清淨道論 白話全本 · 冊19Visuddhimagga · Complete Vernacular · Vol. 19
度疑清淨Purification by Overcoming Doubt
全文五層 →Full five layers →本單元白話為本編自巴利原典之譯疏（tr. mine）；底本事項詳本單元考據。
§1 度疑清淨之立——破無因與破自在等因 〔CSCD §678〕
十九、度疑清淨釋
緣攝受之說
而以這同一個名色的緣攝受¹，度了三世之疑而住立的智，就叫作度疑清淨。
想要成就它的比丘，就如同善巧的醫師見了病而尋求它的等起，又如同有悲心的人見了幼小的、還在仰臥的小兒躺在街道上，就想著「這是誰的孩子呢」而念及他的父母一般——他也這樣從事於那名色的因與緣之尋求。
他從最初就這樣思擇：「這名色先不是無因的，因為那樣一切處、一切時、對一切〔有情〕就都會成為一同之性；也不是以自在等為因的²，因為名色之外並無自在等。而那些說『自在等就唯是名色』的人，他們所謂自在等的名色也就成了無因的。所以它必定有因與緣——那麼，那些是什麼呢？」
§2 色身之四因一緣與名身之緣——母、父、乳母三喻 〔CSCD §679〕
他這樣念及名色的因與緣之後，就先這樣把握這色身的因與緣：「這身生起的時候，既不生在青蓮、紅蓮、白蓮、香蓮等之中，也不生在寶珠、真珠、瓔珞等之中，而是在生藏與熟藏³之間、以胃膜為後、以脊骨為前、為腸與腸繫所圍繞、自身也惡臭、可厭、違逆，在惡臭、可厭、違逆而極狹隘的處所，如同蟲生在腐魚、腐酪、糞坑、污水等之中一般而生起。對於這樣生起的〔身〕，『無明、渴愛、取、業』這四法以能生故為因，食以能持故為緣——這五法就是它的因與緣。其中，無明等三者如同母親之於嬰兒一般，是這身的親依止⁴。業如同父親之於兒子一般，是能生。食如同乳母之於嬰兒一般，是能持。」
這樣作了色身的緣攝受之後，他又依「緣於眼與諸色而眼識生起」等等的方法，作名身的緣攝受。
他這樣見了名色由緣而轉起之後，就這樣觀察：如同這現在一樣，在過去世也是由緣而轉起的，在未來世也將由緣而轉起。
§3 三世之十六疑 〔CSCD §680〕
於他這樣觀察時，凡是緣於前際⁵而說的五種疑——「我在過去世曾有嗎，我在過去世不曾有嗎，我在過去世曾是什麼，我在過去世曾是怎樣的，我在過去世從什麼而成為什麼」；以及緣於後際而說的五種疑——「我在未來世將有嗎，我在未來世將不有嗎，我在未來世將是什麼，我在未來世將是怎樣的，我在未來世將從什麼而成為什麼」；以及緣於現在而說的六種疑——「或者於現在世，他在內心猶豫：我是有嗎，我是無嗎，我是什麼，我是怎樣的，這有情從何而來，他將往何處去」——那一切都被斷除。
§4 緣之三門——共與不共、逆觀緣起、順觀緣起 〔CSCD §681–683〕
另一者依共與不共而見名的緣有二種，依業等而見色的緣有四種。因為名的緣有二種：共的與不共的。其中，眼等六門、色等六所緣是名的共緣，因為依善等之別而一切種類的〔名〕都由此轉起。作意等則是不共的。因為如理作意、聞正法等唯是善的〔不共緣〕，其相反者是不善的〔不共緣〕，業等是異熟的〔不共緣〕，有分等是唯作的〔不共緣〕。
而色的緣則是業、心、時節、食這四種。其中，業唯是過去的，為業等起色之緣；心是正生起的，為心等起〔色之緣〕；時節與食於住之剎那⁶，為時節等起與食等起〔色〕之緣。一者就這樣作名色的緣攝受。
他這樣見了名色由緣而轉起之後，就這樣觀察：如同這現在一樣，在過去世也是由緣而轉起的，在未來世也將由緣而轉起。於他這樣觀察時，依所說的方法，於三世的疑都被斷除。
另一者見了那所謂名色的諸行之至於老、以及已老者之壞滅，就〔這樣了知〕：這所謂諸行之老死，於生存在時而有；生於有存在時，有於取存在時，取於渴愛存在時，渴愛於受存在時，受於觸存在時，觸於六處存在時，六處於名色存在時，名色於識存在時，識於諸行存在時，諸行於無明存在時〔而有〕——他這樣依逆觀緣起而作名色的緣攝受。於是依所說的方法，他的疑被斷除。
另一者則依「這樣，緣於無明而有諸行」這前面已廣說而顯示的順觀緣起，作名色的緣攝受。於是依所說的方法，他的疑被斷除。
