The Synchrony of Relations
(Paccaya-ghaṭana-naya)
The concurrence of causal relations in one related thing is called synchrony of relations.
All phenomena are called sappaccaya (related to causes), saṅkhata (conditioned by causes), and paṭiccasamuppanna (arising from a conjuncture of circumstances), because in arising and in standing they are conditioned by these twenty-four causal relations.
What, then, are those phenomena?
They are: one hundred and twenty-one classes of consciousness, fifty-two kinds of mental properties, and twenty-eight kinds of material qualities.
Of these, the one hundred and twenty-one classes of consciousness may be classified into seven, under the category of elements (dhātu):
- element of visual cognition (cakkhuviññāṇadhātu)
- element of auditory cognition (sotaviññāṇadhātu)
- element of olfactory cognition (ghāṇaviññāṇadhātu)
- element of gustatory cognition (jivhāviññāṇadhātu)
- element of tactile cognition (kāyaviññāṇadhātu)
- element of apprehension (manodhātu)
- element of comprehension (manoviññāṇadhātu)
Of these:
the two classes of sight-consciousness are called the element of visual cognition;
the two classes of sound-consciousness are called the element of auditory cognition;
the two classes of smell-consciousness are called the element of olfactory cognition;
the two classes of taste-consciousness are called the element of gustatory cognition;
the two classes of touch-consciousness are called the element of tactile cognition;
the adverting of mind towards any of the five doors (pañca-dvārāvajjana) and the two classes of acceptance of impressions (sampaṭicchana) are called the element of apprehension;
the remaining one hundred and eight classes of consciousness are called the element of comprehension.
The fifty-two kinds of mental properties are also divided into four groups:
- seven universals
- six particulars
- fourteen immorals
- twenty-five radiants. Footnote: Sobhana, also translated as beautiful or lofty mental properties. (Editor))
Of the twenty-four relations, fifteen relations are common to all the mental states: ārammaṇa, anantara, samanantara, sahajāta, aññamañña, nissaya, upanissaya, kamma, āhāra, indriya, sampayutta, atthi, natthi, vigata and avigata.
There is not a single class of consciousness or mental property which arises without the causal relation of ārammaṇa (object).
The same holds good as regards the remaining causal relations of anantara, samanantara, sahajāta and so on.
Eight relations only—hetu, adhipati, purejāta, āsevana, vipāka, jhāna, magga and vippayutta—are common to some mental states.
Of these, the relation of hetu is common only to the classes of consciousness conditioned by hetu; the relation of adhipati is also common only to the apperceptions (javana) co-existing with dominance (adhipati); the relation of purejāta is common only to some classes of mind; the relation of āsevana is common only to apperceptive classes of moral, immoral, and inoperative consciousness; the relation of vipāka is also common only to the resultant classes of mind; the relation of jhāna is common to those classes of consciousness and mental concomitants made up of the elements of apprehension and comprehension; the relation of magga is common to the classes of mind conditioned by hetu; the relation of vippayutta is excluded from the classes of mind in arūpaloka; only one particular relation, pacchājāta, is common to material qualities.
Here is the exposition in detail.
The seven universal mental properties are: phassa (contact), vedanā (feeling), saññā (perception), cetanā (volition), ekaggatā (unification of mind), jīvita (life) and manasikāra (attention).
Of these, consciousness may be the relation of adhipati; it may be the relation of āhāra, and it may also be the relation of indriya;
contact is the relation of āhāra alone;
feeling may be the relation of indriya, and may also be the relation of jhāna;
volition may be the relation of kamma, and may be the relation of āhāra;
ekaggatā may be the relation of indriya; it may be the relation of jhāna, and it may be the relation of magga also;
jīvita is the relation of indriya alone;
the two remaining states—perception and attention—do not become any particular relation.
Note 1: There is a subtitle here: Synchrony of Relations in the Five Senses.Consciousness by way of sight obtains seven universal mental concomitants, and so they make up eight mental states.
All of them are mutually related to one another by way of the seven relations: four superior sahajāta and three of the medium sahajāta excluding the relation of dissociation.
Among these eight mental states, consciousness causally relates itself to the other seven by way of āhāra and indriya.
Contact causally relates itself to the other seven by way of āhāra; volition to the rest by way of kamma and āhāra; ekaggatā by way of indriya alone; and jīvita to the other seven, by way of indriya.
