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it should be developed. And for avoiding the trouble of washing feet, a pair of single-soled sandals and a walking stick should be desired by him. Then, if his young concentration is lost due to some unsuitable reason, having put on sandals and taken the walking stick, having gone to that place, having taken the sign, and having come back, sitting comfortably, it should be developed, again and again it should be brought to mind, it should be made struck by reasoning, struck by thought. For one doing thus, gradually the hindrances are suppressed, defilements subside, the mind becomes concentrated with access concentration, and the counter-sign arises. Herein, this is the distinction between the former learning-sign and this one: in the learning-sign, the kasina's defect is perceived; the counter-sign, like a mirror disc taken out of its case, like a well-washed conch-shell, like the moon's disc emerged from among the clouds, like a crane in the face of a cloud, appears a hundred times, a thousand times purer than that, as if having burst forth from the learning-sign. And indeed, it is neither colored nor shaped. For if it were such, it would be perceptible by the eye, coarse, subject to contemplation, struck by the three characteristics; but it is not such. It is merely the mode of appearance for one who has attained concentration, which they produce by perception. 58. And from the time of its arising, the hindrances are indeed suppressed, the defilements are indeed subsided, and the mind is indeed concentrated with access concentration. For concentration is of two kinds: access concentration... And indeed, absorption concentration. In two ways the mind is concentrated, either in the sphere of access or in the sphere of attainment. There, in the sphere of access, the mind is concentrated by the abandonment of hindrances. In the sphere of attainment, by the manifestation of factors. But for the two concentrations, this is the difference: in access, the factors are not strong; because the factors are not strong, just as a young child, when picked up and placed, falls to the ground again and again, even so, when access arises, the mind sometimes takes the sign as object, sometimes descends into the life-continuum. But in absorption, the factors are strong; because they are strong, just as a strong man, rising from his seat, might stand for a whole day, even so, when absorption concentration arises, the mind, having cut off the life-continuum once, remains for the whole night, for the whole day, continuing only in a sequence of wholesome impulsion. There, that counter-sign which has arisen with access concentration, its production is indeed very difficult. Therefore, if one is able to develop that sign and attain absorption with that very posture, it is good. If not able, then that sign must be guarded diligently by him, like the embryo of a universal monarch. For thus it is – For one guarding the sign, no loss of what is gained exists; When guarding is absent, what is gained, is lost. Seven Suitabilities 59. Herein is the method of guarding – Dwelling, alms-resort, talk, person, food, season; Posture – these seven, one should avoid if unsuitable. The seven suitable ones, one should cultivate, for thus practicing; In no long time, absorption arises for someone. There, for one dwelling in a certain abode, if an unarisen sign does not arise, or an arisen one vanishes, and unestablished mindfulness does not become established, and an unconcentrated mind does not become concentrated, this is unsuitable. Where the sign arises and is stable, mindfulness is established, the mind is concentrated. Like the elder Tissa, dweller of Nāga Mountain, foremost in exertion, this is suitable. Therefore, in a monastery where there are many dwellings, one should stay in each for three days, and where one's mind becomes one-pointed, there one should stay. Indeed, due to a suitable dwelling, in the island of Tambapaṇṇi, dwelling in Cūḷanāgaleṇa, five hundred bhikkhus attained arahantship, having taken up their meditation subject right there. But for stream-enterers and others, who attained other noble stages elsewhere, and then attained arahantship there, there is no counting. And similarly in other places, like the Cittala Mountain monastery. But a village for alms-round, which is not too far from the dwelling, to the north or to the south, within one and a half leagues, where alms are easily obtained and abundant, that is suitable. The opposite is unsuitable. Talk is unsuitable if it falls within the thirty-two kinds of worldly talk, for that leads to the disappearance of the sign. Talk based on the ten topics of discourse is suitable, but even that should be spoken in moderation. A person too, who does not engage in worldly talk, endowed with virtues like morality, by relying on whom an unsettled mind becomes settled, or a settled mind becomes more firm, such a person is suitable. But