Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 101ease in joy and bliss born of concentration, attains (to the second meditation,jhdna). If the yogin strives, he accomplishes the destruction of initial andsustained application of thought quickly. He is at ease in joy and bliss bornof concentration and cause the mind to abide tranquilly.Here I show the four factors of the second meditation, jhdna.That yogin "attains to and dwells in the second meditation, jhdna, which,through the stilling of initial and sustained application of thought, developsinternal tranquillity and the state of mind-predominance, is without initial andsustained application of thought, born of concentration, full of joy and bliss". 1This is the merit of the earth kasina. The stilling of initial and sustainedapplication of thought is the stilling of initial and sustained application ofthought through clear understanding. And also it is named ending.Q. What is "the stilling of initial and sustained application of thought" ?A. It is the destruction of the tribulations of initial and sustained applicationof thought pertaining to the first meditation, jhdna. It is the destructionof the roots of all initial and sustained application of thought. It is the codestructionof the tribulations of initial and sustained application of thought,roots of initial and sustained application of thought, and initial and sustainedapplication of thought themselves. This is "the stilling of initial and sustainedapplication of thought".And again, after separating himself from the lower coarse meditation,jhdna, the yogin attains to the upper fine meditation, jhdna, and causes it(the lower) to perish."Internal": what is one's own is named "internal". There are three kindsin what is internal: the first is internal in the sense of personal; the second isinternal concentration; the third is internal object.What is "internal in the sense of personal" ? The six internal sense spheres."Internal concentration": The contemplation on one's own bodily state iscalled "internal concentration". The thought which is inward (subjective),does not go outwards, and the nature of which is to understand is called"internal object". In this treatise "internal in the sense of personal" means"to be in a state of blissfulness".Faith, 2 right faith and the faith which develops meditation, jhdna, arecalled "tranquillity". In internal concentration this is internal tranquillity.What are the salient characteristic, function, manifestation and nearcause of internal tranquillity? Non-disburbance is the salient characteristicof internal tranquillity. Repose is its function. Non-defilement is its manifestation.Initial and sustained application of thought are its near cause.1. A. I, 53: Vitakka-vicdrdnam vupasamd ajjhattam sampasddanam cetaso ekodibhdvarhavitakkam avicdram samddhijam pitisukkam dutiyajjhdnam upasampajja viharati.2. Saddhd.