One must make a
distinctioa
Among the animals and Pretas, the good courses of action are never necessarily connected with discipline; in Rupadhatu, they are always necessarily connected with discipline; elsewhere they can be of one or the other category.
Abhidharmakosabhasyam-Vol-2-Vasubandhu-Poussin-Pruden-1991
64).
In the same way one should understand the good courses of aaion, the renouncing of killing, etc, non-greed, etc
***
Why are not preparatory and consecutive aaions considered as courses of aaion (iv. 66b-d)?
Because preparatory aaion is accomplished with a view to the
aaion proper; and because consecutive aaion has for its roots the aaion
363
itself. Furthermore, the most notable among good and bad practices
alone are courses of aaion. And finally, courses of aaion are aaions the augmentation and diminution of which have for their result the augumentation or the diminution of things and living beings (iv. 85, iii. 89).
#**
The Sautrantikas do not recognize volition as a mental action; for them, there is no mental action outside of greed, etc (iv. 65c-d).
How then do they explain the faa that the Sutra gives the name of
? course of action to greed etc? This is a question they must answer. The response is not difficult. Greed, wickedness (anger) and false
view are mental actions and they are pathways leading to bad realms of rebirth; or rather they are both courses of action, for greed sets into motion wickedness (anger) and false view, and vice versa.
***
The ten bad courses of action are in complete contradiction with the good dharmas.
364 79a. The view of negation cuts off the roots of good.
The cutting off of the roots of gpod takes place through the false view of the ninth degree, strong-strong (iv. 79d).
buttheTreatise says, Whatarethestrongrootsofevil? Theyarethe roots of evil which cut off the roots of gpod, the roots of evil which are initially adandoned when one acquires detachment from Kamadhatu. " This text proves that greed and the other roots of evil cut off the roots of good.
Answer: Only false view cuts off the roots of good; but fake view is brought about by the roots of evil: hence the Treatise attributes to these last the operation which more properly belongs to false views. In the same way that one says that bandits burn a village because it is they who light the fire that burns the village.
***
Objection: You affirm that only false view cuts off the roots of good, 365 f,
What roots of gpod are cut off?
79b. The innate roots of the sphere of Kamadhatu.
The roots of good of the sphere of Kamadhatu are cut off when one cuts off the roots of gpod; for one who cuts off the roots of good of Kamadhatu is not endowed with the roots of good of Rupadhatu or Arupyadhatu.
If this is so, how should one understand this text of the Prajndpti, "What cuts off this person's roots of good of the three spheres? "
Karma 659
366
? 660 Chapter Four
(quoted in Vibhasa, TD 27, p. 184bl7).
This text means that, at this moment, the acquisition of the roots of
good of the superior spheres become distant, because this person, who was formerly fit for these acquisitions, ceases to exist through the cutting off of the roots of good of Kamadhatu.
It refers to the innate roots of good: for one who cuts off the roots of good has already fallen from the acquired roots of good (prayogika, ii. 71b, trans, p. 314, Vibhasa, TD 27, p. 183b5).
***
What is the object of the false view which cuts off the roots of gpod? 79c The false view which negates cause and result.
Negation of cause is to think, "There is neither good nor bad action. " Negation of result is to think, "There is no retribution, no result of good or bad action" (iv. 78b-c, v. 7).
According to another opinion, these two false views,--that which negates cause, and that which negates result,--contribute to the cutting off of the roots of good in the same way as anantaryamarga and vimuktimarga contribute to the cutting off of the defilements (vi. 28, 65b).
Some say that the negation which cuts off the roots of good has for its object (that is, denies) sasrava, the impure, or the first two Truths, and not anasrava, the pure, or the last two Truths; rather it has for its object the sphere where one is to be found, and not Rupadhatu and ArupyadhattL In fact, the negation which bears on the "pure" or the higher spheres is weak, because it is in relation with these objects only
367 by association (v. 17-18).
368 But the Vaibhasikas say:
79d Completely.
The roots of good are cut off completely by false view, whether this refers to cause or result, pure or impure, Kamadhatu or the higher spheres.
###
? Some say that the nine categories of the roots of good, weak-weak roots of good, weak-medium, weak-strong, medium-weak, etc, are cut off all at once through one moment of false view, in the same way that the defilements which are abandoned by Seeing into one Truth are, in all their categories, abandoned through the Seeing of this Truth (vi. lc-d).
But the Vaibhasikas say: 79A Gradually.
The roots of good are cut off in the manner in which the defilements to be abandoned through Meditation on the Truths (satyabhavana, vi. 33) are abandoned: this means that the strong-strong root of good is cut off by a weak-weak false view, and thus following to the weak-weak root of good which is cut off by a strong-strong false view.
369
This theory is not in agreement with the text, "What are the
370
'small and concomitant* roots of good
abandoned lastly to the cutting off of the roots of good; those through the absence of which a person is termed one-who-has-the-roots-of- good-cut-off. "
Objection: If the cutting off is gradual, how should one understand the text, "What are the strong-strong roots of evil? The roots of evil through which one cuts off the roots of good? "
This text refers to the achievement of the cutting off of the roots of
good, for it is through the strong-strong roots of evil that the roots of
good totally disapear. As long as the last category of the roots of good,
the weak-weak, is not cut off, it can determine the reappearance of the
371 others.
According to certain masters, the cutting off of the nine categories
372
takes place at one time, without interruption, like the abandoning of
the defilements through the Path of Seeing into the Truths. But the Vaibhasikas say that it takes place either without interruption, or at several times.
According to certain masters, the abandoning of discipline (samvaraprahdna, iv. 38) preceeds the cutting off of the roots. But the
Vaibhasikas say that the discipline is lost when one loses the mind of 373
which this discipline is the result (Vibhasa, TD 27, p. 183c8). #**
They are those which are
Karma 661
? 662 Chapter Four
What beings are capable of cutting off the roots of good? 79d The cutting off takes place among humans.
Only humans cut them off; not the creatures in the painful realms of
rebirth; for their discernment (pra/nd), whether defiled or not, is not 374
firm; not the gods, for the result of action is manifest to them. And only humans of the three continents cut them off, not those of
375 Uttarakuru, for they do not possess bad dfayas.
376
According to another opinion, only humans in Jambudvlpa cut
off the roots of good But this is in contradiaion with the text, "The
inhabitants of Jambudvlpa possess a minimum of eight organs; the
377 same for the inhabitants of Purvavidena and of Avaragodanlya. "
80a. Men and women cut off the roots.
According to another opinion, women do not cut off the roots because their will and their application are weak. But this is in contradiaion with the text, ''Whoever possesses the female organ necessarily possesses eight organs" (iL18d).
The sensualist does not cut off the roots of good because his dfaya is in movement; the only one who cuts them off is
378 80a-b. The rationalist.
379 Because his dfaya is bad, firm, and hidden.
38 Byvirtueofthesesameprinciples,eunuchs,etc, ? donotcutoffthe
roots of good, because they are counted among the sensualists, and because their discernment, like that of the creatures of painful realms of rebirth, is not firm.
What is the nature of the cutting off of the roots of good? 80b. The cutting off is non-possession
When the possession of the roots of good is obstmaed in rearising, in continuing, then ten non-possessions (aprdpti), or non-endowed- merits (asamanvdgama, ii. 37) arise.
When aprdptihas arisen, there is a cutting off of the roots of good.
? When the roots of good have been cut off, how do they rearise?
80c Rearising through doubt, through insight into the existence of cause, etc
It can happen that a person whose roots of good have been cut off produces, relative to cause and result, either doubt or insight into their existence, which is Right View. When Right View has arisen, then one
381
says that the roots of good have arisen, because the possession of
these roots is henceforth present. The roots arise in their nine
categories; but they will only gradually manifest themselves, in the same
way that one initially regains one's health and then, gradually, one's
382 strength.
383 80& Not here, for one guilty of anantarya.
Other persons who have cut off the roots of good can take them up again in this life, but not one guilty of an anantarya transgression (iv. 97) who has thus cut off the roots of good It is with regard to this transgressor that it is said, "This person is unfit to again take up the roots of good in this life; but he certainly will take them up either by
384
dying in hell, or by being bora" "By being born" means to be found in
an intermediate state [which preceeds existence in hell]. "By dying"
means disposed to die [in hell]. The roots of good are taken up by being
born since they have been cut off by the force of the cause; and by dying,
since they have been cut off by the force of a conditioa Same difference
when they have been cut off by one's own force, or by the force of
385 another.
m Thepersonwhoisafayavipanna --thatistosay,lost(vipanna)
by the fact of his false view--can take up again the roots of good in the
present existence. The person who is both dsayavipanna and prayo-
gavipanna--that is, one who is furthermore lost through the fact of his
anantarya transgression--takes up the roots again only after the 387
destruction of his body. [This is a variant of what has just been said, "One who has cut off the roots by his own force, or by the force of another . . . "]. Same difference for one who is drsfivipanna (lost through false view) and one who is at the same time both drsfivipanna
Karma 663
? 664 Chapter Four
388
and silavipanna (lost further by an anantarya transgression). [This is
a variant on the immediately preceeding passage].
