SUTTA 8

[^101]: See n. 84.

[^102]: Views associated with doctrines of a self (attavādapatisam̀yuttā), according to MA, are the twenty types of per- sonality view enumerated at MN 44.7, though they may also be understood to include the more elaborate doctrines about a self discussed in MN 102. Views associated with doctrines about the world (lokavādapațisamyuttā) are the eight views: the world is eternal, non-eternal, both, or neither; the world is infinite, finite, both, or neither. See MN 63 and MN 72 for the Buddha's rejection of these views.

[^103]: MA: This question refers to one who has only reached the initial stages of insight meditation without attaining stream-entry. The type of abandonment under discussion is abandoning by eradication, which is effected only by the path of stream-entry. Ven. Mahā Cunda posed this question because some meditators were overestimating their achievement, thinking they had abandoned such views while they had not really eradicated them.

[^104]: MA explains that the word "arise" (uppajjanti) refers here to the arising of views that have not arisen before; "underlie" (anusenti) to their gathering strength through continued adherence to them; and being "exercised" (samudäcaranti) to their gaining bodily or verbal expression. The "object" upon which they are based is the five aggregates (khandha) that constitute a person or living being - material form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.

[^105]: By this statement' the Buddha shows the means by which these views are eradicated: contemplation of the five aggregates as "not mine," etc., with the wisdom of insight culminating in the path of stream-entry.

[^106]: MA explains that the Buddha, having answered the Elder's question, now speaks of another type of overestimater - those who attain the eight meditative attainments and believe that they are practising true effacement (sallekha). The word sallekha, originally meaning austerity or ascetic practice, is used by the Buddha to signify the radical effacing or removal of defilements. Though the eight attainments are elsewhere placed securely within the Buddhist training (see MN 25.12-19, MN 26.34-41), it is here said that they should not be called effacement because the bhikkhu who attains them does not use them as a basis for insight - as described for example in MN 52 and MN 64 - but only as a means of enjoying bliss and peace.

[^107]: The forty-four "modes of effacement" to be expounded fall, by and large, into several fixed sets of doctrinal categories as follows. Those not mentioned here do not fit into any fixed set.

(2)-(11) are the ten courses of unwholesome and wholesome action (kammapatha) - see MN 9.4, 9.6;

(12)-(18) are the last seven factors of the eightfold path - wrong and right - the first factor being identical with (11);

(19)-(20) are sometimes added to the two eightfold paths - see MN 117.34-36;

(21)-(23) are the last three of the five hindrances - see MN 10.36 - the first two being identical with (9) and (10);

(24)-(33) are ten of the sixteen imperfections that defile the mind, mentioned in MN 7.3;

(37)-(43) are the seven bad qualities and the seven good qualities (saddhammā) mentioned in MN 53.11-17.

[^108]: MT: Non-cruelty (avihimisa), which is a synonym for compassion, is mentioned at the beginning because it is the root of all virtues, especially the root-cause of morality.

[^109]: MA: This is a description of those who hold firmly to a view that has occurred to them, believing "This alone is the truth"; they do not relinquish it even if spoken to by the Buddha with reasoned arguments.

[^110]: MA: The inclination of mind is of great benefit because it entails exclusively welfare and happiness, and because it is the cause of the subsequent actions that conform to it.

[^111]: The Pali term rendered by "extinguished" is parinibbuto, which can also mean "attained to Nibbāna"; and the Pali term rendered by "help extinguish" is parinibbāpessati, which can also mean "help attain Nibbāna" or "bring to Nibbāna." The Pali original for the expression to follow, "by which to extinguish it," parinibbānaya, might have been rendered "for attaining Nibbāna." Though in all three cases the alternative rendering would be too strong to insist on literally, its implications contribute to the suggestiveness of the original in a way that cannot be captured in translation.

[^112]: MA points out that this statement can be understood in two ways: (1) one who is himself free from cruelty can use his non-cruelty to help extinguish the cruelty of another person; and (2) one who is himself cruel can develop non-cruelty to extinguish his own cruel disposition. All the following cases should be similarly understood in this twofold way.

[^113]: MA: The compassionate teacher's task is the correct teaching of the Dhamma; beyond that is the practice, which is the work of the disciples.