Abhidhamma Lectures 09

Tape# 45

12/5/95

Chapter 9 begins on p. 2.

Chapter 8

Patthana - Continued

          Please look at the handout, 24 conditions into four conditions. This is according to Ledi Sayadaw. As I said last time this is the opinion of Burmese teachers. If you look at this chart you know which of the four conditions each condition is found within. The four conditions are ŒrammaÓa, Upanissaya, Kamma and Atthi. In the left column there are conditions and their varieties. On the right hand column there are the conditions within which they can be included. For example ŒrammaÓa Adhipati can be included in ŒrammaÓa Upanissaya and Atthi. SahajÈta Adhipati (conascent predominance) can be include in Atthi and so on. Later on if you want to know which condition can be included into which condition, you just refer to this chart.

          Then the other handout is for PaÒÒatti. I have already explained it. This is just for your reference. Section 32 refers to the last verse in chapter eight. I give two translations. The first translation is the usual translation accepted by many teachers. The second translation is an alternate translation by one teacher. Whichever translation we follow, the meaning is the same.

          The meaning conveyed by this verse is that whenever you hear a sound first there is ear consciousness thought process. Then following it there is mind-door thought process which is not mentioned by name. Then there is another mind-door thought process which takes NÈma-paÒÒatti as object. Last thre is mind-door thought process that takes Attha-paÒÒatti (thing concept) as object.

          We had a problem last time with PaÔicca-samuppÈda. The chart is correct. It is in accordance with the Visuddhimagga. In the Visuddhimagga it is expressly said that at Pavatti the KÈmÈvacara Kusala is condition in two ways to seven VipÈka Cittas–that is excepting SantÊraÓa UpekkhÈ. I tried to find the reason why SantÊraÓa UpekkhÈ is excepted. But  I do not find the answer in the commentary to the Visuddhimagga or in the Burmese translation of the Visuddhimagga. This commentary on PaÔicca-samuppÈda appears in the SammohavinodanÊ is the second book of commentary to Abhidhamma. In that book also the same explanation is given. One Burmese translation to that book gives the reason as because it is not relinking moment the UpekkhÈ SantÊraÓa is excepted. That we had already thought of. Although there is no very satisfactory answer, I think we must accept that because the author wants to show the resultant consciousness which are supported by or which are the result of the past KÈmÈvacara Kamma. If the author wanted to include everything that arises during lifetime, he would have said all 16 not just seven. It may be that the author wanted to divide those that arise at PaÔisandhi only and those that arise at Pavatti only and he wants to have them separate. Maybe that is the reason why during the PaÔisandhi moment nine resultant consciousness are given and during Pavatti only seven are given. I Cannot think of a more reasonable or more acceptable answer.

          So we have finished the eighth chapter. Now we come to the ninth chapter. I think the ninth chapter is more interesting than the other chapters. The other chapters are difficult. But now we come to more familiar grounds because all of you have practised meditation. Also there are no intricate combinations of Cittas, Cetasikas and R|pas. So it is I think an easier chapter to understand.

Chapter 9 (A)

 

Meditation Subjects

          The ninth chapter deals with meditation–Samatha meditation and VipassanÈ meditation. In the first eight chapters the author described Cittas, Cetasikas, R|pas, NibbÈna and the intricate combinations and many other things that are taught in Abhidhamma. Now he wants to show us how agter understanding NÈma and R|pa theoretically, how we must do something to understand them through self-experience. So this last chapter deals with Buddhist meditation.

KammaÔÔhÈna defined

          There are two kinds of Buddhist meditation–Samatha and VipassanÈ. First the word ‘meditation’–the PÈÄi word for meditation is KammaÔÔhÈna. KammaÔÔhÈna is explained as field of action. That means the arising place of BhÈvanÈ action. Kamma means action and here it actually means BhÈvanÈ (mental development). So the place of mental development is called KammaÔÔhÈna.In this sense KammaÔÔhÈna means the object of meditation, like ten KasiÓas, ten Asubhas and so on.

          Another explanation is that it is the proximate cause of higher mental development. That means if you do not do the lower mental development, you will not reach the higher mental development. So the lower mental development is called KammaÔÔhÈna, the proximate cause of mental development, the higher mental development because whthout the lower mental development we cannot get to the higher mental development. For example in the VipassanÈ knowledges if you do not reach the first VipassanÈ knowledge, you will not reach the second and so on. The development of first VipassanÈ knowledge is the proximate cause for the second VipassanÈ knowledge and so on.

          So the word ‘KammaÔÔhÈna’ has two meanings. The first is the objects are called KammaÔÔhÈna. The second the subject, the development (That means the Cittas and the Cetasikas) are called KammaÔÔhÈna.

          There are two kinds of Buddhist meditation–Samatha and VipassanÈ or calm and insight. VipassanÈ is a distinctly Buddhist form of meditation. That means we find VipassanÈ only in Buddhism. Samatha meditation is found in non-Buddhist schools of meditation. According to the commentaries and other books even what we call Titthiyas (those who have wrong views) can practise Samatha meditation and get JhÈnas and even AbhiÒÒÈs. So Samatha meditation is not peculiar to Buddhism only, but VipassanÈ meditation we find only in the teachings of the Buddha.

          “The teachings of Samatha meditation is taught because the serenity and concentration which it engenders provide a firm foundation for the practice of insight meditation” Buddha taught Samatha meditation actually to be used as basis for VipassanÈ meditation. Just Samatha for Samatha’s sake was not taught by the Buddha. When Buddha taught Samatha meditation, he always wanted his disciples to go forward to VipassanÈ meditation. They may practise Samatha meditation and get JhÈnas, but they are not to stop or to be satisfied with just the attainment of JhÈnas and AbhiÒÒÈs. They are to make the JhÈnas objects of meditation and practise VipassanÈ on them. Both Samatha and VipassanÈ are taught in Buddhism or are taught by the Buddha.

          The word ‘Samatha’ is translated as calm or tranquility. The word means something that makes some other thing peaceful. It is derived from the root ‘Sam’ meaning to become peaceful. It makes what peaceful? Peaceful means calmed down or suppressed. When there are mental hindrances in the mind, Samatha does not arise. Only when mental hindrances are subdued can Samatha arise. We will see it later. Samatha is the meditation which calms or which subdues the mental hindrances. You know mental hindrances are also mental defilements–NÊvaraÓas and Kilesas. They belong to kilesas. The form of meditation which helps us calm or subdue the mental hindrances is called Samatha meditation.

          What about Arahants practising Samatha meditation? Suppose a person becomes an Arahant first. Then he wants to get JhÈna and he practises Samatha meditation. In his case Samatha does not mean calming down the mental hindrances because an Arahant has no mental hindrances. In his case Samatha meditation is one that calms down his mind. That means when the mind has to take different objects it is not calm. It is not quiet. In order to make their minds quiet and in order to experience the bliss of seclusion Arahants may practise Samatha meditation and get JhÈna. When they get JhÈna their mind can be on one object only for some period of time. During that time their mind is tranquil and peaceful.

          What about second JhÈna and so on? First JhÈna inhibits or subdues mental hindrances. But second JhÈna does not need to subdue mental hindrances because mental hindrances are already subdued just before by first JhÈna. In case of second JhÈna and so on Samatha means those that make the grosser factors tranquil. That means they inhibit or subdue the grosser JhÈna factors. When you get second JhÈna you eliminate Vitakka. When you get third JhÈna you eliminate VicÈra and so on. In that case the JhÈnas, that is second JhÈna and so on, eliminates the grosser JhÈna factors. And so they are called Samatha.

          The Second kind of meditation is VipassanÈ. I have talked about VipassanÈ many times. You know what VipassanÈ is. VipassanÈ is seeing in various ways. Seeing in various ways means seeing mind and matter or seeing conditioned things as impermanent, as suffering and as no soul or non-self.

          VipassanÈ is the Cetasika of wisdom. That means VipassanÈ is synonomous with PaÒÒÈ. So it is the, Cetasika Amoha. What is Samatha? EkaggatÈ or SamÈdhi. Samatha is synonomous with SamÈdhi and VipassanÈ is synonomous with PaÒÒÈ or Amoha.

          “The explanation of calm and insight meditation in this chapter of the Abhidhammatthasa~gaha is a summary of the entire Visuddhimagga.” If you want to understand in greater detail, you have to read the Visuddhimagga. That is about 800 pages thick, a very detailed explanation of both Samatha and VipassanÈ meditation. As we go along I will give you references to the Visuddhimagga so that if you want to know more about meditation, you can read the Visuddhimagga or The Path of Purification.

Samatha Meditation

          First the author gives us the seven sections on Samatha meditation or page 330. “Therein in the compendium of calm, first the compendium of meditation subjects for developing calm is sevenfold.” Samatha meditation is divided into seven sections: 1. ten Kssinas 2. Ten kinds of foulness (That means foulness of the body meditation.) 3. ten recollections 4. Four illimitables–I prefer the word ‘limitless’ the four limitless ones 5.one perception 6. one analysis 7. Four immaterial or Ar|pa states. These are the seven sections and they will be explained in more detail as we go along.

          After these the author gives us the six kinds of temperments. They are (1) lustful temperment (2) hateful temperment (3) deluded temperment (4) faithful temperment (5) intellectual temperment (6) discursive or thinking temperment. Temperment means something which happens to a person as a habit or something that a person has more of than other persons. For example if a person has a lustful temperment, then he willhave more attachment to things. He will like more beacutiful things and so on than other persons. Here the temperments are said to be of six kinds. The temperments of people differ owing to the differences of their past Kamma. Why are there people who have lustful temperments or hateful temperments and so on? The answer is their past Kamma. When they do their past Kamma, their past Kamma may be surrounded by Lobha or surrounded by Dosa, or surrounded by Moha and so on. Dependent on that these people, let us say in this life have lustful temperment, hateful temperment and so on.

          Among them lustful and faithful form a parallel pair. They are similar. Both involve a favorable attitude toward the object. When you are attached to something you have a favorable attitude toward the object. When you have faith in something you have a favorable attitude towards it. They are similar.

          Then hateful (Dosa) and intellectual (In PÈÄi Buddhi or PaÒÒÈ) form a paralled pair. In an unwholesome way hate turns away from its object. When you hate something, you want to get away from that object. Intelligence does the same through the discovery of genuine faults. That means you come to see suffering nature, impermanent nature, soulless nature of things and foulnees of things and so youwant to turn away from these objects. Dosa and PaÒÒÈ have this common nature of turning away from objects. Hate turns away from objects bacause it doesn’t like it. PaÒÒÈ turns away from objects because it knows or sees their faults.

          Then the deluded (Moha) and the discursive (Vitakka) also form a pair. A deluded person vacilates owing to superficiality. He is deluded. He has Moha, so he doesn’t know the object well. With the discursive temperment one does so due to facile speculation. That means since he has the habit of thinking he also vacilates. So Moha and Vitakka are similar in nature. Moha is deluded and Vitakka is distracted. So both of them do not know the object well. Later on we will find out which types of meditation are suitable for which types of persons.

          Then there are three kinds of BhÈvanÈ (development). The three stages of mental development are preliminary development (ParikammaBhÈvanÈ), access development (UpacÈraBhÈvanÈ) or we may call it neighborhood development and absorption development (AppanÈBhÈvanÈ). There are three kinds of BhÈvanÈ. BhÈvanÈ means development or that which ought to be developed.

          There are three kinds of development. The first one is preliminary development. It occurs from the time one begins the practice of meditation up to the time that the five hindrances are suppressed and the counterpart sign emerges. We will learn about that later. Preliminary development occurs from the time one starts to practise. So from the beginning of the practice up until the time when the five hindrances are suppressed and the counterpart sign emerges. That means up to the time, but not including the time when the five hindrances are suppressed. When the five hindrances are suppressed and the counterpart sign arises, the Yogi reaches into the next BhÈvanÈ. From the beginning up until just before the suppression of the five hindrances is called preliminary development.

          The next is access development or neighborhood development. That occurs when the five hindrances are suppressed and the counterpart sign emerges. We can say this is the middle development. It is between preliminary and absorption development. During this development the five hindrances are suppressed. So there are no hindrances in the mind. The mind is well concentrated. Also the counterpart sign emerges. That means the counterpart sign arises in his mind. “It endures from the moment the counterpart sign arises up to the change of lineage Citta in the cognitive process culminating in JhÈna.” That means in a JhÈna thought process up until Gotrabhu is called access development (UpacÈra SamÈdhi). From the moment the five hindrances are suppressed up to the moment of Gotrabhu (up to means including Gotrabhu) is called UpacÈra SamÈdhi (access development).

          “The Citta that immediately follows change of lineage is called absorption.” That means after Gotrabhu JhÈna and also Magga follow. But here we are concerned with Samatha meditation, so let us say JhÈna. Preliminary development.

          “The learning sign is a mental replica of the object perceived in the mind exactly as it appears to the physical eyes.” That is called Uggahanimitta, memorized sign. During this stage the memorized sign is an exact replica of the memorized object, let us say of the KasiÓa. That means if there are blemishes on the KasiÓa like impressions of the fingers or the hands, then the Uggahanimitta also has those blemishes. It is the exact copy of the KasiÓa object.

          “The mentally visualized image freed of all defects is the counterpart sign.” First the person tries to practise meditation on that memorized sign again and again. That memorized sign becomes clearer and also becomes free of the defects of the KasiÓa.

          “It appears as if breaking out from the learning sign, and a hundred times or a thousand times more purified… like the moon’s disk coming out from behind a cloud.” Visuddhimagga IV, 31. It is like a white heron flying before the raincloud. That means it becomes very clear, very pure, like a polished mirror. When it becomes a counterpart sign, it is not an exact copy of the original KasiÓa sign. The original KasiÓa sign may have defects. In the counterpart sign there are no defects.

          Here also the word ‘counterpart’–counterpart means similar or same. The sign is the same as the KasiÓa object or KasiÓa disk.

          Later on we will learn the combination of the BhÈvanÈs and Nimittas, combinations of developments and signs. We will learn what sign corresponds with what development.

          Now comes the details, just a little more detail than the previous statement. There are ten KasiÓas. They are PathavÊ KasiÓa (earth KasiÓa), water KasiÓa, fire KasiÓa and air KasiÓa. These are the four essentials. Then there is blue KasiÓa, yellow KasiÓa, red KasiÓa and white KasiÓa. They are the color KasiÓas. Then there is space KasiÓa. It is like a hole. And then there is light KasiÓa. So these are the ten KasiÓas.

KasiÓa

          “The word ‘KasiÓa’ means whole or totality. It is so called because the counterpart sign is to be expanded and extended every where without limitation.” I tried to find this explanation inother books but I was unable to do so. Actually it is called KasiÓa because when you take that KasiÓa as an object you take the whole of the object. You do not take just part of that object. That is why it is called KasiÓa.

          For example, you make a KasiÓa disk. Then you look at the KasiÓa disk, not just at the center or at the edges. You take the whole of the disk as an object. That is why it is called KasiÓa. The word ‘KasiÓa’ means all or whole.

          “In the case of the earth KasiÓa one prepares a disk of about thirth centimeters in diameter.” In the bools it is said to be one span and four fingers breadth. It is maybe about eight inches in diameter. “One covers it with clay the colour of dawn (maybe red color) and smooths it well. This is the KasiÓa disk which serves as the preliminary sign for developing the earth KasiÓa.” You make a frame and put cloth on that frame. Then you put clay on that cloth. You make it into a circle and smoothj it with your hand or some wood.

          “One then places the disk about a meter away.” That means neither too close nor too far away from you. “Then one concentrates on it with the eyes partly opened.” That means sometimes open and sometimes closed. “One contemplates it as ‘earth, earth’ thousands and thousands of times until you get the image in your mind.” You look at it and say, “earth, earth, earth”. And then you close your eyes and say,  “earth, earth, earth.” Then you see if you have memorized it. If you have not, you open your eyes again and practise some more. So alternately you practise with the eyes open and the eyes closed. You try to concentrate on it as “earth, earth, earth.” It will be described later on in the practice of KasiÓa meditation.

          “To develop the water KasiÓa one may use a vessel full of clear water and contemplate it as “water, water’.” You may just look at some water in a lake or something. Then you try to delimit some space in that water and look at just that area.

          “To develop the fire KasiÓa one may kindle a fire and view it through a hole in a piece of leathe or in a piece of cloth saying ‘fire, fire’.”

          “One who develops the air KasiÓa concentrates on the wind that enters through a window or an opening in the wall, saying, ‘air’ air’.”

          “To develop the color KasiÓas one may prepare a disk of the prescribed size and color it blue, yellow, red or white.” These four colors are used as a stock phrase. Whenever the colors are mentioned, the PÈÄi words Nila, Pita, Lohita and Odata are used. As I have said before, the word ‘Nila’ is translated as blue in the west. You see the blue color in the Buddhist flag. In Burma we translate it as brown. So blue or brown–I think both are correct. There is a lotus clled blue lotus. In Burmese we call it brown lotus, but it is blue. Hair is said to be Nila, but hair is not blue. Hair is black or maybe brown. We may translate it as we like–blue or brown.

          Then one should concentrate on it mentally repeating the name of the color. So for example you would repeat, “blue,blue,blue” or “yellow, Yellow, yellw” and so on. If you want to practise color KasiÓa, you may paint a circle on a board and look at it. One may even prepare flowers of the required color. So you may gather some flowers and place them in something round or in a circle and say, “blue, blue, blue” or “yellow, yellow, yellow”.

          “The light KasiÓa may be developed by concentrating on the moon or the unflickering lamplight (a steady lamplight), or on a circle cast on the ground, or on a beam of sunlight or moonlight entering through a wall-crevice hole and cast on a wall.” So one takes some light preferably through a hole so that you see it as a round object.

          “The space KasiÓa can be developed by concentrating on a hole about thirty centimeters in diameter, contemplating it as ‘space, space’.” You may look at a pot and see a hole and say,”space, space”. Or perhaps you could use a hole in a wall and again say, “space, space.”

          For a full treatment of the KasiÓas you should see the Visuddhimagga, chapters four and five. There you find how to make a KasiÓa and what to do. Everything is given there.

          You need to understand that there are ten KasiÓa meditations. They are actually the objects made of earth, water and so on. They are the objects of KasiÓa meditation. There are ten kinds of KasiÓa meditation.

Asubha

          Next are the ten Asubhas–foulness or unlovely. These ten kinds of foulness are corpses in different stages of decay. When a person dies and the corpse is left alone, then the corpse becomes bloated, then black and blue and so on. The objects of ten foulness meditations are the corpses in various stages of decomposition.

          The first if the bloated corpse. After two or three days the corpse swells up. Next is the livid corpse. That means the corpse is now black and blue. Then there is festering corpse. That means there may be pus oozing out of the corpse. Then there is the dismembered corpse. That means a corpse that has been cut. Next is an eaten corpse–eaten by dogs, jackals and others. Then there is the scattered in pieces corpse, a mutilated and scattered in pieces corpse (maybe cut and parts scattered). And then there is a bloody corpse, that is covered with blood. Then there is a worm-infested corpse. You may see worms in the corpse. The last is bones. It may be just one bone or a skeleton. Even one bone is called Atthika.

          A person who wants to practise this meditation should go to a cemetary. Then he should look at a corpse and develop foulness in it. It is a very difficult type of meditation. It cannot be practised in this country because you cannot see corpses in this country or even now in other countries people do not leave the corpses in cemetaries. It is very difficult now. They are explained in the Visuddhimagga in chapter six.

Recollections

          Then there are the ten recollections. The first is the recollection of the virtues of the Buddha. The second is the recollection of the virtues of the Dhamma. The third is the recollection of the virtues of the Sangha.

          The fourth is the recollection of one’s own pure SÊla. You keep you SÊla pure and then you look at your pure SÊla. You see that your SÊla is not broken in any place and you get joy from it. Recollection of morality means recollection of one’s own pure SÊla.

          Then number five is the recollection of genorosity. That means you make donations or you make gifts and you get joy from it.

          The next one is the recollection of the Devas. That means actually recollecting one’s own good qualities and making Devas as witnesses. That means these Devas are born as Devas because they possess such good qualities. These good qualities are in me also. In such a way you reflect. So here, “mindfully considering: The deities are born in such exalted states on account of their faith, morality, learning, genorosity and wisdom. I too possess these same qualities.” This meditation is recollection of one’s own good qualities such as SaddhÈ and so on. The Devas ar used just as an example. These Devas have those good qualities and are born in an exalted state. I also have these qualities.

          Then there is recollection of peace. That means the recollection of NibbÈna. “The recollection of peace is contemplation on the peaceful attributes of NibbÈna.” That is not seeing NibbÈna direct, not realizing NibbÈna, but contemplating on the peaceful attributes of NibbÈna–“NibbÈna is peaceful. NibbÈna is calm.” And so on.

          Then there is the recollection of death. “It is the contemplation of the fact that one’s own death is absolutely certain, that the arrival of death is utterly uncertain.” Death is certain. When it will come nobody knows. It may come tomorrow, or it may come ten years from now, or twenty or thirty years from now. But it is definite that it will come one day. Then when you practise recollection of death you say, “Death will come, death will come” or “I will die, I will die.” You can say something like that. It is important that when we practise recollection of death that we be very careful because when we think of death sometimes we may get frightened. If we have not developed an understanding of life, then we may become afraid because we have to think of our death. We think “I am going to die. I am going to die.” Sometimes we become afraid. It is important that we not become afraid, but just understand it as absolutely certain and that one day it will come. When death comes one must relinquish everything. We must leave everything behind and go alone.

          Mindfulness occupied with the body–that is the 32 parts of the body meditation. It is the meditation on the thirty two repulsive parts of the body–hairs of the head, hairs of the body and so on. What is most popular is the first five parts–head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin. If you want to practise this kind of meditation, first you learn the names by heart. Then you recite the parts back and forth, back and forth for many days. First there is verbal recitation and then mental recitation. Then you try to see the foulness in these parts.

