Closing Material: Rebirth, Lokottara Path, Arhatship

Thus, through the frequent cultivation of these twelve perceptions, the manifestation of the five higher knowledges and the noble qualities not held by ordinary persons should be known as appropriate. In the first dhyāna — when cultivated in mild, middling, or strong degree — one attains rebirth in the company of the Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, and Mahābrahmā gods accordingly. In the second dhyāna — when cultivated in mild, middling, or strong degree — one attains rebirth in the company of the Parīttābha, [Damaged/Conjectural: Apramāṇābha], and Ābhāsvara gods accordingly. In the third dhyāna — when cultivated in mild, middling, or strong degree — one attains rebirth in the company of the Parīttaśubha, [Damaged/Conjectural: Apramāṇaśubha], and [Damaged/Conjectural: Śubhakṛtsna] gods accordingly. In the fourth dhyāna — when cultivated in mild, middling, or strong degree — one attains rebirth in the company of the Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, and Bṛhatphala gods accordingly. If, further, [the practitioner is] a non-returner [anāgāmī], he cultivates the fourth dhyāna with the contaminated mingled with the uncontaminated. Of him so cultivated — in mild, middling, strong, stronger, strongest degree — one attains rebirth in the company of the five gods of the Pure Abodes accordingly. Namely: among the Avṛha, Atapa, [Damaged/Conjectural: Sudṛśa], Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha [gods]. When the ākāśānantyāyatana, vijñānānantyāyatana, ākiñcanyāyatana, and naivasaṁjñānāsaṁjñāyatana are cultivated in mild, middling, or strong degree, one attains rebirth in the company of gods abiding in those formless attainments. And, since the formless gods do not have place-distinctions, there is no difference among them by place; but there is difference by mode of abiding. When the non-perception attainment [asaṁjñī-samāpatti] is cultivated, one attains rebirth in the company of the non-perception beings among the gods.

Now, what are the signs of one without lust [vītarāga]?

It is said: He has steady bodily action and stable faculties. His posture is not quickly abandoned. He maintains a single posture for a long time without distress. He does not crave to switch postures. He speaks little, and speaks calmly. He does not delight in crowds, does not delight in company; his speech proceeds with steadiness. Having seen forms with the eye, he is comprehending-of-form. He is not comprehending-of-lust-toward-form. Likewise he is comprehending of sound, smell, taste, tangible — but not comprehending-of-lust toward the tangible. He is confident. His intellect is deep; he is embraced by abundant pliancy of mind and body.

He is without covetousness, unshakeable. He is patient; sense-desire-thoughts and other evil thoughts do not disturb his mind. These are the signs of one without lust — to be known thus. This much is the analysis of the mundane-path travel.

Now, [if the practitioner] wishes to go by the supramundane path, the seven attentions [sapta-manaskāra] arise sequentially for him in connection with the four noble truths. Beginning with the characteristic-knowing attention [lakṣaṇa-pratisaṃvedī] and ending with the fruit-of-practice-culmination [prayoga-niṣṭhā-phala] — up through the attainment of arhatship. Here the practitioner, having grasped from a śramaṇa the four noble truths with their headings and divisions — having well-cultivated attention, or having attained a basic dhyāna or formless attainment — comprehends the characteristic of the truth of suffering through four aspects: namely, the aspect of impermanence [anitya-ākāra], the aspect of suffering [duḥkha-ākāra], [Damaged/Conjectural: the aspect of emptiness (śūnya-ākāra),] and the aspect of not-self [anātma-ākāra]. He comprehends the truth of arising through four aspects: by cause [hetu], by arising [samudaya], by origination [prabhava], and by condition [pratyaya]. He comprehends the characteristic of the truth of cessation through four aspects: namely, by cessation [nirodha], by calm [śānta], by sublime [praṇīta], and by escape [niḥsaraṇa]. He comprehends the characteristic of the truth of the path through four aspects: namely, by path [mārga], by method [nyāya], by practice [pratipatti], and by deliverance [nairyāṇika]. This is for him the characteristic-knowing attention.

Examining the truth of suffering through ten aspects, he enters into [its] four aspects. Through what ten? Namely: by the aspect of transformation [vipariṇāma], [Damaged/Conjectural: by the aspect of destruction (vināśa),] by the aspect of separation [viyoga], by the aspect of being-at-hand [sannihita], by the aspect of nature-of-things [dharmatā], by the aspect of fetter-and-bondage [saṃyojana-bandhana], by the aspect of unwished-for [aniṣṭa], by the aspect of insecurity [ayogakṣema], by the aspect of non-apprehension [anupalambha], and by the aspect of non-autonomy [asvatantra]. These ten aspects he examines by proof-establishing reasoning [upapatti-sādhana-yukti]. First, by scripture [āptāgama]: as the Blessed One said, ‘All formations are impermanent.’ Those formations, in summary, are the sentient world and the container world.

The Blessed One said, concerning the sentient world: 'I see, monks, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, beings passing away and arising' — in detail, up through, 'at the breaking up of the body, in the good destination, in the heavenly world, among the gods.' Thus by this account the Blessed One — with the eye, the direct-seeing one — has explained the impermanence of the sentient world. And the Blessed One said, 'There is a time, monks, when, by the passing of a long time, gradually, up to the appearing of seven suns in the world.' As in the Seven Suns simile, by which, of this great earth and of Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains — up to the Brahmā realm, of the container world burnt and consumed, even ashes are not perceived. Even shadow-residue is not perceived. By this account the Blessed One has explained the impermanence of the worldly container world. Relying on this trustworthy testimony, the yogi attains certainty in the impermanence of all formations through the predominance of faith.