§5 業輪與異熟輪之門——三世兩重因果之三組五法 〔CSCD §684〕
另一者則依「於前業有⁷之中，癡是無明，積聚是行，欣求⁸是渴愛，趣入是取，思是有——這五法於前業有之中，是此處結生之緣；此處的結生是識，入胎是名色，〔五〕淨〔色〕是處，所觸是觸，所受是受——這五法於此生有之中，是前所作之業之緣。此處由於諸處已成熟，癡是無明……乃至（廣說如前）……思是有——這五法於此處的業有之中，是未來結生之緣」，這樣依業輪與異熟輪而作名色的緣攝受。
§6 十二業之三表——依時分、依力、依作用 〔CSCD §685–687〕
其中，業有四種：順現法受、順次生受、順後次受、既有業。其中，於一速行路⁹的七心之中，善的或不善的第一速行思，就叫作順現法受業。它唯在此自體之中給予異熟。而不能這樣的，就依「有既有業而無業異熟，將無業異熟，現無業異熟」這三句而叫作既有業。而成辦義利的第七速行思，就叫作順次生受業。它在無間的自體之中給予異熟。不能這樣的，就依所說的方法而叫作既有業。二者中間的五個速行思，就叫作順後次受業。它在未來凡得機會之時，就給予異熟。只要輪迴還在轉起，它就不叫作既有業。
又業有四種：重的、多的、近的、以及已作業。其中，不論是善的還是不善的，在重的與不重的之中，凡是重的——如殺母等業或大〔心〕業——那個就先成熟。同樣，在多的與不多的之中，凡是多的——善戒或惡戒——那個就先成熟。所謂近的，就是臨終之時所憶念的業。因為臨近死亡的人凡是能憶念的，就依那個而受生。而脫離這三者、一再地得了慣行的，就叫作已作業；在那三者沒有時，它就牽引結生。
又業有四種：令生、令持、令惱、令害。其中，所謂令生，是善的也有、不善的也有。它於結生與轉起，都生起色與無色的異熟諸蘊。而令持不能生起異熟，它在由他業所給予的結生所生的異熟之中，支持所生起的苦樂，令其長時轉起。令惱在由他業所給予的結生所生的異熟之中，惱害所生起的苦樂，不令其長時轉起。而令害，其自身或善或不善，害了其他羸弱之業、遮止了它的異熟之後，就為自己的異熟作機會；而在業這樣作了機會之後，那異熟就稱為已生起。
這樣，這十二種業之業的差別與異熟的差別，唯對諸佛的業異熟智¹⁰依如實之味而顯現，是不與諸聲聞共的。而觀者則應當就一分而知業的差別與異熟的差別。所以，這裡唯示其門而闡明了業的差別。
§7 無作者無受者——古德十偈 〔CSCD §688–689〕
這樣，把這十二種業歸入業輪之後，一者就這樣依業輪與異熟輪而作名色的緣攝受。他這樣依業輪與異熟輪而見了名色由緣而轉起之後，〔就這樣觀察：〕「如同這現在一樣，在過去世也是依業輪與異熟輪而由緣轉起的，在未來世也將唯依業輪與異熟輪而由緣轉起。」這樣就有業與業異熟、業輪與異熟輪、業之轉起與異熟之轉起、業之相續與異熟之相續、作與作之果。
由業而諸異熟轉起，異熟以業為生因；
由業而有後有，世間就這樣轉起。
——他這樣觀察。於他這樣觀察時，凡是緣於前際等而依「我曾有嗎」等等的方法所說的十六種疑，那一切都被斷除。在一切有、生、趣、〔識〕住、〔有情〕居¹¹之中，所顯現的唯是依因果之相連而轉起的名色而已。他既不見因之外有作者，也不見異熟之轉起之外有異熟的領受者。而在因存在時說「作者」、在異熟之轉起存在時說「受者」，諸智者唯以通稱而如此言說——這一點他以正慧而善見。
所以古德說：
業並沒有作者，異熟也沒有受者；
唯有諸法轉起——這就是正見。
業與異熟這樣有因而轉起時，
如同種與樹等一般，前際不可知；
於未來的輪迴之中，也不見其不轉起。
外道們不了知這個義理，不得自在；
執取了有情想，成為見常見斷者；
執取六十二見，互相違逆。
他們為見之縛所縛，為渴愛流所漂；
為渴愛流所漂的人，不能脫離苦。
佛弟子比丘這樣通達了這個，
就通達那甚深、微妙、空的緣。
業不在異熟之中，異熟也不在業之中；
二者互相空，然而離業就沒有果。
正如火不在日中、不在寶珠中、不在牛糞中，
也不在它們之外，而由眾緣而生；
同樣，異熟不在業之內可得，
也不在業之外，業也不在那〔異熟〕之中。
