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Therefore, only the first absorption occurs here, not the second and so on. Even when the mind is averse to the object, joy and happiness arise because of seeing the advantages, thinking, 'Surely, by this practice, I will be freed from old age and death,' and because of the abandonment of the torment of the hindrances, just as for the flower-thrower who sees the advantages, thinking, 'Now I will receive much wages,' even in a heap of excrement, and like the discharge of vomiting and purging for a sick person suffering from severe disease. This ten kinds of foulness, in terms of characteristic, is really only one. For the characteristic of this ten kinds is simply being impure, foul-smelling, disgusting, and repulsive. And this, with this characteristic, arises not only in a dead body, but also in a living body, just as it did for the Elder Mahātissa, who lived on Cetiyapabbata, when he saw a tooth-bone, and for the novice attendant of the Elder Saṅgharakkhita, when he looked up at the king riding on an elephant's back. Just as a dead body is, so too is a living one, simply foul. Here, the characteristic of foulness is not apparent because it is concealed by adventitious adornment. The Discourse on Foulness. But are the form-sphere concepts limited to the earth kasina as the beginning and the bone-perception as the end, or are there others? There are others; for mindfulness of breathing and mindfulness of the body are not mentioned here. Although they are not mentioned, when the air kasina is taken, mindfulness of breathing is taken as well; and when the color kasinas are taken, mindfulness of the body that arises by way of the fourth and fifth absorptions in the case of hair and so on, and mindfulness of the body that occurs by way of reflection on the repulsiveness of the thirty-two parts and by way of the nine charnel ground color absorptions when the ten kinds of foulness are taken, are taken as well. All the form-sphere concepts Thus it is declared here. The discourse on form-sphere wholesome states is concluded. Description of Formless-Sphere Wholesome States Sphere of Infinite Space 265. Now, to show the formless-sphere wholesome states, again, "Which states are wholesome?" etc., is begun. There, "for the attainment of the formless" means formless existence is the formless, in the formless is attainment, the attainment of the formless, for that attainment of the formless. "Develops the path" means produces, increases the means, the cause, the reason. "Entirely" means in every way. Or "completely" is the meaning. "Perception of form" refers to both the form-sphere jhānas mentioned with perception as the chief and their objects. For the form-sphere jhāna is also called form, as in "one with form sees forms," etc. (Dhs. 248; DN 2.129). Its object is also referred to as "he sees forms outside, fair and foul," etc. (Dhs. 244-246; DN 2.173); therefore, here, "perception in form" thus, this is a designation for the form-sphere jhāna mentioned with perception as the chief. "Form is perception for him" means it is said, form is its name. Thus, it should be understood that this is a designation for the earth kasiṇa, etc., and their objects. "Transcending" means by detachment and cessation. What is said? Of these fifteen perceptions of form, reckoned as jhānas, in terms of wholesome, resultant, and functional, and of these eight perceptions of form, reckoned as objects, in terms of the earth kasiṇa, etc., by detachment and cessation in every way or completely, both the cause of detachment and the cause of cessation, he attains and abides in the sphere of infinite space. For it is not possible for one who has not entirely transcended perception of form to attain and abide in this. There, since for one who is not detached from the object, there is no transcendence of perception, and when perceptions are transcended, the object is also transcended, therefore, without stating the transcendence of the object, "What is perception of form there? The perception, perceiving, state of one who has attained or is attaining the form-sphere attainment or is abiding in happiness in the present life, these are called..." Thus, perceptions of form. These perceptions of form are surpassed, transcended, utterly transcended; therefore it is said, "with the complete transcending of perceptions of form." Thus, in the Vibhaṅga, only the transcending of perceptions is stated. However, since these attainments are to be reached by transcending objects, not like the first jhāna and so on, which are on a single object, therefore it should be understood that this is an explanation of the meaning in terms of transcending objects as well. The passing away of perceptions of resistance: the perception arising from the impact of the objects of the sense bases, such as forms, on the eye and so on, is perception of resistance. This is a designation for perceptions of form and so on. As it is said: "What