Action in
dhydndntara
(dhydndntarakarman) is action by which one obtains dhydndntara-bliss and dhydndntara-existence.
Abhidharmakosabhasyam-Vol-2-Vasubandhu-Poussin-Pruden-1991
171. See note 167; Vibhasa) TD 27, p. 356b25; this comparison,'mMafibima,1250,5^,464,112%, refers to the defilements.
172. Compare Cuttavagga, L25. 1, Vinaya Texts, iii p. 120.
173. Kdrantfava,Mahavyutpatti,22823,anherbthatresembles theyava
Kdfambaka, Mahdvyutpatti, 278. 16; also Kafmabakajdta (Siksasamuccaya, p. 67,Asfasdbasrikd,
p. 181), kafambuka, ka/ambuka (Wogihara) = pMikasfham.
Utplavi (? ) noma vnhimadhye'bhyantaratandulavihinab (Vydkbyd). The orginal has: atho
paldvinam, as the Pali shows: Anguttara, iv. 169 and Suttanipdta, 281 quoted in Milmda, 414: kdrandavam niddhamatha kasambum apakassatha tato palape vdhetha assamane samanamdnine.
174. The Cundasutta in the Uragavagga; Mahdvyutpatti, 223. 55-58; mdrgapna (Samyutta, i. 187), according to the Vydkbyd, the A? aiksa and the Saik$a; according to Saeki, the Buddha and the Pratyekabuddhas; mdrgadais'ika, the Buddha or Sariputra, etc; mdrgapvtn, Nanda, etc, according to Saeki(margejwatisTlavdnbhiksurmdraganimittamjwandt). Vibhdsd, TD27,p. 34lc6. Anguttara, iv. 169, samanadusisamanapddpo samandkdrantfeva.
175. Mahdvyutpatti, 270. 10, Sotrdlamkara, xL4. Vydkbyd: a* monk, through extensive lust, is rendered guilty of unchastity (striydabrabmacaryam krtvd); immediately alarmed (jdtasamvega) he thinks, '1 have committed a frightful (kasfa) action," without a single thought of hiding his crime arising within him, he approaches (upagamya) the Sangha and confesses: '1 have done this transgression. " On the instructions of the Sangha (dryasamghopade/dt), he carries out his penance (dandakarma kurvdnah) which consists of abstaining from contact with the Bhiksus (sarva- bhikfvanavakrdntikatva), etc He is called a fikfddattaka. If his immorality destroys his quality of Bhiksu, he will no longer be a Bhik? u, or a penitent Notice too that he is not to receive a new ordination. According to the glosses of Yuan-hsien (quoted by Wieger), the penitent is placed after the monks, but before the novices; he does not take part in ecclesiastical actions; but he will be rehabilitated if he becomes an Arhat
176. Milmda, p. 257, has some curious theories on the privileges that an immoral Bhiksu still maintains.
177. The good of the sphere of Dhyana belongs to the gods of higher spheres and to the ascetics who, here below, cultivate the Dhyanas.
? 178. The acquisition of the pure discipline is not mentioned as a cav^ of the abandoning of the lack of restraint; for the discipline of Dhyana always precedes pure discipline.
179. The masters of Gandhara; Samghabhadra (TD 29, p. 566c27) accepts this opinion. 180. The Kaimirians. Vibbdsd, TD 27, p. 608b24
181. When one says: Mam samdddnena; in other words pratydkhydnavacanena.
182. Avijfiapti is lost for one who does not act according to his undertaking, yathdsamdttam akurvatah.
Vydkbyd: Tadyatbd buddham avanditvd mandalakam akrtvd vd na bhoksya iti tadakrtvd bhuHjdnasya. . . IntheBbiksunikarmavdcand(BulletinoftheSchoolOrientalStudies, 1920,p. 128) there is mentioned the trimandaL which is constructed before the taking of refuge. De La Vallee Poussin thought that this trimandda was the trkatnamanaala mentioned in the ritual of the Bodhisattvas (Adikarmapradipa, in Bouddbisme, Etudes et MatSriaux, 1989, p. 206).
