The Connected Discourses of the Buddha

by Bhikkhu Bodhi

  213 Spk: Having known him to be capable of penetration, the Buddha speaks thus giving a Dhamma teaching with three turns, at the conclusion of which the elder attained arahantship. Spk-pṭ: The “three turns” (teparivaṭṭaṃ) are by way of the turning over of the three characteristics in relation to the five aggregates.The catechism on the three characteristics recurs throughout the Khandha-saṃyutta, as at 22:49, 59, 79, 80, 82, etc.

  214 Spk: This query is started in order to make it evident that those bhikkhus were dry-insighters without jhāna (or: “dry-insight ponderers”). This is the purport here: “You are not the only dry-insighter without jhāna; those bhikkhus were also such.”

  215 Dhammatthenaka. The formula for confession and pardon is also at 16:6 (II 205,10-16).

  216 Antarapeyyāla. As the preceding section contains twelve suttas by way of the twelve factors of the formula, so each of the following suttas can be divided into twelve. Spk says these were all spoken by way of the inclinations of the persons to be guided and enlightened according to their different inclinations (sabbe pi tathā tathā bujjhanakānaṃ veneyyapuggalānaṃ ajjhāsayavasena vuttā).

  217 Spk: Whether it be the Buddha or a disciple, the one in dependence upon whom one gains path knowledge is called a teacher (satthā, a word usually reserved for the Buddha); he should be sought for.13 Abhisamayasaṃyutta

  218 The expression diṭṭhisampanna denotes one who has seen the truth of the Dhamma, beginning with the sotāpanna. See the closing paragraph of 12:27, etc. MN III 64,16-65,12, and AN III 438-40 list various qualities of the diṭṭhisampanna, e.g., being incapable of regarding any formation as permanent, etc., being incapable of parricide and matricide, etc. Spk glosses abhisametāvino: “for one who abides having made the breakthrough to the noble truths by means of wisdom” (paññāya ariyasaccāni abhisametvā ṭhitassa). On abhisamaya, see n. 13.Spk: What is the suffering that has been destroyed? That which might have arisen if the first path had not been developed. The suffering that might have arisen in the plane of misery during the next seven existences, and that which might have arisen anywhere at all beginning with the eighth rebirth—all that has been destroyed.

  219 Both dhammābhisamaya and dhammacakkhupaṭilābha signify the attainment of stream-entry. On the benefit of stream-entry, see Dhp 178.

  220 The yojana is a measure of distance roughly equal to ten kilometers. Spk explains kākapeyya (lit. “crow-drinkable”) thus: “So that it is possible for a crow, standing on the bank, to drink from it naturally by inserting its beak.”

  221 According to early Buddhist cosmology, Sineru is the mountain at the centre of our world-sphere; the word is the Pāli counterpart of the better known Skt Meru. For a fuller picture of Buddhist cosmology, see Vism 205-7 (Ppn 7:40-44), and Ppn 7: n. 15.

  222 Note that the ending here is different from the stock ending in the preceding suttas.14. Dhātusaṃyutta

  223 Spk: Diversity of elements: the diversified intrinsic nature of phenomena, which gain the name “elements” in the sense that they have an intrinsic nature consisting in their emptiness and absence of a being (nissattaṭṭha-suññataṭṭhasaṅkhātena sabhāvaṭṭhena dhātū ti laddhanāmānaṃ dhammānaṃ nānāsabhāvo dhātunānattaṃ).

  224 Spk: The eye element is eye-sensitivity (cakkhupasāda), the form element is the form object; the eye-consciousness element is the mind based on eye-sensitivity (cakkhupasādavatthukaṃ cittaṃ). The other four sense elements, their objects, and states of consciousness are explained in the same way, with the appropriate changes. The mind element (manodhātu) is the threefold mind element [Spk-pṭ: the two receiving (sampaṭicchana) mind elements and the functional mind element [= the five-door adverting citta]. The mental-phenomena element (dhammadhātu) is the three aggregates—feeling, (perception, and volitional formations)—subtle form, and Nibbāna. The mind-consciousness element is all mind-consciousness [Spk-pṭ: of seventy-six types].Precise formal definitions of the elements are not to be found in the Nikāyas. Perhaps the oldest canonical source for the definitions of the eighteen elements is Vibh 87-90. This comes in the Abhidhamma-bhājaniya only, which implies that the compilers of Vibh considered the eighteen elements a proper Abhidhamma category rather than one pertaining to the suttas. Discussion from the commentarial standpoint is at Vism 484-90 (Ppn 15:17-43) and Vibh-a 76-82.

