Thank you for the link, Dylan. It says, which I agree with, in principle:
I don't agree with the below, although I don't fully comprehend the relevance of "mutual inter-relation between consciousness and name and form":“And what, monks, are preparations? Monks, there are these three preparations. Body preparation, speech preparation, thought preparation. These, monks, are called preparations.”
It is noteworthy that in this definition, the term saṅkhāra is used in the singular as Kāyasaṅkhāro (body preparation), vacīsaṅkhāro (speech preparation) and cittasaṅkhāro (thought preparation). These three are defined in the Dhamma as follows:
Body preparation – in breath and outbreath
Speech preparation – thinking and pondering
Thought preparation – perception and feeling
So then in the Vibhaṅga Sutta 12 where the Buddha defines each of the twelve links, the term saṅkhāra is defined as threefold. In breathing and out breathing cannot be taken as kamma that prepares another birth. Likewise thinking and The Law of Dependent Arising pondering generally rendered as initial and sustained thought as well as perception and feeling are not reckoned as kamma. In fact whoever is wishing to put an end to existence (bhava) has to appease them. That is why they are called preparations.
The author continues:Of course one may ask: “Well then where do ignorance and preparations come in? That we have already explained. The very non-understanding of the mutual inter-relation between consciousness and name and form is itself ignorance. The activity sustained by that ignorance is preparations
It is difficult for me to follow this author due to their manner of speaking. However:We mentioned all this in particular because there is some confusion in explaining kamma in the context of Paṭicca Samuppāda by attributing it to something in the past.
However one can still raise a question regarding the significance of what are called ‘puññābhisaṅkhāra, apuññābhisaṅkhāra and āneñjābhisaṅkhāra and their relevance to saṅkhāra: In that context, what is called ‘abhisaṅkhāra’ are special preparations, that is to say, specially performed kamma. In the former context, saṅkhāra referred to such activities as in-breathing and out-breathing which are like the ‘bedrock’ of saṅkhāras. But here what is called abhisaṅkhāra are volitional preparations where intention comes in. Puññābhisaṅkhāra are meritorious special preparations, apuññābhisaṅkhāra are demeritorious special preparations and āneñjābhisaṅkhāra are imperturbable special preparations, which have to do with the meditative absorptions – which bring about rebirth in Brahma worlds. Of course these three forms of preparations are also the outcome of ignorance, but by dispelling that ignorance in this very life those forces of preparations are stilled. These special preparations are kept up by egotism. All in all, kamma is dependently arisen. Our aim should be the cessation of kamma.
pg 259 http://seeingthroughthenet.net/wp-conte ... ev_1.0.pdf
1. Based on the 1st quote above, it appears the author is saying 2nd nidana 'sankhara' is not 'kamma'. If so, I agree.
2. Based on the 3rd quote above, it is difficult for me to clearly discern what the author is attempting to explain. However, if the author continues to assert 'sankhara' is not 'kamma' (which does not appear to be the case but might be the case) then the author might be agreeing with my hypothesis on this topic that "puññābhisaṅkhāra, apuññābhisaṅkhāra and āneñjābhisaṅkhāra" are forms of clinging (upadana) or egoism, i.e., 9th nidana.