is perception of resistance? Perception of form, perception of sound, perception of smell, perception of taste, perception of touch; these are called perceptions of resistance." By the passing away, abandonment, non-arising, non-occurrence of all ten perceptions of resistance, both the five wholesome results and the five unwholesome results, it is said that they have been brought to an end. Although these do not exist for one who has attained the first jhāna and so on – for at that time the mind does not function through the five sense doors – even so, as with the pleasure and pain abandoned elsewhere in the fourth jhāna, and as with the view of self and so on in the third path, the statement of these here should be understood as praise of this jhāna for the purpose of generating effort. Or, although they do not exist for one who has attained the form realm, nevertheless they do not exist because they have not been abandoned. For the cultivation of the form realm does not lead to the fading away of form, and the occurrence of these is dependent on form. But this cultivation leads to the fading away of form. Therefore, it is fitting to say that they are abandoned here. And not only is it fitting to say, but it is also fitting to hold it thus as a certainty. For it is precisely because they were not abandoned before that the Buddha said of one who had attained the first jhāna, "sound is a thorn." And it is precisely because they are abandoned here that the imperturbability of the formless attainments is And deliverance from perception was declared. Āḷāra and Kālāma, attaining to the immaterial attainments, did not see or hear the passing of five hundred carts relying on (that attainment) (D. ii, 192). Non-attention to perceptions of diversity means non-attention to perceptions occurring in diverse objects, or to perceptions of diversity. For these, defined in the Vibhaṅga as, "What are perceptions of diversity? Perception, perceiving, the state of having perceived, of one not attained, or of one associated with the mind-element or the mind-consciousness element, these are called perceptions of diversity" (Vibh. 604), are intended here; perception associated with the mind-element or mind-consciousness element of one not attained, occurs in diverse objects, in diverse states, in the diversity of form, sound, etc. Since these forty-four perceptions—eight wholesome perceptions of the sense-sphere, twelve unwholesome perceptions, eleven wholesome resultant perceptions of the sense-sphere, two unwholesome resultant perceptions, and eleven functional perceptions of the sense-sphere—are diverse, of diverse natures, dissimilar to each other, therefore, "perceptions of diversity" is said. By complete non-attention to those perceptions of diversity is meant non-directing, non-application, non-investigation, non-reflection. Because one does not direct them, does not attend to them, does not reflect on them, therefore it is said. Since here, the former perceptions of form and perceptions of resistance do not exist even in the existence produced by this jhāna, much less at the time of attaining and abiding in this jhāna in that existence, therefore, their absence is stated in two ways, as 'transcendence' and 'cessation'. But since in perceptions of diversity, these twenty-seven perceptions—eight wholesome perceptions of the sense-sphere, nine functional perceptions, ten unwholesome perceptions—exist in the existence produced by this jhāna, therefore, it should be understood that "non-attention" is said of them. Even there, while attaining and abiding in this jhāna, one attains and abides only by non-attention to them. But one who attends to them is not attained. Briefly here, by "transcendence of perceptions of form" is meant Herein is described the abandonment of all rūpāvacara-dhamma. 'Through the passing away of perceptions of resistance, through non-attention to perceptions of diversity' Herein it should be understood that the abandonment and non-attention of all kāmāvacara citta and cetasika are described. Thus the Blessed One, 'through the complete transcending of perceptions of form, through the passing away of perceptions of resistance, through non-attention to forty-four perceptions of diversity,' with these three phrases, spoke in praise of the attainment of the Ākāsānañcāyatana. What is the reason? For the sake of generating enthusiasm and enticing the listeners. For if some unwise people were to say, 'The Teacher says to attain the Ākāsānañcāyatana, what is the purpose of attaining it? What is the benefit?' So that they may not be able to say thus, He spoke in praise of the attainment in these ways. For having heard it, it will occur to them, 'This attainment is indeed thus, so excellent, we shall attain it.' Then they will make effort for the sake of attaining it. And also for the sake of enticing them, He spoke in praise of it, like a 'poison-thorn' merchant. A 'poison-thorn' merchant is called a molasses merchant.