183. Paramartha transcribesyantra (yen-to-lo%? %? ](? . ). "Etc" refers to /astro, visa, etc
184. Vydkbyd: One should say that the vijfiapti, which has given rise to this avijnapti, is abandoned at the same time that it is, for its prdpti is cut off by these six causes. But there can be avyfiapti without a vijfiapti, as we see from iv. 67; and [elsewhere], one speaks of the avijfiapti as if one were speaking of the vijfiapti. According to others, the prdpti of a vijnapti included in neither-restraint- nor-lack of restraint does not continue (anubandhim); thus the author does not here have to occupy himself here with the abandoning of vijnapti.
185. Further, in certain cases, by detachment from kdma (vairdgya):for example good dissatisfaction (kuiala daurmanasyendrtya, iil, trans, note 79).
186. All the kle/as are upaMeias, but not all upakleias are kle/as. See v. 46. 187. Mabdvyutpatti, 271. 13-20.
188. The Theravadins (Katbdvatthu, iil 10) maintain that there are no precepts among the gods because there is no lack of restraint among them. See below iv. 44a-b.
189. By reason of their mdndya.
190. Not the Prdtimoksa discipline, because the gods do not have samvega, terror-disgust.
191. The Tibetan version of the Bbdfya skips this Karika.
By the practice of dbydndntara (viii. 22-23) one is reborn in the elevated part of heaven of the
Brahmapurohitas, which is called dhyandntarika, where the Mahabrahmas dwell (il41d; iii. 2d). But birth among the Mahabrahmanas is an obstacle {dvarana) (iv. 99), for entry into the Path and the pure precepts which make up the Path are impossible for Brahma, who thinks that he is svayambhU, self-created; etc (vi. 38a-b).
192. Paramartha: The pure precepts among the gods of Kamadhatu and Rupadhatu, with the exception of the dhydndntarikas and the asamjfiisattvas, and among the gods of Arupyadhatu. . . The gods born in Arupyadhatu virtually possess the restraint of ecstasy and the pure precepts, but not at the present time.
193. The Abbisamaydlamkdfdloka, ad Asfasdbasrikd, p. 62, quotes the Abhidharmasamuccaya: kdmapratisamyuktamku/alampunyam rupdrupyapratisamyuktam dnirljyam. Commentary on the Bodhicarydvatdra, iiilO.
194. Absent in the Tibetan version, but given by Paramartha. Hsiian-tsang: "Good action in Kamadhatu is called punya because it does good to another and produces an agreeable retribution; bad action is called apunya because by it, one harms another and produces a disagreeable retributioa"
195. The Vydkbyd (iillOld) admits two readings, dnejya from ejr (kampane) and dnifijya from igi
Footnotes 727
? 728 Chapter Four
(gatyarthe). Variants mentioned by Wogihara in his edition of the Mahdvyupatti, 21. 49,244. 124: aninga, aningya, anihjya, dnifijya. Modern opinions, Lotus, p. 306; Qiilders (mj); Senart, Mahdvastu, i. 399 (MSS dnimja); Leumann, Album Kern, 393; Kern, note in Bodhicaryd- vatdrapanjikd, p. 80 (Vedkanedya = anindya); E. Muller, Simplified grammar, p. 8. (See De La Vallee Poussin's note in Madhyamakavrtti, p. 365).
ii. Anenja action. The three abhisamkkhdras {purtfia, apuMa, anenja), Digha, iii217, Samyutta, iL&2,Madhyamakavrtti,xvil. (dnenjya). Thisistheaction"leadingtoimmovability"ofWarren(p. 180, according to the Visuddhimagga, p. 571); the action "of imperturbable character" or "for remaining static" of Mrs. Rhys Davids (trans, of Kathdvatthu, p. 358, adxxiil). [This is without doubt the action which Vasubandhu describes here, the action in the domain of the higher spheres. ]
iii. Anenja mind, cittassa dnenjatd, "non-agitation of the mind"; mind, absorption, dhydna, or the saint qualified as dnenjapatta, dmftjyaprdpta: Uddna, iii. 3, Nettippakarana, 87, Puggalapaftftatti, 60, Anguttara, iil84, Visuddhimagga, 377, Wogihara, Bodhisattvabhumi, 19. This is a mind in the Fourth Dhyana where, according to tne heretics of Kathavatthu xxii. 3, the death of an Arhat takes place (compare Koia, iii. 43, Digha, ii. 156, Avaddnafataka, ii. 199); acala mind, mrinjana.
