Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

THE DISTINGUISHING OF THESUBJECTS OF MEDITATION 1CHAPTER THE SEVENTHTHIRTY-EIGHT SUBJECTS OF MEDITATIONNow, the teacher on whom one depends, having observed one's behaviour,teaches one the thirty-eight subjects of meditation. And again, he teachesone the two associated subjects of meditation.Q. What are the thirty-eight subjects of meditation?A. Namely, the ten kasinas, — earth, water, fire, air, blue-green, yellow,red, white, space, consciousness; 2 the ten perceptions of putrescence, namely,the perception of bloatedness, the perception of discolouration, the perceptionof festering, the perception of the dismembered, the perception of the gnawed,the perception of the cut and the dismembered, the perception of the fissured,the perception of the blood-stained, the perception of worminess and the perceptionof the bony; 3 the ten recollections, namely, Recollection of the Buddha,Recollection of the Law, Recollection of the Community of Bhikkhus, recollectionof virtue, recollection of liberality, recollection of deities, mindfulnessof death, mindfulness of body, mindfulness of respiration, recollectionof peace; 4 the four immeasurable thoughts: loving-kindness compassion,appreciative joy, equanimity; 5 the Determining of the elements; 6 the Perceptionof the foulness of food; 7 the sphere of nothingness, the sphere ofneither perception nor non-perception. 8METHOD OF DISCERNING THE QUALITIESThese are the thirty-eight subjects of meditation. The distinctive qualitiesof these thirty-eight subjects of meditation may be known (1) by way of meditation,(2) by way of transcending, (3) by way of increasing, (4) by way ofcause, (5) by way of object, (6) by way of speciality, (7) by way of plane, (8) byway of seizing, (9) by way of person. 9BY WAY OF MEDITATIONQ. How, 'by way of meditation' ?A. Namely, ten subjects of meditation fulfil access-meditation; eleven1. Cp. Vis. Mag. 110 ff. 2. A.I, 41: Pathayi, dpo, tejo, vdyo, nila, pita, lohita, oddta,dkdsa, vihndna. For the last two kasinas Vis. Mag. substitutes dloka-° and paricchinnakasa-kasinas.3. Pts. 1,49: Uddhumataka, vinilakd, vipuhbaka, vikkhittdka, vikkhdyitaka, hatavikkhittaka,vicchiddaka, lohitaka, puluvaka, atthika. The order here is altered to suit the passageabove.4. Buddhdnussati, Dhammdmissati, Sanghdnmsati, sildnussali, cdgdnussati, devatdnussati,marandnussati', kdyagatd-, 0 dndpdna-sati, upasamdnussati.5. Lit. appamdna citta. Cp. D.III, 223-4: catdsso appamahhdyo.—Mettd, karund, muditd,upekkhd.6. Catudhdtuvavatthdna. 7. Ahdre patikkula-sannd. 8. Akincanndyatana, nevdsanfidnasahhdyatana.9. Cp. Vis. Mag. Ill ff.63