English
Because if there is no exertion, and if there is a lack of conditions, it immediately undergoes change. Indeed, change is the natural function of existence. Rising up is accomplished by volitional formations. Thus, constant oppression should be understood. And here, the swift-flowing nature of cyclic existence is called the swiftness of the arising and ceasing of mind-and-matter phenomena pertaining to one's own existence. And here, death is of two kinds: conventional death and ultimate death. Therein, conventional death is the death of a being who is conventionally real. That is found at the end of one existence. Ultimate death is the death of ultimately real mind-and-matter phenomena. This indeed is absolute death, true death, inherent death. In this insight practice, this ultimate death itself is also called impermanence. It is also called the charnel ground of phenomena, the cremation ground. And that charnel ground from the time of beings' rebirth onwards indeed follows their continuity. And because it follows, from the time of beings' rebirth onwards, there is no such time where beings do not die. And this accompanying is indeed constant oppression for beings. Due to the obstruction reached by their life in all postures, and by their limbs and minor parts, and by their bodily, verbal, and mental actions. But the state of not being under control is indeed evident for those constantly experiencing the suffering of volitional formations. If there were control, there would be no opportunity for the act of forming volitions. Because by control itself, that act would be accomplished as desired. For in the world, all acts of volitional formation, including even the act of in-breathing and out-breathing, are done due to the absence of control over phenomena. The connection is "repeated contemplation of impermanent phenomena." And "repeated contemplation" is close observation, looking again and again with the eye of wisdom. "Of phenomena" means of the phenomena of the five aggregates. "Wherever, wherever" means in whichever body part. "Of old phenomena" means the disappearance of old, arisen, and grown portions of phenomena is called decay. Insight. Having reached the task, he says there is no work of contemplation by way of moments or by distinguishing each phenomenon, but rather "by way of aggregates and continuity." But even contemplation by distinguishing each phenomenon is indeed desirable in those naturally very clear, such as mind and feeling. "The ultimate peak of impermanence" means there is no impermanence beyond that. Such is the meaning. The way in which phenomena should be feared in various ways is the way of being feared stated in the five aggregates as: Impermanent, Suffering, Disease, Boil, Dart, Affliction, Ailment, and so on. The knowledge of contemplating that is the knowledge of fear. By this, it should be feared by people who fear the suffering of the lower realms and the suffering of transmigration, hence it is fear. Or they fear from this, hence it is fear. The knowledge of contemplating fear is the knowledge of fear—this meaning is shown. "Any object of fear" means an object of fear like a lion or a tiger. "In a refuge" means in a refuge like a cave or a lair. "Of them" means of phenomena whose nature is to break up. "By them" means by those whose nature is to break up. Disgust is the mind's aversion, its turning towards departure. "By forty aspects" means by these forty aspects that appear in the Great Exposition, in the exposition of the Moghapañha, when one "sees the world as empty" by observing the five aggregates as: Impermanent, Suffering, Disease, Boil, Dart, Affliction, Ailment, Alien, Perishing, Calamity, Disturbance, Fear, Danger, Trembling, Breaking up, Unstable, Without protection, Without shelter, Without refuge, Empty, Vain, Void, Not-self, Full of disadvantage, Of a changing nature, Without essence, Root of woe, Killer, Perishing, With influxes, Conditioned, Bait of Māra, Subject to birth, Subject to aging, Subject to sickness, Subject to death, Subject to sorrow and lamentation, Subject to pain and distress, Subject to despair, Subject to defilement. Therein, it should be applied as "seeing the five aggregates as impermanent" and so on. And "as impermanent" means by way of impermanence. All The five aggregates are impermanent, thus it is said, seeing them so. How then, seeing them as impermanent, does one look upon the world as empty? One looks upon the world, which consists of the five aggregates, as empty due to the absence of permanence. The same method applies to other passages. There, "impermanent indeed" means from the moment of rebirth onwards, they are always subject to death, thus impermanent indeed. "Suffering indeed" means because they are impermanent, they are suffering indeed. For what is impermanent is suffering, it is said. Or, because they are the truth of suffering. "Diseases indeed" means because they are of the nature of disease, they