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by way of such a continuously occurring attention. "This is peaceful, this is sublime" – for one making preliminary work here, even for one making preliminary work having thus conceived it, because the object has been transcended, it is said that the higher jhāna certainly arises, leading to the fourth immaterial attainment. Thus. Having made the preliminary work, that Blessed One, having made the preliminary work of recollection, such as "He is an Arahant," and so on. In that, in that object, such as the Buddha's qualities. And this is a locative case in the sense of 'on the ground'. In the sign, in the sign, which is the aspect of that object. And this is a locative case in the sense of 'condition'. Well grasped, either by the distinctness of the object, or by the mind's inclination, bent, and leaning towards it, it is well grasped. And access concentration arises, this is the meaning for noble disciples who have seen the truth. Or for others, in the determinations of the perception of death. And here, the arising of access concentration should be understood by the suppression of the hindrances and the manifestation of the jhana factors. Having thus shown the occurrence of calm jhanas in the forty meditation subjects as appropriate, now, to show the occurrence of supernormal knowledge, which is the fruit of the kasina jhanas among those calm jhanas, it is said, "occurring by way of supernormal knowledge," and so on. There, whoever has made the preparation, or has practiced the calm jhanas in a proximate existence, or is a great person who has fulfilled the requisites for enlightenment. For such a one, when the eight or nine kinds of calm jhanas are perfected, supernormal knowledge is also perfected. Some also say that it is perfected even when only the rūpa jhanas are perfected. For this reason, in the Aṭṭhasālinī and the Visuddhimagga, the possibility of the sky kasina jhana generating supernormal knowledge is stated, even though it has not reached the state of being a condition for the formless jhanas. However, in the Dīghanikāyaṭṭhakathā, it is said that without having practiced mastery in the eight attainments in fourteen ways, there is no attainment of supernormal knowledge above. But that, leaving aside special individuals, is said in a general sense for the many other beginning meditator noble sons, which is appropriate. For this reason, in the Visuddhimagga, it is said, "It is not possible that a beginning meditator yogi, who has not disciplined his mind in these fourteen ways, and who has not previously developed it, will accomplish the transformation of psychic power." Therefore, for those who have practiced mastery in the eight attainments, such supernormal knowledge... O, for noble sons, beginners in practice, having purified their rūpa-fifth-jhāna mind, by the fourteen modes taught, like kasiṇa direct, kasiṇa reverse, having made it keen, brave, capable of great effort; for those who begin, saying, "Now I will work a magic display!" the rūpāvacara fifth jhāna, which proceeds by supernormal knowledge, should be understood to apply appropriately to the six objects, like visible forms. "Having risen from the fifth jhāna, the basis for supernormal knowledge," means: that rūpāvacara fifth jhāna, of the nature of supernormal knowledge, is attained first of all, to be the basis for supernormal knowledge. Then, having risen by way of life-continuum. "To be determined" means the object of determination. A created form with a basis, like a hundred forms, a thousand forms. That object of determination is the beginning of the baseless action, like appearing and disappearing; this is "the object of determination and so on." "For one performing preliminary work, having adverted," means: here, in psychic power, whatever created form, like a hundred, or whatever created action, like appearing, one wishes to produce. Having adverted to that, having noted it, saying, "May I be a hundred, may I be a thousand!" or, "May it be a hundred, may it be a thousand!" or, "May this and that be, may it be thus and thus!" for one performing preliminary work. But in divine ear and so on, whatever object one wishes to hear, or to see, or to know, or to recollect. Having noted that, saying, "I will hear the sound of so-and-so, or of so-and-sos," and so on, for one performing preliminary work. But in the Commentary, having done preliminary work, the re-attainment of the basic jhāna is indeed mentioned. As it says: Having attained the basic jhāna for supernormal knowledge, and risen from it, if one wishes for a hundred. Having done preliminary work, saying, "May I be a hundred!" again attaining the basic jhāna for supernormal knowledge, rising from it, then one determines. Together with the determination consciousness, it becomes a hundred. And there, the initial attainment of the basic jhāna is for taking up the preliminary work consciousness. But the latter is for