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he is not drawn by attachment to that pleasure. And just as rapture does not arise, so, by virtue of established mindfulness, he is mindful. And because he experiences with the mental body a pleasure that is dear to the noble ones, served by the noble ones, and undefiled, therefore he is worthy of praise. Thus, it should be understood that because he is worthy of praise, the noble ones, proclaiming these qualities that are causes for praise, praise him thus: "equanimous, mindful, a pleasant dweller." "Third" means in numerical order... the third, this is the third, one attains the third. As for what was said, ‘‘one factor abandoned, endowed with two factors,’’ here, the abandonment of joy should be understood as the abandonment of one factor. This joy, however, is abandoned at the moment of absorption, just like initial and sustained application in the second jhāna. Therefore, it is called a factor of abandonment. The endowment with two factors should be understood as the arising of these two: happiness and one-pointedness of mind. Therefore, what was said in the Vibhaṅga, ‘‘Jhāna means equanimity, mindfulness, clear comprehension, happiness, one-pointedness of mind,’’ was said in a figurative sense to show jhāna with its accessories. But, apart from equanimity, mindfulness, and clear comprehension, it is indeed two-factored in the ultimate sense, in terms of the factors that have attained the characteristic of close contemplation. As it is said, ‘‘What jhāna is two-factored at that time? Happiness, one-pointedness of mind.’’ The rest is in the same manner as described for the first jhāna. Discourse on the Fourth Jhāna 87. Having attained that jhāna, one should become skilled and proficient in it in the five ways as described. Then, rising from the well-mastered third jhāna, one should see a fault in it, thinking, ‘‘This attainment is inimical to proximate joy; the happiness mentioned as ‘whatever happiness is there, that is called gross’ is gross, and its factors are weak.’’ Having thus seen the fault there, one should contemplate the fourth jhāna as peaceful, relinquish attachment to the third jhāna, and make an effort to attain the fourth. Then, when one rises from the third jhāna, mindful and clearly comprehending, and reviews the jhāna factors, and the happiness, which is mental pleasure, appears gross, and the feeling of equanimity and one-pointedness of mind appear peaceful, at that time, for the abandonment of the gross factor and the acquisition of the peaceful factor, as one repeatedly contemplates that same sign, ‘‘earth, earth,’’ thinking, ‘‘Now the fourth jhāna will arise,’’ it cuts off the life-continuum and that same earth Making the earth-kasiṇa the object, mind-door adverting arises. Then, on that very object, four or five impulsion moments arise, at the end of which, one is a fourth-jhāna rūpāvacara, the rest are kāmāvacara of the type mentioned. But this is the distinction: since pleasant feeling is not a condition for feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant by way of repetition, and in the fourth jhāna, feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant must arise, therefore, those are conjoined with equanimity-feeling. And because of being conjoined with equanimity, joy also wanes here. Thus, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain, and with the prior disappearance of joy and sorrow, he enters and abides in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant, purified by equanimity and mindfulness. Thus, by him, the fourth jhāna, with one factor abandoned, endowed with two factors, of threefold excellence, possessing ten characteristics, is attained, with the earth-kasiṇa. 88. Therein, "with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain" means the abandoning of bodily pleasure and bodily pain. "Prior" means indeed prior, not at the moment of the fourth jhāna. "Disappearance of joy and sorrow" means the prior disappearance of these two also: mental pleasure and mental pain. It is said to be abandoning. But when does their abandoning occur? At the access moment of the four jhānas. Joy, indeed, is abandoned at the access moment of the fourth jhāna itself. Pain, sorrow, and pleasure are abandoned at the access moments of the first, second, and third jhānas. Thus, the abandoning of pleasure, pain, joy, and sorrow, which are mentioned here in the order of the faculties' enumeration in the Indriya-vibhaṅga, even though not stated in the order of their abandoning, should be understood. If these are abandoned at the access moment of each respective jhāna, then why is it said: "Where, monks, does the faculty of pain, having arisen, cease without remainder? Here, monks, a bhikkhu, quite secluded..." …he enters and dwells in the first jhāna. Here, the faculty of pain that has arisen ceases without remainder. Where does the faculty of displeasure, the faculty of pleasure, the faculty of joy that has arisen cease without