Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 109jhana. His body should be known thus: as the lotuses born in the water [420]are immersed in the water from root to neck, so he abides in the third meditation,jhana, with body and mind filled and saturated with bliss that is freefrom joy.Thus is the reward of the practice of concentration: One is reborn in theAbode of the All Lustrous. There are three kinds of rewards pertaining to thethree divisions of the third meditation, jhana, namely: higher, middling andlower. If a yogin practises the lower meditation, jhana, he will, after hisdeath, be reborn in the Abode of Lesser Lustre. His life-span will be sixteenaeons. If he practises the middling meditation, jhana, he will, after his death,be reborn in the Abode of Measureless Lustre. His life-span will be thirtytwoaeons. If he practises the higher meditation, he will be reborn in theAbode of All Lustre. His life-span will be sixty-four aeons 1 .THE FOURTH MEDITATION, JHANA/ consider the tribulations of the third meditation, jhana.Now, a yogin, having practised the third meditation, jhana, and acquiredfacility therein, wishes to cause the arising of the fourth meditation, jhana, andto transcend the third meditation, jhana. (He thinks), "The third is coarse.The fourth is fine". He sees the tribulations of the third meditation, jhana,and the merits of the fourth meditation, jhana. What are the tribulations ofthe third meditation, jhana? Joy is the hear enemy. Right concentrationwith bliss is coarse. So he is not able to acquire supernormal power. Thethird meditation, jhana, does not partake of distinction. Thus he sees thetribulations of the third meditation, jhana. The merits of the fourth meditation,jhana, consist in the over-coming of these (tribulations).Thus the yogin, on seeing the tribulations of the third meditation, jhana,and the merits of the fourth meditation, jhana, meditates on the kasina signand removes bliss at once. After removing it he can dwell with the mind ofequanimity. Thus meditating his mind quickly attains to fixed meditation,jhana, owing to equanimity./ will elucidate the factors of the fourth meditation, jhana.That yogin, "having abandoned pleasure and pain, leaving behind formerjoy and grief, painless, pleasureless, in the purity of equanimity-mindfulness,Vbh. 424—5: Tatiyam jhanarh parittarh bhavetva parittasubhdnam devdnam sahavyatarhuppajjanti. Tesarh kittakam dyuppamdnarh ? Solasa kappa Tatiyam jhanarhmajjhimam bhavetva appamdnasubhdnarh devdnam sahavyatarh uppajjanti. Tesarh kittakamdyuppamdnami Dvattirhsa kappa Tatiyam jhanarh panitarh bhavetva subhakinhdnamdevdnam sahavyatarh uppajjanti. Tesarh kittakam dyuppamdnami Catusatthi kappa.