Journal of Indian Philosophy (2005) 33: 285319 DOI 10.

1007/s10781-004-7378-6

Springer 2005

TSE-FU KUAN

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST " " DHYANA/JHANA MEDITATION

There are various schemes of the path to liberation found in the Buddhist canon. The most prominent scheme is probably the one centred on dhy"na (Pali jh"na) meditation, which consists of four lea a vels of meditative attainment. Rahula (1980: 270) describes the four dhy"nas/jh"nas as high mystic or spiritual states of concentration. a a These states involve transformation of hedonic and aective experiences. Heiler (1922: 26) says that the jh"nas are concerned with the a reduction of feelings. Other scholars have also discussed feelings in the dhy"nas/jh"nas.1 They rely mostly or exclusively on the Pali sources of a a the Therav"da tradition, but there are dierent interpretations by a other traditions, and even some accounts in the canons of dierent schools disagree with each other. There still remain problems regarding the order in which specic feelings fade away in dierent levels of jh"na meditation and problems about the nature of these feelings a and the mental factors of jh"na that may be feelings. After discussing a the main passages on feelings of jh"na in the earliest Buddhist texts, a this essay will investigate the interpretations by three Buddhist schools and put forth my personal opinions. Confronted by the divergence among dierent traditions in their interpretations, this essay will attempt to nd out the possibly earliest or authentic teachings on this subject and to elucidate their implications. My research will take account of the plausibility and coherence of doctrinal issues in the earliest texts on the presupposition that these texts are basically, although not totally, the record of the Buddhas teachings.
ACCOUNTS IN THE EARLIEST TEXTS

The four main Nik"yas and some texts in the Khuddaka Nik"ya of the a a Therav"da Canon in Pali are mostly attributed by the tradition to the a
1 For example Cousins (1973: 125), Griths (1983: 5961); Gunaratana (1985: 59.), Bucknell (1993: 380 ).

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Buddha himself or his immediate disciples with some degree of " certainty. The four Agamas preserved in Chinese translations, which correspond to the four main Nik"yas, also represent the earliest a stratum of the Canon. These texts are what I mean by the earliest " texts. With the exception of a few sutras, their authority is recognised by all Buddhist schools.2 The scheme of dhy"na/jh"na is often described in the Nik"yas/ a a a " Agamas by the following formula (hereafter the usual jh"na fora mula), with some variations in wording in dierent contexts (Tr. a. N"namoli and Bodhi, 2001: 275f. Pali words in parentheses are mine.):
Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters upon and abides in the rst jh"na, which is accompanied by applied and sustained a thought (savitakkam savic"ram), with rapture (p"ti) and pleasure (sukha) born of a . i . seclusion. Again, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jh"na, which has self-condence and singleness of mind without a applied and sustained thought, with rapture (p"ti) and pleasure (sukha) born of i concentration. Again, with the fading away as well of rapture (p"ti), a bhikkhu abides in equanimity i (upekkhaka), and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jh"na, on account of which noble ones announce: a He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity (upekkhaka) and is mindful. Again, with the abandoning of pleasure (sukha) and pain (dukkha), and with the previous disappearance of joy (somanassa) and grief (domanassa), a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jh"na, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity a of mindfulness due to equanimity (upekkh").3 a

