瑜伽論記 8.66

8.66

For this reason, the sūtra states: 'Because of the abandonment of pleasure, when one cultivates the fourth dhyāna, at that very time all pain and pleasure are transcended.' Because of the cause and condition of the abandonment of the pleasure of dhyāna in the fourth dhyāna, whether it be the abandonment of pain in the prior two dhyānas or the abandonment of pleasure in the present fourth dhyāna, it is stated collectively that at the time of the fourth dhyāna, 'with the abandonment of pleasure and abandonment of pain, prior joy and grief have vanished.' The word 'prior' in that sūtra may be applied upward or downward: applied upward, it means 'the abandonment of pain was prior'; applied downward, it means 'prior grief and joy have vanished.' Master Ji says: 'Here, equanimity, mindfulness, and clear comprehension are called the counteractive factors; the pleasure of the third dhyāna is called the factor to be counteracted. In the sūtra, it only mentions the pleasure that is abandoned and does not mention equanimity and clear comprehension, which are the factors that abandon it, because the third dhyāna has already explained the counteractive dharmas such as equanimity and mindfulness, and these are similar in type to the counteractive dharmas of this fourth dhyāna. Hence they are called "of similar kind"—their name and nature are similar, so it says "of similar kind"; they both can sever defilements and are similar in both places, so it says "similar in power," and thus they are omitted and not stated. This explains the reason why the sūtra does not make explicit the counteractive factors of the fourth [dhyāna]. As for the statement: "Because of repeatedly cultivating this very [practice], one can discard the supreme pleasure of the stage of the third dhyāna that prevents one from transcending the third dhyāna; therefore it is said 'because of the abandonment of pleasure'," here the pleasure bound to the third dhyāna fetters the practitioner, preventing them from transcending the third dhyāna and from attaining the middle and superior fourth dhyāna above it. Now, by repeatedly cultivating equanimity, mindfulness, and so forth, one can discard this dhyāna pleasure.'