English
There, in this context, jhāna should be understood as earth kasiṇa. "Having attained jhāna designated as earth kasiṇa, he dwells" - this is the meaning in brief here. But in this earth kasiṇa, what should a clansman do who desires to develop insight based on the jhāna foundation, having performed preliminary work, having produced the fourth and fifth jhāna, and having attained arahantship? First, having purified the four kinds of morality, namely, restraint of the Pātimokkha, restraint of the senses, purity of livelihood, and dependence on requisites, and being established in perfectly pure morality, having cut off whatever obstruction he has among the ten obstructions such as dwellings, having approached a good friend who gives meditation subjects, examining the thirty-eight meditation subjects that have come in the Pāli, according to his own disposition, if this earth kasiṇa is suitable for him, this itself... Having taken a meditation subject, abandoning a dwelling unsuitable for developing absorption, dwelling in a suitable dwelling, cutting off minor hindrances, without failing in any aspect of the method of cultivation, which includes guarding the preliminary sign of the kasina, avoiding the seven unwholesome things, cultivating the seven wholesome things, and the ten kinds of skill in attaining absorption, one should proceed for the sake of attaining absorption. This is the summary here. The detailed explanation, however, should be understood according to the method stated in the Visuddhimagga (Visuddhi. 1.51 ff.). As it is here, so it is in the following passages as well. For the entire method of cultivating all meditation subjects has been elaborated in the Visuddhimagga, taking the method of the commentaries. Why should we repeat what has already been said there? Therefore, we will not elaborate on it again. But in the Pāli text below, without failing to explain the meaning yet to come, we will continuously provide uninterrupted commentary. "At that time" means at the time of attaining and dwelling in the first absorption. "Contact is present... up to... non-distraction is present" means these fifty-six mental factors are present in the same order of words as described in the case of the first wholesome consciousness in the sense sphere. The only difference is that those are in the sense sphere, while these, due to the exalted state, are great, belonging to the form sphere. The rest is just the same. Here, only the four, namely, desire, etc., are obtained as "merely". The sections on the parts and the sections on emptiness are just natural. The first. The Second Absorption 161-162. In the explanation of the second absorption, "the subsiding of thought and examination" means the subsiding, the overcoming, of these two, namely, thought and examination; it means the non-appearance at the moment of the second absorption. Here, although all the factors of the first absorption are not present in the second absorption, for the contact, etc., are different in the first absorption and different here, it should be understood that the attainment of the second absorption and so on, beyond the first absorption, occurs through the overcoming of the grosser factor, the grosser component, for the purpose of showing this. "Internal" here means the individual internal. Vibhaṅga Only this much is said: "internal, individual" (Vibh. 573). Because one's own internal state is intended, therefore, "born in oneself, arisen in one's own continuum" is the meaning here. *Sampasādana* means *sampasādana*, which is faith. Due to the association with *sampasādana*, even *jhāna* is *sampasādana*, like a blue cloth due to its association with the color blue. Or, because that *jhāna*, being endowed with *sampasādana*, and through the calming of the disturbance of thinking and pondering, gladdens the mind, therefore it is also called *sampasādana*. In this alternative meaning, the word connection should be understood as "gladdening of the mind." But in the former alternative meaning, "of the mind" should be connected with *ekodi* as a single term. Here is the meaning connection: *eko udeti* is *ekodi*, meaning it arises as the foremost, the best, because it is not overwhelmed by thinking and pondering. For even the best in the world is called *eka*. Or it can be said that it is *eka*, without companionship, because it is devoid of thinking and pondering. Alternatively, that which causes the associated states to arise is *udi*. Meaning, it causes to arise. And that which is *eka* in the sense of being the best, and is also *udi*, is *ekodi*. This is a designation for concentration. Thus, the second *jhāna* is the cultivation, the increase of this *ekodi*, the state of *ekodi*. But since this *ekodi* is of the mind, not of a being, not of a life-principle, therefore it is said, "the state of *ekodi* of the mind." "But surely this faith is also present in the first *jhāna*, and this concentration is called *ekodi*, so why is only this called *sampasādana* and the state of *ekodi* of the mind?" It is said: "Indeed, the first *jhāna*, like water disturbed by the agitation of thinking and pondering, is not very clear, therefore, even though faith is present, it is not called *sampasādana*." Because it is not very clear, the concentration here is also not very evident. Therefore, it is not called the state of *ekodi*. But in this *jhāna*, due to the absence of the hindrance of thinking and pondering, faith, having found an opportunity, becomes strong, and through the support of strong faith, concentration also becomes evident. Therefore, only this is called thus. This should be understood thus: This explanation of the meaning Does not contradict what was said, But rather harmonizes and agrees with it. "Without initial application, without sustained application": Because initial and sustained application are abandoned by cultivation, There is no initial application in this, or of this, hence "without initial application." In the same way, "without sustained application." It is also said in the Exposition: "Thus, both initial and sustained application are calmed, stilled, pacified, Set, utterly set, fixed, well-fixed, dried up, thoroughly dried up, eliminated, Therefore, it is called 'without initial application, without sustained application.'" Here someone might say: "Is this meaning not achieved by 'the stilling of initial and sustained application'? Then why is it said again, 'without initial application, without sustained application'?" It is said: "It is so, this meaning is indeed achieved, But this does not illuminate that meaning. Did we not say, 'The overcoming of the grosser factor, The attainment of the second jhāna and beyond from the first jhāna, Is said thus, "the stilling of initial and sustained application," for the sake of illumination'?" Moreover, From the stilling of initial and sustained application comes serenity, Not the turbidity of defilements; And from the stilling of initial and sustained application comes unification, Not the abandonment of the hindrances like access concentration; And not the manifestation of factors like the first jhāna; Thus, this statement illuminates the cause of serenity and unification. Similarly, From the stilling of initial and sustained application comes "without initial application, without sustained application," Not like the third and fourth jhāna, And not like eye-consciousness and so on, which are non-existence; Thus, this illuminates the cause of the state of being without initial and sustained application, And does not merely illuminate the absence of initial and sustained application. But this statement, "without initial application, without sustained application," Merely illuminates the absence of initial and sustained application, Therefore, even having said the former, it must be said again. "Born of concentration": From the concentration of the first jhāna... Or born of concentration associated with it, is the meaning. Although the first is also born of concentration associated with it, yet this very concentration deserves to be called 'concentration', because it is exceedingly unmoving and very serene, due to the absence of the agitation of initial and sustained thought. Therefore, for the purpose of praising its qualities, this itself is said to be concentration. "Joy and happiness" is as previously stated. "Second" means second in order of enumeration. This is the second, or one attains the second. In the phrases "at that time there is contact," etc., in the five jhānas, the terms "initial thought" and "sustained thought" are omitted, and in the five paths, the term "right intention" is omitted. The determination of words with or without inflections should be understood in accordance with these. In the section on constituents, it has been stated that the jhāna has three constituents, and the path has four constituents. The rest is similar to the first jhāna. Second. The Third Jhāna 163. In the explanation of the third jhāna, "with the fading away of joy," fading away (virāga) means either disgust with or transcendence of joy of the kind previously described. The word "and" between the two, however, is for combining. It combines either with stilling or with the stilling of initial and sustained thought. When it combines only with stilling, then it should be understood as "with the fading away of joy, and moreover, 'stilling' also." And with this connection, fading away has the meaning of disgust. Therefore, the meaning should be seen as "with disgust for joy, and stilling." But when it combines with the stilling of initial and sustained thought, then it should be understood as "with the fading away of joy, and moreover, 'with the stilling of initial and sustained thought.