According to the usual jh"na formula, p"ti (rapture) and sukha a i (pleasure) are both present in the rst and second jh"nas; p"ti fades a i away in the third jh"na; the fourth jh"na is free from sukha, dukkha a a (pain), somanassa (joy) and domanassa (dejection); upekkh" (equaa nimity) is present in the third and fourth jh"nas. It is not clear when a somanassa and domanassa disappear. The Uppatip". ika Sutta in the . at Indriya Samyutta of the Samyutta Nik"ya provides a dierent fora . . mulation of this issue.4 This text says that the arisen dukkha faculty (dukkhindriya) ceases without remainder in the rst jh"na; the arisen a
Lamotte (1988: 152). e.g. M I 181182; S V 307; A I 163164; D I 7375: vivicc eva k"mehi vivicca a akusalehi dhammehi catuttham jh"nam upasampajja viharati. The full formula is . a included in note 5. 4 I am grateful to Mr L.S. Cousins for drawing my attention to this text.
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domanassa faculty (domanassindriya) ceases without remainder in the second jh"na; the arisen sukha faculty (sukhindriya) ceases without a remainder in the third jh"na; the arisen somanassa faculty (somaa nassindriya) ceases without remainder in the fourth jh"na; the arisen a upekkh" faculty (upekkhindriya) ceases without remainder in the a a san "vedayitanirodha, a stage that goes beyond the jh"nas and the na a four formless meditative attainments.5 In the Samyutta Nik"ya all . 6 the above faculties are referred to as feelings (vedan"). In sutta 36 of a the Indriya Samyutta (S V 209), the sukha faculty is dened as . comfortable (s"ta) bodily (k"yika) feeling; the dukkha faculty is dea a ned as uncomfortable (as"ta) bodily feeling; the somanassa faculty is a dened as comfortable mental (cetasika) feeling; the domanassa faculty is dened as uncomfortable mental feeling. The upekkh" a faculty is dened thus: Whatever feeling there is, whether bodily (k"yika) or mental (cetasika), that is neither comfortable (s"ta) nor a a a uncomfortable (as"ta).7 Accordingly, bodily upekkh" refers to a bodily feeling free from sukha and dukkha, while mental upekkh" a refers to mental feeling free from somanassa and domanassa. In the context of jh"na, dukkha probably means any unpleasant physical a feelings such as those given by Spiros (1982: 55) Burmese informants, including pain and itching. Likewise, sukha probably means any pleasant physical feelings such as a feeling of lightness and a pervading warmth mentioned by Bucknell (1993: 391). Likewise, somanassa and domanassa may refer to any pleasant and unpleasant mental feelings respectively.
5 " S V 213215: idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicc eva kamehi vivicca akusalehi dha" . " . mmehi savitakkam savicaram vivekajam p"tisukham pathamam jhanam upasampajja . . i . . . viharati, ettha c uppannam dukkhindriyam aparisesam nirujjhati. . . idha, bhikkhave, . . . "" . " " " " . bhikkhu vitakkavicaranam vupasama ajjhattam sampasadanam cetaso ekodibhavam . . " . " " . avitakkam avicaram samadhijam p"tisukham dutiyam jhanam upasampajja viharati, . . i . . ettha c uppannam domanassindriyam aparisesam nirujjhati . . . idha, bhikkhave, bhik. . . " " " " khu p"tiya ca viraga upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajano sukhan ca kayena i " " " " "i patisamvedeti yam tam ariya acikkhanti upekkhako satima sukhavihar" ti tatiyam . . . . . " . jhanam upasampajja viharati, ettha c uppannam sukhindriyam aparisesam nirujjhati. . . . . . " " " " idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahana dukkhassa ca pahana pubb eva soma" . " " " nassadomanassanam atthagama adukkhamasukham upekkhasatiparisuddhim catut. . " . tham jhanam upasampajja viharati, ettha c uppannam somanassindriyam aparisesam . . . . " " " nirujjhati. . . idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbaso nevasann anasann ayatanam sam. " atikkamma sannavedayitanirodham upasampajja viharati, ettha c uppannam . . upekkhindriyam aparisesam nirujjhati. . . 6 " " S IV 232: katama ca, bhikkhave, panca vedana? sukhindriyam, dukkhindriyam, . . somanassindriyam, domanassindriyam, upekkhindriyam. See also S V 209. . . . 7 Tr. Bodhi (2000: 1681). S V 209: yam kho bhikkhave k"yikam v" cetasikam v" n a . . a . a eva s"tam n"s"tam vedayitam. a . aa . .

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There are some diculties with what is said in the Uppatip". ika . at Sutta: (1) Commenting on the statement that the domanassa faculty ceases in the second jh"na, Ven. Bodhi (2000: 1935) says, a This seems dicult to square with the usual jh"na formula, a which indicates that the rst jh"na is already free from all a unwholesome states, including domanassa. This remark is in accordance with the facts that the usual jh"na formula says a that one enters the rst jh"na having been secluded from a unwholesome states (vivicca akusalehi dhammehi patha. mam jh"nam upasampajja viharati), and that the jh"na fora . a . mula is often preceded by a formula on sense restraint as a preliminary to the jh"nas, which includes domanassa in evil a 8 unwholesome states. (2) One feels sukha with the body in the third jh"na according to a at the usual jh"na formula,9 but the Uppatip". ika Sutta says that a . the sukha faculty ceases in the third jh"na. Trying to make a sense of this paradox, Ven. Bodhi (2000: 1935) says, The pleasure faculty (sukhindriya) here is bodily pleasant feeling, not the happiness (also called sukha) the meditator is said to experience with the body in the third jh"na. In the a . Vibhan ga, a Therav"da Abhidhamma text, sukha in the a expression he feels sukha with the body is dened as mental pleasure, which is identical with the denition of somanassa in this text (will be discussed later); the body is dened as the three incorporeal aggregates: the aggregate of apperception (san "kkhandha), the aggregate of volitional formations na (samkh"rakkhandha) and the aggregate of consciousness . a a (vinnanakkhandha).10 Thus sukha in the third jh"na is inter". preted as mental feeling and the body is interpreted as the mental body. In his Visuddhimagga, Buddhaghosa explains he feels sukha with the body in the jh"na formula thus: a
Because he would feel sukha associated with his mental body (n"mak"ya), a a or because he would feel sukha while emerging from the jh"na as his a e.g. M I 180, 269; D I 70: abhijjh"domanass" p"pak" akusal" dhamm". a a a a a a sukhan ca k"yena patisamvedeti. a . . 10 Vibh 259: sukhan ca k"yena patisamvedet" ti tattha katamam sukham? yam ceta i . . . . . " . " " asikam satam. . . idam vuccati sukham. tattha katamo kayo? sann akkhandho, . . . ". samkharakkhandho, vinnanakkhandho. . "
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physical body would have been pervaded by the exceedingly excellent material arising from the sukha associated with his mental body.11