The basis of eye causally relates itself to these eight states by way of six species of vatthu-purejāta. The present visual objects, which enter the avenue of that eye-base, causally relate themselves to those eight by way of four species of ārammaṇapurejāta. The consciousness of turning-towards-the-five-doors, at the moment of cessation just before the arising of sight consciousness, causally relates itself to these eight mental states by way of five species of anantara. Moral and immoral deeds which were done in former births causally relate themselves to these eight resultant states of good and evil respectively, by way of asynchronous kamma. Nescience (avijjā), craving (taṇhā) and grasping (upādāna)—which cooperated with volition (kamma) in the past existence—and dwellings, persons, seasons, foods and so forth, of this present life, causally relate themselves to these eight states by way of pakatūpanissaya (natural sufficing condition).
The six relations—hetu, adhipati, pacchājāta, āsevana, jhāna and magga—do not take part in this class of consciousness, but only the remaining eighteen relations take part.
Just as the six relations do not take part—and only the eighteen relations do—in consciousness by way of sight, so do they in consciousness by way of hearing, smell, and so on.
End of the Synchrony of Relations in the Five Senses.
Synchrony of Relations in Consciousness Not Accompanied By Hetu
There are six mental properties termed particulars (pakiṇṇaka): vitakka (initial application), vicāra (sustained application), adhimokkha (decision), viriya (effort), pīti (pleasurable interest) and chanda (desire-to-do).
Of these, initial application takes part in the relation of jhāna and in the relation of magga.
Sustained application takes part in that of jhāna alone.
Effort takes part in the relation of adhipati, in the relation of indriya, and in the relation of jhāna.
Note 2: There is a mistake of translation here, should be "and in the relation of magga (maggapaccayo).
Note 3: Missing translation for "Pīti jhānapaccayo", which is "Pleasurable interest takes part in the relation of jhāna.
Desire-to-do takes part in the relation of adhipati.
Decision does not take part in any particular relation.
The ten concomitants—the seven universals and initial application, sustained application, and decision from the particulars—obtain in the five classes of consciousness, i.e. turning-towards-the five-doors, the twofold class of acceptance, and the twofold class of investigation accompanied by equanimity.
They form eleven mental states in one combination.
Jhānic function obtains in these five classes of consciousness.
Feeling, unification (ekaggatā), initial application, and sustained application perform the function of jhāna relation.
Consciousness turning towards the five-doors belongs to the inoperative class, and so does not obtain in the relation of vipāka.
Asynchronous kamma serves in place of upanissaya.
So, leaving out jhāna from, and inserting vipāka in,
the relations which have been shown above are not obtainable in the five senses, there are also six unobtainable and eighteen obtainable in the consciousness of
turning-towards the five-doors.
As for the remaining four resultant classes of consciousness, by omitting vipāka, five relations are unobtainable,
and by adding vipāka and jhāna, nineteen are obtainable.
Investigating consciousness accompanied by joy obtains eleven mental concomitants, namely, the above ten together with pleasurable interest. With the consciousness of turning-towards-themind-door, eleven concomitants co-exist, and they are accompanied by effort.
They make up twelve mental states together with the consciousness. Twelve concomitants, i.e. the above ten together with pleasurable interest and effort, co-exist with the consciousness of aesthetic pleasure.
They make up thirteen mental states in combination with the consciousness.
Of the three classes of investigating consciousness, the one accompanied by joy has one more mental property (i.e. pleasurable interest) than the other two, in respect of the jhāna factors; therefore, the unobtainable five and the obtainable nineteen relations are the same as in the two classes of investigating consciousness accompanied by equanimity.
In the consciousness of turning-towards-
the-mind-door, the predominant property is merely effort, which performs the functions of indriya and jhāna,
but not the functions of adhipati and magga.
This consciousness, being of the inoperative class, does not obtain the vipāka relation.
Therefore, the unobtainable six
including vipāka,
and the obtainable eighteen including jhāna, are the same as in the consciousness of turning-towards-the-five-doors.
The relation of vipāka is also not obtained in the consciousness of aesthetic pleasure, since it belongs to the inoperative class. But being of the apperceptive class, it obtains the relation of āsevana.
Therefore, five relations including vipāka are not obtainable, and nineteen relations including āsevana are obtainable.
