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The fear of self-reproach and so on, For the monk of pure morality; Like darkness for the sun, Does not enter his heart. A monk with accomplished morality, Shines in the ascetic grove; Like the moon with accomplished radiance, Shines in the sky. Even the bodily scent brings joy, For the monk endowed with morality; It brings joy even to devas, What then of the scent of morality? Of all kinds of scents, It surpasses the excellence; Unimpeded in all directions, The scent of morality wafts. Even small deeds done, For the moral one are greatly fruitful; Therefore, the moral one is, A recipient of offerings and honors. The moral one is not tormented, By defilements in this very life; Of future sufferings, The moral one digs up the root. Which among humans Good fortune, and prosperity among devas; For one perfected in virtue, desiring it, it is not hard to get. But that utterly peaceful, this attainment of Nibbāna; The mind of one perfected in virtue, runs after that very thing. "Virtue is the root of all attainments," thus the wise one, concerning virtue; In many ways, reveals its advantages. Indeed, for one thus revealing, shrinking from the failure of virtue, the mind inclines towards the perfection of virtue. Therefore, as stated, seeing this danger of the failure of virtue, and this advantage of the perfection of virtue, one should purify virtue with all earnestness. And thus far, by this verse, "A wise person, established in virtue," in the Path of Purification, taught through virtue, concentration, and wisdom, virtue has been explained. Thus, in the Path of Purification, made for the joy of good people, the first chapter, called "The Exposition of Virtue." 3. The Exposition of Taking a Meditation Subject 38. Now, since thus, by one established in this virtue, purified by qualities like fewness of wishes, perfected by observing ascetic practices, by the saying, "A wise person, established in virtue, develops concentration and wisdom," concentration, indicated by the heading 'concentration', should be developed. And since it was taught too briefly, it is not easy even to understand, let alone to develop. Therefore, to show its detailed explanation and method of development, this questioning work follows. What is concentration? In what sense is it concentration? What are its characteristic, function, manifestation, and proximate cause? How many kinds of concentration are there? And what is its defilement? What is its purification? How should it be developed? What is the advantage of developing concentration? Here is the answer. As to "What is concentration?" Concentration is of many kinds, of various sorts. An explanation attempting to reveal all of that would not achieve the intended purpose, and would lead to further distraction. Therefore, referring only to what is intended here, we say: Concentration is one-pointedness of wholesome mind. As to "In what sense is it concentration?" It is concentration in the sense of 'collecting'. What is this 'collecting'? The mind and mental factors on a single object... The placing, the proper and correct placing, is what is meant by "establishing." Therefore, that by the power of which mental states and mental factors stand together, properly and correctly, without scattering, without being dispersed, on a single object, this should be known as concentration. Regarding its characteristic, function, manifestation, and proximate cause: Concentration has the characteristic of non-distraction. Its function is the destruction of distraction. Its manifestation is unshakeableness. And its proximate cause is happiness, as it is said, "The mind of one who is happy becomes concentrated." 39. How many kinds of concentration are there? By the characteristic of non-distraction, it is one-fold. By way of access and absorption, it is two-fold. Likewise, by way of mundane and supramundane. By way of accompanied by joy and not accompanied by joy. By way of accompanied by happiness and accompanied by equanimity. It is three-fold by way of inferior, middling, and superior. Likewise, by way of accompanied by initial application and sustained application, etc. By way of accompanied by joy, etc. By way of limited, exalted, and immeasurable. It is four-fold by way of difficult practice with slow direct knowledge, etc. Likewise, by way of limited and limited object, etc. By way of the factors of the four jhānas. By way of leading to decline, etc. By way of the sense-sphere, etc. By way of dominance. It is five-fold by way of the factors of the five jhānas in the five-fold system. Description of Concentration in Ones and Twos Among these, the one-fold division is straightforward in meaning. In the two-fold division, the one-pointedness of mind attained by way of the six recollection objects: recollection of death, recollection of peace, the perception of repulsiveness in food, and the analysis of the four elements— and the one-pointedness