Book of the Tens
1: “Why, Ananda, freedom from remorse is the object…”
D i,73 makes comparisons to various kinds of being freed—being freed from debt, from sickness, from bonds, from slavery, from the perils of the desert—these comparisons are to being freed of the five hindrances.
S iv, 351: “…since I have been restrained in body, speech, and mind, and since, with the breakup of the body, after death, I shall be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.”
The chain of object and profit:
1. Good conduct (sila)
2. Freedom from remorse
3. Joy
4. rapture
5. Calm
6. Happiness
7. Concentration
8. Knowing and seeing things as they really are
9. Revulsion and fading of interest
10. Release by knowing and seeing
Thus good conduct (sila) leads gradually up to the summit.
NOTE: in the Book of the Elevens this is tretched out by splitting “revulsion and fading of interest.”
2: This repeats #1 but with the important proviso that each of the objects and profits arise automatically from the previous—there is no need to wish the next into existence. This would seem to imply that the last is contained in the first—the entire chain arises from the first.
However, I should think that a little bit of sila would result in a little bit of knowing and seeing—sort of like a small amount of current flowing through a wire. Increasing the sila is like increasing the current in the wire.
3: The “concentration” of #s 1 – 2 now becomes ‘right (samma) concentration’.
“Suppose, monks, a tree that has lost its branches…”
This ties in well with my observation for #2—if the tree does not have sufficient support, it doesn’t grow well. The degree of growth is in fact proportional to the branches and foliage providing support.
4 – 5: Repetitions of #3, spoken by Sariputta and Ananda, respectively.
6: The translator of this volume is Woodward (same as I and II) and he redners the four formless realms differently from the middle volumes:
Sphere of unbounded space
Sphere of infinite intellection
Sphere of nothingness
Sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception
The level of concentration appears to be that of the “ninth” level—i.e., moving beyond the realms altogether.
7: Sariputta gives a concrete example of this ability to perceive while unaware. The sparks in a flame—they come and go, one arises while another dissolves.
This appears to be concentration so fine as to capture the dharmas themselves—the very finely-grained thought-instants. They are as the sparks in a fire; the perception may be the same, but is seen in individual sparks. Thus our awarenss is of these short, disconnected thought-sparks. We put them together and say “earth” or “water” or “wind” or “fire”, but really they are just the individual sparks.
8: The ‘complete’ monk needs to be as follows:
Thus he is “altogether charming.”
9: The same as the above, but #9 is replaced with the formless realms instead of the four jhanas.
10: The same as #8, but from #8 in the list it goes:
11: Five factors in the monk, and five factors in the lodging, that lead to the heart’s release. Thus we can think of these as ‘internal and external’
12: A monk gives up in five factors and is complete in five other factors.
He gives up:
Complete in:
13: Two different sets of fetters: those pertaining to this world and those pertaining to a higher world.
Of this world:
Pertaining to a higher world:
14: Five mental obstructions and five bondages of the heart. Note: I’d be interested to see the original of “bondages of the heart” to determine if there really is this distinction between mind and heart, or if it’s more an issue of translation.
Five mental obstructions:
Five bondages of the heart:
15: Various comparisons to illustrate how seriousness is chief of all states:
|
Object |
Chief |
|
All creatures |
Arahant, Tathagata |
|
Footprints |
Elephant’s footprints |
|
Rafters |
Roof peak |
|
Root scents |
black gum |
|
Wood scents |
red sandalwood |
|
Flower scents |
jasmine |
|
Petty princes |
universal monarch |
|
Starry bodies |
the Moon |
|
Clear autumn sky |
the Sun |
|
Great rivers |
the ocean |
16: Ten persons worthy of worship, gifts, salutations, field of merit:
On this last:
A iv, 373: “he who has become one of the clan”
The commentary says of this: One endowed with exceedingly powerful insight and thought, with immediate prospects of attaining to the state of the Streamwinner and the Way.
17: “Monks, do ye live warded…ten states that make for warding.”
D iii,266 translates this as “ten things that give protection.”
18: This is a repetition of #17 with a few expansions and further explanations.
Primarily, each section ends with the idea that the senior monks look upon him as one fit for encouragement, as do those of middle standing and the novices.
19: D iii, 269 gives an expansion which defines each of the lists that need expanding.
20: Kammasadhamma is referred to as a market down in D ii, 55. Although the notes refer to M i, 532 this is not available in the Nanamoli translation—perhaps some kind of textual disagreement with the PTS edition.
This sutra is the expanion os #19 that I already cited from the Digha Nikaya.
On #5, “individual beliefs”, this includes stuff like the world is eternal or not, world finite or not, body and life are one thing or not, life after death or not.
21: The ten powers of the samana that allow him to claim leadership, roar his lion’s roar in the companies and set rolling the Brahma-wheel:
22: Although mostly a repeat of #21, this contains a wonderful description of what the Mahayana would come to call prajñaparamita—but it’s not unique to Mahayana. Pañña (prajña) is after all the third of sila-samadhi-pañña.
“There is the possibility of his knowing or seeing or realizing that which can be known, seen, or realized.”
