san~n~a^ (°citta, °ditthi): ”perception (consciousness, view) of an ego”, is one of the 4 perversions (vipalla^sa, q.v.).
ditthi (-va^da): ”ego-belief”, ”personality-belief”, s. ditthi.
maha^ra^jika deva a class of heavenly beings of the sensuous sphere; s. deva.
(lit.”going”): ”course of existence”, destiny, destination."There are 5 courses of existence: hell, animal kingdom, ghost realm, human world, heavenly world" (D. 33; A. XI, 68). Of these, the first 3 count as woeful courses (duggati, s. apa^ya), the latter 2 as happy courses (sugati).
and hatelessness: (dosa, adosa) are two of the 6 karmical roots (múla, q.v.) or root-conditions (hetu; paccaya 1).
eating. Just as the karmical, i.e. moral, quality of any action is determined by the quality of volition (cetana^) underlying it, and independently of this volition nothing whatever can be called karmically wholesome or unwholesome (kusala, akusala), just so it is with the merely external act of meat-eating, this being as such purely non-moral, i.e. karmically neutral (avya^kata).
”In 3 circumstances meat-eating is to be rejected: if one has seen, or heard, or suspects (that the animal has been slaughtered expressly for one”s own sake)" (M. 55). For if in such a case one should partake of the meat, one would as it were approve the murder of animals, and thus encourage the animal-murderer in his murderous deeds. Besides, that the Buddha never objected, in ordinary circumstances, to meat-eating may be clearly understood from many passages of the Suttas (e.g. A. V. 44; VIII, 12; M. 55, etc.), as also from the Vinaya, where it is related that the Buddha firmly rejected Devadatta”s proposal to forbid meat-eating to the monks; further from the fact that 10 kinds of meat were (for merely external reasons) forbidden to the monks, namely from elephants, tigers, serpents, etc.
See Amagandha Sutta (Sn.). Early Buddhism and the Taking of Life, by I. B. Horner (WHEEL 104).
knowledge, the 4 kinds of: s. visuddhi (VII).
result (fruition): phala (q.v.).
and not path, the knowledge and vision regarding: s. visuddhi (V).
”mindfulness”, is one of the 5 spiritual faculties and powers (s. bala), one of the 7 factors of enlightenment (bojjhanga, q.v.), and the 7th link of the 8-fold Path (magga, q.v.), and is, in its widest sense, one of those mental factors inseparably associated with all karmically wholesome (kusala, q.v.) and karma-produced lofty (sobhana) consciousness (Cf. Tab. II). - For the 4 foundations of mindfulness s. foll.
the 4 ”wrong paths”...
the 4 ”wrong paths” are:
the path of greed (chanda),
of hate,
of delusion,
of cowardice (bhaya).
"One who is freed from evil impulses is no longer liable to take the wrong path of greed, etc.”” (A.IV.17; A.IX.7).
”Deathlessness”...
(Sanskrit amrta; ? mr to die; = Gr. ambrosia): ”Deathlessness”
according to popular belief also the gods” drink conferring immortality, is a name for Nibba^na (s. Nibba^na), the final liberation from the wheel of rebirths, and therefore also from the ever-repeated deaths .
”self, ego, personality, is in Buddhism a mere conventional expression (voha^radesana^), and no designation for anything really existing; s. paramattha-desana^, anatta^, puggala, satta, ji^va.
marana (q.v.) - Contemplation of °: marana^nussati (q.v.) - As divine messenger: deva-dúta (q.v.).
man, the 8 thoughts of a: maha^purisa-vitakka (q.v.).
”living being”. This term, just like atta^, puggala, ji^va, and all the other terms denoting ”ego-entity”, is to be considered as a merely conventional term (voha^ra-vacana), not possessing any reality-value. For the impersonality of all existence. s. anatta^, paramattha, puggala, ji^va, satta, paticcasamuppa^da.
1.”round”, 2.”round of rebirths”.
(1) With reference to the dependent origination (paticcasamuppa^da, q.v.), Vis.M. XVII speaks of 3 rounds: the karma round (kamma-vatta) comprising the karma-formations and the karmaprocess (2nd and 10th links); the round of defilements (kilesa-vatta) comprising ignorance, craving and clinging (1st, 8th and 9th links); the round of results (vipa^ka-vatta) comprising consciousness, mind and corporeality, 6 bases, impression, feeling (3rd-7th links). Cf. paticcasamuppa^da (diagram).
(2) round of rebirth = samsa^ra (q.v.).
kasina, white-k., wind-k.: s. kasina.
and arahatta magga, phala: s. ariya-puggala.
”the unworried”, is the name of a class of deities (s. deva,) inhabiting the first of the five Pure Abodes (suddha^va^sa, q.v.), in which the Ana^ga^mi^ (q.v.) has his last rebirth.
knowing the measure in bhojane mattan~n~uta^ (q.v.).