Having attained this certainty through the predominance of faith, he investigates impermanence again and again, [taking it] also as direct-perception, also as non-direct, [and] as not-dependent-on-other.

How does he investigate?

It is said: He establishes a twofold substance. It is said: Inward and outward. There, the inward substance is the six bases [ṣaḍāyatana]; the outward substance — [scribal duplication of 6.1–6.6 follows, preserved:] having attained this certainty through the predominance of faith, he investigates impermanence again and again, [taking it] also as direct-perception, also as not-dependent-on-other. It is said: He establishes a twofold substance. Inward and outward. [Resuming:] there, the inward substance is the six bases; the outward substance is sixteenfold. Namely: earth-substance — i.e., villages, towns, houses, marketplaces, etc. Park-substance — i.e., grasses, plants, trees. Mountain-substance — i.e., varied mountain formations. Water-substance — springs, lakes, ponds, rivers, fountains. Field-substance; treasure-and-storehouse-substance; cloth-and-ornament-substance; dance-song-music-substance; perfume-garland-unguent-substance; vessel-and-equipment-substance; light-substance; men-and-women-and-service-substance — these are also. Sixteen substances. Having thus established the inward and outward substance — having established it — with respect to the inward substance, by direct-perception-dominated attention, he investigates impermanence through the aspect of transformation. There, of the inward substance, the transformation is fifteenfold. There are eight transformation-causes.

What is the fifteenfold transformation?

Of the inward substance, namely: transformation made by condition, by color, by shape, by abundance-or-loss, by completeness-or-deficiency of limbs, by exertion, by assault from another, by cold and heat, by posture, by self-doing, by defilement, by farming, by death, by [the corpse-states beginning with] the discolored, and by total dissolution of every aspect — these are the transformations. There are eight transformation-causes.

What [are they]?

It is said: Namely: passage of time, assault by another, consumption, seasonal change, fire-burning, water-flooding, wind-drying, and arising of a different condition.

There, passage-of-time means: of those form-substances even when placed in their own location, after some time, decrepit-ness is observed — aged-ness, alteration of form.

There, assault-by-another means: another, by various weapons, by various assault-methods, brings about various alterations on various forms. There, consumption means: those owners, consuming the various form, taking the rule-of-consumption as governing, produce alteration. There, seasonal change means: as in winter, the paleness, the falling-away of grasses, plants, and trees arises. In summer and rains again, fullness and greenness; similarly the abundance of fruit, abundance of flower, abundance of leaf — and the loss of these. There, fire-burning means: a fire let loose burns villages, towns, kingdoms, capitals — burning them, it goes on. There, water-flooding means: a great mass of water that has arisen [floods] villages, towns, kingdoms, and capitals — [it goes on]. [Scribal duplication: 8.7 mistakenly repeats ‘burns’ from 8.6; the correct reading is given immediately at 8.8.] There, water-flooding means: a great mass of water that has arisen, flooding villages, towns, kingdoms, and capitals, goes on.

There, wind-drying means: by a great wind, moist regions of the earth quickly, quickly dry up. Likewise moist substances, moist grain-types. Arising-of-a-different-condition means: as in the arising of contact to be felt as pleasant for one experiencing pleasant feeling in dependence on contact to be felt as pleasant — likewise the arising of contact to be felt as painful for one experiencing painful feeling; the arising of contact to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant for one experiencing such feeling. Likewise, for one with lust, the arising of an aversion-sign by which lust subsides — and an aversion-fetter arises. Likewise for the hostile and the deluded, the dissimilar [arises]. The arising-cause of a defilement is to be known [thus]. Namely: when eye-consciousness is present, the arising of a sound-object; [likewise for] smell, taste, tangible. The arising of a dharma-sign by which different sense-objects produce dissimilar [experiences]. These are the eight transformation-causes. Whatever transformation there is — of form-substances or of formless dharmas — all of it [comes about] by these eight; nothing beyond these.

How does one investigate the impermanence of the inward substance through condition-made transformation?

Here, by oneself or [in regard to] others, taking the condition of youth up through the condition of old age that is seen — having seen the formation-continuum as dissimilar earlier-and-later, broken, transformed — it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations of mine — since indeed this earlier-and-later alteration is observed directly.'

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by color?

Here, by oneself, or by others, [observing] the earlier good-color, good-complexion, skin-color; and the later bad-color, bad-complexion, harshness, harsh-coloration; he sees. Having seen and turning back, by another time he sees that same good-color, the clear skin-color. It occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations — directly there is observed this color-alteration of such a kind.'

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by shape?

As with color, so by emaciation-or-stoutness shape is to be known. Abundance and loss. Namely: abundance of relatives, abundance of possessions, abundance of conduct-and-view. The reverse of this is loss.

How does one investigate the impermanence of transformation of limbs and minor limbs?

Here, by oneself or [in regard to] others, the earlier good-color, good-complexion, clear skin-color is seen. [Abundance of] possessions, abundance of conduct-and-view. The reverse of this is loss.

How does one investigate the impermanence of transformation of limbs and minor limbs?

Here, by oneself or by another, even earlier the deficiency of limbs is seen. He sees by another time the deficiency [come about] by king, by thief, by human, or by non-human. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations of mine' — as before.

Likewise [observing] of oneself or of others fatigued-body, wearied-body — [coming from] running, swimming, jumping, climbing, doing various rapid speech-acts — he sees by another time [the same person] free of fatigue. It occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before. Thus he investigates impermanence made by exertion.

