English
"Purity of mindfulness due to equanimity" means the purity of mindfulness generated by equanimity. Indeed, in this jhāna, mindfulness is very pure, and the purity of that mindfulness is brought about by equanimity, not by anything else. Therefore, it is called "purity of mindfulness due to equanimity." In the Vibhaṅga, it is also said: "This mindfulness becomes clear, pure, and cleansed by this equanimity. Therefore, it is called 'purity of mindfulness due to equanimity'" (Vibha. 597). And the equanimity by which mindfulness here becomes pure, that, in essence, should be understood as impartiality. And not only mindfulness here is pure by that, but also all associated phenomena; however, the teaching is stated with mindfulness as the head. Although this equanimity is found even in the lower three jhānas. Just as by day, due to being overpowered by the sun's radiance, and due to its gentle nature, or due to its helpfulness, or due to the absence of its kindred night, the moon's disk, though present by day, is impure and uncleansed, even so, this moon-disk of impartiality-equanimity, due to being overpowered by the power of opposing phenomena like initial application, and due to not attaining its kindred night of equanimous feeling, though present in the first and other jhāna divisions, is impure. And when it is impure, like the light of an impure moon-disk by day, mindfulness and other co-arising factors are also impure. Therefore, not one of them is called "purity of mindfulness due to equanimity." But here, due to the absence of being overpowered by the power of opposing phenomena like initial application, and due to the attainment of its kindred night of equanimous feeling, this moon-disk of impartiality-equanimity is exceedingly pure. Because of its purity, like the light of a pure moon-disk, co-arising Born, mindfulness and so on become purified, become cleansed. Therefore, this is to be understood as "purity of mindfulness through equanimity." Fourth, the fourth in the numerical sequence. This is the fourth because one enters the fourth. As for what was said, "one factor abandoned, two factors endowed," there, the abandonment of joy is to be understood as the one factor abandoned. And that joy, in one thought-process, is abandoned only in the earlier impulsion-moments. Therefore, that is called its factor of abandonment. As for equanimity-feeling and one-pointedness of mind, their arising is to be understood as the two factors endowed. The rest is the same method as stated in the first jhāna. This is the method in the fourfold jhāna. Discourse on the Fivefold Jhāna 90. One who produces the fivefold jhāna, having emerged from the well-practiced first jhāna, and having seen the fault therein, saying, "This attainment has hindrances as its close enemy, and is weak in factors due to the grossness of initial application," should mentally attend to the second jhāna as peaceful, and having removed attachment to the first jhāna, should make effort for the attainment of the second. Then, when, having emerged from the first jhāna, mindful and comprehending, as one reviews the jhāna factors, only initial application appears as gross, while sustained application and so on appear as peaceful, then, for the abandonment of the gross factor and for the acquisition of the peaceful factor, as one repeatedly mentally attends to that same sign, "earth, earth," in the manner stated, the second jhāna arises. Its factor of abandonment is only initial application. Sustained application and the other four are the endowed factors. The rest is as already explained. Having attained that, and having become one skilled in practice in five ways in the manner stated therein, having emerged from the well-practiced second jhāna, and having seen the fault therein, saying, "This attainment has initial application as its close enemy, and is weak in factors due to the grossness of sustained application," should mentally attend to the third jhāna as peaceful, and having removed attachment to the second jhāna, should make effort for the attainment of the third. Then, when, having emerged from the second jhāna, mindful He, contemplating the jhāna factors with full comprehension, finds the grossness of initial application, while joy and the others are subtle. Then, for the abandoning of the gross factor and the attainment of the subtle factor, by repeatedly attending to that same sign, "earth, earth," in the manner described, the third jhāna arises for him. For him, initial application alone is the factor to be abandoned, and joy and the other three are the factors to be possessed, as in the second jhāna of the fourfold method. The rest is as described. Thus, what is the second in the fourfold method, that, being divided into two, becomes the second and third in the fivefold method. And what are the third and fourth there, those become the fourth and fifth. The first remains the first. Thus, in the Visuddhimagga, composed for the joy of good people, In the section on the development of concentration, The description of the Earth Kasiṇa, The Fourth Chapter. 