  The “sensitivities” (pasāda) are types of material phenomena, located in the gross sense organs, that are especially receptive to the appropriate types of sense objects. Both Vibh-a and Vism frame their explanations on the basis of the Abhidhamma theory of the cognitive process, which, though articulated as such only in the commentaries, already seems to underlie the classification of cittas in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. This scheme, however, is clearly later than the Nikāyas, and Spk’s attempts to reconcile the two standpoints sometimes seems contrived.

  The five types of sense consciousness are the cittas that exercise the rudimentary function of bare cognition of the sense object. Of the three mind elements, the “functional” (kiriya) is the first citta in the process, which merely adverts to the object, and hence is called the five-door adverting consciousness (pañcadvārāvajjana-citta). This is followed by the appropriate sense consciousness (eye-consciousness, etc.), a kammically resultant citta which may be either wholesome-resultant or unwholesome-resultant; hence the fivefold sense consciousness becomes tenfold. Next comes the receiving consciousness (sampaṭicchana-citta), which “picks up” the object for further scrutiny; this is a “mind element” and is either wholesome-resultant or unwholesome-resultant. Following this, an investigating consciousness (santīraṇa-citta) arises, a wholesome-resultant or unwholesome-resultant citta which investigates the object; then a determining consciousness (votthapana-citta), a functional citta which defines the object; and then comes a string of cittas called javana, which constitute either a wholesome or an unwholesome response to the object (or, in the case of the arahant, a merely “functional” response). This may be followed by a registration consciousness (tadārammaṇa), a resultant citta which records the impression of the object on the mental continuum. All the cittas from the investigating consciousness onwards are mind-consciousness element, which is of seventy-six types. In the mind door the process is somewhat different: it begins with a mind-door adverting consciousness (manodvārāvajjana-citta ), followed immediately by the string of javanas. For details, see CMA 1:8-10, 4:1-23.

  The mental-phenomena element (dhammadhātu) is not necessarily the object of mind-consciousness element, as one might suppose it to be by analogy with the other senses. Along with the object of mind-consciousness it includes all feeling, perception, and volitional factors that accompany consciousness in the process of cognition. Thus it belongs as much to the subjective pole of the cognitive act as to the objective pole. See particularly CMA, Table 7.4.

  225 Spk: Eye-contact, etc., are associated with eye-consciousness, etc. Mind-contact is that associated with the first javana in the mind door; therefore when it is said, in dependence on the mind element there arises mind contact, this means that the contact of the first javana arises in dependence on the functional mind-consciousness element, i.e., the mind-door adverting citta.On javana, see CMA 3:9, 4:12-16, and on the mind-door adverting citta, see CMA 1:10, 3:9.

  226 Since, according to the Abhidhamma scheme of conditional relations, the mind element and its concomitant contact are mutually dependent, Spk is compelled to explain these terms in a way that does not place the sutta in contradiction with the Abhidhamma. Hence Spk says: “The functional mind-consciousness element with the function of adverting (i.e., the mind-door adverting citta) does not arise in dependence on the contact associated with the first javana in the mind door (which occurs subsequent to it).”

  227 Spk: Perception of form (rūpasaññā): the perception associated with eye-consciousness. Intention regarding form (rūpasaṅkappa ): the intention associated with three cittas—the receiving, (investigating, and determining cittas)
. Desire for form (rūpacchanda): desire in the sense of desirousness for form. Passion for form (rūpapariḷāha): passion (lit. “fever”) in the sense of a burning in regard to form [Spk-pṭ: for the fire of lust, etc., has the function of “burning up” its own support]. The quest for form (rūpapariyesanā): searching in order to obtain that form, having taken along one’s friends and comrades. Passion and the quest are found in different javana processes (so that passion can become an antecedent condition for the quest).

