Abhidharmakośa-śāstra, Volume XXIII: The Four Preparatory Practices

Section One: The Wholesome Roots of Heat and Summit

Original Text: The verse states: That practitioner abides in the mindfulness foundation of phenomena. He contemplates the four object-realms in their totality, cultivating the aspects of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self. The treatise states: That contemplative practitioner, dwelling amidst the general and varied objects, within the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, contemplates the object-realms—body, feeling, mind, and phenomena—in their totality. He cultivates four aspects: namely, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self. Having cultivated this contemplation, what wholesome roots arise?

Explanation: A verse states: The practitioner who is correctly established in cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena within the Four Foundations of Mindfulness should contemplate the four object-realms—body, feeling, mind, and phenomena—in their totality, contemplating the aspects of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self pertaining to body, feeling, mind, and phenomena. A treatise states: The practitioner contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness encounters objects that are both general and varied. When contemplating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, he contemplates the object-realms of body, feeling, mind, and phenomena in their totality, cultivating the four aspects of the Truth of Suffering: suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. After cultivating this contemplation of the mindfulness foundation of phenomena in this way, what wholesome roots arise?

The meaning here is that during the stage of cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, contemplating the object-realms of body, feeling, mind, and phenomena in their totality will give rise to the Four Wholesome Roots, known as the Four Preparatory Practices. The Four Preparatory Practices begin to be cultivated just before the Path of Seeing; they cannot appear before cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena because the conditions are not yet ripe, as the wholesome roots are not yet mature.

Original Text: The verse states: From this arises the heat factor, which fully contemplates the Four Noble Truths, cultivating the sixteen aspects. Next, the summit arises likewise. These two wholesome roots, both initially involve the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, followed by the four [foundations]. The subsequent forbearance is solely the mindfulness foundation of phenomena. The lower and middle grades are the same as the summit. The upper grade contemplates only the suffering of the desire realm, one practice per moment. The Supreme Worldly is likewise. All are wisdom, the fifth being excluded.

Explanation: A verse states: After cultivating the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Heat Factor (usheatu) arises. Possessing the wholesome root of Heat, one can fully contemplate the Four Noble Truths, cultivating the sixteen aspects: four aspects of the Truth of Suffering, four aspects of the Truth of Origin, four aspects of the Truth of Cessation, and four aspects of the Truth of the Path. After continuing to cultivate the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, the Summit (murdhana) likewise arises, also fully contemplating the Four Noble Truths and cultivating the sixteen aspects. These two wholesome roots, Heat and Summit, both initially involve cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, contemplating the four object-realms—body, feeling, mind, and phenomena—in their totality, and are subsequently cultivated through the Four Noble Truths.

The subsequent Forbearance (kshanti) wholesome root arises solely from cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena. The objects contemplated for the lower and middle grades of the Forbearance wholesome root are the same as those for the Summit wholesome root. The upper grade of the Forbearance wholesome root contemplates only the suffering of the desire realm, contemplating the Truth of Suffering for each of the five aggregates in every momentary instant. The Supreme Worldly (laukikagradharma) wholesome root is likewise; it is also born solely when cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena. The objects contemplated for its lower and middle grades are also the same as those for the Summit; the upper grade contemplates only the suffering of the desire realm. All four wholesome roots have wisdom as their essence, being of the nature of wisdom, except for the fifth wholesome root attained by those who have attained the path.

The sixteen aspects arise after cultivating the Four Noble Truths. Among them, the Truth of Suffering is to be contemplated with the four aspects of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, possessing these four aspects. The Truth of Origin is to be contemplated with the four aspects: cause, accumulation, arising, and condition. The Truth of Cessation is to be contemplated with the four aspects: cessation, calmness, excellence, and release. The Truth of the Path is to be contemplated with the four aspects: path, fitness, progression, and deliverance. In the cultivation of the Heat and Summit wholesome roots, all sixteen aspects are cultivated, with the wisdom of contemplation gradually becoming more profound and subtle, and the concentration gradually deepening. The levels of concentration and wisdom gradually deepen until the fourth wholesome root, the Supreme Worldly, is perfected. Only after concentration and wisdom are fully perfected can one attain the Path of Seeing.

Original Text: The treatise states: Cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena focused on the general characteristic common to all, gradually matures, up to the highest grade. After this mindfulness foundation, there arises the portion conducive to decisive selection. The initial wholesome root arises, named the Heat Factor. This factor is like heat; it is established with the name 'Heat Factor'. It is capable of burning the fuel of defilements, being the precursor to the fire of the Noble Path. Because it is the precursor to fire, it is called Heat.

Explanation: The treatise states: Contemplating the characteristic common to all sentient beings while cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, this wisdom can gradually mature, reaching the highest grade. After cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena, the portion conducive to decisive selection (nirvedhabhagiya) arises, aligning with the principle of the Four Noble Truths. The initial wholesome root arises, called the Heat Factor. This wisdom is like warmth; the mind is influenced by the Four Noble Truths, inclining towards them; hence it is named the Heat Factor. The Heat Factor is likened to being able to burn the fuel of afflictions and delusions; it is the sign preceding the fire of the Noble Path, just like the state before a fire ignites, called heat.

