Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Vimuttimagga 361It should be clear to those who know the Texts that there is no way ofavoiding the practice of serenity and the development of at least the Firstjhana, in the antecedent part of the Noble Path according to the facts mentionedbelow. The Buddha placed the first tetrad of the Andpdnasati Sutta,an exercise in serenity, at the very beginning of the two main SatipatthanaSuttas; the Patisambhidd passage cited above attributes the abandoning ofthe hindrances by suppression to one who develops nothing less than theFirst jhana; the Buddha does not apply the words, 'having separated himselffrom sense-desires, having separated himself from evil states', namely, fromthe hindrances, to a winner of a lower state than the First jhana; and theBuddha has defined Right Concentration, Sammdsamddhi, as the four jhanas,and not anything lower than them. 1No progress in contemplation leading towards the Supramundane Pathis possible without at least getting the First jhana. The practice of insight isunfruitful, ineffective, and obstructed when it is attempted without goingaway from thought-proximity to the sensual plane, kdmabhumi. In onewho has attained the First jhana a proper environment is created internallyfor the intuition of the highest as well as for progress in the antecedent partof the Path that is connected with insight-development.Of the First jhana, from the time of coming to which a yogi undergoesthe first great transformation of consciousness, it is said that it is the escapefrom sensuality. That escape is due to the factor of unification in the jhanabrought about by concentration on what is not connected with sense-desire.With the escape into the consciousness of the First jhana the sensuous realmis not in being for the yogi, since attainment of this jhana is only possiblewith abandoning the sensuous realm. As the light of a lamp is not in beingwhen there is full darkness, so jhana is not in being when sense-desires, whichare contrary to it, are present. As by leaving the hither bank the reachingof the thither bank takes place, so by giving up sense-desires the First jhanais reached. The First jhana, owing to its transcension of the element of thesensuous (kdmadhatu samatikkamanato) and its being opposed to sensuouslust (kdmdrdga patipakkhabhavato), is truly free from sense-desires. In thesense of escape from sense-desires this jhana is renunciation according to theVenerable Sariputta Thera's words. This is the escape from sense-desires,namely, renunciation. 2visuddhiyo sampadetabbd ti vutta, tattha silavisuddhi nama suparisuddhampdtimokkhasamvarddi catubbidham silam, tan ca Silaniddese vittharitam eva,cittavisuddhi nama sa upacdrd attha samdpattiyo, td pi cittasisena vutta-Samddhiniddese sabbdkarena vittharitd eva. Tasmd td tattha vittharitanayetfevaveditabbd. Yam pana vuttarh: ditthivisuddhi... Amd pancavisuddhiyo sariran ti tattha namarupanarh ydthavadassanarh ditthivisuddhinama.2. Seen. 1, p. 189.1. Pts.I,41-2; D.IT, 313: Seen. 1 (d),p.229.2. As. 164: Kdmadhatusamatikkamanato hi kdmardgapatipakkhato ca idamjhanam kdmdnameva nissaranam. See n. 1 (b), 310.