One can cut off the roots of good and not be destined to hell
(mithyatvaniyata, iii. 44c-d). Four cases: 1. Purana and the other five 389
masters; 2. AjataSatru; 3. Devadatta; and 4. persons who have not cut off the roots and who have committed an anantarya transgression.
A person with a false view, who has cut off the roots of good, is
punished in Avici Hell; a person guilty of an anantarya transgression is 39
*##
Volition is the principal aaion. We shall explain with how many courses of aaion volition can coexist.
81a-c With regard to the painful realms of rebirth, volition can coexist at most with eight courses.
Volition can coexist with one course of aaion, as when either greed, anger, or a false view manifests itself, without any "material" (rupin) course of aaion having taken place; or rather the person who has prepared one of the material courses of aaion finds himself to have a non-defiled, that is, a good or neutral mind, at the moment when, on his
391 instigation, this course of aaion is perpetuated.
Volition can coexist with two courses of aaion, as when a person
with an angry mind kills; or when a person who is prey to greed steals,
392 or commits adultery, or speaks in an inconsiderate manner.
Volition can coexist with three courses of aaion, as when a person
393 with an angry mind kills and steals at the same time.
But haven't we seen that stealing is only achieved by desire alone
(iv. 70)? This restriction refers to the achievement of stealing com-
394 mitted by a person who only thinks of stealing.
Volition can coexist with three courses of aaion, as when greed is present at the moment when two material courses of aaion are completed that one has committed by another.
Volition can coexist with four courses of aaion, as when one lies or
when one injures with the intention of dividing: there is one mental
punishedinAvici,orelsewhere. ?
course of aaion and three vocal courses of aaioa
395
Or rather, when the
? mind is in the prey of greed, etc. , at the moment when three material courses are completed.
Volition can coexist with five, six, or seven courses of action, as when the mind is in the prey of greed, etc. , at the moment when four, five, or six material courses of action are completed
Volition can coexist with eight courses of action, as when a person has made the preparatory action of six courses of action, murder, etc. ; at the moment when these six courses of action are completed, he is in the prey of greed and commits adultery.
Volition cannot coexist with nine courses of action, or with ten courses, because greed, anger, false view are not simultaneous.
Slc-d Concerning good courses of action, volition can coexist with ten.
The ten good courses of action can be simultaneous to volition.
81d Volition does not coexist with one, eight, or five courses of
396 action.
Volition can coexist with two courses of actions, as when a ptrson in
the absorption of Arupyadhatu, in possession of ksayajnana or
armtpddajnana (vL45,50): his five consciousnesses are good There are 397
thus two courses of action: non-greed and non-anger.
Volition can coexist with three courses of action, as when the mental
consciousness is associated with Right View and when the seven good material courses of action are absent.
Volition can coexist with four courses of action. When, with a bad or neutral mind, one undertakes the discipline of an Upasaka or a Sramanera which embraces four material good courses of action, non- killing, etc.
Volition can coexist with six courses of action, as when, the five consciousnesses being good, one undertakes the same disciplines: four good material courses of action, non-greed and non-anger.
Volition can coexist with seven courses of action. When, with a good mental consciousness, one undertakes the same discipline, add Right View. Or rather, when, with a bad or neutral mind, one undertakes the discipline of Bhiksu: only seven material courses of action.
Volition can coexist with nine courses of action. [Three cases:] One
Karma 665
? undertakes the discipline of a Bhik? u, the five consciousnesses (visual consciousness, etc) being good: Right View is absent; one undertakes this same discipline at a moment when, in an absorption of Arupya- dhatu, one possesses ksayajndna or anutpadajnana. [This is the case, examined above, of the two courses of action: one must add the seven courses of aaion of discipline, which is here not avijnapti]; in the course of an absorption of a dhydna, one possesses ksayajndna or anutpada-
jnana [Right View is absent; the seven material courses of aaion exist as 398
part of the discipline of dhydna (avijnapti)].
Volition can coexist with ten good courses of aaion. In the different
cases: when one undertakes the discipline of a Bhiksu with a good mental consciousness, except in the case of ksayajndna and anutpada-
jnana; and all volition concomitant with the discipline of dhydna and pure discipline when this volition is not associated with ksayajndna or anutpadajnana.
We have shown under what conditions volition coexists with the good courses of aaion included in the disciplines. If one looks at the good courses of aaion independent of the disciplines, volition can also be found with one course of aaion, five courses of aaion, and eight courses of aaion:
1. When one renounces a transgression and when one has a mind different from that which provokes this renouncing, that is, a defiled or neutral mind; 2. when one renounces two transgressions and when one has a good mental consciousness: this good mental consciousness includes the three mental aaions to which is added two renouncings, two material aaions; and 3. when, under the same conditions, when one
399 renounces five transgressions.
***
What are the courses of aaion which exist, either in faa or as
400
potentiality, in the different realms of rebirth?
82a-b. Inconsiderate words, injurious words, anger, of two types,
401 exist in hell.
Inconsiderate words exist in hell, for beings in hell lament: injurious
402
words, for beings in hell mutually reproach one another; and anger,
? because they hate one another for the duration of their lives. 82c-d Greed and false views, as potentiality.
Beings in hell possess greed and false views, but these do not actually exist in hell: because of the absence of any object to which one
m
could become attached, and because the result of action is manifested In hell killing is absent, for beings in hell die through the exhaustion
of their actions (karmaksaya, ii. trans, p. 235-6); stealing and adultry are absent, for beings in hell do not have property or objeas of property, or women; lying is absent, for it is useless; and malicious words are useless, for beings in hell are at a distance and are always separate from one another.
82d Three exist in Uttarakuru.
Greed, anger and false views exist in Uttarakuru in the sense that the inhabitants of Uttarakuru are in possession of a potentiality for greed, anger and false views. But, in fact, greed is absent there, for no one has anything of his own; in the same way anger is absent, because they are soft, and because there is no cause for displeasure; so too false views are absent, because there is no bad asaya (apapasayatvat, iv. 80d).
83a. The seventh course exists there in fact also.
Inconsiderate words exist there in fact; for, sometimes, the inhabitants of Uttarakuru sing with a defiled mind
Because bad diaya is absent there; because the duration of one's life is determined there (iii. 78c; ii. trans, p. 236); and because no one possesses any property or object of property, or women, and also through its lack of usefulness, killing and the other courses of action are absent in Uttarakuru.
If the men of Uttarakuru do not have wives, how can they have unchaste behavior? They take the women with whom they desire to enjoy pleasure by the hand and go to a tree. If sex with this woman is allowable, the tree covers up the couple with its branches; in the
404 contrary case, the tree does not cover up the couple.
83b. The ten bad courses of action exist elsewhere in Kama- dhatu.
Karma 667
? 668 Chapter Four
The ten bad courses of aaion exist in fact in Kamadhatu with the exception of hell and Uttarakuru.
Concerning animals, Pretas and gods, the bad courses of action are not necessarily conneaed with undiscipline (asamvaranirmukta, see iv. 24c); with regard to humans, the bad courses of aaion are either necessarily conneaed, or not necessarily conneaed to undiscipline.
Does killing exist among the gods? The gods do not, amongst themselves, kill one another, but they kill beings belonging to other realms of rebirth, Pretas, etc According to another opinion, the gpds
405 also kill by cutting the head or the body.
83c-d Three good courses of aaion exist everywhere, as potentiality and in fact.
Everywhere, in the three spheres of existence and in the five realms of rebirth, non-greed, non-anger and Right Views exist both as potentiality and in faa.
84a-b. In the Arapyas, among the Unconscious Ones, seven courses of aaion exist as potentiality.
Among the beings of Arupyadhatu and the Asamjnisattvas (ii. 41d), the seven good material courses of aaion, bodily and vocal, exist solely as potentaility.
In ? aa, Aryans who are born in Arupyadhatu possess the past and future discipline of pure morality, and the Unconscious Ones possess the discipline of dhyana (iv. l3c) under the same conditions.
The past pure discipline that the Aryan who is in Arupyadhatu possesses, has for its base of support the stage or stages (Four Dhyanas) which he has produced and destroyed; the future pure discipline that he will possess, has on the contrary the five stages (Kamadhatu and the
406 Four Dhyanas) for its base of support.
84b-d For the rest, good courses of aaion also exist in faa, with the exception of beings in hell and the Uttarakurus.
The rest, that is, in the other spheres of existence, and in the other realms of rebirth.
Beings in hell and the Uttarakurus do not undertake any morality. Elsewhere the seven good material courses of aaion exist in faa.
?
One must make a distinctioa Among the animals and Pretas, the good courses of action are never necessarily connected with discipline; in Rupadhatu, they are always necessarily connected with discipline; elsewhere they can be of one or the other category.
