The last dedicated ālambana chapter in Yogasthāna II. Kauśalya is third in the canonical four-fold order (vyāpī, carita-viśodhana, kauśalya, kleśa-viśodhana); the fourth, kleśa-viśodhana, has no separate chapter — it is treated within sbh2.0 itself, through the four-noble-truths discussion that grounds the supramundane path. The kauśalya-ālambana (skill-object) names five domains in which the practitioner cultivates skill: skandha-kauśalya (skill in the aggregates), dhātu-kauśalya (in the elements), āyatana-kauśalya (in the spheres), pratītyasamutpāda-kauśalya (in dependent origination), and sthānāsthāna-kauśalya (in the possible-and-impossible). Each is treated through both svalakṣaṇa (specific characteristic) and sāmānya-lakṣaṇa (general characteristic) framing.
id
Sanskrit
English
tatra kauśalālambanaṁ kauśalyālambanaṁ ca katamat tadyathā |
What is the skill-object? It is said:
kauśala-ālambana and kauśalya-ālambana — both Sanskrit forms appear, essentially synonymous. Kauśala is the noun-form of kuśala (skillful, wholesome); kauśalya is the abstract noun. The doubled phrasing is unusual; one or the other could be a manuscript variant.
skandhakauśalyaṁ, dhātukauśalyamāyatanakauśalyaṁ, pratītyasamutpādakauśalyaṁ, sthānāsthānakauśalyaṁ |
skill-in-aggregates, skill-in-elements, skill-in-bases, skill-in-dependent-origination, skill-in-the-possible-and-impossible.
tatra katame skandhāḥ, katamat skandhakauśalyaṁ |
What are the aggregates, and what is skill-in-aggregates?
rūpaskandho vedanāskandhaḥ saṁjñāskandhaḥ saṁskāraskandho vijñānaskandhaśca |
Form-aggregate, feeling-aggregate, [perception-aggregate,] formations-aggregate, and consciousness-aggregate.
The opening list gives the standard five aggregates in order: form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. The local extraction omits saṁjñā-skandhaḥ, listing only four; saṁjñā-skandhaḥ is supplied editorially in the root because the per-aggregate definitions immediately following (sections 3–7) cover all five and the five-aggregate doctrine is universally attested. English flags the supplement as [perception-aggregate,]. See the Supplements entry in [notes/sanskrit-emendation-policy.md](../../../../../notes/sanskrit-emendation-policy.md).
tatra rūpaskandho yatkiṁcidrūpaṁ sarvaṁ taccatvāri mahābhūtāni |
The form-aggregate: whatever form there is, all of it is the four great elements,
tatpunaratītānāgatapratyutpannamādhyātmikaṁ vā, bāhyaṁ vā, audārikaṁ vā, sūkṣmaṁ vā, hīnaṁ vā, praṇītaṁ vā, dūre vā, antike vā |
Form is also past, future, or present; inward or outward; gross or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near.
The elevenfold mode-analysis: three temporal (past/future/present), two locational (inward/outward), two qualitative (gross/subtle), two valuational (inferior/superior), two distance (far/near). Each form-instance falls under some configuration of these modes.
sukhavedanīyaṁ vā sparśaṁ pratītya, duḥkhavedanīyaṁ vā, aduḥkhāsukhavedanīyaṁ vā |
Feeling arisen in dependence on contact to be felt as pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
śrotraghrāṇajihvākāyamanaḥsaṁsparśajā vedanā |
and feeling born from ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact.
tadyathā sanimittasaṁjñā, animittasaṁjñā, parīttasaṁjñā |
Namely: perception-with-sign, perception-without-sign, limited perception,
The six perception-classes — sa-nimitta (with sign), animitta (without sign), parītta (limited), mahad-gata (expansive), apramāṇa (immeasurable), ākiñcanyāyatana-saṁjñā (perception of the base of nothingness) — map onto progressively rarefied meditation states from ordinary perception up to the third formless attainment.
nāsti kiñcidityākiñcanyāyatanasaṁjñā |
and the perception 'there is nothing' — perception of the base of nothingness.
