11 (1)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen sensual desire arises and arisen sensual desire increases and expands so much as the mark of the attractive.23 For one who attends carelessly to the mark of the attractive, unarisen sensual desire arises and arisen sensual desire increases and expands.”
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen ill will arises and arisen ill will increases and expands so much as the mark of the repulsive.24 For one who attends carelessly to the mark of the repulsive, unarisen ill will arises and arisen ill will increases and expands.”
13 (3)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen dullness and drowsiness arise and arisen dullness and drowsiness increase and expand so much as discontent, lethargy, lazy stretching, drowsiness after meals, and sluggishness of mind.25 For one with a sluggish mind, unarisen dullness and drowsiness arise and arisen dullness and drowsiness increase and expand.”
14 (4)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen restlessness and remorse arise and arisen restlessness and remorse increase and expand so much as an unsettled mind.26 For one with an unsettled mind, unarisen restlessness and remorse arise and arisen restlessness and remorse increase and expand.” [4]
15 (5)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen doubt arises and arisen doubt increases and expands so much as careless attention.27 For one who attends carelessly, unarisen doubt arises and arisen doubt increases and expands.”
16 (6)28
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen sensual desire does not arise and arisen sensual desire is abandoned so much as the mark of the unattractive.29 For one who attends carefully to the mark of the unattractive, unarisen sensual desire does not arise and arisen sensual desire is abandoned.”30
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen ill will does not arise and arisen ill will is abandoned so much as the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness.31 For one who attends carefully to the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, unarisen ill will does not arise and arisen ill will is abandoned.”32
18 (8)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen dullness and drowsiness do not arise and arisen dullness and drowsiness are abandoned so much as the element of instigation, the element of persistence, the element of exertion.33 For one who has aroused energy, unarisen dullness and drowsiness do not arise and arisen dullness and drowsiness are abandoned.”34
19 (9)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing on account of which unarisen restlessness and remorse do not arise and arisen restlessness and remorse are abandoned so much as pacification of the mind.35 For one with a pacified mind, unarisen restlessness and remorse do not arise and arisen restlessness and remorse are abandoned.”36
20 (10)
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing [5] on account of which unarisen doubt does not arise and arisen doubt is abandoned so much as careful attention.37 For one who attends carefully, unarisen doubt does not arise and arisen doubt is abandoned.”38
22 This series of suttas posits connections between the five hindrances and their principal conditions. In this respect, the suttas are similar to the sections of SN 46:2, V 64–65, and SN 46:51, V 102–3, on the nourishment of the five hindrances. For more on the five hindrances in AN, see 5:23, 5:51, 5:52, 5:193.
23 Subhanimitta. Mp: “The mark of the attractive is an object that is a basis for lust.” Mp cites various uses of the word nimitta: as a condition (paccaya), a cause (kāraṇa), concentration (samādhi), and insight (vipassanā). Here it means “an agreeable object that is a basis for lust” (rāgaṭṭhāniyo iṭṭhārammaṇadhammo). Mp glosses ayoniso manasikaroto with anupāyena manasikarontassa (“for one who attends unskillfully”) and cites the definition of “careless attention” (ayoniso manasikāra) at Vibh 373 (Be §936): “Careless attention is deviant attention, which takes the impermanent to be permanent, suffering to be happiness, what is non-self to be self, and the unattractive to be attractive. Or it is the mental turning, advertence, leaning, consideration, attention [to an object] in a way that runs contrary to the [four noble] truths.” It seems to me doubtful that this explanation of ayoniso manasikāra will hold for all applications of the term in the Nikāyas. Even in the following sutta, on the arising and increase of ill will, it is questionable that attending carelessly to “the mark of the repulsive” can be subsumed under any of the four distortions in the definition at Vibh 373.
24 Paṭighanimitta. Mp: “This denotes a disagreeable mark; it is a designation for aversion (repulsion) and for a repulsive object” (aniṭṭhaṃ nimittaṃ; paṭighassapi paṭighassārammaṇassapi etaṃ adhivacanaṃ). Interestingly, Mp continues with a citation from “the commentary”: “For it is said in the commentary: ‘The mark of the repulsive is aversion (repulsion) and a repulsive object’” (vuttampi c’etaṃ aṭṭhakathāyaṃ paṭighampi paṭighanimittaṃ, paṭighārammaṇopi dhammo paṭighanimittan ti). Mp-ṭ identifies “the commentary” as “the Great Commentary” (mahā aṭṭhakathā), one of the ancient Sinhala commentaries that Buddhaghosa used as the source for his own commentaries. These ancient commentaries are no longer extant, but this allusion makes it clear that Buddhaghosa worked with sources and did not write original compositions.
25 These terms are defined at Vibh 352 (Be §§856–860).
26 Avūpasantacittassa. Mp: “A mind not settled by jhāna or insight.”
27 Mp cites Dhs 205 (Be §1167) for a definition of the hindrance of doubt (vicikicchānīvaraṇa) as doubt about the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, and the training (see too 5:205).
