English
excluding the two kasiṇas of light and space, it is said with reference to the eight kasiṇas mentioned in the Pāli texts, but there are forty meditation subjects. "By the method stated before" means that the application to practice is the proximate cause of action, this meaning is indicated. "By this very meditation subject" means by this meditation subject of mindfulness of breathing. "As if bringing forth a great elephant path" means as if showing the path of meditation by making it a great elephant path. "The teacher of the aforementioned kind" means the teacher of the kind mentioned below, by "having produced the fourth jhana with this very meditation subject, having developed insight, having attained arahantship," and so on. By "beloved, respected, to be cultivated," and so on (A.N. 7.37; Netti. 113; Mil. Pa. 6.1.10), they also say the teacher of the kind mentioned in the Visuddhimagga (Visuddhi. 1.42). "Having five joints" means having five sections, having five parts. Meaning. "Taking up the meditation subject" means taking up the meditation text. "Inquiring into its meaning" means inquiring into the meditation subject, or inquiring into doubts concerning it. "Attending to the meditation subject" means establishing the sign thus: "As one practices meditation, so here the sign appears." Likewise, "applying the meditation subject" means thus applying jhāna. "Characteristic of the meditation subject" means discerning the nature of the meditation subject, which is the attainment of the highest point by establishing the meditation through counting, following, and touching, thereby making it zealous. Therefore, it is said, "It means the comprehension of the nature of the meditation subject." "Free from eighteen faults of dwellings" means: being too large, being too new, being too old, being near a road, having trees with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits, being desirable (to others), being near a city, wood, or field, having incompatible people, being near a port, being near a border, being near a kingdom's boundary, being unsuitable, not obtaining good friends. Free from these eighteen faults of dwellings. "Endowed with five qualities of dwellings" means: "Here, monks, a dwelling is neither too far nor too near, convenient for coming and going, not crowded by day, not noisy or boisterous by night, free from contact with gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things. Moreover, for one dwelling in that dwelling, robes, almsfood, lodging, and requisites for the sick, including medicine, arise without difficulty. And in that dwelling, elder monks reside... Thus, monks, a dwelling is endowed with five qualities." (AN 10.11) Thus, endowed with the five qualities of a dwelling as stated by the Blessed One. Here, "neither too far" etc. is one; "not crowded by day" etc. is one; "free from gadflies" etc. is one; "obtaining robes" etc. is one; and "residence of elder monks" is one. Thus, these five qualities should be understood. "Having cut off minor impediments" means: by removing long hair etc., and by cooking and sewing bowls, robes, etc. By means of attachment, etc., the minor impediments are cut off, by that. "Bhattasammada" means exertion for the sake of food. Learning from the teacher is 'ācariyuggaha', the entire method of meditation, not merely the learning mentioned before, from that. "Ekapada" means even one part. "Anuvahana" means by way of following the in-breaths and out-breaths, the continuous application of mindfulness. But since there is no distinct attention by way of touching, as there is by way of counting, etc., to show that counting, etc., should be done only at the place of contact, explaining that here "touching" is taken, he said, "Touching means the place of contact." "Ṭhapana" means concentration. But because absorption is prominent in concentration, he said, "Ṭhapana means absorption." By the characteristic of impermanence, etc., discerning is insight. From the occurrence and from the sign, turning away is the path. From the state of the calming of defilements, purity is the fruit. "Of these" means of turning away and purity. "Khaṇḍa" means "one, three, five," breaking up the counting by way of skipping one, etc. Or "khaṇḍa" means not counting for some time in between, and then counting again, the interval or period should not be shown. For one who shows such a break, distraction arises from the thought, "Is my mind inclined towards the meditation object, or not?" Therefore, he said, "Have I reached the peak?" etc. And this was said with reference to one who, having shown such a break, attends to counting for a longer time. Indeed, he, relying on the measure of non-distraction thus attained, might think thus. "That which appears, taking that" - this was said with reference to one for whom only one of the in-breaths or out-breaths appears first. But for one for whom both appear, both should be taken and counted. By "that which appears" itself, that which is manifest among the two nostril-breaths should be taken - this meaning also should be understood as explained. Even when at first only one appears, for one who observes and counts, gradually both become manifest, so he said. 