The Direct Knowledges

Now the order of exposition has arrived at the divine ear-element. Herein, among the three remaining direct knowledges beyond this one, the meaning of "with his mind thus concentrated" and so on should be understood in the way already stated. But everywhere we shall describe only what is distinctive. There, "with the divine ear-element": it is divine because it resembles the divine. For devas possess a divine, faculty-based ear-element, produced by good conduct, unobstructed by bile, phlegm, blood, and the like, and, through its freedom from such impurities, able to receive an object even at a distance. And this monk's own knowledge-based ear-element, produced by the power of developed effort, is exactly of that same kind — hence it is divine, because it resembles the divine. Moreover, it is divine because it is acquired by means of a divine abiding, and because it is itself grounded in a divine abiding. It is an "element" (dhātu) in the sense of hearing, and in the sense of being lifeless; and it is called an "element" also because it performs the function of an ear-element.

"Purified": completely pure, free of defilement. "Surpassing the human": having gone beyond the range of the human, surpassing, having transcended, the fleshly ear-element which is human in its hearing of sound. "He hears both kinds of sound": he hears two kinds of sound. Which two? Divine and human — that is, the sounds of both devas and human beings. By this, the exhaustive range in terms of kind should be understood. "Both far and near": he hears sounds that are far, even in another world-system, and sounds that are near, down to the sound of a creature clinging to his own body. By this, the exhaustive range in terms of location should be understood.

But how should this be developed? Having entered the basis-jhāna for direct knowledge and emerged, that monk, with the preliminary-work consciousness of concentration, should first advert to the grosser sound, farther off in the ordinary path of hearing — the sound of lions and the like in the forest. Then, in the monastery: the sound of the gong, the sound of the drum, the sound of the conch, the sound of novices and young monks reciting with all their strength, the sound of those engaged in ordinary conversation — "what is it, venerable sir," "what is it, friend," and so on — the sound of birds, the sound of wind, the sound of footsteps, the sizzling sound of boiling water, the sound of palm-leaves drying and crackling in the heat, the sound of small ants and the like — thus, beginning from the grossest of all, subtler and subtler sounds should be adverted to in turn. By this, the sign of sounds in the eastern direction should be attended to. Likewise the sign of sounds in the western, northern, southern, lower, and upper directions, and in the south-eastern, south-western, north-western, and north-eastern intermediate directions. The sign of both gross and subtle sounds should be attended to. To him, those sounds become clear even to his ordinary consciousness — but to the consciousness of preliminary-work concentration, they become exceedingly clear.

To one attending to the sign of sounds in this way, thinking, "now the divine ear-element is about to arise," taking any one of those sounds as object, a mind-door adverting arises. When that has ceased, four or five javana-moments run their course, of which the first three or four — called preliminary work, access, conformity, and change-of-lineage — are of the sense sphere, while the fourth or fifth is the absorption-consciousness itself, of the fine-material sphere, pertaining to the fourth jhāna. Herein, the knowledge that arises together with that absorption-consciousness should be understood as this very divine ear-element. From then on, he has fallen, as it were, into that stream of hearing. Making it firmly established, thinking, "within this range I hear sound," he should delimit a space of just one finger-breadth and then expand it. From there, delimiting again and again by way of two finger-breadths, four finger-breadths, eight finger-breadths, a span, a cubit, the interior of a room, the front of a mansion, a monastery hall, a monastic compound, an alms-resort village, a country, and so on, up to a whole world-system, or even further still, he should expand it.

Having thus attained this direct knowledge, this monk, hearing sounds that have reached within the range already touched by the basis-jhāna's object, hears them by the power of direct knowledge alone, even without entering the basis-jhāna again. And hearing in this way, even if there is a single uproar reaching all the way to the Brahmā-world, made up of the sounds of conches, drums, and kettledrums together, if he wishes to distinguish them separately, he is indeed able to determine, "this is the sound of a conch, this is the sound of a drum."

The discussion of the divine ear-element is finished.

In the discussion of the knowledge of penetrating minds: herein, "for the sake of the knowledge of penetrating minds" — "pariyāti" means "pariyaṃ," in the sense of "delimits." The delimiting of the heart (ceto) is "cetopariyaṃ." That which is both a delimiting of the heart and knowledge is "cetopariyañāṇaṃ." "For its sake" is what is meant. "Of other beings": of the remaining beings, setting oneself aside. "Of other persons": this too is one in meaning with the preceding — the variation in wording is simply for the sake of those to be guided, and for the sake of elegance in teaching. "With his own heart, their heart": with his own mind, their mind. "He understands, having delimited": having delimited it, he knows it in its various forms, by way of being affected by passion and so on.

But how should this knowledge be developed? This is accomplished by means of the divine eye — that is its preliminary work. Therefore, that monk, having expanded his light, and having seen with the divine eye the color of the blood occurring in dependence on another's heart-basis, should search out the mind. For when a joyful mind is occurring, that blood is red, like a banyan fruit. When a sad mind is occurring, it is blackish, like a rose-apple fruit. When an equanimous mind is occurring, it is clear, like refined sesame oil. Therefore, by seeing the color of another's heart-blood and thereby searching out the mind, thinking, "this form arises from the joy faculty, this from the sadness faculty, this from the equanimity faculty" — in this way the knowledge of penetrating minds should be made firm. For when it has been made firm in this way, he comes, in due course, to understand all sense-sphere consciousness, and fine-material and immaterial-sphere consciousness as well, simply by passing from mind to mind, even without seeing the heart's physical form at all. This too has been said in the commentary: "In the formless realm, one wishing to know another's mind — whose heart-basis does he see, whose alteration of faculty does he observe? None at all. This is the domain of one possessing power: adverting to a mind, wherever it may be, he knows that mind in its sixteen-fold classification. This account, however, is given from the standpoint of one who has not yet made this attainment firm."

As for "a mind with lust" and so on: the eightfold consciousness accompanied by greed should be understood as "a mind with lust." The remaining wholesome and indeterminate consciousness of the four planes is "a mind without lust." But these four states of mind — the two sad-minded consciousnesses and the two doubt-and-restlessness-accompanied consciousnesses — do not fall into this particular pair's classification. Some elders, however, do include them here as well. The two-fold sad-minded consciousness is called "a mind with hate." All wholesome and indeterminate consciousness of the four planes is "a mind without hate." The remaining ten unwholesome states of mind do not fall into this pair's classification. Some elders, however, do include them here as well.

As for "with delusion, without delusion": here, by the method proper to the individual pairing, only the two states accompanied by doubt and restlessness are "with delusion" — but since delusion is present in all unwholesome states, all twelve kinds of unwholesome consciousness should also be understood as "a mind with delusion." The remainder is "without delusion." Consciousness accompanied by sloth-and-torpor is "contracted." Consciousness accompanied by restlessness is "distracted." Fine-material and immaterial-sphere consciousness is "exalted." The remainder is "unexalted." All consciousness pertaining to the three planes is "surpassable." The supramundane is "unsurpassable." Consciousness that has reached access or absorption is "concentrated." Consciousness that has attained neither is "unconcentrated." Consciousness that has reached liberation by substitution of opposites, by suppression, by cutting off, by tranquilizing, or by escape is "liberated." This same five-fold classification, when it has not reached liberation, should be understood as "unliberated." Thus, the monk who has gained the knowledge of penetrating minds understands, in every one of these ways, whether it be a mind with lust ... or a mind unliberated, that it is a mind unliberated.

The discussion of the knowledge of penetrating minds is finished.

