Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 161THE THREE TRAININGS"Thus he trains himself" refers to the three trainings. The first is thetraining of the higher virtue, the second is the training of the higher thought,the third is the training of the higher wisdom. 1 True virtue is called the trainingof the higher virtue; true concentration is called the training of the higherthought; and true wisdom is called the training of the higher wisdom. Thatyogin by these three kinds of training meditates on the object, recollects theobject and trains himself. He practises repeatedly. This is the meaningof "thus he trains himself".(4) " 'Calming the bodily formation, I breathe', thus he trains himself":Which are the bodily formations? He breathes in and out with such bodilyformations as bending down; stooping, bending all over, bending forward,moving, quivering, trembling and shaking. 2 And again, he calms the grossbodily formations and practises the first meditation, jhana, through the subtlebodily formations. From there, he progresses to the second meditation,jhana, through the more subtle bodily formations. From there, he progressesto the third meditation, jhana, through the still more subtle bodily formations.From there, he progresses to the fourth meditation, jhana, having ended(the bodily formations) without remainder. A. If he causes the ending ofrespiration without remainder, 3 how is he able to practise mindfulness ofrespiration? A. Because he has grasped well the general characteristics,the image arises even when the respirations lapse. And because of thesemany characteristics, he is able to develop the image and enter into meditation,jhana.(5) " 'Experiencing joy through the object, I breathe in', thus he trainshimself". [431] He attends to respiration. He arouses joy in two meditations,jhanas. This joy can be known through two ways: through non-confusionand through the object. 4 Here the yogin enters into concentration andexperiences joy through non-confusion, through investigation, throughovercoming and through the object.(6) " 'Experiencing bliss, I breathe in', thus he trains himself": Heattends to respiration. He arouses bliss in three meditations, jhanas. This1. Cp. Pts. I, 184: Sabbakdyapatisamvedi assasapassasdnarh samvaratthena silavisuddhi,avikkhepatthena cittavisuddhi, dassanatthena ditthivisuddhi; yo tattha samvarattho ayarhadhisilasikkhd, yo tattha avikkhepattho ayarh adhicittasikkhd, yo tattha dassanatthoayarh adhipahndsikkhd.2. Cp. Pts. I, 184-5: Yatharupehi kdyasankhdrehi yd kdyassa dnamand, vinamand, sannamand,panamand, ihjand, phandand, caland, kampand 'passambhayam kdyasankhdram assasissamitCsikkhati, 'passambhayam kdyasankhdram passasissamitV sikkhati.3. See note 2 on page 120.4. Cp. Vis. Mag. 287: Tattha dvihdkarehi piti patisamviditd hoti; drammanato ca asammohatoca. Katharh drammanato piti patisamviditd hotP. Sappltike dve jhane samdpajjati: tassasamdpattikkhane jhanapatildbhena drammanato piti patisamviditd hoti, drammanassapatisamviditattd. Katharh asammohatol Sappitike dve jhane samdpajjitvd vu\thayajhanasampayuttam pitim khayato vayato sammasati, tassa vipassandkkhane lakkhanapativedhenaasammohato piti patisamviditd hoti.