(corporeality): s. khandha, rúpa-kala^pa.
”happy course of existence”; s. gati.
as a general term for the 5 sense-organs (cakkhu-vatthu, etc ) is frequent in the Com., and often used together with a^rammana (object). This usage, however, is already indicated in the Abh. Canon: ”Cakkhum p”etam... vatthum p”etam” (Dhs. § 597; Vibh., p.71, PTS): ”cakkhuvin~n~a^nassa vatthu” (Dhs. §§ 679ff.).
”physical base”, i.e. the 6 physical organs on which the mental process is based, are the 5 physical sense-organs and, according to the Com., the heart (hadaya-vatthu, q.v.) as the 6th. This 6th vatthu must not be confounded with the 6th a^yatana, which is a collective name for all consciousness whatever. - (App.).
the 3 ”abstentions” or abstinences, are: abstention from wrong speech, wrong (bodily) action and wrong livelihood; corresponding to right speech, action and livelihood of the 8-fold Path (s. magga, 3-5). By abstention is not simply meant the non-occurrence of the evil things in question, but the deliberate abstaining therefrom, whenever occasion arises. They belong to the ”secondary” (not constant) mental concomitants obtaining in lofty consciousness (s. Tab. II). Cf. si^la.
”not-self”, non-ego, egolessness, impersonality, ...
is the last of the three characteristics of existence (ti-lakkhana, q.v.) The anatta^ doctrine teaches that neither within the bodily and mental phenomena of existence, nor outside of them, can be found anything that in the ultimate sense could be regarded as a self-existing real ego-entity, soul or any other abiding substance.
This is the central doctrine of Buddhism, without understanding which a real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible. It is the only really specific Buddhist doctrine, with which the entire Structure of the Buddhist teaching stands or falls. All the remaining Buddhist doctrines may, more or less, be found in other philosophic systems and religions, but the anatta^-doctrine has been clearly and unreservedly taught only by the Buddha, wherefore the Buddha is known as the anatta^-va^di, or ”Teacher of Impersonality”.
Whosoever has not penetrated this impersonality of all existence, and does not comprehend that in reality there exists only this continually self-consuming process of arising and passing bodily and mental phenomena, and that there is no separate ego-entity within or without this process, he will not be able to understand Buddhism, i.e. the teaching of the 4 Noble Truths (sacca, q.v.), in the right light. He will think that it is his ego, his personality, that experiences suffering, his personality that performs good and evil actions and will be reborn according to these actions, his personality that will enter into Nibba^na, his personality that walks on the Eightfold Path. Thus it is said in Vis.M. XVI:
"Mere suffering exists, no sufferer is found;
The deeds are, but no doer of the deeds is there;
Nibba^na is, but not the man that enters it;
The path is, but no traveler on it is seen."
"Whosoever is not clear with regard to the conditionally arisen phenomena, and does not comprehend that all the actions are conditioned through ignorance, etc., he thinks that it is an ego that understands or does not understand, that acts or causes to act, that comes to existence at rebirth .... that has the sense-impression, that feels, desires, becomes attached, continues and at rebirth again enters a new existence" (Vis.M. XVII. 117).
While in the case of the first two characteristics it is stated that all formations (sabbe sankha^ra^) are impermanent and subject to suffering, the corresponding text for the third characteristic states that "all things are not-self" (sabbe dhamma^ anatta^; M. 35, Dhp. 279). This is for emphasizing that the false view of an abiding self or substance is neither applicable to any ”formation” or conditioned phenomenon, nor to Nibba^na, the Unconditioned Element (asankhata^ dha^tu).
The Anatta^-lakkhana Sutta, the ”Discourse on the Characteristic of Not-self”, was the second discourse after Enlightenment, preached by the Buddha to his first five disciples, who after hearing it attained to perfect Holiness (arahatta).
The contemplation of not-self (anatta^nupassana^) leads to the emptiness liberation (sun~n~ata^-vimokkha, s. vimokkha). Herein the faculty of wisdom (pan~n~indriya) is outstanding, and one who attains in that way the path of Stream-entry is called a Dhamma-devotee (dhamma^nusa^ri; s. ariya-puggala); at the next two stages of sainthood he becomes a vision-attainer (ditthippatta); and at the highest stage, i.e. Holiness, he is called ”liberated by wisdom” (pan~n~a^-vimutta).
For further details, see paramattha-sacca, paticca-samuppa^da, khandha, ti-lakkhana, na^ma-rúpa, patisandhi.
Literature: Anatta^-lakkhana Sutta, Vinaya I, 13-14; S.22. 59; tr. in Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha (WHEEL 17). -
Another important text on Anatta^ is the Discourse on the Snake Simile (Alagaddúpama Sutta, M. 22; tr. in WHEEL 48/49) .
