[981] Which are the states that are good? The three roots of good (karma),2 to wit, absence of lust, absence of hate, absence of dulness; the skandhas of 1 Or rejection. According to the Cy. (344, 345), the various classes into which the states of the moral consciousness were distinguished (dhamma-vibhago) are now to be set forth by a method which, in its greater conciseness, is a rejection or discarding of the relatively more detailed exposition (vitthara-desanam) of Book I. 'Any intelligent person can recognise,' for instance, that in the concise terms in which the answer to question [984] is couched, the answer to question [1], among others, is involved. Relatively to the following Atthakatha, on the other hand (§ 1368 to end in the printed text), this method is in its turn less concise, more detailed. 2 By 'root' is meant 'cause, condition, bringing to pass, generating, originating, producing.' And 'since there is no such thing as good detached from a root,' all good is hereby included. Asl. 344. feeling, perception, syntheses and intellect when they are associated with those three roots; whatever action, bodily, vocal and mental,1 springs from those three roots. [982] Which are the states that are bad? The three roots of bad (karma), to wit, lust, hate, dulness; the Corruptions that are united with them; the skandhas of feeling, perception, syntheses and intellect when these are associated with them; whatever action, bodily, vocal and mental, springs from them. [983] Which are the states that are indeterminate? The results of good and bad states taking effect in the worlds of sense, form, or the formless, or in the [life that is] Unincluded; the skandhas of feeling, perception, syntheses and intellect, those states, moreover, known as kiriya-thoughts,5 which are neither good, nor bad, nor the results of karma; lastly, all form and uncompounded element.6 [984] Which are the states that are associated with a feeling of ease? The skandhas of perception, syntheses and intellect? (the 1 Manokammam, inadvertently omitted in the printed text. Cf. § 982 and passim. 2 Tad-ekaṭṭha ca kilesā. Ekaṭṭham is defined (Asl. 345) as located in one and the same thought by virtue of a common origin, or in one and the same person, by virtue of a common exclusion, to wit here, of corrupt or faulty states. On kilesă, see § 1229 et seq. 3 Apariyapanna. See below, § 992, also § 583. 4 To save much repetition throughout this division, these four skandhas are henceforward referred to as 'the four skandhas.' 5 Dhamma kiriya. Cf. § 566 et seq. In the printed text sankhata should be a sankhatā. 7 The skandha of feeling is in this case the predominating factor, and not reckoned as merely an associate, or subordinate adjunct in consciousness. (Tam should be inserted before sampayutto in the text.) feeling itself being excepted) are the states associated [with the consciousness arising] in an ease-yielding soil,1 whether it belong to the worlds of sense or of form, or to the life that is Unincluded. [985] Which are the states that are associated with distressful feeling? The skandhas of perception, syntheses and intellect (the feeling itself being excepted) are the states associated [with the consciousness arising] in a distressful soil belonging to the sensuous universe. [986] Which are the states that are associated with feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant? The skandhas of perception, syntheses and intellect (the feeling itself being excepted) are the states associated [with the consciousness arising] in a neutral soil, whether it belong to the worlds of sense, form, or the formless, or to the life that is Unincluded. [987] Which are the states that are results? The results of good and bad states which take effect in the worlds of sense, form and the formless, and in the life that is Unincluded; [in other words] the four skandhas.2 1 Sukha-bhumiyam. I have kept to the more literal rendering of bhumi here, in preference to some such term as stage' (as in § 277 et seq.) or 'source,' because of the analogy drawn by the Cy. (p. 346):-just as by saying This is a sugar-soil' or 'a rice-land' we mean localities where these products thrive, so by sukha-bhūmi, etc., we mean a thought (or state of mind, cittam), which is the place (or occasion, thanam) for the uprising of ease (or happiness). K. invariably places a colon before that enumeration of four or more skandhas which is part of the usual procedure in these triplets. There is nothing explicit in the Cy. to justify my interpretation by the parenthesis in other words' of the somewhat amorphous construction of the answers thus punctuated. But I gather from its remarks that, in these concentrated replies, the skandha-list represents the preceding half of the answer, in which it occurs, under [988] Which are the states that involve resultant states ?1 Good and bad states belonging to the worlds of sense, form and the formless, or to the life that is Unincluded; [in other words] the four skandhas. [989] Which are the states that neither are results, nor have the quality of involving resultant states? Those states concerning action which are neither good, nor bad, nor the results of karma; all form, moreover, and uncompounded element. [990] Which are the states that are both the issue of grasping and favourable to it ?2 The co-Intoxicants results of good and bad states taking effect in the worlds of sense, form or the formless; in other words, the four skandhas; such form, moreover, as is due to karma having been wrought. [991] Which are the states that are not the issue of grasping but are favourable to grasping? Good and bad co-Intoxicant states taking effect in the worlds of sense, form, or the formless; in other words, the four skandhas; those states, moreover, known as kiriyathoughts, which are neither good, nor bad, nor the results of karma; as well as such form as is not due to karma having been wrought. [992] Which are the states that are neither the issue of grasping nor favourable to it? another aspect, viz., rāsaṭṭhena, or that of groups in consciousness. This is really the method followed in detail throughout Book I., but here in mere outline: first a reply in terms of dhamma, then the Summary, which is mainly, at least, in terms of skandha. Cf., e.g., §§ 431-441, 441a, 442. Also Asl. 152. 1 Vipäkadhamma-dhammā, paraphrased (Asl. 42) by vipaka-sabhava-dhamma, states having a resultnature, or quality of result. See above, p. 164. 2 See § 653 et seq. The Paths that are the Unincluded,1 and the Fruits of the Paths, and uncompounded element. [993] Which are the states that are corrupt and baneful 23 The three roots of bad (karma), to wit, lust, hate, dulness; the Corruptions that are united with them; the four skandhas when these are associated with them; whatever action, bodily, vocal and mental, springs from them. [994] Which are the states that are not corrupt but baneful? Good and indeterminate co-Intoxicant states taking effect in the worlds of sense, form and the formless; in other words, the five skandhas. 1 See p. 165, note 2. The term apariyā pannā, when applied to dhamma and used in an ethico-psychological sense, is described as here in terms of path, fruit and uncompounded element. See § 1287. Its positive correlate is paraphrased, in Asl. 50, by contained in the threefold cycle of existence' (i.e., the worlds of sense, form, etc.). I do not know whether apariyāpannam with this lofty significance occurs in either of the older Pitakas. But it appears in K. V. 507, where it is declared a heresy to hold that any mere speculative opinion was of the Unincluded, and where the content of the latter concept is more amply set forth than in our manual. 2 Read ca after maggaphalani. The commentator vindicates the status of the arahat, here alluded to, as being free from all 'grasping' as follows: Although the skandhas (the temporary being) of the arahat may become a cause of grasping to those who say, Our mother's brother, the Thera! Our father's brother, the Thera! yet there is no grasping, no infection, attaching to the Paths, the Fruits and Nirvana. For just as there is no inducement to mosquitoes to alight on a ball of iron which has been heated all day, so these Things, by their excessive glory, do not attract the grasp of craving, pride or false opinion. 3 Or corrupting. See § 1229 (note) et seq. * Beginning with the skandha of material form. |