85a-b. All the other courses of action have retributive results,
407 outflowing result, and predominating results.
Good or bad, the ten courses of action have a threefold result.
1. Through each bad course of action practiced (dsevita), cultivated 408 409
(bhavita), developed (bahulikrta), a transgressor is reborn in helL 410
Such is the retributive result.
2. If a transgressor is reborn in a human existence, through murder
he will be of brief lifespan; through stealing he will be poor; through illicit sexuality, he will have an unfaithful spouse; through lying, he will be slandered; through malicious speech, his friends will become enemies; through injurious speech, he will only undertand disagreeable speech; through inconsiderate speech, his words will not come to be believed; through greed, he will have great desires (maheccha, vi. 6); through anger, he will have great hate; and through false views, he will have great ignorance, for ignorance is great in false views. Such is the outflowing result.
But, one would say, a human existence, even if it is short, is the retribution of a good action. How can one regard it as an outflowing result of murder?
We do not say that this existence is the result of murder; we say rather, that a murderer will have a short life by reason of the murder; murder is the cause which rends a human existence short, an existence otherwise caused by a good action.
411
3. By reason of the intense practice of killing, external things --
plants, the sun, etc,--are of little vitality; by reason of stealing, they are
412
crushed by rains of stones, dust and acid; by reason of illicit sexuality,
they are covered by dust or acid; by reason of lying, they are of bad odor; by reason of malicious speech, they are in a hole or on a hill; by reason of injurious speech, the land and the sun are impregnated with salt and are sterile, and the plants are detestable and pernicious; by reason of inconsiderate speech, the seasons are reversed; by reason of greed, fruits are small; by reason of anger, fruits are sour; and by reason of false
Karma 669
? Chapter Four
views, fruits are very few, or are totally absent. Such is the pre- dominating result.
***
Is it by reason of killing that a murderer is reborn in hell and then only enjoys a short human life?
According to some, it is by reason of killing. Existence in hell is a retributive result, whereas shortness of life is an outflowing result of the killing. [In fact, retribution is always sensation, vedana\
According to others, existence in hell comes from the preparatory action of killing; the fact of having a short life comes from the action itself. It is true that the Sutra speaks of killing as the cause of existence in hell, but it understands by killing, not only killing, but killing with all the actions that accompany it. What is called outflowing result does not here exist separately from the retributive result and the predominating result. It is called outflowing by reason of the resemblance between the cause and its effea (to kill--to have a short life; to steal--to be poor, etc).
***
Why is the result of the courses of action threefold? One who commits murder causes the viaim to suffer, causes him to die, and destroys his vigor:
85c-d The result is threefold, because one makes him suffer,
because one makes him die, and because one destroys his
413 vigor.
Because one causes suffering, there is a retributive result, that is,
suffering in hell; because one makes him die, there is an outflowing
414 result, that is, his life is short; and because one destroys his vigor,
there is a predominating result, that is, external things are of little vigor. The same for the other courses of aaion.
***
? The same for the three results of the good courses of action: through having practiced, cultivated, and developed the renouncing of killing, one is reborn among the gods; if one is reborn down here in human condition, one will have a long life. The results of all good actions oppose bad actions (Vibhdsd, TD 27, p. 589al8-21).
*#*
The Blessed One distinguishes wrong speech (mithydvdc), wrong action {mithydkarmdnta), and wrong manner of livelihood {mkhyd-
415
jtva). Is this to say that wrong livelihood is separate from wrong
speech and wrong action?
It does not exist separately:
86a-c. Bodily and vocal actions which arise from attachment are
"wrong manner of livelihood"; it constitutes a separate category,
416 because it is difficult to purify.
Bodily action and vocal action arising from hate and ignorance are, respectively, wrong action and wrong speech. Arisen from attachment, both constitute wrong manner of livelihood, distinguished in this way because the manner of livelihood is difficult to purify.
Attachment is by its nature, a bandit: one watches with difficulty the mind of the actions which provoke attachment. Consequently, since the manner of livelihood is, as long as one lives, difficult to purify, the Blessed One, with an end that one should apply himself to purifying it,
417 made a separate category of wrong livelihood. There is a stanza, "The
layman purifies his views with difficulty, for he is always in the prey of multiple views; the monk purifies his manner of livelihood with difficulty, for his subsistance depends on others. "
86c-d If one says that it is solely action issued from attachment to the resources necessary for life, no; for this is in contradiction with the Sutra.
If someone thinks that to dance, to sing, etc, for one's own pleasure is not a wrong manner of livelihood,--because wrong manner of livelihood is only bodily and vocal actions inspired by attachment to the
418
means of subsistance, --we would answer: no. In fact, the Blessed
Karma 671
? 672 Chapter Four
419
One, in the SUaskandhikd, taught that looking at elephant fights, etc,
is a wrong manner of livelihood And why? Because this is to enjoy bad objects.
***
We have seen (ii. 56) that there are five results, predominating results, results of virile activity, outflowing results, retributive results, and disconnection or liberation. How many results are included in the different types of action?
87a-b. Impure, in the path of abandoning, action embraces the five results.
The path of abandoning is so called because it has abandoning for its goal, or because the defilements are abandoned due to it. This is the anantarya path which will be defined later (vi. 28,49) and which is of two types, pure and impure.
Action which forms part of the impure path of abandoning,
includes the five results: 1. retributive result: an agreeable retribution
which belongs to the same stage as the action; 2. an outflowing result:
dharmas arisen from the absorption, similar to the action, and later than 420
it; 3. a disconnective result: disconnection from the defilements, the
abandoning of the defilements; 4. a result of virile activity: the dharmas
that this action gives rise to, namely (a) the path of deliverance
421 (vimuktimdrga, vi. 28), (b) the coexisting dharmas, (c) the future
dharmas of which this action causes one to obtain possession, and (d) 422
the abandoning itself; and 5. a predominating result: all the conditioned dharmas with the exception of the action in question, and with the exception of the dharmas already arisen (ii. 59).
87c Pure, it includes four results.
The preceding ones, with the exception of the retributive result.
88a-b. The rest of pure action and neutral action, three results.
The rest of pure action--that is, pure action not included in the path of abandoning, but forming part oitheprayoga-vimukti-vifesa-mdrgas (vi. 65b)--embrace neither disconnective result, since it is not the cause
? of abandoning, nor retributive result, since it is pure.
The same two results are absent also in neutral action, whether it is
defiled nor not.
**#
What is the nature,--good, bad, or neutral,--of the results of different actions?
88c-d The good, bad, neutral dharmas, constitute four, two, and three results of good action.
Outflowing results, disconnective results, virile activity, and pre- dominating results of good action are good dharmasJLexifoxitive results are neutral by nature (ii. 57).
Virile activity and predominating results of good action are bad
dharmas.
Outflowing results of a good action are necessarily good; dis- connective results are good by their nature.
Retributive results, virile activity, and predominating results of gpod action are neutral dharmas.
89a-b. Good, bad, neutral dharmas, constitute, respectively two, three, and four results of bad action.
Theexptessionanukraman ("respectively") signifiesyathdkraman.
Two results,--virile activity and predominating results of bad action,--are good dharmas.
Three results--by omitting retributive results and disconnective results--are bad dharmas.
Four results--by omitting disconnective results--are neutral
dharmas.
It is admitted then that an outflowing result of bad dharmas can be
423 made up of neutral dharmas. How is this?
Two neutral dharmas,--the belief in personality (satkayadrsti) and the belief in the past and in the future of a soul (antagrahadrsti) (v. 6b)--are an outflowing result of bad dharmas: namely of the universal defilements (ii. 54, v. 12) which one abandons through the Seeing of Suffering and Arising, and of the defilements of the rdga class,
Karma 673
? 674 Chapter Four
etc, which one abandons through the Seeing of Suffering.
89c-d The same dharmas--good, bad, neutral dharmas--make up two, three, and three results of neutral action.
Two results,--virile activity and predominating results,--are good
dharmas.
Three results--by omitting retributive results and disconnective results--are bad dharmas. In faa some bad dharmas of the five categories (ii. 52b), to be abandoned through Seeing the Truth of Suffering, etc. , are an outflowing result of two neutral dharmas, namely of satkayadrsti and antagrahadrsti.
Three results--the same as above--are neutral.
***
With regard to the time period, and the stage, etc,
90a. Some dharmas of all types constitute four results of past actioa
All the dharmas or some dharmas of all types, that is, past, present 424
and future, can constitute four of the results of past action. One must exclude the disconnective result which is outside of time.
90b. Some future dharmas constitute four results of median action.
Median action, that is, present action, has four results--by excluding disconnection--which are future dharmas.
90c There are two which are median dharmas.
Some present dharmas are predominating results and virile activity
of median action.
90c-d For action not yet arisen, there are three results made up
of future dharmas.