giving subsequent strength to the supernormal knowledge. For thus, by the power of the basic jhāna... Indeed, the mind of preparatory work, well-concentrated, is of the nature of supernormal knowledge in its own sphere. At the time of recollecting past lives, with that very mind, it knows the past phenomena in that existence, up to the rebirth-linking. Therefore, in the commentaries, the knowledge associated with that is called 'preparatory concentration knowledge'. It is also called 'knowledge of the past'. In the other supernormal knowledges too, the specific object of that knowledge should be stated appropriately. However, the Elder's statement about entering the final base-jhana does not apply to everyone. For those who have attained mastery in the supernormal knowledges, there is no need for a base-jhana again. Therefore, it should be understood that it is not included here. "Applies appropriately to objects like forms" - here, the knowledge of psychic power operates on the six objects that are temporal realities. For whatever it produces among the six object-phenomena like forms, it operates by making that its object. But the base-jhana mind, having resolved on the body as mind-driven, when going through the air with the visible body, operates by taking the past base-jhana mind as its object. Having resolved on the body as mind-driven, when going with the invisible body, it operates by taking the present material body as its object. For that knowledge operating in such a way, some form is merely an object. Some is object-preceding. Some is base-object-preceding, it should be understood. At the time of resolution, "May this happen in the future," it operates by taking that future form-phenomenon as its object. The present sound is the object of the divine ear. "Seven days in the past, seven days in the future" - within this period, the past, future, and present mind of another, the four aggregates, are the objects of the knowledge of penetration of minds. For one who knows the mind, if he wishes, he will certainly know the phenomena associated with it. And so, by doing this, the aggregates that are wholesome in the Paṭṭhāna (Conditional Relations) are a condition by way of object-condition for the knowledge of penetration of minds, and for the knowledge of knowing where beings are reborn according to their karma. Thus, these two knowledges are mentioned together. And here, the commentary... Now, this present-object-ness of another's mind is explained as a continuum or as a duration. If it were explained as momentary. When an advertence, having adverted to some present mind, has ceased, the impulsion thoughts take that very past mind which ceased with the advertence. Thus, they would be said to have different objects from the advertence in terms of time. And in an undesirable place, other than the path-and-fruit process, the commentarial teachers do not approve of their having different objects from that even by mere time. Therefore, in such places, it is proper to take "present" as a continuum and as a duration. However, in the Mūlaṭīkā, it is explained as momentarily present. For it cannot be said that in Abhidhamma the triad of past objects is stated only as a continuum or as a duration. Otherwise, it would have to be said: "A present phenomenon is a condition for a present phenomenon by way of contiguity condition, by way of repetition condition." But it is not said. Rather, it is said: "A past phenomenon is a condition for a present phenomenon by way of contiguity condition, by way of repetition condition." Therefore, it is proper that all thoughts, such as advertence, each taking another's thoughts that arose simultaneously with themselves momentarily, are not said to have different objects in terms of phenomenon. Because the mode of apprehension is not different. For advertence, too, adverts to a mind as a mind. And impulsion thoughts impel towards a mind as a mind. And all of them are just minds. However, from the immediately past decease onwards, past aggregates, aggregates connected to names, concepts such as gotra-kasiṇa-nimitta, and Nibbāna are the objects of the knowledge of past lives. The present form-object is for the divine eye. Thus, it applies appropriately to the six objects such as form. Now, to show the distinctions of that fifth jhāna, which will be spoken of in terms of supernormal knowledge, by way of its functional differences, he recites the verse beginning "iddhividha" (supernormal power). Therein, whatever he resolves upon, and however he resolves upon it, that... Of that, by that, thus, or in that way, the power of accomplishment, a kind, a portion, a type, is called psychic power. It is of three kinds: power of determination, power of transformation, and power of mind-made body. Therein, the power that occurs without abandoning one's natural form, but by making it manifold, a hundred, a thousand, or by going through the air, or by showing various external miracles,