Comments

Comm. NT.: 27.
Rūpakkhandhakathāvaṇṇanā

27. “It is the mode and the alteration of what?
Of consciousness-originated primary elements that have the air-element in excess of capability.
What is that capability?
It is the state of being consciousness-born and the state of being derived matter.
Or alternatively, it can be taken as the mode alteration of the air element.
If that is so, then intimation is illogical as derived matter,
for there is no derived matter with a single primary as its support,
since ‘matter derived from the four great primaries’ (M I 53) is said. That is not wrong. Alteration of one of the four is that of all four, as with wealth shared among four.
And excess of air element in a material group (kalāpa) does not contradict the words ‘of the air element’;
Excess is in capability, not in quantity,
otherwise their inseparability would be illogical
According to some it is that of the air element only.
In their opinion the state of derived matter is inapplicable (durupapāda) to intimation,
since the alteration of one is not that of all.
But this [air element] is apprehended by mind-door impulsion that is next to the non-intimating [apprehension] that is next to the apprehension of the appearance of motion in the movement of the hands, and so on.
There is a certain kind of alteration that is separate from the appearance of motion.
And the apprehension of the former is next to the apprehension of the latter. How is that to be known? By the apprehension of intention.
For no apprehension of intention such as, ‘He is getting this done, it seems’ is met with in the case of trees’ movements, etc., which are devoid of intention. But it is met with in the case of hand movements and so on.
Therefore there is a certain kind of alteration that is separate from the appearance of motion, and it is known as the ‘intimator of the intention.’
Also it is known by inference that the apprehension of the alteration is next to the apprehension of the appearance thus: The intimator intimates the meaning to be intimated only when it is apprehended as a cause, not merely as present.
For they say accordingly:
And also beings merely recognized As such communicate no meanings either.
“If just the apprehension of the alteration is the reason for the apprehension of the intention, why is there no apprehension of intention in unapprehended communication (saṅketa)?
It is not only just the apprehension of the alteration that is the reason for the apprehension of the intention; but rather it should be taken that the apprehension of the previously-established connection is the decisive support for this.
The stiffening, upholding, and movement are due to the air-element associated with the alteration belonging to the intimation, is what is said.
What, is it all the air-element that does all those things?
It is not like that.
For it is the air element given rise to by the seventh impulsion that, by acquiring as its reinforcing conditions the air elements given rise to by the preceding impulsions, moves consciousness-originated matter by acting as cause for its successive arisings in adjacent locations, (desantaruppatti—cf. Ch. VIII, n. 54) not the others.
The others, however, help it by doing the stiffening and upholding, the successive arising in adjacent locations being itself the movement.
So the instrumentality should be taken as attributed when there is the sign [of movement];
otherwise there would not be uninterestedness and momentariness of dhammas.
And here the cart to be drawn by seven yokes is given as simile in the Commentary.
But when consciousness-born matter moves, the kinds of matter born of temperature, kamma, and nutriment move too because they are bound up with it, like a piece of dry cow-dung thrown into a river’s current. “Since it has been said that the apprehension of intimation is next to the apprehension of the appearance of motion,
how then, is the air element itself as the maker of the movement accompanied by the alteration consisting in the intimation?
It is not like that. It is the air elements given rise to by the first impulsion, etc., and which are unable to cause movement in that way and perform only the stiffening and upholding, that should be taken as only accompanied by the alteration belonging to intimation.
because of giving rise to alteration in whatever direction it wishes to cause the occurrence of moving forward and so on
- For it is the alteration coexistent with the intention that is the intimation.
Taking it in this way, it is perfectly logical to say that the origination of intimation belongs to mind-door adverting.
Since the intention possessed of the aforesaid alteration is intimated through the apprehension of that alteration, it is said that ‘Its function is to display intention.’
The air element being the cause of the motion of the bodily intimation, is figuratively said, as a state of alteration, to be ‘manifested as the cause of bodily motion.’
‘Its proximate cause is the consciousness-originated air-element’ is said since the air element’s excessive function
is the cause of intimating intention by movement of the body” (Vism-mhṭ 450–52). Cf. Dhs-a 83f.

пали	Tāya ca pana calitehi cittajarūpehi abhisambandhānaṃ utujādīnampi calanato abhikkamādayo pavattantīti veditabbā.
Nyanamoli thera	Moving forward, etc., should be understood to occur owing to the movement of the [kinds of matter] that are temperature-born, etc., which are interlocked with the consciousness-born kinds moved by that [intimation]27 (See Dhs §636).