English
Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. An Exposition of the Outline of Relations 1. Root Condition What is the root condition? Greed is the root condition. Hatred, delusion, non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion are the root conditions. What are the phenomena conditioned by the root condition? Mental states and their concomitants arisen together with greed, and material qualities arisen together with greed; mental states and their concomitants arisen together with hatred, mental states and their concomitants arisen together with delusion, mental states and their concomitants arisen together with non-greed, mental states and their concomitants arisen together with non-hatred, mental states and their concomitants arisen together with non-delusion, and material qualities arisen together with these— these phenomena are arisen by way of root condition, they are phenomena conditioned by root condition. Co-arisen material qualities are: kamma-born material qualities at the moment of rebirth-linking with roots, and mind-born material qualities during the course of existence with roots. Here, the moment of rebirth-linking means the moment of arising of the rebirth-linking consciousness. The course of existence means from the moment of persistence of the rebirth-linking consciousness up to the moment of death. In what sense is it a root? In what sense is it a condition? It is a root in the sense of a foundation. It is a condition in the sense of a helper. Here, the foundational nature of the root phenomena like greed, etc., mentioned in the Root Yamaka, is the sense of a foundation. That sense of a foundation has already been explained by us in the Root Yamaka Exposition with the analogy of a tree. Furthermore, a certain man has his mind attached to a certain woman. As long as he does not abandon that attachment, his bodily, verbal, and mental actions arisen together with greed concerning that woman, and his mind-born material qualities arisen from greed, continue for a long time. All those mental states, their concomitants, and material qualities have their root in the greed for attachment to that woman. That greed is a root in the sense of a foundation, and a condition in the sense of a helper. Therefore, it is a root condition. This principle applies to other instances of greed arising through attachment to objects of attachment; to hatred arising through aversion to objects of aversion; and to delusion arising through confusion about objects of confusion. Here, just as the roots of a tree, firmly established within the earth itself, absorb the essence of the earth and the essence of water, Taking that tree they carry it to the top. Thereby the tree stands growing for a long time. Similarly, greed, being well established in each and every object by way of attachment, taking the pleasant form-flavor and the agreeable taste-flavor of each and every object, carries the associated states up to bodily and verbal transgressions, or leads to bodily transgression or verbal transgression. Similarly, hatred, by way of ill-will, taking the unpleasant form-flavor and the disagreeable taste-flavor, and delusion, by way of bewilderment, increasing the flavor of useless mental conduct in various objects— so it should be said. Thus, these three states, carrying forth, cause the associated states in objects of attachment and so on to proceed for a long time, as if delighting and rejoicing. And the associated states also proceed in that way. And as the associated states proceed in that way, the co-arisen physical aggregates also proceed in that way. Here, "carries forth the associated states" means it brings the two, the pleasant form-flavor and the agreeable taste-flavor, to the associated states. In the bright half, when that person sees the danger in sensual pleasures, then he abandons that mind, and non-greed arises regarding that woman. Previously, at the time when impure bodily, verbal, and mental actions rooted in greed occurred regarding that woman. Now, at that same time, pure bodily, verbal, and mental actions rooted in non-greed occur. Or the restraints of a renunciant's virtue, or preliminary meditation practices, or absorption meditations occur. That non-greed is both a cause by way of being a root, and a condition by way of being a helper. Therefore, it is a root-condition. This method applies to the remaining non-greeds which are antidotes to greed, to non-hatreds which are antidotes to hatred, and to non-delusions which are antidotes to delusion. There, like tree roots, non-greed, abandoning greed in objects of greed, increasing the pleasant flavor of detachment from greed, with that pleasure, causes the associated states to delight and rejoice, as if, and increases them up to the pleasure of jhana attainments, or up to the pleasure of path and fruit. Similarly, non-hatred, in objects of hatred, increasing the pleasant flavor of separation from hatred; and