The anenja mind, the foundation of magical powers (iddhi) is, in Visuddhimagga, p. 386, a mind which is not inclined (na mjati) towards rdga, etc This is not a mind in the Fourth Dhyana, but a good and absorbed (samdhita) mind (On rddhi, see Ko/a, viL48). In Samyutta, iv. 202, the aninjamdna, aphandamdna, etc, mind is rid of mafiftitas, mjitas, phanditas, papaficitas, and mdnagatas which consist of saying "I am," etc The same for the mjita of Anguttara ii. 45.
v. In Majjhsma, il254,262, the vitiridtia becomes 1. dnanjupaga 2. dkin^aMdyatanupaga 3. mvasafiridnasatifandyatanupaga. Ananja is obtained by abandoning the notion of kdma and mpa; akitlcanfia by abandoning, in addition, the notion of dnanja; nevasafflldndsaMdndyatana by abandoning, in addition, the notion of dkbficaMa. It appears that dnanja corresponds to the first two stages of Arupyadhatu (see Ko/a, viii).
196. yad atra vitarkitam vicaritam idam atrdryd nSjham ity dhuh / yad atra prUir avigatd idam atrdrydinjitamitydhuh/yad atrasukhamsukhamiticetasadbhogaidamatrdrydmjitamitydhuh. Madhyama, TD1, p. 743al Compare Majjhima, i. 454. . . idam kho aham Uddyintjitasmim vaddmi /kirncatatthamjitasmim/yad evatatthavuakkavicdruaniruddhdhontiidamtatthamjitasmim.
197. Paramartha and Hsiian-tsang: In the Anmjyastitra: pu-tung ching^fWlWr:.
198. Vydkhyd: Aninjydnujvalabhdginam dkampydnukulabhdginam mdrgam arahhya. According to Hsiian-tsang: "The Blessed One declares them non-agitated, and considers them
(lit. "points out," chU "grasping in the hand") as producing a non-agitated retribution (vipaka)"; according to Paramartha:". . . with reference to (yueh) the Path capable of producing apratyayaof non-agitated good. "
199. Hsiian-tsang: "How can an agitated Dhyana produce a non-agitated retribution? Even though this Dhyana includes agitation due to its defilements (apaksdla), nevertheless it is called non- agitated, because, with respect to its retribution. . . "
200. According to Vibhdsd, TD 27, p. 596bl3. Put more clearly, the retribution of good action is agreeable sensation when it takes place in Kamadhatu and in the first three Dhyanas.
201. Sukhd vedand means (1) the sensation of pleasure (kdyika sukha) and the sensation of satisfaaion (saumanasya) in Kamadhatu and the first two Dhyanas; (2) the sensation of satisfaction in the Third Dhyana (ii. 7, viii9b).
202. See iii. 43.
203. See iv. l3c-d: "the precepts of beings of this world," aihikasHam. Paramartha: In Kamadhatu, bad action is termed disagreeable sensation. . . The Karilea says "in Kamadhatu" in order to indicate that this action does not exist elsewhere.
204. Objects, or the psycho-somatic complex (dfraya), ii. 57.
? 205. Quoted in Vydkhyd, iii. 43.
206. i. Dhydndntara is an intercalary dhydna between the First and Second Dhyanas, or, as the Tibetans translate it, adhydna higher (kbyadpar) than the first through the absence of vitarka (see viil22d); it is a type of annex or prefatory absorption of the First Dhyana. (See above p. 620).
Samddhidhydna, the dhydna consisting of absorption, or bliss, is distinguished from upapattidhydna, existence in a certain heaven corresponding to each Dhyana.