Here Buddhaghosa was apparently hesitant about categorically explaining the body as a mental body, and allowed it to be understood as a physical body. This reects the diculty in interpreting sukha of the third jh"na in the usual formula a while accepting the Uppatip". ika Sutta account that the sukha at . faculty ceases in this jh"na. To take sukha in the third jh"na as a a a mental feeling seems to be the only way to explain why one can feel sukha in the third jh"na while there is no sukha (a a bodily feeling) in the third jh"na according to the Uppaa tip". ika Sutta. Therefore, there have to be two kinds of sukha at . in the jh"nas a bodily one and a mental one. The problems a with the Therav"da interpretation of sukha in the jh"nas will a a be discussed in detail later. (3) The Uppatip". ika Sutta says that the somanassa faculty ceases . at in the fourth jh"na, which implies that somanassa still exists a before the moment of attaining the fourth jh"na. The usual a jh"na formula, however, says that one enters upon the fourth a jh"na with the disappearance of somanassa and domanassa a (pubbe va somanassadomanass"nam atthagam"), which apa . a parently means that ones somanassa and domanassa already cease at some stage/stages before the fourth jh"na, which a could be the third jh"na, second jh"na or even earlier. a a " Unfortunately, many sutras of the Indriya Samyukta, including the . counterpart of the Uppatip". ika Sutta, are missing in the Chinese . at " translation of the Samyukta Agama, but the foregoing account in this . sutta is quoted in several later texts of various traditions in Chinese translation. For example, the *Abhidharm"mrta(rasa)-s"stra a . a A pi tan gan lu wei lun), which is attributed to the ( Sarv"stiv"dins by Takakusu (1905: 139), states: The dejection a a (*daurmansya, Pali domanassa) faculty ceases without remainder in the rst dhy"na. The pain (*duh kha, Pali dukkha) faculty ceases a . without remainder in the second dhy"na. The joy (*saumanasya, Pali a somanassa) faculty ceases without remainder in the third dhy"na. The a
" " " " Vism 163: yasma tassa namakayena sampayuttam sukham, yam va tam . . . . " " " " namakayasampayuttam sukham, tamsamut.thanen assa yasma atipan"tena rupena . . . . " .i " " " " rupakayo phuto, yassa phutatta jhana vut.thito pi sukham patisamvedeyya. Namakaya . . " " " . . . . " " refers to the mental aspect of an individual, as opposed to rupakaya. See Vism 598 599.
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pleasure (*sukha) faculty ceases without remainder in the fourth dhy"na.12 The same account13 is found in the *Tattvasiddhi (or a Cheng shi lun) of the D"rst"ntikas or the a . .a *Satyasiddhi-s"stra, a 14 " a a Yu qie shi B"hus rut" a yas, and also in the Yog"c"rabhumi ( di lun) of the Yog"c"ra school.15 The *Tattvasiddhi indicates that it is a a " " said in the Sutra and the Yog"c"rabhumi quotes it from the Avia a " Wu dao jing,).16 Part of the passage in question par"taka Sutra ( i " in the Avipar"taka Sutra is also cited in the Abhidharmakosabh". ya: i as " uktam hi bhagavat" Avipar"takasutre trt"yam dhy"nam uktv" a i a a . . i . atr"syotpannam saumanasyendriyam aparisesam nirudhyata iti; a . . . caturthe ca dhy"ne sukhendriyam nirudhyata ity uktam. (Ak-P 440)17 a . The order in which various feelings cease according to these texts does not agree with the order found in the Uppatip". ika Sutta. Al. at though these texts are later than the Pali Nik"yas,18 the account of a the relationship between the faculties and the jh"nas preserved in a " these texts could date back to the time when the Agamas and the " Nik"yas were compiled in that it is cited from a sutra. This account a (hereafter Avipar"taka version) appears to be more plausible than i the account in the Uppatip". ika Sutta (hereafter Pali version), for . at the foregoing three diculties with the Pali version are not found in " the Avipar"taka Sutra account: i (1) The Avipar"taka version says that domanassa ceases in the i rst jh"na. This conforms with the usual jh"na formula, a a according to which one is free from unwholesome states, including domanassa, when entering the rst jh"na. a (2) According to the Avipar"taka version, the bodily feeling i sukha is expected to be still present in the third jh"na. This a tallies with the usual jh"na formula, and so there is no need to a
T 28, 979b: T 32, 285b: Here the duhkha . faculty and the second dhy"na are not mentioned. a 14 It was composed by Harivarman, who belonged to the D"rst"ntikas according a . .a to Lu (1982: 172) or to the Sautr"ntika-D"rst"ntikas according to Ven. Yinshun a a . .a (1968: 574), but to the B"hus rut"yas according to Buswell and Jaini (1996: 94). a i 15 T 30, 331a: . I am grateful to Mr Yuwen Yang and Mr Kin-tung Yit for the above references to the relationship between the faculties and the jh"nas. a 16 T 30, 331a: (As Bhagavat says thus in the Avi" par"taka Sutra.). i 17 I am grateful to Mr L.S. Cousins for this reference. 18 The earliest among them is the *Abhidharm"mrta(rasa)-s"stra, which is dated to a . a the rst half of the second century A.D. by Kritzer (1996: 489).
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postulate a mental sukha apart from the sukha faculty, a bodily sukha. (3) According to the Avipar"taka version, somanassa and domai nassa disappear at the stages before the fourth jh"na. This a conforms with the description of the fourth jh"na in the usual a jh"na formula. a (For a comparison of the usual jh"na formula with the passage in a " question in the Uppatip". ika Sutta and Avipar"taka Sutra see at i . Table 1.) However, there is an apparent contradiction between the Avipar"taka version and the usual jh"na formula. In the usual jh"na i a a formula, the expression with the abandoning of sukha and dukkha a bhikkhu enters the fourth jh"na seems to suggest that one abana dons both sukha and dukkha at the moment of entering the fourth jh"na, whereas according to the Avipar"taka version dukkha already a i ceases in the second jh"na. A similar paradox was discussed by the a later Buddhist literature. I shall investigate how various Buddhist schools interpret the above mental factors of jh"na as found in the a later literature, and will return to this paradox.

