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3. Kammaį¹­į¹­hānaggahaį¹‡aniddeso[Taking a Meditation Subject (Kammaį¹­į¹­hāna-gahaį¹‡a-niddesa)]

Idāni yasmā evaį¹ƒ dhutaį¹…gapariharaį¹‡asampāditehi appicchatādÄ«hi guį¹‡ehi pariyodāte imasmiį¹ƒ sÄ«le patiį¹­į¹­hitena ā€˜ā€˜sÄ«le patiį¹­į¹­hāya naro sapaƱƱo, cittaį¹ƒ paƱƱaƱca bhāvayaā€™ā€™nti vacanato cittasÄ«sena niddiį¹­į¹­ho samādhi bhāvetabbo.[84] Now, concentration is described under the heading of ā€œconsciousnessā€ in the phrase ā€œdevelops consciousness and understandingā€ (I.1). It should be developed by one who has taken his stand on virtue that has been purified by means of the special qualities of fewness of wishes, etc., and perfected by observance of the ascetic practices.

So ca atisaį¹…khepadesitattā viƱƱātumpi tāva na sukaro, pageva bhāvetuį¹ƒ,But that concentration has been shown only very briefly and so it is not even easy to understand, much less to develop.

tasmā tassa vitthāraƱca bhāvanānayaƱca dassetuį¹ƒ idaį¹ƒ paƱhākammaį¹ƒ hoti.There is therefore the following set of questions, the purpose of which is to show the method of its development in detail:

Ko samādhi?(i) What is concentration?

Kenaį¹­į¹­hena samādhi?(ii) In what sense is it concentration?

Kānassa lakkhaį¹‡arasapaccupaį¹­į¹­hānapadaį¹­į¹­hānāni?(iii) What are its characteristic, function, manifestation, and proximate cause?

Katividho samādhi?(iv) How many kinds of concentration are there?

Ko cassa saį¹ƒkileso?(v) What is its defilement?

Kiį¹ƒ vodānaį¹ƒ?(vi) What is its cleansing?

Kathaį¹ƒ bhāvetabbo?(vii) How should it be developed?

Samādhibhāvanāya ko ānisaį¹ƒsoti?(viii) What are the benefits of the development of concentration?[^1]

Tatridaį¹ƒ vissajjanaį¹ƒ.Here are the answers:

Ko samādhīti samādhi bahuvidho nānappakārako.(i) WHAT IS CONCENTRATION? Concentration is of many sorts and has various aspects.

Taį¹ƒ sabbaį¹ƒ vibhāvayituį¹ƒ ārabbhamānaį¹ƒ vissajjanaį¹ƒ adhippetaƱceva atthaį¹ƒ na sādheyya,An answer that attempted to cover it all would accomplish neither its intention nor its purpose

uttari ca vikkhepāya saį¹ƒvatteyya,and would, besides, lead to distraction;

tasmā idhādhippetameva sandhāya vadāma, kusalacittekaggatā samādhi.so we shall confine ourselves to the kind intended here, calling concentration profitable unification of mind.[^2]

Kenaį¹­į¹­hena samādhÄ«ti samādhānaį¹­į¹­hena samādhi.(ii) IN WHAT SENSE IS IT CONCENTRATION? It is concentration (samādhi) in the sense of concentrating (samādhāna).

Kimidaį¹ƒ samādhānaį¹ƒ nāma?What is this concentrating?

Ekārammaį¹‡e cittacetasikānaį¹ƒ samaį¹ƒ sammā ca ādhānaį¹ƒ,It is the centring (ādhāna) of consciousness and consciousness-concomitants evenly (samaį¹ƒ) and rightly (sammā) on a single object;

į¹­hapananti vuttaį¹ƒ hoti.placing, is what is meant.

Tasmā yassa dhammassānubhāvena ekārammaį¹‡e cittacetasikā samaį¹ƒ sammā ca avikkhipamānā avippakiį¹‡į¹‡Ä ca hutvā tiį¹­į¹­hanti,[85] So it is the state in virtue of which consciousness and its concomitants remain evenly and rightly on a single object, undistracted and unscattered,

idaį¹ƒ samādhānanti veditabbaį¹ƒ.that should be understood as concentrating.

Kānassa lakkhaį¹‡arasapaccupaį¹­į¹­hānapadaį¹­į¹­hānānÄ«ti(iii) WHAT ARE ITS CHARACTERISTIC, FUNCTION, MANIFESTATION, AND PROXIMATE CAUSE?

ettha pana avikkhepalakkhaį¹‡o samādhi,Concentration has non-distraction as its characteristic.[^3]

vikkhepaviddhaį¹ƒsanaraso,Its function is to eliminate distraction.

avikampanapaccupaį¹­į¹­hāno.It is manifested as non-wavering.

ā€˜ā€˜Sukhino cittaį¹ƒ samādhiyatÄ«ā€™ā€™ti vacanato pana sukhamassa padaį¹­į¹­hānaį¹ƒ.Because of the words, ā€œBeing blissful, his mind becomes concentratedā€ (D I 73), its proximate cause is bliss.

KatividhosamādhÄ«ti avikkhepalakkhaį¹‡ena tāva ekavidho.(iv) HOW MANY KINDS OF CONCENTRATION ARE THERE? (1) First of all it is of one kind with the characteristic of non-distraction.

Upacāraappanāvasena duvidho,(2) Then it is of two kinds as access and absorption;[^4]

tathā lokiyalokuttaravasena(3) likewise as mundane and supramundane,[^5]

sappītikanippītikavasena(4) as with happiness and without happiness, and

sukhasahagataupekkhāsahagatavasena ca.(5) as accompanied by bliss and accompanied by equanimity.[^6]

Tividho hÄ«namajjhimapaį¹‡Ä«tavasena,It is of three kinds (6) as inferior, medium and superior;

tathā savitakkasavicārādivasenalikewise (7) as with applied thought and sustained thought, etc.,

pītisahagatādivasena(8) as accompanied by happiness, etc., and

parittamahaggatappamāį¹‡avasena ca.(9) as limited, exalted, and measureless.

Catubbidho dukkhāpaį¹­ipadādandhābhiƱƱādivasena,It is of four kinds (10) as of difficult progress and sluggish direct-knowledge, etc.;

tathā parittaparittārammaį¹‡Ädivasenalikewise (11) as limited with limited object, etc.,

catujhānaį¹…gavasena(12) according to the factors of the four jhānas,

hānabhāgiyādivasena(13) as partaking of diminution, etc.,

kāmāvacarādivasena(14) as of the sense sphere, etc., and

adhipativasena ca.(15) as predominance, and so on.

PaƱcavidho paƱcakanaye paƱcajhānaį¹…gavasenāti.(16) It is of five kinds according to the factors of the five jhānas reckoned by the fivefold method.
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