The Section on Questions
1. Commentary on the Positive Condition
Thus, in the great treatise on Conditional Relations, which is the combination of the twenty-four complete conditional relations by way of the Conditional Relations of Triads and so on among the Conditional Relations in Conformity and so on, those triads and so on in dependence on which it was expounded are called this Conditional Relations of Triads, Conditional Relations of Dyads, etc. Conditional Relations of Dyad-Dyads - thus it was said. Without touching upon those, having first shown by way of synopsis and exposition, through this section called the laying down of the matrix and analysis of conditions, those very conditions by means of which those triads and so on were classified, now those triads and so on in dependence on which it was expounded are called this Conditional Relations of Triads, Conditional Relations of Dyads, etc. Conditional Relations of Dyad-Dyads - thus it was said. In order to show those triads and so on in detail by means of these conditions, the teaching was given through seven great sections in dependence on each triad and dyad. Their names are these - the section on the dependent, the section on the conascence, the section on the conditions, the section on the support, the section on the conjoined, the section on the associated, and the section on questions.
Therein, that which is stated by way of the designation "dependent" thus: "A wholesome mental state dependent on a wholesome mental state" is called the section on the dependent. That which is stated by way of the designation "conascent" thus: "A wholesome mental state conascent with a wholesome mental state" is called the section on the conascence. That is without difference in meaning from the former section on the dependent. But the first was stated for the sake of those who awaken by way of the designation "dependent," and the second for the sake of those who awaken by way of the designation "conascent." In both of these, the conditions and the conditionally arisen phenomena should be understood by way of material and immaterial phenomena. And those are obtained only as conascent, not as prenascent or postnascent. That which is stated by way of the designation "condition" thus: "A wholesome mental state conditioned by a wholesome mental state" is called the section on the conditions. That too should be understood by way of material and immaterial phenomena, just like the former pair of sections. But here the condition of prenascence is also obtained. This is its distinction from the former pair of sections. Immediately following that, that which is stated by way of the designation "support" thus: "A wholesome mental state in dependence on a wholesome mental state" is called the section on the support. That is without difference in meaning from the former section on the conditions. But the first was stated for the sake of those who awaken by way of the designation "condition," and the second for the sake of those who awaken by way of the designation "support." Beyond that, that which is stated by way of the designation "conjoined" thus: "A wholesome mental state conjoined with a wholesome mental state" is called the section on the conjoined. That which is stated by way of the designation "associated" thus: "A wholesome mental state associated with a wholesome mental state" is called the section on the associated. That is without difference in meaning from the former section on the conjoined. But the first was stated for the sake of those who awaken by way of the designation "conjoined," and the second by way of the designation "associated." In both of these, the conditions and the conditionally arisen should be understood by way of immaterial phenomena only. But in the seventh section, since those various questions were extracted by the method beginning with "a wholesome mental state is a condition for a wholesome mental state by way of root condition," and then all those questions were classified having been disentangled and cleared by the method beginning with "wholesome roots are for associated aggregates," therefore that section, because of the questions being well classified, has come to be reckoned as the section on questions. But here the conditions and the conditionally arisen should be understood by way of material and immaterial phenomena only.
Therein, that which is the very first, called the section on the dependent, is twofold by way of synopsis and by way of exposition. Therein, the synopsis section comes first; it is also called the section on questions. The section on description is also a name for that very same one. For since the wholesome and so on dependent on the wholesome and so on have been recited by way of root condition and so on, it is the synopsis section; since the arising of the wholesome and so on dependent on the wholesome and so on has been questioned by way of root condition and so on, it is the section on questions; since the arising of the wholesome and so on dependent on the wholesome and so on has been described by way of root condition and so on, it is also called the section on description.
