Four profitable directions - Four measureless states

There are four measureless states: measureless state of lovingkindness(metta), measureless state of compassion(karuna), measureless state of gladness( mudita) and measureless state of equanimity(upekha)

There are 40 good states that constitute these four good ways. One can consider these as 40 kinds of medicine for those bad ways described in Agati.

1) The first profitable direction

Herein, the painful way with sluggish acquaintanceship kept in being and made much of fulfils the first meditation. The first meditation fulfilled fulfils the first foundation of mindfulness. The first foundation of mindfulness fulfilled fulfils the first abiding. The first abiding fulfilled fulfils the first right endeavour. The first right endeavour fulfilled fulfils the first wonderful and marvellous idea. The first wonderful and marvellous idea fulfilled fulfils the first determination. The first determination fulfilled fulfils concentration due to will. Concentration due to will fulfilled fulfils faculty restraint. Faculty restraint fulfilled fulfils lovingkindness.

The painful way with sluggish acquaintanceship

dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā

The first meditation

paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ

The first foundation of mindfulness

Kayanupassana

The first abiding

Dibba Vihara

The first right endeavour

paṭhamaṃ sammappadhānaṃ

The first wonderful and marvellous idea

dukkha ariyasacca

The first determination

saccādhiṭṭhāno

Concentration due to desire

chandasamādhiṃ

Faculty restraint

indriyasaṃvaro

Lovingkindness

paṭhamaṃ mettāappamāṇaṃ

i) The painful way with sluggish acquaintanceship

Bhikkhus, these are the four ways of reaching the goal. What four?

A difficult means and slow realization, a difficult means and quick realization, a pleasant means and slow realization and a pleasant means and quick realization.

Bhikkhus, what is the difficult means and slow realization?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one abides reflecting loathsomeness in the body, loathsomeness in food, detachment from all the world, seeing impermanence in all determinations and the perception of death is thoroughly established in him. He abides relying on these five powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom are blunt in him as a result he realizes the destruction of desires slowly with successive leading. Bhikkhus, to this is said the difficult means and slow realization.

Bhikkhus, what is the difficult means and quick realization?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one abides reflecting loathsomeness in the body, loathsomeness in food, detachment from all the world, seeing impermanence in all determinations and the perception of death is thoroughly established in him. He abides relying on these five powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom are sharp in him as a result he realizes the destruction of desires quickly with successive leading. Bhikkhus, to this is said the difficult means and quick realization.

Bhikkhus, what is the pleasant means and slow realization?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters upon and abides in the first jhana which is accompanied by initial application (savitakka -thought) and sustained application (savicāra - examination), with rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha) born of seclusion. With subsiding of initial application and sustained application, he enters upon and abides in the second jhana, which has internal confidence (ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ) and unification of mind (cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ), is without initial application and sustained application, and has rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha) born of concentration.

With the fading away as well of rapture, he abides equanimous and, mindful clearly comprehending, he experiences happiness with body; he enters upon and abides in the third jhana of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who abides happily’.

With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and displeasure, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes purification of mindfulness due to equanimity.

He abides relying on these five powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom are blunt in him as a result he realizes the destruction of desires slowly with successive leading. Bhikkhus, to this is said the pleasant means and slow realization.

Bhikkhus, what is the pleasant means and quick realization?

Here, bhikkhus, a certain one secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters upon and abides in the first jhana which is accompanied by initial application (savitakka -thought) and sustained application (savicāra - examination), with rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha) born of seclusion. With subsiding of initial application and sustained application, he enters upon and abides in the second jhana, which has internal confidence (ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ) and unification of mind (cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ), is without initial application and sustained application, and has rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha) born of concentration.

With the fading away as well of rapture, he abides equanimous and, mindful clearly comprehending, he experiences happiness with body; he enters upon and abides in the third jhana of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who abides happily’.

With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and displeasure, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes purification of mindfulness due to equanimity.

He abides relying on these five powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom are sharp in him as a result he realizes the destruction of desires quickly with successive leading. Bhikkhus, to this is said the pleasant means and quick realization.

ii) The first meditation

A monk, aloof from the pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, enters and abides in the first meditation which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful.

" Thought " : there are three kinds of Thought, namely Thought of renunciation, Thought of non-ill-will, and Thought of non-harming. Herein, "Initial Thought" is the first instance' while " discursive thought" is the exploration of what is got thus.