End of the Synchrony of Relations in Consciousness Not Accompanied By Hetu.
Synchrony of Relations in the Immoral Classes of Consciousness
There are twelve classes of immoral consciousness: two rooted in nescience, eight rooted in greed, and two rooted in hate.
There are fourteen immoral mental properties: moha (delusion), ahirika (shamelessness), anottappa (recklessness of consequences), and uddhacca (distraction)— these four are termed the delusion-quadruple;
lobha (greed), diṭṭhi (wrong view), and māna (conceit)—these three are termed the greed-triple;
dosa (hate), issā (envy), macchariya (selfishness), and kukkucca (worry)—these four are termed the hate-quadruple;
thīna (sloth), middha (torpor), and vicikicchā (perplexity)—these three are termed the miscellaneous-triple.
these, the three roots—greed, hate, and delusion—are hetu relations. Error
note 4: error refers to "diṭṭhi", which is translated as wrong view previously. is a magga relation. The remaining ten mental properties do not become any particular relation.
Here, the two classes of consciousness rooted in delusion are: consciousness conjoined withperplexity and consciousness conjoined with distraction.
With the first of these two, fifteen mental concomitants co-exist. There are the seven universals, initial application, sustained application, effort (from the particulars), the delusion-quadruple, and perplexity (from the immorals). They make up sixteen mental states in combination with consciousness.
In this consciousness, i.e. the consciousness conjoined with perplexity, the relations of hetu and magga are also obtained.
That is, delusion acts as the hetu relation; initial application and effort as the magga; and, as to ekaggatā (unification of mind), as its function would be interfered with by perplexity, it does not perform the functions of indriya and magga, but it does the function of jhāna.
Therefore, the three relations (adhipati, pacchājāta, vipāka) are not obtainable; and the remaining twenty-one are obtainable in this consciousness which is conjoined with perplexity.
In consciousness conjoined with distraction, there are also fifteen mental properties—omitting perplexity and adding decision. They also make up sixteen mental states together with the consciousness.
In this consciousness, ekaggatā performs the functions of indriya, jhāna and magga. Therefore, three relations are not obtainable, whereas twenty-one are obtainable.
Seven universals, six particulars, the delusion-quadruple, the greed-triple, sloth and torpor—altogether twenty-two in number—severally co-exist with the eight classes of consciousness rooted in greed.
Among these, the two roots—greed and delusion—are hetu relations;
and the three mental states—desire-to-do, consciousness itself and effort—are adhipati relations. Ārammaṇādhipati is also obtained here.
Volition is the relation of kamma.
The three foods are the relations of āhāra.
The five mental states—mind, feeling, unification, life and effort—are relations of indriya.
The five jhāna factors, i.e. initial application, sustained application, pleasurable interest, feeling and concentration, are jhāna relations.
The four magga constituents, i.e. initial application, concentration, error, and effort, are magga relations.
Therefore only the two relations (pacchājāta and vipāka) are not obtained.
The remaining twenty-two are obtained.
Note 5: Missing translation for this part. Translation for reference as follows: Twenty-two mental properties— omitting pleasurable interest and the greed-triple, adding the hate- quadruple—severally co-exist with the two classes of consciousness rooted in hate. Among these, the two roots—hate and delusion—are hetu relations; the three mental states—desire-to-do, consciousness itself and effort—are adhipati relations; the three foods are the relations of āhāra; the five mental states—mind, feeling, unification, life and effort—are relations of indriya; the four jhāna factors, omitting pleasurable interest are jhāna relations; the three magga constituents, i.e. initial application, concentration and effort, are magga relations.
Note 6: Missing translation for this part. Translation for reference as follows: Therefore, only the two relations (pacchājāta and vipāka) are not obtained. The remaining twenty-two are obtained.
End of the Synchrony of Relations in the Immoral Classes of Consciousness.
Synchrony of Relations in the Radiant Classes of Consciousness
There are ninety-one radiant classes of consciousness. They are: twenty-four radiant classes of kāma consciousness, fifteen classes of rūpa-consciousness, twelve classes of arūpa-consciousness and forty classes of transcendental consciousness.
Of these, the twenty-four radiant classes of kāma-consciousness are: eight classes of moral consciousness, eight classes of radiant resultant kind, and another eight classes of radiant inoperative kind.