23: Faults to be abandoned:
Fault in body: abandon in body
Fault in speech: abandon in speech
To be abandoned with Insight:
These faults to be abandoned by insight are those which must be fully understood, realized.
24: This is a kind of gloss on #23, in which the discussion is of one who prates about being freed from the ten faults abandoned by insight, and yet is not really freed of them. This is compared to one who says he’s rich but is poor: sooner or later he has to pony up and we all see that he’s actually poor.
25: This applies to the physical kasina objects that are used to induce self-hypnosis, which seems to aid in then achieving higher realms.
The earth-device (kasina) appears to be a clay disk which is set on the ground before one. (See Visuddhimagga for details.)
26: the “Maiden’s Questions” are 3 i, 126:
“Is it because you are sunk in sorrow
That you meditate in the woods?
Because you have lost wealth or pine for it,
Or committed some crime in the village?
Why don’t you make friends with people?
Why don’t you form any intimate ties?”
(There are more questions with answers from the Buddha.)
28: It’s nice to read that it is a nun who seems to understand the teachings so well and points them out to the monks. The Buddha backs her up as well.
29: “Yet even for the Great Brahma, there is change and reverse”—here is a clear statement against any notion of eternality on the part of a God—even one as lofty as Brahma. Here’s the whole paragraph:
As far, monks, as the thousandfold world-system extends, therein the Great Brahma is reckoned chief. Yet even for the Great Brahma, monks, there is change and reverse. So seeing the learned Ariyan disciple feels revulsion; in him so feeling revulsion interest in the topmost fades, not to speak of the low.
In the Nyanaponika Thera/Bhikkhu Bodhi translation (page 245) it reads like this:
As far, monks, as this thousandfold world system extens, Mahabrahma ranks there as the highest. But even for Mahabrahma change takes place, transformation takes place. when seeing this, monks, an instructed noble disciple is repelled by it; being repelled, he becomes dispassionate towards the highest, not to speak of what is low.
The “stations of mastery” are those areas in which the arahant sees things as they really are.
30: Pasenadi needs to have some reassurance here, it would seem.
31: The ten reasons for the existence of the Patimokkha (Vinaya):
When the obligation is suspended:
Question: a eunuch cannot be a monk. Why not?
Note: the whole of chapter IV (31 – 40) appears to have been brought in from the Vinaya.
44: In discussing how a monk should admonish another monk, it seems to me that this advice applies to everybody:
47: The reasons for doing evil and good deeds are nice and clear here. Evil deeds result from:
lust
malice
delusion
inattention
wrong thought
Good deeds result from the opposite of those.
50: The monks got into arguments!
51: The metaphor here is putting out the blaze if one’s turban is one fire. Put out the thoughts that are unskilled:
At S v, 440 the metaphor is similar: if one’s clothes or head were ablaze.
59: The various thoughts that must be compassed about bring up some interesting questions. Here are those things:
I am taking #s 7 – 8 in the sense of dependent origination as well as the sense of “the world” as being our perceptual universe.
60: This one’s a great discourse on the key points of the doctrine:
According to this, those teachings healed the sick monk. While this sounds silly on the surface, the sickness of samsara is not silly—and this is the prescription for its cure.
61: This is a sutra of two linked sets: the set of that which feeds ignorance, and the set of that which feeds release by knowledge.
Ignorance is fed by:
Release by Knowledge is fed by:
62: Adds before ignorance, “craving to become”.
Why the difference? Because either can be understood as a deeply rooted karmic influence over happiness and sadness.
65 – 66: Both these sutras address the very simple fact of birth itself as being the primary cause of suffering. Keep in mind that to a brahmanical type, this isn’t obvious—we might be suffering due to the actions of a deity, or due to some special bad luck. These sutras point out that suffering is everyone’s lot—there are many different kinds.
66 in particular brings up “discontent” versus “content”—the same phenomenon can be viewed as suffering or not, wholly dependent on one’s contentment or lack thereof.
67: Here’s another of those instances where the Buddha has a tired back. So he hands over a dharma talk to Sariputta and lies down to help ease and stretch his back.
69: Here once again is the admonition I enjoy so much, that monks should not speak of “rajahs, robbers, and great ministers”—i.e., politics and robbers popped in there together.
72: I am gratified by the statement: “noise is a thorn to musing.” I can certainly attest to the truth of this sentiment.
There are ten thorns:
76: An important statement: without birth, decay, and death an arahant or Buddha cannot arise in the world.
78: A major dig here at the Jains, calling them immoral, shameless, reckless and so forth. Definitely a moment of higher-than-usual intolerance and invective on the part of the Buddha.
80: By asking: how can this be? (What harm is it) we can sharply check feelings of ill-will towards another. It helps to avoid being groundlessly annoyed.
But there can be grounded annoyance as well—we don’t just take it with a smile.
81: What we’re detached from: the five skandhas, rebirth, decay, death, passions, and mind’s barriers are broken down.
Simile of the lotus, which grows in muddy water but is not soiled by it. Dhammapada 58:
Just as in a heap of rubbish
Cast away on a roadside
A lotus could there bloom
Of sweet fragrance, pleasing to the mind.
