Mmd-p.t 3-4 on "vaasanaa" (impressions)

Dear Pali readers,

Back in early January, Bh. Nyaanatusita requested help on the list in
the translation of "vaasanaabhaagiya.m sutta.m" (Nett 49). I recently
came across a very remarkable explanation of the meaning of "vaasanaa"
in the Thanbyin .tiikaa on the Nyaasa (Mmd) which I have transcribed
from the Burmese text and have reproduced below. A similar explanation
can be found at Ud-a 194 but the one below is much more detailed.
Unlike the "vaasanaa-" in the Nett passage. this one is explained in
the context of a deposit left behind by the kilesas in the
continuities of arahants (niranusayasantaana). But this does not occur
in the case of Sammaasambuddhas who are purified to the maximum. I
will translate the question and the basic answer but not the detailed
explanation of the answer.

tattha katamā vāsanā nāma || niranusayasantānassapi
sānusayasantānakāle samācārasadisasamācāranimittaṃ kilesehi
āhitasattiviseso ||

Therein, what is called "vaasanaa"? A special or peculiar power or
ability placed or deposited by the defilements, which is the cause of
the behaviour even of the continuity without the underlying tendencies
to be similar to the behaviour (of the same) at the time of the
continuity with the underlying tendecncies.

This is all part of 26 lines of comments on the word "visuddha.m" at
the beginning of the Nyaasa. The commentator gives four
interpretations of the word and this part is part of the last and
fourth interpretation in the sense of "he (the Buddha) is purified in
every way" (sabbathaa sujjhatiitivaa visuddho).

kiṃ vuttaṃ hoti || yathā āsavasittaghaṭe apanītepi āsave āsavagandho
tāva tiṭṭhati || naca so gandho āsavo || naca āsavena vinā āhito ||
āsavaṃ pana nissāya ghaṭe āhito vāsito sattiviseso || evaṃ
puthujjanakāle yādiso kāyasamācāro kāyappayogopi || pilindavacchādīnaṃ
viya vacīpayogo || khepitāsavakālepi tādisassa kāyavacīsamācārassa
nimittabhūto kāraṇabhūto kilesehi āhito kilesaṃ paṭicca

4 saṃpyaṅṭīkāpāṭh || (1)

santāne vāsito sattivisesoti vuttaṃ hoti || tena saha
cittasantānamahāsaragataṃ sabbakilesudakaṃ
ariyamaggadivākarena niravasesato sositattā visuddho ||

Best wishes,
Jim