English
or one who dwells in present happiness with functional jhāna. It is called infinite, just as the jhāna is called earth kasina because it proceeds from the earth kasina. "In one part" means in arising, or in standing, or in breaking up. It is called infinite because it has disappeared. "In the infinite perception" means in that named infinite. "Because it proceeds by way of infinite cultivation" means that this first formless consciousness proceeds by way of preliminary cultivation, thinking "this is infinite." "By way of its own mode of pervasion" means without depending on preliminary cultivation. "By the rule of etymology" means by making the 'ya' suffix in its own sense and by the elision of the 'na' sound. "It does not agree with the Pāli" means it does not agree with the Vibhaṅga Pāli. "It pervades the infinite" means it pervades the infinite as infinite. "The non-existence of the first formless consciousness" means merely the designation of its non-existence. "There is not" means it does not exist. "Of that" means of the fourth formless jhāna. And in "or" and so on, "of the function of gross perception" means of the function of clear perception. Explaining the meaning of "existing in the subtle state of the remaining formations," he says, "and here" and so on. "Foremost" means having reached the peak. "Merely the head of the teaching" means it is said to be merely the main topic of discussion, as in "the king is coming" and so on. "Of that very thing" means of the first formless consciousness itself. The wholesome first formless consciousness becomes the object of the wholesome second formless consciousness for ordinary people and for trainees. An Arahant, however, is of three kinds. Among them, One, having stood in the first formless attainment, having attained arahantship, without entering the first formless attainment, produces the second formless attainment. For him, the wholesome first formless attainment is the object of the resultant second formless attainment. One, having stood in the first formless attainment, having attained arahantship, then having entered that same first formless attainment, produces the second formless attainment. One, having stood in the second formless attainment, goes to arahantship. For these two, the resultant first formless consciousness is the object of the resultant second formless attainment itself. Therefore it is said, "consciousness by name," and so on. Elucidation of the Formless Minds. 57. In Supramundane Minds. "Stream of water" means a collection of water currents. "From the source" means from the place of origin. "As it is said" means how it is said in the Pali. "Namely" means which one is it. "This also" means this noble path also. The noble path is momentary, how does it flow and extend up to the element of Nibbāna without remainder? It is said, "by way of the pervading power." In the Pali, Gaṅgā and others are the names of the five great rivers. "Ocean-bound" means inclined towards the great ocean. "Sloping" means following. "Inclined" means flowing downwards. "Of defilements" is the object case for non-approach. In the Pali, "pot" means a pot full of water. "Inverted" means placed face down. "Does not swallow back" means does not swallow again. "Does not return" means does not come back again, does not approach again, the noble disciple. "Does not turn back" means does not go back. To that effect it says, "does not come back." Thus, having shown that non-returning journey by means of Pali proofs, now, to make it clear by means of logical proofs, it says, "and just as," and so on. "Because" means for what reason. "They" means ordinary people. "Immoral" means without morality. "Mad" means mad with bile. "Distracted in mind" means those whose minds are disturbed, possessed by yakkhas. "Unwise" means without wisdom. "Dull and mute" means mute with saliva flowing from the mouth due to lack of wisdom. "In that very path" means in that very eightfold noble path. That path, however, is the first The path, the second path, the third path, the fourth path, thus it is fourfold. "Entering from the beginning" means the entering, the going, of the stream of the first path at the beginning of the four paths. It is said to be attainment. "By stream-entry" means by entering the stream. "Being attained" means being acquired. All the constituents of enlightenment, proceeding with an irreversible course, are called the stream—this is the connection. Enlightenment is called knowledge in the four paths. Those for whom higher enlightenment is the ultimate goal are "those for whom higher enlightenment is the ultimate goal." And "ultimate goal" means refuge. How is the word "stream-entry" co-referential with "path"? It is said, "by stream-entry, which is called the first path," and so on. "By the path" means he seeks. It is said that "path" is established by the etymological rule of "going while killing," meaning "he goes killing defilements, therefore