciousnesses that generate matter, such as those of the sense-sphere, do not generate matter there. Asaññasatta And also the series of form arising from season, because of the existence of the first arisen series of kamma-born form, they arise. For it is said in the Vibhaṅgaṭīkā: 'But the formless is not an occasion for form,' meaning, 'that form, by the presence of which the mind might produce other form, that itself is not there.' Indeed, the preceding form also has the nature of a condition, as seen in the son's resemblance to the father. And here, by 'as seen in the son's resemblance to the father,' this meaning is shown. Just as for grasses and trees, there is a regulating principle called the nature of a seed. By the power of which, the grasses and trees produced from them, when growing, do not grow just any way, but taking on a form entirely similar to the grasses and trees from seeds similar to themselves, they grow. In the same way, for beings in the womb, there is a regulating principle called the nature of the womb. By the power of which, they become entirely similar in form and shape to families of the same kind, especially to their mothers and fathers. Thus, like the seed-principle, there is also the womb-principle. And that should be understood as the power of the rebirth-linking form itself. Furthermore, this womb-principle, in the bodies of children during the kalala stage and so on, is indeed the series of season-born form arisen from the parents. By the power of which, that series of form becomes similar in shape to beings of the same kind and similar to its own family lineage. Just as the form of femininity and so on for beings, and the seed-form for grasses and trees, regulates their respective colors, shapes, and so on. Thus, the womb-form, for beings according to various species, is a regulator and determinant. By this much, in the course of existence, excluding mind-born form, the independence from mind in the arising of all three-source forms, and their connection to the preceding stream of form, is established. And for that reason, their arising occurs even at the moments of the mind's staticity and dissolution, and even at the time of cessation attainment, which is devoid of mind. Therefore it is said, 'Here, co-arisen form,' and so on. 'Thus,' and so on, is the conclusion. There, 'arising' means 'as it arises.' Or 'arising.' are born. And internal means internal-born. And external means external-born. Conditioned means conditioned-born. Unconditioned means unconditioned-born. Thus, those of three times and beyond time, internal and external, are born. And likewise, conditioned and unconditioned-born, existing in three ways by way of concepts and name-and-form, these phenomena are called the twenty-four conditions in all ways in the Paṭṭhāna—this is the connection. And here, when phenomena existing in three ways are of the nature of three times and so on, the twenty-four conditions also are proven to have distinctions of three times and so on, as appropriate. Among these, the object, dominance, and decisive support conditions are of three times and beyond time. [240] But in the Vibhāvanī, it is said, "The object, dominance, and decisive support conditions are of three times." That is not appropriate. Because concepts and Nibbāna, which are beyond time, are included in them. Here, for one who performs prior effort for the attainment of new wealth, grain, and enjoyments