XII On discerning truth

1 Section One

1.1 Aggregates, elements, sense-spheres

Now the yogin has understood the aggregates, elements, sense-spheres, conditioned arising and the Truths. He has also heard concerning virtue, austerities and meditation, jhāna.

1.2 Similes of the three hundred halberds and of the burning head

The commoner fears ill-faring, because he is not enlightened. If after contemplating on the fearfulness of ill-faring and of beginningless birth and death, he should think of not missing this opportunity, or on the similes of the points of the three hundred halberds, ¹ and of the man desirous of saving his burning head, ² the yogin is yet unable to understand the Four Noble Truths, he should proceed to discern the Noble Truths by way of analogy. He should develop the wish to do, strive earnestly, and accomplish (the knowledge of the Truths) through completing the mindfulness of concentration.

1.3 Procedure

Q. What is the procedure? At first the yogin should listen to the Four Noble Truths expounded in brief or in detail or in brief and in detail. Through {347|284} hearing, seizing the sense and reiteration, he should bear them in mind. At this time the yogin enters into a quiet place, sits down and Composes his mind. He does not let it run hither and thither, and recalls to mind the Four Noble Truths. First he should recall to mind the Truth of Ill through aggregation, sense-sphere and element. The idea of aggregation should be recalled to mind through one’s own characteristics and through the characteristics of the aggregates, in the way it was taught, under the method of understanding the aggregates. The (idea of) sense-sphere should be recalled to mind through the characteristic of sense-sphere, in the way it was taught, under the method of understanding the sense-spheres. The (idea of) element should be recalled to mind through the characteristics of element, in the way it was taught, under the method of understanding the elements. Thus having understood aggregate, sense-sphere and element, that yogin knows that there are only aggregates, sense-spheres and elements, and that there is no being or soul. Thus he gains the perception of the formations ³ and gets to know the two divisions, namely, name and form. Here the ten sense-spheres and the ten elements of the aggregate of matter constitute form. Four aggregates, the sense-sphere of mind and the seven elements constitute name. The sense- sphere of ideas and the element of ideas are name and form. Name is one, form is another. Form is void of name and name, of form. Name is not separate from form, and form is not separate from name, like drum-sound. ⁴ Only through dependence on name, form proceeds; and through dependence on form, name proceeds, like the journeying, afar of the blind and the cripple. ⁵

1.4 Differences between name and form

Q. What are the differences between name and form?

A. Name has no body; form has body. Name is hard to discern; form is easily discerned. Name proceeds quickly; form proceeds slowly. Name {348|285} does not accumulate; form accumulates. Name excogitates, knows, considers, is aware; form does not do these. Form walks, leans, sits, lies down, bends and stretches; name does not do these. Name knows: “I go”, “I lean”, “I sit”, “I lie down”, “I bend”, “I stretch”; form does not know these. Form drinks, eats, chews, tastes; name does not do these. Name knows: “I drink”, “I eat”, “I chew”, “I taste”; form does not know these. Form claps the hands, frolics, laughs, cries and talks in many ways; name does not do these. Name knows thus: “I clap”, “I frolic”, “I laugh”, “I cry”, “I talk in such and such a manner”; form does not know these. These are the differences between name and form; and that yogin knows name [454] and form thus: “Only name and form are here; there is no being, there is no soul”. Thus he, making it manifest, gets the perception of the formations.

1.5 Summary of the truth of ill

Now, this is a summary of the whole Truth of Ill: One, causing to arise knowledge of pure views, according to reality, discerns name and form. All these should be known as descriptive of the Truth of Ill. That yogin, having made manifest the Truth of Ill, considers the idea of a being. ⁶ Thereafter he should attend to the cause and condition of Ill.

1.6 Cause and condition of ill

Q. What are the cause and condition of ill?

A. That yogin knows thus: This ill has birth for cause and condition; birth has becoming for cause and condition; becoming has clinging for cause and condition; clinging has craving for cause and condition; craving has feeling for cause and condition; feeling has contact for cause and condition; contact has the six sense-spheres for cause and condition; the six sense-spheres have name-form for cause and condition; name-form has consciousness for cause and condition; consciousness has the formations for cause and condition; the formations have ignorance for cause and condition. Thus depending on ignorance there are the formations; depending on the formations there is consciousness; depending on birth there are decay, death, and grief. Thus all the aggregates of ill arise. Thus that yogin introspects the links of conditioned arising at length.

1.7 The purity of transcending uncertainty

Now, this is the summary: Depending on feeling there arises craving. {349|286}

One makes manifest the origin of ill. The knowledge of the Law of conditioned arising, Ariyan understanding of conditioned arising and knowledge of the purity of transcending uncertainty are terms descriptive of the knowledge which makes manifest the Truth of Origin. ⁷

1.8 Truth of cessation

That yogin, after having grasped the Truth of the Origin of Ill and transcended the uncertainty of the three phases of time, considers the cessation of ill. The destruction of what is the destruction of ill? That yogin knows thus: When birth is destroyed, ill is destroyed; when birth is destroyed, becoming is destroyed; when becoming is destroyed, clinging is destroyed; when clinging is destroyed, craving is destroyed. When ignorance is destroyed, the formations are destroyed. Thus, with the destruction of ignorance, the formations are destroyed; with the destruction of the formations, consciousness is destroyed. Decay, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery and grief are destroyed through the destruction of birth. Thus all the aggregates of ill are destroyed. Thus having considered the links of conditioned arising at length, he views them in brief thus: Depending on feeling there is craving. Owing to its destruction, ill is destroyed. Thus he makes manifest the Truth of Cessation.

1.9 Truth of the path

Now, that yogin, having grasped the Truth of Cessation considers the Path of the Cessation of Ill thus: What Path and what perfection constitute the destruction of craving? He considers the five clinging aggregates ⁸ and the tribulation of these. (He thinks), “This is the Path, this is perfection”. He eradicates craving, and causes the arising of the Way-Truth. One should know this as has been taught fully under the method of understanding the Truth.

1.10 One hundred and eighty ways of knowing the five clinging aggregates

Thus that yogin, having serially grasped the Four Truths, knows the five clinging aggregates in one hundred and eighty ways and by way of accumulation. He considers at length all matter of the past, future and the present, internal and external, great and small, gross and subtle, and far and near as impermanent, ill, and not-self. In the same way, he deals with all feeling, perception, {350|287} formations and consciousness. ⁹ In each aggregate there are twelve states preceding at the door. In five aggregates, twelve times five make sixty. Thus the sixty kinds of seeing of impermanence, sixty kinds of seeing of ill, and sixty kinds of seeing of not-self constitute one-hundred and eighty. And again, there are one hundred and eighty states proceeding at the door; six internal sense-spheres; six external sense-spheres; six kinds of consciousness; six kinds of contact; six kinds of feeling; six kinds of perception; six kinds of volition; six kinds of craving; six kinds of initial application of thought; six kinds of sustained application of thought. ¹⁰ These ten sixes make up sixty; sixty kinds of seeing of impermanence, sixty kinds of seeing of ill and sixty kinds of seeing of not-self. Three times sixty are one hundred and eighty.

Thus he discerns and investigates the formations through impermanence: The endless years, seasons, months, fortnights, days, nights, hours and thought-instants, roll on producing new states in succession like the flame of a lamp. ¹¹ {351|288}

Thus he discerns and investigates the formations through suffering: Through ill-faring a man experiences unhappiness, hunger and fear; he is separated from dear ones; he experiences old age, disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery and grief. Such are the vicissitudes of the formations.

1.11 Impermanence, ill, not-self

Thus he discerns and considers the formations as not-self : What is according to the teaching, concerning cause and condition of the aggregates, of the sense-spheres and of the elements, is the Truth. According to kamma-result and conditioned arising, beings are born. There is no abiding being. There is no intrinsic nature in objects.

He considers form as impermanent in the sense of extinction, as ill in the sense of fear, as not-self in the sense of unreality. Thus he considers it in brief and at length. And in the same way he thinks that feeling, perception, the formations, consciousness are impermanent in the sense of extinction, are suffering in the sense of fear, are not-self in the sense of unreality. Thus briefly and at length he discerns. Here, through the discernment of impermanence, he removes the idea of permanence; through the discernment of ill, he removes the idea of bliss; and through the discernment of not-self, he removes the idea of self.

1.12 The signless, the unhankered, and the void

Q. How does he discern fully through impermanence? A. In discerning the formations as they are, he limits the formations as not existing before their arising and as not going beyond their fall; and his mind, springing forth into the signless element, attains to peace. Thus he discerns through impermanence, fully.

