Additional Ways of Giving Attention

86. In addition, attention should be given to the elements in the following ways: (1) as to word meaning, (2) by groups, (3) by particles, (4) by characteristic, etc., (5) as to how originated, (6) as to variety and unity, (7) as to resolution (separability) and non-resolution (inseparability), (8) as to the similar and the dissimilar, (9) as to distinction between internal and external, (10) as to inclusion, (11) as to condition, (12) as to lack of conscious reaction, (13) as to analysis of conditions.

87. 1. Herein, one who gives his attention to them as to word meaning should do so separately and generally thus: [separately] it is earth (pathavī) because it is spread out (patthaṭa); it flows (appoti) or it glides (āpiyati) or it satisfies (appāyati), thus it is water (āpo); it heats (tejati), thus it is fire (tejo); it blows (vāyati), thus it is air (vāyo). But without differentiation they are elements (dhātu) because of bearing (dhāraṇa) their own characteristics, because of grasping (ādāna) suffering, and because of sorting out (ādhāna) suffering (see XV.19).^[1] This is how they should be given attention as to word meaning.

88. 2. By groups: there is the earth element described under the twenty aspects (modes) beginning with head hairs, body hairs, and also the water element described under the twelve (modes) aspects beginning with bile, phlegm, etc. Now, as to these:

Colour, odour, taste, and nutritive
Essence, and the four elements—
From combination of these eight
There comes the common usage head hairs;
And separately from these eight^[2]
There is no common usage head hairs.

Consequently, head hairs are only a mere group of eight states. Likewise, body hairs, [365] and the rest. A component here that is kamma-originated is a group of ten states, [that is to say, the former eight] together with the life faculty and sex. But it is on account of respective prominence [of stiffenedness or cohesion] that it comes to be styled “earth element” or “water element.” This is how they should be given attention to “by groups.”

89. 3. By particles: in this body the earth element taken as reduced to fine dust and powdered to the size of the smallest atom^[3] might amount to an average doṇa measure full; and that is held together^[4] by the water element measuring half as much. Being maintained^[5] by the fire element, and distended by the air element, it does not get scattered or dissipated. Instead of getting scattered or dissipated, it arrives at the alternative states of the female and male sex, etc., and manifests smallness, bigness, length, shortness, toughness, rigidity, and so on.

33. “Kept guarded (anurakkhita) so that it may not lapse into a wet and slippery state through the water element, which has trickling as its essence” (Vism-mhṭ 361).

90. The liquid water element that is the mode of cohesion, being founded on earth, maintained by fire, and distended by air, does not trickle or run away.^[6] Instead of trickling or running away it provides continued refreshments.^[7]

91. And here the fire element that cooks what is eaten, drunk, etc., and is the mode of warming and has the characteristic of heat, being established on earth, held together by water, and distended by air, maintains this body and ensures its proper appearance. And this body, being maintained by it, shows no putrefaction.

92. The air element that courses through all the limbs and has the characteristic of moving and distending, being founded upon earth, held together by water, and maintained by fire, distends this body. And this body, being distended by the latter kind of air, does not collapse, but stands erect, and being propelled^[8] by the other [motile] air, it shows intimation and it flexes and extends and it wriggles the hands and feet, doing so in the postures comprising of walking, standing, sitting and lying down. So this mechanism of elements carries on like a magic trick, deceiving foolish people with the male and female sex and so on.

This is how they should be given attention by particles.

93. 4. As to characteristic, etc.: he should advert to the four elements in this way: “The earth element—what are its characteristic, function, manifestation?” [defining them in this way]: The earth element has the characteristic of hardness. Its function is to act as a foundation. It is manifested as receiving. The water element has the characteristic of trickling. Its function is to intensify. It is manifested as holding together. The fire element has the characteristic of heat. Its function is to mature (maintain). It is manifested as a continued supply of softness. The air element has the characteristic of distending. Its function is to cause motion. It is manifested as conveying.^[9] This is how they should be given attention to by characteristic, and so on. [366]

94. 5. As to how originated: among the forty-two components beginning with head hairs shown in the detailed treatment of the earth element, etc., the four consisting of gorge, dung, pus, and urine are temperature-originated only; the four consisting of tears, sweat, spittle, and snot are temperature-originated and consciousness-originated only. The fire that cooks what is eaten, etc., is kammaoriginated only; in-breath and out-breath are consciousness-originated only; all the rest are of fourfold origination. This is how they should be given attention as to how originated.

