The Second Treatise on the Perfections – 2673
The three mental factors of abstention mentioned above are known as the
morality of abstention (
virati-sīla
), and the mental factor of volition that
accompanies them is known as the morality of volition (
cetanā-sīla
). The
volition that arises when performing deeds of great merit of attending upon
one’s teacher is also known as the morality of volition (
cetanā-sīla
).
The greed that prompts one to covet others’ property, harbouring the thought:
“It would be good if these were mine,” is known as the wrong mental action of
covetousness (
abhijjhā-mano-duccarita
). When one dispels such thoughts, there
arise in one the mental factors of dispelling the volition (
cetanā
) of
greedlessness (
alobha
) or non-covetousness (
anabhijjhā
). These mental factors
are called morality.
Wishing harm to someone, there arises in a person the mental factor of hatred,
which is known as the wrong mental action of ill-will (
byāpāda-mano-
duccarita
). When one dispels such thoughts of ill-will, there arise in him the
mental factors of dispelling volition and hatelessness (
adosa
or
abyāpāda
).
These mental factors are called morality.
When someone holds that there is no such thing as generosity (
dāna
) and that
there are no beneficial results accruing from it, he holds a wrong view which is
called the wrong mental action of wrong view (
micchā-diṭṭhi-mano-duccarita
).
When he dispels such beliefs, there arises in him the dispelling volition and non-
delusion (
amoha
) or right view (
sammā-diṭṭhi
). These mental factors are called
morality.
When three wrong mental actions: greed (
abhijjhā
), ill-will (
byāpāda
) and
wrong view (
micchā-diṭṭhi
) are present, a person is liable to commit
demeritorious deeds such as killing, etc. which ruin one’s morality. When
volition and the three right mental actions arise in one, it is impossible to
commit deeds, such as killing, which are ruinous to one’s morality. Therefore,
the three right mental actions of non-greed (
anabhijjhā
), non ill-will (
abyāpāda
)
and right view (
sammā-diṭṭhi
) are called morality.
When consciousness arises, it is always accompanied by volition. That volition is
[1560]
responsible for prompting the mind to take notice of an object; it serves
as a link between the mind and an object. Without its prompting, there would be
no mind-object linkage; the mind will not rest on the object; it will not be aware
of the object. It is only through the services of volition that a mind-object