it is the path." 58. In the once-returner path. "He comes once" means he goes from here and comes back here again. "By nature" means by natural disposition. "Coming to the sense-sphere world" means those by which one comes to the sense-sphere world. These are defilements. "By their existence" means by their presence. In the Pāli, "of a certain person" is the genitive case in the sense of agent. The connection is: "not abandoned by a certain person." "Companionship" means the state of being a companion. "He becomes a once-returner"— having said this, he states the same meaning: "having come to this state of being." "He comes by nature" means having come. "This state of being" is "this-state." The construction is: "having come to this state of sense-sphere existence, therefore he is called a once-returner." "And this meaning" is the meaning beginning with "he comes to this world once by way of rebirth," and so on. "By way of the course of defilements" means by way of the course of defilements that lead to the sense-sphere world. The defilements that are suppressed by the jhāna, which is a companion to the path, have their course utterly cut off by the path. This is called the power of jhāna, a companion to the path. Therefore it says, "for not," and so on. "From the deva-world"— here the Brahma-world is also included. In the latter meaning, the construction is: "if there is." "One whose nature is to come" means having come. Not having come, a non-returner. having come. "By 'tena'" means by not returning. "Because of the impossibility of different meanings" means because of the impossibility of different meanings, such as in the two words for 'this state of existence', in one 'this sensuous realm', and in the other 'this human realm'. In the Pāli, "sabyābajjho" means accompanied by the affliction of mental suffering, which is called mental illness. Therefore, it says, "by those, the latent tendency of aversion," and so on. There, "those" refers to ordinary people, stream-enterers, and once-returners. The connection is "they are called sabyābajjhā." "Of the latter sentence" means of the sentence: "Having come to this state of existence, stream-enterers and once-returners are to be seen by that." "In the two once-returners" means in the two stream-enterers and once-returners, who are called once-returners by that meaning, because it is said, "having come to this state of existence." "Of the former" means of the stream-enterer. "Not in a way common to others" means not in a way common to those who have attained the second fruit, and so on. Just as stream-enterers residing in the Brahma-world do not have the characteristic of being reborn at most seven times, so too those who have attained the second fruit do not have the characteristic of being once-returners. Therefore, it says, "those who have attained the first and second fruits," and so on. "Therefore," and so on, is a statement of an acquired quality. "Having done so" means for this reason. "By way of descent and ascent" means by way of descent from above and ascent from below, that is, by way of descent and ascent. "And having done so," and so on, is a second statement of an acquired quality. "The completion of five here" means that the completion, the attainment of Nibbāna without remainder, of five individuals in this sensuous realm is stated. "But that one" means but that once-returner individual. For those commentators whose meaning is that the once-returner individual is stated to be of five kinds only, not a sixth individual, this is the connection. To show that for those whose meaning is "this world," a sixth is also obtained, it is said, "Mahāparinibbāna... and so on... has come." There, "has come by way of coming once" means has come, that is, is among the once-returners by way of coming once. Even omniscient Buddhas, being those who have attained the first fruit, It is explained as if established at most seven times. And here, "at most seven times" means the highest state of seven times. And this is merely an illustrative statement. Even omniscient Buddhas, being in the state of the second fruit, are established in the nature of once-returning. Why? The meaning is that at that moment, that nature does not transcend. All six kinds of persons should be understood here... By this, what was said, that among the five once-returners, only the fifth is intended here, is to be clarified. That is rejected. Why? Because it must be said: if only the fifth is intended here in the term 'once-returner', where are the other four intended? Being the generating cause. "Just come by way of reason" means just come by tradition from reason. Therefore, he said "as" and so on. "Not contradictory" means not contradictory by reason. 59. "Lower part" means the lower part, the sense-sphere world. "Leading to the lower part" means the lower fetters, such as sensual desire and ill-will. "He" means the non-returner person. 60. "They make great fruit by virtue"