a person who is much given to physical strength and worldly talk is unsuitable. For he makes a clear water muddy, like water with mud. And by relying on such a one, even the attainment of the young monk dwelling on Koṭa Mountain was lost, how much more so the sign. As for food, for some, sweet food is suitable, for others, sour food is suitable. As for climate, for some, cold is suitable, for others, hot is suitable. Therefore, whatever food or climate one partakes of and finds comfortable, where an unsettled mind becomes settled, or a settled mind becomes more firm, that food and that climate are suitable. Other food and other climate are unsuitable. Among postures too, for some, walking is suitable, for others, one of lying down, standing, or sitting. Therefore, like with the dwelling, after examining for three days, in whichever posture an unsettled mind becomes settled, or a settled mind or is more stable, that is suitable. The other is to be known as unsuitable. Thus, having avoided these seven kinds of unsuitability, suitability should be cultivated. For one who practices thus, frequently attending to the sign, before long, for some, absorption occurs. Tenfold Skill in Absorption 60. But for one who practices thus and it does not occur, by him the tenfold skill in absorption should be perfected. Here is the method: skill in absorption is desired by ten means: by making the basis clear, by bringing the faculties into equipoise, by skill with the sign, at the time when the mind should be uplifted, at that time he uplifts the mind, at the time when the mind should be restrained, at that time he restrains the mind, at the time when the mind should be gladdened, at that time he gladdens the mind, at the time when the mind should be looked on with equanimity, at that time he looks on the mind with equanimity, by avoiding unconcentrated persons, by associating with concentrated persons, by being devoted to that. 61. Therein, making the basis clear means making the internal and external bases clear. For when his hair, nails, and body hair are long, or his body is covered with sweat and dirt, then the internal basis is unclear and impure. But when his robe is old, soiled, and foul-smelling, or his dwelling is dirty, then the external basis is unclear and impure. And when the internal and external bases are unclear, the mind and mental factors that arise, and knowledge too, are impure, like the light of a lamp flame that arises depending on impure lamp-wicks and oil. With impure knowledge, for one who contemplates formations, the formations too are not distinct, and for one who applies himself to the meditation subject, the meditation subject does not attain growth, development, or fullness. But when the internal and external bases are clear, the mind and mental factors that arise, and knowledge too, are clear and pure, depending on pure lamp-wicks and oil that arise Like the light of a lamp's flame. And for one who discerns formations with purified knowledge, the formations too become clear. For one who applies himself to the meditation subject, the meditation subject too grows, develops, and expands. 62.Achieving balance of faculties means making the faculties like faith and so on equal. If his faculty of faith is strong and the others are weak, then the faculty of energy cannot perform its function of exertion, the faculty of mindfulness cannot perform its function of presence, the faculty of concentration cannot perform its function of non-distraction, the faculty of wisdom cannot perform its function of seeing. Therefore, that [strong faculty] should be reduced by reflecting on the nature of phenomena, or by not attending in the way it became strong. The story of Elder Vakkali is an example here. But if the faculty of energy is strong, then neither the faculty of faith can perform its function of conviction, nor can the other faculties perform their respective functions. Therefore, that [strong faculty] should be reduced by developing tranquility and so on. Here too, the story of Elder Soṇa should be shown. Similarly, in the remaining cases too, when one is strong, the inability of the others to perform their own functions should be understood. Especially here, they praise the balance of faith and wisdom, and of concentration and energy. Indeed, one strong in faith but weak in wisdom is blindly devoted, he places confidence in what is not a basis. One strong in wisdom but weak in faith leans towards cunning, like a disease arising from medicine, it becomes incurable. With the balance of both, one places confidence only in what is a basis. But strong concentration with weak energy is overcome by laziness, because concentration leans towards idleness. Strong energy with weak concentration is overcome by restlessness, because energy leans towards agitation. But concentration, when conjoined with energy, does not fall into laziness. Energy, when conjoined with concentration, does not fall into restlessness,