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Anudīpanīpāṭha -(Accompanying Lamp Text)

English

to be willed with the mind, saying, "Let it be a hundred, let it be a thousand," and so on, for the sake of desired accomplishment. It is said to be "to be directed." "Or 'I become a hundred, I become a thousand'" is said in the sense of creating oneself as a hundred or a thousand. The rest is in the sense of creating otherwise. To hear a sound, or to see a form, or to know another's mind. Or to recollect past lives. In the commentary text: "He determines" means he determines by higher knowledge. It is said to mean he wills, he produces. There are two kinds of determination: determination by preparation, and determination by higher knowledge. Here, determination by higher knowledge is spoken of. "With the determination mind" means with the higher knowledge mind. "Of the preparatory mind" refers to the mind of advertence, preparation, and determination-preparation in the earlier stage. The latter is the entering into the foundational absorption. It is said for the sake of the concentration of the preparatory mind. What is the purpose when the preparatory mind is concentrated? He says, "Thus indeed," and so on. "It should be said appropriately in the other higher knowledges as well" means in the preparation for the divine ear, with that very preparation, the concentration... It should be said, "By the stream of higher knowledge, he hears even divine sounds nearby," and so on. "Having done so" means having reflected thus. "That" refers to the attainment of the last foundational jhāna. "It should be seen that it is not taken here" means, according to the Elder's view, it should be seen. But here, since the method for the beginner is primary, the attainment of the last foundational jhāna should also be mentioned. "Having resolved on the body-like" means having resolved, making the mind body-like, saying, "May this mind also be slow-moving like this body." "By the visible body" means by the physical body, visible to many people, because it moves slowly. Its opposite, swift movement, should be understood. "It is merely an object" is said referring to unproduced form. "Object-pre-arisen" is produced form. The other, however, should be understood as said referring to the heart-base form. In the section on knowing others' minds, there is a discussion by the commentators and sub-commentators; to show that, "Here, in the commentary, first of all," and so on, is said. "In the commentary" means in the Dhammasaṅgaṇī commentary and in the Visuddhimagga commentary. "In a momentary sense" means in the sense of momentary present. It is connected with "ceases at the advertence." "One mind" is another's mind. They take that very past mind. "Those" are the javanas. "Of those" are of the javanas. "By that" is by the advertence. "Otherwise" means if it is taken that it is said in the sense of a continuum, otherwise. It might be said. Why? Because, if it is taken as present in the sense of a continuum, the entire single javana thought-process is a single present. "All minds" are the javana minds. "Arisen together" is said because there are also those that arise together. Advertence and so on, however, do not take into account the difference in moments. They take all of another's mind as if it were one mind. Therefore, it should be understood that there is no difference in time. "And Nibbāna" is said. How is Nibbāna a former dwelling? What would it be called? Of those who were fully extinguished in the past, at the time of recollecting their paths and fruits, Nibbāna, which was their object, is also recollected. There, because those paths and fruits are past, Nibbāna is also called "previously dwelt in." "Whatever he determines" means whatever he arranges, like a hundred. "In whatever way he determines" means in whatever way he arranges, like manifestation. "Natural color" means natural form. "Of that very" means of that very natural color. The connection is "the stream of the gods' faith." "Capable of receiving the object" means capable of receiving the presentation of the object. The connection is that this is also called "knowledge of the minds of others." "Ceto" means mind. "Having delimited" means having delimited, saying "this is a mind with lust, this is a mind without lust," and so on. "In the manner of dwelling in the pasture" means in the manner of making it a pasture and dwelling. The meaning is that it is the future knowledge of the Omniscient Buddhas, pertaining to omniscience. It is said "from seven days in the future" because mental and volitional phenomena within seven days in the future are the object of knowledge of the minds of others. "Beginning to occur" is the remainder of the text. It is said "from the second day onwards" because on this day and in the future, every object is the object of ordinary knowledge. "This" means this future knowledge. "And as this" means and as this knows future phenomena in this existence. "By way of an uncommon time" means by way of a time not common to other knowledge. For the present existence is common to other knowledge. The exposition of tranquility meditation subjects is concluded. 