  228 Ee should be corrected to read: no saṅkappanānattaṃ paṭicca uppajjati saññānānattaṃ; no saññānānattaṃ paṭicca uppajjati dhātunānattaṃ.

  229 Text enclosed in brackets is found in Ee and Se, but without the elision. Se further develops the pattern for the sound element, while Be proceeds directly from rūpadhātuṃ bhikkhave paṭicca uppajjati rūpasaññā to dhammadhātuṃ paṭicca uppajjati dhammasaññā and develops the pattern for the mental-phenomena element alone.

  230 This attempt to combine into one series the discrete sequences beginning with contact and perception leads to some strange incongruities, which become even more bizarre among the negations of the following sutta. Elsewhere contact is said to be the condition for the manifestation of the aggregates of feeling, perception, and volitional formations (e.g., at 22:82 (III 101,33-102,2), and see 35:93 (IV 68,15-16)); yet here contact and feeling are said to be dependent on perception and intention. Neither Spk nor Spk-pṭ shows any signs of uneasiness over the discrepancies nor tries to justify them.At MN I 111,35-112,13 a sequence of mental phenomena is given as follows: contact > feeling > perception > thought > conceptual proliferation > obsession by perceptions and notions arisen from proliferation. The texts often treat thought (vitakka) as identical with intention (saṅkappa ); proliferation (papañca) includes craving (taṇhā), which is synonymous with desire (chanda); and obsession (samudācāra) may comprise passions and quests, etc. This would then give us a more cogent version of the series. Spk does in fact refer to one elder, Uruvelāyavāsī Cūḷatissa Thera, who said: “Although the Blessed One inserted contact and feeling in the middle of the text, having turned the text back (pāḷiṃ pana parivaṭṭetvā) we get: perception, intention, desire, passion, quest, and gain in regard to the stated object (form, etc.), ‘gain of form’ being the object gained together with craving; then there is contact as the (mental) contact with the object gained and feeling as the experiencing of the object. In such a way this pair—contact with form and feeling—is found.”

  Spk continues on its own: “And here, perception, intention, contact, feeling, and desire are found both in the same javana process and in different javana processes, while passion, quest, and gain are found only in different javana processes.”

  231 Spk: The light element (ābhādhātu) is a name for the jhāna together with its object, that is, light (āloka) and the jhāna arisen after doing the preparatory work on the light-kasiṇa. The beauty element (subhadhātu) is just the jhāna together with its object, namely, the jhāna arisen on the basis of a beautiful kasiṇa. The others are self-explanatory.

  232 Spk: The light element is discerned in dependence on darkness: for darkness is delimited by (contrasted with) light, and light by darkness. Similarly, foulness is delimited by (contrasted with) beauty, and beauty by foulness. In dependence on form: in dependence on a form-sphere meditative attainment. For when one has a form-sphere attainment one can overcome form or attain the base of the infinity of space. In dependence on cessation (nirodhaṃ paṭicca): in dependence on the reflectively induced nonoccurrence (paṭisaṅkhā-appavatti) of the four (mental) aggregates. For the attainment of cessation is discerned in dependence on the cessation of the aggregates, not on their occurrence. And here it is just the cessation of the four aggregates that should be understood as “the attainment of cessation.”

  233 Spk: An attainment with a residue of formations (saṅkhārā-vasesasamāpatti ): because of a residue of subtle formations. According to Vism 337-38 (Ppn 10:47-54), in this attainment perception and the other mental factors are present merely in a subtle residual mode and thus cannot perform their decisive functions; hence the ambivalence in the name.

  234 Spk: The sensuality element (kāmadhātu) is sensual thought, all sense-sphere phenomena in general, and in particular everything unwholesome except the ill-will element and the harmfulness element, which are mentioned separately here. Sensual perception arises in dependence on the sensuality element either by taking it as an object or by way of association (i.e., when sensual perception is associated with sensual thought in the same citta).All these elements are defined at Vibh 86-87, quoted by Spk. Vibh-a 74 correlates sensual thought with sensuality as defilement (kilesakāma) and sense-sphere phenomena with sensuality as sensual objects (vatthukāma). Sensual intention arises in dependence on sensual perception by way either of association or decisive support. (Association condition (sampayutta-paccaya) is a relation between simultaneous mental phenomena; decisive-support condition (upanissaya-paccaya) is a relation between a cause and effect separated in time.)