那業空於果，果也不在業之中；
然而取於業，果就從那裡生起。
此中並沒有天或梵作為輪迴的作者；
唯有諸法轉起，以因與眾緣為緣。
§8 所知遍知之成——四喻明不移轉、智之三異名、小須陀洹 〔CSCD §690–691〕
於他這樣依業輪與異熟輪而作了名色的緣攝受、於三世斷了疑之後，一切過去、未來、現在之法就依死與結生而被了知——這就是他的所知遍知¹²。
他這樣了知：凡是過去由業為緣而生起的諸蘊，那些就在那裡滅了；而由過去之業為緣，在此有之中生起的是別的〔諸蘊〕；從過去有來到此有的，連一法也沒有。在此有之中由業為緣而生起的諸蘊也將滅去，在後有之中將生起別的〔諸蘊〕；從此有往後有的，連一法也不會去。
不過，正如誦文不從老師之口進入弟子之口，然而弟子之口並非不因此而有誦；使者所飲的咒水不進入病人之腹，然而病並非不因此而止息；面上的嚴飾不進入鏡面等之中的面影，然而那裡的嚴飾並非不因此而顯現；燈焰不從一炷移到另一炷，然而那裡的燈焰並非不因此而生起——同樣地，並沒有什麼法從過去有移到此有、或從此處移到後有，然而蘊、處、界並非不由過去有的蘊、處、界為緣而在此處生起，也並非不由此處的蘊、處、界為緣而在後有生起。
正如眼識於意界之無間，
既不是從彼而來，也不是不於無間而生；
同樣，於結生之中心相續而轉；
前心壞了，後心從彼而生。
它們之間沒有間隔，其間也沒有空隙；
沒有什麼從〔前心〕去，而結生就生起。
於這樣依死與結生而了知一切法的人，以一切行相而有的名色之緣攝受智就得力，十六種疑就更善地被斷除。而且不唯是那個，依「於大師猶疑」等等方法而轉起的八種疑也就被斷除，六十二見也被伏。
這樣，就應當知道：以種種理趣而作名色之緣攝受，度了三世之疑而住立的智，就是度疑清淨。「法住智」「如實智」「正見」也都是這同一者的異名。因為這樣說過：
「無明是緣，諸行是緣所生的。這二者都是緣所生的法——這樣於緣攝受之中的慧，就是法住智。」
「以無常而作意的人，如實知見哪些法呢？怎樣是正見呢？怎樣隨其而一切行都被善見為無常呢？在哪裡疑被斷除呢？以苦……乃至（廣說如前）……以無我而作意的人，如實知見哪些法呢……乃至（廣說如前）……在哪裡疑被斷除呢？
「以無常而作意的人，如實知見相，因此就叫作正見。這樣隨其而一切行都被善見為無常。在這裡疑被斷除。以苦而作意的人，如實知見轉起……乃至（廣說如前）……以無我而作意的人，如實知見相與轉起，因此就叫作正見。這樣隨其而一切法都被善見為無我。在這裡疑被斷除。
「那如實智、那正見、那度疑——這些法是義異而文亦異呢，還是義一而唯文異呢？那如實智、那正見、那度疑——這些法是義一的，唯文異而已。」
而具足了這個智的觀者，於佛的教法之中就是得安慰者、得立足者、決定趣者，叫作小須陀洹¹³。
所以，求度疑的比丘應當常具念¹⁴，
完全地把握名色之緣。
於為令善人歡喜而造的《清淨道論》中
慧之修習之章裡
名為度疑清淨之解釋的
第十九品〔已竟〕。
註
¹ 緣攝受（paccayapariggaha）：把握名色之因與緣而不誤其所由，本品之法即此。
² 以自在等為因（issarādihetuka）：計名色由自在天等所造之說；論以「名色之外並無自在等」破之。
³ 生藏與熟藏（āmāsayapakkāsaya）：未消化之食所居與已消化之食所居，本篇以二者之間為身所生之處。
⁴ 親依止（upanissaya）：為他法生起之強力所依之緣；本篇以無明、渴愛、取三者當之，喻如母之於子。
⁵ 前際・後際（pubbanta・aparanta）：過去之邊際與未來之邊際，即三世之疑所緣之前二。
⁶ 住之剎那（ṭhitikkhaṇa）：一法生、住、滅三分位之中分；時節與食唯於此分位為色之緣。
⁷ 前業有・此生有（purimakammabhava・idhūpapattibhava）：前世造業之有與此世受生之有，三世兩重因果之三組五法即依此二有而分。
⁸ 欣求（nikanti）：於所緣微細之欲樂與希求，本篇以之當十二支中之渴愛。
⁹ 一速行路（ekajavanavīthi）：一次心路之中相續七剎那之速行，本篇以之為業依時分而分四之單位。