Q. How does he discern through ill? A. In discerning the formations his mind is agitated with fear as regards hankering and springs forth into the unhankered. Thus he discerns through ill, fully.

Q. How does he discern fully through not-self? A. In discerning all states, he regards them as alien, and his mind springs forth to the element of the void and attains to peace. Thus he discerns not-self, fully. ¹² {352|289}

Thus discerning the three states of becoming, the five states of existence, the seven stations of consciousness, the nine abodes of beings, through extinction, fear and unreality, he investigates these. ¹³

The discernment of Truth has ended.

1.13 The knowledge of the rise and fall

That yogin, having discerned the five clinging aggregates, applies the three characteristics to them, wishing for the happiness of being released from phenomena. ¹⁴ And when the internal five clinging aggregates are grasped by way of the characteristics, he penetrates rise and fall thus: “All these states, not having been, arise; and having arisen, pass away”. ¹⁵ Here, in grasping (the aggregates) there are three kinds: defilement-grasp, concentration-grasp, insight-grasp.

1.14 Defilement-grasp

Here, the infatuated commoner clings to and grasps willingly the sign of the defilements owing to mental reversal, and regards the world of sights, sounds, tangibles and ideas as blissful and permanent. It is likened to moths flying into a flame. ¹⁶ This is called defilement-grasp. {353|290}

1.15 Concentration-grasp

Q. What is concentration-grasp? A. Here a yogin wishes to gain concentration and grasps the sign in each of the thirty-eight subjects of meditation, with the mind, beginning with the knowledge of Right Mindfulness, and thereby chains the mind as one chains an elephant to make it quiet. ¹⁷ This is called concentration-grasp.

1.16 Insight-grasp

Q. What is insight-grasp? A. A man, beginning with the wisdom of steady viewing, discerns the characteristic of intrinsic nature ¹⁸ of form, feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness. Wishing for and happy in equanimity, he grasps the characteristics. It is like a man who lays hold of a poisonous snake. ¹⁹ This is called insight-grasp. It is well when a man grasps by way of insight.

Q. What is the grasping of the characteristics of feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness? A. Characteristics of form: One grasps the form-consciousness by way of the earth-element, water-element, fire-element, air-element, sense-sphere of eye or sense-sphere of body. Characteristic of feeling: One grasps feeling by way of the pleasurable, the painful or the neither pleasurable nor painful. Characteristics of perception: One grasps perception by way of form-perception of perception of states. Characteristics of the formations: One grasps the formations through contact, volition, initial application of thought, sustained application of thought, or deliberation. Characteristics of consciousness: One grasps consciousness through eye-consciousness or mind-consciousness. One grasps one’s particular meditation and produces the sign skilfully. Thus one grasps the characteristics of form, feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness. {354|291}

1.17 Two ways of grasping of thought-characteristics

And again, through two ways one grasps the characteristics of thought: through object and through taking to heart. Q. How does one grasp the characteristics of thought through the object? A. Thought arises owing to object. One should grasp that, “Through this form-object, feeling-object, perception-object, formation-object, and consciousness-object, thought arises”, —thus one grasps. This is the grasping of the characteristics of thought through the object. Q. How does one grasp the characteristics of thought through taking to heart? A. “Through taking to heart, thought arises”,—thus one should consider. “Through taking feeling, perception and the formations to heart, thought arises”,—thus should one introspect. Thus through the taking to heart one grasps the characteristics of thought.

Q. What is the grasping well of the characteristics? A. Through these activities and these characteristics, one grasps form, feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness.

[455] And again, one is able to grasp the characteristics through these activities and these attributes. This is called the grasping well of the characteristics. “One penetrates rise and fall” means: “One sees clearly, ‘There is arising; there is passing away’”. Here the form that has arisen continues. The sign of birth is arising. The characteristic of change is passing away. When these two passages are perceived with the eye of wisdom, there is knowledge of “rise and fall”. The feeling that has arisen, continues. The characteristic of the coming to be of feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness is arising; the characteristic of change in them is passing away. When these two passages are perceived with the eye of wisdom, there is knowledge of “rise and fall”.

1.18 Characteristics of rise and fall in three ways

And again, one can be well acquainted with the characteristics of rise and fall through three ways: through cause, condition and own property. Q. How can one be well acquainted with the characteristics of arising through “cause”? A. The aggregates arise owing to craving, ignorance, and kamma. When a man perceives this with the eye of wisdom, he becomes familiar with the characteristics of arising through “cause”. ²⁰ How can one be well acquainted {355|292} with the characteristics of arising through “condition”? Conditioned by nutriment, the form-aggregate arises. Conditioned by contact, three aggregates arise. Conditioned by name-form, the aggregate of consciousness arises. ²¹ When a man perceives these with the eye of wisdom, he becomes familiar with the characteristics of arising through “condition”. Q. How can one be well acquainted with the characteristics through “own property”? A. The formations arise, renewing themselves. It is like the succession in the flame of a lamp. When a man perceives this with the eye of wisdom, he becomes familiar with the characteristics of arising through “own property” One can see the characteristics of the Truth of Origin through cause and condition. One can see the Truth of Ill through the arising of thought, ²² through condition and through own property. One can see by means of characteristics of the being observed. ²³ Thus one can be acquainted with the characteristics of arising through three ways.

Q. How can one be well acquainted with falling through three ways? A. Through the falling away of cause, the falling away of condition and the falling away of own property. Here through the falling away of craving, ignorance, and kamma, the falling away of the aggregates is fulfilled. ²⁴ When one perceives this with the eye of wisdom, one becomes familiar with the characteristics of falling away, through the falling away of condition. Through the falling away of nutriment, the falling away of the form-aggregate is fulfilled; ²⁵ through the falling away of contact, the falling away of three aggregates is fulfilled; through the falling away of name-form, the falling away of the aggregate of consciousness is fulfilled. ²⁶ When a man sees this with the eye of wisdom, he becomes familiar with the falling away by way of the falling away of condition. The falling away of the formations is likened to recession in the flame of a lamp. When a man sees this with the eye of wisdom, he becomes familiar with falling away by way of own property. Here, through the falling away of the cause, one sees the Truth of Cessation. Owing to characteristics, (the first) seeing ²⁷ is fulfilled. Through the grasping of the characteristics of the non-become, through the falling away of condition, through own property, through the destruction of views and through the characteristics of the Truth of Ill, the first seeing is fulfilled. {356|293}

1.19 Acquiring the highest knowledge

Q. How does one acquire the highest knowledge by seeing the Truth of ill through rise and fall and through the characteristics? A. How is the destruction of views the cause? One is able to see what he has not yet seen through the sign of the Truth of Ill. Ill pervades all (things). With the destroying of pernicious kamma, one sees things as they are. One causes the arising of the thought which is associated with the characteristics of phenomena, and rescues the mind from pernicious kamma. Having seen the tribulation of kamma according to reality, one causes the arising of the thought which is associated with the characteristics of phenomena, and rescues the mind from pernicious kamma. Here one sees ill everywhere, because one goes to the furthest end (investigates fully).

1.20 Simile of the bird surrounded by fire

It is like a winged bird surrounded by a fire. Before it flies away into the open sky, it is not free of subjection to fear. But when it sees the tribulation of the surrounding fire and is affected by the fearfulness thereof, it flies away. Thus it should be known. Here, through cause, through condition and through arising, one becomes familiar with the sign of the arising of conditioned arising. This being, this becomes: Owing to the arising of this (cause) the arising of this (result) is fulfilled. ²⁸ Owing to the destruction of the cause, and of the destruction of condition: Through the seeing of this destruction, one becomes familiar with the characteristics of birth according to conditioned arising. This not being, this does not arise: Owing to the destruction of this, this ceases. ²⁹ One can be familiar with arising, having seen its ceasing through own property and through rise and fall: One can see the arising of conditioned arising and the constructed states. One can see the arising and the cessation of this and also the stability of this.

