Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c17.s2.t6: Four Āruppas or Samāpattis
Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c17.s2.t6
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Four Āruppas or Samāpattis
v1.c17.s2.t6.1
The Kammaṭṭhānas that we have so far dealt with were meant to induce the jhānas up to the fourth, which keep the mind of the adept within the limits of Rūpaloka. The subjects of meditation that we propose to treat now induce the higher jhānas from the fifth to the eighth, usually called Samāpattis, and carry the mind of the adept to the region of Arūpaloka.
v1.c17.s2.t6.2
1. The first subject of meditation of the Āruppas is ākāsānañcāyatana (=ananta-ākāsāyatana). It starts with ākāsa-kasiṇa as dealt with above¹ with the difference that ākāsa in this case is unlimited extending over the whole cakkavāḷa. So long the conception of ākāsa is associated with cakkavāḷa, though it is unlimited, the adept does not go beyond the Rūpaloka. The adept is to think constantly of ananta-ākāsa, but without any kasiṇa, i.e. without any reference to the ākāsa as extending over a cakkavāḷa or so forth. In short, his mind is to be severed from all conceptions of objects (sabbaso rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā),² and hence without the possibility of nānatta-saññā (sense of distinction). By constantly meditating over this nimitta, he destroys the nīvaraṇas,³ develops mindfulness (sati) and concentrates his mind through upacāra,⁴ and attains the fifth jhāna.
v1.c17.s2.t6.3
¹ See above, p. 222.
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² Rūpasaññā = Paṭigha-saññā, because by the paṭighāta (contract) of object and eye arises the rūpasaññā. Sec Vism., p. 329.
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³ See above, p. 219, fn. 3.
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⁴ Vism., p. 328.
v1.c17.s2.t6.7
2. The second subject of meditation of the Āruppas is viññāṇānañcāyatana (= ananta-viññāṇāyatana). This is closely connected with the previous subject of meditation and at the same time a step in advance. In the ākāsānañcāyatana meditation, the adept's mind is not without some notion of sphere (desa). This is considered as faulty and the adept seeks to withdraw his mind from the sense of sphere and confines his attention to viññāṇa (consciousness)¹ of ananta-ākāsa and cogitates of ananta-viññāṇa only and develops as usual the jhāna, reaching the sixth.
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¹ Pavatta-viññāṇa=the consciousness that has arisen in the adept's mind by concentrating his mind on ananta-ākāsa.
v1.c17.s2.t6.9
3. The third subject of meditation of the Āruppas is ākiñcaññāyatana (= n'atthi kiñci iti āyatana or nā'ssa kiñcanan ti akiñcanam. Akiñcanassa bhāvo ākiñcaññam). In this case the adept withdraws his mind from the consciousness (viññāṇa) of ananta-ākāsa, and cogitates on voidness or absence of viññāṇa and everything else (n'atthi n'atthi ti vā suññaṃ suññan ti vā vivittaṃ vivittan ti vā). By such cogitation, his mind realises the non-existence of viññāṇa and thus gradually develops the seventh jhāna, the jhāna of nothingness.
v1.c17.s2.t6.10
4. The fourth subject of meditation of the Āruppas is said to be n'evasaññā-nāsaññāyatana, but in fact, the mental state of n'evasaññā-nāsaññā is derived by cogitation of ākiñcaññāyatana, i.e. abhāva of viññāṇa as explained above. In the seventh jhāna, the meditator gradually gets rid of saññā (perception) of the four khandhas (rūpa, vedanā, saṅkhārā and viññāṇa), but retains a saññā (perception) of extreme subtlety—the residuum of saṅkhārā. He cannot perceive ordinary things but he is not absolutely without perception. Hence the mental state of the meditator in the eighth jhāna is without perception of ordinary things (*n'evasaññā*) but not without the subtlest perception (*na + asaññā*).
Cites (1)
- Visuddhimagga — Buddhaghosa, Pāli