25-34. Therein, "might a wholesome mental state arise dependent on a wholesome mental state by root condition" is a suppositional question. For the meaning here is this: Whatever wholesome mental state might arise by root condition, might that be dependent on a wholesome mental state? Or, whatever wholesome mental state might arise dependent on a wholesome mental state, might that be by root condition? This is the meaning here. Therein, "paṭi" occurs in the sense of similar. For a similar person is a counterpart person, and a similar portion is called a counterpart. "Icca" is an expression of eagerness for going. Combining both together, "dependent on" means having gone towards, having reached by way of a similar state reckoned as co-arising, having approached the state of arising together with that - this is what is said. "A wholesome mental state" - thus it asks: might a wholesome mental state arise dependent on a wholesome mental state by root condition, by way of co-arising? Or alternatively, "dependent on" means having made a condition. But that making of a condition is obtained in the prenascence condition as well as in the conascence condition. Here conascence is intended. In "might an unwholesome mental state dependent on a wholesome mental state" and so on too, the same method applies. Therein, although by way of conascence there is no unwholesome dependent on a wholesome mental state, yet in this question section, whatever when being answered is obtainable in meaning and whatever is not obtainable, all that has been raised by way of questioning. But later in the answer, setting aside whatever is not obtainable, only whatever is obtainable has been answered.
Thus, having known the meaning of the questions here and the course of the questions, now the delimitation of the questions should be understood by way of counting. For here, taking the wholesome term as the beginning with "dependent on a wholesome mental state," there are three questions ending with wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate; again taking that same as the beginning, three ending with dyad divisions by way of wholesome-indeterminate and so on; again taking that same as the beginning, one ending with the triad; thus there are seven questions beginning with wholesome as "dependent on a wholesome mental state"; likewise those beginning with unwholesome; likewise those beginning with indeterminate; likewise those beginning with wholesome-indeterminate; those beginning with unwholesome-indeterminate; those beginning with wholesome-unwholesome; those beginning with wholesome-unwholesome-indeterminate - thus in all, by way of seven groups of seven, in dependence on the triad of wholesome, there are forty-nine questions under root condition.
Therein, those with a single root ending in a single are nine; those with a single root ending in a dyad are nine; those with a single root ending in a triad are three; those with a dyad root ending in a single are nine; those with a dyad root ending in a dyad are nine; those with a dyad root ending in a triad are three; those with a triad root ending in a single are three; those with a triad root ending in a dyad are three; those with a triad root ending in a triad are one - thus these should be understood also by way of roots. And just as there are forty-nine under root condition, so too under object condition and so on - thus in all twenty-four conditions:
The questions are combined, in the method of the single root.
35-36. Beyond that, the two-rooted method beginning with "by root condition, by object condition" was begun. Therein, the root-object dyad, etc. the root-non-disappearance dyad - thus together with root condition there are twenty-three dyads. Among those, just as in root condition, in the root-object dyad also there are forty-nine questions, of those only two are shown in the canonical text. And just as there are forty-nine in the root-object dyad, so also in the root-predominance dyad and so on. Therein, by way of the first question, the root-predominance dyad, the root-proximity dyad, the root-contiguity dyad - having shown three dyads in succession, at the end the root-non-disappearance dyad was shown, the remainder was abbreviated. Now the delimitation of the questions here should be understood thus.
In the twenty-three dyads, there are questions in the two-rooted.
37. Beyond that, the three-rooted method beginning with "by root condition, by object condition, by predominance condition" was begun. Therein, together with the root-object dyad, by way of the connection of each one among the twenty-two conditions beginning with predominance condition, there are twenty-two triads. Among those, by way of the first question, having shown the first triad and the second triad, the final triad was shown, the remainder was abbreviated. But just as in the dyads, so also in the triads, making forty-nine in each triad, in all twenty-two triads -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the triad root.
38. Beyond that, the four-rooted method beginning with "by root condition, by object condition, by predominance condition, by proximity condition" was begun. Therein, together with the first triad, by way of the connection of each one among the twenty-one conditions beginning with proximity condition, there are twenty-one tetrads. Having shown two tetrads among those, the remainder was abbreviated. Here too, making forty-nine in each tetrad, in all twenty-one tetrads -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the four-root.
Beyond that, having made the five-root as the beginning, the teaching was given up to the all-root; having abbreviated all that, and combining together what was said below and what is to be said above, the method was shown in the canonical text thus: "The one-root, two-root, three-root, four-root, five-root, all-root sections should be expanded by one who is not confused." Therein, regarding the one-root and so on, what should be said has already been said. But in the five-root, together with the first tetrad, by way of the connection of each one among the twenty conditions beginning with contiguity condition, there are twenty pentads. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the five-root.