remainder? Here, monks, a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure… …enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. Here, the faculty of joy that has arisen ceases without remainder.” (Saṃ. Ni. 5.510) Is it said that cessation occurs only in the jhānas? Because of extreme cessation. For them, extreme cessation is in the first jhāna and so on, not just cessation. But cessation itself is in the access moment, not extreme cessation. Thus, in the access to the first jhāna, even for the faculty of pain that has ceased in various ways of turning away, it might arise again due to the touch of gnats and mosquitoes, or the discomfort of an uneven seat, but not in absorption. Or even if it has ceased in access, it is not truly ceased, because it is not overcome by its opposite. But in absorption, the entire body is pervaded with pleasure by the suffusion of rapture, and for a body pervaded with pleasure, the faculty of pain is truly ceased, because it is overcome by its opposite. And in the access to the second jhāna, in various ways of turning away, for the faculty of displeasure that has been abandoned, it might arise because it is conditioned by applied thought and sustained thought, and by bodily fatigue and mental distress. And in the absence of applied thought and sustained thought, it does not arise at all. But where it does arise, there are applied thought and sustained thought, and applied thought and sustained thought are not abandoned in the access to the second jhāna, so it might arise there, but not in the second jhāna itself, because its conditions are abandoned. Similarly, in the access to the third jhāna, for the faculty of pleasure that has been abandoned, it might arise for a body pervaded with refined form arising from rapture, but not in the third jhāna itself. For in the third jhāna, rapture, which is the condition for pleasure, has completely ceased. Similarly, in the access to the fourth jhāna, for the faculty of joy that has been abandoned, it might arise due to its proximity, the absence of equanimity having reached absorption, and not having been completely transcended, but not in the fourth jhāna itself. Therefore, indeed, the faculty of pain arisen here ceases without remainder. Thus, in various places, the taking of "without remainder" is done. Here it is said: "If these feelings are abandoned in the approach to each of those jhānas, why are they brought together here?" For the sake of easy comprehension. For this feeling that is called "neither pleasant nor painful" here, that feeling is subtle, difficult to discern. It cannot be easily grasped. Therefore, just as for a fierce bull, approaching it in any way, it is impossible to grasp, for such a bull, for the sake of easy grasping, a cowherd gathers all the cows in one pen. Then, taking them out one by one, as they come in order, saying "This is it, grasp it!", he makes them grasp that one too. Even so, the Blessed One, for the sake of easy grasping, gathered all these (feelings). For thus, having shown these gathered feelings, that which is neither pleasant nor painful, neither joy nor sorrow, "This is the neither pleasant nor painful feeling," it is possible to make it grasped. Moreover, for the neither pleasant nor painful liberation of mind, and for the purpose of showing its conditions, these are said to be declared. For the abandonment of pain and so forth are its conditions. As it is said: "There are four conditions, friend, for the attainment of the neither pleasant nor painful liberation of mind. Here, friend, a monk, by the abandonment of pleasure... (etc.)... enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. These, friend, are the four conditions for the attainment of the neither pleasant nor painful liberation of mind." (M.N. 1.458) Or just as the personality view and so forth, though abandoned elsewhere, for the sake of praising the third path, are said to be abandoned there; even so, for the sake of praising this jhāna, these (feelings) are said to be declared here. Or by the destruction of their conditions, to show the extreme remoteness of lust and hatred here, these are said to be declared. For among these, pleasure is a condition for joy, joy is a condition for lust. Pain is a condition for sorrow, sorrow is a condition for hatred. And by the destruction of pleasure and so forth, lust and hatred, with their conditions, are destroyed, thus they become extremely remote. "Neither painful nor pleasant" means not painful due to the absence of pain. Not-pleasure by the absence of pleasure. By this here, the third feeling, which is the opposite of pain and pleasure, is indicated, not merely the absence of pain and pleasure. The third feeling is called neither-painful-nor-pleasant, also called equanimity. It is characterized by experiencing the opposite of what is agreeable and disagreeable, its function is neutrality, its manifestation is non-prominence, its proximate cause is the cessation of pleasure and pain—thus it should be understood. 89.