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for some it appears like a widespread spider's web, like a cloud mass, like a lotus flower, like a chariot wheel, like the disc of the moon, or like the disc of the sun. And this, according to When many bhikkhus, having recited a Sutta, were seated, one bhikkhu asked, "How does this Sutta appear to you?" One said, "To me, it appears like a great mountain river." Another, "To me, like a forest grove." Still another, "To me, like a cool, shady tree, full of branches, laden with a burden of fruit." Indeed, for them, that one Sutta appeared differently due to the diversity of perceptions. In the same way, one meditation object appears differently due to the diversity of perceptions. For this is born of perception, rooted in perception, originating from perception. Therefore, it should be understood that it appears differently due to the diversity of perceptions. And here, the mind's object is one thing for in-breaths, another for out-breaths, and another for the sign. Indeed, for one who does not have these three factors, their meditation object does not reach absorption, nor access concentration. But for one who has these three factors, their meditation object reaches both access concentration and absorption. This has been said: The sign, in-breaths, out-breaths, are not the object of one mind; For one not knowing the three factors, development is not attained. The sign, in-breaths, out-breaths, are not the object of one mind; But for one knowing the three factors, development is attained. 232. When such a sign appears, that bhikkhu should go to the teacher and report, "Venerable sir, such a thing appears to me." But the teacher should not say, "This is a sign," or "This is not a sign." He should say, "It is so, friend," and tell him, "Attend to it again and again." For if he says "It is a sign," the bhikkhu might become complacent. If he says "It is not a sign," he might become despondent and give up. Therefore, without saying either, he should be directed to attend to it. So say the Dīghabhāṇakas. But the Majjhimabhāṇakas say, "The teacher should say, 'This is the sign, friend. Attend to this meditation object again and again, good man.'" Then he should fix his mind on that sign. Thus, for him From this point onwards, meditation occurs by way of establishing. This has been said by the ancients: "Fixing the mind on the sign, perceiving it in various ways; The wise one, on the in-breaths and out-breaths, binds his own mind." From the arising of that sign in this way, the hindrances are indeed suppressed. The defilements are settled down. Mindfulness is indeed established. The mind is indeed concentrated with access concentration. Then by him, that sign should not be attended to by its color, nor should it be examined by its characteristic. But rather, just as the embryo of a universal monarch by a royal queen, or the embryo of rice and barley by a farmer, it should be well protected by avoiding the seven unsuitable things like dwelling places, and by cultivating those same seven suitable things. Then, having protected it thus, by repeated attention, causing it to grow and develop, the ten kinds of absorption skill should be perfected, and the balance of energy should be applied. As he thus strives, in that sign, the fourfold and fivefold jhānas arise in the same sequence as described for the earth kasiṇa. 233. Herein, a bhikkhu who has thus produced the fourfold and fivefold jhānas, desiring to attain purity by developing his meditation subject through the turning over of characteristics, makes that same jhāna proficient, mastering it in five ways, then defines name-and-form and establishes insight. How? For he, rising from attainment, sees that the origin of in-breaths and out-breaths is the body born of kamma and the mind. Just as when a blacksmith's bellows are being blown, air moves dependent on the bellows and the man's corresponding effort, even so in-breaths and out-breaths arise dependent on the body and mind. Then he defines the in-breaths and out-breaths and the body as form, and the mind and its associated phenomena as non-form. This is the summary here. But the detailed definition of name-and-form will become clear later. Having thus defined name-and-form, he seeks its condition. And having sought and found it, he sees the condition of name-and-form in all three times... He dispels doubt concerning the practice. Having dispelled doubt, by comprehending the aggregates, he applies the three characteristics. Having abandoned the ten imperfections of insight, such as illumination, which arise in the initial stage of contemplation of rise and fall, and having established the path-knowledge, free from imperfections, as the path, having abandoned rise, he attains contemplation of dissolution. By constantly contemplating dissolution, becoming disenchanted, dispassionate, and liberated from all formations that appear as perishing, he attains the four noble paths in due order, and