1.21 Four states

One should, through rise and fall, know the four states: through oneness, diversity, non-effort and inherent nature. ³⁰ Seeing the unbroken sequence of the formations, a man holds the flux ³¹ to be single and does not cling to the idea of multiple fluxes. He does not hold it to be same throughout, because he sees the destruction of it (momentarily), and because of the succession of the formations. He does not cling to self because by nature the formations {357|294} are uncertain, and because of the succession of the formations. The uninstructed commoner, through wrongly grasping oneness, falls into eternalism or nihilism. Through wrongly grasping diversity, he falls into eternalism. Through wrongly grasping non-effort, he falls into the self-theory. ³² Thus through wrongly grasping the states, he falls into the theory of non-effort (?). Here, in the sense of entirety (wholeness), ³³ in the sense of distinctiveness of oneness and in the sense of the inclusion of different characteristics, the characteristic of oneness is fulfilled (?). In the sense of understanding, it is diversity. In the sense of defilement, it is single. In the sense of means it is multiple. As the fruit of craving, it is one; as the fruit of kamma, it is varied. That yogin, seeing oneness thus, does not cling to the view of discrete (series) ; and seeing diversity, he does not cling to the eternalist theory of oneness.

If he sees oneness, he removes annihilationism. If he sees diversity, he removes eternalism. That yogin, thus, through rise and fall, knows oneness and diversity.

1.22 Non-effort in the arising of the formations

Q. How does one see non-effort in the arising of the formations? By what reason are all phenomena characterized by non-effort and immovability, and how do they proceed without being caused to arise by others? A. Owing to intrinsic nature, cause and effect, union, origin, there is conditioned arising. Thus through inherent nature birth causes one to be born. Here, in the sense of non-life and non-môtion, non-effort should be known. In the sense of own nature and condition, inherent nature should be known. Here there is the manifestation of emptiness and non-effort, and also of the kamma and the formations. The manifestation of non-effort is called inherent nature. The manifestation of inherent nature is called the formations. Here through the correct seizure of oneness, one becomes familiar with ill; through the correct seizure of diversity, one becomes familiar with impermanence, and through the correct seizure of non-effort and inherent nature, one becomes familiar with not-self.

Q. Does the yogin review the rise and fall of all formations without remainder or only one? A. Grasping the characteristics in various subjects, he becomes familiar with rise and fall and causes that knowledge to fill ail formations without remainder. It is like a man who, having tasted the water of the sea in one spot, knows all sea-water to be salty. ³⁴ Thus should it be known. He fills all formations in two ways : by way of object and by way of non-delusion. Here, grasping the characteristics, one becomes familiar with arising and falling away of all formations. This knowledge of rise and fall is the discernment of all formations. All formations are discerned at the first moment of arising and in the last moment of falling away. They are {358|295} empty before the first moment of arising, and are empty after the last moment of falling away, because there is no other arising before they arose, and there is no other falling away after their fall. Therefore the knowledge of the rise and fall is the knowledge of the discernment of all formations.

The knowledge of rise and fall has ended.

1.23 Reviewing of breaking up

Thus that yogin enjoys dwelling upon the characteristics of arising and passing away, discerns the formations as subject to breaking up arid develops concentration. Effortlessly he produces intellection and sees the breaking up of mind-states. Through the form-object and through the arising and passing away of the mind, he sees the rise and fall of the mind-states associated with that object. In the same way he sees the rise and fall of the mind-states which are associated with these objects, through the perception-object, the formationobject, the consciousness-object and through the rise and fall of mind.

1.24 Breaking up through three ways

(a) Through assemblage

And again, he sees breaking up through three ways: through assemblage, duality and through understanding.

Q. How, through assemblage? A. Through assemblage, he sees the falling away of the postures in their several spheres and the associated mind and the mental properties with them. And again, he grasps form-impermanence, feeling-impermanence, perception-impermanence, formation-impermanence and consciousness-impermanence. After that he sees the breaking up of the mind and the mental properties which are associated with the object of impermanence, by way of assemblage. In the same way, with the object of ill and the object of not-self. ³⁵ Thus one should discern through assemblage.

(b) Through duality

Q. How, through duality? A. Having discerned impermanence of form, he arouses the states of mind that conform to impermanence and he sees the arising and the passing away of the mind. Thus having investigated the impermanence of feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness, he arouses the state of mind that conforms to the object of impermanence and {359|296} sees the arising and the passing away of the mind. In the same way, with the object of suffering and the object of not-self. Thus he should discern through duality.

(c) Through understanding

Q. How, through understanding? A. Having discerned the impermanence of form, he arouses the mind together with the object of impermanence [456] and sees the arising and the passing away of the mind. Thus through the understanding of insight, he sees the breaking up of many mind-states. He discerns the impermanence of feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness, and arouses the state of mind that conforms to the object of impermanence, and sees the arising and the falling away of mind-states. Thus he sees again and again the breaking up of mind-states. Thus through understanding he sees the breaking up of many states. Likewise, he discerns ill and not-self. Thus having understood, he grasps breaking up. That object of ill and breaking up makes for intentness, intent on the formations always, he attains to well-being every moment. Through this understanding, that yogin, independent of another, knows the whole world by itself (and as unenduring) as a poppy seed on the point (of an awl), ³⁶ and that in every concentrated thought-moment there is the change of arising, stability and destruction. ³⁷

1.25 Similes of drum-sound, town of gods, lightning

At this time the yogin again sees as it is taught in the stanzas thus:

Depending on each other do the two
called name and form, by nature carry on.
When one breaks up the other also breaks;
together do they always start their course.
The five states of form, odour and the rest,
rise not form eye, and also not from forms;
yet are not different from the set of two.
The states conditioned from a cause arise,
like the sound when a drum is struck.
The states of form, odour and the rest,
rise not from ear, and also not from sounds;
yet are not different from the set of two.
The five states of form, odour and the rest,
rise not from nose and also not from smell; {360|297}
yet are not different from the set of two.
The five states of form, odour and the rest,
rise not from tongue, and also not from taste;
yet are not different from the set of two.
The five states of form, odour and the rest,
rise not from body; also not from touch;
yet are not different from the set of two.
These are not born of form material;
these do not rise out of the sphere of thought;
they rise depending on condition-cause
like the sound when a drum is struck.
The functions are themselves without strength;
weak is the former cause; what has become
is feeble, poor. Infirm is that which is
to others bound. Co-states are also weak.
There is no strength at all in union;
and what rolls on is always impotent,
for what rolls on has no abiding strength.
It has no pith; it cannot cause to rise;
‘tis coreless even as a town of gods; ³⁸
none cause this to be; ‘tis not produced,
by self and does not by its strength remain.
On other states, depending, does it rise,
and what it does produce is called corrupt.
Weak is this body, it is not produced,
by itself and is low. It is not ‘cause’
or ‘object’, by itself. It has no pith
and is not free of states conditioned, but
is truly due to many complex-states.
Short is its life, because it is most weak;
it goes not anywhere; from nowhere comes;
and is not born in some land, distant, far.
The mind is not a person, soul or self;
at every point of thought it is bound up,
with what is pleasing or with what is ill.
It passes over mountain, sea and clime,
sees eighty thousand aeons in a trice,
lives only once and does not come again,
does not to two thought-moments bind itself,
and in it is all past and future lost.
All that remains is merely aggregate
and this is ever falling without end
and so will also fall the state to be. {361|298}
There are no different signs occurring here,
from the non-born there is no coming here,
in the sense that is highest, there is none
who goes or comes. And in the future will
no heaping be, but just a going-on.
The world does not with dhamma ever mix.
One cannot see the future or the source.
All dhammas are un-made—they are like space—
and rising like the lightning, perish soon.

Thus seeing endless destruction, that yogin enters into, concentration. Just as in rubbing sticks together for fire, sparks flash forth, just so is the class of enlightenment moments. When illumination, joy, calm, bliss, resolve, uplift, presentation, equanimity and desire ³⁹ arise, if he is not intelligent, the yogin will arouse thoughts of distraction or conceit in this state.

Q. How can he remove distraction? A. That yogin arouses rapture for the doctrine. That rapture pacifies his mind; and sitting again, he calms the mind and makes it conform to the doctrine. If his mind conforms to the doctrine, he rejects the idea of permanence through concentration of the reviewing of breaking up. Being free from the idea of permanence, he becomes familiar with the method and removes (distraction of mind).

Q. How does the yogin remove conceit? A. That yogin causes the arising of illumination in the doctrine at first, believes that he has attained to the supramundane state, thinks that he has attained what he has not attained and does not endeavour further. Thus he arouses conceit. The intelligent yogin knows that defilement disturbs meditation, arid knows that worldly states have the formations for object, Thus he knows that the supramundane state has Nibbāna for object. Having seen thus, he removes distraction and conceit by this knowledge and seeing only breaking up, practises well and practises repeatedly.

The knowledge which is the discernment of falling away has ended.

The Eleventh Fascicle has ended.

