English
©C^SS *)8e39) (2) inducing and maintaining it (samapajjana vasita Gi®i'^dt5'S> ©Sod) (3) pre-determming the period of its maintenance Tadhitthana 40 41 vasita ^So^otSD ®8o5o) (4) emerging from it (vutthana- vasita §c);ft>fi3 ©8t333) and (5) reflecting on it (pacca vekk- hana vasita o€)€)®^C5fi) ©fioj) for the purpose of puttmg away the grosser features beginning with the initial imagination and so on, and of striving to brmg about the subtler features, beginning with sustained imagination etc., the 2nd and higher Jhanas supervene in one order. 2 Sustained application is vitakka ^5t33ii5>K))) and vicara ^ Pleasurable interest is Piti (8t9) whereby aversion is inhibited byapada (acaCoc). It creates an interest in the object, at first a dull or slight sense of interest (khuddaka piti §v^?a QtQ) growing keener and keener through oscillat- ing interest (okkantika piti ®25555)CJt9S 8t9) into an intense interest amounting to thrilling emotion (ubbega piti C®^® QtSS) followed finally by interest amounting to rapture vpharana piti OdtO 8?9). This diffused rapture is invariably followed by pleasurable easeful, happy feeling (sukha go)) by which distraction and worry (uddhacca kukkucca C®^ CgC5^£)E)) are inhibited. 4 The psychological, and not the ethical pleasure (sukha gS)) cetasika vedana (®©G5 8cS^ ®©<;39). 5 One-pointedness is ekaggata (<5aS5cr<iOO)i). This is the element, the consciousness, of awareness of one object and one only, because, by the selective act, the mind is not distracted by several different objects. Literally 'one pointedness' as to object of attention. 6 Resultant consciousness is that consciousness caused by the effect of Jhana practised in the immediate preceding life. RESULTANT CONSCIOUSNESS. The five classes of resultant consciousness are similar to the five classes of moral consciousness in Rupaloka. It is compared to the image seen through a looking-glass resembling the person. ) REBIRTH IN REALMS OF BRAHMA LOKA. Those who have developed the five classes of moral consciousness in respect of the five stages of Jhana obtain rebirth consciousness, life continuum and re-decease by the five classes of resultant consciousness. If one were to practise in this existence exercises in mental culture such as a hypnotic circle and obtain moral consciousness of the ist stage of Jhana in a slight degree and possesses the factors of the 1st Jhana just before death, he will be reborn in the realm of Brahma's retinue (Brahma parisajja gC02)C9S^Cc5). The first consciousness arising there is rebirth consciousness (patisandhi citta cSa2^St3VO>). From that time as long as he is in that existence without impressions being taken by any of the sense organs or the three doors such as eye-door, ear-door, and mind-door consciousness that arises is known as life continuum (bhavanga d8o<b). The last consciousness in that existence is known as re-decease (§tS®G^ cuti citta). Rebirth consciousness, life con- tinuum and re-decease, as they are the results of moral consciousness of the ist stage of Jhana developed in this existence are called resultant consciousness. They are possessed of the Jhana factors, initial application, sustained application, pleasur- able interest, pleasure and one pointedness and are known as the resultant consciousness of the ist stage of Jhana. If the moral consciousness of the ist stage of Jhana is developed in a moderate degree then he will be reborn in the realm of Brahma's Ministers (Brahma Purohita gooS) g®do®t3>) and when in a very great degree in the realm of Maha Brahma. These three are known as the planes of the ist stage of Jhana. When the 2nd and 3rd stages of Jhana are cultivated in a minor degree rebirth takes place in the heaven of minor lustre (parittabha c8tSHS)0^) in a moderate degree in the heaven of infinite lustre (Appamanabha <)pCC5®aiO3Q0) and in a very great degree in the heaven of the radiant gods (the gods from whose bodies the rays of light are emitted like lightning) (abhassara ^aCOCMOd). This is the plane of 2nd Jhana. When the 4th stage of Jhana is cultivated in a minor degree rebirth takes place in the heaven of the gods of minor aura (paritta subha cS'c^ 9 3D), in a moderate