English
For that is called a kasina because of the totality of the object, it is called a sphere of mastery because of overcoming the object, and it is called liberation because of being resolved in the object and because of being freed from opposing qualities. There, the teaching of the kasina is according to the Abhidhamma method, while the others are to be understood as taught according to the Suttanta method. This is the explanation of the new words here. In each liberation, like in the earth kasina, twenty-five, twenty-five, thus seventy-five nines should be understood. The Discourse on Liberations. The Discourse on the Divine Abodes. Now, to show the form-sphere wholesome state that arises in terms of the divine abodes of loving-kindness, etc., again, "Which qualities are wholesome?" etc., is begun. There, "imbued with loving-kindness" means accompanied by loving-kindness. The same method applies to "imbued with compassion," etc., that follow. However, the method by which one practices and attains and dwells in the jhānas accompanied by loving-kindness, etc., that method of cultivating loving-kindness, etc., is all extensively explained in the Visuddhimagga. The meaning of the remaining passage should be understood in the same way as explained in the earth kasina. Only in the earth kasina are there twenty-five nines, here, in the first three, there are twenty-five sevens in terms of the triple and quadruple jhānas, and in equanimity, Through the power of the absorption of joy, twenty-five are individual, and with loving-kindness and compassion, along with the four bases of success, compassion and joy, these too can be set aside. Here, the nature of the difficult path and so on, with regard to loving-kindness, is understood as the suppression of ill-will; with regard to compassion, as the suppression of harm; with regard to joy, as the suppression of discontent; with regard to equanimity, as the suppression of attachment and aversion. Limited in object, however, is due to not having many beings as object; immeasurable in object is due to having many beings as object; this is the difference. The rest is just the same. Thus, just in the Pāli language – Told by the Supreme Brahma, these are known as the divine abodes; Beyond these, this, miscellaneous talk too, should be understood. In these, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, in meaning, loving-kindness is that which merges, that is, cherishes. Or, being in a friend, or this proceeds from a friend, is loving-kindness. Compassion is that which, when there is the suffering of others, causes the heart of the virtuous to tremble. Or, compassion destroys, harms, eliminates the suffering of others. Or, compassion is spread, extended among the afflicted by way of pervading. Joy is that by which those endowed with it rejoice, or one rejoices oneself, or it is merely rejoicing. Equanimity is that which regards with indifference by abandoning activities such as ‘May they be without enmity’ and by approaching a state of neutrality. Here, in terms of characteristic and so on, ‘loving-kindness’ has the characteristic of promoting welfare, has the function of bringing about benefit, has non-hatred as manifestation, has seeing beings as having pleasant qualities as proximate cause. The subsiding of ill-will is its accomplishment, the arising of affection is its failure. ‘Compassion’ has the characteristic of removing suffering, has the function of being unable to bear the suffering of others, has non-harming as manifestation, has seeing those overcome by suffering as being without refuge as proximate cause. The subsiding of harm is its accomplishment, the arising of sorrow is its failure. ‘Joy’ has the characteristic of rejoicing in beings, has the function of non-envy, has the dispelling of discontent as manifestation, has seeing the success of beings as proximate cause. The subsiding of discontent is its accomplishment, the arising of hilarity is its failure. ‘Equanimity’ towards beings 'Equanimity' has the characteristic of proceeding by self-action, has the taste of seeing impartiality in beings, has the manifestation of the subsiding of aversion and affection, with the reflection: "Beings are owners of their actions; how can it be that they will be happy or free from suffering by the wish of another, or not decline from attained fortune?" Thus, it has the basis of showing the state of being the owner of one's actions. The subsiding of aversion and affection is its accomplishment, while arising from attachment to the household life is its failure. Moreover, for all four of these sublime abodes, the happiness of insight and the attainment of existence are a common purpose, while the aversion to ill-will, etc., is unique. Here, loving-kindness has the purpose of averting ill-will, while the others have the purpose of averting violence, discontent, and lust. And this was said: "This, friend, is