TABLE 1 Comparison of the usual jh"na formula with the Uppatip".tika Sutta and Avipar"taka a i . a " Sutra usual jh"na formula a Uppatip".tika . a Sutta Abandoned dukkha Avipar"taka a " Sutra Abandoned domanassa

Present 1st jh"na a p"ti sukha i

Abandoned akusala-dhammas (including domanassa) p"ti i sukha, dukkha (somanassa domanassa abandoned previously)

2nd jh"na a 3rd jh"na a 4th jh"na a

p"ti sukha i sukha upekkh" a upekkh" a

domanassa sukha somanassa

dukkha somanassa sukha

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EXEGESES BY LATER BUDDHIST LITERATURE

The literature that will be discussed here concerns the opinions of the a Therav"dins, Sarv"stiv"dins and Sautr"ntikas.19 The Therav"da lita a a a erature referred to here includes the canonical Abhidhamma works and the Visuddhimagga by Buddhaghosa, which is closely connected to the Nik"ya-commentaries, and seems to quote from the old coma mentaries more extensively than the extant commentaries do.20 The Sarv"stiv"da works that I will use fall into the following three a a categories: (1) The [Abhidharma]Dharmaskandha[p"da-s"stra] ( a a A pi da mo fa yun zu lun), one of the canonical Abhidharma works. a (2) The Vibh". a literature as the commentary on the Jn"naas " prasth"na, the last canonical work of the Sarv"stiv"da a a a Abhidharma. According to the tradition, the Vibh". a along as " a a with the Jn"naprasth"na was compiled 500 years after the Buddhas death or during the reign of King Kaniska.21 As . followers of the Vibh". a, the orthodox Sarv"stiv"dins in as " a a Kashmir are called the Vaibh"sikas. There are three versions a. of the Vibh". a extant in Chinese translations: (i) the *Vibh". aas " as Pi po sha lun) translated by Samghabhadra s"stra ( a . et al. in 383 A.D.; (ii) the *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra as " a A pi tan pi po sha lun) translated by Bud( dhavarman in 437439 A.D.; (iii) the *AbhidharmaA pi da mo da pi po sha mah"vibh". a-s"stra ( a as " a ") translated by Xuanzang in 656659 lun, or the *Mah"vibh". a a as A.D.22 The rst translation is only a partial translation,23 and its discussion of our topic seems incomplete. The third translation appears to be based on a rather late version since

While Sautr"ntika is generally considered to be a school that developed within a the Sarv"stiv"da sect, Kritzer (2003: 201202) emphasises that it is not a sect. He a a indicates: Cox suggests that the term may be better understood as referring to a variety of ideas that deviate from mainstream Sarv"stiv"da, not to a consistent and a a formal school. 20 Von Hinuber (1997: 125). 21 Willemen et al (1998: 116117), Kragh (2002: 149). Kaniska is dated approxi. mately 128151 A.D. by Lamotte (1988: 585). 22 Willemen et al. (1998: 118). 23 Yinshun (1968: 208), Kragh (2002: 149).

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the inuence of the Mah"y"na may be noticed there.24 a a Therefore, I will mainly use the second translation. (3) The Hrdaya treatises as summary digests of non-Vaibh"sika a. . Sarv"stiv"da doctrine: (i) the *Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stra a a a . A pi tan xin lun) by Dharmas resthin (Dharmas r" ) ( .. around the beginning of the third century A.D.; (ii) the Za a pi tan xin lun) *Samyukt"bhidharmahrdaya ( a . . by Dharmatr"ta in the beginning of the fourth century A.D.;25 a (iii) the *Abhidharm"mrta(rasa)-s"stra ( a . a A pi tan gan lu wei lun) by Ghosaka in the second century A.D.26 Ven. . Yinshun (1968: 493.) demonstrates that the *Abhidharmahr. daya-s"stra is based on this text, which will also be referred to in a my discussion below. As to the Sautr"ntika views, I shall refer to the Abhidharmakoa sabh". ya by Vasubandhu in the fourth or fth century A.D. as Although this treatise describes itself as a presentation of the Abhidharma as taught by the Vaibh"sikas, its author has evident a. 27 sympathies for the Sautr"tikas. a Sukha The Therav"dins dierentiate between the sukha faculty (sukhindriya) a . and sukha as a jh"na factor (an ga), which refers to the sukha mena tioned in the usual jh"na formula. As a jh"na factor, sukha is dened a a . thus in the Vibhan ga, a Therav"da Abhidhamma text: That which is a mental ease, mental pleasure, easeful pleasant experience born of mental contact, easeful pleasant feeling born of mental contact. This is called pleasure.28 This denition is exactly the same as the denition of the somanassa faculty (Vibh 123), while the sukha faculty is dened thus: That which is bodily ease; bodily pleasure; easeful pleasant experience born of bodily contact; easeful pleasant feeling

