1. Ignorance is actually
identical in nature with the unwholesome root "delusion" (moha). When the
Buddha speaks in a psychological context about mental factors, he generally
uses the word "delusion"; when he speaks about the causal basis of samsara,
he uses the word "ignorance" (avijja).
2. SN 56:11; Word
of the Buddha, p. 26
3. Ibid.
4. Adhisilasikkha,
adhicittasikkha, adhipaññasikkha.
5. AN 3:33; Word of
the Buddha, p. 19.
6. MN 117; Word of
the Buddha, p. 36.
7. AN 6:63; Word of
the Buddha, p. 19.
8. MN 9; Word of the
Buddha, p. 29.
9. See DN 2, MN 27,
etc. For details, see Vism. XIII, 72-101.
10. DN 22; Word
of the Buddha, p. 29.
11. DN 22, SN 56:11;
Word of the Buddha, p. 3
12. Ibid. Word
of the Buddha, p. 16.
13. Ibid. Word
of the Buddha, p. 22.
14. Nekkhammasankappa,
abyapada sankappa, avihimsasankappa.
15. Kamasankappa,
byapadasankappa, avihimsasankappa. Though kama usually means sensual desire,
the context seems to allow a wider interpretation, as self-seeking desire
in all its forms.
16. AN 1:16.2.
17. Strictly speaking,
greed or desire(raga) becomes immoral only when it impels actions violating
the basic principles of ethics, such as killing, stealing, adultery, etc.
When it remains merely as a mental factor or issues in actions not inherently
immoral — e.g., the enjoyment of good food, the desire for recognition,
sexual relations that do not hurt others — it is not immoral but is
still a form of craving causing bondage to suffering.
18. For a full
account of the dukkha tied up with sensual desire, see MN 13.
19. This might
appear to contradict what we said earlier, that metta is free from self-reference.
The contradiction is only apparent, however, for in developing metta towards
oneself one regards oneself objectively, as a third person. Further, the
kind of love developed is not self-cherishing but a detached altruistic
wish for one's own well-being.
20. Any other formula
found to be effective may be used in place of the formula given here. For
a full treatment, see Ñanamoli Thera, The Practice of Loving-kindness, Wheel
No. 7.
21. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, p. 50.
22. MN 61.
23. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, p. 50.
24. Subcommentary
to Digha Nikaya.
25. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, pp. 50-51.
26. MN 21; Word
of the Buddha, p. 51.
27. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, p. 51
28. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, p. 53.
29. HRH Prince
Vajirañanavarorasa, The Five Precepts and the Five Ennoblers (Bangkok, 1975),
pp. 1-9.
30. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, p. 53.
31. The Five Precepts
and the Five Ennoblers gives a fuller list, pp. 10-13.
32. AN 10:176;
Word of the Buddha, p. 53.
33. The following
is summarized from The Five Precepts and the Five Ennoblers, pp. 16-18.
34. See AN 4:62;
AN 5:41; AN 8:54.
35. The Five Precepts
and the Five Ennoblers, pp. 45-47.
36. Papañcasudani
(Commentary to Majjhima Nikaya).
37. MN 70; Word
of the Buddha, pp. 59-60.
38. AN 4:13; Word
of the Buddha, p. 57.
39. Kamacchanda,
byapada, thina-middha, uddhacca-kukkucca, vicikiccha.
40. AN 4:14; Word
of the Buddha, p. 57.
41. AN 4:13; Word
of the Buddha, p. 58.
42. AN 4:14; Word
of the Buddha, p. 58.
43. MN 20; Word
of the Buddha, p. 58.
44. For a full
treatment of the methods for dealing with the hindrances individually, consult
the commentary to the Satipatthana Sutta (DN 22, MN 10). A translation of
the relevant passages, with further extracts from the subcommentary, can
be found in Soma Thera, The Way of Mindfulness, pp. 116-26.
45. AN 4:13; Word
of the Buddha, pp. 58-59.
46. AN 4:14; Word
of the Buddha, p.59. The Pali names for the seven are: satisambojjhanga,
dhammavicayasambojjhanga, viriyasambojjhanga, pitisambojjhanga, passaddhisambojjhanga,
samadhisambojjhanga, upekkhasambojjhanga.
47. AN 4:13; Word
of the Buddha, p. 59.
48. AN 4:14; Word
of the Buddha, p. 59.
49. Dhammo sanditthiko
akaliko ehipassiko opanayiko paccattam veditabbo viññuhi. (M. 7, etc.)
50. Commentary
to Vism. See Vism. XIV, n. 64.
51. Sometimes the
word satipatthana is translated "foundation of mindfulness," with emphasis
on the objective side, sometimes "application of mindfulness," with emphasis
on the subjective side. Both explanations are allowed by the texts and commentaries.
52. DN 22; Word
of the Buddha, p. 61.
53. Ibid. Word
of the Buddha, p. 61.
54. For details,
see Vism. VIII, 145-244.
55. See Soma Thera,
The Way of Mindfulness, pp. 58-97.
56. Asubha-bhavana.
The same subject is also called the perception of repulsiveness (patikkulasañña)
and mindfulness concerning the body (kayagata sati).
57. For details,
see Vism. VIII, 42-144.
58. For details,
see Vism. XI, 27-117.
59. For a full
account, see Soma Thera, The Way of Mindfulness, pp. 116-127.
60. Ibid., pp.
131-146.
61. In what follows
I have to restrict myself to a brief overview. For a full exposition, see
Vism., Chapters III-XI.
62. See Vism. IV,
88-109.
63. Some common
renderings such as "trance," "musing," etc., are altogether misleading and
should be discarded.
64. DN 22; Word
of the Buddha, pp. 80-81.
65. In Pali: akasanañcayatana,
viññanañcayatana, akiñcaññayatana, n'eva-sañña-nasaññayatana.
66. Anicce niccavipallasa,
dukkhe sukhavipallasa, anattani atta-vipallasa. AN 4:49.
67. In Pali: rupakkhandha,
vedanakkhandha, saññakkhandha, sankharakkhandha, viññanakkhandha.
68. DN 22; Word
of the Buddha, pp. 71-72.
69. DN 22; Word
of the Buddha, p. 73.
70. In the first
edition of this book I stated here that the four paths have to be passed
through sequentially, such that there is no attainment of a higher path
without first having reached the paths below it. This certainly seems to
be the position of the Commentaries. However, the Suttas sometimes show
individuals proceeding directly from the stage of worldling to the third
or even the fourth path and fruit. Though the commentator explains that
they passed through each preceding path and fruit in rapid succession, the
canonical texts themselves give no indication that this has transpired but
suggest an immediate realization of the higher stages without the intermediate
attainment of the lower stages.
71. See Vism. XXII,
92-103.
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