..续本文上一页s five factors. Along with vitakka and vicara, piti (rapture) arises with the theme of contemplation and then sukha (happiness). These four things all lie together in the mind established in tranquillity. They are as one state.
The fifth factor is ekaggata or one-pointedness. You may wonder how there can be one-pointedness when there are all these other factors as well. This is because they all become unified on that foundation of tranquillity. Together they are called a state of samadhi. They are not everyday states of mind, they are factors of absorption. There are these five characteristics, but they do not disturb the basic tranquillity. There is vitakka, but it does not disturb the mind; vicara, rapture and happiness arise but do not disturb the mind. The mind is therefore as one with these factors. The first level of absorption is like this.
We don”t have to call it First Jhana, 2 Second Jhana, third Jhana and so on, let”s just call it "a peaceful mind." As the mind becomes progressively calmer it will dispense with vitakka and vicara, leaving only rapture and happiness. Why does the mind discard vitakka and vicara
This is because, as the mind becomes more refined, the activity of vitakka and vicara is too coarse to remain. At this stage, as the mind leaves off vitakka and vicara, feelings of great rapture can arise, tears may gush out. But as the samadhi deepens rapture, too, is discarded, leaving only happiness and one-pointedness, until finally even happiness goes and the mind reaches its greatest refinement. There are only equanimity and one-pointedness, all else has been left behind. The mind stands unmoving.
Once the mind is peaceful this can happen. You don”t have to think a lot about it, it just happens by itself. This is called the energy of a peaceful mind. In this state the mind is not drowsy; the five hindrances, sense desire, aversion, restlessness, dullness and doubt, have all fled.
But if mental energy is still not strong and mindfulness weak, there will occasionally arise intruding mental impressions. The mind is peaceful but it”s as if there”s a "cloudiness" within the calm. It”s not a normal sort of drowsiness though, some impressions will manifest — maybe we”ll hear a sound or see a dog or something. It”s not really clear but it”s not a dream either. This is because these five factors have become unbalanced and weak.
The mind tends to play tricks within these levels of tranquillity. "Imagery" will sometimes arise when the mind is in this state, through any of the senses, and the meditator may not be able to tell exactly what is happening. "Am I sleeping
No. Is it a dream
No, it”s not a dream..." These impressions arise from a middling sort of tranquillity; but if the mind is truly calm and clear we don”t doubt the various mental impressions or imagery which arise. Questions like, "Did I drift off then
Was I sleeping
did I get lost
..." don”t arise, for they are characteristics of a mind which is still doubting. "Am I asleep or awake
"... Here, it”s fuzzy! This is the mind getting lost in its moods. It”s like the moon going behind a cloud. You can still see the moon but the clouds covering it render it hazy. It”s not like the moon which has emerged from behind the clouds — clear, sharp and bright.
When the mind is peaceful and established firmly in mindfulness and self-awareness, there will be no doubt concerning the various phenomena which we encounter. The mind will truly be beyond the hindrances. We will clearly know as it is everything which arises in the mind. We do not doubt it because the mind is clear and bright. The mind which reaches samadhi is like this.
However some people find it hard to enter samadhi because it doesn”t suit their tendencies. There is samadhi, but it”s not strong or…
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