Other texts in "Path". - Further: Anatta^ and Nibba^na, by Nyanaponika Thera (WHEEL 11);
The Truth of Anatta^, by Dr. G. P. Malalasekera (WHEEL 94);
The Three Basic Facts of Existence III: Egolessness (WHEEL 202/204)
the: sankhata (q.v.).
”woeful course” (of existence); s. gati.
one, the: gotrabhú (q.v.).
up robes, the practice of wearing: is one of the ascetic rules of purification (dhutanga, q.v.).
- 1. In an ethical sense, it means: ”repugnance”, grudge, resentment, anger, and is a synonym of vya^pa^da, ”ill-will” (s. ni^varana) and dosa, ”hate” (s. múla). It is one of the proclivities (anusaya, q.v.).
2.”(Sense-) reaction”. Applied to five-sense cognition, p. occurs in the following contexts:
(a) as patigha-san~n~a^, ”perception of sense-reaction”, said to be absent in the immaterial absorptions (s. jha^na 5). Alternative renderings: resistance-perception, reflex-perception;
(b) as patigha-samphassa, ”(mental) impression caused by 5fold sensorial reaction” (D. 15); s. phassa;
(c) as sappatigha-rúpa, ”reacting corporeality”, and appatigha, ”not reacting”, which is an Abhidhammic classification of corporeality, occurring in Dhs. 659, 1050. Sappatigha are called the physical sense-organs as reacting (or responding) to sense stimuli; and also the physical sense-objects as impinging (or making an impact) on the sense-organs. All other corporeality is appatigha, non-reacting and non-impinging. These 2 terms have been variously rendered as resistant and not, responding and not, with and without impact.
”tranquillity”, serenity, is a synonym of sama^dhi (coneentration), cittekaggata^ (one-pointedness of mind) and avikkhepa (undistractedness). It is one of the mental factors in ”wholesome consciousness. Cf. foll. and bha^vana^.
ditthi (-va^da): ”eternity-belief”, is the belief in a soul or personality existing independently of the 5 groups of existence, and continuing after death eternally, as distinguished from the ”annihilation-belief” (uccheda-ditthi), i.e. the belief in a personality falling at death a prey to absolute annihilation. For more details, s. ditthi.
”aberration” or ”deviation”, may be: deviation from morality (si^la-vipatti), or deviation from understanding (ditthivipatti).
"To deviate in deeds, or in words, or in both deeds and words: this is called deviation from morality.
"”Alms and offerings are useless, there is no fruit and result of good and bad actions, there are no such things as this and the next life”.... Such wrong views are called deviation from understanding." (Pug. 67, 68)
as a name for Nibba^na, seems to be found only in the Com.
”absence of the cycle of existence” (vatta, q.v.), standstill of existence, is a name for Nibba^na (s. nibba^na). - (App.).
1.”spheres”, is a name for the four immaterial absorptions; s. jha^na (5-8). 2. The 12 ”bases” or ”sources” on which depend the mental processes, consist of five physical sense-organs and consciousness, being the six personal (ajjhattika) bases; and the six objects, the so-called external (ba^hira) bases - namely:
eye, or visual organ visible object
ear, or auditory organ sound, or audible object
nose, or olfactory organ odour, or olfactive object
tongue, or gustatory organ taste, or gustative object
body, or tactile organ body-impression, or tactile object
mind-base, or consciousness mind-object
(mana^yatana) (dhamma^yatana)
"By the visual organ (cakkha^yatana) is meant the sensitive part of the eye (cakkhu-pasa^da) built up of the four elements ... responding to sense-stimuli" (sa-ppatigha).... (Vibh. II). Similar is the explanation of the four remaining physical sense-organs.
Mind-base (mana^yatana) is a collective term for all consciousness whatever, and should therefore not be confounded with the mind-element (mano-dha^tu; s. dha^tu II, 16), which latter performs only the functions of adverting (a^vajjana) to the sense-object, and of receiving (sampaticchana) the sense-object. On the functions of the mind, s. vin~n~a^na-kicca.
The visible object (rúpa^yatana) is described in Vibh. II as "that phenomenon which is built up of the four physical elements and appears as color, etc." What is” seen by-visual perception, i.e. by eye-consciousness (cakkhu-vin~n~a^na) are colors and differences of light, but not three dimensional bodily things.
”Mind-object-base” (dhamma^yatana) is identical with ”mind-object-element” (dhamma-dha^tu; s. dha^tu II) and dhamma^rammana (s. a^rammana). It may be physical or mental, past, present or future, real or imaginary.