the escape from ill-will, namely, the liberation of mind by loving-kindness; this, friend, is the escape from violence, namely, the liberation of mind by compassion; this, friend, is the escape from discontent, namely, the liberation of mind by gladness; this, friend, is the escape from lust, namely, the liberation of mind by equanimity" (D. III, 226; A. VI, 13). Here, each one has two enemies, near and far. For the sublime abode of loving-kindness, like an enemy of a man who is a close associate, lust is a near enemy because of the nature of seeing qualities and sharing. It quickly finds an opportunity. Therefore, loving-kindness should be well protected from it. Like an enemy of a man who has emerged from a dense mountain, ill-will is a distant enemy because of the nature of being dissimilar in nature. Therefore, loving-kindness should be practiced fearlessly from it. It is impossible that one will practice loving-kindness and also be angry. For the sublime abode of compassion, "When one does not obtain or experiences the non-obtaining of visible objects cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, pleasing, delightful, connected with worldly pleasures, or when one remembers a past, ceased, perished, changed object that one had previously obtained, sorrow arises. Such sorrow is called sorrow attached to the household life," according to this method, attachment to the household Sorrow, conjoined with seeing misfortune, is its near enemy. Harming, being of a different nature, is its distant enemy. Therefore, one should practice compassion fearlessly. But it is impossible that compassion will lead to harming with hands and so on. Gladness, of the divine abodes, "Joy arises in one seeing or experiencing the gain of sights cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, pleasing, delightful, connected with worldly pleasures, or recalling a past gain, previously gained, gone, ceased, changed. Such joy is called worldly joy," in this way, worldly joy, coming in the manner described, conjoined with seeing success, is its near enemy. Discontent, being of a different nature, is its distant enemy. Therefore, one should cultivate gladness fearlessly. But it is impossible that gladness will lead to delighting and longing for secluded forest dwellings and higher skillful qualities. Equanimity, of the divine abodes, however, "Seeing a form with the eye, equanimity arises in the foolish, deluded, ordinary person, who has not overcome defilements, has not overcome consequences, does not see danger, is unlearned, an ordinary person. Such equanimity does not transcend form. Therefore, that equanimity is called worldly," in this way, worldly equanimity, coming in the manner described, ignorance-equanimity, being of the same nature due to not discerning faults and virtues, is its near enemy. Lust and aversion, being of a different nature, are its distant enemies. Therefore, one should practice equanimity fearlessly. But it is impossible that equanimity will lead to lusting and aversion. For all of these, the desire to do is the beginning, the suppression of hindrances and so on is the middle, attainment is the end, one being or many beings are the object in terms of conceptual truth, increasing the object is done by access or attainment. Here is the method of increasing: Just as a skilled farmer, having plowed Having determined the area to be cultivated, he cultivates it. So, first, having determined one dwelling, there, towards beings, "May beings in this dwelling be without enmity," in this way, loving-kindness should be cultivated. There, having made the mind soft and workable, two dwellings should be determined. Then, gradually, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, one street, half a village, a village, a country, a kingdom, one direction, thus up to one world-system, or even beyond, there, towards beings, loving-kindness should be cultivated. Likewise, compassion and the others. This here is the order of expanding the object. Just as the outflow of the kasinas is the immaterial attainments, the outflow of the samādhis is the realm of neither perception nor non-perception, the outflow of the insights is the fruition attainment, the outflow of serenity and insight is the cessation attainment, so the outflow of the first three divine abidings here is the divine abiding of equanimity. Just as it is not possible to place the rafters in the sky without leaning them against a pillar and without raising the crossbeam, so it is not possible to cultivate the fourth without the third jhāna in the preceding ones. But the need for the third jhāna arisen in the kasinas does not arise, because of the object being dissimilar. Here there might be the question: "Why are these loving-kindness, compassion, gladness, and equanimity called divine abidings? And why only four? And what is their order? And why are they called immeasurables in the Vibhanga?