Willemen et al. (1998: 119). Dessein (2003: 291292), Kragh (2002: 149150). 26 Kritzer (1996: 489), Kragh (2002: 150). 27 de La Vallee Poussin (1988: 3). 28 Tr. Thittila (2002: 335). Vibh 257259 (para. 567, 578 and 587 for the rst, .. second and third jh"nas respectively): yam cetasikam satam cetasikam sukham a . . " . . . " "" " " cetosamphassajam satam sukham vedayitam cetosamphassaja sata sukha vedana, idam . " . . . . vuccati sukham. .
25

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born of bodily contact.29 In other words, sukha in the rst three jh"nas as stated in the usual jh"na formula is in fact somanassa, a a mental pleasant feeling, not the sukha faculty. The sukha faculty which is said to cease in the third jh"na in the Uppatip". ika Sutta is a a . at bodily pleasant feeling. By inference, the sukha faculty is present before one enters the third jh"na, that is to say in the second jh"na a a and even the rst jh"na. If this is the case, in the rst two jh"nas there a a is the sukha faculty as bodily feeling and the sukha as a jh"na factor, a which is a mental one. Making such a distinction between mental sukha and bodily sukha can avoid the following contradiction: Sukha exists in the third jh"na according to the usual jh"na formula, whereas a a the Uppatip". ika Sutta says that the sukha faculty ceases in the third at . jh"na. Here arises a question: Which jh"na or jh"nas have the sukha a a a faculty? The Visuddhimagga says that the sukha faculty can arise in a the third jh"na access,30 but not in the third jh"na proper because in a the third jh"na the condition for the sukha faculty, p"ti, has ceased a i 31 entirely. We can infer from this that the sukha faculty is present in the rst two jh"nas because p"ti is there. If so, the rst two jh"nas have a i a two kinds of sukha: a mental one and a bodily one! However, the . Dhammasan gani, the rst book of the Therav"da Abhidhamma, dose a . not include the sukha faculty in the list of the mental factors of the rst two jh"nas.32 After all, it does not seem very clear how the a Therav"dins associate the sukha faculty with jh"na meditation. a a The usual jh"na formula speaks of the abandoning of sukha and a the previous disappearance of somonassa in its description of the . fourth jh"na. The Vibhan ga explains sukha here as the sukha faculty a and somonassa as the somanassa faculty. We can nd a confusion in . the Vibhan ga interpretation of the four jh"nas: Sukha in the rst three a jh"nas refers to the somanassa faculty, while sukha mentioned in the a

29 Tr. Thittila (2002: 161). Vibh 123: yam kayikam satam kayikam sukham kayas.. . " . " . " . . " " "" " " amphassajam satam sukham vedayitam kayasamphassaja sata sukha vedana, idam . " . . . " . vuccati sukhindriyam. . 30 The later Pali literature makes a distinction between full jh"na or complete a concentration (appan") and access concentration (upac"ra-sam"dhi), the preliminary a a a stage of concentration preceding appan". See DOP s.v. appan" and upac"ra; Gethin a a a (1998: 177). 31 Vism 166. 32 Dhs 160, 161.

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fourth jh"na refers to the sukha faculty,33 and somanassa mentioned a in the fourth jh"na is identical with sukha in the rst three jh"nas. a a Therefore, in the fairly short usual jh"na formula the very same term a changes its meaning, and can even mean the same as another term in the formula! The Sarv"stiv"dins also distinguish the sukha faculty from sukha as a a a jh"na factor, but in a dierent manner from the Therav"dins. a a "-s"stra, sukha of the rst two dhy"nas as According to the *Vibh". a a as a described in the usual dhy"na formula refers to pleasure as trana quillity (*prasrabdhi-sukha), and belongs to the aggregate of volia a tional formations (*samsk"ra-skandha).34 Another Sarv"stiv"da . a work, the *Samyukt"bhidharmahrdaya, also says that sukha in the a . . rst dhy"na is pleasure as *prasrabdhi rather than pleasure as feeling a a a (*vedan").35 The Dharmaskandha, a canonical Sarv"stiv"din Abhida harma text, explains he feels sukha with the body in the third dhy"na a thus: The body refers to the body of the mind (*manask"ya). a Because the sukha feeling is present in the body of the mind, the body made of the four great elements also becomes comfortable.36 The text indicates that this sukha is sukha as feeling (vedan"), not sukha as a a a prasrabdhi.37 The Sarv"stiv"da distinction of sukha in the three dhy"nas is made clear in the Abhidharmakosabh". ya: Why is sukha a as in the third dhy"na said to be a dierent thing? Because it is sukha as a feeling (vedan"sukha), whereas [sukha] in the rst two dhy"nas is a a sukha as tranquillity (prasrabdhisukha).38 Accordingly, the Sarv"stiv"dins also deny that sukha as a dhy"na a a a factor of the rst three dhy"nas is the same as the sukha faculty, the a bodily feeling. Moreover, they even deny that sukha in the rst two