The 5 physical sense-organs are also called faculties (indriya, q.v.), and of these faculties it is said in M. 43: "Each of the five faculties owns a different sphere, and none of them partakes of the sphere of another one;... they have mind as their support... are conditioned by vitality, ... but vitality again is conditioned by heat, heat again by vitality, just as the light and flame of a burning lamp are mutually conditioned."
The 12 bases are fully discussed in Vis.M. XV. In Yam III (s Guide, p 98f) the 12 terms are subjected to a logical investigation The six personal bases form the 5th link of dependent origination (paticca-samuppa^da 5, q.v.).
”recollection”, meditation, contemplation. The six recollections often described in the Suttas (e.g. A. VI, 10, 25; D. 33) are: (1) recollection of the Buddha, (2) his Doctrine, (3) his Community of noble disciples, (4) of morality, (5) liberality, (6) heavenly beings (buddha^nussati, dhamma^nussati, sangha^nussati, si^la^nussati, ca^ga^nussati, devata^nussati).
(1) "The noble disciple, Maha^na^ma, recollects thus: ”This Blessed One is holy, a fully Enlightened One, perfected in wisdom and conduct, faring happily, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of men to be trained, teacher of heavenly beings and men, a Buddha, a Blessed One.”
(2) ”Well proclaimed by the Blessed One is the Doctrine (dhamma), directly visible, with immediate fruit, inviting investigation, leading on to Nibba^na, to be comprehended by the wise, each by himself.”
(3) ”Of good conduct is the Community (Sangha) of the Blessed One”s disciples, of upright conduct, living on the right path, performing their duties, to wit: the 4 pairs of men or 8 individuals (s. ariya puggala). This Community of the Blessed One”s disciples is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverence with raised hands, the unsurpassed field for doing meritorious deeds.”
(4) "The noble disciple further recollects his own morality (si^la) which is unbroken, without any breach, undefiled, untarnished, conducive to liberation, praised by the wise, not dependent (on craving or opinions), leading to concentration.
(5) "The noble disciple further recollects his own liberality (ca^ga) thus: ”Blessed truly am I, highly blessed am I who, amongst beings defiled with the filth of stinginess, live with heart free from stinginess, liberal, open-handed, rejoicing in giving, ready to give anything asked for, glad to give and share with others.”
(6) "The noble disciple further recollects the heavenly beings (devata^): ”There are the heavenly beings of the retinue of the Four Great Kings, the heavenly beings of the World of the Thirty-Three, the Ya^madevas ... and there are heavenly beings besides (s. deva). Such faith, such morality, such knowledge, such liberality, such insight, possessed of which those heavenly beings, after vanishing from here, are reborn in those worlds, such things are also found in me.”" (A. III,70; VI,10; XI,12).
"At the time when the noble disciple recollects the Perfect One ... at such a time his mind is neither possessed of greed, nor of hate, nor of delusion. Quite upright at such a time is his mind owing to the Perfect One ... With upright mind the noble disciple attains understanding of the sense, understanding of the law, attains joy through the law. In the joyous one rapture arises. With heart enraptured, his whole being becomes stilled. Stilled within his being, he feels happiness; and the mind of the happy one becomes firm. Of this noble disciple it is said that amongst those gone astray, he walks on the right path, among those suffering he abides free from suffering. Thus having reached the stream of the law, he develops the recollection of the Enlightened One...." (A. VI, 10).
In A. I, 21 (PTS: I, xvi) and A. I, 27 (PTS: xx. 2) another 4 recollections are added: mindfulness on death (marana-sati, q.v.), on the body (ka^yagata^-.sati, q.v.), on breathing (a^na^pa^na-sati, q.v.), and the recollection of peace (upasama^nussati, q.v.).
The first six recollections are fully explained in Vis.M. VII, the latter four in Vis.M. VIII.
”superiority-conceit”; s. ma^na.
articles, the 3: tittha^yatana (q.v.).
s. ditthi.
”arising”, ”rebirth”, is a synonym for patisandhi (q.v.).
or forbearance (khanti): one of the 10 perfections (pa^rami^, q.v.).
the ”state of rightness”, are the 8 links of the 8-fold Path (D. 33). Cf. miccha^tta.
the ”formed”, i.e. anything originated or conditioned, comprises all phenomena of existence. Cf. sankha^ra I, 4; asankhata.
This term, with the meaning in question, occurs perhaps only once in the Canon, namely in Kath. (s. Guide 83). Whether it is found also somewhere in the Com. , I am unable to say.
”Suchness”, designates the firmly fixed nature (bha^va) of all things whatever. The only passage in the Canon where the word occurs in this sense, is found in Kath. 186 (s. Guide, p. 83). On the Maha^yana term tathata^, s. Suzuki, Awakening of Faith, p. 53f. (App.).