95. 6. As to variety and unity: there is variety in the specific characteristics, etc., of all the elements; for the characteristic, function, and manifestation of the earth element is one, and those of the water element, etc., are different. But there is unity in them as materiality, great primary, element, state (dhamma), impermanence, etc., notwithstanding the fact that they are various according to [specific] characteristic, etc., and according to origination by kamma and so on.

96. All these elements are “instances of materiality” (rūpāni) because they do not exceed the characteristic of “being molested” (ruppana). They are “great primaries” (mahābhūta) by reason of “great manifestation,” and so on. “By reason of ‘great manifestation,’ and so on” means that these elements are called “great primaries” for the following reasons, namely: (a) manifestation of greatness; (b) likeness to great creatures; (c) great maintenance; (d) great alteration; and (e) because they are great and because they are entities.

97. Herein, (a) manifestation of greatness: they are manifested as great both in a continuity that is not clung to (acquired through kamma) and in a continuity that is clung to. For their manifestation of greatness in a continuity that is not clung to is given in the description of the recollection of the Buddha in the way beginning:

Two times a hundred thousand [leagues]
And then four nahutas as well:
This earth, this “bearer of all wealth,”
Has that much thickness, as they tell (VII.41).

And they are manifested on a great scale also in a continuity that is clung to, for instance, in the bodies of fishes, turtles, deities, Dānava demons, and so on. For this is said: “Bhikkhus, there are individual creatures of a hundred leagues in the great ocean” (A IV 207), and so on.

98. (b) Likeness to great creatures: just as a magician turns water that is not crystal into crystal, and turns a clod that is not gold into gold, and shows them, and being himself neither a spirit nor a bird, shows himself as a spirit or a bird, so too, being themselves not blue-black, they turn themselves into blue-black derived materiality, being themselves not yellow … not red … not white, [367] they turn themselves into white derived materiality and show that. In this way they are “great primaries” (mahābhūta) in being like the great creatures (mahābhūta) of a magician.^[10]

99. And just as, whomsoever the great creatures such as the spirits (yakkha) grasp hold of (possess), they have no standing place either inside him or outside him and yet they have no standing independently of him, so too, these elements are not found to stand either inside or outside each other yet they have no standing independently of one another. Thus they are also great primaries (mahābhūta) in being equal to the great creatures (mahābhūta) such as the spirits because they have no thinkable standing place [relative to each other].

100. And just as the great creatures known as female spirits (yakkhinī) conceal their own fearfulness with a pleasing colour, shape and gesture to deceive beings, so too, these elements conceal each their own characteristic and function classed as hardness, etc., by means of a pleasing skin colour of women’s and men’s bodies, etc., and pleasing shapes of limbs and pleasing gestures of fingers, toes and eyebrows, and they deceive simple people by concealing their own functions and characteristics beginning with hardness and do not allow their individual essences to be seen. Thus they are great primaries (mahābhūta) in being equal to the great creatures (mahābhūta), the female spirits, since they are deceivers.

101. (c) Great maintenance: this is because they have to be sustained by the great requisites. For these elements are great primaries (mahābhūta) since they have become (bhūta), have occurred, by means of the food, clothing, etc., which are great (mahant) [in importance] because they have to be found every day. Or alternatively, they are great primaries (mahābhūta) since they are primaries whose maintenance is great.

102. (d) Great alteration: the unclung-to and the clung-to are the [basis of] great alterations. Herein, the great alteration of the unclung-to evidences itself in the emergence of an aeon (see XIII.34), and that of the clung-to in the disturbance of the elements [in the body]. For accordingly:

The conflagration’s flame bursts up
Out of the ground and races higher
And higher, right to the Brahmā heaven,
When the world is burnt up by fire.

A whole world system measuring
One hundred thousand millions wide
Subsides, as with its furious waters
The flood dissolves the world beside.

One hundred thousand million leagues,
A whole world system’s broad extent
Is rent and scattered, when the world
Succumbs to the air element.

The bite of wooden-mouths can make
The body stiff; to all intent,
When roused is its earth element,
It might be gripped by such a snake.

