‘He who has fathomed
the far & near in the world,
for whom there is nothing
perturbing in the world5—
his vices evaporated,
undesiring, untroubled,
at peace—
he, I tell you, has crossed over birth
& aging.’”
Notes
1. For more on the first development of concentration, see AN 5:28.
2. For more on the second development of concentration, see SN 51:20 and AN 5:28.
3. For more on the third development of concentration, see MN 118, MN 149, SN 54:8, and AN 8:70. MN 111 and MN 121, which discuss the perceptions and feelings that arise and disappear on shifting from one level of concentration to another would also seem to be relevant here.
4. The difference between the third and fourth developments of concentration is apparently that in the fourth, the aggregates are viewed not only in terms of their arising but also their origination: what causes them to arise. For more on the fourth development of concentration, see MN 52, SN 22:5, AN 4:124, AN 4:126, AN 5:28, and AN 9:36.
It is sometimes argued that the first development of concentration is the only one that falls under the four jhānas, but the passages cited in these notes all show that jhāna is involved in all four developments. The difference lies in how the practice of jhāna is used.
5. Imperturbability is a quality of concentration that allows it to be used for the second and fourth developments of concentration (see MN 4). For more on imperturbable concentration, see MN 66 and MN 106. On an even higher level, the arahant’s mind is said to be imperturbable in the face of all sensory input. On this point, see AN 6:55.
Origin URL: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN4_41.html