There are twenty-five kinds of radiant mental properties: alobha (non-greed or dispassionateness), adosa (non-hate or amity), amoha (non-delusion or intelligence)—these three are termed moral hetu—saddhā (faith), sati (mindfulness), hiri (prudence), ottappa (discretion) tatramajjhattatā (balance of mind), kāyapassaddhi (composure of mental properties), cittapassaddhi (composure of mind), kāyalahutā (buoyancy of mental properties), cittalahutā (buoyancy of mind), kāyamudutā (pliancy of mental properties), cittamudutā (pliancy of mind), kāyakammaññatā (fitness of work of mental properties), citta-kammaññatā (fitness of work of mind), kāya-pāguññatā (proficiency of mental properties), citta-pāguññatā (proficiency of mind), kāyujukatā (rectitude of mental properties), cittujukatā (rectitude of mind), sammā-vācā (right speech), sammā-kammantā (right action), sammā-ājīva (right livelihood)—these last three are called the three abstinences; karuṇā (compassion) and muditā (sympathetic appreciation)—these last two are called the two illimitables.
Of these, the three moral hetu are hetu-paccaya. Amoha appears under the name of vīmaṃsā in the adhipati relation; under the name of paññā in the indriya relation; and under the name of sammā-diṭṭhi in the magga relation.
Saddhā or faith is the indriya relation.
Sati or mindfulness is satindriya in the indriya relation, and sammā-sati in the magga relation.
The three abstinences (right speech, right action and right livelihood) are magga relations. The remaining seventeen mental states are not particular relations.
Thirty-eight mental properties enter into combination with the eight moral classes of kāmaconsciousness: seven universals, six particulars, and twenty five radiants.
Of these, pleasurable interest enters into combination only with the four classes of consciousness accompanied by joy. Non-delusion also enters into combination only with the four classes connected with knowledge. The three abstinences enter into combination only when moral rules or precepts are observed. The two illimitables arise only when sympathising with the suffering, or sharing in the happiness, of living beings.
In these eight classes of consciousness, the dual or triple roots are hetu relations. Among the four kinds of adhipati, i.e. desire-to-do, mind, effort, and investigation, each is an adhipati in turn.
Volition is the relation of kamma.
The three foods are the relations of āhāra.
The eight mental states, i.e. mind, feeling, concentration, life, faith, mindfulness, effort and intelligence, are relations of indriya.
The five jhāna factors, i.e. initial application, sustained application, pleasurable interest, feeling and concentration, are relations of jhāna.
The eight path-constituents, i.e. intelligence, initial application, the three abstinences, mindfulness, effort and concentration, are relations of magga.
Therefore, only the two relations of pacchājāta and vipāka are not obtained in these eight classes of consciousness; the remaining twenty-two are obtained.
The three abstinences do not obtain in the eight radiant classes of inoperative consciousness. As in the moral consciousness, two relations are unobtainable and twenty-two are obtainable here.
The three abstinences and the two illimitables also do not obtain in the eight radiant classes of resultant consciousness.
The relations unobtainable are three in number, namely, adhipati, pacchājāta and āsevana; the remaining twenty-one are obtainable.
The higher classes of rūpa, arūpa and transcendental consciousness do not obtain more than twenty-two relations.
The synchrony of relations should be understood as existing in the four moral classes of kāma-consciousness connected with knowledge.
If this be so, then why are those classes of consciousness more supreme and transcendental than the kāma-consciousness?
Because of the greatness of āsevana.
They are fashioned by marked exercises, and so āsevana is superior to them;
for this reason, indriya, jhāna, magga and other relations also become superior.
When these relations become supreme—each higher and higher than the other—those classes of consciousness also become more supreme and transcendental than kāma-consciousness.
End of the Synchrony of Relations in the Radiant Classes of Consciousness.
Synchrony of Relations in the Groups of Material Qualities
There are twenty-eight kinds of material qualities.