Likewise [he] sees, of himself or of others, body-alteration by another's assault. Namely: by being struck with creepers, with whips, with canes, with cudgels; likewise by various contacts with biting-insects, mosquitos, crawling things. Or again by another time he does not see that alteration. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before. Thus he investigates impermanence made by another's assault.

Thus, [observing] oneself or another at the onset of cold-time — body unsteady, body shrunk, gripped by cold-fetters, pervaded by desire-for-warmth — he sees. Or again at the onset of hot-time — body unsteady, body shrunk, gripped by heat-fetters, limbs sweaty, limbs heated, voice raised, gripped by thirst. He sees [the person] desiring cool contact. Having seen and turning back, again in cool-time he sees by the previously-said aspects. And having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before. Thus he investigates impermanence made by cold. Again, [observing] himself or others — by the four postures of walking, standing, sitting, lying — he sees himself or another in some one posture. Again, by another time he sees [the same person] favored [or made comfortable in another posture]. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before. Thus he investigates impermanence made by posture.

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by contact?

Touched by contact to be felt as pleasant, experiencing the pleasant feeling arisen in dependence on contact to be felt as pleasant — he distinguishes for himself the condition of pleasant feeling. As the condition of pleasant feeling, so also the conditions of painful and neither-painful-nor-pleasant. Having investigated these feelings as new-and-new, non-old, occasional, momentary-presence, alteration — having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before.

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by defilement?

He fully understands the mind arisen with lust. [Likewise the mind] without lust, with hatred, without hatred. [Likewise] with delusion, without delusion, defiled by one or another secondary-defilement — he fully understands as defiled. Or the undefiled, [he understands] again as undefiled. Having seen earlier-and-later [the mind-continuum] transformed and untransformed by these defilements and secondary-defilements, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations.' Thus directly the defilement-made transformation of these is observed.

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by illness?

Here, on some occasion, oneself and others are seen disease-free, happy, strong. But by another time he sees oneself or another afflicted, suffering, severely ill, touched by bodily feelings — by painful, sharp — in detail as before.

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by [Damaged/Conjectural: illness]?

Here, on some occasion, oneself and others are seen disease-free, happy, strong. But by another time he sees oneself or another afflicted, suffering, severely ill, touched by bodily feelings. And again by another time he sees [them] disease-free, happy, strong. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before.

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by death?

Here [he sees one] living, being-held, standing, lasting; but by another time he sees [the same one] dead, gone-to-time. Having seen the corpse — emptied of consciousness — it occurs to him [as before].

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by the discolored-and-the-rest?

By another time he sees that same condition of the bone-skeleton-stage. On one occasion he sees that same corpse in the discolored state. On one occasion in the festering state; in detail up to the bone-skeleton state. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations' — as before.

How does one investigate the transformation-impermanence made by total dissolution?

By another time he sees that same bone-skeleton-condition. Wholly destroyed, shattered, scattered. Wholly gone from the range of sight. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations — directly there is observed this kind of alteration earlier-and-later.' Transformation. Thus by direct-perception-dominated attention he investigates the inward substance's transformation-impermanence through fifteen aspects. Having investigated, he investigates the sixteenfold outward substance's transformation-impermanence. Those regions of earth which by him were earlier seen as unbuilt-on — by the construction of houses, shops, almshouses, temples, monasteries — afterwards he sees [them] built-on, [or] unbuilt-on but pleasant, well-arranged, well-plastered. But by another time he sees [them] decrepit. Aged, broken, fallen, pierced, burnt with fire, or carried away by water. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations.' Thus, of these, earlier-and-later, this kind of direct alteration-transformation is observed. Thus he investigates transformation-impermanence in the earth-[substance]. Likewise he sees grasses, plants, trees, gardens, and parks with abundant leaf, flower, and fruit. [Damaged/Conjectural: Green, pleasing, delightful.] On another occasion he sees them dried up. Bereft of leaf, flower, and fruit. Or burnt by fire. Similarly the mountains: on one occasion he sees [them] with rich stone, on another occasion with collapsed stone, fallen-peaks, fallen-pinnacles, with sloping-and-counter-slopes burnt by fire, flooded by water; similarly springs, lakes, ponds, rivers, fountains, wells — on one occasion he sees [them] with abundant water, on another occasion with diminished water, or wholly dried up, become barren, hollow. Likewise crafts on one occasion he sees succeeding, on another occasion failing. Namely: farming-crafts, boat-crafts, right-conduct-crafts, various skill-crafts; similarly of treasures of various, manifold kinds, on one occasion he sees accumulation, on another occasion diminishment. Likewise food and drink — on one occasion he sees [them] unprepared, on one occasion prepared, on one occasion as saliva-and-soiling, on one occasion up to the urine-and-feces stage. Likewise various conveyances on one occasion he sees well-decorated, well-adorned, new; on one occasion devoid of ornaments. Devoid of decoration, decrepit. Likewise of cloth, on one occasion he sees newness, on one occasion oldness. Wearing out; on one occasion cleanness, on one occasion dirtiness. Likewise of ornaments, on one occasion he sees unmade-state, on one occasion made-state, on one occasion firmness, on one occasion broken-and-shattered, exhausted. Likewise of dance, song, music — he sees the rising and breaking of various present-applications. Likewise of perfume, garland, unguent — he sees freshness and fading. By another time he sees not-overly-fragrant, foul-smelling, faded, dried-up. Likewise of vessels and equipment — unmade-state, made-state, firmness, broken-state he sees. Likewise the rising-and-fading of light-and-illumination he sees. Likewise of men-and-women conduct, rising-and-fading he sees. Instability. Having seen, it occurs to him: 'Impermanent indeed are these formations — of these outward formations, the six possession-substances, and the ten body-companions, this kind of direct, alteration, modification is observed.' All this should be understood [in detail] everywhere.