That is, retributive results, predominating results, and virile activity. Future action does not have outflowing results (ii57c).
? 91a-b. Some dharmas of the same stage constitute four results, whereas some dharmas of another stage constitute three or two results.
An action of a certain stage produces four results--by excluding disconnection--which are dharmas of its own stage.
Some pure dharmas belong to a stage different from that of the the action which constitutes three results of this action: virile activity, predominating result and also outflowing result, after the rule given in ii. 53.
Some impure dharmas belong to a stage different from that of the action which constitutes virile aaivity and the predominating result of this aaioa
91c. Some Saiksa dharmas, etc. constitute three results of Saiksa
425
aaioa
Some dharmas "charaaeristic of the Saint who is not an Arhat" (Saiksa) constitute outflowing results, virile aaivity, and predominating results of Saiksa aaion.
The same for dharmas "charaaeristic of the Arhat" (Asaiksa).
Neither-Saiksa-nor-Asaiksa dharmas constitute virile aaivity, pre- dominating results and disconneaive results of Saiksa aaioa
91d-92b. Saiksa dharmas, etc, constitute one result, three results, and two results of Asaiksa aaion, etc
Saiksa dharmas are a predominating result of this aaioa
Asaiksa dharmas are a predominating result, an outflowing result, and yirile aaivity of this aaioa
Neither-Saiksa-nor-A? aiksa dharmas are predominating results and virile aaivity of this aaioa
92c-d Some Saiksa dharmas, etc, constitute two results, two results, and five results of aaion differing from the two preceeding.
This refers to neither-Saiksa-neither-Asaiksa aaioa
Some Saiksa dharmas and some Asaiksa dharmas are virile aaivity and predominating results of this aaioa
Karma 675
? 676 Chapter Four
Some neither-5aik^-nor-A? iaik? a dharmas are five results of this actioa
93a-b. Dharmas susceptible of being abandoned through Seeing the Truths (darsanaheya), susceptible of being abandoned through Meditation (bhavanaheya), and not susceptible of being abandoned (apraheya), constitute three results, two results, one result of action susceptible of being abandoned through Seeing the Truths.
Some darsanaheya dharmas are predominating results, virile activity and outflowing results of darfanaheya actioa
Some bhavanaheya dharmas are four results of this action: excluding disconnectioa
Some apraheya dharmas are predominating results of this action. 93c-d The same dharmas constitute two, four, and three results
of action susceptible of being abandoned through Meditatioa
DarSanaheya dharmas are virile activity and predominating results of bhavanaheya actioa
Bhavanaheya dharmas are four results of this action: excluding disconnectioa
Apraheya dharmas are virile activity, predominating results, and disconnection of this action.
94a-b. The same dharmas constitute, respectively, one result, two results, and four results of action not susceptible of being abandoned
DarSanaheya dharmas are predominating results of apraheya actioa action.
Some bhavanaheya dharmas are predominating results and virile
426
activity results of this actioa
Some apraheya dharmas are four results of this action: omitting the
retributive result.
The text has yathakraman, "respectively," the same as the above
passage (iv. 89b) has anukraman in the sense ofyathdkraman. lt repeats here "respectively": one concludes from this that this word should be supplied in each definitioa Such is, in effect, the process of abbreviatioa
? In the teaching of the doctrine of action the following question is again posed: the Treatise (the Jndnaprasthdna) speaks of proper action (yogavihita), improper action (ayogavihita), and neither-proper-nor- improper action. What is the meaning of these three actions?
94c-d Improper action is defiled action; according to some,
427 irregular action also.
Some say that improper action is defiled action, because this
428
proceeds from a wrong judgment. According to others, irregular
action is also irregular action: when a person walks, stands still, eats, or dresses himself in a manner other than that which he should, this action--which is undefiled-neutral--is improper, for this person acts contrary to received usage (ayoga).
There is the same divergence of view with regard to proper action: this is either good action, or good and regular action.
Action which differs from proper action and improper action is neither-proper-nor-improper action.
***
Does one action project one birth or many births? Do many actions project one birth or many births?
According to the system of the School: 95a. One action projects one arising.
By ztisingjanman, one should understand, not merely birth (jati), but an existence (nikdyasabhdga, ii. 41a). He who comes into an existence is said to be bora
1. One action projects one arising and no more,
The Sautrantikas: This thesis is in contradiction with what the
Sthavira Aniruddha says, "Through the retribution of this single aim
(pindapdta), after having been born up to seven times among the
Thirty-three Gods, I am finally born in the family of the rich
430 Sakyans. "
Answer: Aniruddha, through this aim, obtained a great prosperity;
429
Karma 677
? 678 Chapter Four
he obtained a memory of his past lives; and he accomplished many new meritorious works. By expressing himself as he did, he intends to indicate his point of departure. It is thus that a person who had acquired a sum of one thousand by means of a single penny, could say, "It is through one penny that I have acquired this fortune. "
431
One answers again: By reason of his aim, Aniruddha produced
many streams of volition: one result appeared to each volition.
2. Many actions do not together projea one arising: for if this were
the case, the projection of existence would take place in parts. But admitting that one existence is projected by a single action,
95b. Many actions complete an existence.
The same way that a painter with one stroke delineates the outline
432
of an image, and then fills in this image: so too, even though their
quality of being a human is the same, certain humans have perfect organs, major and minor members; certain humans are beautiful through the excellence of their hue, figure, shape and power, whereas,
433 in certain humans this or that is lacking.
It is not solely action which projects one existence: all retributive 434
dharmas, namely sensation, etc, also projea it. However
95c-d Neither the two absorptions of unconsciousness nor the praptis projea (an existence).
Even though they are retribution, the two absorptions of un-
consciousness (ii. 42) do not projea an existence, because they do not
coexist with aaion. The praptis (ii. 36) do not projea an existence,
because they do not have the same result as does the aaion with which
435 they coexist.
***
The Blessed One said that there are three avaranas or obstacles: the obstacle of aaion (karmdvarana), the obstacle of the defilements
456 (klesavarana), and the obstacle of retribution (vipdkdvarana).
What are the three obstacles?
? 96. Anantarya actions; chronic defilements; and bad realms of rebirth, and Asamjnisattvas and Kurus, are the threefold
437 obstacle.
The obstacle which consists of action are the five mortal
(anantarya) transgressions: matricide, patricide, the killing of an Arhat, 438
schism, and wounding the Tathagata with thoughts of hatred
The obstacle which consists of the defilements is chronic defilement.
Defilement is of two types, chronic and violent: chronic defilemet is continual defilement, and violent defilement is strong defilement. Chronic defilement constitutes an obstacle, as is the case, for example, among eunuchs. Defilements which surge up from time to time, even if their impulse is strong, can be overcome, but not continual defilement, even though it is at rest. The person in whom this is found does not find the time to make an effort to overcome it. From being small, they become medium sized; and from medium sized, they become strong: thus they form an obstacle.
The obstacle which consists of retribution is the three painful realms of rebirth--existence in hell, animal existence, and Preta existence--and one part of the good realms of rebirth--human existence in Uttarakuru, and heavenly existence among the Un- conscious Ones.
What does "obstacle" mean?
That which causes an obstacle to the Way and to the roots of good preparatory to the Way, usmagatas, etc (vi. 17).
Objection: One should mention as actions forming obstacles other
categories of actions besides mortal transgressions. Actions which
439
necessarily produce painful realms of rebirth, etc. , which produce
birth in eggs, birth in sweat, birth as a woman, or an eighth birth, form obstacles.
Answer: Only actions easily discernible by others and by the agent himself,--and that from five points of view--are mentioned here. Actions which are mortal transgressions are murder, lying, and preparation for murder; its result are painful; the rebirth realm which it produces is hell; the period of its retribution is the next existence; the murderer himself receives the name of patricide. . . : from five points of
440 view, action which is mortal transgression is easy to discern.
Karma 679
? 680 Chapter Four
Among the obstacles, the gravest is the obstacle of defilement, followed by the obstacle of actioa For these two obstacles rend one incapable of health, not only in the present existence, but also in the next existence.
According to the Vaibhasikas (Vibhdsd, TD 27, p. 601a2-7), the obstacle of defilement is the gravest because it produces the obstacle of action; the obstacle of action is heavier than the obstacle of retribution because it produces this obstacle.
***
441 What is the meaning of the word dnantarya?
The five moral transgressions are called dnantarya because they
cannot be "traversed" (antarita), that is to say, prevented in their
retribution through actions which should be retributed in the next
442
existence. Or rather a person guilty of a mortal transgression is
reborn, after this life, immediately (anantaram) in hell; the guilty person is thus antara, "one without intermediate (existence)"; thus the dharma the possession of which makes the guilty one an anantara is called dnantarya, like one terms irdmanya the dharma which makes someone a Sramana (vi. 51).
**#
In what sphere of existence are the obstacles found?
97a. Mortal transgressions exist in the three continents.