A. Four essential material qualities:
- the element of solidity (paṭhavī)
- the element of cohesion (āpo)
- the element of kinetic energy (tejo)
- the element of motion (vāyo)
B. Five sensitive material qualities:
- the eye (cakkhu)
- the ear (sota)
- the nose (ghāna)
- the tongue (jivhā)
- the body (kāya)
C. Five material qualities of sense-fields:
- visible form (rūpa)
- sound (sadda)
- odour (gandha)
- taste (rasa)
- the tangible (phoṭṭhabba)
Footnote: In computing the number of material qualities, the tangible is generally omitted, since the physical objects of body-sensitivity are identical with the aforementioned elements of solidity, kinetic energy and motion. When these three elements are considered, seven qualities of sense fields are counted. (Editor)
D. Two material qualities of sex:
- female sex (itthibhāva)
- male sex (puṃbhāva)
E. One material quality of life (jīvita)
F. One material quality of heart-base (hadaya-vatthu)
G. One material quality of nutrition (āhāra)
H. One material quality of space (ākāsadhātu)
I. Two material qualities of communication:
- intimation by the body (kāyaviññatti)
- intimation by speech (vacīviññatti)
J. Three material qualities of plasticity:
- l. lightness (lahutā)
- pliancy (mudutā)
- adaptability (kammaññatā)
K. Four material qualities of salient features:
- integration (upacaya)
- continuance (santati)
- decay (jaratā)
- impermanence (aniccatā)
Of these, six kinds of material qualities—the four essentials, the material quality of life, and the material quality of nutrition—causally relate themselves to the material qualities.
Here also the four essentials are mutually related among themselves by way of five relations: sahajāta, aññamañña, nissaya, atthi, and avigata;
and they are related to the coexistent material qualities derived from the latter by way of four relations, i.e. excluding aññamañña in the above five.
The material quality of life causally relates itself to the co-existent material qualities produced by kamma by way of indriya.
The material quality of nutrition causally relates itself to both the co-existent and the non-co-existent material qualities which are corporeal by way of āhāra.
Again, thirteen kinds of material qualities causally relate themselves to the mental states by some particular relations. These material qualities are: the five kinds of sensitive material qualities, the seven kinds of sense-fields, and the heart-base.
Of these, just as a mother is related to her son, so also the five kinds of sensitive material qualities are causally related to the five sense-cognitions by way of vatthu-purejāta, by way of vatthu-purejātindriya, and by way of vatthu purejāta-vippayutta.
And just as a father is related to his son, so also the seven sense-fields are causally related to the five sense-cognitions and the three elements of apprehension by way of ārammaṇa-purejāta.
In the same way, just as a tree is related to the deva who inhabits it, so also the heart-base causally relates itself to the two elements of apprehension and comprehension by way of sahajāta-nissaya at the time of rebirth, and by way of vatthu-purejāta and of vatthu-purejātavippayutta during life.
There are twenty-three groups of material qualities.
They are called groups (kalāpa) because they are tied up with the material quality of production (jāti-rūpa) into groups, just as hair or hay is tied up with a string.
Footnote:Ledi Sayādaw here makes the number of groups twenty-three instead of twenty-one, as in the Compendium of Philosophy (Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha), tr. by S. Z. Aung (PTS), p. 164. He also makes the groups of material qualities produced by thought number eight instead of six, as in the Compendium; thus they are here increased by two. (Cf. Paramatthadīpanī, page 273.) (Translator)
Of these, the eight kinds of material qualities, such as the four essentials—colour, odour, taste, and nutritive essence—make up the primary octad of all material qualities.
There are nine groups produced by kamma: the vital-nonad, the heart-decad, the body-decad, the female-decad, the male-decad, the eye-decad, the ear-decad, the nose-decad, and the tongue-decad.
Of these, the primary octad together with the material quality of life is called the vital-nonad.
This vital nonad together with each of the eight material qualities, i.e. heart-base and so forth, makes up analogously the other eight decads, i.e. base-decad, and so forth.
Here the four groups—vital-nonad, body-decad, and two-fold sex-decad—locate themselves in a person, pervading the whole body.
Here vital-nonad is the name of the maturative fire (pācakaggi) and of the bodily fire (kāyaggi).
The maturative fire is that which locates itself in the stomach and matures or digests the food that has been eaten, drunk, chewed and licked.
The bodily fire is that which locates itself by pervading the whole body, and it refines the impure bile, phlegm and blood.
Through the inharmonious action of these two elements, people become unhealthy, and by their harmonious action they become healthy.
It is this dual fire (or that vital-nonad) that gives life
and good complexion to people.
The body-decad makes available pleasurable and painful contact.
The two-fold sex-decad makes available all the feminine characteristics to females
and all the masculine characteristics to males.
The remaining five decads are termed partial decads.