Action in dhydndntara (dhydndntarakarman) is action by which one obtains dhydndntara-bliss and dhydndntara-existence.
it TheKarika allows two interpretations as indicated by the Bhdsya: dhydndntarakarmano vipdkatas = since there is retribution of action from dhydndntara; anddhydndntare vipdkatas=since there is retribution in dhydndntara.
Paramartha translates the original literally; Hsiian-tsang: "Because intermediate [action] produces retribution. "
207. Vydkhyd: Dhydndntarakarmano dhydndntaropapattau vipdkena veditena bhavitavyam / tatra sukhd duhkhd vd vedand ndsti / tasmdd asydduhkhdsukhd vedand vipakd iti. . . = "Dhydndntara action should, in dhydndntara existence, have a retribution which is sensation. Now, in dhydndntara, there is neither agreeable, nor disagreeable sensation, so neither-agreeable-nor- disagreeable sensation [which is found there] is the retribution of die said action. Thus above the Fourth Dhyana there exists action which is neither-agreeable-nor-disagreeable in feeling. "
208. "Or rather" = if we consider the second interpretation of the Karika.
209. Vydkhyd: "Dhydndntare vd kasya cit karmano'nyasya vipdko vedand na sydt na sambhavati. " "Or rather, in dhydndntara, there will no retribution in the form of sensation of any action different from dhydndntara action, for one cannot say that a retribution experienced in dhydndntara is a result
of an agreeable action in the First Dhyana, that it is a result of a disagreeable action in Kamadh&tu,
nor that it is a result of an action of the sphere of the Fourth Dhyana. "
Hsiian-tsang translates: "Or rather there will be no action [which is retributed in dhydndntara]"
(huo ying wuyeh 1&MMM. ).
Paramartha: "If this were the case [=if intermediate action is absent below the Fourth Dhyana]
then dhydndntara action would not have any retribution; or rather, in dhydndntara, there would be an action different in nature [= retributed]. " [Now one cannot say that dhydndntara sensation is the retribution of any other action].
210. Hsiian-tsang: 'This action produces the sensation of pleasure {sukhendriya) of the principal dhyana as its retribution. " [Gloss of Saeki: of the First Dhyana. ] Which means: the action which the dhydndntara produces, is retributed in sensation, but in the principle Dhyana.
211. Do these masters maintain that there is no sensation in dhydndntara existence (dhydndn- taroapapattau)? No. But they say that this sensation is not a retributive result, but an outflowing result (ii. 57c).
212. Good action free from vitarka is the action which produces dhydndntara; its retribution is solely mental sensation. Thus it is false that the retribution of action which produces the dhydndntara is the sensation of pleasure of the dhydna itself (of the First Dhyana of which the dhydndntara is the higher annex); it is false also that this retribution is not sensation. For action free from vitarka exists only in dhydndntara and above.
213. What one feels (anubhti) is sukha, or pleasure, not action. . .
214. According to Vibhdsd, TD 27, p. 596a23, where however the order differs ("twofold" becomes
"fivefold").
215. Same text Samyutta, iv. 41.
Vydkhyd: Rupam pratyanubhavati no ca rupardgam pratyanubhavatfty arthah / atha vdnoca rupam rdgena pratyanubhavaty dlambata iti.
Footnotes 729
? 730 Chapter Four
216. Mahamd&nadharmaparyaya: yasmm samaye sukharh vedanam vedayate dve asya vedane tasmm samaye nhuddhe bhavatah; compare Digha, iL66.