{362|299}

2 Section Two

2.1 Fear knowledge

Thus to that yogin who discerns breaking up, owing to breaking-up-, discernment, knowledge of fear arises.

2.2 Similes of the man with the sword, poisonous snake, and heap of fire

The cause of the aggregates, the arising of the aggregates, the three planes of becoming, ⁴⁰ the five kinds of faring-on, ⁴¹ the seven stations of consciousness, ⁴² and the nine abodes of sentience, ⁴³ appear to him as fearful as a wicked man who takes up a sword, ⁴⁴ a poisonous snake, ⁴⁵ or a heap of fire. ⁴⁶ Thus owing to his discernment of breaking-up, fear arises: fear of the cause of aggregation; fear of the arising of aggregation. Thus considering the three planes of becoming, {363|300} the five kinds of faring-on, the seven stations of intelligence, the nine abodes of sentience as impermanent, he grasps the idea of fear and causes the arising of the signless ⁴⁷ through tranquillity. Attending to ill and fearing birth, he causes the arising of the birthless ⁴⁸ through tranquillity. Attending to not-self, he fears the sign of birth and causes the arising of the signless and the birthless through tranquillity. He reviews tribulation and repulsion and observes conformable patience. ⁴⁹ This is the explanation in full.

The cause of the arising of fear-knowledge has ended.

2.3 Knowledge of the desire for release

Practising (the knowledge of) fear, that yogin produces the knowledge of the desire for release. When he fears the sign of the aggregates, the knowledge of the desire for release arises. When he fears the arising of the aggregates, the knowledge of the desire for release arises. When he fears the three planes of becoming, the five kinds of faring-on, the seven stations of intelligence, and the nine abodes of sentience, the knowledge of the desire for release arises. It is like a bird hemmed in by a fire desiring to escape it, and like a man surrounded by robbers seeking to get free of them. Thus if that yogin fears the cause of the aggregates, the coming to be of the aggregates, the three planes of becoming, the five kinds of ill-faring, the seven abodes of consciousness and the nine abodes of sentience, the knowledge of the desire for release arises. ⁵⁰ Attending{364|301} to impermanence, he fears the cause; attending to ill, he fears birth; attending to not-self, he fears both cause and birth. Then the knowledge of the desire for release arises. Here the commoner and the learner ⁵¹ [457]

This is the full explanation.

The knowledge of the desire for release has ended.

2.4 Adaptive knowledge

Practising the knowledge of the desire for. release that yogin wishes to free himself from all action and attain to Nibbāna. Wishing to arouse only one sign (?), he arouses knowledge conformable to the Way of Escape. Through three ways adaptive knowledge ⁵² arises. He transcends the formations through three ways: Reviewing the impermanence of the five aggregates, he attains to adaptive knowledge. The extinction of the five aggregates is permanent Nibbāna. Reviewing the ill of the five aggregates, he attains to adaptive knowledge. The extinction of the aggregates is blissful Nibbāna. Thus he transcends the formations. Reviewing not-selfness of the five aggregates, he attains to adaptive knowledge. The extinction of the aggregates is absolute Nibbāna. He transcends the formations considering them as impermanent, ill and not-self. Q. Through what knowledge does he transcend the formations, and through what knowledge is transcending of the formations completed? A. He transcends the formations through adaptive knowledge. The transcending of the formations is completed through Path-knowledge. Q. What is adaptive knowledge? A. The knowledge which conforms to the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven enlightenment factors and the factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, ⁵³ is called adaptive knowledge. This is the full explanation of adaptive knowledge.

Adaptive knowledge has ended.

2.5 Knowledge of adoption

Adaptive knowledge arises from dwelling upon the characteristics of the formations immediately after. But when he attends taking Nibbāna as object, {365|302} he arouses the knowledge of adoption. ⁵⁴ Q. What is adoption? A. The passing beyond of commoner-states, is called adoptive knowledge.... ⁵⁵

And again, the sowing of the seed of Nibbāna, is called adoption. It is as has been stated in the Abhidhamma: “The overcoming of birth is named adoption. ⁵⁶ The victory of non-birth is also named adoption”. ⁵⁷ And again, the overcoming of the cause of birth is adoption. To pass over to non-birth and the signless is named adoption. This is the first turning to Nibbāna. From without, he produces the wisdom of procedure. This is the full explanation of adoption.

The knowledge of adoption has ended.

By means of the knowledge of adoption, he knows ill, immediately after. He cuts off origin, and makes cessation manifest. He practises the Path, and attains to the Path-knowledge of Stream-entrance and all accessories of enlightenment. At this time the yogin sees the limited, the unconditioned, and the sublime, through seclusion. He understands the Four Noble Truths in one moment, in one comprehension, not before or after (each other).

He understands at once ill, the cutting off of origin, the realization of cessation and the practice of the Path. Thus he understands. It is taught in the simile in verse thus:

By boat one goes with goods leaving this bank,
And cutting the stream, reaches that.

2.6 Similes of the boat, lamp, and sun

It is like the crossing in the boat. The four actions occur simultaneously, neither before nor after. The man leaves this bank, cuts the stream, carries the goods and reaches the further bank. Like the leaving of this bank is the knowledge that understands ill; like the cutting of the stream is the cutting off of the origin; like the arrival at the further bank is the realization of cessation; like the carrying of the foods is the practising of the Path. ⁵⁸

Or it is like a lamp which in one moment, neither before nor after, fulfils four functions thus: the burning of the wick; the dispelling of darkness; the {366|303} consumption of oil; and the production of light. ⁵⁹

And again, it is like the sun which performs four functions simultaneously, neither before nor after, thus: It makes forms visible, dispels darkness, removes cold and produces light; Like the making visible of forms, is the knowledge which understands ill ; like the dispelling of darkness, is the destruction of origin; like the removal of cold, is the realization of cessation; like the production of light, is the practising of the Path. Thus is the Ariyan knowledge compared to the sun. ⁶⁰

Q. Of the knowledge that understands ill, of the removal of origin, of the realization of cessation and of the practising of the Path, what are the signs? A. If the yogin does not understand ill, the four reversals occur. And at that time the yogin sees the limited, the unconditioned and the element of the sublime through solitude. Through the knowledge that occurs in one moment, he realizes the Four Truths at the same time, neither before nor after. Q. How should these be understood. A. By means of the knowledge of arising and falling away, he cannot comprehend the flood of ill and the tribulation of the formations as they truly are; He practises on a sign which does not belong to the formations. And he passes over to that which is not formation. Thus he sees the tribulation of the formations as they are through causing the mind to practise on a sign belonging to the formations, and passes over to that which is not formations. Here he comprehends the flood of ill and reaches the end. And again, it is said that if that is so, he should be able to discern the Truth through, the solitude and the knowledge of adoption. The knowledge of adoption arises from the formations, and passes over that which is non-formation. When the knowledge of adoption which arises from the sign of the formations passes over to that which is non-formation, he can attain to Nibbāna. Intentness on the cause is its only object. Through intentness on the object, he can develop concentration of mind. When he gets concentration, [[367|304]] he produces serenity and insight, and also can fulfil the enlightenment accessories. Thereby he understands the Truth through the knowledge of adoption. From that knowledge of adoption the knowledge of the Path is produced immediately. At that time he can get the concentration of Nibbāna. His mind attains to concentration and develops serenity and insight and the enlightenment accessories. Therefore it is only through the knowledge of the Path that one can discern the Truth.

