English
"Various mental actions" means forms of elephants, horses, etc. Consciousness is merely knowing, it cannot be said to be wholesome or unwholesome. Indeed, only by being conjoined with various mental factors can it be said to be so. This was said by the Blessed One: "Luminous is this mind, monks. And it is defiled by adventitious defilements." Therefore, he said, "Consciousness is like water," etc. The description of mental factors is finished. 15. "It is afflicted" means p This is established as an agent or a cause or an action. And to show that 'suffering is indeed a state of change,' the phrase "by cold and heat, etc." was said. There, "by way of uneven activity" means by way of the uneven activity of the elements. It is said to be by way of the decay of elements. In "by what does it suffer?", "by what" should be understood as a causal or agentive or instrumental word. Similarly in "by cold," etc. Biting insects and mosquitoes are needle-mouthed small flies and large flies. Winds are east winds and so on. Heat is sunlight. Reptiles are snakes, scorpions, centipedes, and so on. Even by their touch it suffers. Or it goes to death, or suffering that is death itself. "Those phenomena" are the twelve kinds of impingent material phenomena. "Of others" means of the sixteen non-impingent material phenomena and of the immaterial phenomena. "Among them" is a locative of determination. Now, correlating the primary suffering with the Pāli, he says "and contact," etc. And contact is called mutual striking, thus is the connection. The construction is: excluding coming into range and making an object. "Or of the great elements themselves" means or of the three great elements excluding the water element. Having said "it undergoes change," explaining that very meaning, he says "at which moment," etc. "They themselves also undergo change" means those great elements themselves, abandoning their natural state, attain a state of deficiency or excess. "And of the series of deficient and excessive forms" is said with reference to the series of forms arising successively. Having thus spoken of suffering by way of adversity according to the Pāli method, now, whether it be adversity or prosperity. Even the change that is the dissimilar activity of the former and latter series is called suffering in one sense. Having made this point, again showing that suffering, he says "moreover here," etc. "Of the phenomena that suffer by way of impact itself" means of the material phenomena whose nature is to suffer by way of striking, without the phenomena that suffer by way of coming into range, etc. The question is "iddha." "They are 'saviggaha'" means they possess a material form and shape. Why? Because of their gross nature. And because many material groups arise bound together at one moment. Immaterial phenomena, however, are subtle and refined in nature. Even if hundreds of thousands were to arise together, they would not attain a material form. And in one being's continuum, only one group arises at one moment. Why? Because they arise bound by immediate conditions. Therefore, they are not 'saviggaha'. Material phenomena, however, are gross in nature. When many accumulate, they contribute to a material form. And at one moment, many groups also arise bound together. Therefore, they are 'saviggaha'. "By the power of grasping cold, etc." By the power of the word "cold, etc." which is evident to the world through direct perception, such as "it is afflicted by cold, it is afflicted by heat." For that word indicates that the affliction of immaterial phenomena, which is not evident to the world, is intended here. "Designation" means "name-concept." "By common usage" means by the usage, designation, and saying of the many people. "By means of an evident sign" means by means of an evident sign for the arising of sound. "Even without grasping cold, etc." The word "even" indicates "even by the power of grasping cold, etc." Even so, it is not possible to find a Pāli proof everywhere. It should be understood that the statement about an evident sign is common everywhere. "Cessation of that implication" means the cessation of the implication of materiality for those immaterial phenomena. "Arising due to the power of psychic transformation" - here, psychic transformation means the manifestation of various kinds of psychic power. "Establishment of materiality" means the establishment of the concept "material." "But this" refers to "but this materiality." "By means of supportive cold, etc." Although in the Pāli, the word "cold, etc." is said in terms of harmful cold, etc. And these are not in the Brahma world. Only supportive ones exist. The intention is "by means of these." It is called 'perception' (saññā), monks, because it perceives. And what does it perceive? It perceives blue, it perceives yellow, and so on, as stated in the Pāli. And it is called 'consciousness' (viññāṇa), monks, because it cognizes. And what does it cognizes? It cognizes sweet, it cognizes sour, and so on, as stated in the Pāli. The explanation of the word 'form' is finished. 