śrotraghrāṇajihvākāyamanaḥsaṁsparśajā saṁjñā |
and perception born from ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact.
ṣaṭ cetanākāyāḥ cakṣuḥsaṁsparśajā cetanā, śrotraghrāṇajihvākāyamanaḥsaṁsparśajā cetanā |
The six volition-bodies: volition born from eye-contact, and from ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact.
cakṣurvijñānaṁ śrotraghrāṇajihvākāyamanovijñānaṁ |
eye-consciousness; ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
sā caiṣā vedanā saṁjñā saṁskārastaccaitadvijñānaṁ |
And this feeling, perception, formations, and this consciousness —
sā ca eṣā vedanā saṁjñā saṁskāras tac caitad vijñānam resumes the aggregates for the mode-analysis that follows: this feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are past/future/present, inward/outward, and so on. It should not be read as saying that feeling, perception, and formations are identical with consciousness.
atītānāgatapratyutpannamādhyātmikaṁ vā bāhyaṁ vā iti vistareṇa pūrvavat |
Past, future, present; inward or outward — the elevenfold mode-analysis applies as before.
ya etānyathoddiṣṭāndharmān nānātmakatayā ca jānāti |
One who knows these dharmas as taught — by their distinct nature,
bahvātmakatayā ca, na tataḥ paramupalabhate |
by their manifold nature, and who does not apprehend anything beyond that,
idamucyate samāsataḥ skandhakauśalyam |
This, in summary, is called skill-in-aggregates.
The threefold definition: knowing the aggregates as distinct from one another (nānātmakatā), as manifold within themselves (bahvātmakatā), and not apprehending or conceptually constructing anything beyond them. The English uses 'nature' rather than 'self-nature' here so the
ātmakatā suffix does not get mistaken for a claim about self or svabhāva. The third condition is the soteriological hinge — skill-in-aggregates is the cognitive operation that finds nothing beyond the aggregates.tatra katamā nānātmakatā skandhānāmanya eva rūpaskandho 'nyo vedanāskandha evaṁ |
What is the distinct nature of the aggregates? The form-aggregate is one thing; the feeling-aggregate is another; and so on,
anyo yāvadvijñānaskandha iyaṁ nānātmakatā |
each distinct, up through the consciousness-aggregate. This is distinct nature.
yo rūpaskandho nekavidho nānāprakāraḥ |
The form-aggregate has many kinds, and is manifold in nature.
bhūtalaukikabhedenānāgatapratyutpannādikena ca |
By the [Damaged/Conjectural: primary-element/derived-form] division; by past, future, present and so on;
The root reads bhūta-laukika-bhedena, but the local form-aggregate definition at 3.1-3.2 requires the standard division between primary elements (mahābhūta) and derived form (upādāya-rūpa / bhautika). The English marks the likely repair rather than translating laukika as 'worldly' in a context where that would not explain the form-aggregate's manifoldness.
rūpaskandhasyaivamavaśiṣṭānāṁ skandhānāṁ yathāyogaṁ veditavyam |
The same applies, mutatis mutandis, to the remaining aggregates.
kiṁ ca na tasmātparaṁ upalabhate, vikalpayati |
And he does not apprehend or conceptually construct anything beyond that.
vastumātraṁ no tu skandhavyatirekeṇātmānamupalabhate |
only the substance — and does not, apart from the aggregates, apprehend a self.
nityadhruvamavipariṇāmadharmakaṁ, nāpyātmīyaṁ kiṁcididaṁ nopalabhate |
He does not apprehend anything as permanent, steady, of unchanging nature, nor anything as mine.
cakṣurdhātū rūpadhātuścakṣurvijñānadhātuḥ |
Eye-element, form-element, eye-consciousness-element;
kāyadhātuḥ, spraṣṭavyadhātuḥ, kāyavijñānadhāturdharmadhāturmanovijñānadhāturima ucyante dhātavaḥ |
body-element, tangible-element, body-consciousness-element, [mind-element,] dharma-element, mind-consciousness-element — these are called the elements.