¹⁰ 業異熟智（kammavipākañāṇa）：知業與異熟之一一差別之智，論自標其唯諸佛所有，不與諸聲聞共。
¹¹ 有・生・趣・〔識〕住・〔有情〕居（bhava・yoni・gati・ṭhiti・nivāsa）：輪迴所歷之攝類，即三有、四生、五趣、七識住、九有情居。
¹² 所知遍知（ñātapariññā）：三遍知之第一，即如實知名色與其緣之遍知；其分別在〈思惟智〉一篇。
¹³ 小須陀洹（cūḷasotāpanna）：具緣攝受智而於佛法得立足、趣處已定者之名，為真入流之前分。
¹⁴ 念（sati）：憶持所緣而不忘失之心所，論中恆與智、精進、定並行。與今日通行之「正念」一語所指之泛然覺察不同科，宜依本論所立而讀。
The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.
§1 Establishing Purification by Overcoming Doubt—Refuting Causelessness and Causation by a Sovereign Deity and the Rest 〔CSCD §678〕
Nineteen. Explanation of Purification by Overcoming Doubt
Discourse on the Apprehension of Conditions
The knowledge that stands having overcome doubt about the three times through apprehending the conditions¹ of this very same name-and-form is called purification by overcoming doubt.
A bhikkhu who wishes to accomplish it undertakes the search for the causes and conditions of that name-and-form just as a skilled physician, on seeing an illness, seeks its origin, or as a compassionate person, on seeing a small, tender child still lying on its back in the street, thinks, “Whose child is this?” and brings the child’s mother and father to mind.
From the outset he considers thus: “First, this name-and-form is not causeless, for if it were, it would become identical everywhere, at every time, and for all [beings]. Nor does it have a sovereign deity or the like as its cause,² because no sovereign deity or the like exists apart from name-and-form. And for those who say, ‘The sovereign deity and the rest are themselves simply name-and-form,’ the name-and-form they call the sovereign deity and the rest would itself be causeless. It must therefore have causes and conditions—what are they?”
