Part 1 - On bondage

Q. 281. Bhante! How many types of bondage are there?

A. 281. Gautama! Two types, viz., prayoga-bandha or acquired bondage and visrasā-bandha or spontaneous bondage.

Q. 282. Bhante! How many types of spontaneous bondage are there?

A. 282. Gautama! Two types, viz., spontaneous bondage with a beginning, and without a beginning.

Q. 283. Bhante! How many types of spontaneous bondage without a beginning are there?

A. 283. Gautama! Three types, viz., spontaneous bondage without a beginning from space-point to space-point in the case of motion-that-be (dharmāstikāya), the same in the case of rest-that-be (adharmāstikāya), and the same in the case of space-that-be (ākāsāstikāya).

Q. 284. Bhante! Is this spontaneous bondage in the case of motion a bondage of a part, or of the whole?

A. 284. Gautama! Bondage of a part, not of the whole. The same holds in case of rest, and also in case of space.

Q. 285. Bhante! How long does this spontaneous bondage in the case of motion last?

A. 285. Gautama! For ever, and this holds true of rest as well as of space.

Q. 286. Bhante! How many types of spontaneous bondage with a beginning are there?

A. 286. Gautama! Three types, viz., due to grease, due to container, and due to outcome.

Q. 287. Bhante! What is it due to grease?

A. 287. Gautama! This binds atoms/matter with two, three, till ten space-points, with a countable number of space-points, with innumerable space-points, with infinite number of space-points, clusters of atoms, because of excessive tenderness, or of excessive harshness, or because of excessive tenderness-harshness, and this may last for a unit of countable time in the minimum, and for an uncountable period [in the maximum]. Such is bondage due to grease.

Q, 288. And what is it due to container?

A. 288. Gautama! This type of bondage you will find in the case of old wine, old jaggery and old rice which lasts for less than a muhurta in the minimum, and for a countable period of time in the maximum. Such is bondage due to container.

Q. 289. And what is the type of bondage due to outcome?

A. 289. Gautama! This you will find in the case of clouds, abhrabṛkṣa, till amogha (which appears at sun-rise and sun-set) as stated in S.3.U.7., and all these have bondage due to transformation which lasts for less than a muhūrta in the minimum, and six months in the maximum. Such is bondage due to outcome. This much on spontaneous bondage.

Q. 290. Pray, what is it that is called an acquired bondage?

A. 290. Gautama! Acquired bondage has been stated to be of three types, viz., without a beginning and without an end, with a beginning and without an end and with a beginning and with an end. Of these, acquired bondage without a beginning and without an end takes place in the case of eight space-points in the middle part of a living body. Of these eight space-points, the bondage between groups of three is also without a beginning and without an end. The bondage of the remaining space-points is with a beginning. The space-points of a liberated being have a bondage with a beginning but without an end. Bondage with a beginning and with an end has four types, viz., rope type (ālāpana), lac type (ālina), body type (śarira) and body-formation type (śarira-prayoga).

Q. 291 Bhante! What is this ālāpana bondage, pray?

A. 291. Gautama! Bondage of the rope type is bondage of hay, grass, logs leaves, etc., with the help of a creeper, rope, thread, kuśa, darva, etc., which lasts for less than a muhūrta in the minimum and for a countable period of time in the maximum. Such is the rope type bondage.

Q. 292. Bhante! What is this ālina type of bondage?

A. 292. Gautama! It has been stated to be of four types, viz., ślesaṇā, uccaya, samuccaya and saṃhaṇaṇa.

Q. 293. Bhante! What is this ślesaṇā bondage?

A. 293. Gautama! It is the bondage of ceiling, floor, pillar, building, wood, leather, jar, cloth, mat, etc., with lime, soil, clay, plaster, lac, wax, etc., which lasts for less than a muhūrta in the minimum and for a countable period of time in the maximum. Such is ślesaṇā bondage.

Q. 294. Bhante! What is this uccaya bondage?

A. 294. Gautama! Uccaya bondage is due to the piling up of hay, wood, leaves, bran, husk, rubbish, cow-dung, etc., and it lasts for less than a muhūrta in the minimum, and for a countable period of time in the maximum. Such is uccaya bondage.

Q. 295. Bhante! What is this samuccaya bondage?

A. 295. Gautama! It is a bondage of layer upon layer inside a well, tank, river, lake, pond, heap, ditch, fort, cornice, door, entrance, palace, chamber, shop, street, square, highway, etc. It lasts for less than a muhūrta in the minimum and for a countable period of time in the maximum.

Q. 296. And what about saṃhāṇaṇa [saṃhaṇaṇa?] bondage?

A. 296. Gautama! It is of two types, viz., of a part and of the whole.

A. 297. Gautama! It is the bondage of a cart, chariot, vehicle, saddle, palanquin, spoon, laddie, seet, earthen pot and other utensils, etc., and it lasts for less than a muhūrta in the minimum and for a countable period of time in the maximum. Such is saṃhaṇaṇa bondage of a part.

Q. 298. And what is saṃhaṇaṇa bondage of the whole?

A. 298. Gautama!. It is a bondage which leads to a total mix-up, as of milk with water. Such is saṃhaṇaṇā bondage of the whole. Such is saṃhaṇaṇā bondage. Such is lac-type bondage.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

Q. 289. The word amohaṇa refers to a type of formation caused by the rays of the rising and setting sun.