(ka^ya-, citta- ): ”uprightness” (of mental factors and of consciousness), is associated with all pure consciousness. Cf. Tab. II.
s. lahuta^.
lit.”fasting”, i.e.”fasting day”, is the full-moon day, the new-moon day, and the two days of the first and last moonquarters. On full-moon and new-moon days, the Disciplinary Code, the Pa^timokkha, is read before the assembled community of monks (bhikkhu), while on the mentioned 4 moon-days many of the faithful lay devotees go to visit the monasteries, and there take upon themselves the observance of the 8 rules (attha-si^la; sikkha^pada). See A. VIII, 41ff.
The ”Unformed, Unoriginated, Unconditioned” is a name for Nibba^na, the beyond of all becoming and conditionality.
s. manasika^ra.
This term in the sense of ”amoral” or ”karmically neutral”, does not occur in the old sutta texts, while it is found in Pts.M. (e.g. I, 79ff). It plays an important role in the Abh. Canon (e.g. Dhs.) and the philosophical commentaries.
lit.”indeterminate” - i.e. neither determined as karmically ”wholesome” nor as ”unwholesome” - are the karmically neutral, i.e. amoral, states of consciousness and mental factors. They are either mere karma-results (vipa^ka, q.v.), as e.g. all the sense perceptions and the mental factors associated therewith, or they are karmically independent functions (kiriya-citta, q.v.), i.e. neither karmic nor karma-resultant. See Tab. I. (App.).
mindfulness of in-and-out-breathing a^na^pa^nasati (q.v.) .
(from morality and understanding): vipatti (q.v.).
(abstr. noun fr. dukkha): ”the state of suffering”, painfulness, unpleasantness, the unsatisfactoriness of existence."There are three kinds of suffering: (1) suffering as pain (dukkha-dukkhata^), (2) the suffering inherent in the formations (sankha^ra-dukkhata^), (3) the suffering in change (viparina^ma-dukkhata^)" (S. XLV, 165; D. 33).
(1) is the bodily or mental feeling of pain as actual]y felt. (2) refers to the oppressive nature of all formations of existence (i.e. all conditioned phenomena), due to their continual arising and passing away; this includes also experiences associated with neutral feeling. (3) refers to bodily and mental pleasant feelings, "because they are the cause for the arising of pain when they change" (Vis.M. XIV, 34f).
sankha^ra (q.v.).
the: a^nantariya (q.v.).
lit., ”grown great”, i.e.”developed”, exalted, supernormal. As mahaggata-citta, it is the state of ”developed consciousness”, attained in the fine-material and immaterial absorptions (s. jha^na); it is mentioned in the mind-contemplation of the Satipattha^na Sutta (M. 10). - As mahaggata^rammana, it is the ”developed mental object” of those absorptions and is mentioned in the ”object triad” of the Abhidhamma schedule and Dhs. (s. Guide, p. 6).
”wrongnesses” = prec.
”learning the doctrine”, the ”wording of the doctrine”. In the ”progress of the disciple” (q.v.), 3 stages may be distinguished: theory, practice, realization, i.e. (1) learning the wording of the doctrine (pariyatti), (2) practising it (patipatti), (3) penetrating it (pativedha) and realising its goal. (App.).
1.”Road”, ”path”; for instance in dukkhanirodha-ga^mini^-patipada^, ”the road leading to the extinction of suffering” (= 4th Noble Truth); majjhima-patipada^, ”the Middle Way”.
2.”Progress” (see also the foll. article). There are 4 modes of progress to deliverance: (1) painful progress with slow comprehension (dukkha^ patipada^ dandha^bhin~n~a^), (2) painful progress with quick comprehension, (3) pleasant progress with slow comprehension, (4) pleasant progress with quick comprehension. In A. IV, 162 it is said:
(1) "Some person possesses by nature excessive greed, excessive hate, excessive delusion, and thereby he often feels pain and sorrow; and also the 5 mental faculties, as faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom (s. indriya 15-19) are dull in him; and by reason thereof he reaches only slowly the immediacy (a^nantariya, q.v) to the cessation of all cankers.
(2) Some person possesses by nature excessive greed, etc., but the 5 mental faculties are sharp in him and by reason thereof he reaches quickly the immediacy to the cessation of all cankers ....
(3) "Some person possesses by nature no excessive greed, etc., but the 5 mental faculties are dull in him, and by reason thereof he reaches slowly the immediacy to the cessation of all cankers ....
(4) ”Some person possessess by nature no excessive greed, etc., and the mental faculties are sharp in him, and by reason thereof he reaches quickly the immediacy to the cessation of all cankers ....
See A. IV, 162, 163, 166-169; Dhs. 176ff; Atthasa^lini Tr. I, 243; 11, 291, 317.
practice, or ”pursuance” of the teaching, as distinguished from the mere theoretical knowledge of its wording (pariyatti, q.v.).
s. pariyatti.
s. pariyatti.