2.7 Simile of the burning city

It is like a man stepping across the threshold of the gate of a burning city. When he has placed one foot outside the city, he is not yet entirely outside the city. Thus at that time, the knowledge of adoption arises from that object of the formations and passes over to that which is non-formation. But here it cannot be said that he has done with the defilements, because many states are yet not perfected. Just as when a man places both his feet outside the threshold of the gate of the burning city, it can be said that he is out of the burning city, just so when the knowledge of adoption arouses the knowledge of the Path without end, it could be said that one has gone out of the walled city of the defilements, because the states are complete. Therefore, through the knowledge of adoption, one fulfils the discernment of Truth. ⁶¹

Q. What is meant by discernment? A. The Four Noble Truths occur in one moment—this is understanding. Here Path-knowledge and the balance of the faculties mean equilibrium; the powers mean immovability; the enlightenment factors mean vehicle; the factors of the Eightfold Path mean cause; the foundations of mindfulness mean dwelling; the right efforts mean distinction; the bases of supernormal power mean contrivance; truth means Truth; serenity means non-disturbance; insight means vision; the twofold means non-separation; the purity of virtue means shielding; the purity of thought means non-excitement; the purity of views means seeing; skill in wisdom means shedding; illumination of indifference means pervading everywhere; the faculty of the knowledge of extinction means complete sloughing; uniformity of attention means the development of regenerate desire; renunciation means the extinction of contact and feeling; concentration means the setting-up in front; ⁶² mindfulness means shelter; wisdom means Truth; the sublime means supreme distinction; Nibbāna means ultimate rest. {368|305}

2.8 Three fetters

Thus that yogin knows presently, sees presently and cuts off the three fetters, i.e., self-illusion, uncertainty, addiction to rites and ceremonies, and the defilements standing in that place. ⁶³

Q. What is self-illusion A. Here seeing form, the uninstructed commoner thinks: “This is the self; the self is form; form is the abode of the self; in form there is the self”. Thus in the same way he thinks of feeling, perception, the formations or consciousness thus: “consciousness is the self; the self is consciousness; consciousness is the abode of the self; in consciousness is the self”. This is called self-illusion. ⁶⁴ This self is cut off and thereby sixty-two views, ⁶⁵ beginning with self-illusion, are also cut off.

Q. What is uncertainty? A. Uncertainty regarding ill, origin, cessation, the Path, the Buddha, the Law, the Community of Bhikkhus, the beginning, the end, and the beginning and the end, or uncertainty concerning the doctrine of cause and condition, is called uncertainty. ⁶⁶ This is cut off.

Q. What is addiction to rites and ceremonies. A. There are two kinds in addiction to rites and ceremonies. They are, (addiction due to) craving and (addiction due to) delusion. (Here one thinks thus:) “Through this vow, through this conduct, through this painful practice and through this holiness, I shall be reborn in heaven or I shall be reborn in every heaven”. This is called addiction to rites and ceremonies due to craving. Here a recluse or a brahmin thinks: “Through this virtue, through this purity and the action of purity of virtue, (I shall be reborn etc.)”. This is called addiction to rites and ceremonies due to delusion. ⁶⁷ This is also cut off. {369|306}

Q. What are the defilements standing in that place? A. Sense-desire, hate and infatuation which cause ill-faring are called the defilements standing in that place. [458] These are also cut down. At this time one realizes the Fruit of Stream-entrance. If a man has not yet attained to the stage of a Stream-entrant, he dwells in the Stream-entrant’s place of departure, or the eighth place. Or else, in the ground of vision or concentration or in the wisdom procedure which arises from both. This is the full explanation of the knowledge of the Path of Stream-entrance. Immediately after, the Stream-entrant cuts off the three fetters. Therefore his object is unconditioned. The method which is not different from the Path and other states arouses the fruitional knowledge and the fruitional consciousness of the Stream-entrant.

Having seen the Path, Fruit and Nibbāna, he cuts off the defilements and sees the remaining defilements. This is Stream-entrance, non-retrogression. This is to be born of the breast of the Blessed One. This is to be born of the mouth of the Blessed One. This is the dhamma that is born of dhamma. ⁶⁸ This is the getting of the limbs of dhamma. It is separation from all things. It is called the good course endowed with vision. It is called familiarity with the Noble Doctrine. It is the dwelling at the threshold of the Sublime. ⁶⁹ Here, perfecting his vision, he sees the Good Law. After seeing the Good Law, he fulfils knowledge. If his knowledge is fulfilled, he enters the stream of the Noble Doctrine and becomes familiar with wisdom, and opening the gate of the Sublime, he dwells within it. Therefore it is said in the verse thus:

Royal is that one who wins the stream,
a king of deva-realms is he,
a ruler of all worlds that be,
for Fruit of Stream is verily supreme! ⁷⁰

2.9 Once-returner

Dwelling in this stage, that yogin endeavours further wishing to obtain the Fruit of Once-return, and he sees birth, destruction and the rest. As explained above he sees. He develops in the way through which he saw the Path. Depending on the faculties, the powers and enlightenment-intellection, {370|307} he discerns the Truth. Thus he practises and goes towards cessation. He cuts off coarse passion and hatred and the defilements standing in that place. ⁷¹ By this Path he gains the Fruit of Once-return immediately.

2.10 Non-returner

Dwelling in this stage, he endeavours further, wishing to obtain the Fruit, of Non-return, and sees birth, destruction and the rest. As explained above he sees. He develops in the way through which he saw the Path. Depending on the faculties, the powers and enlightenment-intellection, he understands the truth and goes towards cessation. He cuts off fine passion and hate and the defilements standing in that place. By this Path he gains the Fruit of Non-return immediately. ⁷²

2.11 Saintship

Dwelling in this stage, he endeavours further wishing to obtain the Fruit of Saintship and sees birth, destruction and the others. As explained above he sees. He develops in the same way by which he saw the Path. Depending on the faculties, the powers and enlightenment-intellection, he discerns the Truth. Thus he cuts off desire for the form and the formless; and he cuts off conceit, agitation, ignorance and all other defilements without remainder. ⁷³ Thereafter that yogin gains the Fruit of Saintship. He sees the Path; he sees the Fruit of enlightenment, and he sees the extirpation of the defilements. Thus that bhikkhu becomes a Consummate One, eradicates the cankers, does what there is to do, lays down the burden, attains to the goal, removes the fetters, knows liberation, is separate from the five and (endowed with) the six factors, and attains to security. He is not fettered by death, removes cessation associated with other (false) truths, believes in and looks for the stainless, attends to the calming of the bodily formations, ⁷⁴ and gains the highest guerdon. He is called one who has removed hatred, one who has won the further shore, ⁷⁵ one who has broken free of the defilements, one who is without fetters {371|308} and hindrances, possessor of Ariyan wings, remover of the burden, the dissociated one, recluse, brāhmaṇa, the purified one, knower of the lore, highest brahmin, Consummate One, one who has attained (knowledge), has sloughed off, conqueror, the man tranquillized who arouses tranquillity. This is the full explanation of Consummate One.

2.12 Three kinds of stream-entrant

Here, if a Stream-entrant does not endeavour further in this life, he falls into one of three classes. The three classes of Stream-entrants are: ekabījin (one-seeder), sattakkhattuparama (one who will be born seven times at most), kolaṅkola (one who will be born in good families).

Sattakkhattuparama is of weak faculty; kolaṅkola is of middling faculty; and ekabījin is of keen faculty.

Sattakkhattuparama: After dwelling in divine-realms (for six births), he, in his seventh birth, is born here, and makes an end of ill.

Kolaṅkola: He is born in a good family three or four ⁷⁶ times, and makes an end of ill.

Ekabījin: With one more birth as a man, he makes an end of ill.

If a Once-returner does not make further endeavour in this life, he returns to this world once more, and makes an end of ill. ⁷⁷

2.13 Five kinds of non-returner

If a Non-returner makes no further endeavour in this life, he will be reborn in a Pure Abode. ⁷⁸ According to the difference of faculties, there are five kinds of Non-returners: Antarā parinibbāyin, upahacca parinibbāyin, asaṅkhāra parinibbāyin, asaṅkhāra parinibbāyin, uddhaṁsota Akaniṭṭhagāmin. Here, he who makes the Ariyan Path manifest in order to remove the remaining fetters and latencies and passes away without reaching the middle of his life-span is antarā parinibbāyin. He who makes the Ariyan Path manifest, in order to remove the remaining fetters and latencies, and passes away after reaching the middle of his life-span, is upahacca parinibbāyin. He who makes the Ariyan Path manifest, in order to remove the remaining fetters and latencies without external stimulus, is asaṅkhāra parinibbāyin. He who makes the Ariyan Path manifest, in order to remove the remaining fetters and latencies {372|309} with external stimulus, is sasaṅkhāra parinibbāyin. From Avihā he goes to Atappā; from Atappā he goes to Sudassā from Sudassā he goes to Sudassī; from Sudassī he goes to Akaniṭṭhā. In Akaniṭṭhā he makes the Ariyan Path manifest in order to remove the remaining fetters and latencies, and passes away. This is the uddhamsota Akaniṭṭhagāmin. ⁷⁹ The life-span in Avihā is ten thousand aeons; in Atappā, twenty thousand; in Sudassā, forty thousand; in Sudassī, eighty thousand; and in Akaniṭṭhā, one hundred and sixty thousand. ⁸⁰ In each of the four spheres there are five persons, and in the Akaniṭṭhā, four. There, the up-stream-goer is not. Thus there are twenty- four persons.