§2 The Form-Body’s Four Causes and One Condition, and the Conditions of the Name-Body—Three Similes of Mother, Father, and Wet Nurse 〔CSCD §679〕
Having thus brought to mind the causes and conditions of name-and-form, he first apprehends the causes and conditions of the form-body in this way: “When this body arises, it arises neither among blue, red, white, or fragrant lotuses, nor among gems, pearls, necklaces, or the like. Rather, between the receptacles for undigested and digested food,³ with the stomach membrane behind it and the spine before it, surrounded by the intestines and mesentery, itself foul-smelling, repulsive, and contrary, it arises in a place that is foul-smelling, repulsive, contrary, and extremely confined, like a worm arising in rotten fish, rotten curds, a cesspit, sewage, or the like. For [the body] that arises in this way, the four phenomena—ignorance, craving, clinging, and kamma—are causes because they produce it, while nutriment is a condition because it sustains it. These five phenomena are its causes and condition. Among them, the three beginning with ignorance are the decisive support⁴ for this body, like a mother for an infant. Kamma produces it, like a father producing a son. Nutriment sustains it, like a wet nurse sustaining an infant.”
Having thus apprehended the conditions of the form-body, he next apprehends the conditions of the name-body according to the method beginning, “Dependent on the eye and visible forms, eye-consciousness arises.”
Having thus seen that name-and-form occurs through conditions, he observes: just as it does at present, so too it occurred through conditions in the past and will occur through conditions in the future.
§3 Sixteen Doubts Concerning the Three Times 〔CSCD §680〕
As he observes in this way, all the five doubts stated with reference to the past end⁵—“Did I exist in the past? Did I not exist in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what did I become in the past?”—the five doubts stated with reference to the future end—“Will I exist in the future? Will I not exist in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having been what, what will I become in the future?”—and the six doubts stated with reference to the present—“Or inwardly he is uncertain about the present: Do I exist? Do I not exist? What am I? How am I? Where did this being come from? Where will it go?”—are all abandoned.
§4 Three Doors to Conditions—Common and Uncommon Conditions, Dependent Origination in Reverse Order, and Dependent Origination in Forward Order 〔CSCD §681–683〕
Another sees the conditions for name as twofold, common and uncommon, and the conditions for form as fourfold, beginning with kamma. For the conditions for name are of two kinds: common and uncommon. Here the six doors beginning with the eye and the six objects beginning with visible form are the common conditions for name, because every kind [of name], distinguished as wholesome and so forth, occurs through them. Attention and the rest are uncommon. For proper attention, hearing the true Dhamma, and the like are the uncommon conditions only for the wholesome; their opposites are the uncommon conditions for the unwholesome; kamma and the like are the uncommon conditions for the resultant; and the life-continuum and the like are the uncommon conditions for the functional.
The conditions for form, however, are the four of kamma, mind, temperature, and nutriment. Of these, kamma is exclusively past and is the condition for kamma-originated form; mind, which is presently arising, is the condition for mind-originated [form]; and temperature and nutriment, at the moment of presence,⁶ are respectively the conditions for temperature-originated and nutriment-originated [form]. Thus one apprehends the conditions of name-and-form.
Having thus seen that name-and-form occurs through conditions, he observes: just as it does at present, so too it occurred through conditions in the past and will occur through conditions in the future. As he observes in this way, his doubts concerning the three times are abandoned according to the method already stated.
Another sees the aging of the formations called name-and-form and the dissolution of what has aged, and [understands thus]: the aging-and-death of these formations occurs when birth exists; birth when becoming exists; becoming when clinging exists; clinging when craving exists; craving when feeling exists; feeling when contact exists; contact when the six bases exist; the six bases when name-and-form exists; name-and-form when consciousness exists; consciousness when formations exist; and formations when ignorance exists. In this way he apprehends the conditions of name-and-form through dependent origination in reverse order. His doubts are then abandoned according to the method already stated.
Another apprehends the conditions of name-and-form through dependent origination in forward order, shown by the passage beginning “Thus, with ignorance as condition, formations,” which was explained in detail earlier. His doubts are then abandoned according to the method already stated.
§5 The Door of the Round of Kamma and the Round of Ripening—Three Pentads in a Twofold Cause-and-Effect Pattern Across Three Times 〔CSCD §684〕
Another apprehends the conditions of name-and-form by way of the round of kamma and the round of ripening, according to this statement: “In past kamma-becoming⁷, delusion was ignorance, accumulation was formations, longing⁸ was craving, approach was clinging, and volition was becoming—these five phenomena in past kamma-becoming were conditions for rebirth-linking here. Rebirth-linking here was consciousness, descent into the womb was name-and-form, the [five] sensitive [material qualities] were the bases, what was touched was contact, and what was felt was feeling—these five phenomena in present rebirth-becoming had past kamma as their condition. Here, when the bases have matured, delusion is ignorance ... and so forth (expanded as before) ... volition is becoming—these five phenomena in present kamma-becoming are conditions for future rebirth-linking.”
