Theravadan

From: Pali, Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli

69. Paṭhamajjhānakathā[Absorption in the Cognitive Series]

Iti evaṃ nimittābhimukhaṃ mānasaṃ paṭipādayato panassaSo, while he is guiding his mind in this way, confronting the sign,

idāni appanā ijjhissatīti[then knowing]: “Now absorption will succeed,”

bhavaṅgaṃ upacchinditvā pathavī pathavīti anuyogavasena upaṭṭhitaṃ tadeva pathavīkasiṇaṃ ārammaṇaṃ katvā manodvārāvajjanamuppajjati.there arises in him mind-door adverting with that same earth kasiṇa as its object, interrupting the [occurrence of consciousness as] life-continuum, and evoked by the constant repeating of “earth, earth.”

Tato tasmiṃyevārammaṇe cattāri pañca vā javanāni javanti.After that, either four or five impulsions impel on that same object, the last one of which is an impulsion of the fine-material sphere.

Tesu avasāne ekaṃ rūpāvacaraṃ, sesāni kāmāvacarāni.The rest are of the sense sphere, but they have stronger applied thought, sustained thought, happiness, bliss, and unification of mind than the normal ones.

Pakaticittehi balavataravitakkavicārapītisukhacittekaggatāni yāni appanāya parikammattā parikammānītipi, yathā gāmādīnaṃ āsannapadeso gāmūpacāro nagarūpacāroti vuccati, evaṃ appanāya āsannattā samīpacārattā vā upacārānītipi, ito pubbe parikammānaṃ, upari appanāya ca anulomato anulomānītipi vuccanti.They are called “preliminary work” [consciousnesses] because they are the preliminary work for absorption; and they are also called “access” [consciousnesses] because of their nearness to absorption because they happen in its neighbourhood, just as the words “village access” and “city access” are used for a place near to a village, etc.; and they are also called “conformity” [consciousnesses] because they conform to those that precede the “preliminary work” [consciousnesses] and to the absorption that follows.

Yañcettha sabbantimaṃ, taṃ parittagottābhibhavanato,And the last of these is also called “change-of-lineage” because it transcends the limited [sense-sphere] lineage

mahaggatagottabhāvanato ca gotrabhūtipi vuccati.and brings into being the exalted [fine-material-sphere] lineage.

Agahitaggahaṇena panettha paṭhamaṃ parikammaṃ,But omitting repetitions, then either the first is the “preliminary work,”

dutiyaṃ upacāraṃ,the second “access,”

tatiyaṃ anulomaṃ,the third “conformity,”

catutthaṃ gotrabhu.and the fourth, “change-of-lineage,”

Paṭhamaṃ vā upacāraṃ,or else the first is “access,”

dutiyaṃ anulomaṃ,the second “conformity,”

tatiyaṃ gotrabhu,and the third “change-of-lineage.”

catutthaṃ pañcamaṃ vā appanācittaṃ.Then either the fourth [in the latter case] or the fifth [in the former case] is the absorption consciousness.

Catutthameva hi pañcamaṃ vā appeti,For it is only either the fourth or the fifth that fixes in absorption.

tañca kho khippābhiññadandhābhiññavasena.And that is according as there is swift or sluggish direct-knowledge.

Tato paraṃ javanaṃ patati.Beyond that, impulsion lapses

Bhavaṅgassa vāro hoti.and the life-continuum takes over.

Ābhidhammikagodattatthero pana ‘‘purimā purimā kusalā dhammā pacchimānaṃ pacchimānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ āsevanapaccayena paccayo’’ti (paṭṭhā. 1.1.12)But the Abhidhamma scholar, the Elder Godatta, quoted this text: “Preceding profitable states are a condition, as repetition condition, for succeeding profitable states” (Paṭṭh I 5).

imaṃ suttaṃ vatvā āsevanapaccayena pacchimo pacchimo dhammo balavā hoti, tasmā chaṭṭhepi sattamepi appanā hotīti āha.Adding, “It is owing to the repetition condition that each succeeding state is strong, so there is absorption also in the sixth and seventh.”