”penetration”, signifies the realization of the truth of the Dhamma, as distinguished from the mere acquisition of its wording (pariyatti), or the practice (patipatti) of it, in other words, realization as distinguished from theory and practice. Cf. pariyatti.
”Three Jewels” or Three Gems, which by all Buddhists are revered as the most venerable things, are the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Holy Sangha.” i.e.: the Enlightened One; the law of deliverance discovered, realized and proclaimed by him; and the Community of Holy Disciples and those who live in accordance with the Law. - The contemplations of the 3 Jewels belong to the 10 contemplations (anussati q.v.).
in morality and understanding): s. vipatti.
khandha (q.v.).
”Enlightenment Being”, is a being destined to Buddhahood, a future Buddha. According to the traditional belief a Bodhisatta, before reaching his last birth as a Buddha on this earth, is living in the Tusita-heaven (s. deva), the heaven of bliss. Cf. A. IV, 127; VIII, 70.
In the Pa^li Canon and commentaries, the designation ”Bodhisatta” is given only to Prince Siddhattha before his enlightenment and to his former existences. The Buddha himself uses this term when speaking of his life prior to enlightenment (e.g. M. 4, M. 26). Bodhisattahood is neither mentioned nor recommended as an ideal higher than or alternative to Arahatship; nor is there any record in the Pa^li scriptures of a disciple declaring it as his aspiration. - See bodhi.
nissaya, one of the 24 conditions (paccaya, q.v.). Wrong f. of morality, s. nissaya. - f. of sympathy: sangaha-vatthu (q.v.) - f.-forming absorptions: pa^daka-jjha^na (q.v.); - f. of an Arahat”s mentality: s. adhittha^na.
the 4 modes of: yoni (q.v.).
cf. vin~n~atti.
s. vimokkha.
s. bha^vana^, jha^na, sama^dhi.
(-sacca, -vacana, -desana^): ”truth (or term, exposition) that is true in the highest (or ultimate) sense”, as contrasted with the ”conventional truth” (voha^ra-sacca), which is also called ”commonly accepted truth” (sammuti-sacca; in Skr: samvrti-satya). The Buddha, in explaining his doctrine, sometimes used conventional language and sometimes the philosophical mode of expression which is in accordance whith undeluded insight into reality. In that ultimate sense, existence is a mere process of physical and mental phenomena within which, or beyond which, no real ego-entity nor any abiding substance can ever be found. Thus, whenever the suttas speak of man, woman or person, or of the rebirth of a being, this must not be taken as being valid in the ultimate sense, but as a mere conventional mode of speech (voha^ra-vacana).
It is one of the main characteristics of the Abhidhamma Pitaka, in distinction from most of the Sutta Pitaka, that it does not employ conventional language, but deals only with ultimates, or realities in the highest sense (paramattha-dhamma^). But also in the Sutta Pitaka there are many expositions in terms of ultimate language (paramattha-desana^), namely, wherever these texts deal with the groups (khandha), elements (dha^tu) or sense-bases (a^yatana), and their components; and wherever the 3 characteristics (ti-lakkhana, q.v.) are applied. The majority of Sutta texts, however, use the conventional language, as appropriate in a practical or ethical context, because it "would not be right to say that ”the groups” (khandha) feel shame, etc."
It should be noted, however, that also statements of the Buddha couched in conventional language, are called ”truth” (voha^ra-sacca), being correct on their own level, which does not contradict the fact that such statements ultimately refer to impermanent and impersonal processes.
The two truths - ultimate and conventional - appear in that form only in the commentaries, but are implied in a sutta-distinction of ”explicit (or direct) meaning” (ni^tattha, q.v.) and ”implicit meaning (to be inferred)” (neyyattha). Further, the Buddha repeatedly mentioned his reservations when using conventional speech, e.g. in D. 9: "These are merely names, expressions, turns of speech, designations in common use in the world, which the Perfect Qne (Tatha^gata) uses without misapprehending them." See also S. I. 25.
The term paramattha, in the sense here used, occurs in the first para. of the Katha^vatthu, a work of the Abhidhamma Pitaka (s. Guide, p. 62). (App: voha^ra).
The commentarial discussions on these truths (Com. to D. 9 and M. 5) have not yet been translated in full. On these see K N. Jayatilleke, Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge (London, 1963), pp. 361ff.
In Maha^yana, the Ma^dhyamika school has given a prominent place to the teaching of the two truths.
s. voha^ra-desana^.
lit.”reunion, relinking”, i.e. rebirth, is one of the 14 functions of consciousness (vin~n~a^na-kicca, q.v.). It is a karma-resultant type of consciousness and arises at the moment of conception i.e. with the forming of new life in the mother”s womb. Immediately afterwards it sinks into the subconscious stream of existence (bhavangasota, q.v.), and conditioned thereby ever and ever again corresponding states of subconsciousness arise. Thus it is really rebirth-consciousness that determines the latent character of a person.