§6 Three Tables of Twelve Kinds of Kamma—By Time of Ripening, Strength, and Function 〔CSCD §685–687〕
Here kamma is fourfold: kamma to be experienced in this very life, kamma to be experienced in the next life, kamma to be experienced in a subsequent life, and lapsed kamma. Among these, within the seven minds of a single impulsion process,⁹ the first impulsion-volition, whether wholesome or unwholesome, is called kamma to be experienced in this very life. It gives its ripening in this same individuality. If it cannot do so, it is called lapsed kamma according to the triad, “There was kamma, but there was no ripening of kamma; there will be no ripening of kamma; there is no ripening of kamma.” The seventh impulsion-volition that accomplishes its purpose is called kamma to be experienced in the next life. It gives its ripening in the immediately following individuality. If it cannot do so, it is called lapsed kamma according to the method already stated. The five impulsion-volitions between these two are called kamma to be experienced in a subsequent life. Whenever it finds an opportunity in the future, it gives its ripening. So long as the round of saṃsāra continues, it does not become lapsed kamma.
Kamma is also fourfold: weighty, habitual, proximate, and previously done. Here, whether wholesome or unwholesome, of the weighty and the not weighty, whatever is weighty—such as the kamma of killing one’s mother or an exalted kamma—ripens first. Likewise, of the habitual and the not habitual, whatever is habitual—good conduct or bad conduct—ripens first. What is called proximate is kamma recollected at the time of death. For whatever a person near death can recollect is what determines rebirth. Kamma apart from these three, which has repeatedly gained cultivation, is called previously done kamma; when those three are absent, it draws forth rebirth-linking.
Kamma is also fourfold: productive, supportive, obstructive, and destructive. Here productive kamma may be wholesome or unwholesome. At rebirth-linking and during occurrence it produces the resultant aggregates of form and the immaterial. Supportive kamma cannot produce a result, but within the result produced by rebirth-linking given by another kamma, it supports the pleasure or pain that arises and allows it to continue for a long time. Obstructive kamma oppresses and afflicts the pleasure or pain that arises within the result produced by rebirth-linking given by another kamma and does not allow it to continue for a long time. Destructive kamma, itself either wholesome or unwholesome, destroys another weaker kamma and obstructs its ripening, thereby making an opportunity for its own ripening; when kamma has thus made an opportunity, that ripening is said to have arisen.
Thus, the distinctions among these twelve kinds of kamma and among their ripenings are manifest in their true nature only to the Buddhas’ knowledge of kamma and its ripening,¹⁰ which is not shared with disciples. An insight meditator, however, should know the distinction among kammas and among their ripenings in part. Therefore the distinction among kammas has been disclosed here merely by showing the doorway.
§7 No Agent and No Experiencer—Ten Stanzas of the Ancients 〔CSCD §688–689〕
Having thus included these twelve kinds of kamma in the round of kamma, one apprehends the conditions of name-and-form by way of the round of kamma and the round of ripening. Having thus seen name-and-form occurring through conditions by way of these two rounds, [he observes]: “Just as it does now, so too in the past it occurred through conditions by way of the round of kamma and the round of ripening, and in the future it will occur through conditions by way of these two rounds alone.” Thus there are kamma and the ripening of kamma, the round of kamma and the round of ripening, the occurrence of kamma and the occurrence of ripening, the continuity of kamma and the continuity of ripening, action and the fruit of action.
Ripenings occur from kamma; ripening has kamma as its source.
Renewed becoming comes from kamma; thus the world proceeds.
—so he observes. As he observes in this way, all the sixteen doubts stated with reference to the past end and the rest according to the method beginning “Did I exist?” are abandoned. In all kinds of becoming, modes of birth, destinations, stations [of consciousness], and abodes [of beings],¹¹ only name-and-form occurring through the connection of cause and fruit becomes manifest. He sees no agent beyond the cause and no experiencer of ripening beyond the occurrence of ripening. When a cause is present, the wise use the conventional designation “agent”; when the occurrence of ripening is present, they use the conventional designation “experiencer”—he sees this well with right wisdom.