          The last one is mindfulness of breathing. “Mindfulness of breathing is attentiveness to the touch sensation of the in-breath and out-breath in the vicinity of the nostrils or the upper lip.” So when you breathe in and out, you feel the air at the tip of the nostrils or sometimes on the upper lip. Whenever you feel that sensation, you put your mind there. Then you try to be mindful of in-breath and out-breath as “in” and “out” wherever the air is felt striking as one breathes in and out. When you practise mindfulness of breathing meditation as Samatha, you try to concentate  on the breath only and not other objects. Also you have to do counting like “in one, out one, in two, out two” and so on up to five, or seven, or eight, or nine or ten. But you must not go beyond ten and you must not go below five. If you practise mindfulness of breathing with VipassanÈ, then you try to see the nature of breath which is Vayo (air) or the nature. And you pay attention to other objects as they become prominent at the present moment. That is the difference between Samatha and VipassanÈ regarding the mindfulness of breathing. The breaths can be the object of both VipassanÈ and Samatha meditation.

          They are called ten recollections. Actually mindfulness of the body and mindfulness of breathing are not recollections actually, but they are included in the ten recollections. If you look at the word in PÈÄi we have BuddhÈnussati, DhammÈnussati, SanghÈnussati, SÊlÈnussati, CÈgÈnussati, DevatÈnussati, UpasamÈnussati and MaraÓÈnussati. Then there is KÈyagatÈsati and ŒnÈpÈnasati. There “Anu” is not used. But they are all recollections. For more information on the ten recollections see the Visuddhimagga, chapter seven and eight.

AppamaÒÒÈs

          Then we have the four illimitables or limitless ones. They are the four Brahma Viharas. They are MettÈ, KaruÓÈ, MuditÈ and UpekkhÈ.

          “These states are called illimitables (AppamaÒÒÈ). “In PÈÄi they are called AppamaÒÒÈ. “They are to be radiated towards all living beings without limit or obstruction.” The PÈÄi word “AppamaÒÒÈ” comes from the word “PamÈÓa”. PamÈÓa means limit. AppamaÒÒÈ means no limit, having no limit. So when you practise any one of these four meditations you take all beings as object. When you practise MettÈ, you take all beings as object. When you practise KaruÓÈ you take all beings that are in suffering as object. When you practise MuditÈ you take all beings that are in prosperity as object. When you practise UpekkhÈ you take all beings as object. Since you have to take all beings without exception or since you have to radiate thoughts or loving-kindness and so on to all living beings without limit, therefore these are called AppamaÒÒÈs.

          “Loving-Kindness (MettÈ) is the wish for the welfare and happiness of all living beings. It helps to eliminate ill will.” MettÈ is the opposite of Dosa.

          “Compassion (KaruÓÈ) is that which makes the heart quiver when others are subject to suffering. “When you see other beings suffering, then you have this shaking in you heart. It is called compassion or KaruÓÈ in PÈÄi. “It is the wish to remove the suffering of others.” Or you may say, “May suffering ones be suffering-free.” That is KaruÓÈ, not MettÈ. It is the wish for beings in suffering that they get free from suffering. “It is opposed to cruelty.” When you have cruelty, you cannot have compassion. And when you have compassion, you cannot have cruelty. So it is the opposite of cruelty.

          The third one is MuditÈ, appreciative joy or sympathetic joy. That means you happy with other person’s prosperity, other person’s success. “Appreciative joy (MuditÈ) is the quality of rejoicing at the success and prosperity of others. It is the congratulatory attitude and helps to eliminate envy.” If you have envy, you cannot have MuditÈ. “And it helps eliminate discontent over the success of others.”

          Then the last one is equanimity (UpekkhÈ). “Equanimity. As a divine abode, is the state of mind that regards others with impartiality, free from attachment and sversion. An impartial attitude is its chief characteristic, and it is opposed to favouritism and resentment.” This is not feeling UpekkhÈ. It is TatramajjhattatÈ UpekkhÈ, but it is accompanied by feeling UpekkhÈ. UpekkhÈ is a state of mind that regards others with impartiality. Whether a person does harm to you or does good to you, you are impartial. You do not like him. You do not dislike him. You take them with equanimity. It is opposed to favouritism and resentment. That means it is opposed to liking or disliking. When you have developed equanimity you neither like the object nor dislike the object. This UpekkhÈ is a very good tool in controlling our thoughts. That means sometimes you practise KaruÓÈ and you go beyond KaruÓÈ and get angry because you are angry with those who inflict pain on others. So when you are angry with them, then you are no longer in KaruÓÈ. You have crossed over to Dosa. If you practise UpekkhÈ, then you can stop within the bounds of KaruÓÈ. You can say to yourself, “Beings have kamma as their own property and they suffer because of their Kamma in the past. I cannot do anything and so I will not get angry with those who inflict pain on them.” And so on. It is important that we do whatever we can to help these beings get free from suffering. That is a good thing to do. But when we cannot do any more then we have to practise UpekkhÈ. It is not that we are to ignore them altogether and have no feeling for them at all. We should help them. We should do whatever we can to alleviate or at least diminish their suffering. But when we cannot do any more, then we should practise UpekkhÈ. Otherwise we will get into Dosa.

          These four are also called Brahma-vihÈras, living like Brahmas. It is said that Brahmas practise these four. They have no other thing to do in the world of Brahmas. So they practise these four. So these four are called Brahma Viharas. Here Vihara does not mean monastery. VihÈra means here living. Brahma means noble or like Brahmas, so a noble living or living like Brahmas. MettÈ, KaruÓÈ, MuditÈ and UpekkhÈ are the four Brahma-vihÈras.

One SaÒÒÈ

          Next is the one perception, one SaÒÒÈ. “The one perception is the oerception of loathsomeness in food. The perception of the loathsomeness of food is the perception, which arises through reflection upon the repulsive aspects of nutriment, such as the difficulty of searching for food, the repulsiveness of using it, the digestive process, excretion etc.” In the Visuddhimagga it is explained in detail. As a monk you have to get up early in the morning, pick up your and go to the village. When you go to the village sometimes you step on stones, thorns and all these things. Also you have to look this way and that way to make sure the road is clear and there are no wild animals or whatever. When you go for alms, sometimes people may be respectful to you or sometimes they may not be respctful to you. They may just say, “Get out!” or something like that. So you have to be patient with all of these things.

          Then when you eat, you have to chew the food. When the food is in your mouth and you chew it, it becoms (slimy?)–what do you call it? I don’know. And then–we do not do this–if you chew sonmething and spit it out and look at it, will you want to take it again? So there is loathsomeness of food there. Food is only good at the beginning. As it moves downward ti becones very loathsome. We have to think of food as loathsome so we are not attached to food. It may not be liked by many people. Nowadays you enjoy food and you don’t think of food being loathsome.

One Analysis

          Then tere is one analysis. That means cutting down into four elements. “The one analysis is the analysis of the four elements. The analysis into the four elements involves contemplation of the body as compounded out of the four great essentials.” In the Visuddhimagga it is explained that you can practise this analysis into elements on the thirty two parts of the body. It may be connected with the thirty two parts of the body. In the thirty two parts of the body the first twenty are said to be those where earth element is predominant. Head hair, body hair, nails, teth, skin and so on are hard. So earth element is predominant in them. Then the others like blood, spittle and so on are the ones where water element predominates. So you can think of these parts of the body and then try to see earth in them or try to see water in them. Then you can be mindful of the breath and see air element in it. By taking or by analyzing whatever object you come to into four elements then you lose the notion of compactness. Wen you lose the notion of compactness, you understand the Anatta nature. You understand there is no substance, no abiding entity. There is no person, no man, no woman and so on. There are just elements arising and disappearing.

Immaterial States

          Then the last four are the four immaterial states. They are the four Ar|pa states that you already know. “The four immaterial states are the base of infinite space and so forth.” The subject of the first is infinite space. The object of the second is the consciousness of the first. The object of the third is nothingness, nothingness of the first consciousness. And the object of the fourth is the third Ar|pavacara consciousness. These are the four immaterial states or four immaterial meditations. They can lead to the attainment of the four immaterial or Ar|pa JhÈnas.

          From the ten KasiÓas up to the one analysis there are thirty-six. Among them some lead to attainment of first JhÈna. Some lead to attainment of all five JhÈnas; some lead to attainment of four JhÈnas and so on. We will come to them later. The last four lead to attainment of Ar|pavacara JhÈnas.

          Now we understand the forty subjects of Samatha meditation. Can you tell me the forty? There are ten KasiÓas, ten Asubhas or foulness, ten recollections, four AppamaÒÒÈs, one perception, one analysis and four Ar|pavacara. These are called the forty subjects of Samatha meditation.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Tape# 46

1/2/96

Chapter 9 (B)

Temperaments, etc.

          We come to page 338, analysis of suitability (SappÈyabheda).  This section deals with what subjects of meditation are suitable for people of what temperament.  You remember at the beginning of this chapter the author gives people of six different temperaments in section three.  They are RÈgacarita, Dosacarita, and so on people of lustful temperament, hateful temperament, deluded temperament, faithful temperament, intellectual temperament and discrusive temperament.  In PÈÄi they are Carita of RÈga, Dosa, Moha, SaddhÈ, Buddhi and Vitakka.  There are six kinds of people according to this classification of temperaments.  Actually there can be more than six kinds of people.  Somebody may not have just one temperament but a mixture of two or three.  So there are more.  This section deals with what subjects of meditation are suitable for people of what temperament.

          “With respect to temperaments, the ten kinds of foulness and mindfullness occupied with the body”–that means the Asubhas and KÈyagatÈsati (In the chart that is number 29 meditation on 32 parts of the body.)  “are suitable for those of a lustful temperament.”  People who have lustful temperament should take up these kinds of meditation.  The first ten Asubhas are looking at a bloated corpse and so on.  It can hepl a person diminish lust for the body.  Meditation on the 32 parts of the body is also suitable for those of lustful temperament.

          “The four illimitables and the four colored KasiÓas are suitable for those of a hateful temperament.  “When you see color you are happy, so color KasiÓas are suitable for those of hateful temperament, who get angry easily.  Also the four Brahma-vihÈras are suitable.  The four colored KasiÓas mean NÊla KasiÓa (blue KasiÓa), PÊta KasiÓa (yellow KasiÓa), Lohita KasiÓa (red KasiÓa) and OdÈta KasiÓa (white KasiÓa).  One takes a blue disk, yellow disk, red disk, or white disk as the object of meditation.  These four and the four AppamaÒÒÈs (MettÈ, KaruÓÈ, MuditÈ and UpekkhÈ) are suitable for those who are of hateful temperament.  That means those who have anger most of the time.  The four Brahma-vihÈras–when a person practises MettÈ he is able to get rid of hate.  KaruÓÈ and MuditÈ cause one to become happy.  So they help a person get rid of hate of Dosa.  UpekkhÈ is also helpful.  The four AppamaÒÒÈs are for those that have hateful temperament as well as the four colored KasiÓas.

“Mindfulness of breathing is suitable for those of a deluded (Moha) and discursive (Vitakka) temperament.”  Mindfulness of breathing is said to be the opposite of Moha because if you have too much Moha you cannot practise breathing meditation.  Breathing meditation or mindfulness of breathing meditation is said to be the opposite of Moha.  Also what? Vittakka when you practise mindfulness meditation you are able to suppress or you are able to cut Vitakka, discursive thinking.  Mindfulness of breathing is suitable for those of deluded temperament and discursive temperament (Moha Carita and Vitakka Carita).

The six recollections of the Buddha and so forth–that means 21-26 are suitable for those of a faithful temperament because they promote faith in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and so on.  The recollection of the Budha’s qualities, recollection of the Dhamma’s qualities, SaÑgha’s qualities, recollection of one’s own pure SÊla, recollection of one’s own genorosity, and recollection of one’s own good qualities in comparison with those of the Devas–these six help a meditator to gain more faith.  These six are suitable for those of faithful temperament.

Recollection of death, recollection  of peace, the perception of loathsomeness in food and the analysis of the four elements are suitable for those of an intellectual temperament.  These are for those who are of Buddhi Carita.  These subjects are profound and also need understanding to practise recollection of death and so on.  So MaraÓÈnussati (recollection of death), UpasamÈnussati (recollection of peace), ŒhÈre PatikkulasaÒÒÈ (the perception of the loathsomeness of food) and CatudhÈtuvavatthÈna (the analysis of the four elements)–analyzing whatever is in the body into four primary elements–these are suitable for those of an intellectual temperament, for Buddhi Carita.

All the remaining subjects of meditation are suitable for all temperaments.  That means–what are remaining? ŒkÈsa KasiÓa, Œloka KasiÓa, PathavÊ KasiÓa, Œpo KasiÓa, Tejo KasiÓa, VÈyo KasiÓa, and then ŒkÈsÈnaÒcÈyatana, ViÒÒÈÓaÒcÈyatana, ŒkiÒcaÒÒÈyatana, NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈyatana are sutable for all temperaments.

For the KasiÓas a wide one is suitable for one of deluded temperament.  If a person is of Moha Carita, then his KasiÓa should be a bigger one.  He has a deluded mind and if he takes a small KasiÓa his mind will become more deluded.  A bigger KasiÓa is suitable for such a person.

A small KasiÓa is suitable for a person of discursive temperament.  If you are of discursive temperament, if you have a lot of Vitakka, if the KasiÓa is big it will encourage Vitakka.  For a person of Vitakka temperament a small KasiÓa is recommended.

Now I want to refer you to the Visuddhimagga to read about the temperaments.  That is in chapter three, paragraphs 74-103 and also chapter three, paragraphs 121 & 122.  There the six temperaments are explained in detail.  It is interesting.  Although the Visuddhimagga itself says that these explanations are not found in the texts, not found in the commentaries.  These are the opinions of teachers.  So they may not be authentic.  But it is interesting because it gives some clues why some person may have lustful temperament or hateful temperament and so on.

There are five things by which we may know whether a person has a particular temperament.  In the Visuddhimagga it is said that we know–one may know of a person’s temperament exactly only when one can read his mind.  Otherwise one has to use inference.  One can infer from these six things that a particular person has this temperament or that temperament.  It is interesting.

One way is by postures.  That is how one sits, how one lies down and so on.  The second one is by one’s actions, by the way one does things.  The third one is by one’s eating.  That is by what one likes and how one eats.  The fourth one is by seeing and so on.  That means a person of lustful temperament for example may see things to be agreeable, desirable and so on.  The last one is by the kind of mental states that occur in one frequently.  By these five we can infer that a person may be of this or that temperament.

I will read a little, not all, from the Visuddhimagga on postures.  “When one of greedy temperament is walking in his usual manner, he walks carefully, puts his foot doen slowly, puts it doen evenly.  Lifts it up evenly and his step is springy.”

“One of hating temperament walks as though he were digging with the points of his feet, puts his foot down quidkly, lifts it up quickly and his step is dragged along.”

“One of deluded temperament walks with a perplexed gait, puts his foot down hesitantly, lifts it up hesitantly and his step is pressed down suddenly.”

By looking at the footprings also you may infer that this person has lustful temperament and so on.  There is a story of MÈgaÓÉiya.  He wanted to give his daughter to a deserving person.  One day the Buddha knew that the father and mother would become enlightened.  So he left a footprint on the road.  When the father saw the footprint, he thought, “This is the footprint of someone of high class” or something like that.  The couple followed the footprints of the buddha and offered their daughter to him.  So by looking at the footprints we may infer that the person has lustful temperament or hateful temperament.

Then by action–“One of greedy temperament grasps the broom well, and he sweeps cleanly and evenly without hurrying or scattering the sand, as if he were strewing flowers.  One of hateful temperament grasps the broom tightly, and he sweeps uncleanly and unevenly with a harsh noise, hurriedly throwing up the sand on each side.  One of the deluded temperament grasps the broom loosely, and he sweeps neither cleanly nor evenly, mixing the sand up and turning it over.”  So if you see something like that you can infer that this person has a lustful temperament and so on.  Also one may do this with washing, dyeing robes and so on.

“By eating: one of greedy temperament likes eating rich sweet food.” If you like rich food, you are of greedy temperament.  “When eating, he makes a round lump not too big and eats unhurriedly, savouring the various tastes.  He enjoys geeting something good.  One of hateful temperament likes eating sour food.”  If you like sour food, fruits and others, you are of hating temperament.  “When eating he makes a lump that fills his mouth, and he eats hurriedly without savouring the taste.  He is aggrieved when he something not good.”  He is angry when he gets something that is not good.  “One of deluded temperament has no settled choice.  When eating, he makes a small unrounded lump, and as he eats he drops bits into his dish, smearing his face, with his mind astray, thinking of this and that.” 

“And by seeing and so on: when one of greedy temperament sees even a slightly pleasing object, he looks long as if surprised, he seizes on trivial virtues, discounts genuine faults, and when departing, he does so with longing as if unwilling to leave.”  If you are and optimist, you may be of greedy temperament.  Because it says, “One seizes on trivial virtues and discounts genuine faults” so an optimist may not see fault but what is good there.

“When one of hating temperament sees even a slighly unpleasing visible object, he avoids looking long as if he were tired.”  He doesn’t want to see it.  “He picks out trivial faults, discounts genuine virtues.”  So he is a pessimist.  “And when departing, he does so without regret as of anxious to leave.”  He wants to leave quickly.

“When one of deluded temperament sees any sort of visible object he copies what others do: if he hears others criticizing, he criticizes; if he hears others praising, he praises; but actually he feels indifference in himself–the indifference of unknowing.  This indifference is accompanied by Moha.  “So too with sounds and so on.”

“Kinds of states occurring:in one of greedy temperament there is frequent occurrence of such states as deceit, fraud, pride, evilness of wishes, greatness of wishes, discontent, foppery and personal vanity.  In one of hating temperament there is frequent occurrence of such states as anger, enmity, disparaging, domineering, envy and avarice.  In one of deluded temperament there is frequent occurrence of such states as stiffness, torpor, agitation, worry, uncertainty, and holding on tenaciously with refusal to relinquesh.”  These are the five things by which we can infer a person’s temperament.  After giving all this information and more.the author of the Visudhi Magga said, “Altough these have been given here, they are not found in the texts or the commentaries.  They are expressed according to the opinion of the teachers.  Therefore they cannot be treated as authentic.”

          “A teacher who has acquired penetration of minds will know the temperament”–that means a teacher who can read the minds of other persons–“and will explain the meditation subject accordingly.  One who has not (That means one who has not acquired the penetration of minds.), should question the pupil.” He should ask his pupil what do you like, something like that and then give a meditation subject.

          After telling us which meditation subjects are suitable for which temperament, the Venerable Buddhaghosa said, “All this has been stated in the form of direct opposition and complete suitability.”  That means the meditation subjects are said to be suitable for this temperament and that temperament because of their direct opposition.  They are very suitable.  For example the Asubhas are said to be suitable for those of greedy temperament because they are the direct opposite of Lobha.  They are very suitable.  That is why ten Asubhas and KÈyagatÈsati are said to be suitable for those of greedy temperament. 

“There is actually no profitable development (no Kusala BhÈvanÈ) that does not suppress greed etc.  and help faith and so ,on.  “That means these are stated here because they are direct opposites and they are very suitable, but one may pick up any subject of meditation and practise because there is no meditation which does not suppress Lobha and so on and which does not promote SaddhÈ and  so on.  If we know ourselves to be of this temperament or that temperament and if we want to practise Samatha meditation, we may choose which is most suitable.  But if you don’t know of what temperament you are do you know of what temperament you are?  Maybe not.  So we can take up any meditation because there is no meditation which does not suppress greed etc.  and which does not promote faith and so on.  This is the section on temperaments.  For more information you should read the Path of Purification.

The next section is the analysis of development (BhÈvanÈbheda).  By way of three stages–go back to the three BhÈvanÈs, section four, development, access development and absorption development.

“The preliminary stage of development is attainable in all these forty subjects of meditation.  “For all these forty subjects of meditation there is preliminary stage of development or Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.  There is Parikamma BhÈvanÈ for all forty subjects of Samatha meditation.  Because it is the beginning of the practice and you have to begin so there is always Parikamma BhÈvanÈ for all forty subjects of meditation.

In ten subjects of meditation, the eight recollections such as the recollection of the Buddha, the one perception and the one analysis only access development is obtained.  That is UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ is obtained but not absorption.  That means if you practise these ten subjects of meditation you can only get UpacÈra SamÈdhi.  You will not get AppanÈ SamÈdhi.  You will not get JhÈna.  These ten–the eight recollections, the one perception and the one analysis can lead to access concentration only and not to absorption concentration or simply put you cannot get JhÈna.

In the thirty remaining subjects of meditation the absorption stage of development is attained.  In the remaining thirty subjects of meditation all BhÈvanÈs are obtained–Parikamma BhÈvanÈ, UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ and AppanÈ BhÈvanÈ.

I want you to check the chart.  It says there is Parkamma BhÈvanÈ for all.  There is UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ only for eight recollections,  one perception and one analysis.  There is no AppanÈ for these.  In the thirty remaining subjects of meditation the absorption stage of development is also obtained.  All three BhÈvanÈs are obtained in other thirty subjects meditation–that is with KasiÓas, Asubhas and so on.

“In the ten subjects of meditation beginning with the recollection of the Buddha the mind is engaged in reflecting on many qualities and themes and this involves an intense application of thought (Vitakka) which prevents onpointedness from gaining the fixity needed to attain absorption.  “Actually when you practise Buddhanussati you have to contemplate on many things–ArahaÑ, SammÈsambuddho, VijjÈcaraÓasampanno and so on.  Even one such as araham may have fove meanings or even maybe nine meanings.  The objects and qualities are many.  So the mind cannot obtain JhÈna concentration when one practises these ten subjects of meditation.  So if you practise BuddhÈnussati you do not get JhÈna.  You get what is called Upacare SamÈdhi.  The same is true with one perception and one analysis.  When you practise these subjects of meditation you only get UpacÈra SamÈdhi and not AppanÈ SamÈdhi.

          Next is by way of JhÈna–what JhÈna you can get practising certain subjects of meditation.  The ten KasiÓas and mindfulness of breathing produce five JhÈnas.  If you practise any of the ten KasiÓas you can get first through fifth JhÈnas.  That means all five JhÈnas.  Mindfullness of breathing (ŒnÈpÈnasati) if you practise this subject of meditation you can get first, second, third, fourth and fifth JhÈna.

The ten foulnesses and mindfulness occupied with the body produce only the first JhÈna.  If you pracitse the tem Asubha meditations you only get first JhÈnaaa.  If you practise KÈyagatÈsati you only get first JhÈna.  You do not get second, third, fourth and fifth JhÈnas if you practise thise subjects of meditation.