In the six-root, together with the first pentad, by way of the connection of each one among the nineteen conditions beginning with conascence condition, there are nineteen hexads. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the hexad root.
In the seven-root, together with the first hexad, by way of the connection of each one among the eighteen conditions beginning with mutuality condition, there are eighteen heptads. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the seven-root.
In the eight-root, together with the first heptad, by way of the connection of each one among the seventeen conditions beginning with support condition, there are seventeen octads. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the eight-root.
In the nine-root, together with the first octad, by way of the connection of each one among the sixteen conditions beginning with decisive support condition, there are sixteen nonads. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the nine-root.
In the ten-root, together with the first nonad, by way of the connection of each one among the fifteen conditions beginning with prenascence condition, there are fifteen decads. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the ten-root.
In the eleven-root, together with the first decad, by way of the connection of each one among the fourteen conditions beginning with postnascence condition, there are fourteen sets of eleven. Making forty-nine in each of those -
In the method the questions are counted, in the eleven-root.
In the twelve-root, together with the first set of eleven, by way of the connection of each one among the thirteen conditions beginning with repetition condition, there are thirteen sets of twelve. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the twelve-root.
In the thirteen-root, together with the first set of twelve, by way of the connection of each one among the twelve conditions beginning with kamma condition, there are twelve sets of thirteen. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the thirteen-root.
In the fourteen-root, together with the first set of thirteen, by way of the connection of each one among the eleven conditions beginning with result condition, there are eleven sets of fourteen. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the fourteen-root.
In the fifteen-root, together with the first set of fourteen, by way of the connection of each one among the ten conditions beginning with nutriment condition, there are ten sets of fifteen. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the fifteen-root.
In the sixteen-root, together with the first set of fifteen, by way of the connection of each one among the nine conditions beginning with faculty condition, there are nine sets of sixteen. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the sixteen-root.
In the seventeen-root, together with the first set of sixteen, by way of the connection of each one among the eight conditions beginning with meditative absorption condition, there are eight sets of seventeen. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the seventeen-root.
In the eighteen-root, together with the first seventeen-fold, by way of the connection of each one among the seven conditions beginning with path condition, there are seven eighteen-folds. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the eighteen-root.
In the nineteen-root, together with the first eighteen-fold, by way of the connection of each one among the six conditions beginning with associated condition, there are six nineteen-folds. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the nineteen-fold.
In the twenty-root, together with the first nineteen-fold, by way of the connection of each one among the five conditions beginning with dissociated condition, there are five twenty-folds. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the twenty-root.
In the twenty-one-root, together with the first twenty-fold, by way of the connection of each one among the four conditions beginning with presence condition, there are four twenty-one-folds. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Counted by those who know the characteristics, in the method of the twenty-one-fold.
In the twenty-two-root, together with the first twenty-one-fold, by way of the connection of each one among the three conditions beginning with absence condition, there are three twenty-two-folds. Making forty-nine in each of those -
Questions there are by count, in the method of the twenty-two-root.
In the twenty-three-root, together with the first twenty-two-fold, by way of the connection of each one among the two disappearance and non-disappearance conditions, there are two twenty-three-folds. Making forty-nine in each of those -
In the twenty-third method, in the twenty-three-fold root.
But the twenty-four-root should be understood by way of the combination of all conditions; therefore it is called the all-root. Therein, there are only forty-nine questions - thus all these, taking only the root condition term, the questions analysed in detail by the Teacher in the assembly of gods by way of the one-root and so on ending with the all-root, are here shown in brief.
Now the total count of all of them is as follows - Indeed in the method of the one-root, eleven hundred and seventy-six questions have come. In the method of root condition, making forty-nine by that same root, they should be taken in this root condition root; the remaining should be included in the remaining condition roots. In the two-root eleven hundred and twenty-seven, in the three-root one thousand and seventy-eight, in the four-root one thousand and twenty-nine, in the five-root nine hundred and eighty, in the six-root nine hundred and thirty-one, in the seven-root eight hundred and eighty-two, in the eight-root eight hundred and thirty-three, in the nine-root seven hundred and eighty-four, in the ten-root seven hundred and thirty-five, in the eleven-root six hundred and eighty-six, in the twelve-root six hundred and thirty-seven, in the thirteen-root five hundred and eighty-eight, in the fourteen-root five hundred and thirty-nine, in the fifteen-root four hundred and ninety, in the sixteen-root four hundred and forty-one, in the seventeen-root three hundred and ninety-two, in the eighteen-root three hundred and forty-three, in the nineteen-root two hundred and ninety-four, in the twenty-root two hundred and forty-five, in the twenty-one-root one hundred and ninety-six, in the twenty-two-root one hundred and forty-seven, in the twenty-three-root ninety-eight, in the all-root forty-nine - thus in the one-root and so on analysed taking the root term as the beginning -
Are the questions of the root term alone, by the division into one-root and so on.
