Sustained ApplicationBeginning the Journey 1. “What is the root, Nāgasena, of past, present, and future time?”
“Ignorance. By ignorance are conditioned formations; by formations, relinking consciousness; by consciousness, mind and matter; by mind and matter, the six sense bases; by the six sense bases, contact; by contact, feeling; by feeling,
craving; by craving, attachment; by attachment, becoming; by becoming, birth; by birth are conditioned old age, death, grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair.”
2. “You say that the ultimate beginning of things is not apparent.1 Give me an illustration.”
“The Blessed One said, ‘By reason of the sense bases and the sense objects there arises contact; by reason of contact, feeling; by reason of feeling, craving; and by reason of craving, action (kamma). Then, from action, sense bases are once more produced.’ Now could there be any end to this series?” “No.”
“Just so, O king, the ultimate beginning of things cannot be comprehended.” 3. “Is the ultimate beginning of everything unknown.”
“Partly so and partly not.” “Then which so and which not?”
“Whatever condition preceded this birth, that is to us as if it had not been. In reference to that, the ultimate beginning is not known. However, that which has not been comes into existence, and as soon as it has arisen it disappears again. With reference to that the ultimate beginning can be known.” 4. “Are there any formations that are produced?”
“Certainly, O king. Where there is an eye and also forms there is sight; where there is sight there is contact; where there is contact there is feeling; where there is feeling there is craving; where there is craving there is attachment; where there is attachment there is becoming; where there is becoming there is birth, old age, death, grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair. However, where the eye
and forms are not, sight is not; contact is not, feeling is not, craving is not, attachment is not, becoming is not; and where there is no becoming there is no birth, old age, death, grief, pain, sorrow, or despair.” 5. “Are there any formations that are not produced?”
“There are not, O king, for it is just by a process of becoming that they are produced.”
“Give me an illustration.”
“Was this house where you are sitting produced by a process of becoming?” “There is nothing here that was not. This wood was in the forest and this clay was in the ground and it was through the effort of men and women that this house came to exist.”
“Just so, O king there are no formations that are not produced.” 6. “Is there, Nāgasena, such a thing as ‘The one who knows’ (vedagū)?”2
“What is this thing?”
“The living principle within that sees, hears, tastes, smells, feels, and discerns things; just as we, sitting here, can look out of any window we wish to.” “If, O king, the living principle within can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel things like you say, can it not
also see forms through the ear and so on?”
“No, venerable sir.” “Then, O king, the living principle within cannot make use of whichever sense it pleases as you suggested. It is, O king, by reason of the eye and forms that sight and those other conditions arise, namely; contact, feeling, perception, intention, one-pointedness, vitality and attention. Each arises
simultaneously with its cause and herein ‘The one who knows’ cannot be found.” 7. “Does mind-consciousness arise wherever eye-consciousness arises?”
“Yes, O king, where the one is there the other is.” “Which arises first?”
“First eye-consciousness then mind-consciousness.” “Does eye-consciousness issue a command to mind-consciousness or vice versa?”
“No, there is no communication between them.” “Then why is it, Nāgasena, that mind-consciousness arises wherever there is eye-consciousness?”
“Because, O king, there is a tendency, an opening, a habit and an association.” “Give me an illustration.”
“If a king’s border town had a strong wall and only one gateway and a man wanted to leave the town, which way would he go?”
“Through the gateway.” “And if another man left, which way would he go?”
“Through the same gateway.” “But does the first man issue a command to the second saying, ‘Go out the same way as I do,’ or does the second man tell the first, ‘I will go out the same way as you do’?”
“No venerable sir, there is no communication between them.” “In the same way mind-consciousness arises wherever there is eye-consciousness but there is no
communication between them.” 8. “Where there is mind-consciousness, Nāgasena, is there always contact and feeling?”
“Yes, where there is mind-consciousness there is contact and feeling. And also perception, intention, initial application, and sustained application.” “What is the characteristic mark of contact?”
“Touching.” “Give me an illustration.”
“As when two rams butt together; the eye is like one ram, visible object is like the other and the butting together of the two is contact.” 9. “What is the characteristic mark of feeling (vedanā)?”
“The being experienced, O king, and enjoyed.” “Give me an illustration.”
“As a man, who has been of service to a king and has been granted an official post, afterwards enjoys the benefits of being in office.” 10. “What is the characteristic mark of perception (saññā)?”
“Recognising,3 O king, of blueness, yellowness, or redness.” “Give me an illustration.”
“It is as the king’s treasurer recognises the king’s goods on seeing their colour and shape.” 11. “What is the characteristic mark of intention (cetanā)?”
“Conceiving, O king, and preparing.” “Give me an illustration.”
“As a man having prepared poison and having drunk it would suffer pain, so one having thought out some evil deed and having done it, afterwards has to suffer in hell.” 12. “What is the characteristic mark of consciousness (viññāna)?”
“Knowing, O king.”
“Give me an illustration.”
“As a watchman in the city square would know someone was coming, whichever direction he came from; so, when a man sees an object, hears a sound, smells an odour, tastes a savour, feels a touch or knows an idea; it is by consciousness that he knows it.” 13.“What is the characteristic mark of initial application (vitakka)?”
“Fixing, O king.” “Give me an illustration.”
“As a carpenter fixes an accurately cut tenon into a mortice, thus fixing is the characteristic of initial application.” 14.“What is the characteristic mark of sustained application (vicāra)?”
“Examining again and again.” “Give me an illustration.”
“Like the striking of a gong is initial application; like the reverberation is sustained application.” In this chapter there are fourteen questions
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