84: Another helpful list of stuff to abandon to reach spiritual maturity:
85: Even more qualities holding us back:
86: And more:
87: And more:
This one—talking about the way in which the monk withotu having abandoned these qualities wishes to be treated like a fine, senior monk—reminds me of some students who want to be treated like fine professional musicians but who frequently behave like rank amateurs.
The one truly worthy of this kind of honor gets it whether he wishes for it or not.
88: A list of things that can go wrong if one is unpleasant to one’s spiritual friends:
89: “Sariputta and Moggallana have wicked desires….”
S i, 149:
“What wise man here would seek to define
An immeasurable one by taking his measure?
He who would measure an immeasurable one
Must be, I think, an obstructed worldling.”
From Spk (commentary to the Samyutta Nikaya):
The immeasurable one is the arahant: one takes his measure by determining: ‘He has this much virtue, this much concentration, this much wisdom.’ The states that make for measurement are lust, hatred, and delusion, and with their removal it is impossible “to measure” the arahant by means of lust, hatred, delusion, etc.
M i, 298:
“Lust is a maker of measurement, hate is a maker of measurement, delusion is a maker of measurement. In a bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, these are abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, done away with so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Of all the kinds of immeasurable deliverance of mind, the unshakeable deliverance of mind is pronounced the best. Now, that unshakeable deliverance of mind is void of lust, void of hate, void of delusion.
“Lust is a something, hate is a something, delusion is a something….deliverance of mind through nothingness…
“Lust is a maker of signs, hate is a maker of signs, delusion is a maker of signs…signless deliverance of mind…”
Notes to M i, 298:
Makers of measurement: understood as such in that they impose limitations upon the range and depths of the mind.
Makers of signs: these brand a person as a worldling. But it may also mean that these defilements cuas the mind to ascribe a false significance to things as being permanent, pleasurable, self, or beautiful.
Names of the hells: these seem to be the inverse of the heavens, in that there is a concentric series in which you stay for longer and longer periods. Sounds sort of Dantean.
90: The destruction of the cankers is known due to these insights:
91: I don’t usually find the sutras dull, but this one is dull.
92: Five guilty dreads—breaking the precepts. The four limbs of stream-winning are confidence in the Three Jewels and Noble Virtue. The “Ariyan Method” is the understanding of dependent origination, including the twelve links.
93: Where questioned as to what is the Buddha’s view, or his view, Anathapindika explains dependent origination.
94: It isn’t what you practice, but that the practice bears fruit. So if practicing austerieis makes unprofitable states wax and profitable ones wane, then avoid austerieis. But if they do the reverse, then practice them.
96: Both 95 and 96 concern themselves with the Buddha’s silence when asked certain questions. Here Ananda sums up well the reason: “fixing on view, relying on view, obsession on view…”
99: This story of one who wishes to do intense practice without first having tamed the mind is instructive: you can’t do this well if you are prone to lustful and/or malicious thoughts. You must work up to it with your practice.
100: In a list of ten conditions that must be abandoned to realize arahantship, I note “stinginess” which isn’t all that common, but which certainly fits.
102: The seven limbs of wisdom:
103: In this and on to 112, there is a Tenfold Path—that is, the Eightfold Path plue Right Knowledge and Right Release.
104: Places Right view squarely as the root of all the others in the Noble Eight(Ten)fold Path.
105: Ignorance is given as the root of Wrong View.
106: Right View wears out Wrong View, and so on through the list. I consider this one important in that it maks clear that these are not dualistic states: you do not have all Right view or all Wrong View. The two exist together. But a concentration on, attention to, Right View, wears out the other states—as does the same for all the others. Obviously focus on the reverse would wear out Right View and so on.
107: The same as above but the metaphor is washing away rather than wearing away.
108: as a purge.
109: As an emetic causing vomiting.
110: Ejecting wrong view.
117: The gathas are Dhammapada 85 – 89. Note that the “hither shore” is Wrong View and the rest, while the “far shore” is Right View and the rest.
121: Right View likened to the dawn, as the harbinger of profitable states, just as dawn is harbinger to the sun’s arising.
174: Breaking the precepts in general (plus overall more hindrances) is laid squarely at the feet of lust, malice, and delusion.
176: Here is a definition of the anti-sex precept that is interesting:
Sex with girls under protection by family
Lawfully guarded girls
Engaged girls
Spoken-for girls
There’s really nothing here worth quibbling with in the slightest.
The general point to this sutra is that all the purification rites in the world won’t help you if your behavior in body, speech, and mind isn’t also pure. It’s the action that counts: we can’t go to church later and pray away our faults.
202: Women attain a better birth by good karma, just like men.
205: There is an excellent definition of karma here:
“Monks, beings are responsible for their deeds, heirs to their deeds, they are the womb of their deeds, kinsmen of their deeds, to them their deeds come home again.”
And later: “Whatsoever deed they do, be it lovely or ugly, of that they are the heirs.” See #208: you manage your karma here and now.
206: Karma further defined: “I declared, monks, that of intentional deeds done and accumulated there can be no wiping out without experiencing the result thereof…”
211: Note that encouraging others to break the precepts is just as bad as breaking them yourself.