5. Description of the Remaining Kasiṇas Discourse on the Water Kasiṇa 91. Now, after the earth kasiṇa, there is an elaborate discourse on the water kasiṇa. Just as with the earth kasiṇa, so too, one who wishes to develop the water kasiṇa, being comfortably seated, should take the sign in water, whether it is prepared or unprepared, and everything should be elaborated. And as here, so everywhere. For from now on, we will not say even this much, but will only mention the differences. Here too, for a meritorious person with past good deeds, the sign arises in unprepared water, in a pond, or a tank, or a salt marsh, or the ocean, as in the case of the Elder Cūḷasiva. It is said that when that venerable one, abandoning gain and honor, was going to Jambudīpa, having boarded a boat at Mahātittha, as he looked at the great ocean, the counter-sign of the kasiṇa arose for him. One who is not prepared, avoiding the four kasiṇa faults, should not take water of blue, yellow, red, or white color. But rather, water that does not touch the ground, held in the air with a clean cloth, or other such clear, undisturbed water, with that, having filled a bowl or a pot to the brim, at the edge of the monastery, having placed it in a concealed place, in a comfortable sitting posture, the color should not be observed. The characteristic should not be attended to. Having made it merely of the nature of the support, and fixing the mind on the conceptualized object by way of its prominence, among the names for water such as ambu, udaka, vāri, salila, it should be meditated upon as "āpo, āpo" by way of its well-known name. To him who meditates thus, in due course, the two signs arise in the manner described. Here, however, the learning sign appears as if moving. If the water is mixed with foam bubbles, it appears just like that, and a kasina fault is perceived. The counterpart sign, however, appears motionless, like a fan made of jewels placed in the sky, or like a mirror-like jewel disc. With its appearance, he attains access concentration, and also the fourfold and fivefold jhānas in the manner described. The Water Kasina. Discourse on the Fire Kasina 92. One who wishes to meditate on the Fire Kasina should also take a sign in fire. There, for a meritorious person who has done the preliminary work, taking a sign without making one, by looking at a flame of fire in a lamp, or in an oven, or in a cooking place, or in a forest fire, wherever it may be, the sign arises, like for the Elder Cittagutta. For that venerable one, on the day of listening to the Dhamma, having entered the Uposatha hall, the sign arose just by looking at the lamp flame. But by others, it must be made. Here is the method of making it: Splitting smooth, resinous wood, drying it, and making it into small pieces, going to a suitable tree root or pavilion, piling it up in the manner of cooking, and lighting it, a hole should be made in a mat, or a hide, or a cloth, measuring a span and four fingers. Placing that in front, and sitting down in the manner described, without attending to the grass and wood below, or the smoke plume above, the sign should be taken in the dense flame in the middle. The color should not be observed as blue or yellow, etc. The characteristic of heat should not be attended to. Thus it should be done. Having made the description of the support itself, by way of prominence, having placed the mind on the concept, among the names of fire such as Pāvaka, Kaṇhavattanī, Jātaveda, Hutāsana, by way of the well-known name itself, one should meditate "fire, fire". For him thus meditating, gradually, in the manner already stated, two signs arise. Therein, the learning sign appears like a flame breaking off and falling again and again. But for one who grasps it imperfectly, a kasiṇa fault is perceived; a piece of burning wood, or a lump of charcoal, or ashes, or smoke appears. The counterpart sign appears motionless, like a piece of red blanket placed in the sky, like a golden palm-leaf fan, and like a golden pillar. With its very appearance, he attains access concentration, and in the manner stated, the fourfold and fivefold jhānas. Fire Kasiṇa. Discourse on the Wind Kasiṇa 93. Even by one wishing to meditate on the wind kasiṇa, a sign should be grasped in the wind. And indeed that, by way of seeing, or by way of touching. This has been said in the commentaries: "One grasping the wind kasiṇa grasps a sign in the wind. He perceives the top of a sugar cane stirred and agitated, or the top of a bamboo... or the top of a tree, or the top of hair, stirred and agitated, or he perceives what is touched in the body." Therefore, having seen a sugar cane, or a bamboo, or a tree, with dense leaves, standing at head height, or the head of a man with thick hair, about four finger-breadths, being struck by the wind,