In the discussion of the knowledge of recollecting past lives: "for the sake of the knowledge of recollecting past lives" — this is for the sake of whatever knowledge there is in the recollection of past lives. "Past lives": aggregates dwelt in, formerly, in past births. "Dwelt in" means inhabited, experienced — having arisen in one's own mental continuum and then ceased; or, alternatively, states that were dwelt in. "Dwelt in" also means dwelt in by way of resorting there, known and delimited by one's own consciousness — or else known by another's consciousness, as in the recollection of a severed connection and the like; but such knowing belongs to Buddhas alone. "Recollection of past lives" is the mindfulness by which one recollects past lives. "Knowledge" is the understanding associated with that mindfulness. Thus it is said: "for the sake of this knowledge of recollecting past lives, for the attainment, the achievement, of this very knowledge."

"Manifold": of many kinds, or brought about in many ways — the meaning is "described in detail." "Past lives": the mental continuum dwelt in, there and there, beginning with the life immediately past. "He recollects": he remembers, tracing back and back, either by way of the sequence of the aggregates, or by way of death and rebirth-linking. Now, six kinds of persons recollect this past-life experience: non-Buddhist ascetics, ordinary disciples, great disciples, chief disciples, Paccekabuddhas, and Buddhas.

Herein, non-Buddhist ascetics recollect only forty aeons, and no further. Why? Because their wisdom is weak. For their wisdom is weak, being devoid of the analytical grasp of name-and-form. Ordinary disciples recollect a hundred aeons, even a thousand aeons, on account of their strong wisdom. The eighty great disciples recollect a hundred thousand aeons. The two chief disciples recollect one incalculable period and a hundred thousand aeons. Paccekabuddhas recollect two incalculable periods and a hundred thousand aeons — for this much is the extent of their own resolve made long ago. But for Buddhas, there is no limit at all.

Non-Buddhist ascetics remember only by way of the sequence of the aggregates; leaving that sequence aside, they are unable to remember by way of death and rebirth-linking. For, like blind people, they have no way of stepping down at a desired point. Just as blind people go on without ever letting go of their stick, so they remember without ever letting go of the sequence of the aggregates. Ordinary disciples recollect both by way of the sequence of the aggregates and also make the transition by way of death and rebirth-linking. So too the eighty great disciples. But for the two chief disciples, there is no need for the sequence of the aggregates at all. Having seen the death of one personality, they see the rebirth-linking; then, having seen the death of yet another, the rebirth-linking again — thus they proceed, transitioning solely by way of death and rebirth-linking. So too the Paccekabuddhas.

But for Buddhas, there is neither any need for the sequence of the aggregates, nor any need to transition by way of death and rebirth-linking. For to them, in the many hundred-millions of aeons, whatever place, whether below or above, they wish for, that place simply becomes evident. Therefore, compressing the many hundred-millions of aeons as though it were an abbreviated canonical passage, they descend precisely wherever they wish, proceeding by way of a "lion's descent." And their knowledge, as they proceed in this way, is like that of an archer skilled in the practice of splitting a hair, resembling Sarabhaṅga: the arrow he shoots, never catching on any tree or creeper in between, lands exactly on the mark — it neither catches nor misses. Just so, that knowledge, moving between one birth and another, neither catches nor misses; without catching, without missing, it seizes exactly whatever place is wished for, one after another.

Now, among these beings who recollect past lives, the non-Buddhist ascetics' seeing of past lives appears like the light of a firefly. That of ordinary disciples is like lamplight. That of great disciples is like torchlight. That of the chief disciples is like the light of the morning star. That of Paccekabuddhas is like moonlight. That of Buddhas appears like the disc of the autumn sun adorned with a thousand rays.

And the non-Buddhist ascetics' recollection of past lives is like a blind person's journey holding the tip of a stick. That of ordinary disciples is like crossing on a plank bridge. That of great disciples is like crossing on a footbridge. That of the chief disciples is like crossing on a cart-bridge. That of Paccekabuddhas is like traveling a great footpath. That of Buddhas is like traveling a great cart-road.

But in this present context, it is the disciples' recollection of past lives that is intended. Hence it was said: "he recollects, tracing back and back, either by way of the sequence of the aggregates, or by way of death and rebirth-linking."

Therefore, a beginning monk wishing to recollect in this way, having returned from his almsround after the meal, gone into solitude, and withdrawn to a secluded place, should enter each of the four jhānas in turn, and, emerging from the fourth jhāna serving as basis for direct knowledge, should advert to the very last sitting posture just taken. From there — the setting out of the seat, the entering of the lodging, the putting away of bowl and robe, the time of eating, the time of returning from the village, the time of walking for alms in the village, the time of entering the village for alms, the time of leaving the monastery, the time of paying homage at the shrine-court and the Bodhi-tree-court, the time of washing the bowl, the time of receiving the bowl, all duties done from the receiving of the bowl up to the washing of the face, duties done at the time of dawn, duties done in the middle watch, duties done in the first watch — thus, in reverse order, the deeds done throughout the whole day and night should be adverted to. This much is clear even to an ordinary mind — but to the mind of preliminary-work concentration, it is exceedingly clear.

If anything here is not clear, he should enter the basis-jhāna again, emerge, and then advert to it. By this much, it becomes clear, as though a lamp had been lit. In this same reverse order, the deeds done on the second day, and on the third, fourth, and fifth days, and over ten days, a fortnight, a month, and even a year, should be adverted to. By this same method, adverting through ten years, twenty years, and so on, up to his own rebirth-linking in this present existence, he should then advert to the name-and-form that occurred at the moment of death in the previous existence. For a wise monk is capable, on the very first attempt, of breaking through rebirth-linking and taking as object the name-and-form occurring at the moment of death.

But since, in the previous existence, name-and-form ceased without remainder and another arose, that point is, for one of weak wisdom, difficult to see, like a dense and impenetrable darkness. Even so, one should not lay down the task, thinking, "I am unable to break through rebirth-linking and take as object the name-and-form occurring at the moment of death." Rather, that same basis-jhāna should be entered again and again, and, emerging from it time after time, that point should be adverted to.

For one doing so is like a strong man who, felling a great tree in order to make the finial of a peaked roof-chamber, and, his axe-blade having become blunted by cutting nothing more than branches and leaves, finds himself unable to fell the great tree — yet, without laying down the task, goes to the smithy, has a sharp axe made, comes back, and cuts again; and, that blade having become blunted once more, has it sharpened in just the same way again, and cuts again. Cutting in this way, since what has already been cut need not be cut again, and what has not yet been cut is being cut, he would before long fell the great tree. Just so, emerging from the basis-jhāna, not adverting again to what was already adverted to before, but adverting only to the rebirth-linking itself, he would, before long, break through the rebirth-linking and take as object the name-and-form occurring at the moment of death. This same point can also be illustrated by the splitting of a block of wood, or by the drawing-out of a hair, and similar examples.

Herein, the knowledge that occurs, from the last sitting posture up to rebirth-linking, taking that as its object, is not yet called "knowledge of recollecting past lives" — it is called "knowledge of preliminary-work concentration." Some call it "knowledge of the past portion," but this does not fit, with reference to its being of the fine-material sphere. But when, for that monk, having broken through rebirth-linking, a mind-door adverting arises taking as object the name-and-form occurring at the moment of death, and, when that has ceased, four or five javana-moments run their course taking that same object — the rest is as stated before: the earlier ones, called preliminary work and so on, are of the sense sphere, while the last is the absorption-consciousness of the fine-material sphere, pertaining to the fourth jhāna. Then, the knowledge that arises together with that consciousness is called "knowledge of recollecting past lives." By the mindfulness associated with that knowledge, one recollects manifold past lives — that is: one life, two lives ... thus he recollects manifold past lives, with their modes and details.