Of these, the heart-decad, locating itself in the cavity of the heart, makes available many various kinds of moral and immoral thoughts.
The four decads, i.e. eye-decad and so forth, locating themselves respectively in the eye-ball, in the interior of the ear, in the interior of the nose, and on the surface of the tongue, make available sight, hearing, smell, and taste.
There are eight groups produced by mind. The first four are the primary octad, the soundnonad, the nonad of body communication, the sound-decad of speech-communication. Taking these four together with lightness, pliancy and adaptability, they make up another four: the undecad of plasticity, the sound-dodecad of plasticity, the dodecad of body-communication together with plasticity, and the sound-tredecad of speech communication together with plasticity. The first four are termed primary groups, and the last four are termed plastic groups.
Of these, when the elements of the body are not working harmoniously, only the four primary groups occur to a sick person.
His material qualities then become heavy, coarse and inadaptable, and consequently it becomes difficult for him to maintain the bodily postures as he would wish, to move the members of the body, and even to make a vocal reply.
But when the elements of the body are working harmoniously—there being no defects of the body, such as heaviness and so on, in a healthy person—the four plastic groups come into existence.
Among these four, two groups of body communication occur by means of mind or by moving any part of the body.
The other two groups of speech communication occur also on account of mind, when wishing to speak; but when non-verbal sound is produced through laughing or crying, only the two ordinary sound-groups occur. At other times the first two groups, the primary octad and the sound-nonad, occur according to circumstances.
There are four groups produced by physical change: the two primary groups (the primary octad and the sound-nonad) and the two plastic groups (i.e. the undecad of plasticity and the sound-dodecad of plasticity).
Now this body of ours maintains itself right on throughout the whole life, through a long course of bodily postures. Hence, at every moment, there occur in this body the harmonious and inharmonious workings of the elements, through changes in the postures,
through changes in its temperature, through changes of food, air, and heat, through changes of the disposition of the members of the body, and through changes of one’s own exertion and of others.
Here also, when working harmoniously, two plastic groups occur; and when working inharmoniously, the other two primary groups occur.
Of the four groups, two sound groups arise, when there occur various kinds of sound other than that produced by mind.
There are two groups produced by food: the primary octad and the undecad of plasticity.
These two groups should be understood as the harmonious and inharmonious occurrences of material qualities produced respectively by suitable and unsuitable food.
The five material qualities, namely, the element of space and the four salient features of matter, lie outside the grouping.
Of these, the element of space lies outside the grouping because it is the boundary of the groups.
As to the material qualities of the salient features, they are left aside from grouping because they are merely the marks or signs of conditioned things through which we clearly know them to be really conditioned things.
These twenty-three groups are available in an individual.
The groups available in external things are only two, which are no other than the two primary groups produced by physical change.
There are two locations of material qualities, the internal and the external.
Of these two, the internal location means a sentient being
and the external location means the earth, hills, rivers, oceans, trees, and so forth.
Therefore we have said that, in an individual twenty-three groups, or all the twenty-eight kinds of material qualities, are available.
Now the rebirth-conception and its mental concomitants are causally related to the groups produced by kamma at the moment of conception by way of six different relations, the four superior sahajāta, vipāka, and vippayutta.
But to the heart-base alone, they are causally related by seven relations: the above together with the relation of aññamañña.
Among the mental states at the moment of rebirth, the roots are causally related by way of the hetu relation; the volition by way of āhāra; the controls by way of indriya; the jhāna constituents by way of jhāna; and the pathconstituents, by way of magga, to the kamma-produced groups.
The past moral and immoral volitions are causally related by way of kamma alone. The first posterior life-continuum, the second, the third, and so on, are causally related to the prior material qualities produced by kamma, by way of pacchājāta.
By “pacchājāta” are meant all the species of pacchājāta.
The past volitions are causally related by way of kamma alone.
Thus the mental states are causally related to the material qualities produced by kamma by fourteen different relations.
Here, ten relations are not obtained: ārammaṇa, adhipati, anantara, samanantara, upanissaya, purejāta, āsevana, sampayutta, natthi and vigata.
During the term of life, mental states capable of producing material qualities are causally related to the co-existent material qualities produced by them, by five different relations: the four superior sahajāta and vippayutta.