217. The problem of the necessity of the retribution of action presents some difficulties. One must take into consideration the multiple givens of the problem. See notably (iv. 120) the distinction between action which is "done" (krta) and that which is "accumulated" (upacsta): action will not be "counted" or "accumulated" if it is followed by repentance, confession, etc In fact, action is only completed by its Pfspha or consecutive action (iv. 89); the gravity of an action depends on the gravity of its preparatory action, its principal action, and its consecutive action (iv. 119). Accumulated action is not necessarily retributed. The character of the retribution of an action can necessarily change: such an action to be experienced in hell in the next life can be retributed here in this world (Angulimala is a good example) (iv. 55). In fact, with the exception of mortal transgressions (iv. 97), crimes do not hinder one--except in the case of "false views" cutting off the roots of good (iv. 79): and even persons with these can be reborn after this life (iv. 80c-d)--from becoming "detached from Kamadhatu," and, as a consequence, of being reborn in the next life in the heavens of Rupadhatu (iv. 55): in which case the transgressions which are not of necessary retribution were as
if they had not been committed; the others are retributed here below. These transgressions, with the exception of those which necessarily ripen in the bad realms of rebirth, do not hinder one from entering the Path: from this then the mind, perfumed by the powerful roots of good (purity of conduct, respect for the Three Jewels) becomes refractory to the maturation of former actions-- which are non-determinate---which could produce a bad realm of rebirth: "An ignorant person, even if he has committed a small transgression, avoids the bad place. Compact, a small mass of iron sinks; the same iron, in a great mass but fashioned into a vessel, floats" (vi^Aa-byAngtatara, 1249). By planting a little root of good in the field of merit which are the Buddhas, one suppresses the retribution of actions of unnecessary retribution (vii. 34 adfmem). The Koia,frr. 60,speaks of "pure" (andsrava) action which destroys other actions.
Another problem is that of the order in which different actions are retributed: they are heavy, numerous, close (see Ko/a, ix. , "Refutation of the Pudgala," at the end; Visuddkhnagga, p. 601). Trie Buddha declared that the retribution of action is incomprehensible, and he forbade any attempt
to understand it (Anguttara, ii. 80 Madyamakavatara, vi42, MiUnda, lS9Jatakamald, xxxiiLl-3). A very clear point for the Buddhists, but one that is obscure for us, is that there is action and retribution, but that there is no agent It has been discussed whether all suffering is retribution or whether it has come out of retribution (Visuddhhnagga, 602, Kathavatthu, villO, Madbya- makadvatdra, vi. 41, KarmaprajHapti, at the end). Compare Deussen, Veddnta (1883, 497-8); Vasubandhu devotes one chapter, his "Refutation of the Pudgala," to this problem
Interesting to Buddhology and to the Lokottaravadins are the following questions: does the Buddha experience the retribution of his former transgressions? (iv. 102, at the end), and, how does one explain the animal rebirths of the Bodhisattvas? (vi23c).
218. See Childers, 178b; Warren, 245; Visuddbimagga 601, Compendium, 144 The older sources oppose dffphadhamma vedaniya to the action which leads to hell {Anguttara 1249), and to action experienced later, samparayavedamya (ibid. , iv. 382).
219. Hsiian-tsang: "Or rather one says that there are five actions"; Paramartha: "Furthermore, there are five actions. "
220. The Chinese translators depart from the original: 'There are some actions whose result is dose and small; there are some actions whose result is distant and great. . . "
This is indeed what the Vibhdfd, TD 27, p. 594al5, teaches: "Action to be experienced in the present life produces a near result: one can thus say that it is strong; how can one say that other actions, of distant result, are very strong? Action to be experienced in the present life produces a near result, but weak: one cannot say that this action is very strong. . . The>^^ obtains its fruit after sixmonths,aresultmoredistantbutgreaterthanthatofflax;thekkadira(ch'ti-U-shuikMffi) has its fruit after five, six, twelve years, but this fruit is greater than it; the tola has its fruit after one hundred years, but this fruit is the greatest"
? 221. Paramartha and Hsiian-tsang: "Some other masters say There are four alternatives {chU- word, pada). '"
222. Vyakhyd: Ddrspdntikdh sautrdntikdh.
223. Hsiian-tsang adds two words to theKarika:
"Four, good"; that is to say: "The doctrine of the four actions (50a-c) is good" Bhdsya: "Actions 'to be experienced in the present life,' etc are the three determinate actions; indeterminate action is the fourth. We say that this is good, for, by solely indicating here action determinate or indeterminate with respect to the time period of its retribution, the four categories of action taught in the sutra are explained" Gloss of Saeki: "By saying that this is correa, the Sastra does not condemn the theory of five or eight actions. "
224. Vibhasd, TD 27, p. 595cl8.
225. See iL52a, iiil9. Samyutta, 1206; Mahdvyutpatti, 190; Windisch, Buddhas Geburt, 87 and the
sources cited On embryonic life, see the note on promt, Kola, iv. l7a-b.