Herein, "even one life" means even one continuum of aggregates, rooted in a single rebirth-linking, ending in death, comprised within a single existence. The same method applies to "even two lives" and so on. As for "even many contracting aeons" and so on: a diminishing aeon should be understood as a "contracting aeon," an expanding one as an "expanding aeon." Herein, by "contraction" is meant also "the state of standing-contracted," since the latter is rooted in the former. And by "expansion" is meant also "the state of standing-expanded" — for, this being so, those four things stated as "these, monks, are the four incalculable periods of an aeon. What four? Contraction, the state of standing-contracted, expansion, and the state of standing-expanded" are thereby all accounted for.

Herein, there are three kinds of contraction: contraction by water, contraction by fire, contraction by wind. There are three boundaries of contraction: the Ābhassara, the Subhakiṇha, and the Vehapphala. When an aeon contracts by fire, everything below the Ābhassara is burned by fire. When it contracts by water, everything below the Subhakiṇha is dissolved by water. When it contracts by wind, everything below the Vehapphala is destroyed by wind. In extent, however, it is always just one Buddha-field that is destroyed at a time.

Now, a "Buddha-field" is of three kinds: the birth-field, the command-field, and the resort-field. Herein, the birth-field extends as far as ten thousand world-systems — this is what trembles at the Tathāgata's conception and the like. The command-field extends as far as a hundred thousand million world-systems, the range within which the power of such protective discourses as the Ratana Sutta, the Khandha Protection, the Dhajagga Protection, the Āṭānāṭiya Protection, and the Peacock Protection operates. The resort-field is boundless, without limit — it is what is meant by "or indeed, as far as he might wish"; within it, whatever the Tathāgata wishes to know, that he knows. Now, among these three Buddha-fields, it is one command-field that is destroyed. And when that is destroyed, the birth-field too is thereby destroyed. And what is destroyed is destroyed all together, and what is re-formed is re-formed all together. In this way should its destruction and re-formation be understood.

For at the time when an aeon is destroyed by fire, first of all, an aeon-destroying great cloud rises up and pours down one great rain over a hundred thousand million world-systems. People, delighted, take out every kind of seed and sow them. But when the crops have grown to just the size that cattle can graze on, then, braying like a donkey, not even a single drop falls — from that time, the rain is cut off entirely. It is with reference to this that the Blessed One said: "There comes a time, monks, when for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, many hundreds of thousands of years, the sky does not rain." Beings dependent on rain die and are reborn in the Brahmā-world, as are the deities that depend on flowers and fruit. As this long span of time passes in this way, water everywhere gradually runs out; then, in due course, even fish and turtles die and are reborn in the Brahmā-world, as do the beings in hell. Some say that the hell-beings perish only at the appearance of the seventh sun.

But there is no rebirth in the Brahmā-world without jhāna — and some of these beings are afflicted by famine, others simply incapable of attaining jhāna at all; how, then, are they reborn there? By virtue of jhāna attained in the deva-world. For at that time, thinking, "at the end of a hundred thousand years, the arising of the aeon's end will occur," deities of the sense sphere called Lokabyūhā, with hair unbound and disheveled, weeping, wiping away their tears with their hands, clad in red garments, appearing in an exceedingly disfigured guise, wander throughout the human world, making this announcement: "Good sirs, at the end of a hundred thousand years from now, the end of the aeon will occur. This world will be destroyed. The great ocean itself will dry up. This great earth, and Sineru the king of mountains, will burn and be destroyed. The destruction of the world will reach as far as the Brahmā-world. Develop loving-kindness, good sirs; develop compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, good sirs. Attend upon your mother, attend upon your father; honor the elders of your clan."

Hearing their words, the majority of human beings and earth-bound deities, moved to a sense of urgency, becoming tender-hearted toward one another, perform such meritorious deeds as loving-kindness, and are reborn in the deva-world. There, having eaten divine ambrosial food, and having done the preliminary work on the wind-kasiṇa, they attain jhāna. Others still are reborn in the deva-world by virtue of kamma to be experienced at some indefinite future time — for there is no being at all, wandering on in the round of rebirth, devoid of kamma to be experienced at an indefinite future time. They too attain jhāna there in that same way. Thus, all of them, by virtue of jhāna attained in the deva-world, are reborn in the Brahmā-world.

But after the cutting-off of the rain, at the end of a long span of time, a second sun appears. This too was spoken of by the Blessed One: "There comes a time, monks..." — the discourse on the seven suns should be given in full. And when it has appeared, neither the boundary of night nor of day is discerned; one sun rises, another sets — the world is under the unbroken heat of the sun. And just as with the ordinary sun there is a sun-deity, so with the aeon-destroying sun there is none. When the ordinary sun is present, clouds and wisps of smoke still move across the sky; but when the aeon-destroying sun is present, the sky is stainless, like the disc of a mirror, free of cloud and smoke. Apart from the five great rivers, the water in the remaining lesser rivers and so on dries up.

Then, at the end of a further long span of time, a third sun appears, at whose appearance even the great rivers dry up. Then, at the end of a further long span, a fourth sun appears, at whose appearance the seven great lakes that are the source of the great Himalayan rivers — Sīhapapāta, Haṃsapātana, Kaṇṇamuṇḍaka, Rathakāra, Anotatta, Chaddanta, and Kuṇāla — dry up. Then, at the end of a further long span, a fifth sun appears, at whose appearance the water in the great ocean gradually recedes until not even enough remains to wet a finger-joint. Then, at the end of a further long span, a sixth sun appears, at whose appearance the entire world-system becomes a single mass of smoke, its moisture entirely consumed by smoke — and just as with this world-system, so too with the hundred thousand million world-systems. Then, at the end of a further long span, a seventh sun appears, at whose appearance the entire world-system, together with the hundred thousand million world-systems, becomes a single mass of flame. The peaks of Sineru, though a hundred leagues and more in height, crumble and vanish into the very sky. That fire-blaze, rising up, seizes the realm of the Four Great Kings; there, having burned up the golden mansions, the jeweled mansions, and the gem mansions, it seizes the Tāvatiṃsa realm. By this same method, it seizes up to the first-jhāna plane; there, having burned up all three Brahmā-worlds as well, it comes to rest, having reached the Ābhassara realm. As long as even the slightest trace of conditioned phenomena remains, it does not go out. But with the complete exhaustion of all conditioned phenomena, like a flame burning up ghee and oil, it goes out without leaving even ash behind. The space below and the space above become one, a single great darkness.

Then, at the end of a long span of time, a great cloud rises up and, at first, rains down in the finest possible drops. Gradually, raining in streams the size of lotus-stalks, pestles, and palm-trunks, it fills every scorched place across the hundred thousand million world-systems, and then vanishes. Wind, arising both from below and from the sides, makes that water dense and round, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. How, one might ask, does it make so great a mass of water dense? By giving it, here and there, an opening to escape through. That water, being thus compressed by the wind, made dense, and diminishing, gradually descends. As it descends further and further, Brahmā-worlds appear at the level of the Brahmā-world, and, above, deva-worlds appear at the level of the four sense-sphere deva-realms.

But when it has descended to the level of the former earth, powerful winds arise. These hold it back, motionless, the way water held in a closed-mouth water-strainer is held without any outflow. That sweet water, as it gradually diminishes, gives rise, on its surface, to a savor-earth. This is endowed with color and with fragrance and flavor, like the skin that forms on the surface of rice-milk cooked without water added.

