- Magga-paccaya: The Relation of Path
- Magga-paccaya: The Relation of Path
The twelve path-constituents are the paccaya-dhamma in this relation of magga. They are: right views, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right endeavour, right mindfulness, right concentration, wrong views, wrong aspiration, wrong endeavour, and wrong concentration.
There are, however, no distinct mental properties to which to assign the terms wrong speech, wrong action and wrong livelihood.
These are but other names for the four immoral aggregates (akusala-khandha) which appear under the names of lying and so forth.
Therefore, they are not taken as distinct path constituents.
All classes of consciousness and mental concomitants conditioned by hetu, and all material qualities in co-existence with the hetu-conditioned mind, are paccayuppanna-dhamma.
In what sense is magga to be understood?
It is to be understood in the sense of path, that is, as the means of reaching the realm of misfortune or the realm of Nibbāna.
The eight path-constituents (right view and so on) lead to Nibbāna.
The four wrong path-constituents lead to
the realm of misfortune.
Now the functioning of jhāna is to make the mind straight, steadfast, and ecstatic
Footnote: Standing out of, or going beyond, its normal mode. in the object.
“Ecstatic mind” means mind that sinks into the object like a fish in deep water.
The functioning of magga is to make kammic volition in the “way-in” to the circle of existence, and meditative volition in the “way-out” of the circle, straight and steadfast. It makes them issue in a course of action, develop, flourish and prosper, and reach a higher plane.
This is the distinction between the two relations.
Here the kammic volition which can produce a rebirth—since it has been worked out in moral and immoral acts such as taking life, and so forth—is spoken of as “a pathway of kamma.”
And the meditative volition, which arrives at the higher stages—that is, which proceeds through a succession of stages from the sensuous stage to the transcendental one by the power of an orderly succession of training-practices, even within the brief period occupied by one bodily posture, is spoken of as “attaining to different stages.“
To understand this relation, the characteristic mark of each of the path-constituents should also be separately explained in the manner shown in the Relation of Jhāna.
End of the Magga-relation.