English
Joy and happiness arise pervading the entire body. Therefore it is said: "Nothing of his entire body is unpervaded by the joy and happiness born of seclusion." One-pointedness of mind also arises, having touched the objects, like the upper lid on the lower lid of a box. This is their distinction from others. Therein, one-pointedness of mind, although not explicitly stated in this passage "with initial application, with sustained application," nevertheless, because it is thus stated in the Vibhanga: "Jhana means initial application, sustained application, joy, happiness, one-pointedness of mind," it is indeed a factor. For by which... For the most part, the summary was made by the Blessed One, and that same was expounded by him in the analysis. Threefold Goodness 75. Here, "threefold goodness, endowed with ten characteristics" means the threefold goodness is in terms of beginning, middle, and end. And the endowment with ten characteristics should be understood in terms of the characteristics of these very beginnings, middles, and ends. Therein is this passage – ‘‘Of the first jhana, purity of practice is the beginning, the fostering of equanimity is the middle, the delight is the end. Of the first jhana, purity of practice is the beginning. How many characteristics has the beginning? The beginning has three characteristics. Whatever is its hindrance, from that the mind is purified. Being purified, the mind enters the middle sign of tranquility. Having entered, the mind rushes into it. And that from which the mind is purified from hindrance, and that being purified the mind enters the middle sign of tranquility, and that having entered the mind rushes into it. Of the first jhana, purity of practice is the beginning. These are the three characteristics of the beginning. Therefore it is said the first jhana is indeed good in the beginning and endowed with three characteristics. ‘‘Of the first jhana, the fostering of equanimity is the middle. How many characteristics has the middle? The middle has three characteristics. It regards the purified mind with equanimity. It regards that which has entered tranquility with equanimity. It regards the establishment of oneness with equanimity. And that it regards the purified mind with equanimity, and that it regards that which has entered tranquility with equanimity, and that it regards the establishment of oneness with equanimity. Of the first jhana, the fostering of equanimity is the middle. These are the three characteristics of the middle. Therefore it is said the first jhana is indeed good in the middle and endowed with three characteristics. ‘‘Of the first jhana, the delight is the end. How many characteristics has the end? The end has four characteristics. The delight is in the sense of not transgressing the states arisen there. The delight is in the sense of the faculties having a single taste. The sustaining of effort conducive to that. delight by meaning, delight by repeated practice. The delight of the first jhāna is the culmination, and these are the four characteristics of the culmination. Therefore it is said that the first jhāna is beautiful in culmination and endowed with four characteristics. Therein, purity of practice is the preliminary approach with its constituents. Cultivation of equanimity is absorption. Delight is reviewing—thus some explain. But since it is said in the Pāli, “the mind that has attained oneness is endowed with purity of practice, cultivated with equanimity, and delighted by knowledge,” therefore, purity of practice should be understood as the coming about within absorption itself, cultivation of equanimity as the function of equanimity of mental formations, and delight as the accomplishment of the function of knowledge that purifies by establishing the non-transgression of phenomena and so on. How? For in the moment when absorption arises, the group of defilements, called hindrances, which are an obstruction to that jhāna, the mind is purified from them. Being purified, it becomes free from coverings and enters upon the middle sign of tranquility. The middle sign of tranquility is absorption-concentration itself, which proceeds evenly. Immediately after that, the preceding mind, by transforming into a single continuum, attains suchness, and is said to enter upon the middle sign of tranquility; having thus entered, by attaining suchness, it is said to rush into it. Thus, purity of practice should be understood as the coming about in the very moment of the arising of the first jhāna, bringing about the existing aspects in the preceding mind. When it is thus purified, since there is nothing further to purify, not engaging in the act of purifying, one is said to look on with equanimity at the purified mind. Having attained tranquility, not engaging in the act of further concentrating the mind that has entered upon tranquility, one is said to look on with equanimity at the mind that