33 This shift is recognised by Gunaratana (1985: 95): Now the sukha spoken of as a factor of the rst three jh"nas is mental pleasant feeling, that is, somanassa or joy. a But in the fourth jh"na description the sukha which is said to be abandoned as a a pre-requisite for the jh"na has undergone a shift in meaning: it now signies bodily a pleasure or physical happiness. 34 T 28, 484b: ... 35 T 28, 924b: 36 T 26, 484b: See also *Abhidharmavibh".sa-s"stra (T 28, 312c: a" a ). 37 T 26, 484b: Both and are standard translations of prasrabdhi. 38 Ak-P 438: kasm"t trt"ye dhy"ne sukham dravy"ntaram ucyate? yasm"t tad a . i a a a . " vedan"sukham. dhy"nayos tu prasrabdhisukham adyayoh. a a . .

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dhy"nas is feeling (vedan"). The reason is given in the Abhidharmaa a kosabh". ya: as
Because the sukha faculty does not apply to the [rst] two dhy"na attainments. For a the bodily [sukha] does not apply to the two [dhy"nas]. Because the [ve]39 classes of a consciousness is absent in one who has attained absorption. Neither is [sukha of the rst two dhy"nas] a mental one because pr"ti (rapture) is mentioned [there]. For pr"ti a i i is saumanasya (joy), and there is no coexistence of sukha and saumanasya. Neither can they arise alternately in those two dhy"nas because the ve factors40 are mena tioned [with reference to the dhy"nas].41 a

It is necessary to elucidate what bodily feeling and mental feeling refer to here. The translation of a later version of the *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra, the *Mah"vibh". a,42 explains bodily as " a a as " feeling as feeling based on the ve classes of consciousness, and mental feeling as feeling based on the ground of mind (*mano" bhumikatva).43 The ve classes of consciousness refer to the ve kinds of consciousness conditioned by the rst ve sense organs in Buddhist classication of psychology, with the sixth consciousness, the mindconsciousness, being excluded. Since the rst ve sense organs (the eye, ear, nose, tongue and the tactile organ) are related to the physical body, feeling based on the ve classes of consciousness is regarded as bodily. On the other hand, feeling based on the sixth sense, the mind (manas), is mental.
39 The word ve (panca) is not found in the two editions of the text available to me (Ak-P 438; Ak-S 1142), but it occurs in both Chinese translations of the text (T 29, 147a: T 29, 298b: ). Without the word ve, the sentence would mean that one who has attained absorption has no consciousness, which denitely does not apply to the dhy"nas. Moreover, panca is found in a passage in the a " Arthaviniscaya-sutra in a similar context: m"nasam sukham abhipretam na k"yikam, a a . . sam"pannasya pancavijnanak"y"bh"v"t. (Avs 184185) This text is attributed by a " a a a a Santati to the Sarv"stiv"da in a broader sense comprising the doctrines, categories a a and controversies of both the Vaibh". ika and the Sautr"ntika schools (Avs: Inas a troduction 137140). He says that the compilation of this text might have commenced before the rst century B.C. (Avs: Introduction 65). 40 The ve factors refer to vitarka, vic"ra, pr"ti, sukha and cittaik"grat" (Ak-P 437). a i a a This passage implies that all the ve factors arise simultaneously, and never alternately. 41 Ak-P 438: dvayor dhy"nasam"pattyoh sukhendriy"yog"t. na hi tat tayoh k"yikam a a a a . . a . yujyate. sam"pannasya [panca]vijn"nak"y"bh"v"t. n"pi caitasikam pr"tivacan"t. pr"tir a a a a a a a a i . i hi saumanasyam. na ca sukhasaumanasyayor yaugapadyam asti. na c"pi tayoh para . y"yena dhy"ne vrttir yukt" panc"ngavacan"d iti. a . a a a_ a . 42 The fourth to eighth chapters, or skandhas, are missing in the translation of the *Abhidharmavibh".sa-s"stra, but are preserved in the translation of the later version. a" a The passage referred to here is cited from the fourth chapter. 43 T 27, 599a:

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The Sarv"stiv"dins maintain that sukha in the rst two dhy"nas a a a cannot be a feeling, whether bodily or mental. It cannot be a bodily feeling since the ve classes of consciousness related to the body do not work in one who has attained absorption, including dhy"nas. a Neither can it be a mental feeling because the rst two dhy"nas have a pr"ti, which is identied with saumanasya by the Sarv"stiv"dins, and i a a they contend that sukha cannot coexist with saumanasya. The reason why they cannot coexist is not clear. Xuanzangs new translation of the Abhidharmakosabh". ya reads: Because two feelings cannot as function simultaneously in a single mind.44 This probably means that it is impossible for two mental feelings to coexist. There is no pr"ti, i.e. saumanasya, in the third dhy"na, so sukha as a mental feeling i a can exist there. Here sukha is a mental feeling since the ve classes of consciousness related to the body do not work in absorptions, and it is felt with the body of the mind (*manask"ya) as mentioned above. a Here arises a question: In none of the rst three dhy"nas is sukha as a a dhy"na factor a bodily pleasant feeling, or the sukha faculty. The a " Avipar"taka Sutra account, which is acknowledged by the Sarv"i a stiv"dins, says that the sukha faculty ceases in the fourth dhy"na. This a a implies that the sukha faculty is present in the third dhy"na, or even a lower levels of dhy"na. Which levels have the sukha faculty according a to the Sarv"stiv"dins? There is no simple answer. The *Mah"vibh". a a a a as " says that the sukha faculty only exists in the realm of sense-desire, the a rst and the third dhy"nas.45 The *Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stra also a . 46 mentions the sukha faculty in the rst and third dhy"nas. Here the a sukha faculty in the rst dhy"na is said to be a bodily feeling,47 but the a sukha faculty in the third dhy"na is said to be based on the ground of a mind-consciousness (*manovijn"na).48 This implies that the sukha a faculty in the third dhy"na refers to sukha as a factor of the third a dhy"na for both are dependent on the sixth sense, the mind (manas). a Therefore the sukha faculty in the third dhy"na is a mental feeling, a " whereas the sukha faculty according to the Avipar"taka Sutra is a i bodily feeling. Apart from this inconsistency, the *Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stras a . account that the sukha faculty in the rst dhy"na is a bodily feeling a
44 45 46 47 48

T T T T T

29, 27, 28, 28, 28,

147: 464a: 823c: 823c: 823c:

...

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TSE-FU KUAN

apparently contradicts the Sarv"stiv"da view that the ve classes of a a consciousness related to the body do not work in on who has attained absorption, including the rst dhy"na, so there is no bodily feeling. a The even earlier text, the *Abhidharm"mrta(rasa)-s"stra, also says a . a that in the rst dhy"na there is the sukha faculty associated with three a classes of consciousness, namely the eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness and body(tactile organ)-consciousness.49 This implies that the sukha faculty in the rst dhy"na is a bodily feeling. The reason is a that although the Sarv"stiv"dins hold that the ve classes of cona a sciousness do not work in one who has attained the dhy"nas in a meditation, they contend that one who has been reborn in the rst dhy"na as heaven50 can have four kinds of consciousness. This is a implied in the *Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stras exposition of the rst a . ) before saying, dhy"na, which mentions the Brahm" world ( a a The rst dhy"na has fourfold mind: the eye-consciousness, eara consciousness, body(tactile organ)-consciousness, and mind-consciousness.51 The sukha faculty is associated with the rst three kinds of consciousness related to the body as mentioned above. Similarly, the Abhidharmakosabh". ya explicitly states: There are as three feelings with regard to rebirth in the rst dhy"na: sukha is a 52 associated with three classes of consciousness; In the Abhidharmakosabh". ya, others (apare) refute the foregoing as views that sukha of the rst two dhy"nas is prasrabdhi and sukha of a the third dhy"na is mental feeling. This refutation is attributed to the a .54 As mentioned Sautr"ntikas by Yas omitra53 and Puguang a above, the author of the Abhidharmakosabh". ya has evident symas pathies for the Sautr"tika opinions. This text reads: Others said, In a the three dhy"nas there is no mental sukha faculty at all, but only a . a bodily sukha is established as a factor (an ga).55 Thus the Sautr"ntikas identify the sukha faculty with sukha as a factor of the rst three dhy"nas, and regard it as only bodily, not mental. Then they rebut the a

T 28, 975a: There is a correspondence between Buddhist cosmology and meditative states. See below. 51 T 28, 823c: 52 Ak-P 442: prathamadhy"notpattau tisro vedan". : sukham trivijn"nak"yikam a ah a a . . 53 Akvy 673. 54 T 41, 423a-b. 55 " . Ak-P 439: apare punar ahuh: n"sty eva caitasikam sukhendriyam trisv api hi a . . . _ . dhy"nesu, k"yikam eva sukham angam vyavasth"pitam iti. a . a a
50

49

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

299

" authenticity of a sutra (attributed to the Sarv"stiv"dins by a a Puguang56) that denes the sukha faculty as pleasant bodily and mental feeling:57
This text is interpolated. Why? (1) Because in all other schools the text only reads bodily. (2) And because the [canonical] statement in its own words is And he feels sukha with the body (k"yena). If [one interprets with the body as]: with the body a of the mind (manask"yena), what merit [should be] by saying so?58 a