The inhabitants of Uttarakuru and living beings which are not humans are not capable of mortal transgressions. And all the more reason mortal transgression is absent in the higher spheres.
In the same way one should understand the good courses of aaion, the renouncing of killing, etc, non-greed, etc
***
Why are not preparatory and consecutive aaions considered as courses of aaion (iv. 66b-d)?
Because preparatory aaion is accomplished with a view to the
aaion proper; and because consecutive aaion has for its roots the aaion
363
itself. Furthermore, the most notable among good and bad practices
alone are courses of aaion. And finally, courses of aaion are aaions the augmentation and diminution of which have for their result the augumentation or the diminution of things and living beings (iv. 85, iii. 89).
#**
The Sautrantikas do not recognize volition as a mental action; for them, there is no mental action outside of greed, etc (iv. 65c-d).
How then do they explain the faa that the Sutra gives the name of
? course of action to greed etc? This is a question they must answer. The response is not difficult. Greed, wickedness (anger) and false
view are mental actions and they are pathways leading to bad realms of rebirth; or rather they are both courses of action, for greed sets into motion wickedness (anger) and false view, and vice versa.
***
The ten bad courses of action are in complete contradiction with the good dharmas.
364 79a. The view of negation cuts off the roots of good.
The cutting off of the roots of gpod takes place through the false view of the ninth degree, strong-strong (iv. 79d).
buttheTreatise says, Whatarethestrongrootsofevil? Theyarethe roots of evil which cut off the roots of gpod, the roots of evil which are initially adandoned when one acquires detachment from Kamadhatu. " This text proves that greed and the other roots of evil cut off the roots of good.
Answer: Only false view cuts off the roots of good; but fake view is brought about by the roots of evil: hence the Treatise attributes to these last the operation which more properly belongs to false views. In the same way that one says that bandits burn a village because it is they who light the fire that burns the village.
***
Objection: You affirm that only false view cuts off the roots of good, 365 f,
What roots of gpod are cut off?
79b. The innate roots of the sphere of Kamadhatu.
The roots of good of the sphere of Kamadhatu are cut off when one cuts off the roots of gpod; for one who cuts off the roots of good of Kamadhatu is not endowed with the roots of good of Rupadhatu or Arupyadhatu.
If this is so, how should one understand this text of the Prajndpti, "What cuts off this person's roots of good of the three spheres? "
Karma 659
366
? 660 Chapter Four
(quoted in Vibhasa, TD 27, p. 184bl7).
This text means that, at this moment, the acquisition of the roots of
good of the superior spheres become distant, because this person, who was formerly fit for these acquisitions, ceases to exist through the cutting off of the roots of good of Kamadhatu.
It refers to the innate roots of good: for one who cuts off the roots of good has already fallen from the acquired roots of good (prayogika, ii. 71b, trans, p. 314, Vibhasa, TD 27, p. 183b5).
***
What is the object of the false view which cuts off the roots of gpod? 79c The false view which negates cause and result.
Negation of cause is to think, "There is neither good nor bad action. " Negation of result is to think, "There is no retribution, no result of good or bad action" (iv. 78b-c, v. 7).
According to another opinion, these two false views,--that which negates cause, and that which negates result,--contribute to the cutting off of the roots of good in the same way as anantaryamarga and vimuktimarga contribute to the cutting off of the defilements (vi. 28, 65b).
Some say that the negation which cuts off the roots of good has for its object (that is, denies) sasrava, the impure, or the first two Truths, and not anasrava, the pure, or the last two Truths; rather it has for its object the sphere where one is to be found, and not Rupadhatu and ArupyadhattL In fact, the negation which bears on the "pure" or the higher spheres is weak, because it is in relation with these objects only
367 by association (v. 17-18).
368 But the Vaibhasikas say:
79d Completely.
The roots of good are cut off completely by false view, whether this refers to cause or result, pure or impure, Kamadhatu or the higher spheres.
###
? Some say that the nine categories of the roots of good, weak-weak roots of good, weak-medium, weak-strong, medium-weak, etc, are cut off all at once through one moment of false view, in the same way that the defilements which are abandoned by Seeing into one Truth are, in all their categories, abandoned through the Seeing of this Truth (vi. lc-d).
But the Vaibhasikas say: 79A Gradually.
The roots of good are cut off in the manner in which the defilements to be abandoned through Meditation on the Truths (satyabhavana, vi. 33) are abandoned: this means that the strong-strong root of good is cut off by a weak-weak false view, and thus following to the weak-weak root of good which is cut off by a strong-strong false view.
369
This theory is not in agreement with the text, "What are the
370
'small and concomitant* roots of good
abandoned lastly to the cutting off of the roots of good; those through the absence of which a person is termed one-who-has-the-roots-of- good-cut-off. "
Objection: If the cutting off is gradual, how should one understand the text, "What are the strong-strong roots of evil? The roots of evil through which one cuts off the roots of good? "
This text refers to the achievement of the cutting off of the roots of
good, for it is through the strong-strong roots of evil that the roots of
good totally disapear. As long as the last category of the roots of good,
the weak-weak, is not cut off, it can determine the reappearance of the
371 others.
According to certain masters, the cutting off of the nine categories
372
takes place at one time, without interruption, like the abandoning of
the defilements through the Path of Seeing into the Truths. But the Vaibhasikas say that it takes place either without interruption, or at several times.
According to certain masters, the abandoning of discipline (samvaraprahdna, iv. 38) preceeds the cutting off of the roots. But the
Vaibhasikas say that the discipline is lost when one loses the mind of 373
which this discipline is the result (Vibhasa, TD 27, p. 183c8). #**
They are those which are
Karma 661
? 662 Chapter Four
What beings are capable of cutting off the roots of good? 79d The cutting off takes place among humans.
Only humans cut them off; not the creatures in the painful realms of
rebirth; for their discernment (pra/nd), whether defiled or not, is not 374
firm; not the gods, for the result of action is manifest to them. And only humans of the three continents cut them off, not those of
375 Uttarakuru, for they do not possess bad dfayas.
376
According to another opinion, only humans in Jambudvlpa cut
off the roots of good But this is in contradiaion with the text, "The
inhabitants of Jambudvlpa possess a minimum of eight organs; the
377 same for the inhabitants of Purvavidena and of Avaragodanlya. "
80a. Men and women cut off the roots.
According to another opinion, women do not cut off the roots because their will and their application are weak. But this is in contradiaion with the text, ''Whoever possesses the female organ necessarily possesses eight organs" (iL18d).
The sensualist does not cut off the roots of good because his dfaya is in movement; the only one who cuts them off is
378 80a-b. The rationalist.
379 Because his dfaya is bad, firm, and hidden.
38 Byvirtueofthesesameprinciples,eunuchs,etc, ? donotcutoffthe
roots of good, because they are counted among the sensualists, and because their discernment, like that of the creatures of painful realms of rebirth, is not firm.
What is the nature of the cutting off of the roots of good? 80b. The cutting off is non-possession
When the possession of the roots of good is obstmaed in rearising, in continuing, then ten non-possessions (aprdpti), or non-endowed- merits (asamanvdgama, ii. 37) arise.
When aprdptihas arisen, there is a cutting off of the roots of good.
? When the roots of good have been cut off, how do they rearise?
80c Rearising through doubt, through insight into the existence of cause, etc
It can happen that a person whose roots of good have been cut off produces, relative to cause and result, either doubt or insight into their existence, which is Right View. When Right View has arisen, then one
381
says that the roots of good have arisen, because the possession of
these roots is henceforth present. The roots arise in their nine
categories; but they will only gradually manifest themselves, in the same
way that one initially regains one's health and then, gradually, one's
382 strength.
383 80& Not here, for one guilty of anantarya.
Other persons who have cut off the roots of good can take them up again in this life, but not one guilty of an anantarya transgression (iv. 97) who has thus cut off the roots of good It is with regard to this transgressor that it is said, "This person is unfit to again take up the roots of good in this life; but he certainly will take them up either by
384
dying in hell, or by being bora" "By being born" means to be found in
an intermediate state [which preceeds existence in hell]. "By dying"
means disposed to die [in hell]. The roots of good are taken up by being
born since they have been cut off by the force of the cause; and by dying,
since they have been cut off by the force of a conditioa Same difference
when they have been cut off by one's own force, or by the force of
385 another.
m Thepersonwhoisafayavipanna --thatistosay,lost(vipanna)
by the fact of his false view--can take up again the roots of good in the
present existence. The person who is both dsayavipanna and prayo-
gavipanna--that is, one who is furthermore lost through the fact of his
anantarya transgression--takes up the roots again only after the 387
destruction of his body. [This is a variant of what has just been said, "One who has cut off the roots by his own force, or by the force of another . . . "]. Same difference for one who is drsfivipanna (lost through false view) and one who is at the same time both drsfivipanna
Karma 663
? 664 Chapter Four
388
and silavipanna (lost further by an anantarya transgression). [This is
a variant on the immediately preceeding passage].
