Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

252 Vimuttimaggasubtle light one awakes. Through apperception one dreams. Thus one shouldknow through object.THROUGH STATESQ. How, through states? A. Five kinds of consciousness are with initialand sustained application of thought. Mind-element is with initial and sustainedapplication of thought. Mind-consciousness-element is with initial and sustainedapplication of thought, or is without initial and only with sustainedapplication of thought, or is neither with initial nor with sustained applicationof thought. Five kinds of consciousness act together with equanimity. Bodyconsciousnessacts either together with pleasure or with pain. Mind-consciousness-elementacts together with joy or grief or equanimity. Five kindsof consciousness are results. Mind-element is either result or means. Mindconsciousness-elementis meritorious or demeritorious or result or means.Six kinds of consciousness do not arise without condition, are worldly states,with cankers, with fetters, with tangle, with flood, with yoke, with hindrance,infected, clinging, defiling, are not removed through seeing or throughmeditation. They are neither "group" nor "non-group". They are neithertraining nor non-training. They are the subtle fetters of the sense-plane, arenot fixed and are not vehicle. Mind consciousness-element has the nature ofbreaking up. Thus one should know to distinguish by way of states. This iscalled the aggregate of consciousness. Thus should the five aggregares beknown.And again, one should know the distinctive qualities of the five aggregatesthrough four ways thus: through word meaning, through characteristic,through discrimination, through comprehension.THROUGH WORD MEANINGQ. How, through word meaning? A. Material object means thingthat is visible. Feeling means sensibility. Formations means work. Consciousnessmeans awareness. Aggregate means variety and group. Thusone should know through word meaning.THROUGH CHARACTERISTICQ. How, through characteristic? A. Material quality is its own characteristic,like a thorn. The four primaries are its near cause. The characteristicof feeling is sensitiveness. It is like disliking a leper. Contact is near cause.To support is the characteristic of perception. It is compared to an image.Contact is its near cause. The characteristic of formation is unity. It islike the turning of the wheel. Its near cause is contact. The characteristicof consciousness is awareness; it is likened to the perceiving of taste. Nameand form are near cause. Thus one should know through characteristic.