39-40. Having thus shown the division of questions making root condition the beginning, starting from the single-rooted method up to the all-rooted method, now in order to show making object condition the beginning, he said beginning with "might a wholesome mental state arise dependent on a wholesome mental state by object condition, by root condition." Therein, by "by object condition, by root condition," to this extent the single-rooted method making object condition the beginning and ending with root condition was shown. Beyond that, "by object condition, by predominance condition" - the two-rooted method was begun. Therein, having shown this first dyad and the object-non-disappearance dyad, the remainder was abbreviated. "By object condition, by root condition" - this final dyad also was not shown. But if it is found anywhere in a method of recitation, that very method of recitation should be taken. Beyond that, without showing the three-rooted method and so on by way of object condition, in order to show the single and so on making predominance condition the beginning, only this much was said: "by predominance condition, by proximity condition, by contiguity condition, by conascence condition, by mutuality condition" - that should be understood by way of the single-rooted method or by way of the all-rooted method.
41. Beyond that, making non-disappearance condition the beginning, in order to show the two-rooted section itself - the passage beginning with "by non-disappearance condition, by root condition" was begun. Therein, having stated three dyads in succession - the non-disappearance-root dyad, the non-disappearance-object dyad, the non-disappearance-predominance dyad - and at the end one dyad, the non-disappearance-disappearance dyad, was shown. Then, in order to show the three-rooted section by way of non-disappearance condition itself - having stated three triads in succession thus: "by non-disappearance condition, by root condition, by object condition; by non-disappearance condition, by root condition, by predominance condition; by non-disappearance condition, by root condition, by proximity condition," the concluding triad "by non-disappearance condition, by root condition, by disappearance condition" was stated. Then, in order to show the four-rooted section by way of non-disappearance condition itself, having stated two tetrads - "by non-disappearance condition, by root condition, by object condition, by predominance condition; by non-disappearance condition, by root condition, by object condition, by proximity condition" - the term "by disappearance condition" was extracted and placed, and all the remainder was abbreviated. To show its abbreviated nature, it was said: "The one-root, two-root, three-root, all-root sections should be expanded for each term by one who is not confused." Therefore, just as making root condition the beginning, by way of the root and other terms, in the one-root there are eleven hundred and seventy-six questions, etc. in the all-root forty-nine; thus also making each one of the object condition and so on the beginning, by way of the object and other terms, for each term in the one-root there are eleven hundred and seventy-six questions, etc. in the all-root forty-nine - in the division of the one-root and so on for each term, there are fourteen thousand seven hundred questions. Of those, in all twenty-four conditions, this is the delimitation of the count:
Questions of the triad of wholesome, well arranged in the conformity method.
Just as of the triad of wholesome, so too of the triad of feeling and so on - in all twenty-two triads:
Hundred thousands of questions, by the variety of the triad division.
Abbreviated in the method of recitation.
But in the dyads, thus: "might a root state arise dependent on a root state by root condition" - in this way, root dependent on root, non-root dependent on root, root and non-root dependent on root, non-root dependent on non-root, root dependent on non-root, root and non-root dependent on non-root, root dependent on root and non-root, non-root dependent on root and non-root, root and non-root dependent on root and non-root - in each dyad, in each condition among the root condition and so on, there are nine questions. Among those, making root condition the beginning, in the one-root there are two hundred and sixteen questions. Among those, nine questions unmixed with any other belonging to root condition alone should be taken; the remaining were taken by the eight rounds.
