85 (1) Coolness
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, a bhikkhu is incapable of realizing the unsurpassed coolness. What six? (1) Here, a bhikkhu does not suppress the mind on an occasion when it should be suppressed; (2) he does not exert the mind on an occasion when it should be exerted; (3) he does not encourage the mind on an occasion when it should be encouraged; and (4) he does not look at the mind with equanimity on an occasion when one should look at it with equanimity. (5) He is of inferior disposition and (6) he takes delight in personal existence. Possessing these six qualities, a bhikkhu is incapable of realizing the unsurpassed coolness.1432
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, a bhikkhu is capable of realizing the unsurpassed coolness. What six? (1) Here, a bhikkhu suppresses the mind on an occasion when it should be suppressed; (2) he exerts the mind on an occasion when it should be exerted; (3) he encourages the mind on an occasion when it should be encouraged; and (4) he looks at the mind with equanimity on an occasion when one should look at it with equanimity. (5) He is of superior disposition and (6) he takes delight in nibbāna. Possessing these six qualities, a bhikkhu is capable of realizing the unsurpassed coolness.”
86 (2) Obstructions
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, even while listening to the good Dhamma one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.1433 What six? [436] One is obstructed by kamma; one is obstructed by defilement; one is obstructed by the result [of kamma]; one is without faith; one is without desire; and one is unwise.1434 Possessing these six qualities, even while listening to the good Dhamma one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, while listening1435 to the good Dhamma one is capable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities. What six? One is not obstructed by kamma; one is not obstructed by defilement; one is not obstructed by the result [of kamma]; one is endowed with faith; one has desire; and one is wise. Possessing these six qualities, while listening to the good Dhamma one is capable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.”
87 (3) A Murderer
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, even while listening to the good Dhamma one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities. What six? (1) One has deprived one’s mother of life; (2) one has deprived one’s father of life; (3) one has deprived an arahant of life; (4) with a mind of hatred one has shed the Tathāgata’s blood; (5) one has created a schism in the Saṅgha; (6) one is unwise, stupid, obtuse. Possessing these six qualities, even while listening to the good Dhamma one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, while listening to the good Dhamma one is capable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities. What six? [437] (1) One has not deprived one’s mother of life; (2) nor deprived one’s father of life; (3) nor deprived an arahant of life; (4) one has not, with a mind of hatred, shed the Tathāgata’s blood; (5) one has not created a schism in the Saṅgha; (6) one is wise, intelligent, astute. Possessing these six qualities, while listening to the good Dhamma one is capable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.”
88 (4) One Wishes to Listen
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, even while listening to the good Dhamma one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities. What six? When the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata is being taught, (1) one does not wish to listen; (2) one does not lend an ear; (3) one does not set one’s mind on understanding; (4) one grasps the meaning wrongly; (5) one discards the meaning;1436 and (6) one has adopted a conviction that is not in conformity [with the teaching].1437 Possessing these six qualities, even while listening to the good Dhamma one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.
“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, while listening to the good Dhamma one is capable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities. What six? When the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata is being taught, (1) one wishes to listen; (2) one lends an ear; (3) one sets one’s mind on understanding; (4) one grasps the meaning; (5) one discards what is not the meaning; and (6) one has adopted a conviction that is in conformity [with the teaching]. Possessing these six qualities, while listening to the good Dhamma one is capable of entering upon the fixed course [consisting in] rightness in wholesome qualities.” [438]
89 (5) Without Having Abandoned
“Bhikkhus, without having abandoned six things, one is incapable of realizing accomplishment in view.1438 What six? Personal-existence view, doubt, wrong grasp of behavior and observances, lust leading to the plane of misery, hatred leading to the plane of misery, and delusion leading to the plane of misery. Without having abandoned these six things, one is incapable of realizing accomplishment in view.
“Bhikkhus, having abandoned six things, one is capable of realizing accomplishment in view. What six? Personal-existence view … delusion leading to the plane of misery. Having abandoned these six things, one is capable of realizing accomplishment in view.”
90 (6) Abandoned
“Bhikkhus, one accomplished in view has abandoned these six things. What six? Personal-existence view, doubt, wrong grasp of behavior and observances, lust leading to the plane of misery, hatred leading to the plane of misery, and delusion leading to the plane of misery. One accomplished in view has abandoned these six things.”
91 (7) Incapable
“Bhikkhus, one accomplished in view is incapable of giving rise to these six things. What six? Personal-existence view, doubt, wrong grasp of behavior and observances, lust leading to the plane of misery, hatred leading to the plane of misery, and delusion leading to the plane of misery. One accomplished in view is incapable of giving rise to these six things.”
92 (8) Cases (1)
“Bhikkhus, there are these six cases of incapability. What six? [439] One accomplished in view is (1) incapable of dwelling without reverence and deference toward the Teacher; (2) incapable of dwelling without reverence and deference toward the Dhamma; (3) incapable of dwelling without reverence and deference toward the Saṅgha; (4) incapable of dwelling without reverence and deference toward the training; (5) incapable of resorting to anything that should not be relied upon;1439 (6) incapable of undergoing an eighth existence.1440 These are the six cases of incapability.”