The bite of rotten-mouths can make
The body rot; to all intent,
When roused its water element,
It might be gripped by such a snake. [368]

The bite of fiery-mouths can make
The body burn; to all intent,
When roused is its fire element,
It might be gripped by such a snake.

The bite of dagger-mouths can make
The body burst; to all intent,
When roused is its air element,
It might be gripped by such a snake.

So they are great primaries (mahābhūta) because they have become (bhūta) [the basis of] great (mahant) alteration.

103. (e) Because they are great and because they are entities: “great” (mahant) because they need great effort to discern them, and “entities” (bhūta = become) because they are existent; thus they are great primaries (mahābhūta) because they are great (mahā) and because they are entities (bhūta).

This is how all these elements are “great primaries” by reason of “great manifestation,” and so on.

104. Again, they are elements (dhātu) because of bearing (dhāraṇa) their own characteristics, because of grasping (ādāna) suffering, and because of sorting out (ādhāna) suffering (see XV.19), and because none of them are exempt from the characteristic of being elements.

They are states (dhamma) owing to bearing (dhāraṇa) their own characteristics and owing to their so bearing (dhāraṇa) for the length of the moment appropriate to them.^[11] They are impermanent in the sense of [liability to] destruction; they are painful in the sense of [causing] terror; they are not self in the sense of having no core [of permanence, and so on]. Thus there is unity of all since all are materiality, great primaries, elements, states, impermanent, and so on.

This is how they should be given attention “as to variety and unity.”

105. 7. As to resolution (separability) and non-resolution (inseparability): they are positionally unresolvable (inseparable) since they always arise together in every single minimal material group consisting of the bare octad and the others; but they are resolvable (separable) by characteristic. This is how they should be given attention “as to resolution (separability) and non-resolution (inseparability).”

106. 8. As to the similar and dissimilar: and although they are unresolved (inseparable) in this way, yet the first two similar in heaviness, and so are the last two in lightness; but [for this reason] the first two are dissimilar to the last two and the last two to the first two. This is how they should be given attention “as to the similar and dissimilar.”

107. 9. As to distinction between internal and external: the internal elements are the [material] support for the physical bases of consciousness, for the kinds of intimation, and for the material faculties. They are associated with postures, and they are of fourfold origination. The external elements are of the opposite kind. This is how they should be given attention “as to distinction between internal and external.”

108. 10. As to inclusion: kamma-originated earth element is included together with the other kamma-originated elements because there is no difference in their origination. Likewise the consciousness-originated is included together with other consciousness-originated elements. This is how they should be given attention “as to inclusion.”

109. 11. As to condition: the earth element, which is held together by water, maintained by fire and distended by air, is a condition for the other three great primaries by acting as their foundation. The water element, which is founded on earth, maintained by fire and distended by air, is a condition for the other three great primaries by acting as their cohesion. The fire element, which is founded on earth, held together by water [369] and distended by air, is a condition for the other three great primaries by acting as their maintaining. The air element, which is founded on earth, held together by water, and maintained by fire, is a condition for the other three great primaries by acting as their distension. This is how they should be given attention “as to condition.”

110. 12. As to lack of conscious reaction: here too the earth element does not know, “I am the earth element” or “I am a condition by acting as a foundation for three great primaries.” And the other three do not know, “The earth element is a condition for us by acting as a foundation for three great primaries.” And the other three do not know, “The earth element is a condition for us by acting as our foundation.” And similarly in each instance. This is how they should be given attention “as to lack of conscious reaction.”

111. 13. As to analysis of conditions: there are four conditions for the elements, that is to say, kamma, consciousness, nutriment, and temperature.

Herein, kamma only is the condition for the kamma-originated [elements]; consciousness (citta), etc. [i.e. nutriment and temperature] are not. Consciousness, etc., only are the conditions for the consciousness-originated [elements]; the others are not. Kamma is the producing condition^[12] for the kamma-originated elements; for the rest it is indirectly the decisive-supportive condition.^[13] Consciousness is the producing condition for the consciousness-originated elements; for the rest it is the post-nascence condition, presence condition and non-disappearance condition. Nutriment is the producing condition for the nutriment-originated elements; for the rest it is the nutriment condition, presence condition and non-disappearance condition. Temperature is the productive condition for the temperature-originated elements; for the rest it is the presence condition and non-disappearance condition.

