English
The 6 stages of life-continuum, when the two processes of thought at the time of death, one stage of rebirth, during the span -of life one process of thought in which the intensity of the object IS very great, one process of thought in which the intensity of the object is small, and one in which the intensity of the object is very small, are all taken together, could be understood. The 2 stages of apprehending are one in a five-door process of thought and one in a mind-door process of thought. The five-fold cognition, receiving and investigating stages are obtained in a five-door process of thought. The two stages of determining occur in one place in the two processes of thought in which the intensity of object is very great and in one place in the process of thought in which the intensity of the object is small. The six stages of apperceiving are (i) process of thought with a very intense object (2) process of thought with an intense object (3) mind-door process with a clear object (4) mind-door process with an obscure object (5) minor-door process at the time of death causing re-decease and following the apperceiving and (6) five-door process at the time of death causing re-decease and following the apperceiving. The 3 stages of retention are two arising during the span of life and one at the time of death. The 3 stages of re-decease are the three that arise at the three thought processes at the time of birth. CLASSES OF CONSCIOUSNESS PERFORMING THE FUNCTION OF REBIRTH 1. There are 19 classes of consciousness performing the function of rebirth. They are as follows : — (a) Two classes of uivcstigating consciousness accompanied by hedonic indifference. (b) Eight great resultants. (f) Five resultants of Rijpaloka. (d) Four resultants of Arupaloka. The two classes of investigating consciousness accompanied by hedonic indiiference arc the immoral resultant and the moral resultant unconditioned by hetus or roots. 2. Of the twelve classes of immoral consciousness, with the exception of the class accompanied by indifference and con- joined with distraction, the remaining eleven will have resulting effects by way of rebirth. As rebirth resultant in any of the four planes of misery, it is the immoral resultant called investigat- ing consciousness accompanied by indifference that occurs immediately after re-decease. It is this consciousness that performs the function of rebirth. Without the intervention of a Deva or Brahma, but solely by the force of immoral conscious- ness the doer of the immoral act is born in a plane of misery, and that is certain. It is the same in other places too. 3. Out of the eight moral classes of consciousness in Kamaloka, the rebirth resultant of weak moral consciousness conditioned 171 by two roots is the moral resultant of mvcstigating accompanied by hedonic indifference. It causes birth in the world of men with eyes blind or defective sensory organs and so on. The weak moral consciousness conditioned by two roots are the four classes of moral consciousness disconnected from knowledge which are not obtained alike during the three periods, namely, before the performance of the act, during the act and after the act. 4. The eight great resultants are the eight classes of resultant consciousness conditioned by roots. How they arise by way of rebirth will be briefly stated here. The four resultant classes of consciousness conditioned by three roots obtained from moral consciousness of a very high order and conditioned by three roots arise by way of rebirth. Moral consciousness conditioned by three roots becomes of a very high order, when the four classes of moral consciousness in Kamaloka connected with knowledge are obtained alike before the act, during the act and after the act. The four classes of resultant consciousness conditioned by three roots are the four connected with knowledge. 5. Weak moral consciousness conditioned by three roots as well as moral consciousness of a very high order and condi- tioned by two roots give rise to four resultant classes of con- sciousness conditioned by two roots by way of rebirth. Moral consciousness conditioned by three roots becomes weak, when the four classes of moral consciousness connected with knowledge take place only during the act and neither before nor after the act. Or, it may be that during the act it is connected with know- ledge and after the act disconnected from knowledge. The resultants conditioned by two roots, are the four resultants disconnected from knowledge. 6. How weak moral consciousness conditioned by two roots ;gives rise to resultants unconditioned by roots was described before under para (3). 7. The five resultants in Rupaloka are obtained by way of ■effects from the corresponding five classes of moral consciousness in Rupaldka. 8. The four resultants in Arupal5ka are obuined by way of effects from the corresponding four classes of moral consciousness in Arupaloka. 172 OF DOORS (OR ORGANS) In the summary of doors, door is the name given to six organs,, to wit : — eye-door, ear-door, nose-door, tongue-door, body-door and mind-door. Here the eye is just the eye-door ; and so for the ear-door and the next three. But the Hfe-contmuum may be described as the mind-door. Of these organs, through the first, the door of sight, forty-six classes of consciousness take their rise according to fitness in subject and object\ to wit : — (a) five-door cognition (6) visual cognition (c) reception (i) investigating (e) determming ( / ) Kama- loka apperception and {g) retention. So for the next four 'doors' as auditory cognition and so on. And when all are reckoned, there are fifty-four kinds of Kamaloka consciousness which take their rise through the five 'doors.* Note i Abhidhammattha Vibhavini explains the yatharahan (oCc^idoco)- as follows : — According as the object is agreeable or not ; as- that object is properly attended to or not ; and as the percipient is an Arahant or not etc. Ledi Sadaw explains the same by * according to the object the plane of existence, the subject attention ' etc. But, by way of the mind-door, sixty-seven kinds of conscious- ness come to pass to wit, mind-door consciousness, the fifty-five kinds of apperception and retention. There are nineteen kinds of consciousness which are free, in functioning from any door ; namely, those which are active at rebirth, during the life-continuum and at re-decease. Of those, on the other hand, which take their rise through doors^ thirty-six kinds of consciousness come to pass through one door,, according as there is mutual fitness, to wit, the twice five classes- of sense-consciousness, sublime and transcendental apperceptions^ 173 The triple element of apprehension comes to pass through five-doors. Investigating accompanied by pleasure, determining conscious^ ness and Kamaldka apperceptions are cognitions happening through six-doors. Investigating which is accompanied by hedonic indifference and the great resultant classes of consciousness happen either by way of the six-doors or arc independent of any door^ Resultant sublime cognitions arc always independent of any door. Note 1 According to the commentators, the former is the case in our investigating and retaining ; the latter, at rebirth, during un- conscious hfe and at re-decease. Ekadvarika cittani panca chadvarikanica Chadvaiika vimuttani vimuttanica sabbatha Chattinsati tatha tini ekatinsa yathakkaman Dasadha navadhaceti pancadha parideepaye " There are 36 classes of consciousness arising through one door,. 3 through the five-doors, 31 through six-doors, ic through the six doors and door-freed and 9 door-freed. Thus, in this summary five heads of difference are shown. SUMMARY OF DOORS Doors are ordinarily used for the entrance and exit of people. Here, through the eye-door 46 classes of consciousness gain entrance when a visual object comes in contact with it, and make their exit from the same door. The arising of consciousness is similar to the entrance, and its ceasing is similar to the exit. Therefore, it is called eye-door. In the four doors known as ear-door, nose-door, tongue-door and body-door, when sound, smell, sapids and touch come in contact, forty-six classes of consciousness arise and cease through each of those four doors. 174 EYE-DOOR By eye is meant the sensitive element of the eye, or that material quality in the eye, capable of seeing visual objects. When the eye itself becomes a door, it is known as eye-door.