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This mental property arises from four causes (1) birth in a particular caste or community (2) age (3) dexterity and (4) great learning. Considering one's heritage one refrains from committ- ing evil like fishing, hunting and drinking intoxicating liquor and so on. He considers that these are the immoral acts of people of low birth. Another thinks that a person of my age should not kill nor drink intoxicants and refrains from them. Another thinks that he must maintain himself by engaging himself in such occupations as agriculture, trade and so on. These immoral acts are usually committed by the unemployed owing to their laziness, and considering his dexterity he refrains from them. Another thinks that these immoral acts are committed by the uneducated foolish people, and a person like himself who has had a liberal education in arts, sciences etc. should not demean himself by doing these immoral acts and refrains from them. DISCRETION 4. Discretion (ottappa ©GSOC::) is a state associated with consciousness which frightens one from doing immoral acts. He fears he would be reborn in the four planes of misery, if he were to commit evil and accordingly refrains from doing them in recognition of the external objects. He refrains from evil fearing public disgrace. This property is compared to a red hot iron rod. One does not hold it, owing to the fear of his hand being burnt. Again, it is compared to a woman who observes the Precepts. When a man approaches a woman observing the Precepts, she refrains from doing anything immoral in consideration of the Precepts, which she is frightened to violate. io6 107 This mental property arises from four causes viz (i) Morality (2) District (3) Reason or knowledge and (4) the state of being a Bhikkhu. When occasion arises to do an immoral act, he fears that he would be disgraced by the virtuous Bhikkhus and the laity and also the Devas and Brahmas and refrains from it. Another through the fear of the district, wherein prevails the Buddha Dhamma and Sangha, refrains from committing evil. He fears the people in the district who pay reverence to the Triple Gem and are virtuous. Another refrains from evil owing to the fear he has for the learned and educated class of people, for, if he were to do so, he would be disgraced by them. Another refrains from committing evil in consideration of the state of a Bhikkhu, as it would be most unbecoming for a Bhikkhu to do so. These two mental properties of Prudence and Discretion are the two main causes of origination of morally beautiful classes of consciousness. They are also called Deva Dhamma (®^® a)3@3) and Loka palaka dhamma ®03 03(3ttS) cDs^o), states of the Devas and states maintaining the world. DISINTERESTEDNESS 5. Disinterestedness (Alobha q^®C59eo) is a state associated with consciousness which keeps it detached from objects and takes no interest in them. It is compared to an Arahat in whom there is extinction of asavas (desires, torments, defile- ments etc. ) How so ? When an Arahat dwelling in a monas- tery provided by a house-holder who gives robes, meals, bedding and medicines indispensable for sustenance, leaves same, he does so without taking any interest in the monastery or its belongings. Because there is the presence of lack of interest ■or detachment in disinterestedness it is compared to an Arahat, Again, just as water poured over a flower drops down without a drop remaining intact on the petals, even so the mental concomitant of disinterestedness does not get attached to any object. Again, just as a person who has fallen into a pit contain- ing excreta will without delay make an eftort to purify himself, even so will this property of disinterestedness make an effort to give by way of charity objects of sense experience through the five-doors of a person born in Kamaloka. This is a great moral action, and a root of moral consciousness. AMITY 6. Amity (^®Ca adosa) is a state associated with consciousness which prevents it from showing a hate 01 aversion to an object. How could this be illustrated ? Just as a friend who has been away from the island to a remote place for a considerable period is given a warm reception by his friends and relations on his return and congratulations offered on his achievement of success, even so does the mental property of amity show benevolence and goodwill to all beings. This is a great moral act and a root of moral consciousness. It is metta (@S)t5^ei) benevolence or goodwill, the first of the four Brahamaviharas. Of the two, disinterestedness and amity, disinterestedness is the opposite of selfishness and greed and amity of aversion and hate. Charity is caused by disinterested- ness and morality by amity. As greed shrouds faults, by disinterestedness existing faults are seen as faults. As aversion and hate shroud or delete the good qualities, by amity the existing good qualities are seen as such. By disinterested- ness sorrow occasioned by parting with the dear and near dis- appears and by amity sorrow occasioned by associating with undesirable beings disappears. Further, by disinterestedness sorrow occasioned by birth disappears and by amity that brought on by decay. BALANCE OF MIND 7. Balance of mind or equanimity (tatramajjhattata ca^'SdC^jexSOJj) is a state associated with consciousness which keeps the other associated mental concomitants well balanced in respect of an object. It is like the driver of a chariot with a pair of horses. He neither holds the reins too tight nor too loose and holds them well balanced and sees that the pair runs alike and symmetrically. It is also called upekkha (C®055£)9) that is hedonic in- difference and not the vedana upekkha (®©q!s$5D C^C^S^^) that is the indifferent feeling neither pleasant nor unpleasant. io8 8. COMPOSURE OF MENTAL PROPERTIES Composure of mental properties (Kaya passaddhi ca)cfi e£:a®). Here kaya means the three aggregates of feehng, perception and voHtional activities or the mental concomitants. Passaddhi means composure. Hence composure of mental properties is kaya passaddhi (csaoB C5a®). This property is opposite to that of distraction which causes restlessness of mental properties. Therefore the characteristic feature of this property is a com- posure of mental properties. 9. COMPOSURE OF MIND Composure of mind (citta passaddhi ^tStS> oa£). Citta is the aggregate of consciousness or mind. Composure of mind is citta passaddhi (©030 OieS). The characteristic feature of this property is composure of mind and is opposite to that of distraction which causes restlessness of mind. How could this be illustrated? It is like the disappearance of weariness of the body when one sits under a huge tree, which is shady, after a prolonged journey in hot sun. In this illustration composure of mind and mental properties is like the disappear- ance of weariness and distraction is like the hot sun. In moral consciousness belonging to Kamaloka the composure of mind and mental concomitants conjointly prevents the arising of distraction or restlessness. Nevertheless, in classes of trans- cendental consciousness only one exists as the wisdom factor of serenity (0i3 @3)i)3d&^ato passaddhi sambojjhanga). 10. BUOYANCY OF MIND AND MENTAL PROPERTIES Buoyancy of mental properties (Kaya lahuta taicO O^^j). 11. Buoyancy of mind (citta lahuta 3t5W3 C5<3^) ^^^ya and citta are the same as stated before. Kaya lahuta is lightness of mental properties and citta lahuta is lightness of mind. Their character- istic feature is to cause the disappearance of heaviness of mind and mental concomitants which are occasioned by sloth and torpor. It IS like the relief obtained by putting down a heavy load carried on one's back after walking a considerable distance. These two are the opposite of the hindrance of sloth and torpor. 12. 109 PLIANCY OF MIND AND MENTAL PROPERTIES Pliancy of mental properties (kaya muduta ^9C6 §^®0- 1 2 Pliancy of mind (citta muduta ^fS^tSi ggta^) 1 heir charac- teristic feature is to cause the hardness of mental properties .md mind occasioned by erroneous views and conceit supple and pliant.