Herein, the kamma-originated great primary is the condition for the kammaoriginated great primaries, and also for the consciousness-originated [great primaries]. Likewise are the consciousness-originated [great primary] and the nutriment originated [great primary]. The temperature-originated great primary is the condition for the temperature-originated great primaries, and also for the kamma-originated [great primaries], and so on (cf. XX.27f.).

112. Herein, the kamma-originated earth element is a condition for the other kamma-originated elements both as conascence, mutuality, support, presence, and non-disappearance conditions and as foundation, but not as producing condition. It is a condition for the other [three] great primaries in a triple continuity (see XX.22) as support, presence and non-disappearance conditions, but not as foundation or producing condition. And here the water element is a condition for the remaining three elements both as conascence, etc., conditions and as cohesion, but not as producing condition. And for the others in a triple continuity it is a condition as support, presence, and non-disappearance conditions too, but not as cohesion or producing condition. And the fire element here is a condition for the other three elements both as conascence, etc., conditions and as maintaining but not as producing condition. And for the others in a triple continuity it is a condition as support, presence, and non-disappearance conditions too, but not as maintaining or producing condition. And the air element here is a condition for the other three elements [370] both as conascence, etc., conditions and as distension, but not as producing condition. And for the others in a triple continuity it is a condition as support, presence, and nondisappearance conditions too, but not as distension or producing condition.

The same method applies in the case of the consciousness-originated, the nutriment-originated, and the temperature-originated earth element, and the rest. 113. And when these elements have been made to occur through the influence of the conascence, etc., conditions:

With three in four ways to one due,
And likewise with one due to three;
With two in six ways due to two—
Thus their occurrence comes to be.

114. Taking each one, beginning with earth, there are three others whose occurrence is due to that one, thus with three due to one their occurrence takes place in four ways. Likewise each one, beginning with earth, occurs in dependence on the other three, thus with one due to three their occurrence takes place in four ways. But with the last two dependent on the first two, with the first two dependent on the last two, with the second and fourth dependent on the first and third, with the first and third dependent on the second and fourth, with the second and third dependent on the first and fourth, and with the first and fourth dependent on the second and third, they occur in six ways with two elements due to two.

115. At the time of moving forward and moving backward (M I 57), the earth element among these is a condition for pressing. That, seconded by the water element, is a condition for establishing on a foundation. But the water element seconded by the earth element is a condition for lowering down. The fire element seconded by the air element is a condition for lifting up. The air element seconded by the fire element is a condition for shifting forwards and shifting sideways (see XX.62f. and M-a I 160).

This is how they should be given attention “as to analysis of conditions.”

116. As he gives his attention to them “as to word meaning,” etc., in this way, the elements become evident to him under each heading. As he again and again adverts and gives attention to them access concentration arises in the way already described. And this concentration too is called “definition of the four elements” because it arises in one who defines the four elements owing to the influence of his knowledge.

117. This bhikkhu who is devoted to the defining of the four elements immerses himself in voidness and eliminates the perception of living beings. Since he does not entertain false notions about wild beasts, spirits, ogres, etc., because he has abolished the perception of living beings, he conquers fear and dread and conquers delight and aversion (boredom); he is not exhilarated or depressed^[14] by agreeable and disagreeable things; and as one of great understanding, he either ends in the deathless or he is bound for a happy destiny.

Defining the four elements
Is ever the wise man’s resort;
The noble meditator lion^[15]
Will make this mighty theme his sport.

This is the description of the development of the defining of the four elements. [371]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

“‘Because of bearing their own characteristics’: these are not like the Primordial Essence (pakati—Skr. prakºti) and the self (attā) imagined by the theorists which are non-existent as to individual essence. On the contrary, these do bear their own characteristics, which is why they are elements” (Vism-mhṭ 359). Capitals have been used here and elsewhere though Indian alphabets do not justify it. Appāyati—“to satisfy” is not in PED; see Vibh-a 9.

[2]:

“‘From resolution of these eight’: the eight dhammas beginning with colour when resolved by means of understanding, are apprehendable (upalabbhanti) in the ultimate sense through mutual negation (aññam-añña-vyatirekena); but head hairs are not apprehendable in the ultimate sense through negation of colour and so on. Consequently, the term of common usage ‘head hairs’ is applied to these dhammas in their co-arisen state; but if they are each taken separately, ‘There is no common-usage head hairs.’ The meaning is that it is a mere conventional term. ‘Only a mere group of eight states’ is said, taking the colour, etc., which are real (bhūta—lit. ‘become’), as a unity by means of the concept (paññatti) ‘a head hair,’ not only because they are merely the eight states” (Vism-mhṭ 360).

