The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [184]
“Friend, right view is assisted by five factors when it has deliverance of mind for its fruit, deliverance of mind for its fruit and benefit, when it has deliverance by wisdom for its fruit, deliverance by wisdom for its fruit and benefit. Here, friend, right view is assisted by virtue, learning, discussion, serenity, and insight. Right view assisted by these five factors has deliverance of mind for its fruit, deliverance of mind for its fruit and benefit; it has deliverance by wisdom for its fruit, deliverance by wisdom for its fruit and benefit.”441
(BEING)
15. “Friend, how many kinds of being are there?”
“There are these three kinds of being, friend: sense-sphere being, fine-material being, and immaterial being.”
16. “Friend, how is renewal of being in the future generated?”
“Friend, renewal of being in the future is generated through the delighting in this and that on the part of beings who are hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving.”442
17. “Friend, how is renewal of being in the future not generated?”
“Friend, with the fading away of ignorance, with the arising of true knowledge, and with the cessation of craving, renewal of being in the future is not generated.”
(THE FIRST JHĀNA)
18. “Friend, what is the first jhāna?”
“Here, friend, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. This is called the first jhāna.”
19. “Friend, how many factors does the first jhāna have?”
“Friend, the first jhāna has five factors. Here, when a bhikkhu has entered upon the first jhāna, there occur applied thought, sustained thought, rapture, pleasure, and unification of mind. That is how the first jhāna has five factors.”
20. “Friend, how many factors are abandoned in the first jhāna and how many factors are possessed?”
“Friend, in the first jhāna five factors are abandoned and five factors are possessed. Here, when a bhikkhu has entered upon the first jhāna, sensual desire is abandoned, ill will is abandoned, sloth and torpor are abandoned, restlessness and remorse [295] are abandoned, and doubt is abandoned; and there occur applied thought, sustained thought, rapture, pleasure, and unification of mind. That is how in the first jhāna five factors are abandoned and five factors are possessed.”
(THE FIVE FACULTIES)
21. “Friend, these five faculties each have a separate field, a separate domain, and do not experience each other’s field and domain, that is, the eye faculty, the ear faculty, the nose faculty, the tongue faculty, and the body faculty. Now of these five faculties, each having a separate field, a separate domain, not experiencing each other’s field and domain, what is their resort, what experiences their fields and domains?”443
“Friend, these five faculties each have a separate field, a separate domain, and do not experience each other’s field and domain, that is, the eye faculty, the ear faculty, the nose faculty, the tongue faculty, and the body faculty. Now these five faculties, each having a separate field, a separate domain, not experiencing each other’s field and domain, have mind as their resort, and mind experiences their fields and domains.”
22. “Friend, as to these five faculties—that is, the eye faculty, the ear faculty, the nose faculty, the tongue faculty, and the body faculty—what do these five faculties stand in dependence on?”
“Friend, as to these five faculties—that is, the eye faculty, the ear faculty, the nose faculty, the tongue faculty, and the body faculty—these five faculties stand in dependence on vitality.”444
“Friend, what does vitality stand in dependence on?”
“Vitality stands in dependence on heat.”445
“Friend, what does heat stand in dependence on?”