One can cut off the roots of good and not be destined to hell
(mithyatvaniyata, iii. 44c-d). Four cases: 1. Purana and the other five 389
masters; 2. AjataSatru; 3. Devadatta; and 4. persons who have not cut off the roots and who have committed an anantarya transgression.
A person with a false view, who has cut off the roots of good, is
punished in Avici Hell; a person guilty of an anantarya transgression is 39
*##
Volition is the principal aaion. We shall explain with how many courses of aaion volition can coexist.
81a-c With regard to the painful realms of rebirth, volition can coexist at most with eight courses.
Volition can coexist with one course of aaion, as when either greed, anger, or a false view manifests itself, without any "material" (rupin) course of aaion having taken place; or rather the person who has prepared one of the material courses of aaion finds himself to have a non-defiled, that is, a good or neutral mind, at the moment when, on his
391 instigation, this course of aaion is perpetuated.
Volition can coexist with two courses of aaion, as when a person
with an angry mind kills; or when a person who is prey to greed steals,
392 or commits adultery, or speaks in an inconsiderate manner.
Volition can coexist with three courses of aaion, as when a person
393 with an angry mind kills and steals at the same time.
But haven't we seen that stealing is only achieved by desire alone
(iv. 70)? This restriction refers to the achievement of stealing com-
394 mitted by a person who only thinks of stealing.
Volition can coexist with three courses of aaion, as when greed is present at the moment when two material courses of aaion are completed that one has committed by another.
Volition can coexist with four courses of aaion, as when one lies or
when one injures with the intention of dividing: there is one mental
punishedinAvici,orelsewhere. ?
course of aaion and three vocal courses of aaioa
395
Or rather, when the
? mind is in the prey of greed, etc. , at the moment when three material courses are completed.
Volition can coexist with five, six, or seven courses of action, as when the mind is in the prey of greed, etc. , at the moment when four, five, or six material courses of action are completed
Volition can coexist with eight courses of action, as when a person has made the preparatory action of six courses of action, murder, etc. ; at the moment when these six courses of action are completed, he is in the prey of greed and commits adultery.
Volition cannot coexist with nine courses of action, or with ten courses, because greed, anger, false view are not simultaneous.
Slc-d Concerning good courses of action, volition can coexist with ten.
The ten good courses of action can be simultaneous to volition.
81d Volition does not coexist with one, eight, or five courses of
396 action.
Volition can coexist with two courses of actions, as when a ptrson in
the absorption of Arupyadhatu, in possession of ksayajnana or
armtpddajnana (vL45,50): his five consciousnesses are good There are 397
thus two courses of action: non-greed and non-anger.
Volition can coexist with three courses of action, as when the mental
consciousness is associated with Right View and when the seven good material courses of action are absent.
Volition can coexist with four courses of action. When, with a bad or neutral mind, one undertakes the discipline of an Upasaka or a Sramanera which embraces four material good courses of action, non- killing, etc.
Volition can coexist with six courses of action, as when, the five consciousnesses being good, one undertakes the same disciplines: four good material courses of action, non-greed and non-anger.
Volition can coexist with seven courses of action. When, with a good mental consciousness, one undertakes the same discipline, add Right View. Or rather, when, with a bad or neutral mind, one undertakes the discipline of Bhiksu: only seven material courses of action.
Volition can coexist with nine courses of action. [Three cases:] One
Karma 665
? undertakes the discipline of a Bhik? u, the five consciousnesses (visual consciousness, etc) being good: Right View is absent; one undertakes this same discipline at a moment when, in an absorption of Arupya- dhatu, one possesses ksayajndna or anutpadajnana. [This is the case, examined above, of the two courses of action: one must add the seven courses of aaion of discipline, which is here not avijnapti]; in the course of an absorption of a dhydna, one possesses ksayajndna or anutpada-
jnana [Right View is absent; the seven material courses of aaion exist as 398
part of the discipline of dhydna (avijnapti)].
Volition can coexist with ten good courses of aaion. In the different
cases: when one undertakes the discipline of a Bhiksu with a good mental consciousness, except in the case of ksayajndna and anutpada-
jnana; and all volition concomitant with the discipline of dhydna and pure discipline when this volition is not associated with ksayajndna or anutpadajnana.
We have shown under what conditions volition coexists with the good courses of aaion included in the disciplines. If one looks at the good courses of aaion independent of the disciplines, volition can also be found with one course of aaion, five courses of aaion, and eight courses of aaion:
1. When one renounces a transgression and when one has a mind different from that which provokes this renouncing, that is, a defiled or neutral mind; 2. when one renounces two transgressions and when one has a good mental consciousness: this good mental consciousness includes the three mental aaions to which is added two renouncings, two material aaions; and 3. when, under the same conditions, when one
399 renounces five transgressions.
***
What are the courses of aaion which exist, either in faa or as
400
potentiality, in the different realms of rebirth?
82a-b. Inconsiderate words, injurious words, anger, of two types,
401 exist in hell.
Inconsiderate words exist in hell, for beings in hell lament: injurious
402
words, for beings in hell mutually reproach one another; and anger,
? because they hate one another for the duration of their lives. 82c-d Greed and false views, as potentiality.
Beings in hell possess greed and false views, but these do not actually exist in hell: because of the absence of any object to which one
m
could become attached, and because the result of action is manifested In hell killing is absent, for beings in hell die through the exhaustion
of their actions (karmaksaya, ii. trans, p. 235-6); stealing and adultry are absent, for beings in hell do not have property or objeas of property, or women; lying is absent, for it is useless; and malicious words are useless, for beings in hell are at a distance and are always separate from one another.
82d Three exist in Uttarakuru.
Greed, anger and false views exist in Uttarakuru in the sense that the inhabitants of Uttarakuru are in possession of a potentiality for greed, anger and false views. But, in fact, greed is absent there, for no one has anything of his own; in the same way anger is absent, because they are soft, and because there is no cause for displeasure; so too false views are absent, because there is no bad asaya (apapasayatvat, iv. 80d).
83a. The seventh course exists there in fact also.
Inconsiderate words exist there in fact; for, sometimes, the inhabitants of Uttarakuru sing with a defiled mind
Because bad diaya is absent there; because the duration of one's life is determined there (iii. 78c; ii. trans, p. 236); and because no one possesses any property or object of property, or women, and also through its lack of usefulness, killing and the other courses of action are absent in Uttarakuru.
If the men of Uttarakuru do not have wives, how can they have unchaste behavior? They take the women with whom they desire to enjoy pleasure by the hand and go to a tree. If sex with this woman is allowable, the tree covers up the couple with its branches; in the
404 contrary case, the tree does not cover up the couple.
83b. The ten bad courses of action exist elsewhere in Kama- dhatu.
Karma 667
? 668 Chapter Four
The ten bad courses of aaion exist in fact in Kamadhatu with the exception of hell and Uttarakuru.
Concerning animals, Pretas and gods, the bad courses of action are not necessarily conneaed with undiscipline (asamvaranirmukta, see iv. 24c); with regard to humans, the bad courses of aaion are either necessarily conneaed, or not necessarily conneaed to undiscipline.
Does killing exist among the gods? The gods do not, amongst themselves, kill one another, but they kill beings belonging to other realms of rebirth, Pretas, etc According to another opinion, the gpds
405 also kill by cutting the head or the body.
83c-d Three good courses of aaion exist everywhere, as potentiality and in fact.
Everywhere, in the three spheres of existence and in the five realms of rebirth, non-greed, non-anger and Right Views exist both as potentiality and in faa.
84a-b. In the Arapyas, among the Unconscious Ones, seven courses of aaion exist as potentiality.
Among the beings of Arupyadhatu and the Asamjnisattvas (ii. 41d), the seven good material courses of aaion, bodily and vocal, exist solely as potentaility.
In ? aa, Aryans who are born in Arupyadhatu possess the past and future discipline of pure morality, and the Unconscious Ones possess the discipline of dhyana (iv. l3c) under the same conditions.
The past pure discipline that the Aryan who is in Arupyadhatu possesses, has for its base of support the stage or stages (Four Dhyanas) which he has produced and destroyed; the future pure discipline that he will possess, has on the contrary the five stages (Kamadhatu and the
406 Four Dhyanas) for its base of support.
84b-d For the rest, good courses of aaion also exist in faa, with the exception of beings in hell and the Uttarakurus.
The rest, that is, in the other spheres of existence, and in the other realms of rebirth.
Beings in hell and the Uttarakurus do not undertake any morality. Elsewhere the seven good material courses of aaion exist in faa.
?
One must make a distinctioa Among the animals and Pretas, the good courses of action are never necessarily connected with discipline; in Rupadhatu, they are always necessarily connected with discipline; elsewhere they can be of one or the other category.
85a-b. All the other courses of action have retributive results,
407 outflowing result, and predominating results.