Why? Look at the guide.  “The ten kinds of foulness and mindfulness occupied with the body both require the exercise of Vitakka, and thus they are incapable of inducing JhÈnas higher than the first, which are free form Vitakka.” Asubha objects are very rough and very gross.  So you need Vitakka to take the mind to the object.  Without Vitakka mind cannot dwell on these objects.  That is why only first JhÈna can be obtained through the practice of Asubha meditation and KÈyagatÈsati.

In the Visuddhimagga “Just as it is only by virtue of a pole that a boat keeps steady in a river with turbalent waters and a rapid current and it cannot be steadied without a pole so too here owing to the weak hold on the object consciousness when unified only keeps steady by virtue of applied whought or Vitakka and it cannot be steady by virtue of applied thought or Vitakka and it cannot be steadied without Vitakka which is why there is only the first JhÈna here and not the second and the rest.” We are familiar with boats in the river.  Sometimes they use poles to drive the boat to go upstream.  When the current is strong, you need a strong pole to keep the boat steady so that it doesn’t float down with the current.  If you do not have a pole, you cannot keep the boat steady.  In a similar way if you do not have Vitakka, you cannot keep the mind or consciousness steady on these objects.  These objects are gross objects and so the mind cannot take hold of the object firmly.  You always need Vitakka when you practise the Asubha and KÈyagatÈsati meditation.  That is why you can only get first JhÈna through the practice of these meditations.  The explanation can be found in the Visuddhimagga in the sixth chapter, paragraph 86.  You may note it down.  You may want to read it later because it is a little different than what is given in the guide.

“The first three illimitables (the first three AppamaÒÒÈ) necessarily arise in association with joyful feeling (Somanassa) and thus can lead only to the four lower JhÈnas.  “If you practise MettÈ for example you can get first, second, third and fourth JhÈnas, not fifth.  If you practise KaruÓÈ and MuditÈ you can get four JhÈnas.  If you practise UpekkhÈ (equanimity) you can get only the fifth JhÈna.  “The illimitable of equanimity arises in association with neutral feeling, and thus can occur only at the level of the fifth JhÈna, which is accompanied by equanimous feeling.”

With KasiÓas one may attain first through fifth JhÈna.  With Asubhas one may attain first JhÈna only.  With eight recollections beginning with Buddhanussati there are no JhÈnas.  With Kayagatanussati there is first JhÈna only.  With MettÈ, KaruÓÈ, MuditÈ there is first through fourth JhÈnas.  With UpekkhÈ there is fifth JhÈna only.  With ŒhÈre Patikk|la SaÒÒÈ, CatudhÈtuvavatthÈna there is no JhÈna.  And with four Ar|pas there are four Ar|pavacara JhÈnas.  The four immaterial states produce immaterial JhÈnas.  You practise ŒÈsÈnaÒcÈyatana and you get the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna.  This is the analysis of development by way of JhÈna.  We must understand the development BhÈvanÈ and JhÈnas with respect to these forty subjects of meditation.  Which BhÈvanÈ can be obtained in which subjects of meditation and which JhÈnas can one attain practising a particular subject of meditation.

Gocarabheda

Now come the signs, analysis of terrain (Gocarabheda).  Gocara can mean objects of meditation or the domain or terrain of meditation.  How many signs are there?  There are three signs.  What are the three signs?  Parikama Nimitta, Uggaha Nimitta and PatibhÈga Nimitta.

On page 331 of the book, “The three signs should be understood as the preliminary sign, the learning (or grasped) sign, and the counterpart sigh.  Of the three signs the preliminary sign and the learning sign are generally found in relation to every object.”  That means Parikamma Nimitta and Uggahanimitta can be obtained with regard to all forty subjects.  In the appropriate way–that means in some subjects of meditation we do not know exactly when there is Parikamma Nimitta and when there is Uggahanimitta or when there is Parikamma BhÈvanÈ and when there is UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ.  For example when you practise BuddhÈnussati meditaiton, you have to concentrate on the qualities of the Buddha.  In that meditation there is no saying from what point it is Parikamma Nimitta and then when it is Uggahanimitta.  It may be when the qualities are not so clear yet that it is Parikamma SamÈdhi, Parikamma Nimitta and when it becomes clear that it is Uggahanimitta.

The counterpart sign is found only in the KasiÓas, in foulness, in the parts of the body and in mindfulness of breathing.  Counterpart sign means PaÔibhÈganimitta.  PaÔibhÈganimitta can only be found when practising ten KasiÓas, ten Asubhas, KayagatÈsati (parts of the body) and mindfulness of breathing.

It is by means of the counterpart sign that access concentration and absorption concentration occur.  You have to aline three developments and three Nimittas.  First there is Parikamma Nimitta.  When taking the Parikamma Nimitta, the development is also Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.  Then when you reach or when you get Uggahanimitta, it is still Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.  When you get PaÔibhÈganimitta, then the BhÈvanÈ becomes UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ.  And when you get AppanÈ SamÈdhi or JhÈna, it is AppanÈ BhÈvanÈ.  So during the stage of Parikamma Nimitta the BhÈvanÈ is Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.  During the stage of Uggahanimitta theBhÈvanÈ is still Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.  During the stage of PaÔibhÈganimitta it is UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ.  It is by means of the counterpart sing (PaÔibhÈganimitta) that access concentration and absorption concentration occur.  Only when you get the counterpart sign is there UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ and AppanÈ BhÈvanÈ.

Now the author will explain in detail.  “How? When a beginner apprehends a particular sign from the earth disk etc.  that object is called the preli minary sign and that meditaion is called preliminary development.”  When a beginner apprehends a particular sign”–that means when he concentrates on, when he practises meditaion on the earth disk.” Earth disk etc.” means Pathavi KasiÓa, Apo KasiÓa and so on and also other objects.  So when he first takes that object as object of meditation and practises meditation on it, that object is called Parikamma Nimitta and that development is called Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.

Here in the commentary and in the Visuddhimagga how to practise with a KasiÓa is explained in detail.  If you want to practise KasiÓa and if you have practised KasiÓa in your past lives–that means you have perfections- then you may not need to make any KasiÓa disk of your own.  You just look at the earth and you get the sign.  That is if you are gifted, if you have ParamÊs.

If you do not have the Paramis you have to make a KasiÓa disk yourself.  The earth disk should be made of clay.  It is said that the clay should be the color of dawn–maybe red clay, not yellow, blue or white.  Maybe it is not exactly red but copper color. So you make a KasiÓa disk with that clay.  The size should be about one span and four finger breadths.  That means about ten inches in diameter.  That can be portable or stationary.  You can make a KasiÓa disk on a frame with a cloth and then you can put clay on it.  Or you may put spikes in the earth and put grasses or creepers around it and then clay on it.  That is stationary.

Then after making the KasiÓa, you sit down neither too close nor too far, nor too high, nor too low.  Then you look at the disk.  Concentrating on the whole of the disk, not just part of the disk, you take the whole disk as object.  That is why it is called KasiÓa.  KasiÓa means whole, totality.  So you look at let us say the earth KasiÓa and you say, “earth, earth, earth” thousands and thousands of times.  Then you close your eyes and try to memorize it.  Then you open your eyes again and look at it and say , “earth, earth, earth.” So this may go on for many days.  When a beginner apprehends a particular sign frm the earth disk, etc., that object is called the preliminary sign.  The earth KasiÓa is called the preliminary sign and your mental development is preliminary or parikamma BhÈvanÈ.

Then when you have practised one week or so and that sign has been thoroughly apprehended and enters into the range of the mind-door just as if it were seen by the eye,–that means now you have memorized the disk and it is thoroughly apprehended so that you can see it with your eyes closed.  You can see it in your mind.  So that means it is mentally grasped.  That is what is called Uggahanimitta.  Uggaha means taken, or grasped, or picked up.  They call it learning sign here.  “When it enters into range of the mind-door just as if it were seen by the eye”–when you have memorized the disk, the image of that disk becomes the object of your memorized the disk, the image of that disk becomes the object of your mind-door thought process.  You no longer look at the disk with your eyes.  Even when you close your eyes, you can see that disk.  That is why it is called “enters into range of the mind-door.”  That means you can take it with your mind.  From that time on you just leave it alone and go back to your place and practise meditation on that acquired object or acauired sign.  Then it is called the learning sign or mentally taken sign.

          That meditation becomes concentrated.  It becomes concentrated, but it has not yet become UpacÈra BhÈvanÈ.  The concentration is better than at the beginning but it is still at the stage of Parikamma BhÈvanÈ.

“When one is thus concentrated, one then applies oneself to meditation by means of that preliminary concentration based on that learning sign.”  “That means you take that Uggahanimitta as object and practise again, “earth, earth, earth” and so on.

“As one does so, an object which is the counterpart of that (learning sign) becomes well established and fixed in the mind.”  So you contemplate on the sign, the Uggahanimitta.  That Uggahanimitta becomes more and more refined.  As your concentration gets better that Uggahanimitta becomes more and more refined.  That means during the stage of Uggahanimitta–Uggahanimitta is actually a photocopy of a disk.  If there are defects on the disk, they will appear on the Uggahanimitta.  Suppose there are the impression of the hands on the earth disk.  So the Uggahanimitta appears the same as that.  But when it reaches the stage  of PaÔibhÈganimitta these marks disappear.  It becomes smooth and like a polished shell.  “It becomes well established and fixed in the mind–(an object) which is freed of flaws of the original object.”  The PaÔibhÈganimitta appears in the mind of the Yogi as something polished.  It is freed of the flaws of the original object.  That means the blemishes such as impressions of the fingers are no longer present.

“That is reckoned as a concept, born of meditation. “That object the Ptibhagamitta, is a mental object.  It is caused by or is born of meditation.  In the Visuddhimagga it is said that it is born of SaÒÒÈ, a meditation perception.

During the stages of Parikamma Nimitta and Uggahanimitta the object although we call it a sign, is Paramattha.  You look at the Uggahanimitta is a photo copy of that so it is also Paramattha.  But when it reaches the stage of PaÔibhÈganimitta, it is no longer Paramattha.  It becomes a concept.  It exists only in your mind.  So it is called “reckoned as a concept born of meditation.” “then it is said that the counterpart sign has arisen.”

So counterpart sign is a real concept.  This counterpart sign is the object of Nana.  After getting this counterpart sign the Yogi practises meditation further on that sign saying,”earth, earth, earth” and so on.

         

In this passage there is a PÈÄi word ”VatthudhammavimuccitaÑ.”  That is translated as freed of the flaws of the original object.  The commentary to the Abhidhammatthasa~gaha gives two meanings, not just one meaning.  Vatthudhamma­vimuccita is explained as that which is free from Vatthudhamma.  Vatthu here means Paramattha.  So that which is not Paramattha.  That is one meaning.  Since it has become a concept it is no longer called a Vatthu.  Vatthu means an object.   A thing.  So here it is earth element.  When it becomes a PaÔibhÈganimitta, the counterpart sign, it is no longer earth element.  It is an image born of meditation perception or meditation mind.

Also it is explained to be free of flaws.  In that case Vatthudhamma means flaws or blemishes in the original object.  Vatthu here means the original or the KasiÓa object.  Dhamma means the flaws or the blemishes.  So we can take either meaning.

When it becomes a PaÔibhÈganimitta, it becomes very refined, clean maybe shining. And in the Visuddhimagga it is said that it is like coming out of the Uggahanimitta.  Also it is like a bird flying against the background of rainclouds, a heron, a white bird flying against the background of rainclouds.  That means it is much more clear and much more refined than Uggahanimitta.  During the time Parikamma Nimitta and Uggahanimitta the object is still Paramattha. During the time of PaÔibhÈganimitta or counterpart sign the object becomes a concept.  That is why we say the JhÈnas take concept as object.  We have not gotten into JhÈna.

Now the next section–“Thereafter access development is accomplished consisting in concentration of the secse sphere in which obstacles have been abandoned.”  Obstacles here mean NÊvaraÓas, mental hindrances.  The abandoning of mental hindrances and the stage of UpacÈra SamÈdhi coincide.  When the mentsl hindrances are subdude, then UpacÈra SamÈdhi arises.  Without subdueing mental hindrances one cannot get UpacÈra SamÈdhi.  When a person gets the UpacÈra SamÈdhi, that means he has abandoned or subdued mental hindrances.  Abandoning means not abandoning ultimately but abandoning for some time.  So he has abandoned the obstacles to Samatha, the NÊvaraÓas.

“Following this, as one cultivates the vounterpart sign by means of access concentration, one enters the first JhÈna of the fine material sphere.” The Yogi takes the counterpart sign as the object of meditation and practises meditation on it.  Then he enters into the first JhÈna of the fine material sphere.  When he is practising, taking PaÔibhÈganimitta as object, his concentration is of the sense sphere.  That means it KÈmÈvacara.  The Javanas will be KÈmÈvacara Kusala accompanied by knowledge.

         

How many KÈmÈvacara Javanas are there before the attainment of Javana? Do you remember?  There are four- Parikamma, UpacÈra, Anuloma and Gotrabhu.  You have to go back to the fourth chapter.

          “Access development is accomplished, consisting in concentration of the sense sphere in which the obstacles have been abandoned.  Following this, as one cultivates the counterpart sign by means of access UpacÈra, Anuloma, Gotrabhu and then first R|pavacara JhÈna.

          Immediately after JhÈna what follows? Or how many times does JhÈna consciousness arise? Only once.  Again you have to go back to the fourth chapter.  At the first attainment JhÈna only arises once.  After consciousness lapses back into Bhava~ga.  After that you may take the JhÈna factors as object and review the JhÈna factors.  That will come later.

          The Yogi has the first JhÈna.  “Following this, one masters the first JhÈna by means of the five kinds of mastery.”  After getting the first JhÈna a person has to practise that JhÈna again and again to gain mastery with it.  Because if you have no mastery with the first JhÈna and you try to get second JhÈna,you do not get the second JhÈna and you lose the first JhÈna.  Before trying to get the second JhÈna you have to practise first JhÈna again and again to gain mastery.  There are five kinds of mastery.  They are mastery in adverting (Œvajjana), mastery in attainment or entering into JhÈna (SamÈpajjana), mastery in resolution, mastery in emergence or getting out of JhÈna, and mastery in reviewing.  These are called the five kinds of mastery.  With regard to first JhÈna you have to gain these five kinds of mastery before you try to get the second JhÈna.

          “Then, by striving to abandon the successive gross factors such as initial application, etc., and to arouse the successive subtle factors, such as sustained application, etc., one enters the second JhÈna, etc., in due sequence according to one’s ability.”  So a Yogi practises meditaion and gains the five kinds of mastery with regard to the first JhÈna.  Then he sees Vitakka as gross, as not so good.  So he tries to abandon Vitakka.  He tries to get VicÈra and others.  When he succeeds in elimination Vitakka, the JhÈna which arises is without Vitakka.  So that is second JhÈna.  After getting second JhÈna he will find fault with that JhÈna.  It is not so good because it is close to Vitakka which is close to five hindrances.  He sees Piti and others as subtle factors.  He tries to eliminate VicÈra.  Once again he has to gain the five kinds of mastery with regard to the second JhÈna.  Once more he practises meditation trying to eliminate VicÈra.  When he succeeds, he gets the third JhÈna and so on.

Five Kinds of Mastery

          Please look at the five kinds of mastery on page 342.  “Adverting (ŒvajjanavasitÈ) is the ability to advert to the different JhÈna factors such as Vitakka, VicÈra etc. quickly and easily in accordance with one’s wish.”That means first he gets into the first JhÈna.  Then he emerges from the first JhÈna.  And he must take Vitakka as the object.  Then he reviews it.  That is what is meant by adverting here.  After reviewing Vitakka he must be able to review VicÈra without many Bhava~gas intervening, just about two Bhava~gas or maybe a little more, but not too many Bhava~gas intervening.  In this way he must be able to review Piti, sukha and EkaggatÈ, one after the other.  That is what is called mastery in adverting.  He must do this.

          Next is mastery in attainment.  That means he must be able to get into that JhÈna quickly without too many Bhava~gas intervening.

          “Mastery in resolution is the ability to remain in the JhÈna for a length of time determined by one’s prior resoultion.”  That means he must be able to stay in that JhÈna for as long as he likes.  If he decides to be in the JhÈna for just one moment then he will be in the JhÈna for just one moment.  If he decides to be in JhÈna for ten moments, then he will be in JhÈna for ten moments.  If he wants to be in the JhÈna for one hour, then he will be there for one hour.  This mastery is the ability to stay in JhÈna for as ling as one wishes.  Resolution here means just that, to stay in JhÈna as long as one wishes.

          Then there is mastery in emergence.  That is easy.  He must be able to get out of JhÈna as he determines time.  For example at the end of one hour he resolves to get out of JhÈna.  Then he must be able to get out of JhÈna exactly in one hour.  But if he is not too familiar with the JhÈna he may take longer or shorter time to get out of JhÈna.  He may get out of the JhÈna before the time he determines or after the time he determines.  But after he gets mastery of the JhÈna he can get out of JhÈna at exactly the moment he determines.  That is mastery in emergence.

The last mastery is mastery in reviewing.  That is actually the same as the first one, mastery in adverting.  The difference is that the first one is the power of ManodvÈrÈvajjana.  But here mastery in reviewing is the power of  KÈmÈvacara Javanas.  When a Yogi reviews the JhÈna factors, he reviews them with KÈmÈvacara Javanas.  There are reviewing thought processes following the JhÈna thought process.  These are the five masteries.  Without getting these five masteries with regard to JhÈna a person cannot get a higher JhÈna.  So the Yogi attains the JhÈna a person cannot het a higher JhÈna.  So the Yogi attains the JhÈnas one by one.  All the details are given in the Visuddhimagga.

          Do you want the references to the Visuddhimagga?  It may be good to write them down.  The appearance of the signs in meditation (17 in the guide) may be found in the Visuddhimagga in chapter three, section 28 and in chapter four, sections 1-29.  Then the bottom paragraph “When that sign has been thoroughly apprehended” and so on can be found in chapter four in section thirty.  Then  on the next page”When one is thus concentrated” and so on may be found in chapter four, section  31.  The attainment of JhÈnas is found in chapter four, paragraphs 34-131, a long passage.  “Following this” and so on is found in chapter four, paragraphs 131-136.  The five kinds of mastery are in chapter five, paragraphs 132-136.  Up to here a person has reached the five JhÈnas.  “Thus the counterpart sign is found in 22 meditation subjects.”  That means the KasiÓas and so on.  “But of the remaining 18 subjects the illimitables occur with the concepts of beings as their object.”  The object of the AppamaÒÒÈs (Illimitables) is the concept of  beings or beings as concept.

          In the third chapter there is a chart in the ŒrammaÓa section on page 142.  If you look at that chart you can see that the first JhÈna takes 25 kinds of subjects.  They are ten KasiÓas,  ten Asubhas, KÈyagatÈsati, mindfulness of breathing, beings as object of loving kindness, beings as object of compassion and beings as object of joy.  So there are 25 kinds of objects.  The second JhÈna only takes 14 kinds of objects.  Second JhÈna does not take the ten Asubhas and KÈyagatÈsati.  Third and fourth JhÈna are the same.  The fifth JhÈna takes the ten KasiÓas, ŒnÈp4na and equanimity, only twelve objects.  There are 25 kinds of concepts

          Then we come to immaterial attainments next week.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Tape# 47

1/9/96

Chapter 9 (C)

Ar|pavacara JhÈnas & Compendium of VipassanÈ

          On page 342, section 19, the immaterial attainments (the Ar|pavacara JhÈnas) so far we have finished the attainment of R|pavacara JhÈnas. A Yogi practises Samatha meditation and he attains first, second, third, fourth and fifth JhÈnas. Then he wants to attain the higher JhÈnas or the immaterial JhÈnas. In order to get Ar|pavacara JhÈnas first what must he do? Now we will read the namual.

          “Next one withdraws any KasiÓa except the space KasiÓa, and does the preliminary work by contemplating the space that remains as infinite. By doing so, one enters the first immaterial attainment. When one does the preliminary work by contemplating the first immaterial-sphere consciousness as infinite, one enters the second immaterial attainment. When one does the preliminary work by contemplatin the absence of the first immaterial sphere consciousness thus, ‘There is nothing’, one enters the third immaterial attainment. When one does the preliminary work by contemplating the third immaterial attainment thrs, “This is peaceful, this is sublime,’ one enters the fourth immaterial attainment.” This is a description of how a Yogi attains the four Ar|pavacara JhÈnas. It is very brief. We should know more about the immaterial JhÈnas.

          First a person who wants to get the immaterial or Ar|pavacara JhÈnas must see danger in the physical body. There are people who think because we have physical bodies we pick up sticks, weapons, we hit each other, we have disputes and so on. Also because we have a physical body we suffer a lot. We suffer disases and so on. So this person wants to avoid the physical body. When he gets to even the R|pavacara JhÈnas he transcends the physical body because the object of his JhÈna is not the physical body but the image of the material thing, the image of the KasiÓa. Although he has surpassed the physical body, he still does not like the KasiÓa sign, the counterpart sign. The object of irst, second, third, fourth and fifth JhÈna is the counterpart sign. When he does not like the material body, he does not like the counterpart sign because the counterpart sign is the image of the material thing. So he tries to surmount that PaÔibhÈganimitta, that counterpart sign.

          In order to surmount that counterpart sign the first thing he must do is enter the JhÈnas he has already attained. He enters into the fifth JhÈna. After that he withdraws the counterpart sign of the KasiÓa. That means he enters into fifth JhÈna, then he emerges from the fifth JhÈna and he expands that sign to whatever size he wants. It may cover the whole universe or it may cover something smaller than that. He must expand that sign as far as he likes. Then he must contemplate on the space touched by the counterpart sign, not the counterpart sign itself. That is the difference. When he tries to get first, second, third, fourth and fifth JhÈnas, he tries to concentrate on the counterpart sign. Now he tries to concentrate on the space taken up by that counterpart sign. That means he stops paying attention to that counterpart sign. Not paying attention to the counterpart sign and contemplating the space occupied by the counterpart sign is called withdrawing the KasiÓa. KasiÓa here does not mean the real KasiÓa but the sign of the KasiÓa, the counterpart sign. So he must withdraw the counterpart sign.

