The First Treatise on the Perfections – 2505
one and not shared by others (
sāmaññaṁ vā sabhāvo vā, dhammānaṁ
lakkhaṇaṁ mataṁ
).”
Ordinary and special features of ultimate realities, are known as
characteristics (
lakkhaṇa
); 1) features common to all (
sāmañna
), and 2)
features not shared by others but possessed by one only (
sabhāva
) and thus
unique (
visesa
).
For example, the material qualities of the earth-element (
paṭhavī
) has two
characteristics: 1) change, impermanence, suffering, not being subject to
control, and 2) hardness. The characteristics under 1) are features common
(
sāmañna
) to other elements, whereas the characteristic of 2) hardness is
the unique feature of the earth-element only, not shared by the others
(
sabhāva
).
2. Function (
rasa
).
The commentary defines it as:
kiccaṁ vā tassa sampatti, raso ti paridīpito
,
“function is to be explained also as having two aspects:
kicca
and
sampatti
. 1)
function which is to be performed (
kicca-rasa
), and 2) attainment as a result
thereof (
sampatti-rasa
).”
3. Manifestation (
paccupaṭṭhāna
).
The commentary defines it as: Whenever a person ponders deeply on a certain
mind-object, what usually appears in his mind relates to the nature of the mind-
object under consideration, relates to its functions, relates to its cause and relates
to its effect. Thus, anyone of those, which appears in his mind concerning the
mind-object he is thinking about, is called manifestation (
Phalaṁ vā
paccupaṭṭhānaṁ upaṭṭhāna-nayo pi vā
).
Manifestation should be known as result (
phala
) and manifestation
(
upaṭṭhānākāra
); 1) the result of the ultimate realities (
phala
) and 2) the
way something manifests to the yogi (
upaṭṭhānākāra
). Whenever the yogi
ponders deeply over a certain ultimate reality, what relates to the nature,
function, cause, or effect of that reality appears in his mind. Thus
something relating to any of these four and appearing in the yogi’s mind is
called its manifestation.
4. Proximate cause (
padaṭṭhāna
).