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A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics of the Fourth Century B.C - Caroline A. F. Rhys Davids, 1900 - Complete Book

English

This may very likely have conveyed to Buddhists what we under- stand by * solid,' when the implication is density as opposed to what is liquid or gaseous, and it was tempting to use solidity in preference to hardness. But the former term is ambiguous, for it may mean the opposite of plane surface, and kakkhalattam cannot be strained to mean that. Again, the opposite of the latter term is neither liquid nor flat, but £oft or pliant. Further, compare its use in de- scribing gravel or stone-food in Mil. 67, where we should certainly use *hard.' The other characteristics of patha- vidhatu are said to be establishing a fulcrum or ttov o-Tw, patitthanam), and accepting (sampaticchanam), the import of the latter term not being very clear. 2 Ajjhattam. See § 673, note, and § 742, note. ^ In the Commentary, p. 338, where upadinnam is said to be na kammasamutthanam eva, the negative particle must have crept in by some error, that which is upadinnam being essentially due to karma. See Dh. S., §§ 653,* 654; AsL, pp. 46, 337 (§ 664), etc. Generally, says Buddhaghosa, the bony framework of the body (the most solid part of one's self, sariratthakam) is here * 16 242 (ii.) fluid-element (apodhatu)? That which is fluid, belonging to fluid, viscid, belonging to what is viscid, the cohesiveness of form, whether it be of the self, or external, or the issue of grasping or not the issue of grasping.^ (iii.) flame-element (t e j o d h a t u) 2^ That which is flame, belonging to flame, heat, belonging to heat, hot, belonging to what is hot, whether it be of the self, or, etc, [continue as in preceding]. (iv.) air- element (vayodhatu)? That which is air, belongs to air [the fluctuation], the inflation,^ of form, whether it be of the self, or, etc. referred to. For this, while it may, or may not be upa- dinnam, is said to be wholly the issue of grasping when signifying that which is taken, laid hold of, infected. ^ See § 652, note. The essential characteristics of apodhatu are said to be flowing (paggharanam), ex- pansion or spreading (bruhanam, cj. p. 12, note 3, Mil. 317) and congress (sangaho, Asl., ibid.). The last term may possibly be an attempt to express what we term, loosely enough, * water always finding its own level.' The internal or personal apo is distributed as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, serum, tears, and so on. M. i. 42. ^ Never a ggi or fire, in the Buddhist books. The essential characteristics are said to be (Asl., ibid.) heat, ripening, maturing (paripacanam) and softening. By the heat within food and drink are digested. M,, loc. cit. ^ The text reads here both chambitattam and tham- bhitattam, fluctuation (quaking) and inflation. The former term, however, is not elsewhere in the Atthasalini applied to vayo ; the latter, with the intensive vi-, is declared to be the characteristic mark of vayo, other features of the element being onward movement (samu- diranam) and downward force (abhiniharam — sic lege, Cfl D. i.*76; M. i. 119; Asl. 332). Now Buddhaghosa passes over chambhitattam in silence, but explains thambhitattam. Again, though this is, of course, not conclusive, only the single term thambhitattam ru- passa seems to be called for by the parallel, bandhanat- tam rupassa (cohesiveness), in the description of fluidity. It is significant also that K omits chambhitattam. On 243 (v.) derived ?'^ The spheres of the five senses . . . aad solid nutriment. Such is the Category of Form under a Fivefold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Five. these grounds taken together, I should be inclined to doubt the original inclusion of the term. The instance chosen to illustrate the inflating function characteristic of vayo is that of the sheaths or stems of lotuses and reeds which are ' filled with air,' or wind (vatapunnani). ^ * Derived' (up a da) is the opposite of (i.) to (iv.). See §§ 647, 648. 