          When he withdraws the counterpart sign, he must take one of the nine KasiÓas except the space KasiÓa. The space KasiÓa cannot be removed or cannot be withdrawn. It is space so it cannot be withdrawn. So he must take any one of the nine KasiÓas as an object. KasiÓa means the counterpart sign. Then he expands it and then he stops paying attention to the counterpart sign, but instead he pays attention to the space taken up by that counterpart sign. Thus he does the preliminary work by contemplating on that space. On that space he must contemplate as, "infinite space, infinite space”, many times. The hindrances will be suppressed and his mind will become concentrated. So he enters into the first immaterial attainment. That means he gets the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna. In order to get the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna the Yogi must have dispassion for R|pa, for material things. Since he dislikes the material things, he also dislikes KasiÓa object because KasiÓa object is the counterpart of the material thing. In this ‘ case the Visuddhimagga gives an example. A person who is attacked or followed by a snake. The person runs away and reaches another place. Even after reaching another place when he sees a strip of palm leaf, or a rope, or even a crack in the earth, he thinks that it is a snake. So he does not want to look at them. In the same way this Yogi who hates R|pa does not want to see anything connected with R|pa. The counterpart sign is connected with R|pa. So he wants to remove the counterpart sign. He wants to discard it. When his meditation becomes successful, he reaches the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna.

          The first Ar|pavacara JhÈna takes what as object? Infinite space that infinite space is called the space obtained by removing the counterpart sign or space taken up by removing the counterpart sign.

          After getting the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna, he will try to get second Ar|pavacara JhÈna. He must find fault with first Ar|pavacara JhÈna. He finds fault with it because it is close to the fifth R|pavacara JhÈna. And the fifth R|pavacara JhÈna is close to Sukha and so on. So it is not so good. The second Ar|pavacara JhÈna is more peaceful. So he gets dispassion towards the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna. Since the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna is more peaceful, he contemplates twards that goal.” When one does the preliminary work by contemplating the first immateral sphere consciousness as infinite, one enters the second immaterial attainment.” In that case he takes the first Ar|pavacara Citta as the object of his meditation. When he takes that object he says, “consciousness, consciousness, consciousness” or “infinite consciousness, infinite consciousness, infinite consciousness.” So he takes the first Ar|pavacara consciousness as the object of his meditation and dwells upon it again and again. Then his mental hindrances subside and he gains concentration. Then he enters the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna. When the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna arises, it takes the first Ar|pavacara Citta as object. That is the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna.

          Again he wants to go on. So he thinks that second Ar|pavacara JhÈna is close to first Ar|pavacara JhÈna which is like an enemy. And he thinks that third Ar|pavacara JhÈna is more peaceful. So he develops dispassion for the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna and liking for the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna. This time he contemplates on the absence of the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna consciousness. When he practise meditation, the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna is already gone. So there is no first Ar|pavacara Citta at that moment. So he takes the absence of that first Ar|pavacara Citta as object. Then he must say, "There is nothing; there is nothing.” Then one enters the third immaterial attainment. So he contemplates, “There is nothing; there is nothing.” He develops concentration and the mental hindrances subside. Then he enters the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna. The third Ar|pavacara JhÈna takes what as object? The absence of the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna as object. That absence is not ultimate reality. It is a concept. In PÈÄi it is called Natthi Bhava PaÒÒatti, absence concept.

          “When one does the preliminary work by contemplating the third immaterial attainment thus, ‘This is peaceful; this is sublime’, one enters the fourth immaterial attainmen”. After getting the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna, the Yogi wants to go on to the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna. Again the meditator must develop a dispassion toward the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna and a kiking for fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna. He thinks that fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna is mort peaceful. And he thinks the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna is close to the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna which is the enemy and so on. This time he takes the third Ar|pavacara Citta as an object. Then he contemplates on it saying, “This is peaceful; this is sublime.” When his mental hindrances subside and he gets concentration, he enters the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna. When thefourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna arises, it takes the third Ar|pavacara Citta as an object. The preliminary work also takes the third Ar|pavacara Citta as object.

          In the Ar|pavacara Cittas there is no difference of JhÈna factors. But there is a difference of objects. That was in the first chapter. Tor the five R|pavacara Jhamas the objects are the same. They do not differ by way of object. They differ by way of JhÈna factors. The first JhÈna has five JhÈna factors and so on. In the Ar|pavacara JhÈnas the factors are always two–UpekkhÈ and EkaggatÈ. There is no difference of JhÈna factors. In Ar|pavacara JhÈna the difference is in the objects. The object of first Ar|pavacara JhÈna is infinite space. The object of second Ar|pavacara JhÈna is the first Ar|pavacara Citta. The object of the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna is the absence of the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna. The object of the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna is the Citta of the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna. The first and third Ar|pavacara JhÈnas take PaÒÒatti as objects – infinite space and nothingness. The second and fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈnas take Cittas or ultimate reality as object. So by object they differ.

          The first Ar|pavacara JhÈna is called in PÈÄi ŒkÈsÈnaÒcÈyatana. The second one is called ViÒÒÈÓaÒcÈyatana. The third one is called ŒkiÒcaÒÒÈyatana. The fourth one is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈyatana. With regard to the fourth one we need to know some other things. When the Yogi practises meditation to get to the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna, he takes the third Ar|pavacara Citta as object. Then he says, “This is peaceful, this is sublime.” If he is saying, “This is good, this is good.”, how can he surmount it? How can he transcend the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna? The answer is that although he is saying, “This is peaceful, this is sublime.” He doesn’t want it. He is just stating the fact that this is peaceful, this is sublime, but he doesn’t want to get it.

          A simile is given in the Visuddhimagga. The king would go about the city. He would see some craftsmen doing their crafts, like ivory carvers. He would see these craftsmen with particles of ivory on their body and so on. When he sees the things they have made, he would say, “Oh, this is very beautiful. You are very clever people.” Although he may be praising the carvers, he himself does not want to become a carver. He just praises them and then he goes on. In the same way the Yogi sees the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna Citta and he says, “This is peaceful; this is sublime.” because it is peaceful and sublime. But although he is praising the third Ar|pavacara Citta, he does not want it. He wants to transcend it and get to the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna.

          Why does he take the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna as object if he does not want it? Because there is no other object to take. Again there is a simile. Even though an attendant or a servant does not like a king, he has to serve the king for his livelihood. In the same way even though the meditator doesn’t like the third Ar|pavacara Citta he has to be with it and praise it. Even though an attendant may see faults in the king, he still has to follow the king. He still has to serve the king. In the same way even though this person sees danger in the third Ar|pavacara Citta, he still has to be with it and has to take it as an object and say, “This is sublime.”

          The fourth Ar|pavacara Citta is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈyatana. There are two meanings to this word, NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ. It is the JhÈna which does not have SaÒÒÈ and which does not have “not SaÒÒÈ.” That means the SaÒÒÈ–actually not only SaÒÒÈ but all mental states in this JhÈna become so fine, so subtle that they are almost non-existent. So we can say there is no SaÒÒÈ, no mental activity in this JhÈna. But still there is a very small amount of mental activity. There is a very subtle SaÒÒÈ there. So the JhÈna is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈyatana. NevasaÒÒÈ means not having SaÒÒÈ. NÈsaÒÒÈ means not “not having SaÒÒÈ.” So it is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ.

          Another meaning is that SaÒÒÈ and other mental states are called NevasaÒÒÈ­nÈsaÒÒÈ because they are not SaÒÒÈ and they are not “not SaÒÒÈ.” There is a subtle difference. In the first meaning they do not have SaÒÒÈ and they do not “not have SaÒÒÈ.” Here they are not SaÒÒÈ and they are not “not SaÒÒÈ.” That means although there is SaÒÒÈ, it cannot function properly. It cannot function fully in this JhÈna. SaÒÒÈ has two functions here. The first function is the usual one of making marks of the objects. The second function is being able to cause dispassion when taken as an object of VipassanÈ meditation. But here they cannot be taken as the object of VipassanÈ meditation. They are not full SaÒÒÈ, but there is still a very subtle SaÒÒÈ. So the functio  of SaÒÒÈ is usually twofold making marks of the objects and causing dispassion when taken as an object of VipassanÈ meditation. It is said that when people practise VipassanÈ meditation, they cannot take the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna as an object and then try to see Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta on it. It would be very difficult. Only those who have practised regularly contemplation beginning with the five aggregates and so on may be able to contemplate on NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈyatana, like the Venerable SÈriputta. Even then they can only take the group of mental states, not one by one. So the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ (Neither perception, nor non-perception) because it is so suble that it is almost no SaÒÒÈ. It is almost not SaÒÒÈ, but there is still a very subtle SaÒÒÈ remaining. So it is SaÒÒÈ and it is not SaÒÒÈ. So it is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ.

          SaÒÒÈ is used to represent all mental states. So we could call it NevaphassanÈphassÈ or NevavedanÈnÈvedanÈ and so on. In the Suttas SaÒÒÈ is oftem used not as the mental factor SaÒÒÈ but a name for mental properties, all mental things. Here SaÒÒÈ has that meaning. The fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ.

          There are two similes to show why it is called NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ, neither perception, nor noperception. In the first simile a novice smears a bowl with oil. The teacher wants to put rice soup in the bowl and drink it. He asks for the bowl. The novice says that there is oil in the bowl. Then the teacher though there is much oil in the bowl. So he asks the novice to bring the bowl so he may fill his oil tube. In the olden days the monks carried an oil tube with them, so they can smear their feet with oil after going on a journey. So the teacher asked the novice to bring the bowl so he could fill the oil tube. Then the novice said, “Bhante, there is no oil.” So the novice said there was oil because there was a little oil in the bowl. It is not proper for monks to mix what was accepted before with what is accepted now, to mix and eat it. Since it is not proper for monks to do this, the novice said there was oil in the bowl. Then when the teacher said that he wanted to fill his tube, the novice said that There was no oil. That is one simile.

          The other simile is when a monk and a novice go on a journey. The novice sees some water on the road. Then he says, “Bhante, there is water,  “Then the teacher said, “Give me my bathrobe; I want to take a bath.” Then the novice said, “Bhante, there is no water.” First he said there is water because there may be enough to wet their feet. But then he said there is no water because there is not enough to bathe.

          In the same way there is almost no SaÒÒÈ, but there is still some SaÒÒÈ. So it is called neither perception nor non-perception, NevasaÒÒÈnÈsaÒÒÈ. SaÒÒÈ here represents all mental activities.

          Now let us go to the next section. “With the other ten meditation subjects, when one does the preliminary work by taking the virtues of the Buddha, ets., as one’s object, when that sign has been thoroughly acquired, one becomes concentrated upon it by means of preliminary development and access concentration is also accomplished,” These ten meditation subjects cannot lead to JhÈna attainment. When you practise one of these ten meditation subjects for example taking the virtues of the Buddha, when you do the preliminary work, you dewll on the virtues of the Buddha–ArahaÑ, SammÈsambuddho and so on. When that sign has become thoroughly acquired, one becomes concentrated. A Yogi can concentrate on the virtues of the Buddha again and again. His mind becomes concentrated and he attains access concentration. Here we cannot say when the sign is Parikammanimitta (preliminary sign) and when it is Uggahanimitta (grasped sign). There is no counterpart sign here. We cannot say when it is preliminary sign and when it is grasped sign. We can just say while dwelling on the virtues of the Buddha, the mind becomes concentrated and the mental hindrances subside. Then the mind reaches access concentratior. Practising these ten subjects of meditation one can reach access concentration only and not absorption concentration or JhÈnas. If you practise recollection of the Buddha’s virtues, you can only get access concentration. You cannot get JhÈna.

AbhiÒÒÈs

          Now come the direct knowledge, AbhiÒÒÈs. You can say that AbhiÒÒÈ is special knowledge. “Having emerged from the fifth JhÈna taken as a basis for direct knowledge, having adverted to the resolution, etc., when one does the preliminary work, one enters into the fifth fine material sphere JhÈna occurring by way of direct knowledge with respect to such objects as visible forms etc.” When a person wants to get the direct knowledge or AbhiÒÒÈ, first he must practise meditation again. “Having emerged from the fifth JhÈna taken as a basis for direct knowledge”–if a person wants to get direct knowledge first he get6s into the fifth JhÈna as a basis. “Having adverted to the resolution, etc.”–that means let us say for example a person wants to make a hundred images of himself like culapanthaka. If he wants to do that, first he enters into the fifth JhÈna. Then he gets out of that JhÈna and then he does the adverting. Adverting here means, “May I become a hundred persons; may K become a hundred persons.” When one does that preliminary work, one then enters into the fifth fine material sphere. Then the fifth R|pavacara JhÈna arises in him. In this case it is not ordinary fifth R|pavacara JhÈna, but it is called AbhiÒÒÈ, direct knowledge. Direct knowledge. Direct knowledge or AbhiÒÒÈ means fifth R|pavacara JhÈna,but it is not ordinary fifth R|pavacara JhÈna. It is specially developed fifth JhÈna. The AbhiÒÒÈ takes visible forms etc. As object. AbhiÒÒÈs can take visible objects as object or audible objects as object. And some can take many objects as object.

          How many steps do you see in this passage? First he enters into the fifth JhÈna. Then the preliminary work is the second step. Then one enters into the fifth fine material sphere JhÈna or AbhiÒÒÈ. So in the manual we find three steps. Each step is actually one kind of though process. The first is the basic JhÈna. The second is the preliminary work. Preliminary work is ManodvÈrÈvithi. It is not JhÈna Vithi. Then there is AbhiÒÒÈ Vithi, fifth JhÈna as AbhiÒÒÈ. So there are three steps.

          “The direct knowledge are fivefold.” Here the AbhiÒÒÈs are given as five. The first one is supernormal powers. The second is the divine ear. The third is the knowledge of others’ minds. The fourth is the recollection of past lives. The fifth is the divine eye. So there are five AbhiÒÒÈs.

          Let us read the guide. “Having emerged from the fifth JhÈna etc.: The Visuddhimagga explains the procedure for exercising the direct knowledge thus: ‘(After accomplishing the predoninance) he attains JhÈna as the basis for direct knowledge and emerges from it.” That is the first step, the basic JhÈna. “Then if he wants to become a hundred, he does the preliminary work thus, ‘Let me become a hundred.’” That is the second step. “After which he attains JhÈna as the basis for direct Knowledge.” That is another basic JhÈna. “Then he emerges from that JhÈna and resolves.” Resolves here means that he reaches that AbhiÒÒÈ. “He becomes a hundred simultaneously with the resolving consciousness.” ‘Resolving consciousness’ here means AbhiÒÒÈ consciousness fifth JhÈna consciousness.

          So here how many steps do you see? Fifth JhÈna as a basis for direct knowledge is one step. Then preliminary work is the second step. Then basic JhÈna again is the third step. Then AbhiÒÒÈ is the fourth step. So in the Visuddhimagga four steps are given, not three–basic JhÈna, preliminary work, another basic JhÈna and AbhiÒÒÈ. The basic JhÈnas are for strengthening the JhÈnas. But in the manual only three are shown–the basic JhÈna, preliminary work and AbhiÒÒÈ. The second basic JhÈna is not mentioned in the manual, but it is given in the Visuddhimagga. The teachers said that it may be possible to get to AbhiÒÒÈ without the second basic JhÈna if the person is very adept at JhÈnas. If he is very familiar with JhÈna, he may not need the second basic JhÈna. So there are four steps or there are three steps.

          “The direct knowledge are fivefold: (1) supernormal powers include the ability to display multiple forms of one’s body.” One creates multiple forms. C|Äapanthaka created a hundred images of himself. “To appear and vanish at will”–so you can appear and vanish when you wish. “To pass through walls unhindered, to dive in and out of the earth”–you can dive into the earth and come out of the earth. “To walk on water, to travel through the air, to touch and stroke the sun and moon”–you are sitting here and then you can put your hand out and touch the sun and moon. “And to exercise mastery over the body as far as the Brahma-world”–these are the supernormal powers you can do if you get the first AbhiÒÒÈ. It is called supernormal powers.

          The second AbhiÒÒÈ is called divine ear. It enables one to hear subtle and coarse sounds both far and near. If you have divine ear you can hear sounds far away or very subtle sounds. So you can hear sounds both far and near. You don’t need telephones, radios or televisions if you have divine ear.

          Number three is the knowledge of other’s minds. It is the ability to read the thoughts of others and to know directly their states of mind. So you can get into their mind and know what they are thinking, what state of mind they possess. This is the ability to read the thoughts of others.

          Number four is the recollection of past lives. It is the ability to know one’s past births and to discover various details about those births. That is how one was reborn there, in what clan one was born, how long one lived, what food or things one made use of and so on. All the details of the past births is called the recollection of past lives.

          Number five is the divine eye. It is the capacity for clairvoyance which enables one to see heavenly or earthly events. You can see the heavenly beings and earthly beings. You can see heavenly events and earthly events. You can see things far and near. So the divine eye is the ability to see heavenly and earthly events both far and near. “Included in the divine eye is the knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings (Cut|papÈtaÒÈÓa), that is, direct perception of how beings pass away and re-arise in accordance with their.” This is a variety of divine eye. First one practises divine eye and then he sees beings passing away and being reborn.

          “The kinds of direct knowledge are all mundane and are dependent on mastery over the fifth JhÈna.” If you do not get to the fifth JhÈna, you cannot get to AbhiÒÒÈs. “The texts also mention a sixth direct knowledge.” There is one more direct knowledge. That is the sixth one. “This is the knowledge of the destruction of the taints (ŒsavakkhayaÒÈÓa), which is supramundane and arises through insight.” It arises through VipassanÈ meditation.

          So we see here how many AbhiÒÒÈs? So there are five and then Cut|papÈtaÒÈÓa, six and ŒsavakkhayaÒÈÓa, seven. There is one more. That is called AnÈgataÑsaÒÈÓa, seeing the future. Seeing the future is also included in the divine eye. So in all there are eight AbhiÒÒÈs. Seven are mundane and ŒsavakkhayaÒÈÓa is supremundane. Sometimes we sat tgere are six AbhiÒÒÈs. When we say five AbhiÒÒÈs we mean the five mentioned here. When we say six we mean these five plus ŒsavakkhayaÒÈÓa, the supramundane. Sometimes we may say there are seven AbhiÒÒÈs. That means Cat|papÈtaÒÈÓa and AnÈgaataÑsaÒÈÓa included in Dibba Cakkhu, the divine eye.

          Only when one gets AbhiÒÒÈ can one experience or can one show miraculous happenings like multiple forms and so on. Attainment of ordinary JhÈna alone cannot make one fly through the air and so on. Only when one gets AbhiÒÒÈ can one fly through the air. These are the eight AbhiÒÒÈs. This is the end of Samatha meditation.

          In the Samatha meditation there are three signs and three developments. The three signs are preliminary sign, grasped or learning sign, and the counterpart sign. The three developments are preliminary, access and absorption. What is the correspondence between these signs and development? Preliminary sign corresponds with preliminary development. Geasped sign corresponds still with preliminary development. Counter­part sign corresponds with both access and absorption concentration. The object of the access and absorption concentration is the same, the counterpart sign.

VipassanÈ

          Now we go to VipassanÈ meditation. You all know the meaning of VipassanÈ. I have talked about it maybe hundreds of times. Seeing in various ways–PassanÈ means seeing or knowing and vi means in various ways. So VipassanÈ means seeing in various ways. Seeing in various ways means seeing material and mental phenomena as impermanent suffering and not soul.

          First the manual gives something like a table of contents. “In insight meditation, the compendium of purification is sevenfold.” VipassanÈ meditation is described in seven stages of purification. The first one is purification of virtue  or purification of SÊla. The second one is purification of mind. The third one is pruification of view. The fourth is the purification by overcoming doubt. The fifth is the purification by knowledge and vision as to what is the right path and what is not the right path. The sixth is the purification by knowledge and vision of the way. That means of the practice. And the seventh is the purification by knowledge and vision. These are the seven stages of purification. And VipassanÈ will fit into these seven stages of purity.

          These seven stages of purity are to be attained in sequence. That means you cannot skip any of these purities. If you do not have the first purity, the purity of virtue, you will not get purity of mind. Lf you do not have purity of mind, you cannot get purity of view and so on. They are to be attained in sequence, one agter the other.

          The first purification, the perfection of virtue or SÊla belongs to SÊla. Purification of mind, the second one, belongs to SamÈdhi. The last five belong to the wisdom aspect. So there is SÊla, SamÈdhi and PaÒÒÈ. The first belongs to SÊla; the second belongs to SamÈdhi and the others belong to PaÒÒÈ. So there are seven stages of purity.

The Three Characteristics

          “There are three characteristics: the characteristic of impermanence, the characteristic of suffering, and the characteristic of non-self. The characteristic of impermanence is the mode of rise and fall and change, that is reaching non-existence after having come to be.” That means disappearing after arising. There are two modes–rise and fall. Rise, fall and change–this is one mode. Non-existence after arising is the second mode. But they mean the same thing actually. Characteristic means a mark, here a mark of impermanence. If you want to know whether something is impermanent, you must find these marks. If you see these marks, then you can say this is impermanent. Try fo find out whether something arises and disappears or something has a beginning and an end. If something has a beginning and an end, then you can say that it is impermanent. After arising things disappear. That disappearance after arising is also a mark of impermanence.

          When you practise VipassanÈ meditation and you make mental notes of your thoughts–one thought comes and you make a mental note of it, then that thought disappears and there may be another thought and then that disappears–you see your thoughts rise and fall, rise and fall. You know that thoughts or consciousness is impermanent. The sound of a voice–you hear the sound of a voice and then it disappears. Then another voice or sound comes and so on and so on. You know that sound is impermanent because it comes into being and it disappears. It does not exist after having come to be, after arising. It disappears after arising. That is the mark of impermanence.

          The second is the mode of suffering. “The characteristic of suffering is the mode of being continuously oppressed by rise and fall.” Whenever we hear the word ‘suffering’ we just understand it to mean painful. Here it is not necessarily painful, “but being continuously oppressed by rise and fall.” This is the mark of being Dukkha. If you want to know whether something is Dukkha or not, you have to see whether it is oppressed by arising and disappearing. That means whether it is impermanent or not. When you see through VipassanÈ meditation, you see phenomena rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall. You take one object as your meditation object and then it disappears. Then you take another, and another, and another. So you see all things just rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall. When you see things rising and falling continuously, then you get the sense of being oppressed by rise and fall. Being oppressed continuously by rise and fall is the mark of Dukkha. That is why everything that is conditioned is called Dukkha. The five aggregates of clinging are Dukkha. According to this definition Sukha VedanÈ is Dukkha. Somanassa is also Dukkha. We must understand that. It is Dukkha not because it is painful, but it is impermanent. It is oppressed by rise and fall. Somanassa comes and then it goes. So Somanassa is also Dukkha.