At that time, beings who had earlier been reborn in the Ābhassara Brahmā-world, their lifespan or their merit exhausted, pass away from there and are reborn here. They are self-luminous and move through the sky. They, in the manner described in the Aggañña Sutta, taste that savor-earth, and, overcome by craving, set about consuming it greedily by the handful. Then their self-luminescence vanishes, and there is darkness. Seeing the darkness, they become afraid.

Then, dispelling their fear and producing a sense of courage, a sun-disc, fully fifty leagues across, appears. Seeing it, they are delighted and glad, thinking, "we have regained light," and they say, "having dispelled the fear of us who were afraid, and having produced a sense of courage, it has arisen — therefore, let it be 'the sun'"; and so they give it the name "sun."

Then, when the sun, having given light for the day, sets, they become afraid once more, thinking, "even the light we had gained, that too is lost to us." It occurs to them, "how good it would be if we could obtain another light." As though knowing their thought, a moon-disc, forty-nine leagues across, appears. Seeing it, delighted and glad to an even greater degree, they say, "as though knowing our wish, it has arisen — therefore, let it be 'the moon'"; and so they give it the name "moon." Thus, when the sun and moon have appeared, the constellations and the forms of the stars appear as well.

From then on, night and day become distinguishable, and in due course, months, half-months, seasons, and years. But it is on the very day the sun and moon appear that Mount Sineru, the ring of the world-system, and the Himalayan mountains appear as well. And they appear neither earlier nor later than this — precisely on the full-moon day of the month of Phagguṇa. How so? It is just as, when millet-porridge is being cooked, bubbles arise all at once across its surface: certain patches become heaped up, certain patches become depressed, certain patches remain level. In just the same way, mountains form where the ground is heaped up, oceans where it is depressed, and continents where it remains level.

Then, as these beings feed on the savor-earth, in due course some become endowed with good complexion, others of poor complexion. Among these, those of good complexion come to despise those of poor complexion. On account of their conceit, that savor-earth itself vanishes. An earth-crust appears. Then, by that same pattern, this too vanishes. A spreading creeper appears. By that same pattern, this too vanishes. Self-propagating rice appears — huskless, chaffless, pure, fragrant, and yielding grain.

Then vessels arise for them. They put the rice into a vessel and set it upon the surface of a rock; a flame rises up by itself and cooks it. That boiled rice becomes like a jasmine blossom, and it needs no curry or condiment at all — whatever flavor they wish to eat, that very flavor it becomes. As they consume this coarse food, from that time excrement and urine come to be produced in them. Then wound-openings burst forth for their elimination, and the state of manhood appears in the man, and the state of womanhood in the woman.

Then, indeed, the woman gazes overlong upon the man, and the man upon the woman. On account of their overlong gazing, sensual fever arises in them. Then they engage in sexual intercourse. Being reproached and troubled by the wise on account of this indulgence in an unrighteous practice, they build houses for the purpose of concealing that unrighteous act. Dwelling in a house, in due course, following the example set by a certain lazy-natured being, they begin to hoard provisions. From that time, bran and husk come to enclose the rice-grain, and what has been reaped no longer grows again on its own.

Gathering together, they lament: "Evil states, indeed, sirs, have appeared among beings — for we were formerly mind-made" — this should be given in full detail in the manner stated in the Aggañña Sutta. Then they establish boundary-marks. Then a certain being takes, without its being given, another's share. Having been rebuked twice, on the third occasion they strike him with hand, clod, or stick. Thus, when taking what is not given, reproach, false speech, and the taking up of the stick have arisen, they gather together and think: "suppose we were to appoint one being who, on our behalf, would properly rebuke whoever should be rebuked, properly reproach whoever should be reproached, properly banish whoever should be banished — and we, in turn, would grant him a share of our rice."

Now, among beings who had thus come to this resolution, it was this very Blessed One, in this present aeon, then existing as a bodhisatta, who was, at that time, among those beings, the more handsome, the more comely to look upon, the more majestic, and endowed with wisdom, capable of restraint and encouragement alike. They approached him, requested him, and appointed him. He became known by three names: "the Great Elect" (Mahāsammata), because he was elected by the great body of the people; "the Lord of the Fields" (Khattiya), because he was lord over the fields; and "the King" (Rājā), because he delighted others fairly, by righteous means. For whatever is a wondrous matter in the world, the bodhisatta is always the first person in it — thus, with the bodhisatta established first in the circle of nobles, in due course the brahmin and other classes were established as well.

Herein, from the appearance of the aeon-destroying great cloud until the cutting-off of the flame, this is called the first incalculable period, "contraction." From the cutting-off of the aeon-destroying flame until the great cloud that fills up the hundred thousand million world-systems, bringing about the re-formation, this is called the second incalculable period, "the state of standing-contracted." From that great cloud of re-formation until the appearance of the sun and moon, this is called the third incalculable period, "expansion." From the appearance of the sun and moon until the next aeon-destroying great cloud, this is called the fourth incalculable period, "the state of standing-expanded." These four incalculable periods together make one great aeon. Thus, firstly, should destruction and re-formation by fire be understood.

But at the time when an aeon is destroyed by water, from the very outset, it should be elaborated in exactly the same way as stated before, beginning with the appearance of the aeon-destroying great cloud. This, however, is the difference: just as, in the previous case, a second sun appeared, so here, a caustic-water aeon-destroying great cloud arises instead. Raining at first in the finest drops, it gradually rains in great streams, filling the hundred thousand million world-systems. Wherever this caustic water touches, the earth, the mountains, and the rest dissolve away; the water is held everywhere by winds. The water rises from the earth up to the second-jhāna plane; there, having dissolved all three of the Brahmā-worlds as well, it comes to rest, having reached the Subhakiṇha realm. As long as even the slightest trace of conditioned phenomena remains, it does not subside. But, overwhelming all conditioned phenomena that remain within its reach, it suddenly subsides and vanishes entirely. The space below and the space above become one, a single great darkness — all just as described before. The only difference here is that the world reappears beginning with the Ābhassara Brahmā-world, and beings, passing away from the Subhakiṇha realm, are reborn in the Ābhassara realm and the like.

Herein, from the appearance of the aeon-destroying great cloud until the cutting-off of the aeon-destroying water, this is one incalculable period. From the cutting-off of the water until the great cloud of re-formation, this is a second incalculable period ... these four incalculable periods together make one great aeon. Thus should destruction and re-formation by water be understood.

At the time when an aeon is destroyed by wind, from the very outset, it should be elaborated in exactly the same way as stated before, beginning with the appearance of the aeon-destroying great cloud. This, however, is the difference: just as, in the previous case, a second sun appeared, so here, a wind arises for the purpose of destroying the aeon instead. It first raises coarse dust. Then it raises fine dust, fine sand, coarse sand, gravel, stones, and so on, up to boulders the size of a peaked roof-chamber, and even great trees standing in uneven places. These, having risen from the earth into the sky, do not fall back again — they simply crumble to powder there and vanish.

