English
The individual who has deve- loped the five stages of Rijpaloka Jhana in the manner stated before, having realized the uselcssness or futility of the physical body, as it is subject to all kinds of disease and because of its presence one quarrels enters into controversies and do such manner of things as may bring one great suffering, being desirous of completely eradicating the physical body, selects one of the nine hypnotic circles (Kasina 3a34^) excepting that of I f 45 space for reason stated before, and develops the 4th stage of Jhana in Rupaloka. Thereafter he awakes from the 4th stage of Jhana and diffuses the transformed after-image of the kasina (t5iB4fn) object m any locality to such a distance as pleases him. So long as he pays no attention to the diffused trans- formed after-image, he only sees space there. Then he obtains space by abstraction from the transformed after-image and continues to repeat the formula (anant5 akaso ananto akasd <?20®i553 qiC5)3®a3 qp20®t53a C]p3fl®3®C03). When prac- tising so, for a considerable period, no sooner than the five hindrances are inhibited, there arises ist Jhana of Arupaloka (akasanancayatana Kusala cittan qfjaJC09:S3£^3Get2ffl t^COC ^tSjOSo) 2ND JHANA. To one who, by way of infinity, practices his preliminary exercise on the cognition of the ist Arupa stage, the 2nd stage of Arupa-Jhana supervenes (viiinanancayatana Kusala cittan 953^€^fi^a:e03ffl ^aO ©esfOo). The formula for repetition in this exercise is 'consciousness is infinite, conscious- ness is infinite' (anantan vififianan anantan vmiianan (frQ'iSS^o ©C^fiCiCsbo <]pa0255O>o Si3^\^o). Anantan vmfianan or consciousness is infinite refers here to the consciousness of the ist Arupa Jhana. How is the 2nd Jhana developed? The individual who has developed the ist stage of Arupa Jhana, just as a person who is frightened of a snake will get frightened on seeing any material resembling a snake, he gets disgusted of the ist stage of Arupa Jhana developed from eradication of the physical body, and with the hope of eradicating same he makes the consciousness of the 1st stage of Jhana his object and practises repeating the formula above stated. To one who so practises in course of time with the inhibition of the Five Hindrances there arises the 2nd stage of Arupa Jhana (viiifianancayatana Kusala cittan ^i;s^4^^c^o:^tSi^ ^00O €5eJo>o). 3RD JHANA. To one who practises his preliminary exercise on the non- existence of the aforesaid cognition of the 1st Arupa stage, I 46 mentally repeating 'there is naught whatever there is naught whatever.' (a:©3 t©S^ t5?S ^c^ natthi kinci natthi kinci), the ^rd stage of Arupa Jhana supervenes. He who has developed the ist stage of Jhana, no sooner than he develops the 2nd stage, will realize that his consciousness of the 1st stage has disappeared. The disappearance itself is stated here *as naught whatever'. The Jhana consciousness which supervenes, having for its object 'there is naught what- ever' or (natthi kinci 153 O^S a^€)) is called the 3rd stage of Arupa Jhana (akincafiiiayatana Kusala cittan CfO^e^cS^SS^ cOcOttJ C3(5 SoSOo). How can the 3rd Jhana be developed ? The individual who has developed the 2nd stage of Arupa Jhana, having seen the faults of this Jhana and good results of the 3rd Jhana, eradicates the 2nd Jhana and with a \icw to developmg the 3rd Jhana, takes for his object the non-existence of the consciousness of ist Jhana and practices the exercise repeating natthi kinci (2^ 03 tScS^) or there is naught what- ever. To one who so does, when the hindrances are completely inhibited, the 3rd stage of Arupa Jhana supervenes i^akinca- niiayatana Kusala cittan q^3tSf^42^^3GeG52>? ^CSO Se>S)o). 