          “The characteristic of non-self (Anatta) is the mode of being insusceptible to the exercise of mastery. “That means you cannot have control over it. It will not allow anybody to have control over it. It arises and disappears by its own free will. “That is the fact that one cannot exercise complete control over the phenomena of mind and matter.’ This is one meaning of Anatta.

          There are other meanings of Anatta. Not Atta, no soul is one meaning. Having no core, having no hard substance is another meaning. Because things are impermanent, they rise and fall, they have no inner core. But here having no control over it is described as the mark of non-self or as the mark of Anatta.

          These are the three characteristics. These three charac6teristics will be discovered by those who practise VipassanÈ meditation. We don’t have to deliberately find or see these characteristics. We go along with our meditation. When we begin to see objects clearly, when we see objects come and go, then we discover the characteristic of impermanence. When the characteristic of impermanence is seen, then the characteristic of suffering is also seen because whatever is impermanent is suffering. Whatever is impermanent and suffering is no soul. When you see impermanence, you see suffering and non-self also.

          The three contemplations are the contemplation of impermanence, the contemplation of suffering and the contemplation of non-self. That means when you see impermanence, that is the contemplation of impermanence. When you see suffering nature, that is the contemplation of suffering when you see non-self nature, it is the contemplation of non-self. They will be explained later.

          Next are the ten insight knowledges. There are more than ten actually, but here ten only are mentioned. These ten are 1. Knowledge of comprehension. That means actually knowledge of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta of NÈma and R|pa. The second is the knowledge of the rise and fall of formations. The third is the knowledge of the dissolution of the formations. The fourth is the Knowledge of dissolving things as fearful–seeing phenomena as ferful, as dangerous. The fifth is knowledge of fearful things as dangerous. In Burmese we do not translate ŒdÊnava as dangerous. We translate ŒdÊnava as fault. You find fault with mental and physical phenomena. You see fault. Sixth is the knowledge of disenchantment with all formations. That means you become dispassioned towards these phenomena. Seventh is the knowledge of desire for deliverance. When you become disenchanted and dispassioned then you have the desire for deliverance. You want to get out of it. Eighth is the knowledge of reflecting contemplation. That means in order to gain deliverance you have to make further effort. The ninth is the knowledge of equanimity towards formations. That is the highest form of VipassanÈ knowledge. During that stage, equanimity toward formations, you don’t have to make effort to be mindful. You don’t have make effort to see the characteristics. The objects just present themselves to you and you understanding, and your noting just arises. You don’t have to put forth effort. That is what is called equanimity toward formations. Then the tenth is the knowledge of conformity. Here the knowledge of conformity means knowledge during the moments of parivamma, UpacÈra and Anuloma.

          The three emancipations are the voil emancipation, the signless emancipation and the desireless emancipation. You are already familiar with these three–SuÒÒata, Animitta and AppaÓihita. Where did you find them? In connection with what? In the sixth chapter with NibbÈna, the three kinds of NibbÈna. There are voil emancipation, signless emancipation and desireless emancipation. Although the word is desireless emancipation, we mean devoid of all mental defilements–RÈga, Dosa, Moha.

          There are three doors to emancipation. They are contemplation of the void, contemplation of the signless and contemplation of the desireless. By way of the contemplation of the void, you see or realize the void. By way of the contemplation of the signless you see the signless NibbÈna. By way of the contemplation of desirelessness you see the desireless NibbÈna. These are called the doors to emancipation. These categories will be explained in the course of the following exposition. This is like a table of contents.

Purification of SÊla

          The first purification is purification of virtue, purification of SÊla. Actually purification of SÊla is not yet VipassanÈ. Before you practise VipassanÈ you have to purify your SÊla. There are four kinds of purification of virtue. They are 1. Virtue regarding restraint according to the PÈtimokkha. PÈtimokkha is the rules for monks. 2. Virtue regarding restraint of sense faculties. 3. Virtue consisting in purity of livelihood. 4. Virtue connected with the use of the requisites. Now these are for monks. Lay people may not like it. When Visuddhimagga explains SÊla, it explains for monks, not lay people. There is no explanation of five precepts, eight precepts or ten precepts. The Visuddhimagga was written by a monk for monks. So monk’s SÊla is described there, monk’s SÊla is given there. There are four kinds of SÊla that monks have to keep. One is the real SÊla, the observance of the rules of PÈtimokkha. Second is the restraint of the sense faculties. That means the exercise of mindfulness in one’s encounter with sense objects, not allowing the mind to come under the sway of attraction  toward pleasant objects and repulsion toward unpleasant objects. It is not allowing Lobha and Dosa to arise with regard to what you see, what you hear and so on. That is called restraint of the sense faculties. The third one is purity of livelihood. It deals with the manner in which a Bhikkhu acquires the necessities of life. He should not acquire his requisites in a manner unbecoming for a monk who is dedicated to purity and honesty. A monk must get his necessities lawfully. That means he must get them according to the Vinaya. That means a monk must go out for his alms. He must not try to acquire necessities of life or whatever he wants by fortune telling or by treating people like a physician and so on. These are called unlawful or bad livlihood for monks. Actually monks are not to resort to such means to get things. The purity of livelihood, of virtue, means getting one’s requisites in a manner becoming for a monk. The fourth one is virtue connected with use of the requisites. It means a Bhikkhu should use the four requisites after reflection on their proper purpose. Monks are trained to reflect or to make reflection whenever they use robes, almsfood, lodging or medicine. There is a formula for each of these four requisites. A newly ordained Samanera or a newly ordained monk is first taught these four reflections. Because it is said that if a monk makes use of any of these four requisites without reflection he uses the requisites in debt. So he must make reflection whenever he uses the robes and so on. These four are called purity of SÊla. When a monk keeps all four of these pure, his virtue or his SÊla is said to be pure. He has accomplished the purification of virtue, the first stage of purification.

          What about lay people? In order to get purification of virtue what must they do? They must take precepts. How many precepts must they take? A minimum of five. They may take eight precepts or they may take ten precepts. There are two kinds of eight precepts. One is the regular one, Atthanga SÊla. The other is called Ajivatthamaka. That means abstaining from three bodily misconducts, from four verbal misconducys and then unlawful livelihood. These are called ŒjÊvaÔÔhamaka. The minimum requirement is to keep five precepts. If you keep five precepts your moral conduct is said to be pure or you have accomplished the first stage of purification. For lay people it is not so difficult to achieve purity of moral conduct. Lay people just need to make the resolution that I will not break these rules in the future and then tale the rules and keep them. Then a lay person’s morality is said to be accomplished. That means lay people do not need to be pure in their’ moral conduct for a long time before they practise meditation.

          There are stories about this. The Buddha want to a fisherman. He preached to that fisherman and he became a Sotapanna. There were two pickpockets. They went to a talk given by the Buddha in order to pick people’s pockets. One thief succeeded in picking a pocket. The other got interested in the teachings and became a Sotapanna. For lay people it is enough if their moral conduct is purified just before practising meditation. It is not so difficult for lay people to achieve purity of SÊla.

          For monks it is not so easy because in the Patimokkha rules there is difference in grade or gravity of the rules. There are minor rules which can be absolved easily, just by confession. There are some rules which a monk has to stay under probation for as long as he conceals his transgression. That means if he conceals his transgression for one day, he has to be on probation for one day. If he conceals his trassgression for one month, he has to be on probation for one month and so on. Then at the end when he is accepted back again into the fold of the Sangha, at least twenty monks are needed. For a monk the achievement of purity of virtue is not so easy as for lay people. Whether you are a lay person or a monk if you want to practise meditation, you have to achieve this stage of purification first.

Purification of Mind

          The next one is purification of mind. There are two kinds of SamÈdhi. “Purifocation of mind consists of two Kinds of concentration, namely: access concentration and absorption concentration. The PÈÄi Buddhist tradition recognizes two different approaches to the development of insight.” That means there are two kinds of persons who practise meditation to reach enlightenment. The first one is called Samatha Yanika. Yana means vehicle. Samatha means Samatha. Ika means having. So it means having Samatha as a vehicle. Such a person practises Samatha meditation first and may get UpacÈra SamÈdhi or AppanÈ SamÈdhi. That means they get UpacÈra SamÈdhi or JhÈna. Then after taking the UpacÈra SamÈdhi or JhÈna as object, the meditator practises VipassanÈ meditation. Such a person is called a Samatha Yanika. Samatha­yÈnika does not mean he practises Samatha only, but that he uses Samatha as a vehicle to practise VipassanÈ and gain enlightenment. After he attains access concentration or JhÈna, he practises VipassanÈ on the JhÈna or on miscellaneous formations.

          The second one is called VipassanÈyÈnika, a person who has VipassanÈ as a vehicle. This person does not practise Samatha meditation at all. He just practises VipassanÈ meditation. As he goes along practising VipassanÈ meditation, he gains concentration. That concentration can be called Samatha, but not in the technical sense. This person practises VipassanÈ first and gains concentration. When he gains concentration, he penetrates into the true nature of things. And so for a person who practises VipassanÈ only, there is no UpacÈra SamÈdhi and AppanÈ SamÈdhi. For him purification of mind does not mean either UpacÈra SamÈdhi or AppanÈ SamÈdhi. It is another kind of SamÈdhi. It is momentary concentration (KhaÒika-samÈdhi).

          Momentary concentration is not mentioned here as well as in the Visuddhimagga when describing concentration. We must understand that momentary concentration is included in UpacÈra SamÈdhi because momentary concentration is not JhÈna SamÈdhi. That is sure. But it resembles UpacÈra SamÈdhi because when one gets UpacÈra SamÈdhi, one suppresses mental hindrances and the mind is concentrated. In the same way, when one gets KhaÓikasamÈdhi (momentary concentration), then mental hindrances are subdued and one’s mind is concentrated moment by moment on the object. With regard to UpacÈra SamÈdhi the object is only one. It is one and the same object when you practise JhÈna. You take the KasiÓa as object. So there is only one object. With KhaÓikasamÈdhi there is a variety of objects. At one moment it may be your breath. At the next moment it may be a sound. At the next moment it may be a thought. Although there are different objects, there is always mindfulness or SamÈdhi here, moment by moment SamÈdhi. That moment by moment SamÈdhi is called momentary concentration. This momentary concentration is as important as access SamÈdhi. Because in Samatha meditation there can be no absorption concentration without access SamÈdhi. Similarly without momentary concentration there can be no understanding of the objects, no penetration into the nature of things. For VipassanÈ meditators purification of mind consists in momentary concentration, not access concentration or absorption concentration. This momentary concentration is similar to access concentration because it can subdue the mental hindrances and it is concentrated on the object.

          VipassanÈyÈnika is also called dry insight worker, Sukkha-vipassika. Dry means without JhÈna. So he is called Sukha-vipassaka, dry insight worker, because he develops insight without the moisture of the JhÈnas.

          For Samatha meditation purification of mind means UpacÈra SamÈdhi and AppanÈ SamÈdhi. For VipassanÈ meditation purification of mind means momentary SamÈdhi. But since it is the section of VipassanÈ we can say for VipassanÈ meditation that UpacÈra SamÈdhi and AppanÈ SamÈdhi are purification of mind. That is for those who practise Samatha meditation first and then turn to VipassanÈ meditation. For SamathayÈnika meditators UpacÈra SamÈdhi and AppanÈ SamÈdhi are purification of mind. For VipassanÈyÈnika or VipassanÈ meditatiors momentary concentration is the pruification of mind.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Tape# 48

1/16/96

Chapter 9 (D)

Purification of View to Emancipation

Purification of View

          Last week we finished the purification of mind. In VipassanÈ meditation purification of mind means attaining momentary concentration. After the Yogi has obtained the momentary concentration, he begins to see the objects clearly. He begins to see mind clearly, matter clearly. When he sees mind and matter clearly, he also sees the characteristic, function, mode of manifestation and proximite causes of mind and matter. Seeing mind and matter means seeing only mind and matter which we can call a person, an individual or an Atta.

          When a Yogi sees there is only mind and matter going on and on, and no other external thing present. When the meditator sees mind and matter with reference to the characteristics and so on, then he is said to have achieved the purification of view. Purification of view means–people mostly believe in some sort of permanent entity or Atta, that is called a wrong view. When a Yogi see mind and matter clearly, he gives up that view. He clears up that wrong view. This is called purification of view. Purification of view coincides with the VipassanÈ knowledge that discriminates mind and matter or which helps a Yogi to see mind and matter clearly. Here characteristic, function, manifestation and proximate cause are mentioned. Characteristic means the distinguishing mark. By this mark people will know something is something. For example a flag, if we see a flag, we know it is the flag of this country of that country. In the same way when a Yogi sees the characteristic he knows this is Citta, this is R|pa, this is Phassa and so on.

          In the notes, guide to section thirty, characteristic and the others are not explained. That is because they were explained in the first chapter. So you can get the explanation of characteristic and so on, on page 29 of this manual. Let’s go back to page 29. “Characteristic (LakkhaÓa) is the salient quality of the phenomenon. Function (Rasa) is its performance of a concrete task.” That means the function or achievement of a goal. “Manifestation (PaccupaÔÔhÈna) is the way it presents itself within experience.” That means the way it presents itself to a Yogi. When a Yogi practises VipassanÈ meditation and he concentrates on a certain Dhamma object, then that object manifests itself to him as something. Then the last one is “proximate cause (PadaÔÔhÈna), the principal condition upon which it depends.” These are the four aspects of every Paramattha Dhamma like Citta, Phassa, Vedana, SaÒÒÈ and so on. A Yogi at this stage sees NÈma and R|pa sometimes by way of characteristic, sometimes by way of function, sometimes by way of manifestation and sometimes by way of proximate cause.

          Now let us take Citta as an example. When a Yogi concentrates on Citta, he comes to see that Citta is the one that is aware of the object. That awareness of the object is the characteristic of Citta. He will also see Citta as a forerunner, as a chief of other mental states because if there is no Citta, other mental states cannot arise. So Citta seems to be going in front of the Cetasikas. Also when a Yogi concentrates on the Citta, it is manifested to his mind as something which connects to some other thing. That means one Citta arises and disappears, another Citta arises and disappears, another Citta arises and disappears. Citta is something that continues. That is the mainfestation of Citta. Then Citta arises because there are objects–because there is the eye, ear and so on. So they are the proximate causes of Citta. When a Yogi pays close attention to Citta, Phassa or whatever, he comes to know, maybe not all four, but he is aware of that phenomenon by way of characteristic or by function and so on.

          When a Yogi sees that there is only mind and matter, he is able to discard the wrong view that there is an Atta, that there is an individual or a person over and above mind and matter. This stage is called the analytical stage of mind and matter (NÈma R|pa VavatthÈnana). The usual name is NÈma R|pa Pariccheda, delimiting NÈma and R|pa. That means distinguishing NÈma and R|pa–this is R|pa, this is NÈma. When a Yogi concentrates on his mind, he comes to see that mind is something that takes the object, that inclines toward the object. When he watches the R|pa, he may see that R|pa does not cognize, does not know anything. That is understanding R|pa by way of mode or manifestation. At this stage the Yogi sees mind and matter clearly. He knows that there is only mind and matter going on and on and no other entity. So he is able to discard the wrong view of Atman and so on.

Purification of Overcoming Doubt

          The next stage is the purification by overcoming doubt. “Purification by overcoming doubt is the discernment of the conditions of that same mind and matter.” At this stage the Yogi makes notes of mind and matter, sometimes mind, sometimes matter. Here he comes to see that because there is something to be noted, there is noting. Because there is something to be seen, there is seeing. Because there is something to be heard, there is hearing. And when there is no visible object, there is no seeing and so on. In this way he sees the conditionality of things. Aonsciousness arises because it has its conditions. Also at this stage a Yogi may use his knowledge of PaÔicca-samuppÈda to discern the conditions or the causes of mind and matter.

          When a Yogi watches R|pa, he may know the causes of R|pa as ignorance, craving , grasping and Kamma. R|pa arises in this life as a result of ignorance in the past, as a result of craving in the past, as a result of grasping in the past and as  a result of Kamma in the past. When he sees this, then he is said to be seeing the conditionality of R|pa.

          With regard to NÈma, for example seeing consciousness, he knows that depending upon the eye. And depending upon what is to be seen, seeing consciousness arises. Seeing consciousness arises because there is something to be seen and because there are eyes. When there is nothing to be seen, seeing consciousness does not arise. When there are no eyes or eyes are damaged, seeding consciousness does not arise. In this way he sees the conditionality of things. He sees that everything is dependent upon some other thing for its arising. When he sees this, he understands that mind and matter does not just arise by chance. They do not arise through the cause of a creator. They do not arise because they are created by a Brahma and so on. But they come into being because of ignorance and others in the past. In this way he understands that whatever mind and matter there is in life has a cause. And that cause is not the creation of a Brahma or a god, but is the result of causes such as ignorence craving and so on.

          When the Yogi understand the present condition of NÈma and R|pa, then he applies this to those in the past and those in the future. That is not direct VipassanÈ. It is inferential VipassanÈ. During this stage there is a lot of thinking actually. Some causes the Yogi knows by direct seeing and some he knows but not by direct seeing. He uses his knowledge of the teachings of the Buddha such as Dependent Origination and applies that knowledge to the mind and matter he is observing at the moment. This stage is called purification by overcoming about. Whether sees the causes of things, he has no doubt about whether things are caused by a creator god or whatever. Also he can discard doubt about the Buddha, the Dhamma and Sangha. This stage is called the purification by overcoming doubt. In order to overcome doubt one must see the conditionality of things. When one sees the causes of mind and matter, one can overcome doubts about mind and matter, and other things as well.

A C|Äa-sotÈpanna

          When a person has reached this stage of overcoming doubts, he is said to become a C|Äa-sotapanna, a lesser Sotapanna. You will see C|Äa-sotapanna on this chart. The stage of C|Äa-sotapanna is reached when a person reaches the fourth purity, the purification of overcoming doubt. A person who possesses this knowledge, that is the knowledge of discerning the causes is said to have gotten the support or is said to have gotten a foothold in the teachings of the Buddha. It is said that his destination is certain. That means he will not be reborn in four woeful states. He will be reborn in human world or the world of Devas. His destination or his next life or existence is assured. He is called a lesser Sotapanna. He is not a real Sotapanna. He is similar to a real Sotapanna because he is also assured of his destination. A Sotapanna will never be reborn in the four woeful states. This person is also the same, so he is called a Cula Sotapanna. Here we must understand that a person who has become a Cula Sotapanna is certain of his destiny only when he does not fall away from this stage. A person may reach this stage. To reach this stage is not so difficult. A person may reach this stage and fall away from it. He may stop meditating and do other things. So he may fall away from this knowledge. If he has fallen away from this knowledge and does not make effort again to obtain that knowledge, then his destiny is not certain. He may be reborn in hell and so on. A C|Äa-sotapanna is said to be certain of his destiny. Simply put a C|Äa-sotapanna will not be reborn in four woeful states only when he does not fall away from this stage. If he falls away from this stage, then his destiny is not certain. It is not assured.

          Also Mahasi Sayadaw said that the certainty of his destiny should apply to the next life only, not to the lives following the next life. Suppose a person reaches the stage of C|Äa-sotapanna here in this life. When he dies here, he will not be reborn in the four woeful states. But in the lives following that next life he may be reborn in the four woeful states. He may fall away from that stage and be reborn in the four woeful states. We know this is true when we look at the stories of the Bodhisatta. We find that sometimes the Bodhisatta was reborn as an animal. That means he was reborn in one of the four woeful states. It is said that Bodhisattas when they meet the Buddha and become monks, practise VipassanÈ. They practise Vipassna until Sa~khÈrupekkhÈÒÈÓa, equanimity about formations. That is close to Sotapatti Magga. If they reach the knowledge of equanimity about formations, then they have already passed beyond the stage of C|Äa-sotapanna. But Bodhisattas are reborn as animals and so on. The saying that a C|Äa-sotapanna is certain of destiny means only in the next life. In the lines following that he may be reborn in woeful states. The discernment of conditions is the name of the knowledge and the stage of purity is overcoming doubt.

Knowledge of Comprehension

          When he continues, then he will get into the real VipassanÈ knowledge. “When he has discerned the formations of the three planes together with their conditions”–that means he reaches the knowledge of discerning conditions. After he has gone through these two stages, “the meditator collect them into groups by way of such categories as the aggregates etc. divided into the past, present and future.” After discerning the causes, he takes the mind and matter into groups. That means he practises what is called the knowledge of comprehension (Sammasana Nana), knowledge of comprehension on mind and matter. Here he takes them into groups and in brief he practises. He does not go into detail. He practises in groups. That means–all R|pa is impermament (Anicca), all R|pa is suffering (Dukkha), all R|pa is not Atta (Anatta). He practises something like that. He does not go into detail like saying R|pa of the past, R|pa of the present, R|pa of the future, R|pa which is internal, R|pa which is external and so on. He just takes R|pa as a group. He says that all R|pa is Anicca, all R|pa is Dukkha, all R|pa is Anatta and so on. He contemplates in this way. By way of such categories as the aggregates he may take that all R|pa is Anicca, all Vedana is Anicca, all SaÒÒÈ is Anicca and so on. There are other groups also. All eye is Anicca, all eye is Dukkha, all eye is Anatta and so on. Or all visible objects are Anicca, all wisible objects are Dukkha, all visible objects are Anatta and so on. He tries to see the three characteristics of all phenomena taking them as a group. These phenomena belong to the past, present and future. Also they may be internal or external, far or near and so on.