Then, in due course, wind arises from beneath the great earth, turns the earth upside down, roots uppermost, and flings it into the sky. Sections of earth even a hundred leagues across break apart into pieces two, three, four, and up to five hundred leagues in size and, flung by the force of the wind, crumble to powder in the very sky and vanish. The wind lifts up the mountains of the world-ring and Mount Sineru itself and flings them into the sky; these, striking against one another, crumble to powder and are destroyed. By this same method, destroying the mansions on the earth and the mansions in the sky, and destroying the six sense-sphere deva-worlds, it destroys the hundred thousand million world-systems. There, world-systems collide with world-systems, Himalayas with Himalayas, Sinerus with Sinerus, colliding with one another and crumbling to powder and perishing. The wind takes hold from the earth up to the third-jhāna plane; there, having destroyed all three Brahmā-worlds as well, it comes to rest, having reached the Vehapphala realm. Thus, having destroyed all conditioned phenomena, it destroys itself as well. The space below and the space above become one, a single great darkness — all just as described before. Here, however, the world reappears beginning with the Subhakiṇha Brahmā-world, and beings, passing away from the Vehapphala realm, are reborn in the Subhakiṇha realm and the like.

Herein, from the appearance of the aeon-destroying great cloud until the cutting-off of the aeon-destroying wind, this is one incalculable period. From the cutting-off of the wind until the great cloud of re-formation, this is a second incalculable period ... these four incalculable periods together make one great aeon. Thus should destruction and re-formation by wind be understood.

For what reason is the world destroyed in this way? By reason of the unwholesome roots. For when the unwholesome roots are predominant, the world is destroyed in this way. When lust is the more predominant, it is destroyed by fire. When hatred is the more predominant, it is destroyed by water — though some say that when hatred is the more predominant, it is destroyed by fire, and when lust is the more predominant, by water. When delusion is the more predominant, it is destroyed by wind. And, being destroyed in this way, it is destroyed by fire seven times in unbroken succession; on the eighth occasion, by water. Then again seven times by fire, and on the eighth occasion, by water — thus, being destroyed on every eighth occasion in this way, having been destroyed seven times by water, it is destroyed a further seven times by fire. By this point, sixty-three aeons have passed. At this point, having forestalled even the arrived turn for destruction by water, wind, now given its opportunity, destroys the world, annihilating a Subhakiṇha realm whose full lifespan of sixty-four aeons has been completed.

And a monk who is recollecting past lives, one who is recollecting aeons, does indeed recollect, among these aeons, many contracting aeons, many expanding aeons, and many contracting-and-expanding aeons. How? By the method beginning, "I was in such a place..."

Herein, "I was there" means: in such a contracting aeon, I was in such an existence, or birth-realm, or destiny, or station of consciousness, or abode of beings, or class of beings. "Such was my name": Tissa, or Phussa. "Such was my clan": Kaccāna, or Kassapa. This is said with reference to recollecting one's own name and clan in that past existence. But if, at that time, he also wishes to recollect his own good or poor complexion, his coarse or refined manner of livelihood, his abundance of pleasure or of pain, or his short or long lifespan, he recollects that as well. Hence it is said, "such was my appearance ... such the limit of my life."

Herein, "such was my appearance" means fair or dark. "Such was my food" means having rice-and-meat as food, or living on windfall fruit. "Such my experience of pleasure and pain" means the experiencing, in many different ways, of bodily and mental pleasures and pains, whether carnal, non-carnal, or otherwise classified. "Such the limit of my life" means a lifespan bounded, say, by a measure of a hundred years, or by eighty-four hundred thousand aeons. "Passing away from there, I arose there": meaning, I, having passed away from that existence, birth-realm, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings, or class of beings, arose again in such-and-such a named existence, birth-realm, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings, or class of beings. "And there too I was": then, in that existence, birth-realm, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings, or class of beings as well, I existed once more. "Such was my name" and so on follows the method already stated.

Moreover, since "I was there" refers to the recollection, ascending step by step, of as much as one wishes, while "passing away from there" is the reviewing of one who is now turning back — it should be understood that "arose there" is said with reference to the place of rebirth immediately following this present rebirth here. "And there too I was" and so on is said for the purpose of showing the recollection of name, clan, and the rest at the place of rebirth immediately following that rebirth. "Passing away from there, I was reborn here" means: I, having passed away from that immediately preceding place of rebirth, was reborn here, in such-and-such a named noble family or brahmin family. "Thus" means "in this way." "With its modes, with its designation": with its designation by way of name and clan, with its modes by way of complexion and the rest. For a being is designated by name and clan — "Tissa," "Kassapa" — while by complexion and the rest, one is known by way of variety — "dark," "fair." Therefore, name and clan are the designation; the others are the modes. "He recollects manifold past lives" — this much is self-evident in meaning.

The discussion of the knowledge of recollecting past lives is finished.

In the discussion of beings' knowledge of passing away and rebirth: "for the sake of the knowledge of passing away and rebirth" means for the sake of the knowledge of passing away and of rebirth. This is said to mean: for the sake of that knowledge — namely, the divine eye's own knowledge — by which beings' passing away and rebirth are known. "He directs and inclines his mind": he both directs and inclines the preliminary-work consciousness. "He": that monk who has made this directing of the mind. As for "with the divine" and so on: it is divine because it resembles the divine. For devas possess a divine, faculty-based eye, produced by good conduct, unobstructed by bile, phlegm, blood, and the like, and, through its freedom from such impurities, able to receive an object even at a distance. And this knowledge-based eye too, produced by the power of developed effort, is exactly of that same kind — hence it is divine, because it resembles the divine. It is also divine because it is acquired by means of a divine abiding, and because it is itself grounded in a divine abiding. It is also divine on account of its exceptional brightness, gained through the mastery of light. It is also divine on account of its exceptional reach, through its seeing of forms concealed behind walls and the like. All of this should be understood by following the grammatical treatises.

It is an "eye" in the sense of seeing. It is also called an "eye" because it performs the function of an eye. "Purified": because seeing both passing away and rebirth is the cause of the purification of view. For one who sees only passing away, and not rebirth, adopts the view of annihilation. One who sees only rebirth, and not passing away, adopts the view of the sudden coming-into-being of a new being. But one who sees both of these transcends both kinds of wrong view — therefore, that seeing is, for him, the cause of the purification of view. And the Buddha's own children see both of these. Hence it was said: "purified, because seeing both passing away and rebirth is the cause of the purification of view."

"Surpassing the human" should be understood as having gone beyond the range of the human by seeing forms, or as having surpassed the fleshly eye, which is human. "With that divine eye, purified, surpassing the human." "He sees beings": he observes beings just as human beings observe them with the fleshly eye.

As for "passing away, being reborn": it is not possible to see, with the divine eye, the actual moment of death or the actual moment of rebirth-linking. Rather, what is meant by "passing away" are those who are on the verge of death, about to pass away now; and what is meant by "being reborn" are those who have already taken rebirth-linking and have just newly come into being. This shows that he sees beings passing away and being reborn in this sense.

"Base": on account of being affected by the outflow of delusion, looked down upon, despised, disdained, held in contempt, by way of low birth, family, possessions, and the like. "Excellent": the opposite of this, on account of being affected by the outflow of non-delusion. "Fair-complexioned": on account of being affected by the outflow of non-hatred, endowed with a desirable, pleasing, agreeable appearance. "Ugly": on account of being affected by the outflow of hatred, endowed with an undesirable, displeasing, disagreeable appearance — the meaning is also "deformed." "Fortunate": gone to a fortunate destiny; or, on account of being affected by the outflow of non-greed, wealthy, possessed of great riches. "Unfortunate": gone to an unfortunate destiny; or, on account of being affected by the outflow of greed, poor, without enough to eat or drink.

