English
the aggregate of feeling means the collection of feeling, the component of feeling,” the meaning should be understood in this manner. But in expressions like “a burden on the shoulder, to take down from the shoulder, a great-jawed bull-shouldered,” the part is called “shoulder.” Because it strives, and because it arises again and again, or because it extends, or because it is extended, the word “āyatana” has come. It has also been said: It should be understood as āyatana because it strives, or because it extends the strivings, or because it leads to extension. For in the eye and forms, the mind and mental factors, which are the respective doors and objects, strive, arise, exert, or endeavor by their respective functions of experiencing and so on. And it is said that these extend and expand those striving phenomena. And it is said that these lead and continue the extremely extended suffering of transmigration, which has no discernible beginning, as long as it does not cease. Thus, all these phenomena are called āyatana because they strive, or because they extend the strivings, or because they lead to extension. Furthermore, āyatana should be understood in the sense of a dwelling place, in the sense of a mine, in the sense of a meeting place, in the sense of a place of origin, in the sense of a cause. Thus, in expressions like “the abode of Isvara in the world, the abode of Vasudeva,” a dwelling place is called āyatana. In expressions like “a mine of gold, a mine of silver,” it means a mine. But in the Dispensation, in expressions like “in a delightful āyatana, birds resort to it,” it means a meeting place. “The Southern region is the āya for cows…” The place of origin in "ayatana" and so on. The cause in "one attains the capacity to be a witness in each respective sense-base" and so on. And also, mental and mental concomitant phenomena dwell in the eye and so on, because their occurrence depends on them; thus, the eye and so on are their dwelling place. They are abundant in the eye and so on, being dependent on them and having them as their object; thus, the eye and so on are their mine. The eye and so on are also their place of convergence, because they converge there in the manner of door and object. The eye and so on are also their place of origin, because they arise right there, being dependent on them and having them as object; and the eye and so on are their cause, because in their absence, these (phenomena) do not exist. Thus, by these reasons: as a dwelling place, as a mine, as a place of convergence, as a place of origin, as a cause— these phenomena are called 'āyatana'. Therefore, according to the meaning stated, 'eye and that is āyatana' is 'eye-āyatana'... 'phenomena and they are āyatana' is 'phenomena-āyatana'. In this way, the determination of meaning should be understood here. Thus, it is said: Dwelling, and mine, and place of origin, and cause; And place of convergence, is called 'āyatana'. From the roots 'vidividi', or those preceded by 'a'; Or from 'ju' with the prefix 'endless' (antavirahita). The derivation of the word 'avijjā' should be explained by the wise. Here, 'avindiya' (not to be found/gained) refers to bodily misconduct and so on, in the sense of 'unsuitable to be fulfilled', meaning 'not to be attained'. That which finds the 'unfindable' is 'avijjā'. Conversely, bodily good conduct and so on are 'vindiya' (to be found/gained). That which does not find the 'findable' is 'avijjā'. That which makes unknown the characteristic of accumulation of the aggregates, the characteristic of sense-base of the sense-bases, the characteristic of emptiness of the elements, the characteristic of truth of the truths, the characteristic of dominance of the faculties, is 'avijjā'. That which makes unknown the fourfold meaning stated in terms of oppression and so forth for suffering and so forth, is 'avijjā'. That which causes beings to rush through the endless cycle of existence, through all realms of being, births, destinations, consciousness-abodes, and abodes of beings, is 'avijjā'. It rushes towards non-existent things in ultimate reality, such as men and women, but does not rush towards existent things like the aggregates... Ignorance is that which does not know. But what is stated in the commentary, “Furthermore, ignorance is also that which conceals the dependent origination of the eye-consciousness and other phenomena, and the phenomena arisen from dependent origination, along with their bases and objects,” this is not said in its literal sense, but rather because concealment is the function of ignorance. Thus, in the Abhidhamma commentary, this is stated: “Having shown the meaning of the syllables, to show the meaning of the intrinsic nature, it says ‘furthermore,’ etc. Ignorance is said to conceal because it is not possible for ignorance to know the bases and objects of eye-consciousness and other phenomena as ‘this is the base, this is the object.’ It should be understood that the concealment of dependent origination and phenomena arisen from dependent origination is due to the concealment of the intrinsic nature of the bases and objects, and the concealment of the state of dependent origination of ignorance and other things, and the state of being arisen from dependent origination of old age, death, and other things. There, ignorance is called ‘that which experiences what should not be experienced’ because it is a special condition for karma leading to a bad destination. Similarly, it is also called ‘that which does not experience what should be experienced’ because a special condition is not for what should be experienced. The activation or production of eye-consciousness and other phenomena dependent on oneself is the sphere. Because of its nature of delusion, being in a state of not understanding, it is called ‘that which makes unknown what is not known, that which drives to endlessness.’ Thus, by taking the ‘a’ and ‘ja’ sounds as modifications in all three places, according to the five types of etymological characteristics involving addition, transposition, modification, loss of letters, and specific meanings of roots, and by dropping other letters and adding a second ‘ja,’ it is called avijjā.” To be known from the root arah, or from the formation of the word arahaṃ; Or indeed from the root of the word arārūpa-padahana. From rahan, or from rahita, preceded by the letter ‘a’ here; Its derivation is said, based on ‘āraka’ and other sounds. Thus, an Arahant is one who is worthy of robes and other requisites as the foremost recipient of offerings, and is worthy of special veneration. It is also said: “Because this Lord of the world is worthy of special veneration along with requisites; The Conqueror is worthy of this name in the world, according to its meaning.” Similarly, he is an Arahant because he slays the enemies of defilements with the path. And it was said: “Because all enemies, named lust and so on, were slain by the Lord with the sword of wisdom, therefore he is considered an Arahant.” And this wheel of transmigration, whose hub is ignorance, becoming, and craving, whose spokes are wholesome and unwholesome volitional formations, whose rim is aging and death, and which, pierced by the axle of the accumulation of defilements, is yoked to the chariot of becoming, and has been rolling on from beginningless time— the Lord, having established himself on the ground of virtue with the feet of energy at the Bodhi-tree, and having taken the axe of knowledge, which destroys kamma, with the hand of faith, slays all its spokes; therefore too he is an Arahant. And it was said: “Because the spokes of the wheel of transmigration were slain by the Lord of the world with the sword of knowledge, therefore he is called an Arahant.” Similarly, the evil qualities like lust, which are called ‘rahā’ because they should be shunned, abandoned, and avoided from afar by good people who are rightly striving to fulfill their own welfare and the welfare of others— these ‘rahā’ do not exist for him; therefore he is an Arahant. Where ‘araho’ should be said, by substituting ‘a’ for ‘o’ with its nasalization, ‘arahaṃ’ is said. And it was said: “Evil qualities are called ‘rahā’ because they should be shunned by good people; because they are completely abandoned by him, the Blessed One is considered an Arahant.” Or, he is an Arahant because he is not to be shunned, not to be abandoned, by those whose defilements are destroyed, by trainees, and by noble ordinary people; and these are the Blessed One. And it was said: “And those who have realized the Dhamma, the Noble Ones, whose pasture is pure; he is not shunned by them, therefore the Lord is considered an Arahant.” And ‘raho’ means going; there is no ‘raho’ for him, no going, no rebirth in any destination; therefore he is an Arahant. And it was said: “For whom there is no ‘raho’ or going in transmigration whatsoever, who has abandoned birth and death, the Sugata is considered an Arahant.” Or, the Blessed One is an Arahant because he is worthy of praise. For grammarians explain the word ‘arahat’ in the sense of praise. And the praiseworthiness of the Blessed One, which is unique and based on true qualities, is well established in the world with its deities. Thus, because he is worthy of praise, the Blessed One is an Arahant. And it was said: “Because there is no one equal in qualities in the world with its deities, therefore, being worthy of praise, the best of bipeds is an Arahant.” These are the explanations. Here, the explanations are given based on the roots: "araha" for worship, "hana" for harming, "raha" for abandoning, "rahi" for going. Thus, it is said "araha" because of being far from defilements, "araha" because of the absence of secrecy in doing evil, "araha" because he keeps bad people far away, "araha" because he brings good people near.