  235 Spk: The ill will element (byāpādadhātu) is thought of ill will or ill will itself [Spk-pṭ: i.e., hatred (dosa)]. Note that the commentaries, following the Abhidhamma’s systematic treatment of the Buddha’s teaching, differentiate between ill will and thought of ill will. The two are distinct mental constituents (cetasikā dhammā), the former being a mode of the unwholesome mental factor hatred (dosa), the latter the thought (vitakka) associated with that mental factor. Similarly with harmfulness, etc.

  236 Spk: The harmfulness element (vihiṃsādhātu) is thought of harmfulness and harmfulness itself. Vibh 86 explains the harmfulness element as injuring beings in various ways.

  237 Spk: The renunciation element (nekkhammadhātu) is thought of renunciation and all wholesome states except the other two elements, which are to be explained separately. Perception of renunciation arises in dependence on the renunciation element by way of such conditions as conascence (sahajātapaccaya), etc.

  238 Spk: The non-ill will element (abyāpādadhātu) is thought of non-ill will and non-ill will itself, i.e., lovingkindness towards beings.

  239 Spk: The harmlessness element (avihiṃsādhātu) is thought of harmlessness and compassion.

  240 Spk: From this point on the word “element” means inclination (ajjhāsaya).

  241 The name of the bhikkhu is given as in Ee. Be and Se cite it simply as Kaccāna, and Se notes a v.l., Sandha Kaccāyana. At 44:11 a Sabhiya Kaccāna is mentioned, also at the Brick Hall in Ñātika, and the two may be the same person.Spk explains his question in two ways: (i) “Why does the view arise in the six (rival) teachers who are not perfectly enlightened, ‘We are Perfectly Enlightened Ones’?” (ii) “Why does the view arise in their disciples in regard to (their teachers) who are not perfectly enlightened, ‘They are Perfectly Enlightened Ones’?” Ee sammāsambuddho ti should be amended to sammāsambuddhā ti.

  242 The contrast is between hīnādhimuttikā and kalyāṇādhimuttikā. Spk glosses adhimuttikā with ajjhāsayā, “inclination.”

  243 Sāriputta, as the bhikkhu disciple foremost in wisdom, attracted bhikkhus who were likewise of great wisdom. All the other disciples mentioned below attract pupils who share their specialty.

  244 This sutta, including the verses, is at It 70-71. The verses alone, excluding the first two pādas, are at Th 147-48.

  245 Saṃsaggā vanatho jāto. On vanatha, see I, n. 474. Spk: From association—from craving and affection based upon association through seeing and hearing—the woods is born, the woods of the defilements is born. By nonassociation it is cut: it is cut by nonassociation, by not-seeing, by avoiding standing and sitting privately (with a person of the opposite sex).

  246 Spk: Those of wrong knowledge: those endowed with wrong reviewing (micchāpaccavekkhaṇena samannāgatā). Those of wrong liberation: those who abide in an unemancipating liberation, which they assume to be wholesome liberation. Those of right knowledge: those wi
th right reviewing. Those of right liberation: those endowed with the emancipating liberation of the fruit.Right knowledge and right liberation supplement the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path. They are said to be factors of the arahant (e.g., at MN III 76,8), but at 55:26 (V 384,1-12) they are also ascribed to Anāthapiṇḍika, a stream-enterer. Spk’s gloss of right knowledge as right reviewing knowledge is difficult to accept. More likely the expression refers to the full knowledge of the Four Noble Truths by means of which arahantship is gained.

  247 Spk interprets each element by way of its physical characteristic or function: the earth element is the foundational element (patiṭṭhādhātu); the water element, the cohesive element (ābandhanadhātu); the fire element, the maturing element (paripācanadhātu); and the air element, the distensive element (vitthambhanadhātu). For a more detailed treatment according to the commentarial method, see Vism 364-70 (Ppn 11:85-117).