28 This series, 1:16–20, corresponds to SN 46:51 §3, V 105–6, on the “denourishment” or removal of the five hindrances.
29 Mp uses the commentarial scheme of five kinds of abandoning to explain how sensual desire and the other hindrances are abandoned: (1) in a particular respect (tadaṅgappahāna), through insight; (2) by suppression (vikkhambhanappahāna), through a meditative attainment; (3) by eradication (samucchedappahāna), through the world-transcending path; (4) by subsiding (paṭipassaddhippahāna), through the fruition; and (5) by escape (nissaraṇappahāna), through nibbāna, “the release from all defilements.” Mp says that all five apply here.
Mp identifies the “mark of the unattractive” (asubhanimitta) with the first jhāna arisen on the basis of any of the ten unattractive objects (dasasu asubhesu uppannaṃ sārammaṇaṃ paṭhamajjhānaṃ). This explanation relies on the Vism scheme, which takes the asubha objects to be corpses in stages of decomposition (see Vism 178–93, Ppn 6.1–80). While we do find meditation on decaying corpses in the Nikāyas (see below at 1:480–84), more typically the suttas explain the perception of the unattractive (asubhasaññā) as meditation on the thirty-one components of the body (increased to thirty-two in later works by adding the brain). See, for example, 10:60 §3, on the perception of unattractiveness. This perception occurs among a group of five meditation subjects that culminate in the deathless (5:61), that lead to nibbāna (5:69) and to the destruction of the taints (5:70), and that bring liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom (5:71). At 7:49 §1, the perception of unattractiveness is recommended as the antidote to sexual desire, and at 9:1 §6 and 9:3 §6 it is prescribed for the abandoning of lust.
30 In line with the commentary to the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (at Sv III 778–82, Ps I 282–86), Mp enumerates six things that lead to the abandoning of each of the five hindrances. The six that lead to the abandoning of sensual desire are: learning an unattractive object, meditation on an unattractive object, guarding the doors of the sense faculties, moderation in eating, good friendship, and suitable conversation.
31 Mettācetovimutti. Mp: “Loving-kindness pervades all beings with [the wish for] their welfare. Since the mind associated with it is liberated from the opposed states such as the hindrances, it is called liberation of mind (cetovimutti). Specifically, this ‘liberation of mind’ is liberated from obsession by ill will. Here, what is intended by ‘liberation of mind’ is absorption (appanā) by three or four jhānas [depending on whether the fourfold or fivefold scheme of jhānas is used].” Mp-ṭ: “[This is said] because there is no thorough liberating [of the mind] by loving-kindness until one attains absorption.” At 6:13 §1 loving-kindness is taught as the escape from ill will. At 9:1 §7 and 9:3 §7, it is recommended for abandoning ill will. 8:63 §1 teaches different approaches to developing the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, and 8:1 and 11:15 explain, respectively, eight and eleven benefits of mastering the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness. The fourfold scheme of jhānas is typical of the Nikāyas; the fivefold scheme appears in the Abhidhamma by dividing the second jhāna into two: the second with examination but without thought, the third without thought and examination.
32 Mp mentions six things that lead to the abandoning of ill will: learning the meditation on loving-kindness, cultivating meditation on loving-kindness, reviewing ownership of kamma, abundant reflection, good friendship, and suitable conversation. On “reviewing ownership of kamma,” Mp says that one should reflect thus: “If you get angry with another person, what can you do? Can you destroy his virtuous behavior, etc.? Didn’t you come into this world on account of your own kamma and won’t you depart through your own kamma? Getting angry with another person is like taking hold of a hot flameless coal or an iron stake smeared with excrement in order to strike someone. If he gets angry with you, what can he do? Can he destroy your virtuous behavior, etc.? Didn’t he come into this world on account of his own kamma and won’t he depart through his own kamma? Just like an offering of a cake that is refused, or like a fist full of dust thrown against the wind, his anger will remain with him.” For more ways of overcoming anger, see Vism 298–306, Ppn 9:14–39.
33 Ārambhadhātu, nikkamadhātu, parakkamadhātu. Mp explains these as three successively more powerful degrees of energy.
34 Mp mentions six other things that lead to the abandoning of dullness and drowsiness: moderation in food, change of posture, the perception of light, living out in the open, good friendship, and suitable conversation. For moderation in food, Mp (in line with other commentaries) suggests that when one still has room for four or five more mouthfuls, one should stop eating and drink water.
35 Vūpasantacittassa. Mp: “A mind pacified by jhāna or by insight.”
36 Mp: “Six other things lead to the abandoning of restlessness and remorse: much learning, asking questions, being skilled in the Vinaya, approaching elder monks, good friendship, and suitable conversation.”
37 This is an abridgment. SN 46:51 §3, V 106,9–15, says that the “denourishment” of doubt occurs “by giving careful attention to wholesome and unwholesome qualities, blamable and blameless qualities, inferior and superior qualities, dark and bright qualities with their counterparts.”
38 Mp: “Six other things lead to the abandoning of doubt: much learning, asking questions, skill in the Vinaya, abundant resolve (that is, trust and faith in the Three Jewels), good friendship, and suitable conversation.”