The Consummate One has removed all defilements. No more has he. Therefore there is no cause of future birth in him. Because he has no cause, he is free from becoming. He destroys the formations. He cuts off ill. He stirs up no more ill. This verily is the end of ill. Therefore it is taught in the stanza thus:

2.14 Simile of the fiery sparks

As when a smith beats red-hot iron to shape,
sparks fly, fall into water, and then cease;
so is his ending wrought in sequence true,
and of his faring-on there is no trace.

Escaping thus and breaking himself loose
from lust, and tangle and corruptions base,
he gains the blissful state immovable,
and of his faring-on there is no trace. ⁸¹ {373|310}

2.15 Miscellaneous teachings

⁸² The following are the miscellaneous teachings here: insight, initial application of thought, joy, feeling, plane, faculty, emancipation, defilements, two attainments in concentration.

2.16 Serenity and insight

Insight is of two kinds, namely, of the method of serenity and of bare insight. Q. What is insight by way of serenity? Having acquired concentration, one overcomes the hindrances by concentration-strength, and one understands form after one penetrates name by way of the factors of meditation, jhāna. Here beginning with concentration one proceeds to insight.

Bare insight: One overcomes the hindrances through understanding-strength. One discerns name after form has been penetrated by way of the bodily formations. Beginning with insight, he develops serenity. ⁸³

2.17 Initial application of thought and bare insight

Bare insight is with initial application of thought. In the first meditation, jhāna, the Path and the Fruit of insight are with initial application of thought. In the third meditation, jhāna, insight and adoption are with initial application of thought, and the Path and the Fruit are without initial application of thought. The Path in the plane of initial application of thought fulfils the eight factors of the Path. In the plane that is without initial application of thought, seven factors remove consideration. {374|311}

2.18 Joy

At first the bare insight worker experiences the suffering of the formations. Through adaptive knowledge of insight he fulfils non-suffering, and develops adoption. The Path and the Fruit bring about joy together. Then the bare insight worker gains perfection of the ease of the formations. In the second meditation, jhāna, insight and Path and Fruit bring about joy. In the third and the fourth meditations, jhānas, insight, Path and Fruit bring about joy. In the Path and the Fruit of the plane of joy, the seven enlightenment factors arise. The six kinds of enlightenment in the plane of non-joy remove the enlightenment-initial-application-of-thought that is joy.

2.19 Feeling

At first the bare insight worker experiences the suffering of the formations. Insight and adaptive knowledge bring about equanimity. Adoption, the Path and the Fruit bring about joy. Then the bare insight worker gains perfection of the ease of the formations. In the third meditation (jhāna), insight, the Path and the Fruit bring about joy. In the fourth meditation (jhāna), insight, the Path and the Fruit bring about equanimity.

2.20 Plane

There are two kinds of planes: plane of seeing and plane of volition. Here, the Path of Stream-entrance is the plane of seeing. The other three Paths and the four Fruits of the recluse are the plane of volition. Not having seen before, one sees now. This is the plane of seeing. One sees {375|312} thus and attends to it. This is called the plane of volition. ⁸⁴ And again, there are two planes: the plane of the learner and the plane of the learning-ender. Here, the four Paths and the three Fruits of the recluse are of the plane of the learner. Arahatship is learning-ender’s plane.

2.21 Faculties

There are three supramundane faculties, namely, the faculty which assures knowledge of the unknown, the faculty of perfect knowability and the faculty of him who has known. Here, the knowledge of the Stream-winner’s Path is called the faculty which assures knowledge of the unknown. The knowledge of the three (other) Paths and of the (first) three Fruits is called the faculty of perfect knowability. The faculty of him who has known belongs to the plane of Fruition of the Saint. One who knows all dhammas without remainder is possessed of the faculty of him who has known. ⁸⁵

2.22 The three emancipations

Here, there are three kinds, namely, the signless emancipation, the unhankered emancipation and the void emancipation. ⁸⁶ Here, the absence of [[376|313]] the sign in the adoption knowledge of the Path, is the signless emancipation. The absence of hankering is unhankered emancipation. The absence of attachment is void emancipation. And again, these three emancipations fulfil different Paths through penetration; and they fulfil one Path through attainment.

Q. How do these fulfil different Paths through penetration? A. Through impermanence-penetration, the signless emancipation is fulfilled. Through ill-penetration, the unhankered emancipation is fulfilled. Through notself-penetration, void emancipation is fulfilled.

Q. How is the signless emancipation fulfilled through impermanence- penetration? A. Attention to impermanence destroys the formations, and emancipates the mind in many ways. Thus faith and the other four faculties are got. And the knowledge of the thus-isness of the sign makes manifest the impermanence of all compounded things, arouses fear of the sign of the formations and, through proceeding in the signless, surpasses the sign through the emancipation that is without sigh: and the release from the aggregates takes place. Thus the signless emancipation is fulfilled through impermanence-penetration.

Q. How is the unhankered emancipation fulfilled through ill-penetration? A. Attention to ill develops fear towards the formations and emancipates the mind in many ways. Thus concentration and the four other faculties are got. And the knowledge of the thus-isness of birth makes manifest the ill of all compounded things, arouses fear towards birth, gains the knowledge of birth and, proceeding in the birthless, surpasses birth through the emancipation that is without hankering; and the release from the aggregates takes place. Thus the unhankered emancipation is fulfilled through ill-penetration.

Q. How is the void emancipation fulfilled through not-self-penetration?

A. Attention to Not-self makes manifest the voidness of the formations and stirs up aversion for them.. Thus wisdom and the four other faculties are got. And the knowledge of the thus-isness of the faculties and of birth make manifest the not-self of all compounded things. Liberating itself from the sign and birth, the mind, proceeding along the signless, the birthless, goes beyond to breaking-up and Nibbāna, through the emancipation that is void; and the release from the aggregates takes place. Thus through not-self- penetration, the void emancipation is fulfilled. Thus do these three emancipations fulfil different Paths through penetration. {377|314}

Q. How do these three emancipations fulfil one Path through penetration?

A. With the signless emancipation, three emancipations are gained. Owing to the signless, there is emancipation of the mind. Although emancipation is gained, there is hankering left, yet; therefore unhankered emancipation is won. Thus the three emancipations are fulfilled. Through attention (to impermanence etc.) emancipation of the mind is gained. Through emancipation from the sign and attachment, void emancipation is won and the three emancipations are fulfilled; because if emancipation from attachment is fulfilled, it also is emancipation due to attention to the sign. Thus after attaining to the three emancipations the one Path is fulfilled.

2.23 Emancipation and the entrance into it

Q. What is the difference between emancipation and the entrance into emancipation? A. The freedom from the defilements that cloud Path-knowledge is emancipation. The entry into the sublime way [460] is entrance into emancipation. Again emancipation is only Path-knowledge; its object which is Nibbāna is called the entering into emancipation.

2.24 One hundred and thirty-four defilements

There are one hundred and thirty-four defilements. They are the three immoral roots, the three kinds of seeking, the four cankers, the four knots, the four floods, the four yokes, the four clingings, the four wrong courses of action, the five kinds of meanness, the five hindrances, the six roots of contention, the seven latencies, the eight worldly conditions, the nine conceits, the ten defilements, the ten courses of immoral action, the ten fetters, the ten errors, the twelve reversals, the twelve risings of immoral consciousness.

2.25 Three immoral roots

Here, the three immoral roots are lust, hatred and delusion. ⁸⁷ (Of these three), hatred is thinned in two Paths. It perishes without remainder in the Path of Non-return. Lust and delusion are thinned in three Paths. They perish without remainder in the Path of Saintship.

2.26 The three kinds of seeking

The three kinds of seeking are the seeking for pleasure, for existence and for holiness. ⁸⁸ Of these three, the seeking for holiness is destroyed without remainder in the Path of Stream-entrance. The seeking for pleasure is destroyed in the Path of Non-return. And the seeking for existence is destroyed in the Path of Saintship. {378|315}

2.27 The four corruptions

The four cankers are the canker of lust, of becoming, of views and of ignorance. ⁸⁹ Here, the canker of views is destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance; the canker of lust is destroyed through the Path of Non-return; the cankers of becoming and ignorance are destroyed through the Path of Saintship.

2.28 The four knots

The four knots are the knot of the group of covetousness, the knot of the group of ill will, the knot of the group of addiction to rites and ceremonies and the knot of the group of the obsession that “this is the truth”. ⁹⁰

Here, the knots of the group of addiction to rites and ceremonies and the knot of the group of the obsession that “this is the truth” are cut through the Path of Stream-entrance. The knot of the group of ill will is cut through the Path of Non-return. The knot of the group of covetousness is cut through the Path of Saintship.

