A BUDDHIST MANUAL
Psychological Ethics,
FROM THE PALI
OF THE
DHAMMA-SANGANI
Translated by CAROLINE A. F. RHYS DAVIDS, M.A.
n.
[146] Which are the states that are good ?
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen by the prompting of a conscious motive,^ a
^ Sasankharena. Buddhaghosa's explanation of the
term is 'terse and explicit. Sa = co-, sankharo = com-
]30und, is here used in the sense of concomitant with spring,
motive, means, or cause (ussaho, payogo, upayo,
paccayo-gahanam). For instance, a bhikshu dwelling
in the neighbourhood of a vihara is inclined, when duty
calls him to sweep the terrace round the sthupa, wait on
the elders, or listen to the Dhamma, to find the way too far,
and shirk attendance. Second thoughts, as to the impro-
priety of not going, induce him to go. These are prompted
either by his own conscience (attano va payogena),
or by the exhortation of another who, showing the dis-
advantage in shirking, and the profit in attending, says,
* Come, do it !' And the *
good thought,' i.e., of course, the
resolve to go, is said 'to have arisen by way of a concomitant
motive, by way of the taking hold of a cause.' Asl. 156.
This explanation is not discrepant with that of sasank-
hariko, given to Childers by Vijesinha Mudliar. He
thought which is accompanied by pleasure, associated with
knowledge, and having, as its object, a sight, a sound, a
smell, a taste, a touch, a [mental] state, or what not, then
there is contact, feeling, etc.^ [here follows the list of '
states
'
dealt ivith in §§ 1-145 and constituting the First Thought]—
these, or whatever other incorporeal, causally induced
states there are on that occasion—these are states that are
good. . . .
[Here ends] the Second Thought.^
III.
[147] Which are the states that are good ?
"When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen accompanied by pleasure, disconnected with
knowledge, and having as its object, a sight, a sound, a
was not, I take it, so bad a Buddhist as to mean that an
asankharikam cittam was a thought in and for
itself spontaneous, i.e., uncaused. He would mean only
that the subject of the thought experienced it without
being conscious of its mental antecedent as such, without
paccaya-gahanam. In a cittam sasankharena, on
the other hand, the thought presents itself in consciousness
together with its mental conditions. In the Abhidham-
mattha-Sangaha the terms used in a similar connexion are
asankharikam and sasankharikam. J. P. T. S., 1884,
p. 1 et seq. Cf. Warren, '
Buddhism in Translations,' 490.
^ In the text (§ 146), at the omitted repetitions indicated
by *. . . pe . .
.' reference is made to § 147. More cor-
rectly reference should be made to § 1. The second type-
thought is in all respects (including Summary and 'Empti-
ness '
Section) identical with the first (Asl. 156), with the
sole exception of the additional implication '
by the prompt-
ing of a conscious motive.' With the same exception the
fourth, sixth, and eighth type-thoughts are identical with
the third, fifth, and seventh respectively. Hence the
reference in § 159 of the text should have been to § 157.
^ K. reads Dutiyam Cittam, and so on for the
eight.
smell, a taste, a touch, a [mental] state, or what not, then
there is
contact, conception,
feeling, discursive thought,
perception, joy,
thinking, ease,
thought, self-collectedness
;
the faculty of ...
faith, concentration,
energy, ideation,
mindfulness, happiness,
vitality ;
right intention,^ right mindfulness,
right endeavour, right concentration
;
the power of
faith, concentration,
energy, conscientiousness,
mindfulness, the fear of blame ;
absence of lust,
absence of hate,
absence of covetousness,
absence of malice
;
conscientiousness,
fear of blame
;
serenity, wieldiness,
buoyancy, fitness,
plasticity, rectitude,
both of sense and thought
;
mindfulness, grasp,
quiet, balance.