The root list says there are eighteen elements but omits mano-dhātu in the final triad, giving only seventeen if translated literally. The English supplies [mind-element] in brackets to preserve the standard eighteen-element list; Sanskrit JSON is unchanged.
yatpunaretānaṣṭādaśadharmān svakasvakāddhātoḥ svakasvakādbījāt |
Furthermore, when one knows that these eighteen dharmas arise from their own respective element, from their own respective seed,
svakasvakādgotrājjāyante nirvartante prādurbhavantīti |
from their own respective lineage — that they are born, come forth, and manifest [from these];
yadaṣṭādaśānāṁ dharmāṇāṁ svakasvakāddhātoḥ pravṛttiṁ jānāti |
When one knows the proceeding of the eighteen dharmas from their own respective element,
tadevameti hetupratyayakauśalyametadyaduta dhātukauśalyaṁ |
this is precisely skill-in-cause-and-condition — this is what skill-in-elements amounts to.
hetu-pratyaya-kauśalya — 'skill-in-cause-and-condition.' Knowing that each element has its own specific causal-substrate; the eye arises from the eye-element, eye-consciousness from its own seed and lineage. The Buddha's instruction to Revata identifies this as the antidote for the cause-confused practitioner.
spraṣṭavyāyatanaṁ, mana-āyatanaṁ, dharmāyatanaṁ ca |
tangible-base, mind-base, and dharma-base.
tatra cakṣuradhipatiḥ rūpāṇyālambanaṁ cakṣurvijñānasya saṁprayogasyotpattaye |
The eye is predominant; forms are the object; for the arising of eye-consciousness with its associates.
samanantaraniruddhaṁ ca manaḥ samanantarapratyayaḥ |
The immediately-preceding mind is the immediate-condition.
samanantaraniruddhaṁ ca manaḥ samanantarapratyayaḥ |
the immediately-preceding mind is the immediate-condition,
śrotravijñānasya sasaṁprayogasyotpattaye |
for the arising of ear-consciousness with its associates.
evaṁ yāvanmanaḥ samanantaraṁ tajjo manasikāro 'dhipatipratyayo dharmālambanaṁ dharma ālambanaṁ manovijñānasya saṁprayogasyotpattaye iti |
And so on, up through: the immediately-preceding mind, the attention born from it as the predominant-condition, the dharma as object — for the arising of mind-consciousness with its associates.
tribhiḥ pratyayaiḥ samanantarapratyayena, ālambanapratyayenādhipatipratyayena ca |
Thus by three conditions — immediate-condition, object-condition, and predominant-condition —
The three conditions named here — immediate-condition (samanantara), object-condition (ālambana), and predominant-condition (adhipati) — are the simplified count. The fuller Yogācāra Abhidharma identifies four (adding hetu-pratyaya).
ṣaṇṇāṁ vijñānakāyānāṁ pravṛttirbhavati |
the proceeding of the six consciousness-bodies happens,
yadevamādhyātmikabāhyeṣvāyataneṣu pratyayakauśalyamidamucyate āyatanakauśalyam |
Skill-in-cause-and-condition with respect to the inward and outward bases — this is called skill-in-bases.
tatra katamaḥ pratītyasamutpādaḥ katamat pratītyasamutpādakauśalyaṁ |
What is dependent origination? What is skill-in-dependent-origination?
avidyāpratyayāḥ saṁskārāḥ, saṁskārapratyayaṁ vijñānaṁ, vijñānapratyayaṁ nāmarūpaṁ |
Ignorance-conditioned formations; formations-conditioned consciousness; consciousness-conditioned name-and-form;
vistareṇa yāvadevamasya kevalasya mahato duḥkhaskandhasya samudayo bhavatyayamucyate pratītyasamutpādaḥ |
[continuing in detail through the twelve links] until: thus is the arising of this whole great mass of suffering. This is called dependent origination.