2.29 The four floods

The four floods are the flood of lust, the flood of becoming, the flood of views and the flood of ignorance. ⁹¹

2.30 The four yokes

The four yokes are the yoke of lust, the yoke of becoming, the yoke of views and the yoke of ignorance. ⁹² These are destroyed as it was taught before.

2.31 The four clingings

The four clingings are the clinging of lust, of views, of addiction to rites and ceremonies and of the theory of self. ⁹³ Here, three clingings are destroyed in the Path of Stream-entrance. The clinging of lust is destroyed in the Path of Saintship. {379|316}

2.32 The four wrong courses of action

The four wrong courses of action are the wrong course of action of desire, the wrong course of action of anger, the wrong course of action of fear and the wrong course of action of delusion. ⁹⁴ These four are cut in the Path of Stream-entrance.

2.33 The five kinds of meanness

The five kinds of meanness are, namely, meanness as to dwelling, family, gain, colour and doctrine. ⁹⁵ These five are destroyed through the Path of Non-return.

2.34 The five hindrances

The five hindrances are sense-desire, ill will, rigidity and torpor, agitation and anxiety, and uncertainty. ⁹⁶ Here uncertainty is destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance; sense-desire, ill will and anxiety are destroyed through the Path of Non-Return; rigidity and agitation are destroyed through the Path of Saintship. Torpor goes together with the form.

2.35 The six roots of contention

The six roots of contention are quarrelsomeness, envy, jealousy, craft, evil desires and infection of views. ⁹⁷ Here, craft, evil desires and infection of views are destroyed in the Path of Stream-entrance. Quarrelsomeness, envy and jealousy are destroyed through the Path of Non-Return. {380|317}

2.36 The seven latencies

The seven latencies are the latency of sense-desire, the latency of anger, the latency of conceit, the latency of views, the latency of uncertainty, the latency of the desire for becoming and the latency of ignorance. ⁹⁸ Here, the latencies of views and uncertainty are destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance. The latency of sense-desire and the latency of anger are destroyed through the Path of Non-Return. The latency of conceit, the latency of desire for becoming and the latency of ignorance are destroyed through the Path of Saintship.

2.37 The eight worldly conditions

The eight worldly conditions are gain, loss, disgrace, fame, praise, blame, pain and pleasure. ⁹⁹ Here, the resentment produced by the four kinds of places one dislikes, is destroyed through the Path of Non-Return. The inclination for the four kinds of places one likes, is destroyed through the Path of Saintship.

2.38 The nine conceits

One produces the conceit: “I am superior to others who are superior”; or one produces the conceit: “I am equal to the superior ones”; or one produces the conceit: “I am inferior to the superior ones;” or one produces the conceit: “I am superior to others who are like me;” or one produces the conceit: “I am inferior to others who are like me;” or one produces the conceit: “I am superior to those who are inferior;” or one produces the conceit: “I am equal to those who are inferior;” or one produces the. conceit: “I am inferior to others who are inferior”. ¹⁰⁰ These nine conceits are destroyed through the Path of Saintship. {381|318}

2.39 The ten defilements

The ten defilements are greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, views, uncertainty, rigidity, agitation, immodesty, indecorum. ¹⁰¹ Here, views and uncertainty are destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance. Hatred is destroyed through the Path of Non-return. The other seven are destroyed through the Path of Saintship.

(And again, there are these) ten defilements: Here one thinks: “This man opposed me, opposes me, will oppose me”; or one thinks: “This man opposed those who are dear to me, is opposing them, will oppose them”; or he thinks: “This man supported my enemy, is supporting him, will support him”; and he produces what is improper. These ten defilements are destroyed by the Path of Non-return.

2.40 The ten courses of unskilful actions

The ten courses of unskilful action are: Taking the life of beings, taking what is not given, fornication, lying, slanderous talk, harsh talk, frivolous talk, covetousness, ill will, wrong views. ¹⁰² Here, the taking of life, of what is not given, fornication, lying and wrong views are destroyed by the Path of Stream-entrance. Slanderous talk, harsh talk, ill will are destroyed by the Path of Non-return. Frivolous talk and covetousness are destroyed by the Path of Saintship.

2.41 The ten fetters

The ten fetters are sensuous-desire, ill will, conceit, self-illusion, uncertainty, addiction to rites and ceremonies, desire for existence, envy, avarice and ignorance. ¹⁰³ Here, self-illusion, uncertainty, addiction to rites and ceremonies are destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance. Sensuous-desire, ill will, envy, and avarice are destroyed through the Path of Non-return. Conceit, desire for existence and ignorance are destroyed through the Path of Saintship.

2.42 The ten errors

The ten errors are wrong view, wrong thought, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong, livelihood wrong exertion, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration, {382|319} wrong knowledge, wrong emancipation. ¹⁰⁴ Here wrong view, wrong speech in the sense of lying, (wrong) action, wrong livelihood, wrong knowledge and wrong emancipation are destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance. Wrong thought, wrong speech in the sense of slanderous talk and harsh talk are destroyed by the Path of Non-return. Wrong speech in the sense of frivolous talk, wrong exertion, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration are destroyed through the Path of Saintship.

2.43 The twelve reversals

The twelve reversals are perception-reversal, thought-reversal, and view- reversal by which one regards the impermanent as permanent, the ill as well, the foul as fair and the not-self as self. ¹⁰⁵

Here, the three reversals by which one regards the impermanent as permanent, the three reversals by which one regards the not-self as self, the reversal of view by which one regards the foul as fair and the reversal of view by which one regards ill as well are destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance. The reversal of perception and the reversal of thought, by which one regards the foul as fair, are destroyed through the Path of Non-return. The reversal of perception and the reversal of thought, by which one regards ill as well, are destroyed by the Path of Saintship.

2.44 The twelve arisings of unskilful thought

The twelve arisings of unskilful consciousness are arisings of consciousness without external stimulus and arisings of consciousness with external stimulus, associated with views and accompanied by joy; arisings of consciousness without external stimulus and arisings of consciousness with external stimulus, not associated with views and accompanied by joy; arisings of consciousness without external stimulus and arisings of consciousness with external stimulus, associated with views and accompanied by indifference; arisings of consciousness without external stimulus and arising of consciousness with external stimulus, not associated with views and accompanied by indifference; arisings of consciousness without external stimulus and arisings of consciousness with external stimulus associated with hatred and accompanied by grief; arisings of consciousness accompanied by excitement; and arisings of consciousness accompanied by uncertainty. ¹⁰⁶ Here the four arisings of consciousness {383|320} associated with views and the arisings of consciousness accompanied by uncertainty are destroyed through the Path of Stream-entrance. The two arisings of consciousness which are accompanied (by grief) are thinned out in two Paths and destroyed without remainder through the Path of Non-return. The four arisings of consciousness not associated with views and the arising of consciousness accompanied by excitement are thinned out in three Paths and are destroyed without remainder through the Path of Saintship.

2.45 The two enjoyments

There are two enjoyments. They are the enjoyment of the essence of the Fruit and the enjoyment of the attainment of dissolution which the commoner cannot acquire.

Q. What is the enjoyment of the Fruit? Why is it called enjoyment? Who enter upon it? How does one emerge? Why does one enter upon it? How does one enter upon it? How does one attend? Through how many conditions is it fulfilled? Conditioned by what does it stand? What conditions cause it to arise? Is this enjoyment mundane or supramundane?

2.46 Enjoyment of the fruit

A. “What is the enjoyment of the Fruit?”: This is recluse Fruit. ¹⁰⁷ It is the pacification of the mind in Nibbāna. This is called “enjoyment of the Fruit”.

Why is it called enjoyment of the Fruit? Because it is the effect of the supramundane Path which is neither skilful nor unskilful. It is not an object. This is enjoyment of the Fruit. Here the Consummate One and the Non-returner enter this concentration.

2.47 A second point of view

Again, there is another teaching; All Noble Ones can develop it as taught in the Abhidhamma thus: “For the sake of attaining the Path of {384|321} Stream-entrance, it overcomes up-springing. This is called adoption”. ¹⁰⁸ In the same way the others should be understood.