Just as, when a man sees a man coming in the distance he does not yet know whether it is a woman or a man; but when he has got [the perception] that "it is a woman" or that "it is a man" or that "it is one of such colour (caste) " or that "it is one of such shape (figure) ", then when he is thinking [this] he further scrutinizes [as follows] "How then, is he virtuous or unvirtuous, rich or poor? ", such is exploring. In the initial thought he fixes,' in the discursive thought, he wanders about [his fixed object] and turns [it] over. And just as a winged bird first accumulates [speed] and afterwards no more accumulates [speed, when gliding], so too, initial thought is like the accumulation [of speed], and like the outstretchedness of the [gliding bird's] wings is discursive thought, [which] keeps preserving the thinkings a and keeps preserving the explorings. [Such] thinking is the opposite of perception of sensual desires; [such] exploring is the opposite of perception of ill will and of perception of cruelty. The action' of [such] kinds of thinking is non-attention to the unprofitable. The action of [such] kinds of exploring is the restraining of the "forerunners ".

Thinking is like a text-reciter' who does his recital silently: exploring is like his simply contemplating it. Thinking is like non-diagnosis; exploring is like diagnosis. Thinking is the Discrimination of Language and the Discrimination of Perspicuity ; exploring is the Discrimination of Ideas and the Discrimination of Meanings . This cognizance's skill in health; exploring is cognizance's skill in directive-guidance. Thinking is about this being profitable, this unprofitable, about this to be kept in being, this to be abandoned, this to be verified ; exploring is like the abandoning, the keeping in being, the verifying. The twofold, bodily and mental, pain does not arise in one steadied in these types of (a) thinking and (b) exploring, and the twofold pleasure, bodily and mental, does arise. The mental pleasure thus sprung' from thinking is (c) happiness, while (d) the bodily pleasure is bodily feeling. The (e) unification here is concentration. That is how the first meditation has abandoned five hindrances and possesses five factors.

iii) The first foundation of mindfulness

See the mindfulness regarding the body in Maha-satipatthana Sutta.

iv) The first abiding

See divine abiding in Venāgapurasuttaṃ -In Venaga

v) The first right endeavour

Here, a monk rouses his will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts his mind and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen evil unwholesome mental states.

vi) The first wonderful and marvellous idea

See the Noble Truth of suffering.

vii) The first determination

The first determination is the determination for truth. We find the definition of the determination for truth in Dhatu-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Properties.

For that which is liable to falsity, monk, is falsehood; that truth which is not liable to falsity is nibbāna. Therefore, endowed thus, a monk is endowed with this highest ariyan truth, that is to say nibbāna that is not liable to falsity.

viii) Concentration due to desire

"Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu gains concentration, gains one-pointedness of mind based upon desire, this is called concentration due to desire. He generates desire for the nonarising of unarisen evil unwholesome states; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives. He generates desire for the abandoning of arisen evil unwholesome states; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives. He generates desire for the arising of unarisen wholesome states; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives. He generates desire for the maintenance of arisen wholesome states, for their nondecay, increase, expansion, and fulfilment by development; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives. These are called volitional formations of striving. Thus this desire and this concentration due to desire and these volitional formations of striving: this is called the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional formations of striving. (Iddipada Samyutta).

ix) Faculty restraint

From 'The Fruits of the Homeless Life(DN2:Samannaphala Sutta) in Long length Sayings:

'And how, Sire, is he a guardian of the sense-doors? Here a monk, on seeing a visible object with the eye, does not grasp at its major signs or secondary characteristics. Because greed and sorrow, evil unskilled states, would overwhelm him if he dwelt leaving this eye-faculty unguarded, so he practises guarding it, he protects the eye-faculty, develops restraint of the eye-faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear,. . . on smelling an odour with the nose,. . . on tasting a flavour with the tongue,.. . on feeling an object with the body,. . . on thinking a thought with the mind, he does not grasp at its major signs or secondary characteristics,. . . he develops restraint of the mind-faculty. He experiences within himself the blameless bliss that comes from maintaining this Ariyan guarding of the faculties. In this way, Sire, a monk is a guardian of the sense doors.

x) Lovingkindness

A bhikkhu dwells with mind accompanied by loving-kindness, suffusing one direction. Also a second direction. Also a third direction. Also a fourth direction. Thus, above, below, around, everywhere, identifying himself with all, he dwells suffusing the world of all (beings) with mind accompanied by loving-kindness, extensive, sublime, unlimited, without enmity, without ill-will.

And how does a bhikkhu dwell with mind accompanied by loving-kindness, suffusing one direction? Just as (he), seeing, may love a lovely, pleasant person; in the same way he suffuses all beings with loving-kindness. (Loving kindness gives mental freedom from ill-will).