          “With the knowledge of comprehension, he comprehends those formations in terms of the three characteristics–impermanence in the sense of destruction, suffering in the sense of fearfulness, and non-self in the sense of corelessness–by way of duration, continuity and moment. “During this stage a Yogi does a lot of thinking actually. He practises direct VipassanÈ on mind and matter which he observes. Then he practises inferential VipassanÈ on those he does not observe, on the past and future mind and matter. He comes to see that R|pa is impermanent in the sense of destruction. That means it is impermanent because it comes to destruction. It comes to nothing. That means it arises and then it disappears. It is impermanent. And he sees that R|pa is Dukkha or suffering in the sense of fearfulness. Whatever is impermanent is with danger. Whatever is impermanent is something like fearful. So he sees NÈma or R|pa as Dukkha and here in the sense of fearfulness. In some other books Dukkha is said to be known in the sense of being constantly oppressed by arising and disappearing. We have two senses here–in the sense of fearfulness and also in the sense of being oppressed by arising and disappearing. Also he sees the non-self. That means he sees NÈma and R|pa as non-self. There is a sense of corelessness. That means there is nothing enduring. There is no core in mind and matter because mind arises and disappears, and matter also arises and disappears. So they are called coreless. Or we may say in the sense of not Atta, in the sense of devoid of permanent entity or Atta.

          So a Yogi sees NÈma and R|pa as impermanent, as suffering and as non-self. He sees that by way of duration, continuity and moment. He contemplates a lot during this stage. ‘By way of duration’ means by way of extended period of time. If you look at the notes on page 351, “One begins by considering that the formations in each single lifetime are all impermanent.” First he may say that NÈma R|pa in the whole of this life is impermanent, suffering and non-self. Then he progressively reduces the three stages to a single life. First he considers that the formations or NÈma R|pa in this life are impermanent, suffering and non-self. And NÈma R|pa in the past life is no more now. And NÈma R|pa that is present now will be no more in the future. Then he may divide the life into three stages–first stage, second stage and third stage–about 33 years each. In each of these stages he sees that NÈma and R|pa are impermanent. He sees kike that. Also he contemplates that NÈma R|pa in the first stage of life does not exist into the second stage of life. NÈma R|pa in the second stage of life also does not exist into the third stage of life. They disappear then and there and do not go over into the third stage of life. He may divide the life into ten decades, ten of ten years each. Then he considers that NÈma R|pa of the first ten years are impermanent. NÈma R|pa in the first ten years do not to over into the second ten years. And then he goes to each year. So the period is shortened little by little. So NÈma R|pa in one year does not exist in the next year. Then he goes by month, by fortnight, by hour etc. One thinkds in this way. “Until one recognizes that even in a single step formations are impermanent, painful and non-self.” That means when you practise walking meditation, you make steps. So NÈma R|pa at stage of lifting does not exist at the stage of moving. NÈma R|pa of moving stage does not exist when putting down stage is reached. In the commentary six stages are mentioned. In this way a person contemplates on NÈma and R|pa as impermanent, suffering and not-self by way of duration.

          By way of continuity also he concentrates on a continuous series of similar mental or material phenomena. That means when it is hot, there is a series of hot matter. When it is cold there is a series of cold matter. Matter in the cold series does not exist when matter of the hot series arises and so on.

          “By way of moment means by way of momentary mental and material phenomena.” That means the NÈma and R|pa of the past moment do not exist now. NÈma and R|pa which exist now will not be existing in the next moment and so on. In different ways, in many ways, a Yogi tries to see mind and matter as impermanent, suffering and not-self. These three are called the three characteristics of all conditioned phenomena. He contemplates on NÈma and R|pa. He contemplates on all formations by way of duration, by way of continuity and by way of moment to thoroughly discern the impermanent, suffering and no soul nature of them.

Knowledge of Rising and Falling

          Then he contemplates the rising and falling of those formations by way of condition and by way of moment. After contemplating on mind and matter as impermanent and so on, he contemplates the rising and falling of mind and matter, the rising and falling of these formations by way of condition and by way of moment. By way of condition means when one sees how formations arise through the arising of their conditions and cease through the cessation of their conditions. When one contemplates on the rising and falling of R|pa, one sees that R|pa arises conditioned by ignorance, craving, Kamma and also it is supported by Ahara. With regard to the arising of R|pa there are actually five ways of seeing it. Because there is Avijja there is the arising of R|pa. Because there is Kamma there is arising of R|pa. Because there is nutriment there is arising of R|pa. Then he sees the arising itself also. So for each aggregate he sees in these five ways. That is by way of condition and by way of moment. There are four by way of condition and one by way of moment. Because there is ignorance, because there is craving, Kamma and ŒhÈra there is R|pa. With regard to VedanÈ, SaÒÒÈ, Sa~khÈra he sees because there is AvijjÈ, TaÓhÈ, and Kamma there are VedanÈ, SaÒÒÈ and Sa~khÈra. Also because there is Phassa there is VedanÈ, SaÒÒÈ and Sa~khÈra. And with regard to ViÒÒÈÓa because there is AvijjÈ, because there is TaÓhÈ, because there is Kamma and because there are NÈma and R|pa, ViÒÒÈÓa arises. A knowledge of Dependent Origination becomes very helpful during this stage of VipassanÈ knowledge.

          ‘By way of moment’ means the moment of their arising and the moment of their dissolution. This also one comes to see because now the meditator is at the stage of seeing the rising and falling of phenomena. First there is the comprehension of the three characteristics. That means first there is the seeing of NÈma and R|pa as impermanent and so on. Next he tries to see their arising and disappearing by way of condition and by way of moment. Because there are conditions there is arising. Because there is no condition there is no arising.

Impediments of VipassanÈ

          When he reaches this stage of arising and falling, there arise Obhaso and so on–the light, Piti, tranquillty resolution, exertion happiness, knowledge, mindfulness, equanimity and attachment. These impediments arise in him or occur to him. When a person reaches the stage of seeing the arising and faling of phenomena, he experiences the light and so on. “He may witness an aura of light emanating from his body.” That means he may see light coming out from his body. Sometimes he may actually see things in the dark. He experiences a great amount of Piti and then tranquility and happiness. His resolution increases. That means his SaddhÈ. His faith increases. He makes a great exertion. He doesn’t have to invoke effort. Effort comes as it were by itself. His knowledge ripens. His understanding is very good at that time. Mindfulness is also very sharp, going deep. Also he develops equanimity. These nine and the last one which is attachment to these arise in the mind of the Yogi. When a Yogi experiences these, a Yogi may think he has reached the end of his effort, that he has reached enlightenment because he has never seen light before. He has never experienced this kind of Piti before and so on. When a Yogi experiences these, if he is not well read, if he is not well instructed, he may take this to be enlightenment. If he thinks that it is enlightenment, he will stop practising meditation. That is why there ten are called the impediments of VipassanÈ, the obstacles of VipassanÈ. When these ten arise and the Yogi does not understand that they are not the right path, then he may stop there. So there is danger there to his VipassanÈ meditation.

          Understanding them to not be the right path and understanding VipassanÈ to be the right path is what is called the purification of path and not path. When a Yogi reaches this stage, he should be careful. He must understand that he is not to take the light and so on to be enlightenment. They just arise in Yogis. He is not to be content with them. He is not to be satisfied with them. He must go on practising VipassanÈ meditation. In the actual practice whatever arises the Yogi makes notes of and tries to overcome them.

          Among these ten only the last, attachment, is actually Akusala. The others PÊti, Passaddhi, Sukha, SaddhÈ, VÊriya, ©ÈÓa, Sati are not Akusala. They are all good mental states. Although they are good mental states, a person can take them to be enlightenment. So they can be impediments. The last one is a real impediment because it is Akusala. He is attached to these states. When a person is attached to these, he may not want to go any further. He just wants to enjoy these and so his VipassanÈ becomes stagnant. Therefore all these ten, beginning with light, are called impediments of VipassanÈ, obstacles to VipassanÈ.

Purification by Knowledge nad Vision of What is path and What is not

Understanding them to be not the path and understanding VipassanÈ to be the correct path is what is called purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path. Here path means just the way, the practice. The path is with a small ‘p’ and not a capital ‘p’. In PÈÄi it is called MaggÈmagga-ÒÈÓadassana Visuddhi, understanding which is Magga and which is not Magga. That means understanding which is the correct path to enlightenment and which is not the correct path to enlightenment. Enjoying these ten impediments is not the correct path to enlightenment. But overcoming them and practising VipassanÈ meditation only is the correct path to enlightenment.

          Purification of the path–“When he is thus free from those obstacles to progress”, he is in the stage of discerning rising and falling. His knowledge of rising and falling before the impediments arise is called a tender knowledge of rise and fall, an immature knowledge of rise and fall. Then the impediments arise. Then he understands well and so he is able to overcome these impediments. After overcoming these impediments, he reaches into the second stage of the knowledge of rise and fall. That is the mature stage of rise and fall. “When he is thus free from those obstacles to progress, as he practises he passes through a sucession of insights in regard to the three characteristics beginning with knowledge of rise and fall and culminating in conformity. These nine insight knowledges are called purification by knowledge and vision of the way.” Here the manual gives a very brief statement of the nine VipassanÈ knowledges, He enumerates the VipassanÈ knowledges at the beginning of the section on VipassanÈ. Here during the stage of the purification of the way these nine–nine means beginning with the knowledge of rise and fall–knowledges arise one agter the other. These nine insight knowledges are called purification by knowledge and vision of the way. That means when a person has discarded the ten impediments, he reaches into the mature knowledge of rise and fall.

          Then he goes on practising VipassanÈ. He goes on making mental notes. He will go though these stages of knowledge. There are nine of these stages of knowledge. The first one is the knowledge of rise and fall. The meditator sees the arising and disappearing of whatever objects he observes. He sees the arising and disappearing of mind, the arising and disappearing of matter.

The Knowledge of Dissolution

          The second knowledge is the knowledge of dissolution. When the Yogi makes progress, he comes to see the end of or the dissolution of the phenomena. That means dissolution of phenomena becomes more prominent to his mind than the arising of phenomena. So during this stage of Bhanganana, the knowledge of dissolution, a Yogi sees the rapid disappearing in quick succession of all mental and physical phenomena.

Knowledge of Fearfulness

          The next stage is the knowledge of the fearful. When he sees mind and matter or the objects disappearing, he comes to see that these formations are fearful, that these formations are with danger. He sees them as fearful, but he is not afraid of them. He has no fear actually. If he has fear, he will be out of VipassanÈ. Although he sees them as fearful, he is not afraid of them. “As the meditator contemplates the dissolution of formations in all three periods of time, he recognizes that all such dissolving things in all realms of existence are necessarily fearful”–so with danger.

Knowledge of Danger or Faultiness

          Next is the knowledge of danger, AdÊnavaÒÈÓa. “By recognizing that all formations are fearful, the meditator sees them as utterly destitute of any core or any satisfaction and as nothing but danger.” During this stage whatever mind or matter a Yogi notes, he sees it as unsatisfactory. He sees it as faulty. He finds fault with whatever mind or matter he contemplates on. This is the knowledge of danger or the knowledge of fault. In Burma we translate it as fault, not danger.

Knowledge of Disenchantment

          The next stage is knowledge of disenchantment. That means he becomes wearied with the objects. “When he sees all formations as danger, he becomes disenchanted with them, and takes no delight in the field of formations belonging to any realm of existence.” Here actually he turns away from everything he observes. He is dispassioned towards all these phenomena.

Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance

          Next is the knowledge of the desire for deliverance. When he becomes disecnchanted, when he becomes dispassioned, then he wants to get out of them or he wants to let them go. That means he has a desire’ for deliverance from them.

Knowledge of Reflective Contemplation

          Then the next stage is knowledge of reflective contemplation. That means if he wants to be delivered from them, he has to make further effort. That means he has to practise VipassanÈ on these again. That is called knowledge of reflective contemplation. PaÔisa~khÈ means contemplating again. Further practice of VipassanÈ is necessary to achieve the goal. That stage is here called the knowledge of reflective contemplation. During this stage he clearly reviews those formations as marked by the three characteristics. This is knowledge of reflective contemplation. All through these nine VipassanÈ knowledges the three characteristics run like a theme.

Knowledge of Equanimity towards Formations

          Then there is knowledge of equanimity towards formations. “After he has passed through the reflective contemplation, the meditator sees nothing in formations to be taken as ‘I’ and ‘mine’.” He is not attached to them. He is not repulsed by them. He does not dislike them. He does not like them. “So he abandons both terror and delight and becomes indifferent and neutral towards all formations. “Whether it is mind or matter he is just indifferent towards it. Also at this stage his mindfulness comes by itself or something like that. He does not have to make effort to be mindful. Also the objects are always presenting themselves to him clearly. So he doesn’t have to make effort to find the objects. There are objects and there is mindfulness going on and on. He doesn’t have to make much effort to be mindful. That is what is meant also by the equanimity about formations. Actually this stage is the highest stage of VipassanÈ.

Knowledge of Conformity

          The next stage is the knowledge of conformity, Anulomanana. “This knowledge is the knowledge in the sense-sphere Cittas that arise preceding the change-of-lineage Citta in the cognitive process of the supramundane path.” When a person is about to get enlightenment, he is practising VipassanÈ. Than a thought process of enlightenment arises. In that thought process there are four KÈmÈvacara Javanas–Parikamma, UpacÈra, Anuloma and Gotrabhu. Parikamma, UpacÈra, Anuloma and Gotrabhu are here called AnulomaÒÈÓa. That means he is next to enlightenment. That is called the knowledge of conformity.

          These are the nine VipassanÈ knowledges. Actually there are ten. The first one and the early stage of second one belongs to purification of path and not path. The second stage of the second knowledge through Anuloma belong to purification of the way.

Enlightenment

          Now comes the real enlightenment. We come to section 34. “When he thus practises contemplation, owing to the ripening of insight (he feels), ‘Now the absorption (of the path) will arise.’” That means he is practising VipassanÈ meditation. His VipassanÈ meditation becomes ripe, mature. And so when enlightenment is about to happen, there arise one thought process. That thought process arises after arresting Bhava~ga. You know there are Bhava~gas between the thought processes.  When enlightenment is about to happen the Bhava~gas are arrested, and there arises mind-door-adverting, ManodvÈrÈvajjana, followed by two or three moments of insight consciousness having for their object any of the characteristics such as impermanence, etc. After ManodvÈrÈvajjana there are two or three moments of insight consciousness–Parikamma, UpacÈra and Anuloma or sometimes only UpacÈra and Anuloma, no Parikamma. They are termed preparation (Parikamma), access (UpacÈra) and conformity (Anuloma).

          “That knowledge of equanimity towards formations together with knowledge that conforms (to the truths) when perfected, is also termed ‘insight leading to emergence.’”

          Let us go back to the beginning of this paragraph “When he thus practises contemplation, owing to the ripening of insight (he feels), ‘Now the absorption (of the path) will arise.” This translation is not correct. I don’t know why almost all the translations miss this PÈÄi idiom. This is a PÈÄi idiom. Shwe Zan Aung, the author of the Compendium of Philosophy, did the first translation of the manual. He made a mistake. Then other people followed him. So everywhere I look, the translation is always wrong. Here he says, “he feels.” Actually this sentence is a long sentence. There is no such thing as “he feels” either implied or mentioned in the PÈÄi. This is a way of saying that when the absorption is about to arise. The PÈÄi Commentary to the Manual says, a word ‘vattabbakkhaÓe’ is understood here, so we must insert that word when we read this passage. In English we must insert the words ‘the moment when it should be said’ in front of the words ‘now the absorptions will arise’. That actually means when the absorption is about to arise. So we should say here, “When he thus practises contemplation owing to the ripening of insight and when it should be said that the absorption will arise, then arresting the life continuum . . .” or  just “When the absorption is about to arise, then arresting the life continuum” and so on.

Enlightenment Thought Process

          When enlightenment is about to arise, then this thought process arises. The thought process consists first of mind-door-adverting, and then three KÈmÈvacara Javanas called Parikamma, UpacÈra and Anuloma. “That knowledge of equanimity towards formations together with knowledge that conforms to the truths, when perfected, is also termed ‘insight leading to emergence.’” These two are called here insight leading to emergence. Emergence really means Magga, so it is VipassanÈ leading to Magga.

          In the Visuddhimagga it is stated that insight leading to emergence means knowledge of equanimity, knowledge of conformity and knowledge of change of lineage. These three are called insight leading to emergence. But here knowledge of change of lineage is not mentioned as the insight leading to emergence. In Visuddhimagga it is mentioned that way.

          In the second page of the chart there is VuÔÔhÈna-gÈminÊ VipassanÈ, insight leading to emergence. That should be understood as #13 Gotrabhu Nana, #12 Anuloma Nana and #11 Sa~khÈrupekkhÈ ©ÈÓa. It is just these three, not 5-13, but just 11,12, and 13. They are called the insights leading to emergence.

          “Thereafter, the change-of-lineage consciousness, having NibbÈna as its object, occurs, overcoming the lineage of the worldlings and evolving the lineage of the Noble Ones.” After the two or three moments of insight, that is Parikamma, UpacÈra, Anuloma or just UpacÈra and Anuloma, there arises Gotrabhu, Change of lineage. Gotrabhu takes NibbÈna as object. When it arises it overcomes the lineage of worldlings. That means from the next moment he will no longer be a worlding. “Evolving the lineage of the Noble Ones”–he is getting into the stage of the Noble Ones. That is actually the meaning of the word ‘Gotrabhu’. Gotra means lineage. Bhu has two meanings–to overpower and to reach into. When we take Bhu to be overpowering, then we take gotra, lineage to mean Puthujjana lineage. When we take Bhu to mean reaching into,then we take Gotra, lineage, to mean Ariya lineage. Gotrabhu is so called because it overcomes the family of worldlings or the lineage of worldlings and it reaches into the lineage of Noble Ones. That is why it is called Gotrabhu, Change of lineage. It takes NibbÈna as object.

          “Immediately after this, the path (of stream entry), fully understanding the truth of suffering, abandoning the truth of its origin, realizing the truth of its cessation, and developing the truth of the path to its cessation, enters upon the (supramundane) cognitive process of absorption.” That means Magga Citta arises. After Gotrabhu Magga Citta arises.

Four Functions of Magga

          What does it do? Fully understanding the truth of suffering is one function. Magga does four functions simultaneously. The first one is understanding the truth of suffering, understanding the first Noble Truth. Then abandoning the truth of its origin–that means abandoning the second Noble Truth. Realizing the truth of its cessation–that means realizing the third Noble Truth. Developing the truth of the path to its cessation–that means developing the fourth Noble Truth. These are called the four functions of Magga. Magga does these four functions simultaneously, like an oil lamp. An oil lamp burns the wick and also burns oil. It dispels darkness and it produces light. Simultaneously Magga does these four functions–thoroughly understanding the first Noble Truth, abandoning the second Noble Truth, realizing the third Noble Truth and developing the fourth Noble Truth.

          After that two or three moments of fruition consciousness arise and cease. Two or three–that means if there are Parikamma, UpacÈra Anuloma in the beginning there are only two moments of fruition. If there are only UpacÈra and Anuloma in the beginning, then there are three moments of fruition. So two or three moments of fruition consciousness arise and cease. Then there is subsidence into the life continuum. Here the author is describing the thought process of enlightenment.

          In the thought process of enlightenment first there is Bhava~ga and then mind-door-adverting. Then there is Parikamma, UpacÈra, Anuloma, Gotrabhu and then Magga and two Phalas. But if there were no Parikamma, there would be three Phala moments. In this thought process Parikamma, UpacÈra and Anuloma, these three take what as object? Mundane conditioned phenomena or mind and matter. They take mundane mind and matter as object. But Gotrabhu what does it take? It takes NibbÈna as object. Magga and Phala also take NibbÈna as object. So in the enlightenment thought process different types of consciousness have different objects. In other thought processes the object is always the same. That is a difference with respect to the enlightenment thought process.

Reviewing Thought Process

          “Then, arresting the life continuum, reviewing knowledge occurs.” That means after the enlightenment thought process there are Bhava~gas. Then after arresting the Bhava~gas, there is the reviewing thought process, looking back. There are five kinds of reviewing thought processes–reviewing the path, reviewing the fruition and reviewing NibbÈna. These three are always done. The fourth is reviewing the defilements that are destroyed. The fifth is reviewing the defilements that are remaining. These two may or may not be reflected upon. The first three are always reflected upon after the enlightenment thought process. But the last two–the defilements destroyed and the defilements remaining may or may not be reflected upon. It they do not reflect on defilements destroyed and defilements remaining, even though they are Ariyas, they may not know what defilements they have destroyed. Altogether there can be five reviewing thought processes after Sotapatti Magga, SakadÈgÈmÊ Magga and AnÈgÈmÊ Magga. After Arahatta Magga there can only be four reviewing thought processes. There are no remaining defilements. So altogether there are 19 reviewing thought processes–five after first Magga, five after second Magga, five after third Magga and four after fourth Magga because the Arahant has no defilements remaining to be reviewed.

Emencipations and Doors of Emencipation

          At the beginning of the section on VipassanÈ the manual mentioned the three emancipations and the three doors to emancipation sections 26 & 27 on page 347. Now we come to these emancipations, Vimokkha. We can call them liberations. First please understand that there are three kinds of AnupassanÈ, contemplation–that is contemplation of non-self (AnattÈnupassanÈ), contemplation of impermanence (AniccÈnupassanÈ), contemplation of suffering (DukkhÈnupassanÈ). There are three AnupassanÈ. These three AnupassanÈs are actually called three doors to emancipation because by way of one of these three a person gains enlightenment, one gains emancipation. There is emancipation and there are the doors to emancipation.

          When a person contemplates on Anatta he discards clinging to a self because he does not see any Atta. So that contemplation becomes the door to emancipation termed the contemplation of the void, (SuÒÒatÈnupassanÈ). So AnattÈnupassanÈ is also called SunnatÈnupassanÈ. It sees NÈma and R|pa void of Atta.

          When a person contemplates on impermanence, he discards the sign of perversion. That means he discards the perverse understanding that things are permanent. Actually he discards the notion of permanence. That contemplation becomes the door to emancipation termed the contemplation of the signless.

          When a person contemplates on suffering during VipassanÈ, then he discards desire through craving because when one sees Dukkha there can be no craving. It becomes the door to emancipation termed the contemplation of the desireless.

          So there are three doors to emancipation and three emancipations. These doors to emancipation are called SunnatÈnupassanÈ, AnimittÈnupassanÈ and AppaÓihitÈ­nupassanÈ.

          Let us read the guide. “When insight reaches its culmination, it settles upon one of the three contemplations–of impermanence, or suffering, or non-self–as determined by the inclination of the meditator.” A meditator may do all three contemplations before he reaches the VuÔÔhÈna-gaminÊ VipassanÈ, the insight leading to emergence. But during the stage of insight leading to emergence he may do one of these three. He may contemplate on Anatta, or impermanence, or suffering. If his VipassanÈ is contemplation of non-solf, his Magga is called Sunnata Vimokkha. If he contemplates on Anicca and he gets Magga, his Magga is called signless (Animitta Vimokkha). And if he contemplates on suffering, then the Magga is called AppaÓihita Vimokkha.

