The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
Page 131
145 MA: For the sake of a wider and wider and higher and higher measure of knowledge and mindfulness.
146 The understanding of the bodily postures referred to in this exercise is not our ordinary natural knowledge of our bodily activity, but a close, constant, and careful awareness of the body in every position, coupled with an analytical examination intended to dispel the delusion of a self as the agent of bodily movement.
147 Sampajañña, also translated as “clear comprehension” (Soma, Nyanaponika), is analysed in the commentaries into four types: full awareness of the purpose of one’s action; full awareness of the suitability of one’s means; full awareness of the domain, that is, not abandoning the subject of meditation during one’s daily routine; and full awareness of reality, the knowledge that behind one’s activities there is no abiding self. See The Way of Mindfulness, pp. 60–100; The Heart of Buddhist Meditation, pp. 46–55.
148 In later Pali works the brain is added to the above list to form thirty-two parts. The details of this meditation practice are explained at Vsm VIII, 42–144.
149 These four elements are explained by Buddhist tradition as the primary attributes of matter—solidity, cohesion, heat, and distension. The detailed explanation is found at Vsm XI, 27–117.
150 The phrase “as though” (seyyathāpi) suggests that this meditation, and those to follow, need not be based upon an actual encounter with a corpse in the state of decay described, but can be performed as an imaginative exercise. “This same body” is, of course, the meditator’s own body.
151 Each of the four types of corpse mentioned here, and the three types below, may be taken as a separate and self-sufficient subject of meditation; or the entire set may be used as a progressive series for impressing on the mind the idea of the body’s transience and insubstantiality. The progression continues in §§26–30. The list of bones here is translated from the more elaborate version of the BBS ed.
152 Feeling (vedanā) signifies the affective quality of experience, bodily and mental, either pleasant, painful, or neither, i.e., neutral feeling. Examples of the “worldly” and “unworldly” forms of these feelings are given at MN 137.9–15 under the rubric of the six kinds of joy, grief, and equanimity based respectively on the household life and renunciation.
153 The conditions for the arising and vanishing of feeling are the same as those for the body (see n.144) except that food is replaced by contact, since contact is the condition for feeling (see MN 9.42).
154 Mind (citta) as an object of contemplation refers to the general state and level of consciousness. Since consciousness itself, in its own nature, is the bare knowing or cognizing of an object, the quality of any state of mind is determined by its associated mental factors, such as lust, hate, and delusion or their opposites, as mentioned by the sutta.
155 The paired examples of citta given in this passage contrast states of mind of wholesome and unwholesome, or developed and undeveloped character. An exception, however, is the pair “contracted” and “distracted,” which are both unwholesome, the former due to sloth and torpor, the latter due to restlessness and remorse. MA explains “exalted mind” and “unsurpassed mind” as the mind pertaining to the level of the jhānas and immaterial meditative attainments, and “unexalted mind” and “surpassed mind” as the mind pertaining to the level of sense-sphere consciousness. “Liberated mind” must be understood as a mind temporarily and partly freed from defilements through insight or the jhānas. Since the practice of satipaṭṭhāna pertains to the preliminary phase of the path aimed at the supramundane paths of deliverance, this last category should not be understood as a mind liberated through attainment of the supramundane paths.
156 The conditions for the arising and vanishing of mind are the same as those for the body except that food is replaced by mentality-materiality, since the latter is the condition for consciousness (see DN 15.22/ii.63).
157 The word rendered here as “mind-objects” is the polymorphous dhammā. In this context dhammā can be understood as comprising all phenomena classified by way of the categories of the Dhamma, the Buddha’s teaching of actuality. This contemplation reaches its climax in the penetration of the teaching at the heart of the Dhamma—the Four Noble Truths.
158 The five hindrances (pañcanı̄varaṇā) are the main inner impediments to the development of concentration and insight. Sensual desire arises through attending unwisely to a sensually attractive object and is abandoned by meditation on a foul object (as in §10 and §§14–30); ill will arises through attending unwisely to a repugnant object and is abandoned by developing loving-kindness; sloth and torpor arise by submitting to boredom and laziness and are abandoned by arousing energy; restlessness and remorse arise through unwisely reflecting on disturbing thoughts and are abandoned by wisely reflecting on tranquillity; doubt arises through unwisely reflecting on dubious matters and is abandoned by study, investigation, and inquiry. The hindrances are fully eradicated only by the supramundane paths. For a fuller treatment, see The Way of Mindfulness, pp. 119–130; Nyanaponika Thera,The Five Mental Hindrances; and also below, MN 27.18 and MN 39.13–14.
159 The five aggregates affected by clinging (pañc’upādānakkhadha ) are the five groups of factors comprising the individual personality. The aggregates are discussed in the Introduction, pp. 26–27, and are analysed and explained in terms of their origin and disappearance at MN 109.9.