^ Sammaditthi should have been here omitted in the
text, just as it is rightly omitted at the place of its second
mention between avyapado and hiri. Its absence from
the third type of thought is involved in the qualifying
phrase 'disconnected with knowledge,' just as 'wisdom,'
*
insight,' etc., are. Cf, K. In 147a the Path is said to be
fourfold only.
These, or whatever other incorporeal, causally induced
states there are on that occasion—tlaese are states that are
good.
[Summary, cf. § 58 et seq.'\
[147a] Now, on that occasion
the skandhas are four,
the spheres are two,
the elements are two,
the nutriments are three,
the faculties are seven,^
the Jhana is fivefold,
the Path is fourfold,
the powers are six,^
the causes are two,^ .
contact, etc.
[Continue as in § 58.]
^ -x- -x- * * -x-
[148] What on that occasion is the skandha of syntheses ?
The content of the sanskdra-skandha is the same as in the
First Type of Thought, § 62,* with the following omissions :
'
The faculty of wisdom,'
*
right views,'
'
the power of wisdom,'
'
the absence of dulness,'
'
intelligence,'
'
insight.'
^ That of * wisdom '
being omitted.
^ See preceding note.
^ *
Absence of dulness ' being omitted.
* In the text the reader is referred to § 62 without
reservation, and is thereby landed in inconsistencies.
K. enumerates the content of the skandha in full, omitting
all those factors which are incompatible with a thought
divorced from knowledge. I have thought it sufficient to
name only these excluded factors.
These are omitted as incompatible with the quality * discon-
nected with knowledge.'
^ ^ * * ¥r ^
These, or whatever other incorporeal, etc.
* * * * * *
[Here ends] the Third Type of Thought.^
lY.
[149] Which are the states that are good ?
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen by the prompting of a conscious motive, a
thought which is accompanied by happiness, disconnected
with knowledge, and having as its object a sight, a sound,
a smell, a taste, a touch, a [mental] state, or what not, then
there is contact, etc. [continue as in § 147]—these, or what-
ever other incorporeal, causally induced states there are on
that occasion—these are states that are good. . . .^
[Here ends] the Fourth Thought.
^ Placed erroneously in the text after § 147.
'^
So K. The text, by omitting not only the repetitions,
but also the essentially distinctive factor sasankh arena,
renders the insertion of the '
Fourth Thought ' quite un-
intelligible.
Buddhaghosa gives a different illustration of this type of
thought in harmony with its resemblance to and difference
from the former cittarn sasankharena, viz.: in its
involving a pleasurable state of mind, but not any great
understanding or discernment. Such is the thought of
little boys, who, when their parents duck their heads to
make them worship at a cetiya, willingly comply, though
doing so without intelligent conviction. Asl. 156.
V.
[150] Which are the states that are good?
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen, accompanied by disinterestedness,^ associated
with knowledge, and having as its object a sight, a sound,
a smell, a taste, a touch, a [mental] state, or what not,
then there is contact, etc. [continue as in § 1, but for *
joy
'
and *
happiness '
substitute *
equanimity '
(upekkha), and
for * the faculty of happiness '
substitute '
the faculty of
disinterestedness '].^
[151] What on that occasion is contact?
Answer as m § 2.
[152] What on that occasion is feeling?
The mental [condition] neither pleasant nor unpleasant,
which, on that occasion, is born of contact with the appro-
priate element of representative intellection ; the sensation,
born of contact with thought, which is neither easeful nor
painful ; the feeling, born of contact with thought, which is
neither easeful nor painful—this is the feeling that there
then is.
* -X- -x- -x- »• *
[Continue as in §§ 4-8.]
[153] What on that occasion is disinterestedness ?^
Answer^ as in preceding reply, omitting the phrase ' born
^ Upekkha. 'This is impartiality (lit., middleness) in
connexion with the object of thought, and implies a dis-
criminative knowledge' (Asl. 157). Cf. its significance in
the cultivation of Jhana, § 165. In the Jhana that may
arise in connexion with the first type of thought, which is
concomitant with '
joy ' and '
ease,' it is replaced by '
self-
collectedness.' See § 83.