          “According to the Commentaries, one in whom faith is the dominant faculty settles upon the contemplation of impermanence; one in whom concentration is the dominant faculty settles upon the contemplation of suffering; and one in whom wisdom is the dominant faculty settles upon the contemplation of non-self.” This is according to the Commentaries. You can get it from the Visuddhimagga.

          We have two sets here–emancipation and the doors to emancipation. Their names are corresponding. “Hence, if with insight leading to emergence one contemplates on non-self, then the path is known as the void emancipation; if one contemplates on impermanence, then the path is kbown as the signless emancipation; if one contemplates on suffering, then the path is known as the desireless emanscipation. Thus the path receives three names according to the way of insight.” Actually these are not important. Whether the path is signless or void or whatever is not important. The path can be called void, signless or desireless. It is called void when the VipassanÈ is AnattÈnupassanÈ. It is called signless when the VipassanÈ is AniccÈnupassanÈ. It is called desireless when the VipassanÈ is DukkhÈnupassanÈ. When a Yogi contemplates on Anatta and he gets Magga, his Magga is called SuÒÒata.When a Yogi contemplates on Anicca and he gets Magga, his Magga is called Animitta Magga. If a Yogi contemplates on Dukkha and he gets Magga, his Magga is called AppaÓihita Magga. Magga gets a name according to the way of insight.

          Phala in this thought process also gets the three names according to the way of path. That means according to the path. If the path is void, fruition is also void. If it is signless, fruition is also void. If it is signless, fruition is also signless. If it is desireless, fruition is also desireless.

          In the Phala-samÈpatti Vithi it is different. There is no Magga. In order to get into Phala-samÈpatti VÊthi, a person has to practise VipassanÈ again. Then Phala Cittas arise. These Phala Cittas can be called SuÒÒata, Animitta or AppaÒihita here according to the VipassanÈ preceding the Phala. Suppose a person practises VipassanÈ let us say on Anatta and he gets Magga. That Magga and Phala are called void. But later on that person enters into the Phala-samÈpatti. What is his Phala? Only void? No. During the Phala-samÈpatti the Phala gets the name from the VipassanÈ which immediately precedes it. If he practises VipassanÈ on Anatta before Phala-samÈpatti, then his Phala is void Phala. If it is Anicca VipassanÈ, thenit is signless Phala. If it is Dukkha VipassanÈ, then it is desireless Phala. So in the Magga thought process Phala gets the name according to Magga, and Magga gets the name according to VipassanÈ preceding it, In the Phala-samÈpatti Phala gets the name according to the VipassanÈ he practises immediately before Phala-samÈpatti, not according to his original VipassanÈ that led to enlightenment. That is the difference.

          So there are three names, three emancipations, three deliverances three doors to emancipation and how Magga and Phala get these names Magga and Phala get these names according to VipassanÈ. “But as regards objects and respective qualities, the three names are applied equally to all (paths and fruits) every where. “That means suppose a person practises AnattÈnupassanÈ and he gets Magga and then he gets Phala. As regards object Magga and Phala take NibbÈna as object. NibbÈna is called SuÒÒata, Animitta and AppaniÒita. In this case it can have any one of these three names regardless of what kind of VipassanÈ he practises. Respective qualities–that means they have their own respective qualities–signless, desireless and void. Magga is signless. Magga is void. According to their respective qualities they can be called by any name. Giving name to them depends on which way you look at it. They get the name from original VipassanÈ or from the VipassanÈ immediately preceding Phala-samÈpatti or also according to their –

          END OF TAPE

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

           

Tape# 49

1/23/96

Chapter 9 (E)

Analysis of Individuals and Attainments

Noble Persons

          Today we will look at the analysis of individuals on page 358. This section deals with those who have reached enlightenment. There are eight Noble Persons. Among the eight four are called Phalattha, fruition persons. They are stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner and the Arabant.

A SotÈpanna

          “Herein, having developed the path of stream-entry, by abandoning wrong views and doubt one becomes a stream-enterer (SotÈpanna), one who has escaped from rebirth in woeful states. “That means on e who has eradicated rebirth in woeful states and who will be reborn at most seven more times. A person who has reached the first stage of enlightenment is called a SotÈpanna. ‘Sota’ means a stream. ‘Œpanna’ means on who first reaches. So it is the person who first reaches the stream of Nobility. The Magga is called a stream here because once a person gets that Magga one is sure to reach NibbÈna, just as when one gets into a real stream, one is sure to reach the ocean. A person who has first reached Magga is sure to reach NibbÈna, so he is called SotÈpanna, stream-enterer or stream-entrant.

          “A stream-enterer has cut the coarsest of the three fetters–personality view, doubt and adherence to rules and rituals.” There are ten fetters. Among the ten fetters a stream-enterer cuts or eradicates personality view (Ditthi), doubt (VicikicchÈ) and adherence to rules and rituals (SÊlabbataparÈmÈsa). That means taking the vows of acting like a cow or a dog and so on to be the real path to emancipation. In the manual itself it says wrong views and doubt and here personality view, doubt and adherence to rules and rituals. Personality view and adherence to rules and rituals–these two belong to wrong view. So in reality there are three fetters but two unwholesome Cetasikas–Ditthi and VicikicchÈ. A stream-enterer cuts off or eradicates doubt and wrong view when he gets the path consciousness. When a person reaches enlightenment, the path consciousness arises in him. That path consciousness takes NibbÈna as object. With it he is able to eradicate some mental defilements. Here regarding the first person, the stream-enterer eradicates wrong views and doubt.

          He has unshakeable confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha. A SotÈpanna is very firm in his faith, in his confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha. One cannot shake this person’s faith. One cannot frighten him. One cannot bribe him. One cannot deceive him.

          Once there was a person who was a disciple of another sect. One day the Buddha knew that he would become a SotÈpanna. So the Buddha went to his house and preached to him. The man became a SotÈpanna. Then the Buddha left. After the Buddha left, MÈra, the evil one. Went to the man to deceive him. MÈra took the shape of the Buddha. He created himself to look like the Buddha and went to S|rambaÔÔha. S|rambaÔÔha thought he was the Buddha and asked why he had come back. MÈra said, “I made a mistake when I taught you that all five aggregates are impermanent; there are some aggregates that are permanent. “When MÈra in the guise of the Buddha said that, S|rambaÔÔha knew that it could not be true, So he looked at him and asked, “Are you Mara?” Mara could not deceive him anymore. He dared not to tell a lie. So he said, “Yes.” S|rambaÔÔha said, “You don’t deserve to talk to me. Go away.” When Mara went away, he reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha said that even 100000 MÈras could not shake S|rambaÔÔha from filth in the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha. This is a Sotapanna who is very firm in his confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and who cannot be deceived.

          At another time there was a leper called Suppabuddha. He went to where the Buddha was preaching. He listened to the Dhamma and he became a SotÈpanna. When the audience left, he approached the Buddha to report that he had become a SotÈpanna. Before he reached the Buddha, Sakka, king of the goods, came down and wanted to test him. He said, “Suppabuddha you are very poor. I will give you lots of wealth, lots of property if you just say that the Buddha is not the Buddha, Dhamma is not the Dhamma, SaÑgha is not the SaÑgha. Then Suppabuddha asked, “Who are you?” Sakka replied, “I an king of the gods.” Then Suppabuddha said, “You wretched king of gods. Even a hundred or a thousand king of gods like you cannot shake me. I am firm in the belief of what the Buddha taught.” So he dimissed Sakka. Sakka went to the Buddha and reported what had happened. Buddha said, “Even a hundred or a thousand Sakkas like you cannot shake this man from belief in the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha.” You cannot bribe, you cannot frighten a SotÈpanna away from the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha.

          There was a woman who was the wife of a Brahmin. The Brahmin was not a follower of the Buddha. The woman was a SotÈpanna. Both of them invited their own religious to their house and offered food. When the Brahmin invited the other Brahmins to his house for food, the woman helped him prepare and offered whatever help was needed when serving the Brahmins. When it was the wife’s turn, the Brahmin just went away. He didn’t want to see the Buddha. One day he invited the Brahmins to his house. He told the wife he had invited the Brahmins to the house. The wife asked, “What do you want me to do?” The Brahmin said, “I don’t want you to do anything. Just don’t utter the name of your teacher whenever you slip, or you drop something, or you fall.” The woman was in the habit of saying, “Namo Buddhassa” or “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahatto SammÈsambuddhassa” whenvere she slipped or something happened. Then the wife said, “I cannot promise that. I cannot avoid saying the name of my teacher.” Then the Brahmin said, “Woman even the gate of a village where a hundred families live can be closed. Surely you can close your mouth which is just two finger breadths in size.” She said, “No, I cannot do that.” Then the Brahmin took his sword and threatened her. “I will cut you to pieces if you say so much as a word about your teacher.” The wife replied. “You may cut me. You may kill me. You may do whatever you like to me but I cannot desist from uttering the name of my teacher.” Next day when food was served to the Brahmins, she helped her husband serve food to the Brahmins. At that time she had a pain in her leg. So she said, “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahatto SammÈ­sambuddhassa.” When the Brahmins heard this, they were very angry. So they abused and scolded the Brahmin and then went away. The Brahmin was very angry. He told his wife he would to the Buddha and ask a question. He will not be able to answer this way or that. This way I will defeat him. So he went to the Buddha and asked him, “Killing what is good?” The Buddha said, “Killing anger is good.” The Brahmin was so pleased by the answer that he became a disciple of the Buddha. Later he became a monk and became an Arahant. A SotÈpanna cannot be threatened even with losing his life not to have faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha. A SotÈpanna is very firm in his confidence. He has unshakeable confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and SaÑgha.

          A SotÈpanna is free from the prospect of rebirth in any of the woeful realms. A SotÈpanna will not be reborn in the four woeful states. A SotÈpanna will not be reborn in any of the four woeful states because he will not do anything that will cause him to be reborn there. That we must understand clearly. It is not that a SotÈpanna can kill a living being and not be reborn in the four woeful. States as a result of that. Actually a Sotapanna is not reborn in the four woeful states because he will not do any Akusala that will lead him to rebirth in the four woeful. I tell you this because sometinmes there are bad teachers. They may say, “I amspiritually evolved. I have reached spiritual attainments so it is OK for me to do these things like drinking and other Akusala.” That is not true. Whether you are a Puthujjana or a SotÈpanna, if you break any one of the Five Precepts, you will go to the Apaya, the four woeful states. But a SotÈpanna is incapable of doing any Akusala that will lead him to rebirth in the four woeful states. That is why a SotÈpanna is said to be free from rebirth in the four woeful s6tates.

          Of the 14 unwholesome Cetasikas the SotÈpanna has eliminated wrong view and doubt. According to the Commentary IssÈ (envy) and Macchariya (avarice) are also eliminated. I had to find the Commentary. He didn’t give the name of the Commentary. I found it in the AÔÔhasÈlinÊ that envy and avarice are eradicated by the first path, the first Magga. So a SotÈpanna also eradicates envy and avarice.

          He has freed himself as well from all degrees of defilements strong enough to lead to rebirth in the four woeful states. A SotÈpanna only eradicates Ditthi and Vicikiccha. He still has Labha, Dosa, MÈna, Moha Uddhacca and others. But he has freed himself from all degrees of defilements strong enough to lead to rebirth in the woeful states. His Lobha, his Dosa, his Moha are so weak that they cannot lead him to rebirth in four woeful states. A SotÈpanna still has Lobha. He still has Dosa. He still has Moha. But his Lobha, Dosa and Moha are weak. They are not strong enough to send him to four woeful states. Although a SotÈpanna eradicates DiÔÔhi and VicikicchÈ, actually he eradicates Lobha, Dosa and Moha to some degree. He makes them weak so that they cannot lead to rebirth in the woeful states.

          “His conduct is marked by scrupulous observance of the Five Precepts.” It is said in the Commentaries that a SotÈpanna never breaks any of the Five Precepts. Even in the next existence a SotÈpanna will not break any of these five rules. Even if he does not know that he is a SotÈpanna, still he will not break any of these Five Precepts. It is said in the books if you give to such a child a live fish and a dead fish, then that child will pick up the dead fish, not the live fish. So it is a good thing to know that a SotÈpanna and the other Noble Persons do not break any of the Five Precepts. It a person claims to be a SotÈpanna, you can watch him and see if he is still capable of breaking these five moral precepts. If he is drinking or kills an insect or whatever, then we can understand that he is not a SotÈpanna. It is very difficult to know if a person is a SotÈpanna or not. Only the Buddha, Arahants and higher Noble Persons can know. We can watch and we can infer from his observance or non-observance of these Five Precepts.

          There are three types of Stream-enterer, three types of SotÈpanna. The first one is called Sattakkhattuparama. That means one who will be reborn seven times at most in the human world and celestial worlds.

 

          The second one is one who takes rebirth in good families two or three times before attaining Arahantship. For him there may be two, three, four, five, six rebirths. Such apperson is called Kola~kola. Here Kola means family, so gong from one family to another. Here family really means being reborn in a human life or in the life of a celestial being. Whenever he is reborn, he is reborn in good families. He will not be reborn in poor families or in bad families.

          The third one is called EkabÊjÊ, one seed. That means he will be reborn only once more before attaining the goal, before becoming an Arahant.

          Among them Sattakkhattuparama is known by many people. The second one may not have seven rebirths. He may have two to six rebirths in the Samsara. But the last one will become an Arahant in the next life. He will be reborn only once. That means he will be reborn only nonce and then in that life he will become an Arahant. So there are three kinds of Stream-entrants or SotÈpannas. They are described in the Visuddhimagga, Chapter 22, paragraph 55.

A SakadÈgÈmÊ

          The second one is SakadÈgÈmÊ, once-returner. “Having developed the path of once-returning”–that means having reached the second path–“with the attenuation of lust, hatred, and delusion, one becomes a once-returner, one who returns to this world only one more time.” This person, a once-returner, does not eradicate any more mental defilements, but he attenuates, he makes much less lust, hatred and delusion. By the first attainment, by the first path these have been made weak. By the second Magga they are made weaker. So the RÈga, Dosa and Moha are very weak in a person who has reached the second stage. He does not eradicate altogether any more mental defilements.

          He is called a Once-returner because he returns to this world only one more time. “Although attenuated forms of these defilements can still arise in him, they do not occur often and their obessive force is weak.”

          There is a statement from Ledi Sayadaw’s book. “Ledi Sayadaw points out that the Commentarise offer two conflicting interpretations of the expression ‘this world’ (ImaÑ lokaÑ) to which the once-returner may return one more time. On one interpretation it is the human world, to which he may return from a heavenly world; on the other it is the sense-sphere world (KÈmÈvacara), to which he may return from a Brahma-world. Ledi Sayadaw maintains that in spite of Commentarial support for the former interpretation, the second seems better supported by the canonical texts.” So, I don’t know. The common opininon is that he returns to this homan world, once to this human world. But in some Commentaries the writers say it is not just this world but KÈmÈvacara world.

          “According to the Commentary to the Puggala-paÒÒatti–Puggala-paÒÒatti is one of the seven Abhidhamma books–“there are five kinds of once-returners’”

          1. “One attains the fruit of once-returning in the human world,”–so he becomes a SakadÈgÈmÊ in  this human world–“takes rebirth in the human world”–he dies and then is reborn as a human being–“and attains final NibbÈna here.” That is one kind of SakadÈgÈmÊ. This individual attains in this world, is reborn in this human world and becomes an Arahant in this human world.

          2. “One attains the fruit of once-returning in the human world, takes rebirth in a heavenly world and attains NibbÈna there.” He becomes a SakadÈgÈmÊ in the human world. He dies and is reborn in the world of Devas and becaomes an Arahant there, attains NibbÈna there. That is the second type of SakadÈgÈmÊ.

          3. “One attains the fruit in a heavenly world, takes rebirth in a heavenly world, and attains final NibbÈna there.” That means he becomes a SakadÈgÈmÊ as a Deva, as a celestial being. Then he is reborn as a Deva and attains final NibbÈna there. That is the third one.

          4. “One attains the fruit in a heavenly world, takes rebirth in the human world, and attains final NibbÈna here.” He becomes a SakadÈgÈmÊ as a celestial being. He is reborn as a human being and he attains final NibbÈna here. That is the fourth one.

          5. “One attains the fruit in the human world”–here he becomes a SakadÈgÈmÊ–“takes rebirth in a heavenly world”–so he dies here and is reborn as a Deva–“and passes the full life span there”–he lives there as long as his kife span–“and then takes rebirth again in the human world”–so he dies as a Deva and is reborn as a human being–“where he attains final NibbÈna.” He attains Arahantship. Among these five only the last one corresponds to the definition that one comes back to the human world once. He becomes a SakadÈgÈmÊ here. He is reborn as a Deva. Then he comes back here. For this SakadÈgÈmÊ there are many more births? Two more births.

          “It should be noted that whereas the EkabÊjÊ stream-enterer has only one more rebirth, the fifth type of once-returner has two. Nevertheless, he is still called ‘once-returnef’ because he returns only once more to the human world.” That is when we take this world to be human world. So there are five kinds of SakadÈgÈmÊs.

A Non-returner

          The third one is non-returner, who does not come back. Here also it says come back to this world. What world is that? Here we tale it to be KÈmÈvacara world, not just the human world.

          “A Non-returner has fully eradicated sensual lust and ill will.” There are three kinds of lust or RÈga–RÈga for sense objects, RÈga for R|pavacara world, RÈga for Ar|pavacara world. Among these three a non-returner eradicates totally the first one, RÈga for sense objects, sensual things, He eradicates sensual lust and ill will (Dosa). He eradicates Dosa altogether. “He has eradicated the taint of sensual desire and the unwholesome Cetasikas, hatred and worry, as well as all greed taking a sensuous object. Thus he will be spontaneously reborn in a fine-material realm and there attain final NibbÈna. It should be noted that while only non-returners are reborn in the Pure Abodes, there is no fixed determination that all non-returners are reborn there.” I have talked about this in the fifth chapter. So a non-returner eradicates sensual lust and ill will.

          Once a person asked me if a SotÈpanna can lead a household life, a married life. So I said, “Yes.” A SotÈpanna can be a married person. He or she can still be a married person. What about a SakadÈgÈmÊ? He or she can still be a lay person. What about an AnÈgÈmi? If he does not indulge in things, he still can continue to live as a lay person. But he cannot live a married life, enjoying the pleasures of marriage.

          Do you remember the BrahmÈ Sahampati, the Brahma who requested the Buddha to teach? Immediately after his enlightenment the Buddha did not want to teach because he saw beings immersed in sensual pleasures. So he thought it would be very difficult for them to understand his teachings. And so his mind bent toward not teaching. That Sahampati knew the mind of the Buddha. He came down to the human world and he asked the Buddha to teach. Before he became a Brahma, that being was an AnÈgÈmÊ, a lay person. An AnÈgÈmÊ can continue to live as a lay person so long as he does not enjoy sensual things or sense objects.

          There was a man called Visakha. Do you remember him? His wife was DhammadinnÈ. He went to the Buddha and listened to his preaching. He became an AnÈgÈmÊ and then he went back to his home. After he became an AnÈgÈmÊ, he lived there like a monk. His wife misunderstood him. She asked hom what faults she had done as he acted like a brother. The man said that he had become an AnÈgÈmÊ so he had no desire for sensual things. Then the wife said in that case let mebecome a BhikkhunÊ. So the wife became a BhikkhunÊ and took a meditation subject from the Buddha. She went to another place to practise meditation and became an Arahant. She then returned to the Buddha. The man thought she had come back because she wanted to go back to lay life. So he went to her and asked questions about Dhamma. She gave answers to his questions. When it was reported to the Buddha, he said, “Saddhu! Saddhu! Saddhu!” Even if you would have asked me these questions, I would have given you the same answers. There also Visakha continued being a lay person after becoming an AnÈgÈmÊ. Please don’t confuse this Visakha with the lay female devotee VisakhÈ. The lady VisakhÈ is spelled with a long ‘È’ at the end. Even after becoming an AnÈgÈmÊ one can continue to be a lay person.

          It should be noted that only non-returners are reborn in Pure Abodes. You know that AnÈgÈmÊs are born in Pure Abodes. That means only non-returners are born in Pure Abodes. But there is no fixed determination that all non-returners are born there. If you become an AnÈgÈmÊ, you may be reborn in other Brahma worlds also. The texts mention five types of non-returners. There are five types of AnÈgÈmÊs. If is found in the Puggala-paÒÒatti, an Abhidhamma book.

          “One who having been reborn spontaneously in a higher world generatesthe final path begore he has reached the midpoint of the life span.” Do you understand that? “Having been reborn continuously in a higher world”–suppose a person becomes an AnÈgÈmÊ here. He will be reborn as a Brahma–reborn spontaneously means just that. “Generates the final path” means actually that he becomes an Arahant. “Before he has reached the midpointm of the life span” before he reaches the middle of his life span. That is one type of AnÈgÈmÊ. It is called in PÈÄi AntarÈ-parinibbÈyÊ. AntarÈ means in between. ParinibbÈyÊ means reaching the final NibbÈna.

The second one is “One who generates the final path agete passing the midpoint of the life span, even when on the verge of death.” This person becomes an AnÈgÈmÊ here. He is reborn as a Brahma. He becomes an Arahant and dies after passing the midpoint, after passing the middle of his life span. He may even reach attainment on the verge of his death. That is called Upahacca-parinibbÈyÊ. Upahacca means reaching or something like that.

          The third one is “One who attains the final path without exertion.” That means with small exertion, not totally without exertion. He does have to make much effort to become an Arahant. He is called Asa~khÈra-parinibbÈyÊ. Sa~khÈra means making effort.

          Number four is “One who attains the final path with exertion.” He becomes an AnÈgÈmÊ here. He is reborn as a Brahma and he has to make much effort to become an Arahant. He is called Sasa~khÈra-parinibbÈyÊ.

