English
When a good thought concerning the sensuous universe has arisen which is (II.) accompanied by happiness, associated with knowledge, and prompted by a conscious motive . . . or (III.) accompanied by happiness, and disconnected with knowledge . . . or (IV.) accompanied by happiness, disconnected with knowledge, and prompted by a conscious motive . . . or (V.) accompanied by disinterestedness, and associated with knowledge . . . or (VI.) accompanied by disinterestedness, associated with knowledge, and prompted by a conscious motive . . . or (VII.) accompanied by disinterestedness, and discon- nected with knowledge ... or (VIII.) accompanied by disinterestedness, disconnected with knowledge, and prompted by a conscious motive— a thought which is of inferior . . . or of medium ... or of superlative efficacy ... ^ The tabulated form adopted in this and following replies is intended not only to facilitate a conspectus of the system, but also to indicate the elision in the Pali (expressed by . . . pe . . . ) of the repetition of the unvarying framework of the reply before and after each tabulated term. The Koman numerals in this and the next reply refer to the original statement of the 'Eight Main Types of Thought' in Chapter I. Apparently the sensuous basis of the arammanam of each thought is not intended to be here rehearsed. 79 or the dominant influence in which is desire, or energy, or another thought ; or the dominant influence in which is desire of inferior, of medium, or of superlative efficacy ; or the dominant influence in which is energy of inferior, of medium, or of superlative efficacy ; or the dominant influence in which is [another] thought of inferior, of medium, or of superlative efficacy ; then the contact . . . the balance that arises — these . . . are states that are good.^ 2. Good in relation to the Universe of Form. [271] Which are the states that are good ? When, that he may attain to the heavens of Form, he cultivates the way thereto, and, aloof from sensuous appe- tites, aloof from evil ideas, by earth-gazing enters into and abides in the First Jhana (the first rapt meditation) . . . which is of inferior, or of medium, or of superlative efficacy ; ^ In accordance with the usual procedure in the Dhamma Sangani, when combining several subjects in one sentence, the final details apply only to the last subject in the series. Hence ' investigation ' is omitted in connexion with Thought VIII., because, presumably, the latter is ' disconnected with knowledge.' And it would likewise have been omitted in connexion with Thoughts III., IV. and VII., but not in connexion with the others. 80 or the dominant influence in which is desire, or energy, or a thought, or investigation ; or the dominant influence in which is desire . . . energy ... a thought . . . investigation of inferior, of medium, or of superlative efficacy — then the contact . . . the balance that arises — these . . . are states that are good. [272] Repeat in the case of the other Jhanas, both of (a) and (b). • 3. Good in relation to the Formless Universe. [273] Which are the states that are good ? When, that he may attain to the Formless heavens, he cultivates the way thereto, and so, by passing wholly beyond all consciousness of form, by the dying out of the conscious- ness of sensory reaction, by turning the attention from any consciousness of the manifold, he enters into and abides in that rapt meditation which is accompanied by the con- sciousness of a sphere of unbounded space — even into the Fourth Jhana, to gain which all sense of ease must have been put away, etc. — (the rapt meditation) where there is neither ill nor ease, but only the perfect purity that comes of mindfulness and disinterestedness, and which is of inferior . . . medium . . . or superlative efficacy . . . or the dominant influence in which is desire ... or energy ... or a thought . . . or investigation . . . 81 or the dominant influence in which is desire . . . energy ... a thought . . . investigation of inferior . . . medium ... superlative efficacy — then the contact . . . the balance that arises — these . . . are states that are good. [274-276] Here folloiv the three remaining * Jhanas con- nected with Formless Existence,' each modified hy the characteristics enumerated in the foregoing ansiver. Cf. §§ 266-268.1 1 In § 275 the text inadvertently omits majjhimam . . . pe . . . panitam . . . pe . . . before vimam- sadhipateyyam. [Chapter Y. Thought engaged upon the Higher Ideal (lokuttaram c i 1 1 a m). I. The First Path (pathamo magg o.)^ The Twenty Great Methods (visati mahanaya). 1. Rapt Meditation (j h a n a m). (i.) The Four Modes of Progress in Purification (sud- d h i k a-p a t i p a d a).] [277] Which are the states that are good ? When he cultivates the Jhana of the Higher Ideal (the rapt meditation), whereby there is a going forth and onward, making for the undoing of rebirth^ — and when, that he ^ That is to say, the first stage of the way or course of life leading to Arahatship or Nirvana. In the answers, bhumi (Stage) is substituted for Path. And the 'First Bhumi ' is declared in the Cy. (pp. 214, 215) to be equiva- lent to the first-fruits (or fruition) of recluseship (c/. D. i., second sutta) ; in other words, to the fruit of sotapatti, or of * conversion,' as it has been termed. 2 The special kind of Jhana which he who has turned his back on the three lower ideals of life in the worlds of sense, form, or the formless, and has set his face steadfastly toward Arahatship, must ' practise, bring forth and develop,' is described by Buddhaghosa as being ekacittakkhani- kam appana-jhan'am — rapt meditation on a concept induced by the momentary flash of a thought {cf. K. V., pp. 620, 458) — and by the text itself as niyyanikam apacayagamim. The former of these two last terms is thus commented upon : ' It is a going forth (down from) the world, from the cycle of rebirth. Or, there is a going 83 may attain to the First Stage, he has put away views and opinions/ and so, aloof from sensuous appetites, aloof from evil ideas, enters into and abides in the First Jhana, wherein conception works and thought discursive, which is born of solitude, is full of joy and ease, progress thereto being difficult and intuition sluggish — then there is contact, feeling, perception, thinking, thought, conception, discursive thought, joy, ease, self-collectedness, the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom, ideation, hap- piness, vitality, and the faculty of believing ^ * I shall come to know the unhiowUy'^ right views, right intention, right speech, right action , right livelihood,^ right endeavour, right forth by means of it. The man who is filled with it, com- prehending 111, goes forth, putting away the uprising (of 111) goes forth, realizing the cessation (of 111) goes forth, cultivating the path (leading to that cessation) goes forth.' And the latter term : This is not like that heaping together and multiplying of rebirth effected by the good which belongs to the three worlds of being. This is even as a man who, having heaped up a stockade eighteen cubits high, should afterwards take a great hammer and set to work to pull down and demolish his work. For so it, too, sets about pulling down and demolishing that potency for rebirth heaped up by the three-world-good, by bringing abont a deficiency in the causes thereof. ^ Ditthigatani, lit. resorting to views. All traditions or speculations adhered to either without evidence or on in- sufficient evidence, such as are implied in the states called ' theory of individuality, perplexity, and the contagion of mere rule and ritual' (Asl. 214; infra, §§ 1002-1005). 2 The italics show those constituents of consciousness wherein this Jhana differs from that mentioned in § 160, the constituents of which are identical with those of the First Type of Good Thought, § 1. ^ These three factors of the ' Eightfold Path,' which were not explicitly included in the Eight Types of Good Thoughts, were, according to the Cy., included implicitly in the ' or- whatever-states.' See above, p. 5, n. 1. Here the Cy.