Of those, in the twenty-three rounds from the dyad-rooted and so on, having removed nine each up to the all-rooted, this is the delimitation of the count: In the dyad-rooted, first, in the one-root, having removed nine from the two hundred and sixteen questions shown, there are two hundred and seven questions; having removed nine from that, in the three-root one hundred and ninety-eight. Thus, having removed nine each from each preceding one, in the four-root one hundred and eighty-nine, in the five-root one hundred and eighty, in the six-root one hundred and seventy-one, in the seven-root one hundred and sixty-two, in the eight-root one hundred and fifty-three, in the nine-root one hundred and forty-four, in the ten-root one hundred and thirty-five, in the eleven-root one hundred and twenty-six, in the twelve-root one hundred and seventeen, in the thirteen-root one hundred and eight, in the fourteen-root ninety-nine, in the fifteen-root ninety, in the sixteen-root eighty-one, in the seventeen-root seventy-two, in the eighteen-root sixty-three, in the nineteen-root fifty-four, in the twenty-root forty-five, in the twenty-one-root thirty-six, in the twenty-two-root twenty-seven, in the twenty-three-root eighteen, in the all-root nine. But just as these by way of root condition in the one-root are two hundred and sixteen questions, etc. in the all-root nine; thus also making each one of the object condition and so on the beginning, by way of the object and other terms, for each term in the one-root two hundred and sixteen questions, etc. in the all-root nine - in the division of the one-root and so on for each term, there are two thousand seven hundred questions. Of those, in all twenty-four conditions, this is the delimitation of the count:
Questions of the root dyad alone, known in the conformity method.
And just as for the root dyad, so also for the with-root dyad and so on - thus in the entire hundred dyads -
And eighty thousand questions in the hundred dyads, the wise know.
This, for now, is the delimitation of the counting of questions in the pure Triad Conditional Relations and the Dyad Conditional Relations.
But that which was thereafter taught, named the Duka-Tika Paṭṭhāna, by taking the twenty-two triads and incorporating them into the hundred dyads - therein, "might a root wholesome mental state arise dependent on a root wholesome mental state by root condition" - thus, by combining each triad among the twenty-two triads with each hundred of the dyads, the delimitation of the questions to be shown should be understood by taking all the one-root and so on by the method stated below.
That which was also thereafter taught, named the Tika-Duka Paṭṭhāna, by taking the hundred dyads and incorporating them into the twenty-two triads - therein too, "might a wholesome root mental state arise dependent on a wholesome root mental state by root condition" - thus, by combining each dyad in the hundred dyads with the twenty-two triads, the delimitation of the questions to be shown should be understood by taking all the one-root and so on by the method stated below.
That which was also thereafter taught, named the Tika-Tika Paṭṭhāna, by incorporating triads into triads themselves - therein too, "might a wholesome mental state associated with pleasant feeling arise dependent on a wholesome mental state associated with pleasant feeling by root condition" - thus, by combining each triad among the twenty-two triads with the remaining twenty-one triads, the delimitation of the questions to be shown should be understood by taking all the one-root and so on by the method stated below.
That which was also thereafter taught, named the Duka-Duka Paṭṭhāna, by incorporating dyads into dyads themselves - therein too, "might a root with-root mental state arise dependent on a root with-root mental state by root condition" - thus, by combining each dyad in the hundred dyads with the remaining ninety-nine dyads, the delimitation of the questions to be shown should be understood by taking all the one-root and so on by the method stated below. For by the Tathāgata, having shown all this classification, the Teaching was taught to the assembly of gods; but to the General of the Teaching, by him, having abbreviated it as "today this and this was taught," the teaching was declared by merely showing the method. By the Elder too, having abbreviated it, the method of recitation was set in motion; that was compiled into a collection at the time of the communal recitation according to the very method set in motion by the Elder.
But in order to show its method of abbreviation, this verse beginning with "the triad and the excellent conditional relations" was placed. Its meaning is - "The triad and the excellent conditional relations" means the excellent Triad Conditional Relations. "The best dyad" means the highest, the foremost, and the Dyad Conditional Relations. "And dyad with triad" means and the Duka-Tika Conditional Relations. "And triad with dyad" means and the Tika-Duka Conditional Relations. "And triad with triad" means and the Tika-Tika Conditional Relations. "And dyad with dyad" means and the Duka-Duka Conditional Relations. "Six methods in the conformity, very profound" means these six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations, being very profound, should be known in the conformity. Therein, there are two conformities - the conformity with states and the conformity with conditions. Therein, that which proceeds by way of the conformity teaching of states included by the Abhidhamma matrix terms thus: "a wholesome mental state dependent on a wholesome mental state" is called the conformity with states. That which proceeds by way of the conformity teaching of the twenty-four conditions thus: "by root condition, by object condition" is called the conformity with conditions.