establishing himself in the fruit of arahantship, he reaches the culmination of the nineteen-fold reviewing knowledge, and becomes the foremost worthy of offerings for the world with its deities. Thus, beginning with counting, the development of mindfulness of breathing concentration, culminating in insight, is completed. This is the description of the first tetrad in all its aspects. But in the other three tetrads, since there is no separate method of meditation development, therefore, their meaning should be understood in the manner of word-by-word explanation. "Experiencing rapture": he trains, "I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out, making rapture known, making it manifest." Therein, rapture is made known in two ways: by way of object and by way of non-confusion. How is rapture made known by way of object? He enters the two jhānas accompanied by rapture. At the moment of his attainment, by the acquisition of jhāna, rapture is made known by way of object, because the object is made known. How by way of non-confusion? Having entered the two jhānas accompanied by rapture and emerged, he comprehends the rapture associated with jhāna as perishing and dissolving. At the moment of his insight, by the penetration of the characteristic, rapture is made known by way of non-confusion. For this was said in the Paṭisambhidā – "When one understands the one-pointedness, the non-distraction of the mind, by way of a long in-breath, mindfulness is established. By that mindfulness, by that knowledge, that rapture is made known. By way of a long out-breath... by way of a short in-breath... by way of a short out-breath... all..." Experiencing the body by means of in-breaths and out-breaths... Calming the bodily formations by means of in-breaths and out-breaths, for one who discerns the mind's one-pointedness, its non-distraction, mindfulness is established. By that mindfulness, by that knowledge, that rapture is fully understood. When reflecting, that rapture is fully understood. For one who knows, who sees, who reviews, who resolves the mind, who is intent with faith, who exerts energy, who establishes mindfulness, who concentrates the mind, who discerns with wisdom, who realizes what is to be directly known, what is to be fully understood, what is to be abandoned, what is to be developed, what is to be realized, that rapture is fully understood. Thus, that rapture is fully understood. In this same way, the remaining terms should be understood in meaning. But here is a special point: experiencing pleasure should be understood in terms of the three jhānas, and experiencing mental formations in terms of all four. "Mental formations" means the two aggregates starting with feeling. In the term "experiencing pleasure" here, to show the ground of insight, it is said in the Paṭisambhidā: "Pleasure means two pleasures: bodily pleasure and mental pleasure." "Calming mental formations" means calming, stopping, the grosser and grosser mental formations. This should be understood in detail in the same way as described for bodily formations. Moreover, here, in the term "rapture," feeling is spoken of under the heading of rapture. In the term "pleasure," feeling itself is meant. In the two terms "mental formations," it is said: "Perception and feeling, these mental phenomena are bound to the mind, they are mental formations." Thus, it should be understood that this tetrad is taught in the way of feeling contemplation, meaning feeling associated with perception. 235. In the third tetrad too, experiencing the mind should be understood in terms of the four jhānas. "Gladdening the mind" means training thus: "I will breathe in, I will breathe out, making the mind glad, making it joyful, making it smile, making it laugh." There, gladdening occurs in two ways: by means of concentration and by means of insight. How by way of concentration? He enters the two jhānas with rapture. At the moment of attainment, with the associated rapture, he gladdens, he delights the mind. How by way of insight? Having entered the two jhānas with rapture, and having emerged, he comprehends the rapture associated with jhāna as perishing and vanishing. Thus, at the moment of insight, making the rapture associated with jhāna the object, he gladdens, he delights the mind. One who practices thus is said to "train, 'I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out, gladdening the mind exceedingly.'" "Concentrating the mind" means, by way of the first jhāna and so on, placing the mind evenly, establishing the mind evenly on the object. Or again, having entered those jhānas and emerged, for one who sees the mind associated with jhāna as perishing and vanishing, at the moment of insight, through the penetration of characteristics, momentary one-pointedness of mind arises. And by way of such arisen momentary one-pointedness of mind, placing the mind evenly, establishing the mind evenly on the object, he is said to "train, 'I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out,