yatpunardharmā eva dharmānabhiṣpandayanti dharmā eva dharmān pariṣpandayanti |
What follows: dharmas alone produce dharmas; dharmas alone carry dharmas.
saṁskārā eva dharmāṇāmāhārakāḥ tena hetusamutpannatvāt pratītyasamutpannatvāt vā abhūtvā bhavanti |
Formations alone are the carriers of dharmas — because of cause-arisenness, because of dependent-arisenness — not having been, they come into being.
saṁskārā eva dharmāṇām āhārakāḥ — 'formations alone are the carriers of dharmas.' Echoes the idaṁ-pratyayatā characterization (dharmāṇām eva dharma-āhārakatvam): same insight, slightly different formulation.
tasmādanityā ete saṁskārā ye punaranityāste jātidharmāṇo, jarādharmāṇo, vyādhidharmāṇo, maraṇadharmāṇaḥ, śokaparidevaduḥkhadaurmanasyopāyāsadharmāṇaḥ |
Therefore these formations are impermanent; and what is impermanent has the nature of birth, aging, disease, death, grief, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.
te jarādharmitvādyāvadupāyāsadharmitvāt |
By their nature-of-aging up through their nature-of-distress,
duḥkhā, ye vā punarduḥkhā, asvatantrā, durbalāste anātmāna iti |
they are suffering. What is suffering — being not-self-determining, weak — is not-self.
yadebhirākāraiḥ pratītyasamutpanneṣu dharmeṣu anityajñānaṁ, duḥkhajñānaṁ, nairātmyajñānaṁ |
When by these aspects there is, with respect to dependently-arisen dharmas, knowing-of-impermanence, knowing-of-suffering, and knowing-of-not-self —
sthānāsthānakauśalyaṁ punaḥ pratītyasamutpāda eva veditavyam |
Skill-in-the-possible-and-impossible is also to be understood as just dependent-origination.
sthāna-asthāna — literally 'place and not-place'; translates Pali ṭhāna-aṭhāna. The phrase from MN 115 (Bahudhātuka Sutta): 'It is a place / not a place that...' — i.e., 'it is possible / not possible that...' The skill is the cognitive ability to recognize what is causally possible and what is not.
sthānāsthānakauśalyena viṣamahetukatāṁ jānāti |
By skill-in-the-possible-and-impossible, he knows differentiated causation —
viṣama-hetukatā — literally 'uneven causation,' i.e., differentiated causation. Causes have specific, not arbitrary, effects: wholesome actions yield wholesome fruits, unwholesome unwished ones. This names the karmic structure of cause-and-effect.
asti kuśalākuśalānāṁ karmaṇāṁ phalavipākaḥ |
that for wholesome and unwholesome actions there is a fruit-of-result;
yadevaṁ jñānamidamucyate sthānāsthānakauśalyam |
When the knowing is thus, this is called skill-in-the-possible-and-impossible.
taccaitatpañcasthānakauśalyaṁ samāsataḥ svalakṣaṇakauśalyaṁ bhavati |
These five skill-domains, in summary, are skill-in-specific-characteristic,
tatra skandhakauśalyena svalakṣaṇakauśalyamākhyātaṁ |
Skill-in-aggregates declares skill-in-specific-characteristic.
avaśiṣṭaiḥ sāmānyalakṣaṇakauśalyamidamucyate kauśalyālambanam |
The remaining four declare skill-in-general-characteristic. This is called the skill-object.
Closing synthesis: the five skills reduce to two — svalakṣaṇa-kauśalya (skandha-kauśalya) and sāmānya-lakṣaṇa-kauśalya (the remaining four). This maps onto the third and fourth investigation-subjects of the vipaśyanā method.