^ Here, again, the excision, in the text, of practically the
whole answer, and the reference to § 156, where the sixth
thought is differentiated from this, the fifth thought, by
the quality sasankharena, quite obscures the classifica-
tion adopted in the original.
^ Substituted for 'joy' and 'ease,' §§ 9, 10.
of contact with the appropriate element of representative
intellection.'
[Continue as in §§ 11-17.]
[154] What on that occasion is the faculty of dis-
interestedness ?
Answer as in preceding reply. Continue as in §§ 19-57.
[Summary.]
[154a] Now, on that occasion
the skandhas are four,
the spheres are two,
the elements are two,
the nutriments are three,
the faculties are eight,
the Jhana is fourfold,^
the Path is fivefold,
the powers are seven,
the causes are three,
contact,
etc., etc. [c/. § 58],
the sphere of mental states is a single factor,
the element of mental states is a single factor.
These, or whatever other incorporeal, causally induced
states there are on that occasion—these are states that are
good. . . .
[Continue as in §§ 59-61.]
[155] What on that occasion is the skandha of syn-
theses ?
^ Consisting presumably in *
conception,' '
discursive
thought,' *
disinterestedness ' (superseding *joy' and 'ease'),
and '
self-collectedness.' Cf. § 83. The last-named atti-
tude of mind does not usually figure in the Pitakas as the
culminating (or other) stage of Jhana {cf, § 160 et seq.). In
the Abhidhammattha-Sangaha, however, it does occur as
such, and side by side also with '
disinterestedness.'
J. P. T. S., 1884, p. 3.
Answer as in § 62, omitting *
joy.'^
* ^ * * ^ ^
[Continue as in the Summay-y and *
Emptiness '
Section
of the First Type of Thought,
1
[Here ends] the Fifth Type of Thought.]
VI.
[156] Which are the states that are good ?
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen, accompanied by disinterestedness, associated
with knowledge, prompted by a conscious motive, and
having, as its object, a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste,
a touch, a [mental] state, or what not, then there is
contact, etc.
>;; jI' :Ij ;|; i|c i[<
[Continue as in the Fifth Type of Thought.^
[Here ends] the Sixth Type of Thought.
vn.
[157] Which are the states that are good ?
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen, accompanied by disinterestedness, disconnected
with knowledge, and having, as its object, a sight, a sound,
a smell, a taste, a touch, a [mental] state, or what not,
then there is contact, etc. . . .
•X- -X- -Jf -x- * -H-
[Continue as in the Third Type of Thought, substituting
'
disinterestedness '
for '
joy ' and *
ease,' the '
faculty of dis-
interestedness '
for that of *
happiness,' and * fourfold '
for
'fivefold Jhana. "2]
^ K. gives the skandha in full, omitting 'joy,' joy and
upekkha being mutually exclusive.
2 Nanindriyam in the text should be manindriyam.
[Summary.]
[157a] Now, on that occasion
the skandhas are four,
etc., etc.
[Continue as in the Third Type of Thought^ substituting
' fourfold '/o^' * fivefold Jhana.']
[158] What on that occasion is the skandha of syn-
theses ?
The content of this skandha is the same as in the Third
Type of Thought {see § 148), with the further omission of
'joy.'
[Continue as in the First Type of Thought.]
t'fi i\i .;: j;c ii ^:
[Here ends] the Seventh Type of Thought.
VIII.
[159] Which are the states that are good?
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe
has arisen, accompanied by disinterestedness, disconnected
with knowledge, prompted by a conscious motive, and
having, as its object, a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste,
a touch, a [mental] state, or what not, then there is
contact, etc.
[Continue as in the Seventh Type of Thought.']
[Here ends] the Eighth Type of Thought.
[End of Chapter I. on] the Eight Main Types of Thought
concerning the Sensuous Universe.
(Here ends the Second Portion for Recitation.)
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