English
with regard to in-breaths and out-breaths. "By that attention" means by that attention to development which is preceded by mindfulness there; the intention is, with faith. "Practices" means practices wholesome states when "the three trainings" are mentioned. Here, that practice is intended as training. "In the former method" means in the former method of development, the intention is, in the first two objects. Even there, the production of knowledge is certainly obtained due to the existence of the comprehension of the true long and short nature of in-breaths and out-breaths. Nevertheless, that is not difficult, as it is merely the grasping of them as they occur. Therefore, the present tense is used there. But this is difficult, like a man on a razor's edge. like the mind, therefore, to show that there must be an excess of prior volitional formations here, the future tense is used, to show this meaning, "there, since" and so on was said. There, in the production of knowledge and so on, the word "and so on" includes the calming of bodily formations, the experience of rapture, and so on. Some here say, "it is a collection of restraint and undertaking." Bodily formation means in-breathing and out-breathing. Although it arises from the mind, because its activity is bound to the physical body, it is called a bodily formation, as it is formed by it. But the bodily formation that comes as "bodily formation, verbal formation" (M.N. 1.102), which is characterized by volition, and is marked by the body-door due to its predominant activity, even when arising through other doors, is not intended here. In "calming" and so on, the latter word is the meaning of the former word. Therefore, calming means pacification, and it should be understood as the non-arising of the gross bodily formation, which would be liable to arise if such an application were absent, due to the success of the application. There, it means "calming the gross bodily formation." In the ungrasped time, when the meditation object has not been undertaken, and thus when the body and mind have not been grasped. For by "he sits, having folded his legs, having set his body upright," the grasping of the body is spoken of, by "having established mindfulness in front of him," the grasping of the mind is spoken of. Therefore, it is said, "the body and the mind are grasped." Body means the physical body. With pain means with feverishness. And that painfulness of theirs is inseparable from their grossness, like a heavy burden, so it is said "gross." Stronger means powerful, coarse. They are calm means the mind, being one-pointed due to the absence of external distractions, and having grasped the meditation object, becomes calm, pacified; from that, the material phenomena arising from it attain lightness, softness, and workability, and accordingly, the remaining thirty-two forms, and so on. And when the mind and body are tranquil, the in-breaths and out-breaths dependent on them, being of a calm nature, gradually become subtle, more subtle, and most subtle. Therefore it is said, "When his body also..." and so on. "I shall tranquilize" is the first advertence. Bending towards is attention. Rightly bringing to mind again and again is sustained attention. Repeated advertence to that same object, making that object present in the mind, is mental advertence. Investigation is reflection. "Agitated" means with agitation, with feverishness. "Excessive" means strong, coarse, spoken with a gender inversion. Indeed, body-formation is intended. Or this is an adverbial phrase: "occurs excessively." "Subtle" - here too, the same method applies. In "in the body," "and in the mind" should be brought in and connected. The preparatory work, the various advertences for the second jhāna, performed after rising from the first jhāna, are considered to have their opponents far removed, just like the first jhāna. Therefore, the body-formation arising from them is said to be coarse, similar in the first jhāna and in the approach to the second jhāna. This method applies to the remaining two approaches as well. Or, for the yogi who strives to attain the second jhāna and so on, who is wearied by the painful path and so forth, due to bodily fatigue, mental distress, and so forth, and due to the agitation of initial application and so forth, and the trembling of the mind's activity, the coarseness of body-formation in the approaches to the second jhāna and so on should be understood. "Extremely subtle" means that the body-formation, found elsewhere, is exceedingly subtle in the fourth jhāna. Even its subtle nature is not there; how then could it be coarse? Because it does not occur. Therefore it is said, "It reaches non-occurrence itself." Referring to the time of entering the successive attainments for one who has gained them, or the attainment of all jhānas in a single sitting, the Middle Reciters desire it to be more subtle even in the approaches