Good or bad, the ten courses of action have a threefold result.
1. Through each bad course of action practiced (dsevita), cultivated 408 409
(bhavita), developed (bahulikrta), a transgressor is reborn in helL 410
Such is the retributive result.
2. If a transgressor is reborn in a human existence, through murder
he will be of brief lifespan; through stealing he will be poor; through illicit sexuality, he will have an unfaithful spouse; through lying, he will be slandered; through malicious speech, his friends will become enemies; through injurious speech, he will only undertand disagreeable speech; through inconsiderate speech, his words will not come to be believed; through greed, he will have great desires (maheccha, vi. 6); through anger, he will have great hate; and through false views, he will have great ignorance, for ignorance is great in false views. Such is the outflowing result.
But, one would say, a human existence, even if it is short, is the retribution of a good action. How can one regard it as an outflowing result of murder?
We do not say that this existence is the result of murder; we say rather, that a murderer will have a short life by reason of the murder; murder is the cause which rends a human existence short, an existence otherwise caused by a good action.
411
3. By reason of the intense practice of killing, external things --
plants, the sun, etc,--are of little vitality; by reason of stealing, they are
412
crushed by rains of stones, dust and acid; by reason of illicit sexuality,
they are covered by dust or acid; by reason of lying, they are of bad odor; by reason of malicious speech, they are in a hole or on a hill; by reason of injurious speech, the land and the sun are impregnated with salt and are sterile, and the plants are detestable and pernicious; by reason of inconsiderate speech, the seasons are reversed; by reason of greed, fruits are small; by reason of anger, fruits are sour; and by reason of false
Karma 669
? Chapter Four
views, fruits are very few, or are totally absent. Such is the pre- dominating result.
***
Is it by reason of killing that a murderer is reborn in hell and then only enjoys a short human life?
According to some, it is by reason of killing. Existence in hell is a retributive result, whereas shortness of life is an outflowing result of the killing. [In fact, retribution is always sensation, vedana\
According to others, existence in hell comes from the preparatory action of killing; the fact of having a short life comes from the action itself. It is true that the Sutra speaks of killing as the cause of existence in hell, but it understands by killing, not only killing, but killing with all the actions that accompany it. What is called outflowing result does not here exist separately from the retributive result and the predominating result. It is called outflowing by reason of the resemblance between the cause and its effea (to kill--to have a short life; to steal--to be poor, etc).
***
Why is the result of the courses of action threefold? One who commits murder causes the viaim to suffer, causes him to die, and destroys his vigor:
85c-d The result is threefold, because one makes him suffer,
because one makes him die, and because one destroys his
413 vigor.
Because one causes suffering, there is a retributive result, that is,
suffering in hell; because one makes him die, there is an outflowing
414 result, that is, his life is short; and because one destroys his vigor,
there is a predominating result, that is, external things are of little vigor. The same for the other courses of aaion.
***
? The same for the three results of the good courses of action: through having practiced, cultivated, and developed the renouncing of killing, one is reborn among the gods; if one is reborn down here in human condition, one will have a long life. The results of all good actions oppose bad actions (Vibhdsd, TD 27, p. 589al8-21).
*#*
The Blessed One distinguishes wrong speech (mithydvdc), wrong action {mithydkarmdnta), and wrong manner of livelihood {mkhyd-
415
jtva). Is this to say that wrong livelihood is separate from wrong
speech and wrong action?
It does not exist separately:
86a-c. Bodily and vocal actions which arise from attachment are
"wrong manner of livelihood"; it constitutes a separate category,
416 because it is difficult to purify.
Bodily action and vocal action arising from hate and ignorance are, respectively, wrong action and wrong speech. Arisen from attachment, both constitute wrong manner of livelihood, distinguished in this way because the manner of livelihood is difficult to purify.
Attachment is by its nature, a bandit: one watches with difficulty the mind of the actions which provoke attachment. Consequently, since the manner of livelihood is, as long as one lives, difficult to purify, the Blessed One, with an end that one should apply himself to purifying it,
417 made a separate category of wrong livelihood. There is a stanza, "The
layman purifies his views with difficulty, for he is always in the prey of multiple views; the monk purifies his manner of livelihood with difficulty, for his subsistance depends on others. "
86c-d If one says that it is solely action issued from attachment to the resources necessary for life, no; for this is in contradiction with the Sutra.
If someone thinks that to dance, to sing, etc, for one's own pleasure is not a wrong manner of livelihood,--because wrong manner of livelihood is only bodily and vocal actions inspired by attachment to the
418
means of subsistance, --we would answer: no. In fact, the Blessed
Karma 671
? 672 Chapter Four
419
One, in the SUaskandhikd, taught that looking at elephant fights, etc,
is a wrong manner of livelihood And why? Because this is to enjoy bad objects.
***
We have seen (ii. 56) that there are five results, predominating results, results of virile activity, outflowing results, retributive results, and disconnection or liberation. How many results are included in the different types of action?
87a-b. Impure, in the path of abandoning, action embraces the five results.
The path of abandoning is so called because it has abandoning for its goal, or because the defilements are abandoned due to it. This is the anantarya path which will be defined later (vi. 28,49) and which is of two types, pure and impure.
Action which forms part of the impure path of abandoning,
includes the five results: 1. retributive result: an agreeable retribution
which belongs to the same stage as the action; 2. an outflowing result:
dharmas arisen from the absorption, similar to the action, and later than 420
it; 3. a disconnective result: disconnection from the defilements, the
abandoning of the defilements; 4. a result of virile activity: the dharmas
that this action gives rise to, namely (a) the path of deliverance
421 (vimuktimdrga, vi. 28), (b) the coexisting dharmas, (c) the future
dharmas of which this action causes one to obtain possession, and (d) 422
the abandoning itself; and 5. a predominating result: all the conditioned dharmas with the exception of the action in question, and with the exception of the dharmas already arisen (ii. 59).
87c Pure, it includes four results.
The preceding ones, with the exception of the retributive result.
88a-b. The rest of pure action and neutral action, three results.
The rest of pure action--that is, pure action not included in the path of abandoning, but forming part oitheprayoga-vimukti-vifesa-mdrgas (vi. 65b)--embrace neither disconnective result, since it is not the cause
? of abandoning, nor retributive result, since it is pure.
The same two results are absent also in neutral action, whether it is
defiled nor not.
**#
What is the nature,--good, bad, or neutral,--of the results of different actions?
88c-d The good, bad, neutral dharmas, constitute four, two, and three results of good action.
Outflowing results, disconnective results, virile activity, and pre- dominating results of good action are good dharmasJLexifoxitive results are neutral by nature (ii. 57).
Virile activity and predominating results of good action are bad
dharmas.
Outflowing results of a good action are necessarily good; dis- connective results are good by their nature.
Retributive results, virile activity, and predominating results of gpod action are neutral dharmas.
89a-b. Good, bad, neutral dharmas, constitute, respectively two, three, and four results of bad action.
Theexptessionanukraman ("respectively") signifiesyathdkraman.
Two results,--virile activity and predominating results of bad action,--are good dharmas.
Three results--by omitting retributive results and disconnective results--are bad dharmas.
Four results--by omitting disconnective results--are neutral
dharmas.
It is admitted then that an outflowing result of bad dharmas can be
423 made up of neutral dharmas. How is this?
Two neutral dharmas,--the belief in personality (satkayadrsti) and the belief in the past and in the future of a soul (antagrahadrsti) (v. 6b)--are an outflowing result of bad dharmas: namely of the universal defilements (ii. 54, v. 12) which one abandons through the Seeing of Suffering and Arising, and of the defilements of the rdga class,
Karma 673
? 674 Chapter Four
etc, which one abandons through the Seeing of Suffering.
89c-d The same dharmas--good, bad, neutral dharmas--make up two, three, and three results of neutral action.
Two results,--virile activity and predominating results,--are good
dharmas.
Three results--by omitting retributive results and disconnective results--are bad dharmas. In faa some bad dharmas of the five categories (ii. 52b), to be abandoned through Seeing the Truth of Suffering, etc. , are an outflowing result of two neutral dharmas, namely of satkayadrsti and antagrahadrsti.
Three results--the same as above--are neutral.
***
With regard to the time period, and the stage, etc,
90a. Some dharmas of all types constitute four results of past actioa
All the dharmas or some dharmas of all types, that is, past, present 424
and future, can constitute four of the results of past action. One must exclude the disconnective result which is outside of time.
90b. Some future dharmas constitute four results of median action.
Median action, that is, present action, has four results--by excluding disconnection--which are future dharmas.
90c There are two which are median dharmas.
Some present dharmas are predominating results and virile activity
of median action.
90c-d For action not yet arisen, there are three results made up
of future dharmas.
That is, retributive results, predominating results, and virile activity. Future action does not have outflowing results (ii57c).
? 91a-b. Some dharmas of the same stage constitute four results, whereas some dharmas of another stage constitute three or two results.
