THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[THE FOURTH JHANA]
183. And at this point, 'With the abandoning of pleasure and pain and
with the previous disappearance of joy and grief he enters upon and
dwells in the fourth jhana, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and has
purity of mindfulness due to equanimity' (Vbh. 245), and so he has
attained the fourth jhana, which abandons one factor, possesses two
factors, is good in three ways, possesses ten characteristics, and is of the
earth kasina.
184. Herein, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain: with the aban-
doning of bodily pleasure and bodily pain. With the previous: which took
place before, not in the moment of the fourth jhana. Disappearance of
joy and grief: with the previous disappearance of the two, that is, mental
bliss (pleasure) and mental pain; with the abandoning, is what is meant.
185. But when does the abandoning of these take place? At the moment
of access of the four jhanas. For [mental] joy is only abandoned at the
moment of the fourth-jhana access, while [bodily] pain, [mental] grief,
and [bodily] bliss (pleasure) are abandoned respectively at the moments
of access of the first, second, and third jhanas. So although the order in
which they are abandoned is not actually mentioned, nevertheless the
abandoning of the pleasure, pain, joy, and grief, is stated here according
to the order in which the faculties are summarized in the Indriya Vibhahga
(Vbh. 122).
186. But if these are only abandoned at the moments of access of the
several jhanas, why is their cessation said to take place in the jhana itself
in the following passage: 'And where does the arisen pain faculty cease
without remainder? Here, bhikkhus, quite secluded from sense desires,
secluded from unprofitable things, a bhikkhu enters upon and dwells in
the first jhana, which is ... born of seclusion. It is here that the arisen
pain faculty ceases without remainder.... Where does the arisen grief
faculty [cease without remainder? ... in the second jhana] ... Where does
the arisen pleasure faculty [cease without remainder? ... in the third
jhana] ... Where does the arisen joy faculty cease without remainder?
[166] Here, bhikkhus, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain [and
with the previous disappearance of joy and grief] a bhikkhu enters upon
and dwells in the fourth jhana, which ... has mindfulness purified by
equanimity. It is here that the arisen joy faculty ceases without remain-
der' (S.v,213-15).
It is said in that way there referring to reinforced cessation. For in
the first jhana, etc., it is their reinforced cessation, not just their cessa-
tion, that takes place. At the moment of access it is just their cessation,
not their reinforced cessation, that takes place.
187. For accordingly, during the first jhana access, which has multiple
adverting, there could be realising of the [bodily] pain faculty48
due to
contact with gadflies, flies, etc. or the discomfort of an uneven seat,
though that pain faculty had already ceased, but not so during absorp-
tion. Or else, though it has ceased during access, it has not absolutely
ceased there since it is not quite beaten out by opposition. But during ab-
sorption the whole body is showered with bliss owing to pervasion by
happiness. And the pain faculty has absolutely ceased in one whose
body is showered with bliss, since it is beaten out then by opposition.
188. And during the second-jhana access too, which has multiple advert-
ing, there could be realising of the [mental] grief faculty, although it had
already ceased there, because it arises when there is bodily weariness
and mental vexation, which have applied thought and sustained thought
as their condition, but it does not arise when applied and sustained thought
are absent. When it arises, it does so in the presence of applied and
sustained thought, and they are not abandoned in the second-jhana ac-
cess; but this is not so in the second jhana itself because its conditions
are abandoned there.
189. Likewise in the third-jhana access there could be realising of the
abandoned [bodily] pleasure faculty in one whose body was pervaded by
the superior materiality originated by the [consciousness associated with
the] happiness. But not so in the third jhana itself. For in the third jhana
the happiness that is a condition for the [bodily] bliss (pleasure) has
ceased entirely. Likewise in the fourth-jhana access there could be re-
arising of the abandoned [mental] joy faculty because of its nearness and
because it has not been properly surmounted owing to the absence of
equanimity brought to absorption strength. But not so in the fourth jhana
itself. And that is why in each case (§186) the words 'without remainder'
are included thus: 'It is here that the arisen pain faculty ceases without
remainder'.
190. Here it may be asked: Then if these kinds of feeling are abandoned
in the access in this way, why are they brought in here? It is done so that
they can be readily grasped. For the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling
described here by the words 'which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure' is
subtle, hard to recognize and not readily grasped. So just as, when a
cattleherd49
wants to catch a refractory ox that cannot be caught at all by
approaching it, he collects all the cattle into one pen [167] and lets them
out one by one, and then [he says] 'That is it; catch it', and so it gets
caught as well, so too the Blessed One has collected all these [five kinds
of feeling] together so that they can be grasped readily; for when they
are shown collected together in this way, then what is not [bodily] pleas-
ure (bliss) or [bodily] pain or [mental] joy or [mental] grief can still be
grasped in this way: 'This is neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling'.
191. Besides, this may be understood as said in order to show the condi-
tion for the neither-painful-nor-pleasant mind-deliverance. For the aban-
doning of [bodily] pain, etc., are conditions for that, according as it is
said: There are four conditions, friend, for the attainment of the neither-
painful-nor-pleasant mind-deliverance. Here, friend, with the abandon-
ing of pleasure and pain and with the previous disappearance of joy and
grief a bhikkhu enters upon and dwells in the fourth jhana ... equanimity.
These are the four conditions for the attainment of the neither-painful-
nor-pleasant mind-deliverance' (M.i,296).
