Kaṇha; Sukka

Renderings

• kaṇha: dark

• kaṇha: inwardly dark

• kaṇha: inward darkness

• sukka: bright

• sukka: inwardly bright

• kaṇhakamma: accumulated demerit

Introduction

Inward darkness

Inward darkness (either tama or kaṇha) connotes all spiritually unwholesome states. For example, Māra’s tenfold army is called ‘the forces of inward darkness’ (kaṇhassābhippahārinī, Sn.v.439):

• Sensuous pleasure is your first army. Disgruntlement (with the celibate life), your second. Third is hunger and thirst. The fourth is called craving. Lethargy and torpor are your fifth. The sixth is called fear. Your seventh is doubt (about the significance of abandoning spiritually unwholesome factors and undertaking spiritually wholesome factors). Denigration and obstinacy are your eighth. Gain, renown, honour, and ill-gotten prestige (are your ninth). Extolling oneself and despising others, (considering them inferior due to conceit, is your tenth). That is your army, Namuci, the forces of inward darkness. None but the heroic will conquer it. Having conquered it one finds happiness.
☸ Kāmā te paṭhamā senā dutiyā arati vuccati
Tatiyā khuppipāsā te catutthī taṇhā pavuccati
Pañcamaṃ thīnamiddhaṃ te chaṭṭhā bhīru pavuccati
Sattamī vicikicchā te makkho thambho te aṭṭhamo
Lābho siloko sakkāro micchāladdho ca yo yaso
Yo cattānaṃ samukkaṃse pare ca avajānati
Esā namuci te senā kaṇhassābhippahārinī
Na naṃ asūro jināti jetvā ca labhate sukhaṃ (Sn.v.436-439).

Sometimes individual factors are singled out as factors of inward darkness. For example, 1) craving 2) mental impurity 3) passionate attachment:

1) He destroyed craving for denomination-and-bodily-form in this world, the stream of inward darkness which had long been lurking in him.’
☸ Acchecchi taṇhaṃ idha nāmarūpe kaṇhassa sotaṃ dīgharattānusayitaṃ (Sn.v.355).

2) When he is conscious of a state of mental impurity he should dispel it with the thought: “It is part of inward darkness.”
☸ Yadāvilattaṃ manaso vijaññā kaṇhassa pakkho ti vinodayeyya (Sn.v.967).

3) Those who are full of passionate attachment, enveloped in a mass of inward darkness, will never see (the nature of reality) which is obscure, deep, hard to discern, subtle, going against the stream.
☸ Paṭisotagāmiṃ nipuṇaṃ gambhīraṃ duddasaṃ aṇuṃ
Rāgarattā na dakkhinti tamokkhandhena āvutāti (S.1.137).

However, that inward darkness equals the āsavas is most clearly seen from this quote:

• In the first watch of the night I recalled my previous births. In the middle watch of the night I purified my divine vision. In the last watch of the night I obliterated the mass of inward darkness.
☸ Rattiyā paṭhamaṃ yāmaṃ pubbajātimanussariṃ
Rattiyā majjhimaṃ yāmaṃ dibbacakkhuṃ visodhayiṃ
Rattiyā pacchime yāme tamokkhandhaṃ padālayiṃ (Th.v.627).

This quote should be compared to the Buddha’s enlightenment where inward darkness is replaced by the three āsavas:

I directed my mind to the knowledge through recalling of past lives;
☸ pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṃ abhininnāmesiṃ.

… I recalled my manifold former lives with their aspects and particulars.
☸ Iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarāmi.

This was the first final knowledge attained by me in the first watch of the night;
☸ Ayaṃ kho me brāhmaṇa rattiyā paṭhame yāme paṭhamā vijjā adhigatā

I directed my mind towards the knowledge of the transmigration of beings 
☸ sattānaṃ cutūpapātañāṇāya cittaṃ abhininnāmesiṃ.

… Thus with purified divine vision surpassing that of men, I saw beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, well-favoured and ill-favoured, fortunate and unfortunate, and discerned how beings fare according to their deeds.
☸ Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne uppajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāmi.

This was the second final knowledge attained by me in the middle watch of the night.
☸ Ayaṃ kho me brāhmaṇa rattiyā majjhime yāme dutiyā vijjā adhigatā

I directed my mind towards the knowledge of the destruction of perceptually obscuring states.
āsavānaṃ khayañāṇāya cittaṃ abhininnāmesiṃ.

… thus knowing, thus seeing, my mind was freed from the three perceptually obscuring states.
Tassa me evaṃ jānato evaṃ passato kāmāsavā pi cittaṃ vimuccittha. Bhavāsavā pi cittaṃ vimuccittha. Avijjāsavā pi cittaṃ vimuccittha.

With release, there was the knowledge I was released. I knew that birth was destroyed. The religious life has been fulfilled. What had to be done has been done. There will be no further arising in any state of individual existence
Vimuttasmiṃ vimuttami ti ñāṇaṃ ahosi. Khīṇā jāti vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ nāparaṃ itthattāyāti abbhaññāsiṃ.

This was, brahman, the third final knowledge attained by me in the last watch of the night.
☸ Ayaṃ kho me brāhmaṇa rattiyā pacchime yāme tatiyā vijjā adhigatā (Vin.3.3-4).

Illustrations

Illustration: kaṇhaṃ, dark

What is conduct that is dark with dark karmic consequences?
☸ Katamañca bhikkhave kammaṃ kaṇhaṃ kaṇhavipākaṃ

In this regard, some person is a killer, a thief, an adulterer, a liar, or a drinker.
☸ Idha bhikkhave ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti adinnādāyī hoti kāmesu micchācārī hoti musāvādī hoti surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī hoti (A.2.234).

