English
This is of a friend, or it exists among friends, thus it is mettā. But essentially, it is non-hatred itself, arisen by way of bringing about the welfare of other beings. Having abandoned the three activities called bringing about welfare, rejoicing in welfare, and removing harm for other beings, it sees them from the standpoint of arising and suitability by way of promoting their own karma; thus it is upekkhā. Thus arisen, it is impartiality itself there. It exists in immeasurable beings, thus it is appamaññā (immeasurable). Indeed, these should not be practiced in only so many beings. Not in others, thus there is indeed a limitation of scope for these. Even so, by the beginner, at first, having made one's own meditation mind obtain practice and obtain distinction in one person, afterwards, having increased it in two, three, etc., breaking boundaries, pervading with limitation, pervading without limitation, and pervading directions should be done. But that which is said in the Vibhaṅga, "He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by mettā," and so on, and in the Paṭisambhidāmagga, "May all beings be free from enmity," and so on, is indeed the method of mettā. That should be understood as said by way of those who have attained mastery in mettā-jhāna. But these are especially direct opponents of defilements belonging to the side of hatred; and those endowed with them, by always having a gentle heart, are beings like Brahmā, indeed called Brahmās. Their dwelling, thus, is a divine dwelling. Or the dwelling of the excellent, or being an excellent dwelling, thus it is a divine dwelling. Food, in ingested food of four kinds: eaten, drunk, chewed, tasted. Perception of repulsiveness is the perception of abandoning delight in food, by way of reflecting on the states of suffering to be experienced due to food, by way of reflecting on the repulsiveness of taste, and by way of reflecting on the accumulation in the stomach and the results of digestion and non-digestion. Analysis of the four elements is the contemplation of the four great elements belonging to the body, earth and so on, having delimited them separately and distinctly by way of their own characteristics. For that, the four elements are established, are discerned, are observed. This is called the determination of the four elements. As it is said, "The perception of impurity should be cultivated for the abandonment of lust," the ten impurities, etc., are said to be suitable for one of lustful temperament. Here, one who moves with lust is of lustful temperament. Indeed, such a one may sometimes move with hatred, sometimes with delusion, sometimes with one of faith, etc. But lust is predominant in him. Therefore, he is called of lustful temperament due to predominant lust. This is the method for the others as well. As it is said, "Loving-kindness should be cultivated for the abandonment of ill-will," the three divine abidings—loving-kindness, etc.— are successively stated as the escape from ill-will, harmfulness, and discontent. And since the pure color kasinas are not objects of hatred, the four immeasurables, etc., are said to be for one of hateful temperament. And this division of temperaments is only for the beginner. And equanimity is not possible for the beginner. For it will be said, "Equanimity is of the fifth jhana." Therefore, it should be understood that the four immeasurables are mentioned because if the first three are suitable for someone, then equanimity, which follows them, is also suitable for him. Otherwise, it is an escape from lust, as it is said, "This equanimity is a liberation of mind," so it should be said that equanimity is for one of lustful temperament. And the four kasinas, blue, etc.— this is said with reference to the pleasing forms of blue, etc. But the unpleasing ones are suitable only for one of lustful temperament. As it is said, "Mindfulness of breathing should be cultivated for the cutting off of thoughts," mindfulness of breathing is said to be for one of discursive temperament. But one of deluded temperament is naturally prone to heedlessness and has a distracted mind. And mindfulness of breathing, which proceeds continuously, seems to generate mindfulness for him. So it might be said that it is suitable for one of deluded temperament. [244] But what needs to be explained is: The reason given, "because it is an opponent of delusion by being an object of wisdom," does not seem to be appropriate. If so, it should be spoken of together with the wise temperament. And indeed, the qualities of the Buddha, etc., are also exclusively objects of wisdom. But they are especially faith. ...developing them, as has been said, mindfulness of the Buddha and so on. For one of faith-temperament, it has been said, death and so on, which are subtler in the ultimate sense, are objects only for those of vast intellect, death and so on. For one of intellect-temperament. The remaining ones, all of