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Question. 鈥� What do the ten notions (诲补艣补蝉补峁僯帽腻)^[1] beginning with the notion of impermanence (补苍颈迟测补蝉补峁僯帽腻) destroy?

Answer. 鈥� They also serve to destroy the three poisons (迟谤颈惫颈峁�a), lust (谤腻驳补), etc.

Question. 鈥� If that is so, how do these two groups differ?

Answer. 鈥�

1) The nine notions prevent those who have not attained the 诲丑测腻苍补蝉 and the 蝉补尘腻辫补迟迟颈蝉 from being enveloped (praticchanna) by lust (谤腻驳补). The ten notions remove and destroy the three poisons, lust, etc.

2) The nine notions are like the enemy who puts [the three negative emotions] in chains. The ten notions are like the enemy who kills them.

3) The nine notions are a beginner鈥檚 practice (辫奴谤惫补艣颈办峁Ｄ�). The ten notions are a perfected practice (蝉补峁僷补苍苍补艣颈办峁Ｄ�).

4) Of the ten notions, [the seventh], that of the horrible (补艣耻产丑补蝉补峁僯帽腻), includes (蝉补峁僩峁沨峁嚹乼颈) the nine notions [called 鈥榦f the horrible鈥橾.

Some say that, of the ten notions, [the seventh, the fourth and the fifth], namely, the notion of impurity (补艣耻肠颈蝉补峁僯帽腻), the notion of the loathsome nature of food (膩h膩re pratik奴lasa峁僯帽膩) and the notion of displeasure in regard to the world (sarvaloke 鈥檔abhiratisa峁僯帽膩), include the nine notions.

Others say that the ten and the nine notions are equally detachment (惫补颈谤腻驳测补) and, together, 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺.^[2] Why?

1. When the first signs of death appear, in the time it takes to say it, one is dead already. The body swells up, putrefies, breaks apart, is scattered and everything changes; this is impermanence, 补苍颈迟测补迟腻, [the first of the ten notions]. [218a]

2. One was attached to this body but when impermanence has destroyed it, it is duhkha, suffering, [the second of the ten notions].

3. Being impermanence and suffering, it cannot be independent (svatantra): thus it is 补苍腻迟尘补苍, non-self, [the third of the ten notion].

4. Being impure (补艣耻肠颈), impermanent (anitya), suffering (duhkha) and non-self (补苍腻迟尘补苍), it is anabhirata, an object of displeasure, [the fifth of the ten notions]. This is the meditation on the body (办腻测补产丑腻惫补苍补).

5. When food (腻丑腻谤补) is in the mouth (mukha), the cervical saliva (蝉颈峁単丑腻峁嘺办补) runs down and, together with the mucus (办丑别峁璦), becomes flavor (rasa), but swallowing (补产丑测补惫补丑腻谤补) is no different from vomiting (惫腻苍迟墨办峁泃补), and penetrates the stomach (udara): hence 膩h膩re pratik奴lasa峁僯帽膩, the notion of the repugnant nature of food, [the fourth of the ten notions].

6. When the yogin makes use of the nine notions [of the horrible] to meditate on the impermanent (anitya), changing (惫颈辫补谤颈峁嚹乵补诲丑补谤尘补苍) body that perishes from moment to moment (办峁�a峁嘺苍颈谤耻诲诲丑补), there is 尘补谤补峁嘺蝉补峁僯帽腻, the notion of death, [the sixth of the ten notions].

7. When the yogin uses the nine notions to become disgusted with the joys of the world (濒辞办补苍颈谤惫别诲腻测补) and knows that suppression of the negative emotions (办濒别艣补辫谤补丑腻苍补) is salvation (测辞驳补办峁�e尘补) and peace (办峁Ｄ乶迟颈), there is 辫谤补丑腻峁嘺蝉补峁僯帽腻, the notion of cutting, [the eighth of the ten notions].

8. When the yogin uses the nine notions to oppose the negative emotions (办濒别艣补辫谤补迟颈峁�e诲丑腻测补), there is 惫补颈谤腻驳测补sa峁僯帽膩, the notion of detachment, [the ninth of the ten notions].

9. When, by using the nine notions, the yogin becomes disgusted with the world (lokanirvinna) and knows that the destruction of the five aggregates (辫补帽肠补蝉办补苍诲丑补苍颈谤辞诲丑补) and the fact that they will not re-arise (apunarbhava) constitutes abiding (惫颈丑腻谤补) and salvation (测辞驳补办峁�e尘补), there is 苍颈谤辞诲丑补蝉补峁僯帽腻, the notion of suppression,^[3] [the tenth of the ten notions].

5) Moreover, the nine notions are the cause (hetu), while the ten notions are the fruit (phala). This is why the [笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻蝉奴迟谤补] speaks of the nine notions first and then the ten notions.

6) Finally, the nine notions are the outer gate (产腻丑测补诲惫腻谤补) while the ten notions are the inner gate (腻诲丑测腻迟尘颈办补诲惫腻谤补). This is why the 蝉奴迟谤补蝉 speak of the two gates of the immortal (补尘峁泃补诲惫腻谤补), i.e., that of meditation on the horrible (补艣耻产丑补产丑腻惫补苍补) and that of attention to the breath (腻苍腻辫腻苍补蝉尘峁泃颈).^[4]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

These ten notions will be the subject of chapter XXXVII.

[2]:

In regard to the five or the seven notions, the Buddha said (Anguttara, III, p. 79, 80; IV, p. 46, 48鈥�51): Im膩 kho bhikkhave sa帽帽膩 bh膩vit膩 bahuk墨kat膩 mahaoohal膩 honti mah膩nisa峁僺膩 aamatohadh膩 amatapariyos膩n膩: 鈥淭hese notions have great results if they are cultivated and gathered, they present great benefits, they plunge one into immortality, they lead to immortality.鈥�

[3]:

Cf. Sa峁儁utta, V, p. 133: Nirodhasa帽帽膩 bhikkhave bh膩vit膩 bahulikat膩 mahato atth膩ya sa峁僾attati, mahato yogakkhem膩ya sa峁僾attati, mahato samveg膩ga sa峁僾attati, mahato ph膩suvih膩r膩ya sa峁僾attati: 鈥淭he notion of destruction, if cultivated and increased, leads to great benefit, to great security, to great discipline, to comfortable abiding.鈥�

[4]:

Cf. Itivuttaka, p. 80: Asubh膩nupass墨 bhikkhave k膩yasmi峁� viharatha … vitakk膩sya vigh膩tapakkhik膩 te na honti. 鈥淩emain, O monks, in the contemplation of the horrible in the body and let the attention to the breath be inwardly well established in you… If you remain contemplating the horrible in the body, the perverse tendencies to beauty will be suppressed and if attention to the breath is inwardly well established in you, the perverse troublesome tendencies to think of outer things will no longer exist.鈥�

This is why, in the words of the Ko艣a, VI, p. 148鈥�149 and of the Ny膩y膩nus膩ra (T 1562, k.59, p. 671a), 鈥淓ntry into 产丑腻惫补苍腻 occurs by contemplation of the horrible or attention to the breathing鈥� (tatr膩vat膩ro 鈥樑泆bhay膩 c膩n膩p膩nasm峁泃ena ca). Those of passionate nature (谤腻驳腻诲丑颈办补) enter by way of 补艣耻产丑补 which is directed outwardly (bahirmukha); those who are of rational nature (惫颈迟补谤办腻诲丑颈办补), by way of 腻苍腻辫腻苍补蝉尘峁泃颈 which, not being directed outwards, cuts vitarka.