The Immaterial Septad

76. The headings of what was called above “the immaterial septad” are these: (1) by groups, (2) by pairs, (3) by moments, (4) by series, (5) by removal of [false] view, (6) by abolition of conceit, (7) by ending of attachment.

77. 1. Herein, by groups means the states belonging to the contact pentad.^[1] How? Here, “he comprehends by groups” [means that] a bhikkhu considers thus: The states belonging to the contact pentad arising in the comprehending of head hairs as “impermanent, painful, not-self”; the states belonging to the contact pentad arising in the comprehending of body hairs as … in the contemplation of brain as “impermanent, painful, not-self”—all these states disintegrate section by section, term by term, like crackling sesame seeds put into a hot pan, each without reaching the next: therefore they are impermanent, painful, not-self. This, firstly, is the method according to the Discourse on Purification.^[2]

78. According to the Discourse on the Noble Ones’ Heritages, however, he is said to “comprehend by groups” when by means of a subsequent consciousness he comprehends as “impermanent, painful, not-self” that consciousness which occurred [comprehending] materiality as “impermanent, painful, not-self” in the seven instances of the material septad given above. As this method is more suitable we shall therefore confine ourselves to it in explaining the rest.

79. 2. By pairs: after the bhikkhu has comprehended as “impermanent, painful, not-self” the materiality of the “taking up and putting down” (§46f.), he comprehends that consciousness [with which he was comprehending the materiality] too as “impermanent, painful, not-self” by means of a subsequent consciousness. After he has comprehended as “impermanent, painful, not-self” the materiality of the “disappearance of what grows old in each stage” and that “arising from nutriment,” “arising from temperature,” “kamma-born,” “consciousness-originated” and “natural,” he comprehends that consciousness too as “impermanent, painful, not-self” by means of a subsequent consciousness. In this way he is said to comprehend by pairs.

80. 3. By moments: after the bhikkhu has comprehended as “impermanent, painful, not-self” the materiality of the “taking up and putting down,” he comprehends that first consciousness [with which he was comprehending the materiality] as “impermanent, painful, not-self” by means of a second consciousness, and that second consciousness by means of a third, and the third by means of a fourth, and the fourth by means of a fifth, and that too he comprehends as “impermanent, painful, not-self.” After he has comprehended as “impermanent, painful, not-self” the materiality of “disappearance of what grows old in each stage” and that “arising from nutriment,” “arising from temperature,” [627] “kamma-born,” “consciousness-originated” and “natural,” he comprehends that first consciousness as “impermanent, painful, not-self” by means of a second consciousness, and that second consciousness by means of a third, and the third by means of a fourth, and the fourth by means of a fifth, and that too he comprehends as “impermanent, painful, not-self.” Comprehending thus four [consciousnesses] from each discerning of materiality he is said to comprehend by moments.

81. 4. By series: after he has comprehended as “impermanent, painful, notself” the materiality of the “taking up and putting down,” he comprehends that first consciousness as “impermanent, painful, not-self” by means of a second consciousness, and the second by means of a third, and the third by means of a fourth … and the tenth by means of an eleventh, and that too he comprehends as “impermanent, painful, not-self.” After he has comprehended as “impermanent, painful, not-self” the materiality of the “disappearance of what grows old in each stage” and that “arising from nutriment,” “arising from temperature,” “kamma-born,” “consciousness-originated” and “natural,” he comprehends that consciousness as “impermanent, painful, not-self” by means of a second consciousness, and the second by means of a third, … and the tenth by means of an eleventh, and that too he comprehends as “impermanent, painful, not-self.” It would be possible to go on comprehending it in this way with serial insight even for a whole day. But both the material meditation subject and the immaterial meditation subject become familiar when the comprehending is taken as far as the tenth consciousness. That is why it is said^[3] that it can be stopped at the tenth. It is when he comprehends in this way that he is said to comprehend by series.

82. 5. By removal of [false] view, 6. by abolition of conceit, 7. by ending of attachment: there is no individual method for any of these three. But when he has discerned this materiality as described above and this immateriality as described here, then he sees that there is no living being over and above the material and the immaterial. As soon as he no longer sees a being, the perception of a being is removed. When he discerns formations with consciousness from which perception of a being has been removed, then [false] view does not arise in him. When [false] view does not arise in him, then [false] view is said to be removed.

When he discerns formations with consciousness from which [false] view has been removed, then conceit does not arise in him. When conceit does not arise, conceit is said to be abolished. When he discerns formations with consciousness from which conceit has been abolished, then craving does not arise in him. When craving does not arise in him, attachment is said to be ended. This firstly is what is said in the Discourse on Purification.

83. But in the Discourse on the Noble Ones’ Heritages, after setting forth the headings thus: “As removal of [false] view, as abolition of conceit, as ending of attachment,” the following method is set forth: “There is no removal of [false] view in one who takes it thus, ‘I see with insight, my insight’; [628] there is removal of [false] view in one who takes it thus, ‘Only formations see formations with insight, comprehend, define, discern, and delimit them.’ There is no abolition of conceit in one who takes it thus, ‘I see thoroughly with insight, I see well with insight’; there is abolition of conceit in one who takes it thus, ‘Only formations see formations with insight, comprehend, define, discern, and delimit them.’ There is no ending of attachment in one who is pleased with insight thus, ‘I am able to see with insight’; there is ending of attachment in one who takes it thus, ‘Only formations see formations with insight, comprehend, define, discern, and delimit them.’

84. “There is removal of [false] view in one who sees thus: ‘If formations were self, it would be right to take them as self; but being not-self they are taken as self. Therefore they are not-self in the sense of no power being exercisable over them; they are impermanent in the sense of non-existence after having come to be; they are painful in the sense of oppression by rise and fall.’

85. “There is abolition of conceit in one who sees thus: ‘If formations were permanent, it would be right to take them as permanent; but being impermanent they are taken as permanent. Therefore they are impermanent in the sense of non-existence after having come to be; they are painful in the sense of oppression by rise and fall; they are not-self in the sense of no power being exercisable over them.’

86. “There is ending of attachment in one who sees thus: ‘If formations were pleasant, it would be right to take them as pleasant; but being painful they are taken as pleasant. Therefore they are painful in the sense of oppression by rise and fall; they are impermanent in the sense of non-existence after having come to be; they are not-self in the sense of no power being exercisable over them.’

“Thus there comes to be the removal of [false] view in one who sees formations as not-self; there comes to be the abolishing of conceit in one who sees them as impermanent; there comes to be the ending of attachment in one who sees them as painful. So this insight is valid in each instance.”

88. This is how he comprehends formations by attributing the three characteristics to them by means of the immaterial septad.

At this stage both the material meditation subject and the immaterial meditation subject have become familiar to him.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The “contact pentad” (phassa-pañcamaka) is a term used for the first five things listed in Dhs §1, that is, contact, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness, which are invariably present whenever there is consciousness.

[2]:

The “Discourse on Purification” (visuddhi-kathā) and the “Discourse on the Noble Ones’ Heritages” (ariyavaṃsa-kathā) are presumably names of chapters in the old Sinhalese commentaries no longer extant.

[3]:

“Said in the Discourse on the Noble Ones’ Heritages” (Vism-mhṭ 804).