An action of a certain stage produces four results--by excluding disconnection--which are dharmas of its own stage.
Some pure dharmas belong to a stage different from that of the the action which constitutes three results of this action: virile activity, predominating result and also outflowing result, after the rule given in ii. 53.
Some impure dharmas belong to a stage different from that of the action which constitutes virile aaivity and the predominating result of this aaioa
91c. Some Saiksa dharmas, etc. constitute three results of Saiksa
425
aaioa
Some dharmas "charaaeristic of the Saint who is not an Arhat" (Saiksa) constitute outflowing results, virile aaivity, and predominating results of Saiksa aaion.
The same for dharmas "charaaeristic of the Arhat" (Asaiksa).
Neither-Saiksa-nor-Asaiksa dharmas constitute virile aaivity, pre- dominating results and disconneaive results of Saiksa aaioa
91d-92b. Saiksa dharmas, etc, constitute one result, three results, and two results of Asaiksa aaion, etc
Saiksa dharmas are a predominating result of this aaioa
Asaiksa dharmas are a predominating result, an outflowing result, and yirile aaivity of this aaioa
Neither-Saiksa-nor-A? aiksa dharmas are predominating results and virile aaivity of this aaioa
92c-d Some Saiksa dharmas, etc, constitute two results, two results, and five results of aaion differing from the two preceeding.
This refers to neither-Saiksa-neither-Asaiksa aaioa
Some Saiksa dharmas and some Asaiksa dharmas are virile aaivity and predominating results of this aaioa
Karma 675
? 676 Chapter Four
Some neither-5aik^-nor-A? iaik? a dharmas are five results of this actioa
93a-b. Dharmas susceptible of being abandoned through Seeing the Truths (darsanaheya), susceptible of being abandoned through Meditation (bhavanaheya), and not susceptible of being abandoned (apraheya), constitute three results, two results, one result of action susceptible of being abandoned through Seeing the Truths.
Some darsanaheya dharmas are predominating results, virile activity and outflowing results of darfanaheya actioa
Some bhavanaheya dharmas are four results of this action: excluding disconnectioa
Some apraheya dharmas are predominating results of this action. 93c-d The same dharmas constitute two, four, and three results
of action susceptible of being abandoned through Meditatioa
DarSanaheya dharmas are virile activity and predominating results of bhavanaheya actioa
Bhavanaheya dharmas are four results of this action: excluding disconnectioa
Apraheya dharmas are virile activity, predominating results, and disconnection of this action.
94a-b. The same dharmas constitute, respectively, one result, two results, and four results of action not susceptible of being abandoned
DarSanaheya dharmas are predominating results of apraheya actioa action.
Some bhavanaheya dharmas are predominating results and virile
426
activity results of this actioa
Some apraheya dharmas are four results of this action: omitting the
retributive result.
The text has yathakraman, "respectively," the same as the above
passage (iv. 89b) has anukraman in the sense ofyathdkraman. lt repeats here "respectively": one concludes from this that this word should be supplied in each definitioa Such is, in effect, the process of abbreviatioa
? In the teaching of the doctrine of action the following question is again posed: the Treatise (the Jndnaprasthdna) speaks of proper action (yogavihita), improper action (ayogavihita), and neither-proper-nor- improper action. What is the meaning of these three actions?
94c-d Improper action is defiled action; according to some,
427 irregular action also.
Some say that improper action is defiled action, because this
428
proceeds from a wrong judgment. According to others, irregular
action is also irregular action: when a person walks, stands still, eats, or dresses himself in a manner other than that which he should, this action--which is undefiled-neutral--is improper, for this person acts contrary to received usage (ayoga).
There is the same divergence of view with regard to proper action: this is either good action, or good and regular action.
Action which differs from proper action and improper action is neither-proper-nor-improper action.
***
Does one action project one birth or many births? Do many actions project one birth or many births?
According to the system of the School: 95a. One action projects one arising.
By ztisingjanman, one should understand, not merely birth (jati), but an existence (nikdyasabhdga, ii. 41a). He who comes into an existence is said to be bora
1. One action projects one arising and no more,
The Sautrantikas: This thesis is in contradiction with what the
Sthavira Aniruddha says, "Through the retribution of this single aim
(pindapdta), after having been born up to seven times among the
Thirty-three Gods, I am finally born in the family of the rich
430 Sakyans. "
Answer: Aniruddha, through this aim, obtained a great prosperity;
429
Karma 677
? 678 Chapter Four
he obtained a memory of his past lives; and he accomplished many new meritorious works. By expressing himself as he did, he intends to indicate his point of departure. It is thus that a person who had acquired a sum of one thousand by means of a single penny, could say, "It is through one penny that I have acquired this fortune. "
431
One answers again: By reason of his aim, Aniruddha produced
many streams of volition: one result appeared to each volition.
2. Many actions do not together projea one arising: for if this were
the case, the projection of existence would take place in parts. But admitting that one existence is projected by a single action,
95b. Many actions complete an existence.
The same way that a painter with one stroke delineates the outline
432
of an image, and then fills in this image: so too, even though their
quality of being a human is the same, certain humans have perfect organs, major and minor members; certain humans are beautiful through the excellence of their hue, figure, shape and power, whereas,
433 in certain humans this or that is lacking.
It is not solely action which projects one existence: all retributive 434
dharmas, namely sensation, etc, also projea it. However
95c-d Neither the two absorptions of unconsciousness nor the praptis projea (an existence).
Even though they are retribution, the two absorptions of un-
consciousness (ii. 42) do not projea an existence, because they do not
coexist with aaion. The praptis (ii. 36) do not projea an existence,
because they do not have the same result as does the aaion with which
435 they coexist.
***
The Blessed One said that there are three avaranas or obstacles: the obstacle of aaion (karmdvarana), the obstacle of the defilements
456 (klesavarana), and the obstacle of retribution (vipdkdvarana).
What are the three obstacles?
? 96. Anantarya actions; chronic defilements; and bad realms of rebirth, and Asamjnisattvas and Kurus, are the threefold
437 obstacle.
The obstacle which consists of action are the five mortal
(anantarya) transgressions: matricide, patricide, the killing of an Arhat, 438
schism, and wounding the Tathagata with thoughts of hatred
The obstacle which consists of the defilements is chronic defilement.
Defilement is of two types, chronic and violent: chronic defilemet is continual defilement, and violent defilement is strong defilement. Chronic defilement constitutes an obstacle, as is the case, for example, among eunuchs. Defilements which surge up from time to time, even if their impulse is strong, can be overcome, but not continual defilement, even though it is at rest. The person in whom this is found does not find the time to make an effort to overcome it. From being small, they become medium sized; and from medium sized, they become strong: thus they form an obstacle.
The obstacle which consists of retribution is the three painful realms of rebirth--existence in hell, animal existence, and Preta existence--and one part of the good realms of rebirth--human existence in Uttarakuru, and heavenly existence among the Un- conscious Ones.
What does "obstacle" mean?
That which causes an obstacle to the Way and to the roots of good preparatory to the Way, usmagatas, etc (vi. 17).
Objection: One should mention as actions forming obstacles other
categories of actions besides mortal transgressions. Actions which
439
necessarily produce painful realms of rebirth, etc. , which produce
birth in eggs, birth in sweat, birth as a woman, or an eighth birth, form obstacles.
Answer: Only actions easily discernible by others and by the agent himself,--and that from five points of view--are mentioned here. Actions which are mortal transgressions are murder, lying, and preparation for murder; its result are painful; the rebirth realm which it produces is hell; the period of its retribution is the next existence; the murderer himself receives the name of patricide. . . : from five points of
440 view, action which is mortal transgression is easy to discern.
Karma 679
? 680 Chapter Four
Among the obstacles, the gravest is the obstacle of defilement, followed by the obstacle of actioa For these two obstacles rend one incapable of health, not only in the present existence, but also in the next existence.
According to the Vaibhasikas (Vibhdsd, TD 27, p. 601a2-7), the obstacle of defilement is the gravest because it produces the obstacle of action; the obstacle of action is heavier than the obstacle of retribution because it produces this obstacle.
***
441 What is the meaning of the word dnantarya?
The five moral transgressions are called dnantarya because they
cannot be "traversed" (antarita), that is to say, prevented in their
retribution through actions which should be retributed in the next
442
existence. Or rather a person guilty of a mortal transgression is
reborn, after this life, immediately (anantaram) in hell; the guilty person is thus antara, "one without intermediate (existence)"; thus the dharma the possession of which makes the guilty one an anantara is called dnantarya, like one terms irdmanya the dharma which makes someone a Sramana (vi. 51).
**#
In what sphere of existence are the obstacles found?
97a. Mortal transgressions exist in the three continents.
The inhabitants of Uttarakuru and living beings which are not humans are not capable of mortal transgressions. And all the more reason mortal transgression is absent in the higher spheres.