Therefore the Ancients said:
Kamma has no agent, nor does ripening have an experiencer;
Pure phenomena alone proceed—this is right view.
When kamma and ripening thus proceed with causes,
Their first point is unknown, as with seed and tree;
Nor in future saṃsāra is their non-occurrence seen.
Not understanding this meaning, sectarians, not masters of themselves,
Take up the perception of a being and hold eternalist and annihilationist views;
They grasp the sixty-two views, each contradicting the others.
Bound by the bond of views, they are swept along by the flood of craving;
Swept along by the flood of craving, they are not freed from suffering.
Having directly known this, a bhikkhu, disciple of the Buddha,
Penetrates the condition that is profound, subtle, and empty.
Kamma is not found in ripening, nor is ripening found in kamma;
The two are mutually empty, yet without kamma there is no fruit.
Just as fire is not in the sun, a jewel, or cow dung,
Nor outside them, but is born from an assemblage of conditions;
So ripening is not found inside kamma,
Nor outside kamma, and kamma is not found within that [ripening].
That kamma is empty of fruit, and fruit is not found in kamma;
Yet dependent upon kamma, fruit is born from it.
Here no god or Brahmā is the maker of saṃsāra;
Pure phenomena alone proceed, conditioned by causes and an assemblage of conditions.
§8 Accomplishing Full Understanding of What Is Known—Four Similes Show Non-Transference, Three Alternative Names for the Knowledge, and the Minor Stream-Enterer 〔CSCD §690–691〕
After he has thus apprehended the conditions of name-and-form by way of the round of kamma and the round of ripening and abandoned doubt concerning the three times, all past, future, and present phenomena become known by way of death and rebirth-linking—this is his full understanding of what is known.¹²
He understands thus: the aggregates born in the past with kamma as condition ceased right there; other [aggregates] have arisen in this becoming with past kamma as condition. Not a single phenomenon has come from the past becoming to this becoming. The aggregates arisen in this becoming with kamma as condition will also cease, and other [aggregates] will arise in a renewed becoming. Not a single phenomenon will go from this becoming to renewed becoming.
Nevertheless, just as a recitation does not pass from the teacher’s mouth into the pupil’s mouth, yet it is not that the pupil therefore has no recitation; the spell-water drunk by a messenger does not enter the sick person’s stomach, yet it is not that the illness therefore fails to subside; the adornment upon a face does not pass into the facial image in a mirror or the like, yet it is not that the adornment therefore fails to appear there; and a lamp flame does not transfer from one wick to another, yet it is not that a lamp flame therefore fails to arise there—so too no phenomenon transfers from the past becoming to this becoming or from here to renewed becoming. Yet it is not that aggregates, bases, and elements fail to arise here with the aggregates, bases, and elements of the past becoming as conditions, or that aggregates, bases, and elements fail to arise in renewed becoming with the aggregates, bases, and elements here as conditions.
Just as eye-consciousness immediately after the mind element
Has neither come from it nor failed to arise immediately after it,
So too at rebirth-linking the continuity of mind proceeds:
The former mind breaks up, and the later is born from it.
Between them there is no interval; no gap between them is found.
Nothing goes from here, yet rebirth-linking arises.
For one who thus knows all phenomena by way of death and rebirth-linking, the knowledge of apprehending the conditions of name-and-form in every mode gains strength, and the sixteen doubts are still more thoroughly abandoned. Nor are only those abandoned: the eight doubts occurring according to the method beginning “He doubts the Teacher” are also abandoned, and the sixty-two views are suppressed.
Thus it should be understood: the knowledge that stands having overcome doubt concerning the three times through apprehending the conditions of name-and-form in various ways is purification by overcoming doubt. “Knowledge of the stability of phenomena,” “knowledge as it really is,” and “right view” are all alternative names for this very same thing. For it has been said:
“Ignorance is a condition; formations are conditionally arisen. These two phenomena are both conditionally arisen—wisdom in the apprehension of conditions is knowledge of the stability of phenomena.”