[3]:

Paramaṇu—“the smallest atom”; see Vibh-a 343. According to Vibh-a, the size of a paramaṇu works out at 1/581,147,136th part of an aṅgula (fingerbreadth or inch). Vism-mhṭ remarks (p. 361): “Therefore … a paramaṇu as a particle of space is not the province of the physical eye, it is the province of the divine eye.”

[4]:

Saṅgahita—“held together”: not quite in this sense in PED. “Held (gahita) by conjoining through cohesion and prevented from being scattered” (Vism-mhṭ 361).

[5]:

“Kept guarded (anurakkhita) so that it may not lapse into a wet and slippery state through the water element, which has trickling as its essence” (Vism-mhṭ 361).

[6]:

Parissavati—“to run away”: not in PED;—vissarati (Vism-mhṭ 361).

[7]:

“This is said with reference to the water element as a juice that helps growth” (Vism-mhṭ 361).

[8]:

Samabbhāhata—“propelled”: see Ch. IV, note 38.

[9]:

Abhinīhāra—“conveying”: not in this sense in PED. “‘Conveying’ is acting as cause for the successive arising at adjacent locations (desantaruppatti) of the conglomeration of elements (bhūta-saṅghāta)” (Vism-mhṭ 363). Elsewhere Vism-mhṭ (p. 359) says of the air element: “‘It blows’ (§87): it is stirred; the meaning is that the conglomeration of elements is made to move (go) by its action as cause for successive arising at adjacent locations (points),” and “Propelling (samabbhāhana) is the act of causing the successive arising at adjacent locations of material groups (rūpa-kalāpa)” (p. 362).

[10]:

“A great primary (mahābhūta) is a great wonder (mahanto abbhuto) because it shows various unreal things (abhūta), various wonders (abbhuta), and various marvels (acchariya). Or alternatively: there are great wonders (abbhuta) here, thus there are magicians. And spirits, etc., are huge (mahant) creatures (bhūta) owing to being born from them, thus they are great primaries. Or alternatively: this term ‘great primary’ can be regarded as a generic term for all of them. But earth, etc., are great primaries because they deceive, and because, like the huge creatures, their standing place cannot be pointed to. The deception lies in causing the apparent individual essences of blue-black, etc., and it lies in causing the appearance of what has the aspect of woman and man, and so on. Likewise their undemonstrability, since they are not found inside or outside each other though they rely upon each other for support. For if these elements were found inside each other, they would not each perform their particular functions, owing to mutual frustration. And if they were found outside each other, they would be already resolved (separate), and that being so, any description of them as unresolved (inseparable) would be meaningless. So although their standing place is undemonstrable, still each one assists the other by its particular function—the functions of establishing, etc., whereby each becomes a condition for the others as conascence condition and so on” (Vism-mhṭ 363).

[11]:

This alludes to the length of duration of a moment of matter’s existence, which is described as seventeen times as long as that of consciousness (see Vibh-a 25f.).

[12]:

“The term ‘producing condition’ refers to causing origination, though as a condition it is actually kamma condition. For this is said: ‘Profitable and unprofitable volition is a condition, as kamma condition, for resultant aggregates and for materiality due to kamma performed’ (Paṭṭh I 5)” (Vism-mhṭ 368).

[13]:

“‘For the rest’: for consciousness-originated, and so on. It is the indirectly decisivesupport condition because in the Paṭṭhāna the decisive-support condition has only been given for immaterial dhammas, so there is, directly, no decisive-support condition [in kamma] for material dhammas. However, because of the words, ‘With a person as decisive support’ (M I 107) and ‘With a grove as decisive support’ (M I 106) in the Suttas, the decisive-support condition can be indirectly understood according to the Suttas in the sense of ‘absence without’” (Vism-mhṭ 368).

[14]:

Ugghāta—“exhilarated” and nigghāta—“depressed”: neither word is in PED; Vismmhṭ glosses with ubbilāvitatta and dīnabhāvappatti respectively.

[15]:

Reading yogivarasīhassa kīlitaṃ. Cf. Nettippakaraṇa “Sīha-kīlana.”