"Faring according to their deeds": having gone according to whatever deed has been accumulated. Herein, by the preceding terms such as "passing away" and so on, the function of the divine eye has been described. But by this term, the function of the knowledge of faring according to deeds is described. And this is the order in which that knowledge arises: here, a monk, having expanded his light downward, toward hell, sees hell-beings undergoing great suffering. That seeing is simply the function of the divine eye. He then reflects thus: "having done what deed, I wonder, do these beings undergo this suffering?" Then, a knowledge having that deed as its object arises in him: "having done such-and-such, indeed." Likewise, having expanded his light upward, toward the deva-world, he sees beings in the Nandana grove, the Missaka grove, the Phārusaka grove, and the like, undergoing great fortune. That seeing, too, is simply the function of the divine eye. He then reflects thus: "having done what deed, I wonder, do these beings undergo this fortune?" Then, a knowledge having that deed as its object arises in him: "having done such-and-such, indeed." This is called the knowledge of faring according to deeds. For this knowledge, there is no separate preliminary work of its own — and the same is true for the knowledge of the future as well. For these are accomplished together with the divine eye itself, having the divine eye alone as their basis.

As for "by bodily misconduct" and so on: conduct that is badly done, or conduct that is bad because it is fouled by defilement, is "misconduct." Misconduct by way of the body, or misconduct arisen from the body, is "bodily misconduct" — the same method applies to the others. "Endowed with": possessed of, having become one with. "Revilers of the noble ones": this means those who, wishing harm to noble ones — Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and disciples, down to even lay stream-enterers — become their revilers, their abusers, their denouncers, either by way of an ultimate charge or by way of disparaging their qualities. Herein, one who says, "these have no ascetic quality at all, they are not true ascetics," reviles by way of an ultimate charge. One who says, "these have no jhāna, no liberation, no path, no fruit," and so on, should be understood to revile by way of disparaging their qualities. And whether he reviles knowingly or unknowingly, in either case it is indeed reviling of the noble ones. It is a grave deed, comparable to the deeds of immediate retribution, an obstruction both to heaven and to the path — yet it is remediable. In order to make this clear, the following story should be known.

It is told that, in a certain village, an elder and a young monk were walking for alms. At the very first house, they received just a ladleful of hot gruel. Now, the elder was troubled by intestinal wind. He thought, "this gruel suits my condition — I shall drink it before it grows cold." Sitting down on a piece of firewood that people had brought for use as a doorsill, he drank it. The other, disgusted at this, said, "overcome by the merest trifle, this old man has done something we ought to be ashamed of." The elder, having gone for alms in the village, returned to the monastery and said to the young monk, "friend, have you attained any firm footing in this dispensation?" "Yes, venerable sir, I am a stream-enterer." "Then, friend, make no further effort toward the higher path — you have reviled one whose taints are destroyed." The young monk then asked the elder's forgiveness. By this, that deed of his became merely ordinary once more.

Therefore, whoever else reviles a noble one should go to that person and, if he himself is senior, should sit in the crouching posture and say, "I said such-and-such to the venerable one — forgive me for that," and thus ask forgiveness. If he is junior, having paid respects, he should sit in the crouching posture, raise his joined hands, and say, "venerable sir, I said such-and-such to you — please forgive me for that," and thus ask forgiveness. If that person has gone abroad, he should either go himself, or send a fellow resident or the like, to ask forgiveness on his behalf.

And if it is possible neither to go himself nor to send someone, he should go to whatever monks reside in that monastery and, if they are junior, sit in the crouching posture; if senior, having proceeded toward them in the manner already stated for seniors, say, "venerable sirs, I said such-and-such to the venerable one named so-and-so — may that venerable one forgive me," and thus ask forgiveness. Even if that person, present in person, does not grant forgiveness, this alone is still what should be done.

If that person is a solitary wanderer, and neither his dwelling-place nor his present whereabouts can be determined, he should go to some wise monk and say, "venerable sir, I said such-and-such to the venerable one named so-and-so; remembering it, I feel remorse — what should I do?" That monk will say, "do not be troubled — the elder forgives you; calm your mind." He should then, facing the direction in which that noble one went, raise his joined hands and say, "may he forgive me." If that person has attained final Nibbāna, he should go to the place of the deathbed, or even all the way to the charnel-ground, and ask forgiveness there as well. When this has been done, there is neither an obstruction to heaven nor an obstruction to the path — the deed becomes merely ordinary once again.

"Of wrong view" means of distorted vision. "Holders of wrong-view-based courses of action" means those who have undertaken various kinds of action by way of wrong view, and who also induce others into bodily action and the rest rooted in wrong view. Reviling the noble ones is indeed a grave fault, comparable to the deeds of immediate retribution — yet there is no fault graver still than wrong view itself. As the Blessed One said: "Monks, I do not see even a single other thing so greatly blameworthy as this, namely, wrong view. Wrong view, monks, is the worst of all faults."

"With the breakup of the body" means with the relinquishing of the aggregates that have been clung to. "After death" means at the taking-hold, immediately following, of the aggregates that then arise. "A woeful state" and the terms that follow are all simply synonyms for hell. For it is a "woeful state" (apāya) because it is devoid (apeta) of the "coming" (aya) that is the cause of heaven and liberation, deemed meritorious — or because it is devoid of the coming of any happiness. It is "a bad destiny" (duggati) because it is a resort, a refuge, for suffering — or because it is a destiny born of an evil deed, on account of an abundance of hatred. It is "a fall" (vinipāta) because those who have done evil deeds collapse there against their will — or because beings, being destroyed, fall there with their limbs breaking apart. It is "hell" (niraya) because it is devoid of the happiness (aya) that is imagined to exist there.

Or alternatively: by the term "woeful state," the animal kingdom is indicated. For the animal kingdom is a woeful state, being devoid of a fortunate destiny, but it is not "a bad destiny" in the full sense, given the existence there of highly eminent beings such as great nāga kings. By the term "a bad destiny," the ghost-realm is indicated. For that realm is both a woeful state and a bad destiny, being devoid of a fortunate destiny and being a resort for suffering — but it is not "a fall" in the full sense, not having fallen there in the manner of the asuras. By the term "a fall," the asura host is indicated. For that host, in the sense already stated, is both a woeful state and a bad destiny, and, on account of having fallen there with the complete collapse of their whole being, is called "a fall." By the term "hell," the many varieties of hell itself, beginning with Avīci, are indicated. "Reborn" means gone to, come into being there — this is the intended meaning. By the reverse of what has been said, the wholesome side should be understood.

This, however, is the difference: there, by the term "a fortunate destiny," the human destiny too is included; by the term "heaven," only the divine destiny is meant. Herein, it is "a fortunate destiny" (sugati) because it is a beautiful destiny. It is "heaven" (sagga) because it is thoroughly excellent (suṭṭhu agga) by way of its objects such as visible forms. And the whole of it is called "world" (loka) in the sense of crumbling and disintegrating — this is the etymological meaning here.

"Thus, with the divine eye" and so on is entirely a summarizing statement. "Thus, with the divine eye ... he sees" — this is the concise meaning here.

Now, a clansman just beginning this practice, wishing to see in this way, having made the basis-jhāna for direct knowledge, with a kasiṇa as its object, thoroughly capable in every respect of being directed at will, should bring near whichever one of these three kasiṇas — the fire kasiṇa, the white kasiṇa, or the light kasiṇa — he chooses. Having made it the object of access concentration, it should be developed and then held there. The intention is that full absorption should not be produced in that context — for if he does produce full absorption, it becomes dependent on the basis-jhāna, not on the preliminary work. Now, among these three, the light kasiṇa alone is the best. Therefore, having produced either that one, or whichever of the other two, in the manner stated in the section on the kasiṇas, it should be developed while remaining fixed precisely at the level of access. The method of its development, too, should be understood in the very manner stated there.