“When attending to impermanence, which phenomena does one know and see as they really are? How is there right view? How, in conformity with it, are all formations well seen as impermanent? Where is doubt abandoned? When attending to suffering ... and so forth (expanded as before) ... when attending to not-self, which phenomena does one know and see as they really are? ... and so forth (expanded as before) ... where is doubt abandoned?”
“When attending to impermanence, one knows and sees the sign as it really is; therefore it is called right view. In conformity with this, all formations are well seen as impermanent. Here doubt is abandoned. When attending to suffering, one knows and sees occurrence as it really is ... and so forth (expanded as before) ... when attending to not-self, one knows and sees the sign and occurrence as they really are; therefore it is called right view. In conformity with this, all phenomena are well seen as not-self. Here doubt is abandoned.”
“That knowledge as it really is, that right view, and that overcoming of doubt—are these phenomena different in meaning and different in wording, or one in meaning and different only in wording? That knowledge as it really is, that right view, and that overcoming of doubt—these phenomena are one in meaning and different only in wording.”
An insight meditator endowed with this knowledge has gained comfort, gained a footing, and has a fixed destination in the Buddha’s teaching; he is called a minor stream-enterer.¹³
Therefore a bhikkhu who seeks to overcome doubt should always be mindful,¹⁴
And apprehend completely the conditions of name-and-form.
In the Visuddhimagga, composed to bring joy to good people,
Within the section on the development of wisdom,
The explanation named Purification by Overcoming Doubt,
The nineteenth chapter [is concluded].
Notes
¹ Apprehension of conditions (paccayapariggaha): apprehending the causes and conditions of name-and-form without mistaking their provenance; this is the practice of the present chapter.
² Having a sovereign deity and the rest as cause (issarādihetuka): the doctrine that name-and-form is created by a sovereign god or the like; the treatise refutes it on the ground that “there is no sovereign deity or the like apart from name-and-form.”
³ Receptacles for undigested and digested food (āmāsayapakkāsaya): the place containing food not yet digested and the place containing food already digested; this passage places the body’s arising between the two.
⁴ Decisive support (upanissaya): a condition that serves as a powerful support for the arising of another phenomenon; here ignorance, craving, and clinging have this role and are likened to a mother in relation to her child.
⁵ Past end and future end (pubbanta・aparanta): the boundary of the past and the boundary of the future, the first two objects of doubt concerning the three times.
⁶ Moment of presence (ṭhitikkhaṇa): the middle among the three phases of a phenomenon—arising, presence, and dissolution; temperature and nutriment condition form only during this phase.
⁷ Past kamma-becoming and present rebirth-becoming (purimakammabhava・idhūpapattibhava): the becoming in which kamma was performed in the past life and the becoming in which birth is received in this life; the twofold cause-and-effect pattern of three pentads across three times is divided according to these two kinds of becoming.
⁸ Longing (nikanti): subtle delight in and yearning for an object; this passage identifies it with craving among the twelve links.
⁹ A single impulsion process (ekajavanavīthi): the sequence of seven impulsion moments within one cognitive process; this passage uses it as the unit for dividing kamma fourfold according to the time of ripening.
¹⁰ Knowledge of kamma and its ripening (kammavipākañāṇa): knowledge of each distinction among kammas and their ripenings; the treatise expressly states that it belongs only to the Buddhas and is not shared with disciples.
¹¹ Becoming, mode of birth, destination, station [of consciousness], and abode [of beings] (bhava・yoni・gati・ṭhiti・nivāsa): categories traversed in saṃsāra—the three kinds of becoming, four modes of birth, five destinations, seven stations of consciousness, and nine abodes of beings.
¹² Full understanding of what is known (ñātapariññā): the first of the three kinds of full understanding, namely the full understanding that knows name-and-form and its conditions as they really are; its analysis appears in the unit on comprehension knowledge.
¹³ Minor stream-enterer (cūḷasotāpanna): the name for one whose knowledge of apprehending conditions has given a footing in the Buddha’s teaching and fixed the person’s destination; this is the preliminary stage before true stream-entry.
¹⁴ Mindfulness (sati): the mental factor that retains an object without forgetting it and, in the treatise, continually accompanies knowledge, energy, and concentration. It belongs to a different category from the vague awareness commonly denoted by the modern term “mindfulness” and should be read according to the treatise’s own definition.