By these eight transformation-causes previously expounded — appropriate to the inward and outward substance — by direct-perception-dominated attention he investigates impermanence through the aspect of transformation. [He investigates] in the way by which that transformation-impermanence is seen directly, experienced, not-depending-on-another in it, not led by another. Recollecting in this way, he investigates. And he is established [in certainty]. Therefore it is called direct-perception-dominated attention. Having thus investigated transformation-impermanence by direct-perception-dominated attention, of those existing, present formation-substances, the moment-arisen-broken, blue-stage, dissolved-state is not [yet] perceived [directly as such]. There, of these moment-arisen-broken-dissolved formations, this earlier-and-later alteration is fitting. Not so for those persisting just so — therefore the formations are momentary; with those conditions present, they arise so-and-so. And, arisen, without depending on a destruction-cause, they perish by their own essence. Those transformation-causes proceed for the otherwise-arising; they are causes of the altered arising. Not of destruction.

Why?

Because of the formations destroyed by that very destruction-cause, a dissimilar continuance is observed. Not a total cessation of all proceeding. Or, of those formations whose total cessation of proceeding is observed — as in being-boiled at the end, there is total dissolution; and of world-containers burnt by fire, even ashes are not perceived. And shadow. Even residue is not perceived — of these also, by progressive exhaustion-of-conditions at the end, there is total non-being. And it is not done by fire alone. Therefore these eight transformation-causes [are] as stated; destruction occurs by [the formations'] own essence. Having thus attained certainty by inferential attention that formations are moment-arisen-broken-dissolved, he again makes inference about not-directly-perceived, other-world, formation-proceeding.

And thus he makes inference. There are beings — colorless and bad-colored are also observed; high-family and base-family, poor-family, of little fame, long-lived, [of] acceptable speech, unacceptable speech, sharp-faculty. This variety of beings is fitting only if there is variety of action. Not without. By such-and-such beings, such-and-such [actions] previously become, done wholesome and unwholesome — varied actions done and accumulated — by that cause, by that condition, this variety of personal existence has come to be.

And this is not fittingly caused by Īśvara's creation. If it were caused by Īśvara's creation, then it would be Īśvara-conditioned alone, or Īśvara creates by some other appropriating-condition. If it were just Īśvara-conditioned, then there would be simultaneity of Īśvara and these formations. If Īśvara is earlier and formations later, the formations are not Īśvara-conditioned. Or if Īśvara's resolve is the creation-cause, not Īśvara himself — then is that resolve caused [by something] or uncaused? If caused, and caused by Īśvara, by the prior defect [argument] equally, it does not fit. Or if by another cause, by that desire, effort. Resolve caused by dharmas other than Īśvara — likewise all formations will be caused by dharmas alone. What use to imagine Īśvara in vain? By such inferential attention of this kind, he attains certainty about formation-proceeding in other worlds. Thus by three-kinds-of-attention dominance — by faith-dominance, by direct-perception-dominance, by inference-dominance — he investigates impermanence. There, what was earlier said as the fivefold impermanence followed by five-aspect-cultivation — there it was set forth as the aspect of transformation, and aspect of destruction.

What is the impermanence-aspect of separation-impermanence?

It is said: It is to be known inwardly and outwardly.

Inwardly: as when someone earlier was master of others, not a slave, not a servant, not doing another's work. By another time, abandoning master-status and non-slave-status, he comes to the slave-state of others. He is separated from master-status. Likewise existing, present possessions — untransformed, undestroyed — are carried off by a king. Or by thieves, or by enemies, or by heirs — thus impermanence is to be known. There, the nature-of-things-aspect impermanence: as of that very transformation-impermanence, the destruction-impermanence — in the present time-period, not-yet-manifest, when the time has gone uncared-for, in the future the nature-of-things one comprehends: 'Such are these formations in the future.' Through the at-hand aspect, in these very formations, he brings transformation-impermanence, destruction-impermanence, and separation-impermanence into presence, making them fully manifest. Thus in the fivefold impermanence of inward and outward formations, by these five aspects appropriately, by the abundance of attention and the dominance of proof-establishing-cultivation, having attained certainty, immediately he enters the suffering-aspect. It occurs to him: 'These impermanent formations — their impermanence is appropriately of birth-nature.' Thus these very formations are of birth-nature; and birth is suffering. As is birth, so aging, illness, death, association-with-the-unpleasant, separation-from-the-pleasant, frustration-of-desire — are to be known. Thus, by the unwished-for-aspect, he enters the suffering-aspect. There, in the pleasant-feeling-aggregates — contaminated, with-grasping — by the fetter-and-bondage-aspect, he enters the suffering-aspect. For these serve as the basis for his craving-fetter; and the craving-fetter is the basis of birth, aging, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, despair-fetters, and the lust-hatred-delusion-fetters. There, by the insecurity-aspect, in the neither-painful-nor-pleasant-feeling-aggregates, he enters the suffering-aspect. For the neither-painful-nor-pleasant-feeling-aggregates, with-grasping, accompanied by encumbrance, followed by seed, are not released from suffering-as-suffering and suffering-as-transformation. Impermanent, of cessation-nature. Thus this yogi, in pleasant-feeling-resting formations and in pleasant feeling, has entered the suffering-as-transformation. Namely, by the fetter-and-bondage-aspect, in painful-feeling-resting formations and painful feeling, he has entered suffering-as-suffering. Namely, by the unwished-for-aspect, in neither-painful-nor-pleasant-feeling-resting formations and in neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he has entered suffering-as-formation. Namely, by the insecurity-aspect. It occurs to him: Taking the fetter-and-bondage-aspect, the unwished-for-aspect, and the security-aspect as governing, in the three feelings — whatever is felt is suffering — thus by attention preceded by the impermanence-aspect, he has entered the suffering-aspect. It occurs to him: 'Faculties alone are perceived, sense-objects alone.' 'Mere experience born from that.' 'Mere mind — no self.' 'Mere name.' 'Mere seeing, mere designation.' 'Nothing beyond, nothing further.' 'Thus there is only aggregate; in these aggregates there is no permanent, constant, eternal, self-existent — no self, no being — who would be born or destroyed or die, or would experience the fruit-and-ripening of done-or-not-done actions here-and-there.' ‘Thus indeed these formations are empty, devoid-of-self.’ Thus by the non-apprehension-aspect [anupalambha-ākāra], he enters the empty-aspect [śūnya-ākāra]. It occurs to him: ‘Again, these formations endowed with the specific characteristic of impermanence-and-suffering — they too, being dependently arisen, are not autonomous; what is not autonomous is not-self.’ Thus by the non-autonomous-aspect [asvatantra-ākāra], he enters the not-self-aspect [anātma-ākāra]. Thus again the yogi, having grasped the ten aspects, comprehends the characteristic of the truth of suffering through four aspects.

