Comments

Comm. NT: 28. For Vism-mhṭ’s comments on the first seven see note 3 to this chapter.
Arūpasattakasammasanakathāvaṇṇanā

‘Contemplation of destruction’ is the contemplation of the momentary dissolution of formations.
‘Perception of compactness’ is the assumption of unity in a continuity or mass or function or object.
‘Contemplation of destruction’ is contemplation of non- existence after having been, they say.
Contemplation of destruction is the understanding by means of which he resolves the compact into its elements and sees that it is impermanent in the sense of destruction.
Its completion starts with contemplation of dissolution, and so there is abandoning of perception of compactness then, but before that there is not, because it has not been completed.
(9) The seeing of the dissolution of formations both by actual experience and by inference and the directing of attention to their cessation, in other words, their dissolution, is contemplation of fall; through it accumulation [of kamma] is abandoned;
his consciousness does not incline with craving to the occurrence of that [aggregate-process of existence] for the purpose of which one accumulates [kamma].
(10) Seeing change in the two ways through aging and through death in what is born, or seeing another essence subsequent to the delimitation of such and such [an essence supervening] in what was discerned by means of the material septad, and so on, is ‘contemplation of change’; by its means he abandons the ‘perception of lastingness,’ the assumption of stability.
(11)–(13) The three beginning with ‘contemplation of the signless’ are the same as the three beginning with contemplation of impermanence.
(11) ‘The sign’ is the mere appearance of formations as if graspable entities, which is due to the individualization of particular functions and which, owing to perception of unity in continuity and in mass, is assumed to be temporarily enduring or permanent.
(12) ‘Desire’ is longing for pleasure, or it is desire consisting in greed, and so on; it means inclinationto formations owing to craving.
(13) ‘Misinterpreting’ is misinterpreting as self.
It is owing to their opposing the ‘sign,’ etc., that the contemplations of impermanence, etc., are called by the names of ‘signless,’ etc.; so they should be regarded as opposed to the apprehension of a sign, etc., just as they are to the perception of permanence, and so on.
(14) Insight that occurs by knowing an object consisting of a visible datum, etc., and by seeing the dissolution of the consciousness that had that visible datum, etc., as its object, and by apprehending voidness through the dissolution thus, ‘Only formations dissolve, there is nothing beyond the death of formations,’ is the higher understanding, and that is insight into states, thus it is ‘insight into states that is higher understanding’; by its means he abandons the view accompanied by craving that is the misinterpretation occurring as grasping at a permanent core, and so on.
(15) ‘Correct knowledge and vision’ is a term for the seeing of mentality-materiality with its conditions;
by its means he abandons the ‘misinterpreting due to confusion’ that begins thus, ‘Was I in the past?’ (M I 8) and that begins thus, ‘Thus the world is created by an Overlord’ (?).
(16) The knowledge consisting in the seeing of danger in all kinds of becomings, etc., which has arisen owing to the appearance of terror is ‘contemplation of danger’; by its means he abandons the craving occurring as ‘misinterpreting due to reliance’ because he does not see any reliance or support.
(17) The knowledge of reflection that is the means to deliverance from formations is ‘contemplation of reflection’; by its means he abandons the ignorance that is ‘non-reflection’ on impermanence, etc., and is opposed to reflection on them.
(18) Equanimity about formations and conformity knowledge are ‘contemplation of turning away’;
for owing to it the mind retreats and recoils from all formations, like a water drop on a lotus leaf, so by its means he abandons the ‘misinterpretation due to bondage,’ which is the occurrence of the defilements consisting of the fetters of sense desire, and so on.