Attaining the Path of Seeing is metaphorically likened to the appearance of fire, signifying the burning of fuel. Before the fire appears, the initial change is a rise in temperature, the appearance of warmth. This corresponds to the Heat Factor wholesome root. As the temperature continuously rises and the heat reaches a certain degree, the fuel ignites, and fire appears. In between, one sequentially passes through the Summit wholesome root, the Forbearance wholesome root, and the Supreme Worldly wholesome root; after this, one can attain the Path of Seeing. The appearance of the Heat Factor indicates that through cultivating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Four Noble Truths, the practitioner's mind has already undergone a change, giving rise to the portion conducive to decisive selection in alignment with the principle of the Four Noble Truths, no longer resisting or contradicting them. It also signifies a preliminary acceptance and influence by the principle of the Four Noble Truths.

Original Text: Because the stage of this Heat wholesome root is long, it can fully observe the realms of the Four Noble Truths and fully cultivate the sixteen aspects. Contemplating the Truth of Suffering, cultivate four aspects: 1. Impermanence, 2. Suffering, 3. Emptiness, 4. Non-self. Contemplating the Truth of Origin, cultivate four aspects: 1. Cause, 2. Accumulation, 3. Arising, 4. Condition. Contemplating the Truth of Cessation, cultivate four aspects: 1. Cessation, 2. Calmness, 3. Excellence, 4. Release. Contemplating the Truth of the Path, cultivate four aspects: 1. Path, 2. Fitness, 3. Progression, 4. Deliverance. The distinctions of these aspects will be discussed later.

Explanation: Because the stage of cultivation for this Heat wholesome root is relatively long—that is, the position it occupies is long—during the stage when the Heat wholesome root is present, one can fully observe the complete true reality of the Four Noble Truths and fully cultivate the sixteen aspects. This means that merely contemplating the Truth of Suffering cannot cause the Heat wholesome root to appear; contemplating only the Truth of Suffering and the Truth of Origin also cannot cause the Heat wholesome root to appear; contemplating the Truth of Cessation still cannot cause the Heat Factor to appear. Only after contemplating all Four Noble Truths can the Heat Factor appear.

Contemplating the Truth of Suffering regarding the five aggregates, cultivate four aspects: impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self. Contemplating the Truth of Origin regarding the five aggregates, cultivate four aspects: the cause of the arising of suffering, how suffering is accumulated, how the accumulation of suffering is born, and what serves as the condition for the arising of suffering. Contemplating the Truth of Cessation, cultivate four aspects: how suffering ceases, that after suffering ceases it is calm, that calmness is the most excellent state, and that after calmness one is liberated from suffering. Contemplating the Truth of the Path, cultivate four aspects: contemplating the path cultivated to extinguish suffering, the path cultivated being in accord with true reality, the actions of body, speech, and mind being in accord with the principles of the Four Noble Truths leading towards Nirvana, and liberation from the three realms attaining permanent deliverance. All the cultivation content involved here has distinctions; these distinctions will be debated later.

Original Text: This Heat wholesome root, from lower to middle to upper grades, gradually increases. When it reaches perfection, another wholesome root arises, named the Summit Factor. Because this surpasses the previous, it is given a different name. Among the progressing wholesome roots, this factor is the most supreme, like the crown of a person's head; hence it is called the Summit Factor. Or, because this is the boundary between advancement and regression, like a mountain peak, it is called the Summit. This, like Heat, fully contemplates the Four Truths and can fully cultivate the sixteen aspects.

Explanation: When this Heat wholesome root progresses from the lower grade to the middle grade, and then from the middle grade to the upper grade, gradually increasing until it is perfected, another wholesome root then arises, called the Summit wholesome root. As the Summit wholesome root becomes increasingly superior, it is renamed. Among these progressively increasing wholesome roots, the Summit is the most supreme, like the crown of a person's head; hence it is named the Summit Factor. It is named the Summit Factor also because it stands at the boundary between advancement and regression—advancement before it, regression after it—and the Summit is like a mountain peak; therefore, it is called the Summit. During the stage of the Summit wholesome root, it is also like the Heat factor, capable of fully contemplating the Four Noble Truths and fully cultivating the sixteen aspects.

Original Text: Thus, these two wholesome roots, Heat and Summit, when initially established, involve only the mindfulness foundation of phenomena. For what reason is it called 'initial establishment'? It means that whichever wholesome root it is, with the sixteen aspects, initially treads upon the path of the Four Noble Truths. Later, when progressing, it involves all four mindfulness foundations. Those previously attained [foundations] do not reappear subsequently because one does not generate a reverential mind towards them.

Explanation: These two wholesome roots, Heat and Summit, when they initially arise, only appear when cultivating the mindfulness foundation of phenomena. Why is it called 'initial establishment'? This means that accompanying whichever wholesome root it is, with the sixteen aspects, one initially enters the contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. After the Heat and Summit wholesome roots advance, the cultivation of all Four Foundations of Mindfulness is perfected. The dharmas cultivated and attained before this no longer appear subsequently because, towards those previously cultivated dharmas, the mind does not generate a particularly reverential attitude, as those dharmas are relatively coarse and have been surpassed, no longer needing cultivation.