Dear Connie and friends,
Thanks very much, Connie.
op 22-06-2004 20:45 schreef connieparker op
connieparker@...:
>
> AN IV, 4, 1 The Wheel
> A"nguttaranikaayo
> Catukkanipaatapaa.li
> 4. Cakkavaggo
> 1. Cakkasutta.m
Remark. I was thinking about it why these four favorable conditions are
called wheels. I think because a carriage cannot go without four wheels.
Evenso these four factors are among the necessary conditions for the arising
of kusala citta. Cakka can also mean: means, quality, good condition.
Anyone else has ideas?
The form cattaarimaani: I thought of -maani, pl neuter from maa (stem:
mant), such as satimaa, having sati, with sati. Stem: satimant. Perhaps it
only denotes that four is an attribute to wheels?
attasammaapa.nidhi: this is often translated as : perfect adjustment of
oneself, or self control. The Commentary gives: aspiration or decision for
all that is wholesome. So I chose rather aspiration.
In the verse: siyaa, optative, there may (would) be. (Warder, Ch 14.)
Adhivattati: to result, proceed. But there is a word association with
vattati, the rolling of the wheels.
The Wheel Sutta.
Cattaarimaani bhikkhave, cakkaani,
four (pl) fold/ monks/ wheels
there are four wheels, monks,
yehi samannaagataana.m devamanussaana.m catucakka.m vattati,
by which/ possessed/ for devas and men/ four wheels/ rolls
and for devas and men who possess these, fourfold prosperity is rolling on.
yehi samannaagataa devamanussaa
of which/ possessed/ devas and men
The devas and men who are possessed of these
nacirasseva mahantatta.m vepullatta.m paapu.nanti bhogesu.
in no long time/ greatness/ abundance / attain/ /in prosperity
reach in no long time greatness and abundance in prosperity.
Katamaani cattaari?
which ones/the four?
Which are the four?
Patiruupa/desa/vaaso, sappurisa/avassayo
suitable/region/living noble persons/association
Living in a suitable place, association with noble persons,
atta/sammaa/pa.nidhi/, pubbe ca kata/pu~n~nataa-
self/right/ aspiration/ formerly/ and/ done/ meritorious deeds
right aspiration, and meritorious deeds formerly done.
imaani kho, bhikkhave, cattaari cakkaani,
these/indeed/ monks/ four/ wheels,
These are truly, monks, the four wheels,
yehi samannaagataana.m devamanussaana.m catucakka.m vattati,
and the devas and men who are possessed of these
yehi samannaagataa devamanussaa nacirasseva mahantatta.m vepullatta.m
paapu.nanti bhogesuu>ti.
reach in no long time greatness and abundance in prosperity.
Verse:
Patiruupe vase dese,
Suitable/live/in a place
If one lives in a suitable place
ariya/mitta/karo siyaa;
noble/friend/making/ there may be
and has noble friendship;
sammaa/pa.nidhi/sampanno,
right/aspiration/endowed
and has right aspiration
pubbe pu~n~nakato naro;
formerly/merit done/ a hero
and, as a hero, has formerly done meritorious deeds;
dha~n~na.m dhana.m yaso kitti,
grain/ wealth/ honour/fame
grain, wealth, honour, fame,
sukha~nceta.m adhivattatii>ti.
happiness/and/this/roll
and all this happiness will be theresult for him.
Commentary: as to association with noble persons, the Co remarks: drawing
near and sitting close to the Buddha etc. N: this means: listening to noble
persons.
As to right aspiration: someone may have many activities and has no
confidence in kusala, but then he may have abandoned this lack of confidence
and applied himself to all good qualities such as confidence.
As to meritorious deeds formerly done, this means that someone has
accumulated kusala kamma. This is the subject of this sutta: because of
kusala kamma performed by the citta that is accompanied by paññaa is the
condiiton for someone to enter a suitable country, to meet a noble person
and thus he will have right aspiration.
As to sukha~nceta.m adhivattatii: that happiness will be abundant and
overwhelming for him.
***
I shall place this sutta in a wider context. The Tiika to the Visuddhimagga
XIV, 83 deals with the first type of kusala citta, associated with paññaa
and accompanied by pleasant feeling, unprompted. The text is partly similar
to the Atthasaalinii, that comments on the Dhammasanga.nii.
We read in the <Atthasaalinii> (Expositor p. 100):
<A person thinking: 'I ought to do meritorious deeds,' has his mind
'determined' for moral acts, 'bent' only on moral acts by inhibiting immoral
acts, well 'trained' by constant practice of good.>
As to the word 'bent on' , the Pali has: pari.naamita, bend to, change into.
There can be a change from akusala to kusala if one understands the right
conditions to be cultivated. An abundance of right reflection is also a
condition for kusala. We need good friends who give us stimulating talks.
We then read that the Tiika to the Visuddhimagga XIV, 83 refers to the four
wheels that are favorable conditions for the arising of kusala citta with
right understanding. These four wheels are: living in a suitable place,
association with noble persons, right aspiration, and meritorious deeds
formerly done. (See AN IV, 4, 1, The Wheel).
Further on the Tiika mentions as conditions for the citta to be accompanied
by wisdom: past kamma, maturity of the faculties, that is to say: the
faculties of confidence, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom which
have to be developed. Another factor is one¹s age. The age from forty to
fifty is the most favorable age to develop wisdom according to the
Visuddhimagga.
Kusala citta accompanied by wisdom needs many conditions, some stemming from
the past and others that are of the present.
The Dhammasanga.nii, when dealing with the first type of kusala citta,
states: <At the occasion (yasmi.m samaye) when kusala citta belonging to the
sense sphere has arisen accompanied by joy and associated with knowledge,
unprompted...> and then it enumerates the many cetasikas that assist the
citta. The ³Expositor² (p. 76 etc.) explains numerous meanings of samaya,
such as: time or occasion, concurrence of causes, moment. It explains that
the <four wheels> should be classed as the one moment in the sense of
occasion, they form the occasion for the production of merit. It states: <It
does not occur without there being a concurrence of circumstances, such as
existence as a human being, the rise of the Buddha, and the stability of the
good Law, etc.... > It shows the extreme shortness of the time in the
occurrence of kusala citta and it points out <the extreme rarity of such
moments>. It stresses that advice has been given that we should have
strenuousness and earnestness in pa.tivedha, realization of the truth, since
this is very difficult: <as difficult for the mind as stringing pearls in
the dark by a lightning-flash, because of its extremely short duration.>
Samaya can also mean group, and this shows the simultaneous occurrence of
many dhammas. The kusala citta is accompanied by many cetasikas, each
performing their own function.
By samaya is shown the concurrence of conditions, the mutual contribution
towards the production of a common result. The Expositor explains with
regard to samaya as condition: <By this word showing thus the condition, the
conceit of one who believes that states unconditionally follow one¹s own
will is subdued.>
When we learn about all the different factors that are necessary conditions
for the arising of one moment of kusala citta with paññaa we are reminded
that kusala citta does not belong to us and that it falls away immediately.
Kusala citta is very rare and even more so kusala citta with paññaa. We have
accumulated a great amount of akusala and thus there are conditions for its
arising very often. This is a pungent reminder to develop all kinds of
kusala for which there is an opportunity.
Nina.