There, the impermanence-aspect is comprised by five aspects. Namely: by transformation-aspect, [Damaged/Conjectural: by destruction-aspect,] by separation-aspect, by at-hand-aspect, by nature-of-things-aspect. The suffering-aspect is comprised by three aspects: by fetter-and-bondage-aspect, by unwished-for-aspect, by insecurity-aspect. The empty-aspect is comprised by one aspect — namely the non-apprehension-aspect. The not-self-aspect is comprised by one aspect — namely the non-autonomous-aspect. He, having thus entered the four aspects through ten aspects, comprehending the characteristic of suffering, [investigates]: 'What is the cause of this suffering, what is the arising, the origination, the condition?' 'By abandoning what would there be abandoning of this suffering?' Thus by these four aspects he comprehends the characteristic of the truth of arising. Craving is the cause of suffering by its hold-on-suffering; [it is the arising] because, taking-up and bringing-about-suffering, it is the arising. [It is] the origination by being the bringing-about of suffering. Again, by its bearing the suffering-seed in the future, and in sequence, by bringing about suffering, [it is] the condition. Another phrasing: by the appropriating-cause becoming-and-arising-of-existence, by birth conditioned by becoming, by the arising of aging, illness, death, sorrow, and the rest from birth — by cause, by arising, by origination, by condition. [This] is to be known appropriately. Another phrasing: Whatever defilement-latency is the basis for arising of further-becoming — that, and the obsession born from it, [are] to be known appropriately. Another phrasing: Whatever defilement-latency is the basis — craving-latency and so on, that is the cause for arising of further-becoming in the future; and of the obsession born from it, appropriately, [it is] arising, origination, condition. There, by the bringing-about of further-becoming-craving, it is arising. Again, that further-becoming-craving is the origination of delight-and-lust-accompanied craving; that delight-and-lust-accompanied craving, having become-much, is the condition for there-and-there-delighted-craving; thus, by his latency-state and threefold-obsession-state craving, in the future — the arising-and-manifestation of further-becoming comes about. Therefore: 'by cause, by arising, by origination, by condition.' Thus this yogi by these four aspects comprehends the characteristic of the truth of arising. Having comprehended the characteristic of the truth of arising, the complete cessation of this truth-of-arising, the cessation — he attends to by the cessation-aspect. By the desire for complete cessation of the truth-of-suffering, by the supremacy, excellence, finality — by sublime-aspect; by constancy-aspect, by escape-aspect. Thus by four aspects he comprehends the characteristic of the truth of cessation. Having comprehended [cessation], he attends to the path by the meaning of seeking the to-be-known, by the meaning of seeking the actual, and by the meaning of proceeding in accordance with the four sufferings, and by the meaning of the one way going to nirvāṇa — as path-aspect, method-aspect, practice-aspect, and deliverance-aspect. Thus by four aspects he comprehends the characteristic of the truth of the path. This is for him the inwardly-and-individually characteristic-knowing of the four noble truths. This is for him, concerning the four noble truths, the attention.

Having thus examined and investigated the personally present aggregates through conditionality, he extends [the analysis] by inference to aggregates in dissimilar realms that are not directly present. 'They too are of such nature; they too fall under such method.' 'Whatever is conditioned, everywhere, in all ways' — thus this comprehending attention. Having examined and investigated through conditionality, he extends [the analysis] by inference to aggregates in dissimilar realms that are not directly present. 'They too are of such nature; they too fall under such method; whatever is conditioned, everywhere, in all ways — of such nature, and its cessation.' Their cessation is calm; the path for abandoning them is deliverance-leading. When he has truth-knowledge regarding the personally present aggregates just described, and regarding those not directly present — when this yogi has thus attained certainty in those truths, through proper investigation, through the sixteen aspects in the four noble truths, namely by proof-establishing reasoning and by yāvad-bhāvikatā — then, transcending hearing-and-thinking-made attention, he descends into the cultivation mode alone and resolves. This is for him the resolve-born attention. It has truth as object and is one-pointedly concentrated. From the consequence of that, [taking] the two truths — the truth of suffering and the truth of arising — he attains unlimited knowing. By which 'impermanent, impermanent' he resolves upon the unlimitedness-of-the-impermanent.