Therein, below in the commentary, "the triad and the excellent conditional relations" etc. "six methods in the conformity, very profound" - this verse was spoken with reference to the conformity with states. But here this verse was spoken with reference to the conformity with conditions within that conformity with states. Therefore, by the commentary verse "six methods in the conformity, very profound," the meaning should be understood thus: in the conformity with states, the six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations are very profound. But in this context, in the conformity with conditions proceeding thus "by root condition, by object condition," the meaning should be understood thus: these six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations in the conformity with states are "very profound." Among those, in the conformity, in the Triad Conditional Relations, by way of only the wholesome triad, this classification of questions was shown in abbreviated form in this description section of the section on the dependent. But in the remaining triads and in the remaining Conditional Relations, not even one question was shown. But in those beyond that, in the conascence section and so on, without raising the question even by way of the wholesome triad, only the answer was shown by way of what is obtainable. But from the statement "six methods in the conformity, very profound," in this conformity with conditions, all six of these Conditional Relations methods should be raised by way of questions and shown. For this is the burden of the teachers who explain the Conditional Relations.
2. Commentary on the Negative Condition
42-44. Now the negative is presented. To show that, "might a wholesome mental state arise dependent on a wholesome mental state by non-root condition" and so on was begun. Therein, the delimitation of questions is of the same extent as the conformity questions. For that very reason here, having said "just as the root condition was expanded in the conformity, so too the non-root condition should be expanded in the negative," again at the end it was said "just as in the conformity, for each term the one-root, two-root, three-root, four-root, up to twenty-three-root sections, so too in the negative should it be expanded." "Twenty-three-root" - this here was said with reference to the two-root only. But at the end, the all-root is indeed also the twenty-four-root. All that is only abbreviated.
The triad and the excellent conditional relations etc. "Six methods in the negative, very profound" - here too there are two negatives - The negative with states and the negative with conditions. Therein, that which proceeds by way of the negative teaching of states included by the Abhidhamma matrix terms thus "wholesome mental states," as "not a wholesome mental state dependent on not a wholesome mental state," is called the negative with states. That which proceeds by way of the negative teaching of the twenty-four conditions thus "by non-root condition, by non-object condition" is called the negative with conditions. Therein, below in the commentary, "the triad and the excellent conditional relations" etc. "Six methods in the negative, very profound" - this verse was spoken with reference to the negative with states. But here this verse was spoken with reference to the negative with conditions within that conformity with states itself. Therefore, by the commentary verse "six methods in the negative, very profound," the meaning should be understood thus: in the negative with states, the six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations are very profound. But in this context, in the negative with conditions proceeding thus "by non-root condition, by non-object condition," the meaning should be understood thus: these six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations in the conformity with states are "very profound."
Among those, in the conformity Triad Conditional Relations itself, by way of only the wholesome triad, this classification of questions was shown in abbreviated form in this description section of the section on the dependent. But in the remaining triads and in the remaining Conditional Relations, not even one question was shown. But in those beyond that, in the conascence section and so on, without raising the question even by way of the wholesome triad, only the answer was shown by way of what is obtainable. But from the statement "six methods in the negative, very profound," in this negative with conditions, all six of these Conditional Relations methods should be raised by way of questions and shown. For this is the burden of the teachers who explain the Conditional Relations.
3. Commentary on the Positive-Negative
45-48. Now there is the positive-negative. To show that, "might a wholesome mental state arise dependent on a wholesome mental state by root condition, by non-object condition" and so on was begun. Therein, "by root condition, by non-object condition" etc. "by root condition, by non-disappearance condition" - by way of the connection of the root term with each one among the remaining twenty-three conditions, there are twenty-three positive-negatives in the single-root beginning with the root term. Making forty-nine in each one of those, there are eleven hundred and twenty-seven questions. But in the two-rooted, by way of the connection of the root-object terms with each one among the remaining twenty-two conditions, there are twenty-two positive-negatives - thus, in all the single-root and so on stated in the conformity, having omitted one term each, the counting of questions should be understood by way of the remainder. And here in the single-root and so on, whatever questions have come in the canonical text and whatever have not come, all those should be understood according to the method stated above.
