Dhamma

With determinations as a condition, consciousness


Whatever one chooses, and whatever one asserts, and whatever one let's tendencies underline, that becomes the object whereby consciousness has a standing-point. It is when where is an object that consciousness has a standing-point. When consciousness with a standing-point has developed thereon, then renewal of being is made to occur in the future, then birth, ageing and death, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, have actual being in the future. That is how there is an origin of this whole category of suffering.

If one does not chose and if one does not assert, but still one lets underlying tendencies underline, that becomes the object whereby consciousness has a standing-point. It is when where is an object that consciousness has a standing-point. When consciousness with a standing-point has developed thereon, then renewal of being is made to occur in the future, then birth, ageing and death, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, have actual being in the future. That is how there is an origin of this whole category of suffering.

[But] as soon as one no more chooses and one no more asserts and one no more let's tendencies underline, then there is no object whereby consciousness has a standing-point. It is when where there is no object that consciousness has no steadying point. When consciousness having no standing-point, thereon developes no more, then no renewal of being is made to occur in the future, then birth, ageing and death, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, cease  in the future. That is how there is a cessation of this whole category of suffering.

Commentary

Pakappeti there means "to assert" or sponsor one side of a dialectic; cf anuruddha and pativiruddha of MN 65; the word vikappana represents the either / or of dialectic inviting taking one side. The three terms ceteti, pakapetti and anuseti here render by "chooses, " asserts", and allows tendencies to underline, could by (psychologically) paraphrased as follows: he makes an initial choice (base on assumption), he asserts that choice in his behaviour be either affirmation or denial (acceptance or rejection of the idea assumed), he allows the initial choice with its assumptions to lapse below the threshold of awareness whence it continues to influence his behaviour without his understanding why (and colours his subsequent choice, assertion and underlying tendencies).

Nanamoli Thera

39 (9) Volition


At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, what one intends, and what one plans, and whatever one has a tendency towards: this becomes a basis for the maintenance of consciousness. When there is a basis, there is a support for the establishing of consciousness. When consciousness is established and has come to growth, there is a descent of name-and-form. With name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases [come to be]; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling ... craving ... clinging ... existence ... birth; with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

“If, bhikkhus, one does not intend, and one does not plan, but one still has a tendency towards something, this becomes a basis for the maintenance of consciousness. When there is a basis, there is a support for the establishing of consciousness. When consciousness is established and has come to growth, there is a descent of name-and-form. With name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases [come to be]…. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

“But, bhikkhus, when one does not intend, and one does not plan, and one does not have a tendency towards anything, no basis exists for the maintenance of consciousness. When there is no basis, there is no support for the establishing of consciousness. When consciousness is unestablished and does not come to growth, there is no descent of name-and-form. With the cessation of name-and-form comes cessation of the six sense bases…. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.”

40 (10) Volition 

At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, what one intends, and what one plans, and whatever one has a tendency towards: this becomes a basis for the maintenance of consciousness. When there is a basis, there is a support for the establishing of consciousness. When consciousness is established and has come to growth, there is inclination. When there is inclination, there is coming and going. When there is coming and going, there is passing away and being reborn.116 When there is passing away and being reborn, future birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. “If, bhikkhus, one does not intend, and one does not plan, but one still has a tendency towards something, this becomes a basis for the maintenance of consciousness. When there is a basis, there is a support for the establishing of consciousness…. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. “But, bhikkhus, when one does not intend, and one does not plan, and one does not have a tendency towards anything, no basis exists for the maintenance of consciousness. When there is no basis, there is no support for the establishing of consciousness. When consciousness is unestablished and does not come to growth, there is no inclination. When there is no inclination, there is no coming and going. When there is no coming and going, there is no passing away and being reborn. When there is no passing away and being reborn, future birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.” SN 12: 39, 40

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