[117] **Imperturbable, a seer of the root (anejaṃ mūladassāviṃ):** "perturbation (ejā)" is a term for craving (taṇhā) — that lust, that passion … covetousness, greed, the unwholesome root. That perturbation, that craving, has been abandoned by the Buddha, the Blessed One, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not subject to arise again in the future; therefore the Buddha is imperturbable. Because perturbation has been abandoned, he is imperturbable. The Blessed One is not perturbed by gain, is not perturbed by loss, is not perturbed by fame, is not perturbed by disrepute, is not perturbed by praise, is not perturbed by blame, is not perturbed by pleasure, is not perturbed by pain; he does not waver, does not tremble, does not quake — thus, "imperturbable."
**A seer of the root (mūladassāvī):** the Blessed One is a seer of the root, a seer of the cause, a seer of the source, a seer of the origination, a seer of the arising, a seer of the nutriment, a seer of the object, a seer of the condition, a seer of the origin.
There are three unwholesome roots: greed is an unwholesome root, hatred is an unwholesome root, delusion is an unwholesome root. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, there are these three sources for the origination of kammas: greed is a source for the origination of kammas, hatred is a source for the origination of kammas, delusion is a source for the origination of kammas. It is not, bhikkhus, through kamma born of greed, through kamma born of hatred, through kamma born of delusion that devas are discerned, that human beings are discerned, or any other good destinations whatsoever; rather, bhikkhus, it is through kamma born of greed, through kamma born of hatred, through kamma born of delusion that hell is discerned, that the animal realm is discerned, that the realm of hungry ghosts is discerned, or any other bad destinations whatsoever. These three unwholesome roots are for the production of individual existence in hell, in the animal realm, in the realm of hungry ghosts." Thus the Blessed One knows and sees. In this way too the Blessed One is a seer of the root … a seer of the origin.
There are three wholesome roots: non-greed is a wholesome root, non-hatred is a wholesome root, non-delusion is a wholesome root. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, there are these three … It is not, bhikkhus, through kamma born of non-greed, through kamma born of non-hatred, through kamma born of non-delusion that hell is discerned, that the animal realm is discerned, that the realm of hungry ghosts is discerned, or any other bad destinations whatsoever; rather, bhikkhus, it is through kamma born of non-greed, through kamma born of non-hatred, through kamma born of non-delusion that devas are discerned, that human beings are discerned, or any other good destinations whatsoever. These three wholesome roots are for the production of individual existence among devas and among human beings." Thus the Blessed One knows and sees. In this way too the Blessed One is a seer of the root … a seer of the origin.
For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, whatever dhammas are unwholesome, partaking of the unwholesome, siding with the unwholesome, all of them are rooted in ignorance, converge upon ignorance, are abolished with the abolition of ignorance; all of them go to abolition." Thus the Blessed One knows and sees. In this way too the Blessed One is a seer of the root … a seer of the origin.
For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, whatever dhammas are wholesome, partaking of the wholesome, siding with the wholesome, all of them are rooted in heedfulness, converge upon heedfulness; heedfulness is declared the foremost of those dhammas." Thus the Blessed One knows and sees. In this way too the Blessed One is a seer of the root … a seer of the origin.
Or else, the Blessed One knows and sees: ignorance is the root of volitional formations; volitional formations are the root of consciousness; consciousness is the root of name-and-form; name-and-form is the root of the six sense bases; the six sense bases are the root of contact; contact is the root of feeling (vedanā); feeling is the root of craving; craving is the root of clinging; clinging is the root of existence; existence is the root of birth; birth is the root of aging-and-death. Thus the Blessed One knows and sees. In this way too the Blessed One is a seer of the root … a seer of the origin.
For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, whatever dhammas are unwholesome, partaking of the unwholesome, siding with the unwholesome, all of them are rooted in ignorance, converge upon ignorance, are abolished with the abolition of ignorance; all of them go to abolition." Thus the Blessed One knows and sees. In this way too the Blessed One is a seer of the root, a seer of the cause, a seer of the source, a seer of the origination, a seer of the arising, a seer of the nutriment, a seer of the object, a seer of the condition, a seer of the origin. Hence, "imperturbable, a seer of the root."
**Thus the venerable Puṇṇaka (iccāyasmā puṇṇako):** "Icca (thus)" is a verbal connective. "Āyasmā (venerable)" is a term of affection. "Puṇṇaka" is that brahmin's name.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.