that is the preliminary part of the absorption concentrations, this is access concentration. However, from the saying, "The preliminary work for the first jhāna is a condition by way of immediate condition for the first jhāna," etc., the one-pointedness that is immediately after the preliminary work, this is absorption concentration. Thus, it is two-fold by way of access and absorption. In the second pair, the one-pointedness of wholesome mind in the three planes of existence is mundane concentration. The one-pointedness associated with the noble path is supramundane concentration. Thus, it is two-fold by way of mundane and supramundane. In the third pair, the one-pointedness of mind in the two jhānas in the four-fold system, and in the three jhānas in the five-fold system, is accompanied by joy. the concentration with joy. In the remaining two jhānas, the one-pointedness is concentration without joy. But access concentration may be with joy, may be without joy, thus it is twofold as with joy and without joy. In the fourth pair, in the four jhānas of the fourfold system, and in the four jhānas of the fivefold system, one-pointedness is concentration accompanied by happiness. In the remaining one, it is concentration accompanied by equanimity. But access concentration may be accompanied by happiness, may be accompanied by equanimity, thus it is twofold as accompanied by happiness and accompanied by equanimity. Description of the Triads of Concentration In the first triad of the triads, that which is merely attained is inferior, that which is not well-developed is medium, that which is well-developed and has attained mastery is superior, thus it is threefold as inferior, medium, and superior. In the second triad, the concentration of the first jhāna, together with access concentration, is with initial application and sustained application. In the fivefold system, the concentration of the second jhāna is merely without initial application, with sustained application. For one who, seeing the fault only in initial application, and not seeing it in sustained application, desiring merely the abandonment of initial application, transcends the first jhāna, he attains concentration merely without initial application, with sustained application. Referring to that, this is said. But in the fourfold system, in the second and subsequent jhānas, and in the fivefold system, in the third and subsequent three jhānas, one-pointedness is concentration without initial application and without sustained application. Thus it is threefold as with initial application and sustained application, and so on. In the third triad, in the first two jhānas of the fourfold system, and in the first three jhānas of the fivefold system, one-pointedness is concentration accompanied by rapture. In the third and fourth jhānas of those same systems, one-pointedness is concentration accompanied by happiness. In the last, it is accompanied by equanimity. But access concentration is either accompanied by rapture and happiness or accompanied by equanimity. Thus it is threefold as accompanied by rapture, and so on. In the fourth triad, one-pointedness in the access stage is limited concentration. One-pointedness in wholesome rūpāvacara and arūpāvacara states is exalted concentration. One-pointedness associated with the noble path is immeasurable concentration. Thus it is threefold as limited, exalted, and immeasurable. Description of the Tetrads of Concentration In the first tetrad of the tetrads, there is concentration with painful practice and slow direct knowledge, There is a painful practice, swift insight, There is a pleasant practice, slow insight, There is a pleasant practice, swift insight. Therein, from the first application of mind, up to the arising of the access of each jhana, the development of concentration that proceeds is called 'practice'. But from the access, up to absorption, the wisdom that proceeds is called 'insight'. This practice, for some, is painful; meaning, it is difficult, unpleasant to engage in, due to the prevalence of opposing defilements like hindrances. For some, due to their absence, it is pleasant. Insight, too, for some is slow, dull, not swift in progress. For some, it is swift, not dull, swift in progress. Therein, we shall describe what is suitable and unsuitable, the cutting off of impediments, the preliminary duties, and the skill in absorption. Among these, whoever practices the unsuitable, for them, the practice is painful, and insight is slow. For one who practices the suitable, the practice is pleasant, and insight is swift. But whoever, in the earlier part, practices the unsuitable, and in the later part, practices the suitable; or in the earlier part, practices the suitable, and in the later part, practices the unsuitable; their case should be understood as mixed. Similarly, for one who engages in development without accomplishing preliminary duties like cutting off impediments, the practice is painful.