'The in-breaths and out-breaths become manifest.' Thus, it is to be counted quickly, this is the connection. To show the opportunity for this quick counting, it is said, 'He counts this also in the former way,' and so on. There, 'in the former way' means by slow counting. 'Having become manifest' indicates that when slow counting is begun, due to the mind's lack of clarity, subtle in-breaths and out-breaths are not manifest. Later, when the mind is clear, they become manifest. And when they are manifest, one should abandon slow counting and engage in quick counting. Quick counting, without alternative, is only in the uninterrupted appanā-process, not in the kāma-sphere with bhavaṅga-intervals. Thus it says, 'as if continuously occurring.' 'In the former way' means by quick counting. One who attends to the air entering inside is said to bring the mind inside. 'This' means this class of in-breaths and out-breaths. 'Following' is merely attending at the point of contact, not following the in-breaths and out-breaths. Therefore, it says, 'and that not by way of following the beginning, middle, and end.' There is no separate attention by way of 'touching' and 'placing.' By this, it is shown that just as one attends by counting and touching, so too, without 'binding,' there is no mere attention by 'placing' and 'touching.' Thus, having withdrawn counting, one attends by 'binding' and 'touching' until appanā arises. When appanā has arisen, one attends by 'binding' and 'placing.' In the commentary, however, to show that there is no attention by 'placing' without 'binding,' only 'it is said that one attends by binding, touching, and placing' should be understood as having been stated. That which does not measure or determine at all is near to measuring, this is the simile, like establishing the provable by the established, as a gavaya is like a cow. 'Paṅguḷa' means one who crawls on his seat. 'Dolā' means a swing. 'Kīḷatanti' means of those who play. 'Upanibandhanatthambhamūle' means the tip of the nose and the mouth-sign. This was said. From the beginning, meaning, from the point of seeing the simile's meaning. Sign, meaning, the binding sign, the tip of the nose, or the mouth-sign. Not an object for one mind, meaning, since in one moment the in-breaths and out-breaths do not occur, all three are not objects for one mind; only two are objects in one moment, the in-breath and out-breath together with the sign— this is the meaning. And for one who does not know the three phenomena, meaning, for one who does not find these three phenomena— the sign, the in-breath, the out-breath— as objects of attention. The word 'ca' (and) is an exclusion, thereby showing that if this is so, there is an undesirable consequence. Development, meaning, the development of mindfulness of breathing. How do these…etc…attain distinction? This is a question posed to explain the meaning already stated in the verse of refutation, using the simile of the saw. There, the word 'how' should be connected to each part: "How do these, unknown…etc…how do they attain distinction?" Exertion, meaning, the energy that brings about development. Application, meaning, the practice of development that suppresses hindrances. Distinction, meaning, the distinction culminating in Arahantship. Exertion, meaning, the energy of cutting a tree. Application, meaning, the act of cutting it. Although 'attains distinction' is not stated in the simile, it should be connected by meaning. As a tree, etc., is the connection of the simile. At the tip of the nose or at the mouth-sign, meaning, for one with a long nose, at the tip of the nose; for the other, at the upper lip, which is called the mouth-sign, because the mouth is covered or hidden by it. This is exertion, meaning, by which energetic beginning both the body and the mind are worthy of the work of development. Here, 'exertion' shows the cause by the result. Defilements, meaning, the hindrances. Thoughts, meaning, wrong thoughts such as sensual thoughts. Or, having shown the attainment of the first jhāna by the abandonment of hindrances, it speaks of the attainment of the second jhāna and so on by the cessation of thoughts. This is application, meaning, this application, which is the practice of the meditation subject, is the cause for the attainment of jhāna. Fetters are abandoned, meaning, all ten fetters. Fetters are abandoned by way of complete eradication of the path's obstacles. They become gone, thus also the seven latent tendencies become completely gone, without any remainder, even of a mere trace. "This is the distinction" means that this abandoning of fetters, etc., obtained gradually by relying on this concentration, is the distinction of this concentration.