Thus [he resolves on] the unlimitedness-of-suffering, the unlimitedness-of-emptiness-aspect, unlimitedness of defilement, unlimitedness of going-to-bad-destinations, unlimitedness of attainment-and-failure, unlimitedness of illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, despair. There, 'unlimited' means: there is no end to saṁsāra, no limit to these dharmas. As long as saṁsāra continues, these dharmas are; with the complete cessation of saṁsāra they cease — not otherwise. Thus, with respect to all becomings-destinies-deaths-births, by the not-aspiring-aspect, by the non-reliance-aspect, by the contrariety-aspect. Resolving by the contrariety-aspect, he cultivates the resolve-born attention. Thus from all kinds of becomings, having stirred the mind, having stirred — frightened. Having frightened, by deepest-aspiration, he directs the mind to nirvāṇa by one or another aspect. His long-cherished mind, attached to colorful sights, attached to sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, accumulated and built up by sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles — by sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles. Even by deepest aspiration directed to nirvāṇa, does not leap forward, does not settle into it. Does not stand. Is not released, does not turn back. Mentally — because the calm-element is not yet directly recognized. Taking up affliction, he again and again stirs the mind, frightens. From the truth of suffering, from the truth of arising he stirs, frightens; again and again by deepest aspiration directs to nirvāṇa. Still it does not leap forward. Why? Because the gross 'I am' conceit is an obstruction-maker for direct realization. Entered into attention, it proceeds with intervals and gaps. 'I am the maker, I shall transmigrate,' 'I am to attain final-nirvāṇa, I cultivate wholesome dharmas for the sake of final-nirvāṇa.' 'I see suffering as suffering.' 'Arising as arising; cessation as cessation.' 'I see the path as path.' 'I see the empty as empty, the wishless as wishless.' [Damaged/Conjectural]: 'I see the signless as signless — these dharmas are mine.' Because of that cause and condition, the mind does not leap forward. Even with deepest aspiration directed to nirvāṇa, he quickly penetrates with wisdom that the 'I am' conceit is the obstruction-maker; abandoning attention that had been proceeding by its own momentum, turning away from external knowable objects, he begins the truth-investigation entered by attention and followed by attention. He sees the moment-arisen mind being destroyed, being broken by the immediately-arising mind. By the flow-continuity-method. Thus, by mind, he takes mind as object, supports it. [He sees] how that 'I am' conceit entered into attention is the counter-side obstruction-maker; that is its space. For [making] further-becoming arise.

Thus engaged, this yogi sees earlier-and-later the new-and-new-ness of his mind-continuum, its non-old-ness, occasional-ness, momentary-presence — this [is] his [seeing of] impermanence; the mind-continuum [seen as] entered-into-grasping-aggregates — this [is] his [seeing of] suffering; therein the mind not finding a dharma — this [is] his [seeing of] emptiness; therein, of the same mind-continuum, the dependently-arisen-non-autonomous-ness he sees — this [is] his [seeing of] not-self. Thus he has entered the truth of suffering. It occurs to him: 'This my mind-continuum [too] is caused by craving, arising from craving, originating from craving, conditioned by craving.' 'And of this mind-continuum, whatever is the cessation — that is calm.' 'And of this whatever is the cessation-going path — that is delivering.' Thus by un-investigated-attention-investigation method with subtle wisdom he has entered into those noble truths. Through familiarization and cultivation in this way, knowledge arises in which object and grasper are evenly balanced. By this, when the gross 'I am' conceit that obstructs delight in nirvāṇa manifests, it is abandoned. And [his] mind leaps forward into nirvāṇa. Does not turn back. Mentally. Taking up affliction. And by deepest aspiration he takes delight. For him so become, knowledge in which object and grasper are evenly balanced, accompanied by mild patience, is called ūṣma-gata (warmth). [Damaged/Conjectural]: That [same knowledge] embraced by middling patience is called mūrdhan (summit). That accompanied by strong patience is called the middling-conforming patience.

He, having abandoned the obstruction-making 'I am' conceit and taking up deepest-aspiration-delight in nirvāṇa, [makes] this further-and-further mind-exhaustion-effort. Abandoning that effort, he places his non-effort-state non-conceptual mind down. For him, at that time, the mind appears as if ceased. And it is not ceased; it appears as if without object. And there is no object [for it]. For him, the mind appears calm, [appears] as if gone-away. And it is not gone away. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Nor again at that time, even if that mind is obstructed by torpor, does it appear as if ceased. Nor is it ceased. For some dull, perplexed ones, [this state] becomes conceit about direct realization; but here this mind is precisely for direct realization: 'Before long, now, entry into the certainty of rightness [samyaktva-niyāma] will occur.' If such a state of mind arises, his last-of-all non-conceptual mind — immediately after which he turns inwardly toward the previously investigated truths — those [are] the supreme worldly dharmas [laukikāgra-dharma]. Thereafter, only supramundane mind arises for him. Not mundane. This is the limit, the end of mundane formations — therefore they are called supreme-worldly-dharmas. Immediately following them, the previously-investigated truths come into view. Immediately after attention, in the previously-fixed order. In the investigated truths, in sequence, non-conceptually, both directly-perceived and non-directly-perceived.