are diseases indeed. Whatever thousands of diseases, like eye diseases, are seen in the world, all these are these five aggregates. There is no other disease apart from these. Therefore, they are absolutely of the nature of disease. Moreover, because they are the truth of suffering, and are constantly afflicted by the three kinds of suffering and the four aspects of suffering, they are diseases in the sense of being afflicted. There, "by the three kinds of suffering" means by suffering as suffering, by suffering as formations, and by suffering as change. "By the four aspects of suffering" means the aspect of oppression, the aspect of being conditioned, the aspect of torment, and the aspect of change, these four aspects of suffering. This means by the functions of suffering. This method applies to boils and so on. There, a boil is an affliction like a sore. A dart is, in the sense of piercing, the dart of defilements and the dart of suffering. "Agha" means useless. And these aggregates, ending in misfortune, are indeed useless. For it is said that all attainments end in misfortune. They are indeed enemies in the sense of being untrustworthy. For they are not worthy of trust, thinking "this is mine, this I am, this is my self." For one who trusts them thus is constantly tormented by various sufferings. From the moment of rebirth onwards, they are always subject to breaking up, thus they are of a perishable nature. "Iti" is called an obstacle. It is said that the aggregates are of the nature of obstacles. Having entered into one's inner being, and being of a dual nature, they are indeed calamities, in the sense of being obstructors. They are indeed fears, in the sense of being to be feared. Not-self indeed. being together, having gone to an internal state, from being born, from clinging, from being difficult to remove, they are indeed afflictions. Because of being constantly shaken by worldly conditions, because of being agitated, they are indeed unstable. Because of being of the nature to break in various ways, they are indeed fragile. Because of being unstable even for a moment, they are indeed impermanent. That which protects and guards from fear, from old age and death, from falling into states of woe and ruin, is a refuge. But these aggregates are no refuge for anyone. And there is no refuge whatsoever for them. Therefore, they are indeed without refuge. That in which fearful people hide and conceal themselves from fear is a shelter. But these are no shelter for anyone. And there is no shelter whatsoever for them. Therefore, they are indeed without shelter. That which harms and injures fear is a protection. But these are no protection for anyone. And there is no protection whatsoever for them. Therefore, they are indeed without protection. Because they are completely devoid of all beautiful qualities, such as permanence, because they are empty, because they are void, they are indeed hollow. They are indeed empty. They are indeed void. That which is called self is some essential support for anyone. But they themselves are no self for anyone. And there is no self whatsoever for them. Therefore, they are indeed not-self. Because they are full of dangers and faults, such as impermanence, they are indeed dangers. Because their nature is to change, they are indeed subject to change. Because there is no essential foundation whatsoever, they are indeed without essence. Because they are the foundation of all that is harmful and useless, they are indeed rooted in harm. They themselves, being endowed with the nature of death, and constantly killing beings in saṃsāra with that weapon of death, with that instrument of death, and cutting off the life faculty, are indeed killers. Because they are devoid of constant happiness, benefit, and growth, they are indeed ruin. Because they are grasped by defilements, they are indeed with defilements. Because their existence is always dependent on conditions, they are indeed conditioned. Because they are the bait and food for the Māras of defilements, the Māra of death, they are indeed Māra's bait. Because they are of the nature to arise, even when one does not wish it, as eye diseases and so forth, as states of woe and existence and so forth, they are indeed of the nature to arise. Because they are of the nature to decline and die, even when one does not wish it, they are indeed of the nature of old age and death. Because they are held as the basis for sorrow and so forth, they are indeed of the nature of sorrow and so forth. Due to being connected with defilement of craving, defilement of views, and defilement of misconduct, they are indeed defiling phenomena. Therefore it is said, "in forty ways." "By way of reflection" means by way of investigation. "By cutting off" means by cutting off craving. "Completely taken" means having reached a state of dryness. "And fear" means the fear of moral dread arisen by way of knowledge of fear. In the world, the "self-life" (soul)