4TH JHANA. To him who practises the preliminary exercise on the cognition of the 3rd Arupa stage, mentally repeating 'This is calm', * This is excellent,' the 4th stage of Arupa Jhana supervenes. In any consciousness m full ecstasy (samapatti 00^30 exS) there is no perception from the view point of grossness, and there is perception from the view point of subtlety. That consciousness in full ecstasy samapatti 00® C6t5^) is called the 4th Arijpa Jhana of neither perception nor no perception (Nevasaiifia nasaniiayatana Kusala cittan ©2S3€)eo ^ce^ tSDoc: es^Ott^ cOta^S CQCOQ §OSio). It is like the vessel that contained oil and emptied, as one is not quite accurate if he states there is oil or there is no oil. How can this 4th Jhana be developed ? The individual who had developed the 3rd stage of Arupa Jhana, having seen the faults of this Jhana and the good effects of the 4th Jhana, takes for his object consciousness of the 3rd stage of Arupa Jhana and practises repeating the formulas *' This is calm, This is excellent " (Santametan paneetametan C3C530 <5S)03o C4J^S5®®tX^o) and duly develops the 4th stage of Arupa i 47 Jhana '^Nevasafinri nasaiiiiayatana Kusala cittan (©253®COe3qjeS^ RESULTANT CONSCIOUSNESS OF EACH OF THE FOUR OBJECTS OF THOUGHT. Resultant consciousness of each of the four objects of thought resembles those classes of moral consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space etc. The only difference being one resultant effects and the other good kamma. 1. After developing the ist Stage of ArQpa Jhana if one were to die in that ecstasy he is reborn in the sphere of the conception of infinite space, where the life-term is 20,000 great kappas (aeons). Rebirth consciousness, life continuum and redecease, there, is the resultant consciousness of the infinity of space. 2. Having developed the 2nd stage of Arupa Jhana, if one were to die in ecstasy, he is reborn in the sphere of the conception of infinite consciousness, where the life term is 40,000 great kappas (aeons). Resultant consciousness of infinite conscious- ness exists there by way of rebirth life-continuum and re- decease. 3. Having developed the 3rd stage of Ariapa Jhana, if one were to die in ecstasy, he is reborn m the sphere of the conception of nothingness, where the life term is 60,000 great kappas (aeons). Resultant consciousness of nothingness exists there by way of rebirth, life-continuum and re-decease. 4. Having developed the 4th stage of Arupa Jhana, if one were to die m ecstasy he is reborn in the sphere of neither con- sciousness, nor unconsciousness, where the life term is 80,000 great kappas faeons). Resultant consciousness of neither con- sciousness nor unconsciousness exists there by way of rebirth, life-continuum and redecease. INEFFECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF EACH OF THE FOUR OBJECTS OF THOUGHTS. These four classes of consciousness resemble the four classes of moral consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space and so on. Moral classes arise m the worldlings (puthujjana Q^d'dss^) and those who have entered the first three paths and gained I 48 the first three fruits. Ineffective classes arise only in Arahats. When an Arahat develops the ist stage of Arupa Jhana then that consciousness is called Ineffective consciousness dwelling on the infinity of space, and so on with the other three stages. Alambanappabhedena catuddharuppa manasan Pufiiiapaka Kriyabheda punadvadasadhathitan. (< Four kinds of mental objects may be sought, In mind rapt in Arupaloka thought, Classed as to merit, or as just effect, Or bringing none, twelve fold will be correct. THE EIGHT ECSTASIES. When the five stages of Jhana in Rupaloka are taken as four, they together with the four stages of Arupa Jhana are called the eight ecstasies (^c)s^0S®3C?^ atthaSamapatti). When Lord Buddlia preached the doctrme to very wise and intelligent people, he described as four Jhanas in Rupaloka, and to the less intelligent ones as five Jhanas. SUPERNORMAL KNOWLEDGE. Now, if one has emerged from the fifth stage of Jhana, the foundation for supernormal knowledge. Abhiiifia ^cSiCS^iG^), and performs the preliminary exercise of meditations on the phenomenon determined on, for instance, m order to develop ** The powers of Iddhi ", he repeats the formula Satan homi Sahassan homi (00t3>o ©0553$ OCQDCaceo ®QD3®) and so on, then the fifth stage of Jhana proceedmg by way of that knowledge supervenes with a visible or other object as its object according to circumstances. In the instance quoted above the individual appears as one hundred or one thousand beings resembling him, if he had so willed.