16. In the section on Nibbāna. 'Aggregates' (khandhā) refers to the aggregates that will exist in future existences, in states of woe and so on. For past phenomena, do not become extinguished, having oppressed beings and then ceased, this is the meaning. And present phenomena oppress now, and future phenomena, which will inevitably arise, will oppress in the future. How can they be extinguished? Therefore, it says: "Regarding present ones... ...there is nothing to be said." 'Visayebhummaṃ' means the ground of the object. The ground of the object is not a primary ground, as in "humans walk on the earth." But without it, that action cannot be performed elsewhere. Therefore, to show that it is a ground conceived as a support, it is said: "as in the sky," and so on. Just as the action of birds flying cannot be accomplished anywhere else without the sky, so too the action of the cessation of the suffering phenomena of the round of existence cannot be accomplished anywhere else without Nibbāna. To show this, it says: "those which," and so on. There, "those which" refers to the three kinds of suffering and tormenting phenomena of the round of existence. The particle 'hi' is an expletive. The word 'tesaṃ' is an embellishment of speech. 'Tabbinimuttaṃ' means free from that, Nibbāna. There is no place of cessation. Therefore, Nibbāna is the ground of the object for their action of cessation, this is the meaning. Just as this lamp is extinguished, so too the wise become extinguished, this is the connection. 'Taṃ taṃ kilesānaṃ vā' means those particular defilements. 'Khandhānaṃ vā' means the aggregates in future existences. 'Punaappaṭisandhikabhāvaṃ' means the non-relinking of the continuum. Noble ones attain this. Just as the word 'doing' is seen on the path, "indeed, by this practice, old age..." In phrases like "I shall be freed from defilements." It does not thus speak of Nibbāna, saying "as in the path" and so on. Only the expression of Nibbāna as a ground is seen where there is both name and form. In phrases like "all ceases." Therefore, the instrumental case is not seen in Nibbāna, and to show the absence of the characteristic of the instrumental case, it is said "and not Nibbāna" and so on. The characteristic of the instrumental case is the condition of being a co-operating factor of the agent. But is it not seen that they are extinguished in the Nibbāna-element without residue? True, but there it is the instrumental case in the sense of a qualifier. Not in the sense of an instrumental agent. For that is said to prevent (confusion with) the Nibbāna-element with residue. Explanation of the word Nibbāna. The explanation of the second verse is concluded. 18. In the word Kāmāvacara. "Is desired" means it is wished for. The object of the sign and enjoyment is mentioned in the Middle Commentary. "They are desired" means those Avīci hells and so on are desired. "Even for those born there" means even for beings born in Avīci hells and so on. "Is called 'delight in existence'" means the craving that grasps one's own aggregates, called existence, saying "this is mine, I am this, this is my self," is called delight in existence. That exists even for hell-beings. "Dwells in sense-pleasures" means it is included in sense-pleasures. It is encompassed within sense-pleasures. Even that which arises in the form and formless realms does not go by the designation of form or formless. It goes only by the designation of sense-pleasure. It goes only by the count of sense-pleasure, is the meaning. "Even those arisen in the three existences" means even those arisen in the mental continuums of beings in the sense, form, and formless realms are not included therein. The intention is that they are not included therein. "The fault of falling into the Kāmāvacara state" means the fault of having to say "these are Kāmāvacara phenomena." "The fault of being free from the Rūpāvacara state and so on" means the fault of having to say "these are not Rūpāvacara phenomena, these are not Arūpāvacara phenomena, these are not Lokuttara phenomena." This is the method for the phrases "the fault of falling into the Rūpāvacara and Arūpāvacara states, the fault of being free from the Kāmāvacara state." Even if the word 'avacara' is taken in the sense of 'arisen', these faults do not... they arise. Why, in the world, to show the meaning that the majority rule and the predominance rule are both realities, he says, "Is it not also by way of the majority?" and so on. There, "of some" means of some individuals or phenomena. Just as a hunter, even if he wanders in the village, is called a forest-dweller because he mostly wanders in the forest. A royal elephant, even if it wanders elsewhere, is called a battle-dweller because it mostly wanders in battle. This is called the majority rule. In a forest