The triad and the excellent conditional relations etc. "six methods in the positive-negative, very profound" - here, however, by the method stated above, there are two positive-negatives - the positive-negative with states and the positive-negative with conditions. Therein, that which proceeds by way of the positive-negative teaching of states included by the Abhidhamma matrix terms thus "wholesome mental states," as "not a wholesome mental state dependent on a wholesome mental state," is called the positive-negative with states. That which proceeds by way of the positive-negative teaching of the obtainable terms among the twenty-four conditions thus "by root condition, by non-object condition" is called the positive-negative with conditions. Therein, below in the commentary, "the triad and the excellent conditional relations" etc. "six methods in the positive-negative, very profound" - this verse was spoken with reference to the positive-negative with states. But here this verse was spoken with reference to the positive-negative with conditions within that conformity with states itself. Therefore, by the commentary verse "six methods in the positive-negative, very profound," the meaning should be understood thus: in the positive-negative with states, the six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations are very profound. But in this context, in the positive-negative with conditions proceeding thus "by root condition, by non-object condition," the meaning should be understood thus: these six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations in the conformity with states are very profound.
Among those, in the conformity, in the Triad Conditional Relations itself, by way of only the wholesome triad, this classification of questions was shown in abbreviated form in this description section of the section on the dependent. But in the remaining triads and in the remaining Conditional Relations, not even one question was shown. But in those beyond that, in the conascence section and so on, without raising the question even by way of the wholesome triad, only the answer was shown by way of what is obtainable. But from the statement "six methods in the positive-negative, very profound," in this positive-negative with conditions, all six of these Conditional Relations methods should be raised by way of questions and shown. For this is the burden of the teachers who explain the Conditional Relations.
4.
Commentary on the Negative-Positive
49-52. Now there is the negative-positive. To show that, "might a wholesome mental state arise dependent on a wholesome mental state by non-root condition, by object condition" and so on was begun. Therein, the delimitation of questions is equal in extent to the positive-negative questions. And here in the single-root and so on, whatever questions have come in the canonical text and whatever have not come, all those should be understood according to the method stated above.
The triad and the excellent conditional relations etc. "six methods in the negative-positive, very profound" - here too, in the same method stated above, there are two conformities with conditions - the negative-positive with states and the negative-positive with conditions. Therein, that which proceeds by way of the negative-positive teaching of states included by the Abhidhamma matrix terms thus "wholesome mental states," as "a wholesome mental state dependent on a not-wholesome mental state," is called the negative-positive with states. That which proceeds by way of the negative-positive teaching with conditions of the obtainable terms among the twenty-four conditions thus "by non-root condition, by object condition" is called the negative-positive with conditions. Therein, below in the commentary, "the triad and the excellent conditional relations" etc. "six methods in the negative-positive, very profound" - this verse was spoken with reference to the negative-positive with states. But here this verse was spoken with reference to the negative-positive with conditions within the conformity with states itself. Therefore, by the commentary "six methods in the negative-positive, very profound," the meaning should be understood thus: in the negative-positive with states, the six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations are very profound. But in this context, in the negative-positive with conditions proceeding thus "by non-root condition, by object condition," the meaning should be understood thus: these six methods beginning with the Triad Conditional Relations in the conformity with states are very profound.
Among those, in the conformity Triad Conditional Relations itself, by way of only the wholesome triad, this classification of questions was shown in abbreviated form in this description section of the section on the dependent. But in the remaining triads and in the remaining Conditional Relations, not even one question was shown. But in those beyond that, in the conascence section and so on, without raising the question even by way of the wholesome triad, only the answer was shown by way of what is obtainable. But from the statement "six methods in the negative-positive, very profound," in this negative-positive with conditions, all six of these Conditional Relations methods should be raised by way of questions and shown. For this is the burden of the teachers who explain the Conditional Relations.
The commentary on the section of questions is finished.