226. The intermediate being belongs (along with its subsequent life) to a single nikdya. Intermediate existence and the following existence form only one existence (mkayasabhdga).
Thus the actions of intermediate beings, maturing completely in the intermediate existence or in the following existence, are all "to be experienced in the present life. "
This refers to the retributive result (vipdka); see ii. 52a.
227. Literally: "this is projected by upapadyavedaniya action, action to be experienced in the following existence, after having been reborn [once]. " Hsiian-tsang: " . . . by upapadyavedaniya action, etc" (Better: for an intermediate existence can be projected by an action to be experienced in a later existence).
228. The text has yathd tathd ceti. Vyakhyd: "Either by the mind which holds that killing is meritorious (punyabuddkya), or by hatred, etc The Persian (pdrasika) who kills his father or mother believing that he is doing a pious act. . . (see iv. 68d). Hsiian-tsang: "Killing. . . with a light or heavy mind" Paramartha: (# shuai erh hsm l : j $ i ^ ) (TD 29, p. 238c2).
229. According to the Vinaya in Ten Recitations, 51. 1; Vibhasd, TD 27, p. 593al5. Those who insult their mothers are punished in this life, Divya, 586.
230. Hsiian-tsang adds: "Such stories are numerous. "
231. Majjbima, ii. 220, Ariguttara, iv. 382: Can the action "to be experienced in this life" be transformed into action "to be experienced in a future life" (sampardyavedaniya). . . ?
The same problem is examined in the Karmaprajfiapti, Mdo, 82,246b: "There are eight types of actions: to be experienced agreeably, disagreeably, in this world, later, to be experienced in a small manner, to be experienced gradually, ripe, and unripe. Can action to be experienced agreeably, through energy and effort, be changed into action to be experienced disagreeably? No, this is impossible. . . Can unripe action be changed into ripe action? Y es arid no. Some, in order to carry out this transformation, cut off their hair, their beard, their hair and beard, and torture themselves by different paths and bad penitences: but they fail Others, through energy and effort, obtain the result of Srotaapanna. . . " "There are three actions: actions to be experiencedin this life, in the next life, or later. Does it happen that one who experiences the first one also experiences the other two? Yes, when one obtains the quality of Arhat, the retribution of the other two actions occurs. "
232. Hsiian-tsang translates: "The person who departs from the Path of Meditation," that is to say: "whodepartsfromtheresultofArhat,"forthisresultmarkstheendofthePathofMeditationon the Truths.
233. That is to say, one who leaves the absorption in which he has "seen" the Truths (vi. 28d).
234. Vyakhyd:Infact,actionfreefromvitarkacannothavearetributionbelongingtoalowerstage including vitarka and vicdra.
Footnotes 731
? 732 Chapter Four
235. Vibhdfd, TD 27, p. 598c7: Dammanasya arisen from the action of attention (manaskdra), including strong imagination (vikalpa), is abandoned through detachment: but the same does not hold for a retributive result
236. Cittakkbepa - ummdda (Anguttara).
237. Paramartha adds: "And there are other causes. " Hsiian-tsang: 'Trouble of the mind arises
from five causes: 1. retribution, 2. fear, 3. attack of demons. . . "
238. Upadrava = attack of demons and the evil that results from it; compare Jdtakamdld, 41. 15.
According to Vibhdfd, TD 27, p. 658all.
239. On the amanusyas, see Kola, iv. 75c-d, 97b, iii. 99c-d; Kdranaprajfiapti, p. 344 of Cosmohgie bouddhique.
Digha, iil203, Mibnda, p. 207, SukhdvatwyUha, Para. 39. Siksasamuccaya, p. 351. Abbisamdiamkdrdbka (ad Affasdhasrikd, p. 383): pretddk amanusyab.
Pdnmi, ii. 4. 23.
240. The Vydkhyd quotes the Sutra: Bhagavdn MithUikdydm (?