Certain-knowing, direct-knowing arise. By their arising, the defilements of the three realms to be abandoned by seeing are abandoned, along with the encumbrance-substrate belonging to their side. By their abandoning, if previously he was without-lust toward sense-pleasures, with the going [there is] direct realization. At that time he is called a non-returner [anāgāmin]. His signs are to be known as those — previously stated of the one without-lust. Now the distinction: He is to be spontaneously-arising-born. There [he attains] final-nirvāṇa. He does not return to this world. If, however, he is mostly without-lust, with the going [and] direct realization, he becomes a once-returner [sakṛdāgāmin]. If, however, he is with-lust, by the tranquillization of that encumbrance, he becomes a stream-enterer [srotāpanna]. Knowing has come together with the to-be-known. Through direct perception. Therefore it is called direct realization. As when a Kṣatriya with a Kṣatriya — having come face-to-face, is said to have come-with-direct-realization. Likewise Brahmins and so on are to be known. His signs are these: four knowledges have been attained by him. As he investigates beings' conduct, abidings, and attentions, [he attains] knowledge of dharmas-only, knowledge of non-annihilation, and knowledge of non-eternalism; and [he attains] illusion-like knowledge whose object is dependently arisen formations. And for him, moving within this field of knowledge, even a very intense defilement-obsession — even if it arises from loss-of-mindfulness, even that, by mere effort, lightly-lightly indeed goes away. Likewise he is not one going to bad-destinations, he does not violate training, he does not deprive a being gone to the animal-realm of life. He does not, having rejected training, fall back. He is incapable of committing the five immediacy-actions [ānantarya]. He does not pursue self-made or other-made suffering-and-pleasure; nor both; nor uncaused-arising. He does not seek another teacher beyond [the Buddha]. [He seeks] no other one worthy of offering. He does not look to other śramaṇas and brahmins as [sources of] happiness. He is one who examines happiness. Not elsewhere [does he seek it]: he has seen the dharma, attained the dharma, plunged into the dharma; crossed over doubts, crossed over uncertainty; independent of others, not led by another; in the Teacher's teaching, attained confidence with respect to the dharmas. He does not attain purity by curiosity-and-auspicious-rites. Nor does he bring about an eighth existence. He is endowed with the four confidences [avetya-prasāda]. For him, up through the supreme worldly dharmas, [there is] resolve-born attention. For one who has directly realized the truths, once the defilements to be abandoned by seeing have been abandoned, [there is] seclusion attention, for the sake of [further] abandoning. From then on, as he cultivates and practices the path already attained, through abandoning the strong and middling defilements of the desire-realm, he becomes a once-returner [sakṛdāgāmin]. Of him also, whatever the signs of the stream-enterer — all are to be known. This is the distinction: with respect to lower defilement-states, even when a strong defilement-obsession arises in bound form, he quickly removes it. Having come to this world once, he makes an end of suffering. [As a] non-returner — [Damaged/Conjectural]: the non-returner signs are just as previously stated. There, the entire path of cultivation proceeds by repeatedly examining, with investigation-attention, what has been abandoned and not abandoned, in accordance with the paths already attained.

There, what is the nature of cultivation?

What is its action?

What is the kind-distinction?

It is the practice of these wholesome conditioned dharmas by attention belonging to the concentrated plane, whether mundane or supramundane: familiarity, continuity, and careful performance. The mind-continuum's becoming imbued with them — this is called the nature of cultivation. There, cultivation has eightfold action. Cultivating, he attains some dharmas. He familiarizes himself with some dharmas through cultivation. Some dharmas he purifies; some he dispels; some he fully understands. Some dharmas he abandons; some he realizes directly; some he distances. There, those un-attained wholesome distinct-dharmas — he attains. Some dharmas already attained by cultivation, present — he familiarizes himself with them. There, those [dharmas] that have been attained but are not presently manifest: when they are being cultivated through dharmas of the same kind, they arise in the future as brought into presence, more purified, and more clarified. There, those defiled dharmas that arise through loss of mindfulness — by the strength of practicing wholesome dharmas, he withstands them, abandons them, dispels them, and removes them. Or, dharmas to be abandoned that have not yet arisen: he fully understands them as disease, finds fault with them, fully understands them as dart, boil, affliction, impermanent, suffering, empty, and not-self, and finds fault with them. By his full-understanding-cultivation, the ānantarya-mārga (immediacy-path) arises. For the abandoning of defilements, by which he abandons. And when [they are] abandoned, he directly realizes liberation. As he ascends to higher and higher planes, the dharmas to be abandoned of the lower planes become correspondingly remote. Up to reaching the end, this is to be known as the eightfold action of cultivation.

There, an elevenfold distinction by kind is to be known for cultivation: śamatha-cultivation, vipaśyanā-cultivation, as before; mundane-path cultivation; supramundane-path cultivation; mild, middling, and strong cultivation; preparation-path cultivation; immediacy-path cultivation; liberation-path cultivation; and distinction-path cultivation. There, śamatha-cultivation is through the nine-aspect mental abiding, as before. Vipaśyanā-cultivation as before. There, mundane-path-cultivation is by the seeing of grossness of lower planes and calmness of upper planes — up through dispassion toward the ākiñcanyāyatana. There, supramundane-path-cultivation is by attending to suffering as suffering, up to attending to the path as path. [Whatever proceeds] by the uncontaminated path, beginning with right view and so on, up to dispassion toward the naivasaṁjñā-nāsaṁjñāyatana. There, mild-path cultivation is that by which he abandons the strong, coarse defilements. There, middling-path-cultivation is by which he abandons the middling defilements. There, strong-path cultivation is that by which he abandons the mild type of defilement. All these are to be abandoned subsequently. There, preparation-path-cultivation is by which he begins preparation for the abandoning of defilements. There, immediacy-path-cultivation is by which he abandons. There, liberation-path-cultivation is by which, immediately after abandoning, he realizes liberation from defilements. [Damaged/Conjectural]: There, distinction-path cultivation is that by which, thereafter, until preparation for defilements of another plane is to be undertaken, he does not undertake [a further path]. Or, when he has gone to the end, he does not undertake [one]. This is the elevenfold kind-distinction of cultivation. For him, engaged in cultivation in this way — from time to time investigating whether defilements have been abandoned or not abandoned, from time to time arousing the mind with dharmas that should arouse urgency, and from time to time gladdening it with dharmas that should gladden — this becomes delight-gathering attention. Through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice with this delight-gathering attention, for the abandoning without remainder of the defilements to be abandoned by cultivation, the very last trainee's vajropama-samādhi (diamond-like concentration) arises. By its arising, all cultivation-abandonable defilements are abandoned.