Taṃ aṭṭhakathāsu ‘‘attano matimattaṃ therasseta’’nti vatvā paṭikkhittaṃ.That is rejected by the commentaries with the remark that it is merely that elder’s opinion,

Catutthapañcamesuyeva pana appanā hoti.adding that, “It is only either in the fourth or the fifth that there is absorption.

Parato javanaṃ patitaṃ nāma hoti, bhavaṅgassa āsannattāti vuttaṃ.Beyond that, impulsion lapses. It is said to do so because of nearness of the life-continuum.”

Tameva vicāretvā vuttattā na sakkā paṭikkhipituṃ.And that has been stated in this way after consideration, so it cannot be rejected.

Yathā hi puriso chinnapapātābhimukho dhāvanto ṭhātukāmopi pariyante pādaṃ katvā ṭhātuṃ na sakkoti papāte eva patati,For just as a man who is running towards a precipice and wants to stop cannot do so when he has his foot on the edge but falls over it,

evaṃ chaṭṭhe vā sattame vā appetuṃ na sakkoti, bhavaṅgassa āsannattā.so there can be no fixing in absorption in the sixth or the seventh because of the nearness to the life-continuum.

Tasmā catutthapañcamesuyeva appanā hotīti veditabbā.That is why it should be understood that there is absorption only in the fourth or the fifth.

Sā ca pana ekacittakkhaṇikāyeva.But that absorption is only of a single conscious moment.

Sattasu hi ṭhānesu addhānaparicchedo nāma natthiFor there are seven instances in which the normal extent [of the cognitive series] does not apply.

paṭhamappanāyaṃ,They are in the cases of the first absorption,

lokiyābhiññāsu,the mundane kinds of direct-knowledge,

catūsu maggesu,the four paths,

maggānantaraphale,fruition next after the path,

rūpārūpabhavesu bhavaṅgajjhāne,life-continuum jhāna in the fine-material and immaterial kinds of becoming,

nirodhassa paccaye nevasaññānāsaññāyatane,the base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception as condition for cessation [of perception and feeling],

nirodhā vuṭṭhahantassa phalasamāpattiyanti.and the fruition attainment in one emerging from cessation.

Ettha maggānantaraphalaṃ tiṇṇaṃ upari na hoti.Here the fruition next after the path does not exceed three [consciousnesses in number];

Nirodhassa paccayo nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃthe [consciousnesses] of the base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception as condition for cessation

dvinnamupari na hoti.do not exceed two [in number];

Rūpārūpesu bhavaṅgassa parimāṇaṃ natthi,there is no measure of the [number of consciousnesses in the] life-continuum in the fine-material and immaterial [kinds of becoming].

sesaṭṭhānesu ekameva cittanti.In the remaining instances [the number of consciousnesses is] one only.

Iti ekacittakkhaṇikāyeva appanā.So absorption is of a single consciousness moment.

Tato bhavaṅgapāto.After that, it lapses into the life-continuum.

Atha bhavaṅgaṃ vocchinditvā jhānapaccavekkhaṇatthāya āvajjanaṃ,Then the life-continuum is interrupted by adverting for the purpose of reviewing the jhāna,

tato jhānapaccavekkhaṇanti.next to which comes the reviewing of the jhāna.

Ettāvatā ca panesa vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi[The First Jhāna] At this point, “Quite secluded from sense desires, secluded from unprofitable things

savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati (dha. sa. 160; dī. ni. 1.226).he enters upon and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought with happiness and bliss born of seclusion” (Vibh 245),

Evamanena pañcaṅgavippahīnaṃ pañcaṅgasamannāgataṃand so he has attained the first jhāna, which abandons five factors, possesses five factors,

tividhakalyāṇaṃ dasalakkhaṇasampannaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ adhigataṃ hoti pathavīkasiṇaṃ.is good in three ways, possesses ten characteristics, and is of the earth kasiṇa.

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