93 (9) Cases (2)
“Bhikkhus, there are these six cases of incapability. What six? One accomplished in view is (1) incapable of considering any conditioned phenomenon as permanent; (2) incapable of considering any conditioned phenomenon as pleasurable; (3) incapable of considering any phenomenon as a self; (4) incapable of doing a grave act that brings immediate result;1441 (5) incapable of resorting to [the belief] that purity comes about through superstitious and auspicious acts; (6) incapable of seeking a person worthy of offerings outside here.1442 These are the six cases of incapability.”
94 (10) Cases (3)
“Bhikkhus, there are these six cases of incapability. What six? One accomplished in view is (1) incapable of depriving his mother of life; (2) incapable of depriving his father of life; (3) incapable of depriving an arahant of life; (3) incapable of shedding the Tathāgata’s blood with a mind of hatred; (5) incapable of creating a schism in the Saṅgha; (6) incapable of acknowledging another teacher.1443 These are the six cases of incapability.” [440]
95 (11) Cases (4)
“Bhikkhus, there are these six cases of incapability. What six? One accomplished in view is (1) incapable of resorting to [the view that] pleasure and pain are made by oneself; (2) incapable of resorting to [the view that] pleasure and pain are made by another; (3) incapable of resorting to [the view that] pleasure and pain are both made by oneself and made by another; (4) incapable of resorting to [the view that] pleasure and pain are not made by oneself but have arisen fortuitously; (5) incapable of resorting to [the view that] pleasure and pain are not made by another but have arisen fortuitously; (6) incapable of resorting to [the view that] pleasure and pain are made neither by oneself nor by another but have arisen fortuitously. For what reason? Because the person accomplished in view has clearly seen causation and causally arisen phenomena. These are the six cases of incapability.” [441]
1432 Mp: “The mind is to be suppressed (niggahetabbaṃ) by concentration on an occasion of restlessness; it is to be exerted by energy at a time when it has fallen into sluggishness; it is to be encouraged (paggahetabbaṃ) with concentration at a time when it is listless; and it is to be looked at (ajjhupekkhitabbaṃ) with the equanimity enlightenment factor when it is proceding evenly.” These aspects of mental development are discussed in detail at Vism 130–35, Ppn 4.51–64.
1433 See 3:22, 5:151–53, p. 1638, note 358, and p. 1739, note 1150.
1434 Mp: “Obstruction by kamma (kammāvaraṇatā) occurs through the five grave deeds with immediate result (see 6:87). Obstruction by defilement (kilesāvaraṇatā) occurs through wrong view with fixed result (that is, a grave wrong view that denies the working of kamma). Obstruction by result (vipākāvaraṇatā) is an unwholesome resultant rebirth or a rootless wholesome resultant rebirth.” These two types of rebirth consciousness lack the root of wisdom and thus one reborn through them is incapable of attaining the path. One reborn with a two-rooted rebirth consciousness, lacking the root of wisdom, is also incapable of attaining the path. On the role of rebirth consciousness, see CMA 179, 194–95. The kind of desire (chanda) that is needed is wholesome desire, desire to do the good (kattukamyatāchandaṃ).
1435 I follow Be, which does not have pi here, as against Ce and Ee, which have pi. In the partly parallel 5:151–53, Ce and Ee do not have pi. It seems the sense requires that pi should be excluded; for it is when listening to the good Dhamma that one would expect a person to enter the path. The same applies to 6:87 and 6:88 just below.
1436 Atthaṃ riñcati. Mp: “One discards the benefit of growth” (vaḍḍhiatthaṃ chaḍḍeti). Mp explains attha here in an ethical sense, as good or benefit. However, since the word is used in connection with someone listening to the teaching, it seems more likely that its semantic sense—namely, “meaning”—is intended. Thus attha is the correct meaning of the exposition, while anattha is a false meaning resulting from misinterpretation.
1437 The word khanti, normally meaning “patience,” is used in relation to contemplative practice to mean one’s beliefs or convictions. I base the parenthetical addition here on Mp’s gloss, sāsanassa ananulomikāya, “not in conformity with the teaching.”
1438 Diṭṭhisampadaṃ. Mp: “The path of stream-entry” (sotāpattimaggaṃ).
1439 Anāgamanīyaṃ vatthuṃ paccāgantuṃ. Mp explains that he is incapable of the five enmities (that is, breach of the five precepts) and of adopting any of the sixty-two speculative views.
1440 Mp: “‘An eighth existence’ means that he cannot take an eighth rebirth in the sense sphere.”
1441 Ce and Be ānantariyaṃ kammaṃ; Ee anantariyaṃ kammaṃ. Strangely, though this term commonly occurs in doctrinal expositions of Buddhism, a search for it in CST 4.0 turns up only one occurrence in the entire Sutta Piṭaka, namely, this one. The expression also occurs in the Vinaya Piṭaka, but only once, in the Devadatta story at Vin II 193,37. An ānantariya kamma is understood to be a grave misdeed that in the immediately following existence necessarily produces a rebirth in hell. The five acts that constitute this type of kamma are mentioned at 5:129, 6:87, and just below at 6:94.
1442 Ito bahiddhā dakkhiṇeyyaṃ gavesituṃ. That is, incapable of seeking a person of noble attainment outside the Buddha’s teaching.
1443 Aññaṃ satthāraṃ uddisituṃ. That is, of looking to someone else apart from the Buddha as one’s ultimate spiritual teacher.