Within the very area that has been developed, forms should be seen. But for one seeing forms in this way, the period of preliminary work eventually lapses. Then the light vanishes. When it has vanished, the forms too are no longer seen. He should then, again and again, enter that same basis-jhāna, and, emerging from it, project the light once more. In this way, the light gradually becomes firm. Herein, "let there be light" — to whatever extent he delimits an area, the light simply remains established there. Even sitting for a whole day, he has the seeing of forms. And a man walking a road at night by the light of a grass-torch is here the illustration.

It is told that a certain man once took to a road at night by the light of a grass-torch. His grass-torch went out. Then the smooth and uneven places were no longer visible to him. He rubbed that grass-torch against the ground and relit it. Once relit, it produced a light greater than the previous one. Thus, relighting it again and again as it went out, in due course the sun rose. When the sun had risen, he discarded the torch, since there was no more need for it, and went on through the day by sunlight alone. Herein, the light of the torch is like the kasiṇa-light at the time of preliminary work. The non-seeing of smooth and uneven places once the torch has gone out is like the non-seeing of forms, once the light has vanished through the lapsing of the period of preliminary work, for one who had been seeing forms. The rubbing of the torch against the ground is like the repeated re-entry into the basis-jhāna. The torch's producing a greater light than before is like the stronger projection of light produced by one performing the preliminary work yet again. The rising of the sun is like the firmly established light standing fixed according to its own delimitation. The discarding of the grass-torch and going on through the day is like discarding the limited light and seeing forms through the whole day by means of the now firmly established light.

Herein, when a form that is outside the range of that monk's fleshly eye — hidden inside the belly, resting on the heart-basis, lying beneath the surface of the earth, situated behind a wall, a mountain, or a rampart, or situated in another world-system entirely — comes within the range of his knowledge-eye, appearing just as if it were being seen with the fleshly eye, then the divine eye should be understood to have arisen. It is that very capacity for seeing form, and not the preceding mind-moments, that is meant here.

But this is a genuine hazard for a worldling. Why? Because, since he determines, "let there be light," in whatever place he wishes, and that place — even having penetrated through earth, ocean, or mountain — becomes filled with a single light, fear arises in him upon seeing, there, terrifying forms such as yakkhas and rakkhasas. On account of this, having fallen into mental derangement, he becomes one whose jhāna is deranged. Therefore, one must be diligent in the seeing of forms.

This, then, is the order in which the divine eye arises: having made a form of the kind described its object, a mind-door adverting arises; when that has ceased, taking that same object, four or five javana-moments arise — all of this should be understood in exactly the manner already stated. Here too, the preceding mind-moments are of the sense sphere, accompanied by initial and sustained thought. The final, purpose-accomplishing consciousness is of the fine-material sphere, pertaining to the fourth jhāna. The knowledge born together with it is called both "knowledge of beings' passing away and rebirth" and "knowledge of the divine eye."

The discussion of the knowledge of passing away and rebirth is finished.

Thus the knower of the five aggregates, the Protector, spoke of five direct knowledges; having understood these, this miscellaneous discussion, too, should be known.

For, among these, that which is reckoned the divine eye — the knowledge of passing away and rebirth — has two further ancillary knowledges of its own: the knowledge of the future, and the knowledge of faring according to deeds. Thus these two, together with the power of resolve and the remaining four, make seven direct knowledges arrived at here. Now, in order to prevent confusion in the classification of their objects —

the Great Sage spoke of four triads of object; let their occurrence be shown among these seven knowledges as well.

Here is the exposition. The Great Sage indeed spoke of four triads of object. What four? The triad of the limited object, the triad of the path-object, the triad of the past object, and the triad of the internal object.

Herein, the knowledge of the kinds of supernormal power occurs by way of seven objects: limited, exalted, past, future, present, internal, and external. How? For when he, having made the body dependent on the mind, wishing to go with an invisible body, brings the body under the mind's influence, causing it to sink into and mount upon the exalted consciousness — since the object then obtained by application is thus described, it is a limited object, on account of the object being the physical body. When he, having made the mind dependent on the body, wishing to go with a visible body, brings the mind under the body's influence, causing the basis-jhāna consciousness to sink into and mount upon the physical body — since the object then obtained by application is thus described, it is an exalted object, on account of the object being the exalted consciousness.

But since that very consciousness, having ceased, takes as its object something past, it is a past object. For those determining a future event, such as Elder Mahākassapa and others at the great relic-deposit, it is a future object. It is told that Elder Mahākassapa, while carrying out the great relic-deposit, determined: "in the future, for two hundred and eighteen years, may these perfumes not dry up, may these flowers not wither, may these lamps not go out." And everything happened exactly so. Elder Assagutta, seeing the community of monks eating dry food at the Vattaniya lodging, determined that a pool of water should become a curd-essence every day, before the meal. What was taken before the meal was curd-essence; after the meal, it was ordinary water once more. But at the time of going with an invisible body, having made the body dependent on the mind, it is a present object.

At the time of bringing the mind under the body's influence, or the body under the mind's influence, and at the time of creating an appearance such as that of a child for oneself, it is an internal object, on account of the object being one's own body and mind. But at the time of showing something external, such as an elephant or a horse, it is an external object. Thus, firstly, should the occurrence of the knowledge of the kinds of supernormal power among its seven objects be understood.

The knowledge of the divine ear-element occurs by way of four objects: limited, present, internal, and external. How? Since it makes sound its object, and sound is limited, it is a limited object. And since it occurs by taking as object only a sound that actually exists, it is a present object. When hearing a sound within one's own body, it is an internal object. When hearing others' sound, it is an external object. Thus should the occurrence of the knowledge of the divine ear-element among its four objects be understood.

The knowledge of penetrating minds occurs by way of eight objects: limited, exalted, measureless, path-related, past, future, present, and external. How? At the time of knowing others' sense-sphere consciousness, it is a limited object. At the time of knowing fine-material and immaterial-sphere consciousness, it is an exalted object. At the time of knowing path-and-fruit consciousness, it is a measureless object.

And here, an ordinary worldling does not know a stream-enterer's mind; nor does a stream-enterer know a once-returner's — and so it should be understood, right up to the level of an Arahant. But an Arahant knows the minds of all. This distinctive point should also be understood: one at a higher stage can know the mind of one below, but not the reverse. At the time the path-consciousness itself is the object, it is a path-object. But when one knows others' minds within the preceding seven days, or within the following seven days, it is then a past object and a future object respectively.

How is it a present object? "Present" is of three kinds: momentary-present, continuity-present, and duration-present. Herein, that which has reached arising, persisting, and dissolution is "momentary-present." That which is comprised within one, two, or three sequences of mental process is "continuity-present." Herein, for one who, sitting in darkness, has gone to a lighted place, the object does not become clear all at once; the interval before it becomes clear should be understood as one, two, or three sequences. Likewise, for one who, having wandered in a lighted place, has entered an inner room, form does not suddenly become clear; the interval before it becomes clear should likewise be understood as one, two, or three sequences. And for one standing at a distance who, seeing the hand-movements of washer-men or the striking-motions upon a gong or drum, does not yet hear the sound, the interval before he hears it should also be understood as one, two, or three sequences. Thus, firstly, say the reciters of the Majjhima.