has entered upon tranquility. And because it has entered upon tranquility, its defilements are abandoning the extreme, for one established in unity, not making an effort in the re-establishment of unity, he is said to look on with equanimity at the establishment of unity. Thus, by way of the function of equanimity regarding that, the cultivation of equanimity should be understood. And those conjoined states, born there, thus cultivated with equanimity, called concentration and wisdom, proceed without overcoming each other; and those faculties like faith, having been freed from various defilements, proceed as one taste, the taste of liberation; and that appropriate effort which drives their non-overcoming and one-taste nature; and that practice which occurs at that moment; all these aspects, because they are accomplished by knowledge, having seen the respective danger and benefit in defilements and purifications, and thus having been delighted, purified, and cleansed; therefore it is said: "The delight should be understood as the accomplishment of the function of knowledge, which purifies by establishing the non-overcoming nature of the states." There, because knowledge becomes manifest by way of equanimity. As it is said: "The mind thus grasped, he looks on well with equanimity, by way of equanimity, by way of wisdom, the faculty of wisdom becomes excessive, by way of equanimity, the mind is freed from various defilements, by way of liberation, by way of wisdom, the faculty of wisdom becomes excessive. Because they are liberated, these states become of one taste. By way of one taste, it is development." Therefore, delight, which is the function of knowledge, is called the culmination. Now, "the first jhāna is attained by means of the earth kasiṇa" - here, "first" refers to the order of enumeration, and "first" also means first arisen. Jhāna is either from intensely contemplating the object or from burning up the adversaries. The earth disk, however, is called the earth kasiṇa in its entirety, and also the sign obtained by relying on it, and also the jhāna obtained in the earth kasiṇa sign. Here, in this context, jhāna should be understood as the earth kasiṇa. Referring to that, it is said: "the first jhāna the earth-kasiṇa is attained.” Ensuring Long-Term Stability 76. When this is attained, the yogi should grasp the conditions, like a hair-splitter or a cook. Just as a skilled archer, when splitting a hair, would grasp the conditions of his stance, the bow-staff, the bowstring, and the arrow at the moment he splits the hair. “Standing thus, holding the bow-staff thus, the bowstring thus, the arrow thus, the hair was split by me.” From then on, by fulfilling those very conditions, he would split the hair without fail. In the same way, the yogi should grasp these conditions, such as the suitability of food: “Having eaten such and such food, serving such and such a person, in such and such a dwelling, with such and such a posture, at this time, this was attained by me.” For then, if it is lost, he will be able to re-produce it by fulfilling those conditions, or to make it proficient again and again if it is not proficient. And just as a skilled cook, serving his master, observes what he enjoys eating, and from then on, by presenting the same, becomes a recipient of gain, so too this one, by grasping the conditions such as food at the moment of attainment, and fulfilling them, becomes a recipient of repeated absorption whenever it is lost. Therefore, he should grasp the conditions like a hair-splitter and like a cook. And this was also said by the Blessed One: “Just as, bhikkhus, a wise, competent, skilled cook might serve a king or a royal minister with various curries: sour-tasting, bitter-tasting, pungent-tasting, sweet-tasting, salty, unsalty, with salt, without salt. That wise, competent, skilled cook, bhikkhus, grasps the sign of his master: ‘Today, my master likes this curry, or he takes to this, or he takes much of this, or he speaks praise of this, the sour-tasting or my master today likes the curry, or he brings it to the sour one, or he takes much of the sour one, or he praises the sour one... or he praises the unsalted one. That, monks, wise, skilled, expert cook is a recipient of clothes, a recipient of wages, a recipient of gifts. For what reason? Because, monks, that wise, skilled, expert cook grasps the sign of his own master. Just so, monks, some wise, skilled, expert monk dwells observing the body in the body... feelings in feelings... mind in mind... phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in the world. As he dwells observing phenomena in phenomena, his mind becomes concentrated, defilements are abandoned. He grasps that sign. That, monks, wise, skilled, expert monk is a recipient of pleasant dwellings in this very life, a recipient of mindfulness and clear comprehension. For what reason? Because, monks, that wise, skilled, expert monk