Illustration: kaṇhakammo, accumulated demerit

The stream Bāhumatī: a fool may bathe there forever yet will not purify himself of accumulated demerit.
☸ bāhumatiṃ nadiṃ niccampi bālo pakkhanno kaṇhakammo na sujjhati (M.1.39).

Illustration: sukkaṃ, bright

What is conduct that is bright with bright karmic consequences?
☸ Katamañca bhikkhave kammaṃ sukkaṃ sukkavipākaṃ

In this regard, some person refrains from killing, stealing, adultery, lying, and drinking.
☸ Idha bhikkhave ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti kāmesu micchācārā paṭivirato hoti musāvādā paṭivirato hoti surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti (A.2.234).

Illustration: kaṇha, dark; sukka, bright

What is the dark path of practice? The tenfold wrong factors.
☸ katamo ca bhikkhave kaṇhamaggo: micchādiṭṭhi… micchāsamādhi micchāñāṇaṃ micchāvimutti.

What is the bright path of practice? The tenfold right factors.
☸ Katamo ca bhikkhave sukkamaggo: sammādiṭṭhi… sammāsamādhi sammāñāṇaṃ sammāvimutti (A.5.244).

Illustration: kaṇhaṃ, dark; sukkaṃ, bright

Having abandoned dark (spiritually unwholesome) factors, a wise person should develop bright (spiritually wholesome) factors.
☸ Kaṇhaṃ dhammaṃ vippahāya sukkaṃ bhāvetha paṇḍito (S.5.24).

COMMENT

1) Commentary to S.5.24: Kaṇhan ti akusaladhammaṃ. Sukkan ti kusaladhammaṃ.

2) What are spiritually unwholesome factors? Namely, the eightfold path (of wrong factors).
☸ Katame ca bhikkhave akusalā dhammā seyyathīdaṃ micchādiṭṭhi… micchāsamādhi (S.5.18).

3) What are spiritually wholesome factors? Namely, the eightfold path (of right factors).
☸ Katame ca bhikkhave kusalā dhammā seyyathīdaṃ sammādiṭṭhi… sammāsamādhi (S.5.18).

Illustration: sukko, bright

Because his mind was overpowered and overcome by gains, honour, and renown, Devadatta’s bright moral nature was eradicated.
☸ Lābhasakkārasilokana abhibhūtassa pariyādinnacittassa bhikkhave devadattassa sukko dhammo samucchedamagamā (S.2.240).

Illustration: sukkā, bright

Two bright qualities protect the world. Which two? Shame of wrongdoing and fear of wrongdoing.
☸ Dveme bhikkhave sukkā dhammā lokaṃ pālenti. Katame dve? Hiri ca ottappañca (It.36).

Illustration: sukka, bright

Knowledge (of a craft) arises for a fool to his harm. It destroys his bright moral nature, cleaving his head.
☸ Yāvadeva anatthāya ñattaṃ bālassa jāyati
Hanti bālassa sukkaṃsaṃ muddhamassa vipātayaṃ (Dh.v.72).

Illustration: sukka, bright

Sensuous pleasures have endless dangers. They are full of suffering. They are (like) deadly poison. They offer little enjoyment, stir up spiritual defilements, and wither away the bright aspects (of one’s nature).
☸ Anantādīnavā kāmā bahudukkhā mahāvisā
Appassādā raṇakarā sukkapakkhavisosanā (Thī.v.358).

Illustration: kaṇhassa, inward darkness

‘He destroyed craving for denomination-and-bodily-form in this world, the stream of inward darkness which had long been lurking in him.’
☸ Acchecchi taṇhaṃ idha nāmarūpe kaṇhassa sotaṃ dīgharattānusayitaṃ (Sn.v.355).

Illustration: kaṇha, inward darkness

Sensuous pleasure is your first army. Disgruntlement (with the celibate life), your second. Third is hunger and thirst. The fourth is called craving.

Lethargy and torpor are your fifth. The sixth is called fear. Your seventh is doubt (about the significance of abandoning spiritually unwholesome factors and undertaking spiritually wholesome factors). Denigration and obstinacy are your eighth.

Gain, renown, honour, and ill-gotten prestige (are your ninth). Extolling oneself and despising others, (considering them inferior due to conceit, is your tenth).

That is your army, Namuci, the forces of inward darkness. None but the heroic will conquer it. Having conquered it one finds happiness.

Kāmā te paṭhamā senā dutiyā arati vuccati
Tatiyā khuppipāsā te catutthī taṇhā pavuccati

Pañcamaṃ thīnamiddhaṃ te chaṭṭhā bhīru pavuccati
Sattamī vicikicchā te makkho thambho te aṭṭhamo

Lābho siloko sakkāro micchāladdho ca yo yaso
Yo cattānaṃ samukkaṃse pare ca avajānati

Esā namuci te senā kaṇhassābhippahārinī
Na naṃ asūro jināti jetvā ca labhate sukhaṃ (Sn.v.436-439).

Illustration: kaṇhassa, inward darkness

When he is conscious of a state of mental impurity he should dispel it with the thought: ‘It is part of inward darkness’
☸ Yadāvilattaṃ manaso vijaññā kaṇhassa pakkho ti vinodayeyya (Sn.v.967).

Illustration: kaṇha, inwardly dark; sukka, inwardly bright

There are spiritually wholesome and spiritually unwholesome factors; blameworthy and blameless factors; inferior and superior factors; and inwardly dark and bright factors with their correlative combinations.
☸ Atthi bhikkhave kusalākusalā dhammā sāvajjānavajjā dhammā hīnappaṇītā dhammā kaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgā dhammā (S.5.104).