Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

The Five Methods 261of the mind-sphere is due to name. Conditioned by the four primaries,nutriment and caloric order, the other five (internal) sense-spheres developand increase. The other does not depend on these. Therefore, conditionedby name-form, the six-sphered-sense arises. By the union of the other faculties,objects, elements and consciousness, contact arises. Therefore, conditionedby the six-sphered-sense, contact arises. Through the sense of touch oneexperiences pain, pleasure and neither pain nor pleasure. Should one notbe touched (then there would be no feeling for him). Therefore, conditionedby contact, feeling arises. The uninstructed commoner experiences pleasureand clings to it and craving for more, he experiences pain; and overcomingit (pain), he, desiring ease,, develops the feeling of neither pain nor pleasure,or equanimity. 1 Therefore, conditioned by feeling, craving arises. Throughcraving, one clings to what is lovely. Therefore, conditioned by craving,clinging arises. Through that clinging, one sows the seed of becoming.Therefore, conditioned by clinging, there is becoming. According to one'sdeeds one is born in various states. Therefore there is rebirth, and throughbirth, there is decay and death. Thus, conditioned by birth, there is decayand death.SIMILE OF THE SEED, SHOOT AND PLANTAs paddy-seeds are conditioned by the paddy plant, so conditioned byignorance the formations arise. Conditioned by the seed is the bud; 2 so isthe. arising.of.consciousness, by the.formations, Conditioned.by the bud isthe leaf; so. is the arising of name-form, by consciousness. Conditionedby the leaf is the branch; so is the arising of the six-sphered-sense, by nameform.Conditioned by the branch is the plant; so is the arising of contact,by the six-sphered-sense. Conditioned by the plant is the flower; so is thearising of feeling, by contact. Conditioned by the flower is the nectar; sois the arising of craving, by feeling. Conditioned by the nectar is the ear ofrice; so is the arising of clinging, by craving. Conditioned by the ear ofrice is the seed; so is the arising of becoming, by clinging. Conditioned bythe seed is the bud; so is the arising of birth, by becoming. Thus the severalsuccessions come to be. Thus one cannot know the past or the future. Thusbirth succeeds beginning with the causal condition of ignorance. Of it thepast or the future cannot be known. 3WHAT CONDITIONS IGNORANCEQ. By what is ignorance conditioned? A. Ignorance is indeed con-1. Cp. Vbh.-a. 180: Dukkhi sukharii patthayat/, sukhi bhiyyo pi icchati,upekhd pana santatta sukham ice* eva bhasitd.2. Cp. (a) Vbh.-a. 196: Bije sati ankuro viya.(b) Mhv. XV, 43: Bijamhd nikkhamma ankuro.3. Cp. S. II, 178: Anamataggdyam bhikkhave sarhsdro pubbdkoti na pahndyati avijjdnivarandnathsattanam tanhdsathyojandnarh sandhavatam sarhsaratarh.