degree in the heaven d 42 of the Gods of infinite aura (Appamana subha ^CO®3'€^ S*^)' and in a very great degree in the heaven of the gods full of steady aura (a mass of steady light emitted from the body) Subhakmha geodS-e^®). This is the plane of 3rd Jhana. When the 5th stage of Jhana is cultivated rebirth takes place in the realm of the gods of the great reward ( ©©Qcdtt^So vehapphalan — 99C*^t3® Vipulanphalan, that is, abundant reward, great compared with the reward of the lower Brahmas). The same cultivated in such a manner as to totally extirpate consciousness causes rebirth in the realm of the unconscious beings ( asafiiia satta ^OOs^c^ CCCtSiD ), and those who have become Never-Returners ( Anagami ^^JSsQOa^ ) m the realm of the Pure Abodes (Suddhavasa g©i©3 00). This is the plane of the 4th Jhana. In all these planes resultant consciousness arising as rebirth, life continuum and re-decease should be understood in the same manner as was stated in connection with the resultant consciousness of the ist Jhana. INEFFECTR'E CONSCIOUSNESS IN BRAHMA LOKA When an Arahat, in whom there is extinction of the asavns, •cultivates the ist stage of Jhana associated with the five factors of 1st stage of Jhana in a moral consciousness, then that class is called ineffective. Similarly with the other Jhanas. They produce no results. These, summed up, amount in all to fifteen classes of Rupaloka consciousness, moral resultant and inellective. Pancadha Jhanabhedena rupavacara manasan Punnapaka kriya bhedhatan pancadasadha bhave Five fold our thoughts on Riapaloka's plane, E'en as tive fold of Jhana is the chain, As making merit, or as just effect, Or bringing none gives fifteen as correct." 43 CHAPTER V J. Consciousness as experienced in Ariipaldka'. Of Arupa Jhana. CLASSES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AS EXPERIENCED IN ARUPALOKA. There are four classes of consciousness which are moral and arise as Arupa-mind, to wit : — 1. Moral consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space^. 2. Moral consciousness dwelling on the infinity of con- sciousness. 3. Moral consciousness dwelling on Nothingness. 4. Moral consciousness wherein j3erception neither is nor is not**^. Next there are four classes of consciousness, which are results of Jhanas by similar kinds practised in the life immediately previous, to wit : — 5 — 8'^ Resultant consciousness of each of the four objects of thought characterized as above. Next, there arc four classes of consciousness which bring no result and belong to Arupaloka, to wit : — 9 — 12^ Ineffective consciousness of each of the four objects of thought characterized as above. These, summed up, amount in all to twelve classes of con- sciousness in Arupal5ka, moral, resultant and ineffective. / 44 Note i. Dhammasangini 265-8. Note 2. According to the Tikas, the citta rScfos) has as its object the infinity of space ; the second citta StSJtS) has as its object the first citta (©dftSS) or vinfiana (Sc3^C5^3-€6) ; the third citta (Sefiffl) has as its object the first citta (SoJtS)) regarded as " nothing *'. The object of the 4th citta SeJoa) is consciousness of any Kind — Saiifia (00<C5^i5t^) being a symboHcal or representative term — wherein complete hypnosis is all but attained. Perception can therefore be taken in its older wider sense as 'that act whereby the mind becomes conscious of anything'. Buddhaghosa, commenting on the term in The Maha Niddana Suttanta, remarks neither vinfiana (8<e3^ffi5^4^) nor not viniiana (CfaQCS^^) as well as neither safina Xfi^egj) etc. So subtle and delicate is the consciousness. 3. Dhammasangini 501. 4. Dhammasangini 579. JHANA CONCERNED WITH THE ARUPALOKA. To one who practises his preliminary exercise, by way of infinity, on space obtained by abstraction from any of the hypnotic circles except the space circle (because one cannot abstract space from space), the ist stage of Arupa Jhana supervenes (akasanancayatana Kusala cittan <^3 8aj003H3iS^3 CO!532S3 ^C ®tsJG3o). The formula for repetition in this exercise is 'space is infinite', 'space is infinite', (ananto akaso ananto akas5. C]pa3®2S^05> CjeJCS^Ov^flO* <]p20®£5y333 Cf3a®a). How is this Jhana developed ?