Among these mental states: hetu are causally related by way of hetu, the dominances by way of adhipati, the volition by way of kamma, the resultants by way of vipāka, the foods by way of āhāra, the controls by way of indriya, the jhāna factors by way of jhāna, the path-constituents by way of magga, to the mind-produced material qualities.
All the posterior mental states are causally related to the prior material qualities produced by mind by way of pacchājāta.
Thus the mental states are causally related to the material groups produced by mind by fourteen different relations.
Here also ten relations are not obtainable; ārammaṇa, anantara, samanantara, aññamañña, upanissaya, purejāta, āsevana, sampayutta, natthi and vigata.
During a lifetime, starting from the static phase of conception, all mental states are causally related both to the material groups produced by food and to those produced by physical change solely by way of pacchājāta.
Here again, by “pacchājāta” are meant all the four species of pacchājāta. The remaining twenty relations are not obtainable.
Among the twenty-three groups of material qualities, the four essentials are mutually related among themselves by way of five different relations: four superior sahajāta and one aññamañña; but to the co-existent derivative material qualities they are related by way of the four superior sahajāta only.
The material quality of nutritive essence is causally related by way of āhāra, both to the co-existent and the non-coexistent material qualities which are corporeal.
The material quality of physical life in the nine groups produced by kamma is causally related only to the co-existent material qualities by way of indriya.
Thus the corporeal material qualities are causally related to the corporeal material qualities by seven different relations.
As for the external material qualities, they are mutually related to the two external groups produced by physical change, by way of five different relations.
End of the Synchrony of Relations in the Groups of Material Qualities.
Note 7: There is a title here —"The meaning of Paṭṭhāna".The meaning of the term paṭṭhāna also will now be explained:
padhānaṃ ṭhānaṃ ti paṭṭhānaṃ.“Paṭṭhāna is the pre-eminent or principal cause.”
In this definition padhāna means “pre-eminent” and ṭhāna means “condition” or “cause.” Hence the whole expression means the preeminent cause, the actual cause or the ineluctable cause.
This is said having reference to its ineluctable effect or result.
Footnote: Elsewhere I have rendered the word paccayuppanna as “related thing.”
There are two kinds of effect, the direct and the indirect.
By “the direct” is meant the primary or actual effect, and by “the indirect” is meant the consequent or incidental effect.
Of these two kinds, only the direct effect is here referred to as ineluctable,
and for this reason: that it never fails to arise when its proper cause is established or brought into play.
And the indirect effect is to be understood as eluctable since it may or may not arise even though its cause is fully established.
Thus the ineluctable cause is so named with reference to the ineluctable effect.
Hence the ineluctable or principal cause alone is meant to be expounded in this “Great Treatise (Mahāpakaraṇa).”
For this reason the name paṭṭhāna is assigned to the entire collection of the twenty-four relations, and also to the “Great Treatise.”
And now, to make the matter clearer and simpler: Say that greed springs into being within a man who desires to get money and grain.
Under the influence of greed, he goes to a forest where he clears a piece of land and establishes fields, yards and gardens, and starts to work very hard.
Eventually he obtains plenty of money and grain by reason of his strenuous labours. So he takes his gains, looks after his family, and performs many virtuous deeds, from which also he will reap rewards in his future existences.
In this illustration, all the mental and material states co-existing with greed are called direct effects.
Apart from these, all the outcomes, results and rewards, which are to be enjoyed later on in his future existences, are called indirect effects.
Of these two kinds of effects, only the former is dealt with in the Paṭṭhāna.
However, the latter kind finds its place in the Suttanta discourses:
if this exists, then that happens; or, because of the occurrence of this, that also takes place. Such an exposition is called “expounding by way of Suttanta”.
In fact, the three states (greed, hate and ignorance) are called the hetu or conditions, because they are the roots whence spring the defilements of the whole animate world, of the whole inanimate world, and of the world of space.
The three other opposite states (dispassionateness, amity, and intelligence) are also called hetu or conditions, since they are the roots whence springs purification.
In the same manner the remainder of the relations are to be understood in their various senses.
Thus must we understand that all things that happen, occur, take place, or produce changes, are solely the direct and indirect effects, results, outcomes, or products of these twenty-four relations or causes.
Thus ends the Paṭṭhānuddesa Dīpanī, “The Concise Exposition of the Buddhist Philosophy of Relations,”
written by The Most Venerable Ledi Araññavihāravāsi Mahāthera of Monywa, Burma.