Dighanikaya 1.45-46_2

1.45-46_2

Sati sammussatīti khādanīyabhojanīyesu sati sammussati. Te kira puññavisesādhigatena mahantena attano sirivibhavena nakkhattaṃ kīḷantā tāya sampattimahantatāya – ‘‘āhāraṃ paribhuñjimha, na paribhuñjimhā’’tipi na jānanti. Atha ekāhārātikkamanato paṭṭhāya nirantaraṃ khādantāpi pivantāpi cavantiyeva, na tiṭṭhanti. Kasmā? Kammajatejassa balavatāya, karajakāyassa mandatāya, manussānañhi kammajatejo mando, karajakāyo balavā. Tesaṃ tejassa mandatāya karajakāyassa balavatāya sattāhampi atikkamitvā uṇhodakaacchayāguādīhi sakkā vatthuṃ upatthambhetuṃ. Devānaṃ pana tejo balavā hoti, karajaṃ mandaṃ. Te ekaṃ āhāravelaṃ atikkamitvāva saṇṭhātuṃ na sakkonti. Yathā nāma gimhānaṃ majjhanhike tattapāsāṇe ṭhapitaṃ padumaṃ vā uppalaṃ vā sāyanhasamaye ghaṭasatenāpi siñciyamānaṃ pākatikaṃ na hoti, vinassatiyeva. Evameva pacchā nirantaraṃ khādantāpi pivantāpi cavantiyeva, na tiṭṭhanti. Tenāha ‘‘satiyā sammosā te devā tamhā kāyā cavantī’’ti. Katame pana te devāti? Ime devāti aṭṭhakathāyaṃ vicāraṇā natthi, ‘‘devānaṃ kammajatejo balavā hoti, karajaṃ manda’’nti avisesena vuttattā pana ye keci kabaḷīkārāhārūpajīvino devā evaṃ karonti, teyeva cavantīti veditabbā. Keci panāhu – ‘‘nimmānaratiparanimmitavasavattino te devā’’ti. Khiḍḍāpadussanamatteneva hete khiḍḍāpadosikāti vuttā. Sesamettha purimanayeneva veditabbaṃ.

"Mindfulness lapses" means: mindfulness lapses regarding food to chew and food to consume. Playing at the festival with their great glory and splendour obtained through special merit, on account of the greatness of that prosperity they do not even know, "We have eaten food, or we have not eaten." Then, starting from the lapse of a single meal, even if they eat and drink continuously, they simply pass away; they do not survive. Why? Because the heat produced by kamma is strong, while the physical body is weak. For among human beings, the heat produced by kamma is weak, and the physical body is strong. Because their heat is weak and the physical body is strong, even after passing seven days it is possible to support the body with warm water, clear rice gruel, and so forth. But for the devas, the heat is strong and the physical body is weak. Having missed even a single mealtime, they are unable to survive. Just as, for instance, a red lotus or a blue water lily placed on a hot stone at midday in the summer months, even if sprinkled with a hundred jars of water in the evening, does not return to its normal state and simply perishes, even so, though eating and drinking continuously afterwards, they simply pass away; they do not survive. Therefore it is said: "Due to the lapse of mindfulness, those devas pass away from that body." But which devas are these? There is no investigation in the commentary saying, "These are the devas"; however, because it is stated without distinction that "For devas, the heat produced by kamma is strong, while the physical body is weak," it should be understood that whichever devas subsist on solid food act in this way, they are the very ones who pass away. But some say: "Those devas are the devas who delight in creation and those who have power over creations of others." They are called 'corrupted by play' merely on account of being corrupted through play. The rest here should be understood in the very manner stated previously.