"Neither has this (rebirth-) consciousness transmigrated from the previous existence to this present existence, nor did it arise without such conditions, as karma, karma-formations, propensity, object, etc. That this consciousness has not come from the previous existence to this present existence, yet that it has come into existence by means of conditions included in the previous existence, such as karma (q.v.), etc., this fact may be illustrated by various things, such as the echo, the light of a lamp, the impression of a seal, or the image produced by a mirror. For just as the resounding of the echo is conditioned by a sound, etc., and nowhere a transmigration of sound has taken place, just so it is with this consciousness. Further it is said: ”In this continuous process, no sameness and no otherness can be found.” For if there were full identity (between the different stages), then also milk never could turn into curd. And if there were a complete otherness, then curd could never come from milk.... If in a continuity of existence any karma-result takes place, then this karma-result neither belongs to any other being, nor does it come from any other (kamma), because absolute sameness and otherness are excluded here" (Vis, XVII 164ff).
In Mil. it is said:
"Now, Venerable Na^gasena, the one who is reborn, is he the same as the one who has died, or is he another?"
"Neither the same, nor another" (na ca so na ca an~n~o).
"Give me an example."
"What do you think, o King: are you now, as a grown-up person, the same that you had been as a little, young and tender babe? "
"No, Venerable Sir. Another person was the little, young and tender babe, but quite a different person am I now as a grown-up man ."...
"... Is perhaps in the first watch of the night one lamp burning, another one in the middle watch, and again another one in the last watch?"
"No, Venerable Sir. The light during the whole night depends on one and the same lamp.””
"Just so, o King, is the chain of phenomena linked together. One phenomenon arises, another vanishes, yet all are linked together, one after the other, without interruption. In this way one reaches the final state of consciousnes neither as the same person. nor as another person.””
According to the nature of their rebirth consciousness, beings divide into the following 3 groups:
1. ahetu-patisandhika: a ”being reborn without rootconditions”, is a being whose consciousness at the moment of rebirth was not accompanied by any of the 3 noble rootconditions, viz. greedlessness, hatelessness, undeludedness (s. múla), i.e. selflessness, kindness, intelligence. Such beings are found in the 4 lower worlds (apa^ya, q.v.), in which case the function of rebirth is exercised by the class of consciousness listed in Tab. I as No. 56. But if such beings are born in the sensuous sphere as humans, they will be crippled, blind, deaf, mentally deficient, etc. (Rebirth-consciousness = Tab. I, No. 41)
2. dvihetu (or duhetu)-patisandhika: a ”being reborn with only 2 (noble) root-conditions”, i.e. greedlessness and hatelessness. (Rebirth-consciousness = Tab. I, Nos. 44, 45, 48 or 49.)
3. tihetu-patisandhika: a ”being reborn with 3 (noble) rootconditions”. Such a being can be found only among men. (Rebirth-consciousness = Tab. 1, Nos. 42, 43, 46, or 47) and higher heavenly beings.
On these 3 types of rebirth, See Atthasa^lini Tr. 11, 354 - 379. (App.: patisandhika).
In the suttas, the terms for rebirth are chiefly punabbhava (q.v.), ”renewed existence”, and abhinibbatti ”arising”; or both combined as punabbhava^bhinibbatti. - (App.: patisandhi).
Literature Vis.M. XVII, 133f, 164f, 189f, 289f; Vis.M. XIX, 22f. - Karma and Rebirth, by Nyanatiloka Thera (WHEEL 9). - The Case for Rebirth, by Francis Story (WHEEL 12/13). - Survival and Karma in Buddhist Perspective, by K. N. Jayatilleke (WHEEL 141/143). - Rebirth Explained, by V. F. Gunaratna (WHEEL 167/169).
is chiefly a commentarial term; but it occurs several times in one of the later books of the Sutta Pitaka, the Patisambhida^ Magga (Pts.M. I, 11f, 52, 59f.; II, 72f.). The usual sutta term for ”rebirth” is punabbhava.
This term is found only in the Com., but the belief expressed by it is several times mentioned in the older sutta texts. Cf. the main part of this work.
”attainments”, is a name for the 8 absorptions of the fine-material and immaterial spheres to which occasionally is added as 9th attainment, attainment of extinction (nirodhasama^patti) Cf. jha^na.
para^ma^sa and -upa^da^na: ”attachment (or clinging) to mere rules and ritual”, is the 3rd of the 10 fetters (samyojana, q.v.), and one of the 4 kinds of clinging (upa^da^na, q.v.). It disappears on attaining to Stream-entry (sota^patti). For definition, s. upa^da^na.