160 The internal bases are, as shown, the six sense faculties; the external bases, their respective objects. The fetter that arises dependent upon the pairs may be understood by way of the ten fetters explained in the Introduction, pp. 42–43, or more simply as attraction (greed), aversion (hatred), and the underlying delusion.
161 How the seven enlightenment factors unfold in progressive sequence is explained at MN 118.29–40. For a more detailed discussion, see Piyadassi Thera, The Seven Factors of Enlightenment.
162 “Investigation of states” (dhammavicaya) means the scrutiny of the mental and physical phenomena presented to the meditator’s mind by mindfulness.
163 The commentaries explain in detail the conditions that conduce to the maturation of the enlightenment factors. See The Way of Mindfulness, pp. 134–149.
164 With this section, the contemplation of dhammā culminates in the understanding of the Dhamma in its core formulation as the Four Noble Truths. The longer Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta of the Dı̄gha Nikāya gives extended definitions and elaborations of each of the truths.
165 Final knowledge, aññā, is the arahant’s knowledge of final deliverance. Non-return (anāgāmitā) is, of course, the state of a non-returner, who is reborn in a higher world where he attains final Nibbāna without ever returning to the human world.
SUTTA 11
166 The phrase “only here” means only in the Buddha’s Dispensation. The four recluses (samaṇa) referred to are the four grades of noble disciples—the stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arahant. A “lion’s roar” (sı̄han̄da), according to MA, is a roar of supremacy and fearlessness, a roar that cannot be confuted. In connection with the Buddha’s proclamation, see also his discussion with Subhadda in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16:5.27/ii.151–52).
167 MA: Even though the adherents of other sects all declare arahantship—understood in a general way as spiritual perfection—to be the goal, they point out other attainments as the goal in accordance with their views. Thus the brahmins declare the Brahma-world to be the goal, the ascetics declare the gods of Streaming Radiance, the wanderers the gods of Refulgent Glory, and the Ājı̄vakas the non-percipient state, which they imagine to be “infinite mind.”
168 “Favouring and opposing” (anurodhapaṭῑvirodha) means reacting with attraction through lust and with aversion through hate.
169 Proliferation (papañca), according to MA, is here mental activity governed by craving and views. For more on this important term, see n.229.
170 The view of being (bhavadiṭṭ) is eternal
ism, the belief in an eternal self; the view of non-being (vibhavadiṭṭhi) is annihilationism, the denial of any principle of continuity as a basis for rebirth and kammic retribution. The adoption of one view entailing opposition to the other ties up with the earlier statement that the goal is for one who does not favour and oppose.
171 As the origin (samudaya) of these views, MA mentions eight conditions: the five aggregates, ignorance, contact, perception, thought, unwise attention, bad friends, and the voice of another. Their disappearance (atthangama) is the path of stream-entry, which eradicates all wrong views. Their gratification (ass̄da) may be understood as the satisfaction of psychological need that they provide; their danger (ādı̄nava) is the continual bondage that they entail; the escape (nissarṇa) from them is Nibbāna.
172 MA glosses full understanding (pariññ̄) here as overcoming, transcending (samatikkamā), with reference to the commentarial notion of pahānapariññā, “full understanding as abandonment.” See n.7.
173 This passage clearly states that the critical factor differentiating the Buddha’s teaching from all other religious and philosophical creeds is its “full understanding of clinging to a doctrine of self.” This means, in effect, that the Buddha alone is able to show how to overcome all views of self by developing penetration of the truth of non-self. Since the other spiritual teachers lack this understanding of non-self, their claims to fully understand the three other kinds of clinging are also suspect.
174 MA: That is, the Buddha teaches how clinging to sense pleasures (understood as comprising all forms of greed, MṬ) is abandoned by the path of arahantship, the other three clingings by the path of stream-entry.
175 This passage is stated to show how clinging is to be abandoned. Clinging is traced back to its root-cause in ignorance, and then the destruction of ignorance is shown to be the means to eradicate clinging.
176 The Pali idiom, n’eva kāmupādānaṁ upādiyati, would have to be rendered literally as “he does not cling to the clinging to sense pleasures,” which may obscure the sense rather than convey it. Upādāna in Pali is the object of its own verb form, while “clinging” in English is not. At one stage in his translation Ñm tried to circumvent this problem by borrowing the word upādāna’s other meaning of “fuel” and translating: “he no longer clings to sensual desires [as fuel for] clinging.” This, however, also borders on obscurity, and I have therefore attempted to cut through the difficulty by translating directly in accordance with the sense rather than in conformity with the Pali idiom.
SUTTA 12
177 The Sunakkhatta Sutta (MN 105) had been expounded to him by the Buddha, apparently before he joined the Sangha; the account of his defection is given in the Pāṭika Sutta (DN 24). He became dissatisfied and left the Order because the Buddha would not perform any miracles for him or explain to him the beginning of things.
