Buddha Abhidhamma - Ultimate Science - BuddhaNet

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‘Parikamma-samàdhi’ is ‘preparatory concentration’
which is the initial and still undeveloped concentration
of mind. All stages of concentration starting from this
initial stage up to the stage just below the neighbourhood-concentration
is termed ‘parikamma-samàdhi’.
2 Upacàra-bhàvanà – the neighbourhood stage of meditation.
‘Upacàra’ means ‘neighbourhood’ or ‘moment of access’.
‘Upacàra-bhàvanà’ is that meditation which has come
to the neighbourhood of jhàna, magga or phala. It may
also be regarded as the meditation which is about to enter
the absorption-stage of meditation called appanà-bhàvanà.
Parikamma-bhàvanà itself is developed into the
upacàra-bhàvanà. The object of upacàra-bhàvanà is no
longer ‘parikamma-nimitta’; it is ‘pañibhàga-nimitta’,
meaning ‘counter-image’.
The concentration associated with upacàra-bhàvanà
is called ‘upacàra-samàdhi’ which is translated as
‘neighbourhood-concentration or access-concentration’.
It represents the degree of concentration just before
entering any of the absorption (jhànas).
3 Appanà-bhàvanà – the absorption stage of meditation.
The meditation, which has developed to jhàna, magga or
phala, is called ‘ appanà-bhàvanà’. The jhàna, magga or phala
remains absorbed or fixed in their respective objects.
The object of jhàna is ‘pañibhàga nimitta’ whereas the
object of magga or phala is Nibbàna. The concentration
associated with the appanà-bhàvanà is called the ‘appanàsamàdhi’.