192. Or alternatively, just as, although mistaken view of individuality,
etc., have already been abandoned in the earlier paths, they are neverthe-
less mentioned as abandoned in the description of the third path for the
purpose of recommending it (cf. §155), so too these kinds of feeling can
be understood as mentioned here for the purpose of recommending this
jhana. Or alternatively, they can be understood as mentioned for the
purpose of showing that greed and hate are very far away owing to the
removal of their conditions; for of these, pleasure (bliss) is a condition
for joy, and joy for greed; pain is a condition for grief and grief for hate.
So with the removal of pleasure (bliss), etc., greed and hate are very far
away since they are removed along with their conditions.
193. Which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure: no pain owing to absence of
pain; no pleasure owing to absence of pleasure (bliss). By this he indi-
cates the third kind of feeling that is in opposition both to pain and to
pleasure, not the mere absence of pain and pleasure. This third kind of
feeling named * neither-pain-nor-pleasure' is also called 'equanimity'. It
has the characteristic of experiencing what is contrary to both the desir-
able and the undesirable. Its function is neutral. Its manifestation is
unevident. Its proximate cause should be understood as the cessation of
pleasure (bliss).
194. And has purity of mindfulness due to equanimity: has purity of mind-
fulness brought about by equanimity. For the mindfulness in this jhana is
quite purified, and its purification is effected by equanimity, not by any-
thing else. That is why it is said to have purity of mindfulness due to
equanimity. Also it is said in the Vibhahga: 'This mindfulness is cleared,
purified, clarified, by equanimity; hence it is said to have purity of mind-
fulness due to equanimity (Vbh. 261). [168] And the equanimity due to
which there comes to be this purity of mindfulness should be understood
as specific neutrality in meaning. And not only mindfulness is purified
by it here, but also all associated states. However, the teaching is given
under the heading of mindfulness.
195. Herein, this equanimity exists in the three lower jhanas too; but just
as, although a crescent moon exists by day but is not purified or clear
since it is outshone by the sun's radiance in the daytime or since it is
deprived of the night, which is its ally owing to gentleness and owing to
helpfulness to it, so too, this crescent moon of equanimity consisting in
specific neutrality exists in the first jhana, etc., but it is not purified since
it is outshone by the glare of the opposing states consisting in applied
thought, etc., and since it is deprived of the night of equanimity-as-
feeling for its ally; and because it is not purified, the conascent mindful-
ness and other states are not purified either, like the unpurified crescent
moon's radiance by day. That is why no one among these [first three
jhanas] is said to have purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. But here
this crescent moon consisting in specific neutrality is utterly pure be-
cause it is not outshone by the glare of the opposing states consisting in
applied thought, etc., and because it has the night of equanimity-as-
feeling for its ally. And since it is purified, the conascent mindfulness
and other states are purified and clear also, like the purified crescent
moon's radiance. That, it should be understood, is why only this jhana is
said to have purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
196. Fourth: it is fourth in numerical series; and it is fourth because it is
entered upon fourth.
197. Then it was said, which abandons one factor, possesses two factors
(§183); here the abandoning of the one factor should be understood as
the abandoning of joy. But that joy is actually abandoned in the first im-
pulsions of the same cognitive series (cf. §185). Hence it is called its
factor of abandoning.
The possession of the two factors should be understood as the aris-
ing of the two, namely, equanimity as feeling and unification of mind.
The rest is as stated in the case of the first jhana.
This, in the first place, is according to the fourfold reckoning of
jhana.
[THE FIVEFOLD RECKONING OF JHANA]
198o When, however, he is developing fivefold jhana, then, on emerging
from the now familiar first jhana, he can regard the flaws in it in this
way: 'This attainment is threatened by the nearness of the hindrances,
and its factors are weakened by the grossness of applied thought'. [169]
He can bring the second jhana to mind as quieter and so end his attach-
ment to the first jhana and set about doing what is needed for attaining
the second.
199. Now he emerges from the first jhana mindful and fully aware; and
only applied thought appears gross to him as he reviews the jhana fac-
tors, while the sustained thought, etc., appear peaceful. Then, as he brings
that same sign to mind as 'earth, earth' again and again with the purpose
of abandoning the gross factor and obtaining the peaceful factors, the
second jhana arises in him in the way already described.
Its factor of abandoning is applied thought only. The four beginning
with sustained thought are the factors that it possesses. The rest is as
already stated.
200. When this has been obtained in this way, and once he has mastery in
the five ways already described, then on emerging from the now familiar
second jhana he can regard the flaws in it in this way: This attainment is
threatened by the nearness of applied thought, and its factors are weak-
ened by the grossness of sustained thought'. He can bring the third jhana
to mind as quieter and so end his attachment to the second jhana and set
about doing what is needed for attaining the third.
201. Now he emerges from the second jhana mindful and fully aware;
only sustained thought appears gross to him as he reviews the jhana
factors, while happiness, etc., appear peaceful. Then, as he brings that
same sign to mind as 'earth, earth' again and again with the purpose of
abandoning the gross factor and obtaining the peaceful factors, the third
jhana arises in him in the way already described.
Its factor of abandoning is sustained thought only. The three begin-
ning with happiness, as in the second jhana in the fourfold reckoning,
are the factors that it possesses. The rest is as already stated.
202. So that which is the second in the fourfold reckoning becomes the
second and third in the fivefold reckoning by being divided into two.
And those which are the third and fourth in the former reckoning be-
come the fourth and fifth in this reckoning. The first remains the first in
each case.
The fourth chapter called 'The Description of
the Earth Kasina' in the Treatise on the Develop-
ment of Concentration in the Path of Purification
composed for the purpose of gladdening good
people.
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