them, are the four primary element kasiṇas, the two light and space kasiṇas, and the four formless attainments, these ten kinds of meditation subjects. Among those, among these ten remaining meditation subjects, a large one, the size of a threshing floor and so on, is suitable for one of delusion-temperament. For in a confined space, the mind becomes even more deluded. A small one, the size of a span or four fingers, is suitable only for one of discursive thought-temperament. For a large one is a cause for the mind to wander in thought. And there, in "only for one of discursive thought-temperament," the word "only" applies to the phrase "a small one." Only a small one is suitable for one of discursive thought-temperament, not a large one. All this has been said both in terms of direct opposition and in terms of extreme suitability. Moreover, it has been said in the commentary that there are no wholesome developments that do not suppress lust and so on, and do not assist faith and so on. In all cases, in all forty meditation subjects, preparatory development is certainly obtained, since not even one meditation subject can be accomplished without preparation. In the ten meditation subjects, only access concentration is attained, there is no absorption. If you ask why, it has been said in the commentary: "Because of the profundity of the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, virtue, generosity, deities, and peace, and because of the inclination to recollect various kinds of qualities." There, by "because of the profundity," it is shown that because each quality-term is profound, the concentration focused on it, like a rabbit in the great ocean, is unable to reach absorption there and remain steadfast. And by "because of the inclination to recollect various kinds of qualities," it is shown that because those qualities are insatiable, one's mind is unable to restrain itself, thinking, "I will remain only on these many quality-terms and attain absorption." But in the remaining perceptions of death and determinations, First, the non-conflict, due to its inherent nature, and its nature to cause spiritual urgency. And the other two, due to the profundity of their inherent nature, do not become a basis for absorption. If this is so, why do the supramundane jhānas in the extremely profound inherent nature called Nibbāna attain absorption? And the second and fourth immaterial jhānas in the inherent nature called the first and third immaterial (jhānas)? It is said: The supramundane jhānas, starting from purity and insight knowledge, by the power of purificatory developments occurring successively higher and higher, even in the extremely profound inherent nature called Nibbāna, are able to be established by way of absorption. And the immaterial jhānas are merely the arising of the fifth jhāna concentration that has attained absorption. By merely transcending the object, they are able to be established by way of absorption even in an inherent nature as an object. Even there, it is said, even among those thirty absorption meditation subjects. Those engaged in the fivefold jhānas, which are the fivefold jhānas? It is said that they are suitable as objects for the fivefold jhānas. Repugnant objects, it is said, are extremely undesirable, rough, and very weak in generating delight in the mind. Therefore, one cannot establish the mind in them with delight. Therefore, without initial application, the mind does not remain one-pointed there. It remains only by the power of initial application. Thus it is said that the ten foul objects are for the first jhāna. If this is so, how can there be jhāna with joy in them? By the power of abandoning the torment of the hindrances, and by the power of the knowledge seeing the advantages of each. It should be seen like the occurrence of vomiting and purgation for a sick person afflicted by the pain of illness, or like a flower-gatherer who sees the advantages of "now I will get a lot of wages" when seeing a heap of excrement. The three divine abodes, such as loving-kindness, are the escape from ill-will, harmfulness, and discontent arising from displeasure. Therefore, they never attain absorption without joy. Thus it is said that the three, such as loving-kindness, are for the fourfold jhānas. Equanimity, however, is entirely on the side of indifference towards beings. Because it must be developed, it never reaches absorption without the feeling of equanimity. Thus it is called the fifth jhāna of equanimity. As for the four formless attainments: the space remaining after removing the kasiṇa, etc., are the four formless objects. "In all cases" means: in all forty meditation subjects. "As is fitting" means: in accordance with each respective object. Without an object, preliminary work is not accomplished. Without the apprehension, which is the firm and clear grasping of the object, there is no perfection of the object. When there is no perfection of the object,