In the Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi [250]
36 Spk: The worldling’s mental process is like the soiled cloth. The three contemplations (of impermanence, suffering, and nonself) are like the three cleansers. The mental process of the nonreturner is like the cloth that has been washed with the three cleansers. The defilements to be eradicated by the path of arahantship are like the residual smell of the cleansers. The knowledge of the path of arahantship is like the sweetly scented chest, and the destruction of all defilements by that path is like the vanishing of the residual smell of the cleansers from the cloth after it has been placed in the chest.
37 That is, outside the Buddha’s teaching.
38 As I understand it, “that which is their destination … their final goal” is Nibbāna. We have here another essential difference between the trainee and the arahant: the trainee sees Nibbāna, the destination of the five faculties, that in which they culminate, their fruit and final goal; however, he cannot “contact it with the body,” cannot enter upon the full experience of it. In contrast, the arahant both sees the final goal and can fully experience it here and now.
39 These are the thirty-seven bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, lit. “states pertaining to enlightenment,” more freely: “aids to enlightenment.” On the four establishments of mindfulness, see Text VII,2 and Text VIII,8 for details and SN chapter 47. The four right kinds of striving are equivalent to right effort, for which see Text VII,2 and SN chapter 49. The four bases for spiritual power are: concentration due to (1) desire, or (2) energy, or (3) mind, or (4) investigation, with volitional forces of striving; see SN chapter 51. The five faculties are at Text X,1(2); see SN chapter 48 for details. The five powers are the same five factors as the faculties, but with greater strength. The seven factors of enlightenment are at Text VIII,9; see SN chapter 46. The Noble Eightfold Path is at Text VII,2; see SN chapter 45.
40 Ps identifies this as the equanimity of the fourth jhāna. Ps says that Pukkusāti had already achieved the fourth jhāna and was deeply attached to it. The Buddha first praises this equanimity to inspire Pukkusāti’s confidence, and then gradually guides him to the formless attainments and the supramundane paths and fruits.
41 The sense is: If he attains the base of the infinity of space and passes away while still attached to it, he would be reborn in the plane of the infinity of space and would live there for the full lifespan of 20,000 eons specified for that plane. In the higher three formless planes the lifespan is said to be, respectively, 40,000 eons, 60,000 eons, and 84,000 eons.
42 Ps: This is said in order to show the danger in the formless attainments. By the one phrase, “This would be conditioned,” he shows: “Even though the lifespan there is 20,000 eons, it is conditioned, fashioned, built up. It is thus impermanent, unstable, not lasting, transient. It is subject to perishing, breaking up, and dissolution; it is involved with birth, aging, and death, founded upon suffering. It is not a shelter, a place of safety, a refuge. Having passed away there as a worldling, one can still be reborn in the four states of misery.”
43 So n’eva abhisaṅkharoti nābhisañcetayati bhavāya vā vibhavāya. The two verbs suggest the notion of volition as a constructive power that builds up and sustains conditioned existence. Ceasing to will for either existence or nonexistence shows the extinction of craving for eternal existence and annihilation.
44 Ps says that at this point Pukkusāti penetrated three paths and fruits, becoming a nonreturner. He realized that his teacher was the Buddha himself, but he could not express this realization since the Buddha continued with his discourse.
45 This passage shows the arahant’s abiding in the Nibbāna element with residue remaining (sa-upādisesa nibbānadhātu); see Text IX,5(5). Though he continues to experience feelings, he is free from lust toward