Why is it called diamond-like?

Just as diamond is the supreme essence of all other gems, pearls, beryls, conch-shell, coral, gem-stones — being the firmest of all, cuts the others. It is not cut by other gems. Just so this concentration is the foremost of all trainee concentrations: supreme, the supreme essence, overcoming all defilements. And it is not overcome by re-arising defilements. Therefore it is called diamond-like. Immediately following the vajropama-samādhi, through the uprooting of encumbrance-seeds belonging to all defilements, the mind resolves on finality. And [the practitioner] attains lineage-purification. Knowledge arises for the destruction of all darkness consisting of encumbrance and defilement. From the destruction of the cause, knowledge of non-arising arises for the future non-arising, in every way, of suffering. At that time he becomes an arhat. Outflows exhausted, what was to be done is done, the duty done; having attained his own end, his existence-fetters exhausted, his mind is well liberated through right knowledge. He is endowed with the ten dharmas of a non-trainee: non-trainee right view, right intention, up through non-trainee right liberation and right knowledge. And he is master of his own mind in abiding and in attention. Whichever abiding he wishes — noble, divine, or brahmā — in that very abiding he abides. Whichever dharma he wishes to attend to — wholesome and connected with the goal, mundane or supramundane — that very dharma he attends to. There the noble abode is emptiness-abode, signless-abode, wishless-abode, cessation-attainment-abode. The divine abode is the dhyāna-and-formless-abode. The brahmā abode is the maitrī-karuṇā-muditā-upekṣā-abode. He is utterly stainless, utterly free of taint, utterly the culmination of brahmacarya. [Damaged]: ...gone out... lifted up... endowed with five-limbed-abandonment-six-limbed-endowment... field-dharma-foundation. [Damaged]: ...thrown forth... separated-and-liberated-of-mind, well-liberated-of-wisdom, alone... is called the [highest] person. [Damaged]: ...he is endowed [with these]. [Damaged]: ...having seen, of good mind. [Damaged/Conjectural]: He becomes well-minded; he is equanimous, mindful, clearly comprehending. Likewise having known sounds with the ear, smells with the nose, tastes with the tongue, tangibles with the body, dharmas with the mind — [Damaged]: ...thereafter. [Damaged/Conjectural]: He abides equanimous, mindful, clearly comprehending. [Damaged/Conjectural]: At that time he experiences the destruction of remaining lust. [Damaged/Conjectural]: From the destruction of lust, hatred, and delusion, whatever abandonment [there is], that he does... he is equal-minded; like a Vāsī-sandal-tree, [accompanied] with Indra-and-fathers, honored and worshipped by the gods; he is established in the path-of-deliverance; one who has crossed, gone-beyond, bearer-of-the-last-body — so called. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Of the five aggregates pierced by previous-action-defilements, by their own essence... without further appropriation, he enters the nirvāṇa-element-without-substrate-remainder... he is finally extinguished. [Damaged/Conjectural]: He does not transmigrate; nothing other than: whatever was suffering — that is ceased, calmed, cooled, become-gone-from-existence. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Peaceful, peaceful is this state. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Namely the relinquishing of all substrate, the destruction of all perception, dispassion, cessation, nirvāṇa — his signs are to be known as of this kind. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Five things... the bhikṣu of exhausted outflows. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Cannot... [Damaged]: ...having attained... is incapable of practicing the dharma of brahmacarya's opposite — sexual conduct. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Clearly comprehending, he is incapable of speaking falsely; incapable of consuming sense-pleasures with thoughtless modification. [Damaged/Conjectural]: Likewise he is incapable of pursuing self-made pleasure-and-pain. [Damaged/Conjectural]: As before, up through... not the self-maker as cause; not uncaused-arising-of-acute-suffering, [not] the sublime [as such]. [Damaged]: ...flesh... eating... any kind of fearful danger... fear-encountering... this is the vajropama-samādhi, this is the practice-culminating attention; the attention conjoined with the supreme-fruit-arhatship is the fruit-of-practice-culmination attention. [Damaged/Conjectural]: By these seven attentions, by the supramundane path, [there is] reaching the absolute end... this is called the [accomplishment] of all perfectly-awakened ones together with their disciples. Of the locations of teaching, of the locations of direct realization, namely: all the nāma-kāya, pada-kāya, vyañjana-kāya, and kāvya-equivalent treatises. This is the mātṛkā.

Summary verse: One who discerns the characteristic, likewise the one of resolve, the one who takes delight in seclusion, who is well-investigating, the analyzer of [its] flesh-and-substance — again the consummation of preparation, the consummation-of-the-task-fruit, the final [is]; attention, and the analysis of dhyānas and formless [attainments] — and the attainments, the supernormal knowledges, rebirths, and marks; the investigation of the truths and likewise the penetration; and the analysis of cultivation — the consummation is the last [topic].

[Here ends] the fourth yoga-position of the Śrāvakabhūmi.

The Śrāvakabhūmi is complete.