16—2 [Chapter VI. The Category of Form under a Sixfold Aspect.] [967] (i.) The sphere of visible forms is form cognizable by sight, (ii.) The sphere of sounds is form cognizable by hearing, (iii.) The sphere of odours is form cognizable by smell, (iv.) The sphere of tastes is form cognizable by taste, (v.) The sphere of the tangible is form cognizable by body-sensibility. (vi.) All form is form cognizable by the mind. Such is the Category of Form under a Sixfold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Six. [Chapter YII. The Category of Form under a Sevenfold Aspect.] [968] (i.) The sphere of visible form is form cognizable by sight, (ii.) The sphere of sound is form cognizable by hearing, (iii.) The sphere of odour is form cognizable by smell. (iv.) The sphere of taste is form cognizable by taste, (v.) The sphere of the tangible is form cognizable by body- sensibility. [969] (vi.) The spheres of visible form, sound, odour, taste, and the tangible are form cognizable by the element of ideation. (vii.) All form is form comprehensible by the element of representative intellection. Such is the Category of Form under a Sevenfold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Seven. [Chapter VIII. The Category of Form under an Eightfold Aspect.] [970] (i.) The sphere of visible form is form cognizable by the eye. (ii.) The sphere of sound is form cognizable by the ear. (iii.) The sphere of odour is form cognizable by the nose. (iv.) The sphere of taste is form cognizable by the tongue, (v.) Pleasurable agreeable contact obtainable by touch is form cognizable by the body, (vi.) Unpleasant disagreeable contact obtainable by touch is form cognizable by the body, (vii.) The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects are form cognizable by ideation, (viii.) All form is form comprehensible by repre- sentative intellection. Such is the Category of Form under an Eightfold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Eight. [Chapter IX. The Category of Form under a Ninefold Aspect.] [971-973] What is that form which is (i.) the faculty of vision ? (ii.) the faculty of hearing ? (iii.) the faculty of smell ? (iv.) the faculty of taste ? (v.) the faculty of body- sensibility ? (vi.) the potentiality of femininity ? (vii.) the potentiality of masculinity ? (viii.) the potentiality of vitality ? I'he eight answers are those given in the original descrip- tions of the eight faculties or potentialities enumerated (^^ 597, 601, 605, 609, 613, 633-535). (ix.) What is that form which is not faculty ? The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects . . .^ and bodily nutriment. Such is the Category of Form under a Ninefold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Nine. ^ That is to say, the remainder of § 596, but omitting, of course, the three * indriyas ' of the sexes and vitality, and presumably inserting ' the element of fluidity ' (cf p. 203, n. 3). [Chapteb X. The Category of Form under a Tenfold Aspect.] [974, 975] The first eight questions and ansivers are identical with the first eight in the preceding group. [976, 977] What is that form which is (ix.) not faculty hut imping eing ? The spheres of the five kinds of sense-objects. (x.) notfacidty and non-imping eing ? Intimation . . .^ and bodily nutriment. Such is the Category of Form under a Tenfold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Ten. ^ That is to say, the remainder of § 596, beginning at bodily intimation, and presumably inserting * the element of fluidity.' [Chapter XI. The Category of Form under an Elevenfold Aspect.] [978, 979] What is that form which is (i.) the sphere of vision ? (ii.) the sphere of hearing ? (iii.) the sphere of smell ? (iv.) the sphere of taste ? (v.) the sphere of body- sensibility ? (vi.) the sphere of visible form ? (vii.) the sphere of sound ? (viii.) the sphere of odour ? (ix.) the sphere of sapids ? (x.) the sphere of the tangible ? Answers as in ^ 597, 601, 605, 609, 613, 617, 621, 625, 629, 649 respectively, [980] (xi.) What is that form which is invisible, non- impingeing, and included in the sphere of [mental] states?^ Sex . . . and bodily nutriment. Such is the Category of Form under an Elevenfold Aspect. [End of] the Group of Eleven. [End of] THE Divisions of Form. [End of] the Eighth Portion for Eecitation. ^ Dhammayatana-pariyapannam. For the full content of the answer, see, as before, the last fourteen items in § 596. [BOOK III. THE DIVISION ENTITLED ' ELIMINATION (n i k k h e p a-k a n d a m).^ PABT L Chapter I. The Group of Triplets (t i k a m) .] [981] Which are the states that are good ?