Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

194 VimuttimaggaOne attains to distinction in the four immeasurables through practising(them) towards animals, immoral persons, moral persons, those who dislikepassion, hearers, Silent Buddhas and Supreme Buddhas regarding them asa mother regards her children according to their stage in life 1 (lit. seasons).Q. Why is the third and not the fourth meditation, jhana, attainedin loving-kindness, compassion and appreciative joy?A. Through constant dwelling on the sorrows (of others) one developsloving-kindness, compassion and appreciative joy. (And so no equanimityis present). Therefore the third meditation, jhana, is attained and not thefourth.Again the plane of equanimity belongs to the fourth meditation, jhana,because it is endowed with two kinds of equanimity, namely, neutral feeling 2and neutrality as regards states. 3 Dwelling in the plane of equanimity andregarding all beings with equal favour, one accomplishes equanimity. Owingto the nature of the planes of the three immeasurables, the third meditation,jhana, and not the fourth, is produced. And again, it is said that the fourmeditations, jhanas, are produced with the four immeasurables. The BlessedOne has declared: "Further, O bhikkhu, you should develop the concentrationwhich is with initial and sustained application of thought; you should developthat which is without initial, and only with, sustained application of thought;you should develop that which is without initial and without sustained applicationof thought; you should develop that which is with joy; (you shoulddevelop that which is without joy); you should develop that which is accompaniedby equanimity. 4Q. Why are these four immeasurables and not five or three taught?A. Were that so, uncertainty might arise concerning all. And again, inorder to overcome hatred, cruelty, dislike and lust, one accomplishes thefour immeasurables. And again, it is said that these four are (overcome with)only loving-kindness. If one arouses (in oneself) hatred, cruelty, unhappiness,one, through suppressing them in the four ways, attains to distinction.Equanimity is the purification of loving-kindness, compassion and appreciativejoy, because through it hatred and lust are destroyed.Further, it should be understood that the four immeasurables are of onenature though their signs are different. Thus owing to the suppression oftribulation, owing to the object v/hich comprises beings, owing to the wishto benefit, they fulfil one characteristic.1. Cp. Sv. Ill, 1008: Appamannd tipamdnam agahetva anavasesa-pharana-vasena appamannd.2. Vedanupekkhd. 3. Dhammassa majjhattatd.4. Lit. without sustained application of thought (vicdra) with only initial application ofthought iyitakka) which is evidently an error.Cp. (a) S. IV, 360: Katamo ca bhikkhave asankhatagdmi maggo. Savitakko savicdrosamddhi avitakko vicdramatto samddhi avitakko avicdro samddhi. Ayam vuccatibhikkhave asankhatagdmi maggo.(6)D. Ill, 219: Tayo samddhi. Savitakko savicdro samddhi, avitakko vicdra-mattosamddhi, avitakko avicdro samddhi (=Samddhisu pathama-jjhana-samddhi savitakka-