171. In insight meditation. "As seen" means as seen by self-view. The sign of permanence is just the sign of a being or person, etc. For the sign of a being, being a conceptual phenomenon, because there is no distinction of decay and dissolution moment by moment, it is established as permanent, saying "he himself goes, he himself stands," and so on. "The stable sign" means the firm sign. This too, he going Even if it goes, it does not perish; even if it stands, it does not perish, and so on— this is just the sign of a being, established in a permanent aspect. "Sign of happiness" means "happy, free from suffering, fearless," and so on, due to the absence of suffering in the form of momentary decay and dissolution— this is just the sign of a being, established in a happy aspect. "Sign of self" means "wishing to go, one goes; wishing to stand, one stands," and so on— this is just the sign of a being, established in an aspect of self-mastery. "Action" means the action of development. "It is purified" means purity. Or, "it purifies" means purity. Showing the meaning that "virtue itself is purity, virtue-purity," it says, "only constant virtue," and so on. There, it is said "only constant virtue" because constant virtue is intended here as the foundation and the means for accomplishing higher attainments like jhāna. Concentration is intended. It will be said, "both kinds of concentration are called purification of mind." "By this it is purified, by this means" is purity. Purity of mind is mind-purity. It also indicates that it is concentration itself. Or, "the act of purifying" is purity. Purity of mind is mind-purity. And in terms of meaning, it is also fitting to say that it refers to the purified mind itself. Indeed, when the word "purity" is complete, it is called "mind-purity," not "concentration-purity." "Sixteen kinds of doubt" refers to the sixteen kinds of perplexity found in the Suttanta, such as "Was I in the past?" and so on. "Or eight kinds of doubt" refers to the eight kinds of perplexity found in the Abhidhamma, such as "doubts about the Teacher," and so on. "Wrong causal view" is the view that grasps a non-cause as a cause for the arising of beings. "Method of attention" is the method of attention to characteristics like impermanence. "Improper attention" is attention in terms of permanence, and so on. "Objects of over-estimation" are phenomena like lights. "As the path" means in the aspect of the path. "As not the path" means in the aspect of not the path. "And the seeing" means the seeing of the impermanence, etc., of those objects of over-estimation. The connection is "that itself is called purity." "From the defilement of delusion" means that which conceals the Four Noble Truths. from the defilement of delusion. Is it not knowledge that is called seeing? Thus, when knowledge is mentioned, taking it as established, it is said as "knowledge and seeing" together with the word "seeing." This is what is meant by "here and so on." "By way of what is heard, etc." means by way of what is heard and what is thought. Therein, the mere knowing of the meaning of the Dhamma text as heard is called knowledge from hearing. Knowing the meaning, and then knowledge arising through contemplating the nature and characteristics in accordance with that meaning is called knowledge from thinking. "Also inferential knowledge, etc." means also knowledge of the nature and knowledge of inferring the nature in the phenomena of name and form. "Is direct knowledge by oneself" means knowledge that is directly experienced by oneself. "In all cases" means in all instances such as knowledge and seeing of the path and non-path. And here, even in the ten vipassanā knowledges, it should be understood that the word vipassanā implies direct seeing, and thus the inclusion of "in all cases" is made. Indeed, from the knowledge of comprehension onwards, seeing is what is intended, not merely knowing the nature. For just as for one seeing with the eye, repeated cultivation is desired as an action for the sake of clear, direct seeing. "Phenomena" means conditioned phenomena. Impermanence itself is the characteristic, thus the characteristic of impermanence. Or, the characteristic of impermanent, conditioned phenomena, thus the characteristic of impermanence, is also appropriate. "The manner of constant affliction" is like a boat going upstream in a swift-flowing river; that boat is constantly and severely afflicted by the suffering of exertion. Why? Because if there is no exertion, it is immediately carried downstream. Being carried downstream is the natural function of the boat. Going upstream is achieved by exertion. Similarly, in the swift-flowing current of saṃsāra, this existence constantly and severely afflicts the person going upstream, from moment to moment, from day to day, with the suffering of exertion. Why?