2.48 A third point of view

Again, it is said: “Only those Noble Ones who have extirpated (the cankers) attain to (this) concentration”. It is as has been stated in the utterance of the Venerable Elder Nārada to the bhikkhus: “Venerable sirs, it is as if in a forest mount there were a well, with no rope beside it for drawing water. A man sore stricken by the heat of the sun, thirsty and tired, coming there, would merely see the water without reaching it. Even so am I [461] venerable sirs; I know well that the destruction of becoming is Nibbāna, but I am not a Consummate One because I have not yet done with the cankers”. ¹⁰⁹

2.49 The signless concentration of mind

Why is it entered upon? Having seen the Law, one enters upon it for the sake of dwelling in bliss, as the Blessed One declared to the Venerable {385|322} Elder Ānanda: “At this time, Ānanda, the Tathāgata does not attend to any sign; he destroys sensation only and dwells developing the concentration of signless consciousness. At this time, Ānanda, the body of the Tathāgata is at peace”. ¹¹⁰

“How does one enter upon it?”: A. If that yogin wishes to get the enjoyment of Fruition, he enters into a place of solitude, views the formations by way of rise and fall and proceeds to adoptive-knowledge. Adoptive-knowledge brings the enjoyment of the Fruition of Nibbāna immediately. The Fruition that arises is of that meditation, jhāna, by which he attains to the Path. This is called the enjoyment of Fruition.

“How does one attend?”: A. The unconditioned element of the Sublime is attended to through tranquillity.

“Through how many conditions is it fulfilled?”, “Conditioned by what does it stand?”, Through what conditions does one emerge?: A. The yogin enjoys it through two conditions: the non-attending to all signs and the attending to the element of the signless. ¹¹¹ Three are the conditions of persistence: non-attention to all signs; attention to the signless element; previous preparation. ¹¹² Two are the conditions of emergence:, attention to all signs and non-attention to the signless element. ¹¹³

“Is this enjoyment mundane or supramundane?”: A. This enjoyment is supramundane and not mundane.

Q. The Non-returner experiences the enjoyment of Fruition. Why does not adoption develop the Path of Saintship immediately? A. Because it does not reach the vision of insight and (that which is present) is of little strength.

The enjoyment of Fruition has ended.

2.50 The enjoyment of the dissolution of perception and sensation

Q. What is the enjoyment of the dissolution of perception and sensation? Who enter upon it? Through the fulfilment of how many kinds of strength is it entered upon? Through the tranquillizing of how many activities is it entered upon? What are the preliminary duties? How is it entered upon? How does it persist? How does the mind emerge from it? Towards what is the mind inclined? By how many kinds of contact is it experienced? What are the activities aroused at first? What is the difference between a dead man {386|323} and a man who enters into the concentration of the dissolution of perception and sensation? Is this concentration conditioned or unconditioned? A. The not-proceeding of states of mind and mental properties—this is called the concentration of the dissolution of perception and sensation.

“Who enter upon it?”: A. The Consummate One and the Non-returner enter upon this attainment Who do not enter upon it? The commoner, the Stream-entrant, the Once-returner and he who is born in the formless element. Here, the commoner cannot enter upon it, because he is not of that plane. The Stream-entrant and the Once-returner cannot, because they have not yet cut off the bondage of the defilements. He who enters the formless element cannot, because it is not its plane.

“Through the fulfilment of how many kinds of strength is it entered upon?”: A. It is entered upon through the fulfilment of two kinds of strength: serenity-strength and insight-strength. Here “serenity” means: “mastery gained in the eight attainments”. ¹¹⁴ “Insight” means: “mastery gained in the seven insights, namely, impermanence-reviewing, ill-reviewing, not-self-reviewing, repulsion-reviewing, dispassion-reviewing, cessation-reviewing, abandonment-reviewing. Serenity-strength develops the factors of the meditation, jhāna, of dissolution and develops immovable emancipation. Through insight-strength one is able to see the tribulations of birth, and acquire the Freedom of the Unborn.

“Through tranquillizing how many activities is it entered upon?”: A. One attains to concentration through the tranquillizing of three activities. They are verbal formations, bodily formations and thought formations. Here, entering into the second meditation, jhāna, one tranquillizes the verbal formations of initial and sustained application of thought. Entering into the fourth meditation, jhāna, one tranquillizes the bodily formations of inhalation and exhalation. Entering into the concentration of the dissolution of perception and sensation, one removes the thought-formations of perception and sensation.

“What are the preliminary duties?” ¹¹⁵ : A. There are four preliminary duties: Non-destruction of others’ property, discerning the time, non-disturbance, honouring the Community of Bhikkhus. He resolves as regards bowl, robe and other requisites. He resolves as regards non-disturbance of this body in every way. He reflects on the strength of his body and resolves after discerning the time. Here, he should consider the remote past. Discerning that it is not the time for the meeting of the Community of Bhikkhus, he sits and resolves: “I shall emerge, when I am called”. And here the non-destruction of others’ property is for the sake of protecting the robes (of others). The second and third are for the sake of protecting the body. {387|324}

The fourth is for the sake of not obstructing the meeting of the Community of Bhikkhus. Thus attaining to the sphere of nothingness and emerging therefrom, he performs the preliminary duties and enters the first meditation, jhāna.

Why is it developed? For the sake of happiness in the present. This is the Noble Individual’s last immovable concentration. And again, for the sake of supernormal magical power, one enters the whole range of concentration like the Arahant Sañjīva. ¹¹⁶ It is (entered also) for the sake of protecting the body as in the case of the Venerable Elder Sāriputta ¹¹⁷ and in the case of the Venerable Elder Tissa, the son of the Snowy Heron. {388|325}

“How is it entered upon?”: That yogin enters into a solitary dwelling, and sitting down, or lying down, enjoys the consciousness of dissolution. He enters the first meditation, jhāna, and merging from it peacefully, sees the impermanence, ill and not-self of that meditation, jhāna, immediately. Possessed of the knowledge of equanimity towards the formations, ¹¹⁸ he enters , into the second, the third and the fourth meditations, jhānas, the sphere of the infinity of space, the sphere of the infinity of consciousness and the sphere of nothingness. Then emerging therefrom peacefully, he sees the impermanence, ill and not-self of Right Concentration immediately, and being possessed of the knowledge of equanimity towards the formations, he enters into the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception immediately. Then passing beyond two or three turns of consciousness, he causes the perishing of mind and enters into the Unborn and the Unmanifest. This is called the entry into the attainment of the dissolution of perception and sensation.

“How does one persist?”: Here one does not consider thus: “I shall emerge”. In the performance of the preliminary duties, one discerns.

“How does the mind emerge (from it)?”: The Non-returner emerges on the attainment of the Fruit of Non-returning. The Consummate One emerges on the attainment of the Fruit of Saintship.

Q. “Towards what is the mind inclined?”; A. The mind inclines towards peace only.

Q. “By how many kinds of contact is it experienced?”: A. Through three contacts, namely, the contact of the void, the signless and the unhankered-after.

Through what formations does he emerge? With his bodily formations and his verbal formations.

“What is the difference between a dead man and a man who enters into the attainment of the dissolution of perception and sensation?”: In the dead man, not only are three formations stilled, but vitality is cut off, heat is cut off, the faculties are cut off. In the man who has entered the attainment of the dissolution of perception and sensation, although the (three) formations are stilled, vitality, heat and the faculties are not cut off. This is the difference. ¹¹⁹

“Is this attainment conditioned or unconditioned?”: One should not say that this attainment is conditioned or unconditioned. Q. Why should it not be said that his attainment is conditioned or unconditioned? A. There is no {389|326} put-together state in this attainment. The entry into and exit from the unconditioned state cannot be known. Therefore it cannot be said that this attainment is conditioned or unconditioned.

The Attainment of the Concentration of Dissolution has ended.

The Twelfth Fascicle of the Path of Freedom has ended.

Here the chapters are as follows:—

1. Introductory Discourse

2. On Distinguishing Virtue

3. On Austerities

4. On Distinguishing Concentration

5. On Approaching a Good Friend

6. The Distinguishing of Behaviour

7. The Distinguishing of the Subjects of Meditation

8. Entrance into the Subjects of Meditation

9. Five Kinds of Higher Knowledge

10. On Distinguishing Wisdom

11. The Five Methods

12. The Discernment of Truth

Thus is the sequence of the twelve chapters in the Path of Freedom.

Vast, boundless, past all thought and praise,
are the good words and knowledge set forth here,
and none but the yogin knows and grasps
the essence of the Doctrine full and clear.
Best is this Path for skilful deeds;
for it away from ignorance does steer.

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