”Stream-entry”; s. sota^panna; s. -magga, -phala, ”path and fruition of Stream-entry”; s. ariyapuggala.
”the Thirty-thrce (Gods)”, a class of heavenly beings in the sensuous sphere; s. deva (I).
the ”Perfect One”, lit. the one who has ”thus gone”, or ”thus come”, is an epithet of the Buddha used by him when speaking of himself.
To the often asked questions, whether the Tatha^gata still exists after death, or not, it is said (e.g. S. XXII, 85, 86) that, in the highest sense (paramattha, q.v.) the Tatha^gata cannot, even at lifetime, be discovered, how much less after death, and that neither the 5 groups of existence (khandha, q.v.) are to be regarded as the Tatha^gata, nor can the Tatha^gata be found outside these corporeal and mental phenomena. The meaning intended here is that there exist only these ever-changing corporeal and mental phenomena, arising and vanishing from moment to moment, but no separate entity, no personality.
When the commentaries in this connection explain Tatha^gata by ”living being” (satta), they mean to say that here the questioners are using the merely conventional expression, Tatha^gata, in the sense of a really existing entity.
Cf. anatta^, paramattha, puggala, ji^va, satta.
A commentarial treatise on "The Meaning of the Word ”Tatha^gata”" is included in The All-Embracing Net of Views (Brahmaja^la Sutta), tr. Bhikkhu Bodhi (BPS).
ka^ya- and vaci^-v., seem to occur for the first time in Dhs. (§§ 665,718) of the Abh. Canon.
(lit.”making known”) ”intimation”, is an Abhidhamma term for bodily expression (ka^ya-vin~n~atti) and verbal expression (vaci^-vin~n~atti), both belonging to the corporeality-group. They are produced by the co-nascent volition, and are therefore, as such, purely physical and not to be confounded with karma (q.v.), which as such is something mental. Cf. Kath. 80, 100, 101, 103, 194 (s. Guide V). - (App.).
"One speaks of ”bodily expression”, because it makes known an intention by means of bodily movement, and can itself be understood by the bodily movement which is said to be corporeal.
"”Verbal expression” is so called because it makes known an intention by means of a speech-produced noise" (Vis.M. XIV).
miccha^-magga (q.v.).
”having only few wishes”, contentedness, is one of the indispensable virtues of the monk; cf. A. X. 181-190, and ariyavamsa (q.v.).
sampayutta-paccaya, is one of the 24 conditions (paccaya, q.v.). asubha: ”impurity”, loathsomeness, foulness. - In Vis.M. VI, it is the cemetery contemplations (si^vathika, q.v.) that are called ”meditation-subjects of impurity” (asubha-kammattha^na; s. bha^vana^). In the Girimananda Sutta (A. X., 50), however, the perception of impurity (asubha-san~n~a^) refers to the contemplation of the 32 parts of the body (s. ka^ya-gata^-sati). The contemplation of the body”s impurity is an antidote against the hindrance of sense-desire (s. ni^varana) and the mental perversion (vipalla^sa, q.v.) which sees what is truly impure as pure and beautiful. See S. XLVI, 51; A. V. 36, Dhp. 7, 8; Sn. 193ff. - The Five Mental Hindrances (WHEEL 26), pp. 5ff.
s. para^ma^sa.
”The 8 a.”; s. sama^patti.
of mindfulness, the 4: satipattha^na (q.v.) .
cf. mada, moha (s. múla), avijja^.
consciousness, karmically; s. kiriyacitta.
”course of action”, is a name for the group of 10 kinds of either unwholesome or wholesome actions, viz.
I. The tenfold unwholesome courses of action (akusala-kamma-patha):
3 bodily actions: killing, stealing, unlawful sexual intercourse;
4 verbal actions: lying, slandering, rude speech, foolish babble;
3 mental actions: covetousness, ill-will, evil views.
Unwholesome mental courses of action comprise only extreme forms of defiled thought: the greedy wish to appropriate others” property, the hateful thought of harming others, and pernicious views. Milder forms of mental defilement are also unwholesome, but do not constitute ”courses of action”.
II. The tenfold wholesome course of action (kusala-kamma-patha):
3 bodily actions: avoidance of killing, stealing, unlawful sexual intercourse;
4 verbal actions: avoidance of lying, slandering, rude speech, foolish babble; i.e. true, conciliatory, mild, and wise speech;
3 mental actions: unselfishness, good-will, right views.
Both lists occur repeatedly, e.g. in A. X, 28, 176; M. 9; they are explained in detail in M. 114, and in Com. to M. 9 (R. Und., p. 14), Atthasa^lini Tr. I, 126ff.
”karma-round”; s. vatta.
”mind-base”, is a collective term for all the different states of consciousness; s. a^yatana.