          Number five is “One who passes from one higher realm to another until he reaches the Akanittha realm, the Highest Pure Abode, and there attains the final path.” That means he becomes an AnÈgÈmÊ here and he is reborn in the first of the Pure Abodes. Then he dies there and is reborn in the second Pure Abode. Then he dies there and is reborn in the third Pure Abode. Then he dies there and is reborn in the fourth Pure Abode. Then he dies there and is reborn in the fifth Pure Abode. After reaching the fifth realm, that is the AkaniÔÔha realm, he will become an Arahant. He goes up the five Brahma realms one by one. There are five kinds of AnÈgÈmÊ. For the fifth one, after becoming an AnÈgÈmÊ, he has five more rebirths, but EkabÊjÊ SotÈpanna has only one more rebirth. So a SotÈpanna may end his Journey in SaÑsara sooner than an AnÈgÈmÊ does. There are the five kinds of AnÈgÈmÊ or Non-returners.

An Arahant

          Now we come to the last, the Arahant. “Having developed the path of Arahantship, with the total abandonment of defilements, one becomes an Arahant, a destroyer of the taints, a supreme recipient of offerings in the world.” After developing the path of Arahantship means after reaching Arahantship. “With the total abandonment of defilements”–when a person reaches the fourth stage of enlightenment he eradicates all the remaining mental defilements. These will not arise in him any more.

          “The five fetters abandoned by the first three paths are called lower fetters.” Do you remember the ten fetters? If you don’t, you go back to the seventh chapter. The five fetters abandoned by the first three paths–SotÈpatti, SakadÈgÈmÊ and AnÈgÈmÊ–are called the lower fetters because they bind beings to the lower world, the sensuous planes of existence, the KÈmÈvacara world.

          “One who has eradicated them, the non-returner, no longer returns to the sensuous plane.” An AnÈgÈmÊ will not be reborn in the KÈmÈvacara world. “But he is still bound to the round of existence by the five higher fetters.” There are ten fetters. He is still bound by the five higher fetters.

          “With the attainment of the path of Arahantship, these five higher fetters are also eradicated: desire for fine-material existence (R|pavacara Bhava), desire for immaterial existence (Ar|pavacara Bhava), conceit (MÈna), restlessness (Uddhancca) and ignorance (AvijjÈ).” These five are called higher fetters. These are eradicated by Arahatta Magga.

          “The fourth path also destroys the remaining two taints–the taint of attachment to existence and the taint of ignorance–for which reason the Arahant is called a ‘destroyer of the taints’. An Arahant is called KhÊÓÈsava. ‘KhÊÓa’ doesn’t really mean destroyed. ‘Khina’ means exhausted. An Arahant is one whose taints are exhausted. That means simply one who has no taints, one who has no Œsavas. How many Œsavas are there? Four Œsavas. The four Œsavas are represented by how many Cetasikas? KÈma Œsava, Bhava Œsava, DiÔÔhi Œsava and AvijjÈ Œsava. KÈma Œsava and Bhava Œsava are represented by Lobha. DiÔÔhi Œsava is represented by DiÔÔhi and AvijjÈ Œsava is represented by Moha. So the four Œsavas are represented by three Cetasikas–Lobha, DiÔÔhi and Moha.

          Not only these taints, but all mental defilements are exhausted by the Arahant. An Arahant is freed from not only the taints but all mental defilements. “The path of Arantship eradicates, too, the remaining unwholesome Cetasikas keft unabandoned by the earlier paths: delusion (Moha), shamelessness (Ahirika), fearlessness of wrongdoing (Anottappa), restlessness (Uddhacca), conceit (MÈna), sloth (Thina) and torpor (Middha), They are eradicated by the fourth path.

          After reaching the fourth path, a person becomes an Arahant. He is described as supreme recipient of offerings in the world. Offerings made to this person bring the best result because that person’s mind is free from all defilements. His mind is like a field which is fertile.

          These are the four Noble Persons. On Page 360 the defilements eradicated by the paths are shown. There are 14 Akusala Cetasikas–delusion, shamelessness, restlessness and so on. Greed is divided into two–sensual greed and other greed (KamaRÈga and other which is R|pa RÈga and Ar|pa RÈga).

          Stream-entry, SotÈpatti Magga eradicates wrong view (DiÔÔhi), envy (IssÈ), avarice (Macchariya) and doubt (VicikicchÈ). Once-returning is zero. He does not eradicate anything. He just attenuates the defilements. Non-returning, the AnÈgÈmÊ eradicates sensual greed, ill will or hatred and worry, because worry accompanies ill will. Arahantship eradicates all of the remaining Akusala mental factors. Arahatta Magga eradicates Moha, HirÊ, Ottapaa, Uddhacca, and then RÈga RÈga and Ar|pa RÈga), MÈna and Thina and Middha. Eight Cetasikas are eradicated by Arahantship (if RÈga is divided into two). Three are eradicated by non-returners and four are eradicated by stream-entry (if KÈma RÈga is taken separately).

Phala-samÈpatti

          Now let us look at Phala-samÈpatti and Nirodha-samÈpatti. After a person becomes a Noble Person, he often enters into the attainment of fruition, Phala-samÈpatti because he wants to enjoy the bliss of emancipation. People want to enjoy this thing and that thing. We want to enjoy life, good things and so on. Noble Persons want to enjoy peacefulness. When the mind is on NibbÈna, it is most peaceful. NibbÈna is peaceful. The mind that takes NibbÈna as object is also peaceful. After becoming an Ariya a person can enter into this attainment of fruition again and again. The attainment of fruition is common to all (That means it is common to all Noble Persons) each being able to attain their respefctive fruition.” That means a Sotapanna will get into Sotapatti Phala-samÈpatti. A SakadÈgÈmÊ can enter into SakadÈgÈmÊ Phala-samÈpatti. So a SotÈpanna cannot enter into SakadÈgÈmÊ Phala-samÈpatti.

 

          “But the attainment of cessation is accessible only to non-returners and Arahants.” This is for Nirodha-samÈpatti.

          “The attainment of fruition (Phala-samÈpatti) is a meditative attainment by which a Noble Disciple enters into supramundane absorptions with NibbÈna as object. It is attained for the purpose of experiencing the bliss of NibbÈna here and now.” Before their death, while they are living, the Noble persons want to enjoy that bliss. So they enter into this attainment of fruition.

          “The Cittas that occur in this attainment are the fruition Cittas corresponding to the disciple’s level of realization.” That means for a SotÈpanna the Phala-samÈpatti Cittas are SotÈpatti Phala Cittas arising for maybe billions and billions of moments.

          “Thus each of the four grades of Noble Individuals can enter their own proper fruition attainment–the stream-enterer attainting the fruition attsinment of stream-entery, etc. The attainment is reached by first making resolution to attain fruition.” That means you must have a wish. You must make your mind to wish to attain fruition.

          Then developing in sequence the insight knowledges–that means if a Noble Person wants to enter into fruition attainment, first he must practise VipassanÈ. His VipassanÈ must be very strong VipassanÈ in this case. In sequence beginning with the knowledge of rise and fall- he will begin wigh the knowledge of rise and fall (Udayabbaya ©ÈÓa) and then he will go up through the other stages of knowlede. And then instead of Magga Citta arising here, Phala Citta arises. At the first attainment Magga arises after going through all the stages of VipassanÈ. Here Magga Citta does not arise because Magga Citta does not arise twice in a given individual. Instead of Magga Citta, Phala Citta arises. When Magga Citta arises, it arises only once and then it disappears. But Phala Cittas here in Phala-samÈpatti can arise billions and billions of times. During that time when Phala Cittas are arising and taking NibbÈna as an object, a person enjoys the bliss of NibbÈna, the peace of emancipation. Arahants do enter into Phala-samÈpatti very frequently. It is like taking vacation. Sometimes they may get into Phala attainment before they go out for alms. They go into attainment at such a time so that those who offer to them get better results. In the stories in the Dhammapada and other texts you will find these stories again and again.

Attainment of Cessation

          The next one is the attainment of cessation, Nirodha-samÈpatti. You are already familiar with Nirodha-samÈpatti.

          In Phala-samÈpatti do you remember the thought process? There is Anuloma, three or four times–they are just called Anuloma there, not Parikamma, UpacÈra, Anuloma and Gotrabhu. So there is Anuloma three or four times and then Phala.

          The attainment of cessation, Nirodha-samÈpatti is different. “In this case, one enters successively upon the sublime attainments beginning with the first JhÈna, and then after emerging from them, one contemplates with insight the conditioned states within each of those attainments.”

          “Having proceeded thus up to the base of nothingness, one then attends to the prelominary duties such as the resolution etc., and anters the base of neither perception nor non-perception. After two occasions of Javana in absorption, the continuum of consciousness is suspended. Then one is said to have attained cessation.”

          A person who wants to get into the attainment of cessation must be a non-returner (AnÈgÈmÊ) or an Arahant. Only AnÈgÈmÊs and Arahants can get into Nirodha-samÈpatti, not Sotapannas and SakadÈgÈmÊs. Even non-returners and Arahants must have attained all eight or nine JhÈnas in order to get into Nirodha-samÈpatti. If they reach enlightenment without JhÈnas, then they cannot enter into Nirodha-samÈpatti. Nirodha-samÈpatti can be entered into by non-returners and Arahants who have mastery over all the R|pavacara JhÈnas andn Ar|pavacara JhÈnas, that is eight or nine JhÈnas.

          That is because in order to get into Nirodha-samÈpatti first one has to enter into first JhÈna, second JhÈna and so on. It is called Anupubba. That means gradual. Gradully one enters the JhÈnas from the first JhÈna up through the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna. Only those who get all eight or nine JhÈnas can enter into Nirodha-samÈpatti. It needs a lot of strong concentration. Only AnÈgÈmÊs and Arahants who are very strong in concentration can enter into Nirodha-samÈpatti.

          “The attainment of cessation is a meditative attainment in which the stream of consciousness and mental factors is completely cut off temporarily.” When one attains to Nirodha-samÈpatti, the mental activities temporarily cease. That means there are no Cittas or Cetasikas at that time, during Nirodha-samÈpatti. Only the physical body continues.

          “Further, it can be obtained only within the sensuous plane (KÈmÈvacara) or the fine-material (R|pavacara) plane of existence. It cannot be obtained within the immaterial plane.” In the Ar|pavacara they cannot enter Nirodha-samÈpatti. “For there is no attaining of the four fine-material JhÈnas there, which are the prerequisties for entering cessation.” When a person is reborn in the second Ar|pavacara world, he cannot enter into the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna. A Person who is reborn into the Ar|pavacara realms cannot enter into all eight JhÈnas. He cannot enter into R|pavacara JhÈnas as well. It is impossible for those who are born in the Ar|pavacara realms to enter into the attainment of cessation. It can be entered into only in the KÈmÈvacara and R|pavacara worlds.

          “To enter cessation the meditator must attain each JhÈna in proper sequence.” That means he enters into first JhÈna and each JhÈna thereafter. “After emerging from each one, he contemplates its factors as impermanent, suffering and non-self.” That means first he enters into first JhÈna. Then he emerges from first JhÈna and practises VipassanÈ, taking factors of JhÈna as object. He contemplates those JhÈna factors as impermanent, suffering and non-soul. So here Samatha and VipassanÈ go hand in hand. Then he gets into second JhÈna and gets out of it. Again he practises VipassanÈ on the JhÈna factors of second JhÈna. He does the same with third, fourth and fifth JhÈnas. Then he gets into the first Ar|pavacara JhÈna and then second Ar|pavacara JhÈna. Getting out of the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna he practises VipassanÈ on the factors of the second Ar|pavacara JhÈna. Next he enters into the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna,

          After emerging from the base of nothingness, the meditator makes four resolutions. After emerging from the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna, he does not practise VipassanÈ. Instead what he does is to make four resolutions. He does the preliminary work. He does four preliminary works.

          He resolves that his requisites shvold not bedestroyed. This means his requisites that are not attached to his body, that are some distance away from him should not be destroyed. He makes a resolution that way–“May my requisites be not destroyed by fire, water and so on.” He makes this resolution.

          The second one is that he should emerge if his services are needed by the Sangha. So he must make this resolution–“May I get out of this attainment if the Sangha needs my services.” If he makes this resolution, then when the Sangha needs him, he will emerge from it by himself. If he does not make this resolution, but enters into Nirodha-samÈpatti and the Sangha needs his services, then Sangha would send one monk to his presence. That monk would say something like, “Venerable Sangha needs you.” At that time he emerges from the Nirodha-samÈpatti. Because he did not do the preliminary duty in our example, he has to be taken out of Nirodha-samÈpatti by another person. If he makes this resolution, then there is no need for another monk to go to him and wake him up. He will get out of Nirodha-samÈpatti by himself.

          The third one is the same. He resolves that he will emerge from Nirodha-samÈpatti if he is summoned by the Buddha. Sonmetimes Buddha may need him. When Buddha needs him, he makes this resolution that he will emerge from the attainment by himself. If he does not do it, then the Buddha may send some monks to him to tell him that Buddha needs him. Then he may emerge from Nirodha-samÈpatti.

          The fourth is that he is not bound to die in seven days. He must know that he will not die in seven days. That is because there can be no death during Nirodha-samÈpatti. If he does not do this resolution and he enters into Nirodha-samÈpatti, and if death would come let us say on the fifth day, what would happen? He will not die until the seventh day or what? It is said that he would emerge from the Nirodha-samÈpatti and then die.

          These four are called preliminary duties. It is recommended that a person do all these four. The first one is important because the translation in the Path of Purification is wrong. The correct translation is that the requisites that are not attached to him should not be destroyed. The requisites that are attached to him are automatically exempt from being destroyed. He doesn’t have to do anything. He doesn’t have to make any resolution for robes which he is wearing. That will be covered by the-samÈpatti itself. But for his belongings which he left at the monastery or which are not connected with him, for the safety of those requisites he must make the resolution. If he makes this resolution, his requisites will not be destroyed by fire, water of whatever.

          After making these four resolutions or after doing these four preliminary duties, he enters the fourth immaterial JhÈna, that is the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna which occurs for two moments of Javana. It occurs for only two moments. Immediately after he attains cessation. That means that is the end of his mental activity–“wherein the stream of consciousness if temporaril suspended.” He enters the fourth immaterial JhÈna which occurs for two moments of Javana. The fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna arises two times and then disappears. Why only two times? When he wants to get into fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna normally, that JhÈna would arise billions and billions of times. Just as when he enters the first JhÈna, he canbe in the JhÈna for a day or two, he can enter into this JhÈna in the same way. Why only two? That is because his mind is not directed toward remaining in the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna. His mind is directed toward the cessation of mental activities. Since his direction is towards cessation, fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna arises only two times here. After that the consciousness is temporarily suspended.

          During that time when he is in Nirodha-samÈpatti, he is like a statue. There is no mind, no mental activity, just the physical body. What is the difference between his physical body and the body of a dead person? He is still alive. There is still Jhivitindriya. And there is still warmth, temperature. His faculties do not deteriorate. The body of a dead person is different. His eyes’ and so on deterioerate. He is not a dead person. He is a live person, but for that period he is without consciousness. He is without mental factors. I Think that is why this cessation cannot be entered in the four Ar|pavacara realms. There is no body. If he reaches cessation there would be nothing at all.

          The sequence is Samatha and VipassanÈ hand in hand. He enters first JhÈna. That is Samatha. He emerges from it and practises VipassanÈ. That is VipassanÈ. So Samatha and VipassanÈ must go together here. At the end of the third Ar|pavacara JhÈna he emerges and does not practise VipassanÈ. Instead he makes these four preliminary resolutions. Then he enters into the fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna. After two moments of fourth Ar|pavacara JhÈna, consciousness is suspended.

          “At the thime of emergence from cessation in the case of a non-returner the fruit of non-retruning consciousness occurs one time–in the case of an Arahant, the fruit of Arahantship consciousness occurs one time–and then there is subaidence into the life continuum. “When he emerges from it, an AnÈgÈmÊ Phala Citta or an Arahatta Phala Citta arises once and then subsides into Bhava~ga. It is said that a human veing can be in Nirodha-samÈpatti for seven days. After seven days he emerges from the attainment of cessation. At that time the AnÈgÈmÊ Phala Citta or the Arahant Phala Citta arises and then subsides into Bhava~ga.

          “Following this reviewing knowledge occurs. “There may be reviewing thought processes, Paccavekkhana thought processes. They are not JhÈna thought processes. They are Knmavacara thought processes.

          This is the analysis of attainments. In this chapter only two attainments are mentioned–Phala-samÈpatti and Nirodha-samÈpatti. During Phala-samÈpatti mental activities go on, but during Nirodha-samÈpatti mntal activities cease temporarily. At the end of this temporary cessation mental activities become alive again. Both attainments are entered into by Ariyas, Noble Persons to enjoy the bliss of peacefulness.

Conclusion

          Now the conclusion–“One who aspires to enjoy the taste of practice in the Buddha’s Dispensation should develop this twofold meditation so excellent in the way explained. “This is like advice or admonition to us. If you want to enjoy the taste of practice in the Buddha’s Dispensation, then you should develop Samatha and VipassanÈ meditation.

          This is the end of the ninth chapter. This chapter deals with meditation, the two kinds of meditation–Samatha and VipassanÈ.

Colophon

          Now the Colophon: “This treatise, composed out of compassion for others at the request of Namba, a person of refined manners, belonging to a respectable family, full of faith, and replete with sterling virtues, has been completed.” The person who asked him to write this book was called Namba.

          “By the great merit may the modest monks, who are purified by wisdom and who shine with virtues, remember till the end of the world the most famous M|lasoma Monastery.” That means he wrote this book while he was residing at this monastery called M|lasoma, “the fortunate abode, for the acquisition of merit and for their happiness.” This is just his wish. That’s all. This is the end of the book.

          Let us read the guide. “The teachers of Abhidhamma hold two different opinions about the name of the monastery where Œcariya Anuruddha composed the Abhidhammatthasa~gaha.” The name of this manual is Abhidhammatthasa~gaha. The author of the manual was the Venerable Anuruddha.

          “One school of though takes the name to be Tum|lasoma VihÈra,” In Burma it is taken to be Tum|lasoma VihÈra. Tum|la is said to be synonomous with MahÈ. If you go back to the PÈÄi in the second verse, you will find the word ‘Tum|la’–“PuÒÒena tena vipulena tu mulasomaÑ.” If we take out the space, then we get Tum|lasomam. It can be Tum|lasomaÑ or it can be Tu plus M|lasomaÑ. If you take these to be two words, then the name of the monastery is M|lasoma. If you take these to be just one word, then the name of the monastery is Tum|lasoma. Those who take it to be Tum|lasoma say that Tum|la is a synonym for great. But no such word as Tum|la exists in PÈÄi or Sanskrit. Both languages contain the word ‘Tumula’. It is very delicate. The first one is with a long ‘|’, but here it is with a short ‘u’. Both languages contain a word ‘Tumula’. In both languages PÈÄi and Sanskrit, there is a word which does not mean great, but uproar or tumult. So it is very close to the English word ‘tumult’.

          This word is generally used in connection with warfare; it occurs in the Vessantara JÈtaka in the line. ‘Ath’ ettha vattatÊ saddo, tumulo bheravo mahÈ: then sounded forth a mighty sound, a terrible great roar.’” So we may take the name of the monastery as Tum|lasoma or M|lasoma. In SrÊ La~kÈ most of them take it to be M|lasoma. Since it was in SrÊ La~kÈ, whatever the SrÊ La~kans say may be nearer to the fact than what we say.

          “The other line of interpretation holds that the name of the monastery is M|lasoma VihÈra. The syllable ‘tu’ is taken to be an indeclinable conjunctive particle here used for the sake of euphony.” The author just put the ‘tu’ here to fill the number of syllables. Verses are written with a certain number of syllables. There must be 14 syllables or 12 syllables and so on. How many syllables are there in one line? 14 syllables. To make 14 the author put the ‘tu’ here.

          “Since Acariya Anuruddha has used ‘tu’ in a similar way elsewhere in his treatise (see I, section 32, VIII, section 12), it seems probable that he is using it here as well.” He is using ‘tu’ as an indeclinable particle.

          “Thus we should regard the name of the monastery as the M|lasoma VihÈra. In the SrÊ La~kan tradition it is generally believed that this monastery was situated in the district of Chilaw and that present Munnessaram Kovil stands on its site.”

          “The word ‘dhaÒÒÈdhivÈsa’, which the author uses to describe this monastery, does not mean ‘the abode of grain’, as earlier translations have rendered it.” In Narada’s translation it was rendered as ‘the abode of grain’. It was a mistake. The word ‘dhaÒÒa’ can mean grain or glory. “The word ‘dhanna’ here bears the derivative meaning of fortunate or meritorious. Ledi Sayadaw explains that the monastery is so described because it was the residence of meritorious elders beginning with its founder, an elder named Mahinda.”

          Th author of the Manual was Venerable Anuruddha. He was a native of South India, not a SrÊ La~kan monk. He wrote other books as well. He wrote two other books on Abhidhamma. Many people think he belonged to the 11^th or 12^thcentury. As you know, this book is very useful. Without this manual it would be very difficult for us to have access to the Abhidhamma.

          Now you have come to the end of this manual. You have just opened the door to Abhidhamma. You have yet to enter into Abhidhamma and enjoy it. With this manual you can enter any of the Abhidhamma books and you can understand. But without this manual I think it is impossible to understand Abhidhamma. That is why many people pick up a translation of Dhammasa~gaÓÊ or Vibha~ga. They find it very hard to read and understand, and they don’t like it. You need some basic or fundamental knowledge of Abhidhamma to be able to appreciate the teachings in Abhidhamma PiÔaka. This book is designed for those who want to have access to Abhidhamma.

          It is very popular in Burma. It is still a textbook for the study of Abhidhamma in Burma. Every monk, every novice, every nun has to learn it by heart. I am glad we have come to the end of the course. It took two years. That is because I was sick and we were without class for eight months. I am glad we have come to the end of this course. I hope you will go through it again by yourself and make yourself more familiar with the intricacies of Citta-Cetasika combinations. But at least I hope you know where to find the information that you want in the Manual. If you can do that, I will be satisfied with you. I do not expect you to learn it by heart. If you know where to find the information, that is OK. You are not taking an examination. I thank you for being serious in taking this course and taking it up to the end. It is not easy for people in this country to finish a book like this. Thank you.

Saddhu! Saddhu! Saddhu!

END OF ABHIDHAMMA COURSE!