to the higher jhānas from the lower jhānas. For there, the jhānas with their approaches might possess increasing excellence and tranquility, and the approach of a single advertence... With reference to that, thus it was said. For thus, by the argument stated below, the non-contradiction of this argument is established, due to their different subjects. "Of all" means of both. Because all of them, by the method being stated, indeed desire tranquility. "The bodily formation that arises when not comprehended, subsides when comprehended" - this was said due to the similarity of the continuum. For indeed, those coarse in-breaths and out-breaths are not subtle. But the manner of their subsiding was indeed stated below. "Subtle in the comprehension of the great elements" - this was said with reference to the penetration of insight through the four elements. "Subtle in the comprehension of all form" - due to the increasing refinement of the development. Therefore it is said, "Subtle in the comprehension of form and formless." "By insight focused on characteristics" - refers to the discernment of kalāpas (groups). Strong insight begins from the contemplation of disenchantment; below that is weak insight. "By the method stated previously" - means by the method stated in the tranquility section, beginning with "when not comprehended." It is said that "the bodily formation that arises when not comprehended, subsides in the comprehension of the great elements" - by this and similar statements, the subsiding should also be applied to the insight method. "Of this" refers to the phrase "calming the bodily formation." "By questions and clarifications" means by challenges and resolutions. "Thus" means in the manner now being stated. "How?" - desiring to explain how the calming of the bodily formation and the training of the yogi occurs, by what method, regarding what was said "calming... and trains," having asked this, the section "what are bodily formations?" etc. was begun to show bodily formations in terms of their nature, their coarseness and subtlety, their cessation, and by challenges and resolutions. Therein, "bodily" means existing in the physical body. "Bound to the body" means dependent on the body. They exist when the body exists, and do not exist when it does not; therefore, even though they do not originate from the body, they are conditioned by the body, hence "bodily formations." "Calming" means calming the coarser and coarser. The remaining two words are synonyms of that. For indeed, the coarse bodily formation, whose nature is not ceased... Causing to settle down completely is called "calming." Causing non-arising and cessation is called "stopping." Leading to a very tranquil state is called "pacifying." "By such forms" means by what kind. "By bodily formations" means by gross bodily formations. "Bending forward" means the body's bending towards the front. "Bending apart" means the body's bending in various ways. "Bending together" means from all sides, or bending well. "Bending back" means the body's bending backwards. Shaking, etc., are synonyms for bending forward, etc. Or excessive movements like bending forward, etc., are *ānamanādayo*. And slight movements like shaking, etc., are *iñjanādayo*. "Calming the bodily formation" means calming that gross bodily formation which is the cause of bending forward, etc. For when that is calmed, bending forward, etc., are also calmed. "Tranquil, subtle" means by such bodily formations, which are causes for the body's non-agitation, bending forward, etc., do not occur. Such is tranquil due to the absence of distress, and subtle due to its non-grossness. "Calming the bodily formation" is said generally, making it one. Or alternatively, having first calmed the grossest bodily formation, then gradually giving rise to subtler and subtler ones which are causes for the body's non-agitation, and having calmed even those, that bodily formation which reaches the peak of extreme subtlety, which one calms, referring to that, it is said, "calming the tranquil, subtle bodily formation." "Thus," etc., is the questioner's statement. There, "thus" is a particle in the sense of "manner." "Indeed" indicates dissatisfaction. And the meaning is "even so." And here the intention is: "If, in the manner stated, one calms even an extremely subtle bodily formation." "Thus being" means when this is so, when the manner stated by you is obtained. "By the perception of wind" means by the perception of wind. The word "ca" (and) has the meaning of aggregation. The manifestation, production, or occurrence of the mind whose object is the wind of in-breaths, etc., does not happen. And the intention is that those should be calmed by him. "And the manifestation of in-breaths and out-breaths" means calming the gross in-breaths and out-breaths through development. their subtle ones, and there is no development of both of them, because they are to be calmed down by that.