178 Superhuman states (uttari manussadhammā) are states, virtues, or attainments higher than the ordinary human virtues comprised in the ten wholesome courses of action (see MN 9.6); they include the jhānas, the kinds of direct knowledge, and the paths and fruits. “Distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones” (alamariyañāṇadassanavisesa ), a frequently occurring expression in the suttas, signifies all higher degrees of meditative knowledge characteristic of the noble individual. Here, according to MA, it means specifically the supramundane path, which Sunakkhatta is denying of the Buddha.
179 The gist of his criticism is that the Buddha teaches a doctrine that he has merely worked out in thought rather than one he has realised through transcendental wisdom. Apparently he believes that being led to the complete destruction of suffering is, as a goal, inferior to the acquisition of miraculous powers.
180 All the sections to follow are intended as a rebuttal of Sunakkhatta’s criticism of the Buddha. §§6–8 cover the first three of the six direct knowledges (abhiññā), the last three appearing as the last of the ten powers of the Tathāgata. The latter, according to MA, are to be understood as powers of knowledge ( ñaṇabala) that are attained by all Buddhas as the fruit of their accumulation of merit. The Vibhanga (§§809–31/440–51) of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka provides an elaborate analysis of them.
181 On the Buddha’s sounding of his lion’s roar, see SN 22:78/iii.84–86. The Wheel of Brahmā is the supreme, best, most excellent wheel, the Wheel of the Dhamma (dhammacakka) in its twofold meaning: the knowledge penetrating the truth and the knowledge of how to expound the teaching (MA).
182 Vbh §809 explicates this knowledge by quoting at length MN 115.12–17. MA, however, explains it differently as the knowledge of the correlations between causes and their results.
183 This knowledge can be exemplified by the Buddha’s analysis of kamma in MN 57, MN 135, and MN 136. MA explains the possibility (ṭhāna) as the realm, circumstances, time, and effort—factors that can either impede or reinforce the result; the cause (hetu) is the kamma itself.
184 This knowledge will be elucidated in §§35–42 below.
185 The Tathāgata’s understanding of the many elements constituting the world will be found in MN 115.4–9.
186 Vbh §813 explains that the Tathāgata understands that beings are of inferior inclinations and superior inclinations, and that they gravitate towards those who share their own inclinations.
187 Vbh §§814–27 gives a detailed analysis. MA states the meaning more concisely as the Tathāgata’s knowledge of the superiority and inferiority of beings’ faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.
188 Vbh §828: The “defilement” (sankilesa) is a state causing deterioration, “cleansing” (vodāna) a state causing excellence, “emergence” (vuṭṭāna) is both cleansing and the rising out of an attainment. The eight liberations (vimokkhā) are enumerated in MN 77.22 and MN 137.26; the nine attainments (samāpatti) are the four jhānas, four immaterial attainments, and the cessation of perception and feeling as in MN 25.12–20.
189 The idiom yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye is knotty; the rendering here follows the commentary: “He will be put in hell as if carried off and put there by the wardens of hell.”
190 In later Buddhist tradition the asuras, titans or “anti-gods,” are added as a separate realm to make six destinations.
191 MA: Even though the description is the same as that of the bliss of the heavenly world, the meaning is different. For the bliss of the heavenly world is not really extremely pleasant because the fevers of lust, etc., are still present there. But the bliss of Nibbāna is extremely pleasant in every way through the subsiding of all fevers.
192 At this juncture, MA informs us, the Buddha related this account of his past ascetic practices because Sunakkhatta was a great admirer of extreme asceticism (as the Pāṭika Sutta shows) and the Buddha wanted to make it known that there was no one who could equal him in the practice of austerities. The passages to follow should be collated with MN 4.20 and MN 36.20–30 for a fuller picture of the Bodhisatta’s experiment with the extreme of self-mortification.
193 The idea seems to be that his pity was directed, not towards the microbes in a drop of water (as the rendering in the first edition implied), but towards the creatures that might be hurt or killed by carelessly discarded water.
194 MA says that the “eight-days period of snowfall” (antaraṭṭhaka himapātasamaya) occurs over the last four days of the month Magha and the first four days of the month Phagguna (i.e., in late February). However, the cold period in South Asia typically falls in late December or early January.
195 That is, they hold the view that beings are purified by special diets and reduced intake of food.
196 Rebirth into the Pure Abodes (suddhāvāsa) is possible only for non-returners.
197 The Pali for the four terms is: sati, gati, dhiti, paññāveyyattiya. MA explains sati as the ability to grasp in mind a hundred or a thousand phrases as they are being spoken; gati as the ability to bind them and retain them in
the mind; dhiti as the ability to recite back what has been grasped and retained; and paññāveyyattiya as the ability to discern the meaning and logic of those phrases.
198 Ven. Nāgasamāla had been a personal attendant of the Buddha during the first twenty years of his ministry.
199 Lomahaṁsanapariyāya. The sutta is referred to by that name at Miln 398 and in the commentary to the Dı̄gha Nikāya.