But the reciters of the Saṃyutta, having spoken of two continuities — material continuity and immaterial continuity — say: for one who, having stepped into water, has come out, as long as the water-line left by his stepping has not yet faded from the bank; for one who has come from a journey, as long as the warmth in his body has not yet subsided; for one who has come in from the sunlight and entered an inner room, as long as the sense of darkness has not yet passed; for one who, having attended to a meditation subject inside a room, opens a window by day and looks out, as long as the flickering in his eyes has not yet subsided — this is called "material continuity." Two or three sequences of javana-consciousness are called "immaterial continuity." Both of these together, they say, are called "continuity-present."

But that which is bounded within a single existence is called "duration-present." It is with reference to this that it was said in the Bhaddekaratta Sutta: "and, friend, that mind, and those phenomena, both of these are present; if, in that present, consciousness is bound by desire and lust, then, being so bound, one delights in it; delighting in it, one is carried away by present phenomena." Continuity-present is what appears in the commentaries; duration-present, in the discourse itself.

Herein, some say that momentary-present consciousness is the object of the knowledge of penetrating minds. For what reason? Because the mind of the possessor of power and the mind of the other person arise at one and the same moment. And this is their simile: just as, when a handful of flowers is thrown into the air, one flower's stem inevitably meets another flower's stem — so too, when the mind of the great multitude of people is adverted to collectively, thinking, "I shall know another's mind," one particular mind inevitably meets one particular mind, whether at the moment of its arising, its persisting, or its dissolving. But one who adverts in this way for even a hundred or a thousand years — the mind with which he adverts, and the mind with which he knows, cannot both occupy the same place at once, since adverting and javana cannot occur in the same location; and there is the further fault that, at the moment of failure, the object would then have to become something entirely different. For these reasons, this view is rejected in the commentaries as untenable.

Rather, it should be understood that continuity-present and duration-present are what serve as the object. Herein, another's mind occurring within a period equivalent to two or three mind-process-courses of javana, whether past or future relative to the currently occurring javana-course, is entirely called "continuity-present." "But duration-present should be illustrated by way of a single javana-course" — so it is said in the Saṃyutta commentary, and this is well said.

Here is the explanation. A possessor of power, wishing to know another's mind, adverts; that adverting, having taken the momentary-present as its object, ceases together with it. Then follow four or five javana-moments. Of these, the last is the knowledge-of-power consciousness; the rest are of the sense sphere. For all of these, that same ceased consciousness is the object — they do not have differing objects, since, by way of duration, it counts as a present object. And even where the object is thus one and the same, it is the knowledge-of-power consciousness alone, and not the others, that actually knows another's mind — just as, at the eye-door, it is eye-consciousness alone, and not the others, that sees a visible form. Thus, this is a present object by way of both continuity-present and duration-present. Or, since continuity-present itself also falls within duration-present, it should be understood that this is a present object by way of duration-present specifically. And it is an external object simply because its object is another's mind. Thus should the occurrence of the knowledge of penetrating minds among its eight objects be understood.

The knowledge of recollecting past lives occurs by way of eight objects: limited, exalted, measureless, path-related, past, internal, external, and inexpressible. How? At the time of recollecting sense-sphere aggregates, it is a limited object. At the time of recollecting fine-material or immaterial-sphere aggregates, it is an exalted object. At the time of recollecting the path developed and the fruit realized, whether by oneself or by others, in the past, it is a measureless object. At the time of recollecting only the path developed, it is a path-object. This knowledge, however, is by rule always a past object as well.

Herein, although the knowledge of penetrating minds and the knowledge of faring according to deeds also take past objects, still, for the knowledge of penetrating minds, the object is only a mind that is past within the preceding seven days — for it does not know any other aggregate, or anything bound up with the aggregates. It is called a path-object only in a figurative sense, on account of its object being consciousness associated with the path. For the knowledge of faring according to deeds, the past object is only volition itself. But for the knowledge of recollecting past lives, there is nothing among past aggregates or things bound up with the aggregates that is not its object. For, with respect to past aggregates and things bound up with the aggregates, it partakes of the range of omniscient knowledge itself — this distinction should be understood. This is the commentarial method here. But since it is said in the Paṭṭhāna, "wholesome aggregates are a condition, by way of object-condition, for the knowledge of the kinds of supernormal power, for the knowledge of penetrating minds, for the knowledge of recollecting past lives, for the knowledge of faring according to deeds, and for the knowledge of the future" — therefore, all four aggregates are objects for the knowledge of penetrating minds and the knowledge of faring according to deeds as well; and among these, for the knowledge of faring according to deeds specifically, they are wholesome and unwholesome aggregates alone.

At the time of recollecting one's own aggregates, this is an internal object. At the time of recollecting another's aggregates, it is an external object. By the method of "in the past, the Blessed One Vipassī existed; his mother was Bandhumatī, his father was Bandhumā," and so on, at the time of recollecting name, clan, earth-signs, and the like, it is an inexpressible object. Herein, "name and clan" should be understood as the connection to the aggregates established by convention — that is, the sense conveyed by the term, not the term itself. For the term itself, being included within the sound-base, is a limited object. As it is said: "analytical knowledge of language has a limited object." This is our own preferred position here. Thus should the occurrence of the knowledge of recollecting past lives among its eight objects be understood.

The knowledge of the divine eye occurs by way of four objects: limited, present, internal, and external. How? Since it makes visible form its object, and visible form is limited, it is a limited object. And since it occurs only with respect to visible form that actually exists, it is a present object. At the time of seeing form within one's own body and the like, it is an internal object. At the time of seeing another's form, it is an external object. Thus should the occurrence of the knowledge of the divine eye among its four objects be understood.

The knowledge of the future occurs by way of eight objects: limited, exalted, measureless, path-related, future, internal, external, and inexpressible. How? At the time of knowing, "this one will be reborn, in the future, in the sense sphere," it is a limited object. At the time of knowing, "he will be reborn in the fine-material or immaterial sphere," it is an exalted object. At the time of knowing, "he will develop the path, he will realize the fruit," it is a measureless object. At the time of knowing simply, "he will develop the path," it is a path-object. This knowledge, however, is by rule always a future object as well.

Herein, although the knowledge of penetrating minds also takes a future object, still, its object is only a mind that is future within the following seven days — for it does not know any other aggregate, or anything bound up with the aggregates. For the knowledge of the future, in the manner already stated for the knowledge of recollecting past lives, there is nothing in the future that is not its object. At the time of knowing, "I shall be reborn in such a place," it is an internal object. At the time of knowing, "such-and-such a person will be reborn in such a place," it is an external object. And by the method of, "in the future, the Blessed One Metteyya will arise; a brahmin named Subrahmā will be his father; a brahmin woman named Brahmavatī will be his mother," and so on, at the time of knowing name and clan, it is, in exactly the manner already stated for the knowledge of recollecting past lives, an inexpressible object. Thus should the occurrence of the knowledge of the future among its eight objects be understood.

The knowledge of faring according to deeds occurs by way of five objects: limited, exalted, past, internal, and external. How? At the time of knowing a sense-sphere deed, it is a limited object. At the time of knowing a fine-material or immaterial-sphere deed, it is an exalted object. Since it knows only what is past, it is a past object. At the time of knowing one's own deed, it is an internal object. At the time of knowing another's deed, it is an external object. Thus should the occurrence of the knowledge of faring according to deeds among its five objects be understood. And where it is said here to be both an internal object and an external object, this means that, at times knowing internally and at times knowing externally, it does indeed also become an internal-and-external object.

Thus, in the Path of Purification, composed for the joy of good people,
the discussion called "The Discussion of the Direct Knowledges"
constitutes the thirteenth chapter.