non-delusion, in objects of delusion, increasing the pleasant flavor of separation from delusion, should be said. Thus increasing, these three qualities in wholesome states, as if making the associated states rejoice and greatly rejoice, continue for a long time. And the associated states similarly continue. And when the associated states similarly continue, the co-arisen material aggregates also similarly continue. There, regarding the pleasant flavor of separation from greed: separation, departure, is viveka (separation). Separation from greed is greed-separation. Happiness in greed-separation is greed-separation-happiness. Happiness arisen dependent on greed-separation is what is meant. That same is the flavor; thus "pleasant flavor of separation from greed" is the compound. This is the Patthana method in Abhidhamma. But the Suttanta method: delusion, called ignorance, and greed, called craving— these two qualities are the roots of all states of suffering in the cycle of existence. Hatred, however, being an outflow of greed, is an unwholesome root. Non-delusion, called wisdom, and non-greed, called the element of renunciation— these two qualities are the roots of the states of turning away from the cycle. Non-hatred, however, being an outflow of non-greed, is a wholesome root. Thus, these six kinds of roots are conditions for both co-arisen and non-co-arisen mental and material states. This is the method in the Suttas. The exposition of the Root Condition is finished. 2. Object Condition Which is the Object Condition? All mental and mental concomitant states, all material states, all Nibbana, all concepts, are the Object Condition. There is not even a single state which for mental and mental concomitant states is not an object. Briefly, however, the object is of six kinds: visible object, sound object, smell object, taste object, tangible object, mind-object. Which states for the Object Condition are the conditioned states? All mental and mental concomitant states for the Object Condition are the conditioned states. There is no mind whatsoever, that consciousness which arises without an object, be it real or unreal. Therein, a present visible object is the object condition for the two kinds of eye-consciousness. A present sound object for the two kinds of ear-consciousness. A present smell object for the two kinds of nose-consciousness. A present taste object for the two kinds of tongue-consciousness. A present three-fold tangible object for the two kinds of body-consciousness. These five present objects are the object condition for the three kinds of mind-element consciousness. All those five objects, past, future, and present, or all those timeless and time-free mind-objects, are, as appropriate, the object condition for the seventy-six kinds of mind-consciousness. In what sense is it an object? In what sense is it a condition? It is an object in the sense of being grasped by consciousness and mental factors. It is a condition in the sense of being helpful. Here, by "in the sense of being grasped," the act of grasping is the act of taking an object by consciousness and mental factors, the act of appropriating an object. Just as in the world, there is a special kind of iron ore called a lodestone, in the sense that it desires or wishes for iron. When it comes near a piece of iron, it trembles towards that piece of iron, as if desiring or wishing for it. Either it goes to that piece of iron itself, or it pulls the piece of iron towards itself, or the piece of iron trembles towards it, or goes to it. This is called the act of grasping of the lodestone. In the same way, the act of grasping of consciousness and mental factors towards objects should be understood. It is not merely a matter of grasping objects. Rather, consciousness and mental factors, arising in the stream of beings, arise moment by moment at the very moment of the appearance and coming of objects at the six doors. And having arisen, they cease moment by moment. Just as drum sounds, arising on the drumhead, arise only at the time of striking with the hand here and there. Moment by moment they arise, And having arisen, moment by moment they cease. As sounds of a lute arise, on the lute strings, here and there, at the time of striking with the lute plectrum, moment by moment they arise, And having arisen, moment by moment they cease. Even at the time of the stream of life-continuum consciousness of one who is sleeping, the karma, karma-signs, and destiny-signs that appeared at the six doors at the time near death in a previous existence are indeed the object-condition for the life-continuum consciousnesses. The exposition of the object-condition is finished. 3. The Dominance Condition The dominance condition is twofold: the object-dominance condition, and the co-arisen dominance condition. Among these, what is the object-dominance condition? Among the objects mentioned in the object-condition, those objects that are extremely desirable,