As Yoshifumi (2003: 322324) points out, the name Sautr"ntikas a come from their position towards the scripture on which they depend " most, i.e. the sutras, and they recognise the authority of the Vinaya as " well as sutras, but do not recognise the authority of the Abhidharmas"stra. The Sautr"ntikas, sticking to the earliest canonical texts, a a reject the Sarv"stiv"da theory that sukha as a factor of the third a a dhy"na is a mental feeling which is to be experienced by the body of a the mind. It is obvious that the Sautr"ntika opinion also disagree a with the Therav"da view that sukha in the third dhy"na is a mental a a feeling which is to be experienced by the three incorporeal aggregates or is associated with the mental body (n"mak"ya) as mentioned a a above. The Sautr"ntikas also criticise the Sarv"stiv"dins for intera a a preting sukha in the rst two dhy"nas as prasrabdhi (tranquillity), a saying, Sukha is not stated in the fourth dhy"na, where prasrabdhi is a a even greater.59 This implies that if sukha in the rst two dhy"nas referred to prasrabdhi, the even higher degree of prasrabdhi in the fourth dhy"na would also be referred to as sukha, but sukha is not there a " according to the usual dhy"na formula and the Avipar"taka Sutra. a i The Sautr"ntikas object that the ve kinds of consciousness related a to the body are absent in one who has entered dhy"nas and consea quently bodily feeling is also absent. They say, If [the Sarv"stiv"dins a a ask]: How is there bodily consciousness in one who has attained absorption? [There is bodily consciousness] because the body is pervaded by the wind which is born of special concentration, which is named a prasrabdhi and to be felt as sukha.60 For the Sautr"ntikas it is not a
T 41, 423b. " Ak-P 439: sutra uktam sukhendriyam katamat? yat k"yikam caitasikam s"tam a . . . . a . veditam iti. . 58 Ak-P 439: adhy"ropita esa p"thah. ken"pi? sarvanik"y"ntaresu k"yikam ity eve a a. . a a a a . . p".th"t. sukham ca k"yena pratisamvedayata iti svasabdena vacan"c ca. manaa a a a . . sk"yeneti cet, evam uktv" ko gunah? a a . . 59 " Ak-P 439: caturthe dhy"ne prasrabdhibhuyastve pi sukh"vacan"c ca. a a a 60 Ak-P 439: sam"pannasya katham k"yavijn"nam iti cet. sam"dhivisesajena prasa a a . a . rabdhisamjnakena sukhavedan"yena v"yun" k"yaspharanat. i a a a . ."
57 56

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TSE-FU KUAN

problem to have bodily sukha in the dhy"nas as they do not accept that a the ve classes of consciousness pertaining to the body are absent in one who enters the dhy"nas. Like the Sarv"stiv"dins, a Therav"da Abhida a a a hamma text, the Kath"vatthu, holds that the ve senses do not work in a a the jh"nas.61 However, the Nik"yas suggest that the rst three formless a attainments, which are higher than the jh"nas, are to be perceived by a a mind free from the functioning of the ve senses.62 There does not seem to be any passage in the earliest texts saying that the ve senses or the ve classes of consciousness stop working in the jh"nas. Therefore, the a Sautr"ntikas may be right in arguing that there is bodily consciousness a and hence bodily sukha in the rst three dhy"nas. To sum up, the a Sautr"ntikas only recognise sukha mentioned in the three dhy"nas as a a bodily feeling, and identify it with the sukha faculty, and thus avoid those complexities and even contradictions found in the Sarv"stiv"da a a and Therav"da exegeses. Their understanding of sukha of the dhy"nas a a " accords with both the usual jh"na formula and the Avipar"taka Sutra a i account. The views of dierent schools compared with the usual jh"na a " formula and the Avipar"taka Sutra are summarised in Table 2. i Somanassa and p"ti i The Sarv"stiv"dins hold that the saumanasya faculty is present in the a a rst two dhy"nas, but not in the others.63 This is in accordance with a " the Avipar"taka Sutra account, which says that the saumanasya i faculty ceases in the third dhy"na. The *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra64 a as " a and the Abhidharmakosabh". ya even equate pr"ti of the rst two as i i dhy"nas to the saumanasya faculty.65 It is notable that pr"ti also a ceases in the third dhy"na according to the usual jh"na formula. The a a *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra explicitly states that pr"ti belongs to the as " a i aggregate of feeling (*vedan"-skandha).66 a . In contrast, a Therav"da Abhidhamma text, the Dhammasan gani a . ( 160, 161, 163), includes the somanassa faculty in the mental factors . of the rst three jh"nas. This conforms with the Vibhan ga, which a
Kv XVIII 8, p. 572. M I 293; A IV 426-427. 63 e.g. *Abhidharm"mrta(rasa)-s"stra (T 28, 975a); *Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stra (T a . a a . 28, 823c). 64 T 28, 312 a, b: Both pr"ti and saumanasya are translated as i but they can be distinguished from the contexts. 65 Ak-P 440: pr"tir eva saumanasyam. i . 66 T 28, 312 a, b:
62 61

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

301

TABLE 2 Three schools interpretations of sukha compared with canonical passages 1st jh"na a usual jh"na a formula Avipar"taka i Sutra " sukha as mental Therav"da a (where sukha feeling = faculty exists somanassa is not clear) sukha as mental feeling = somanassa sukha as mental feeling (= somanassa) felt with the 3 mental khandhas; sukha faculty ceases sukha faculty = mental feeling felt with manask"ya or a based on manovijn"na a sukha faculty as bodily feeling sukha 2nd jh"na a sukha 3rd jh"na a sukha felt with the body 4th jh"na a sukha is abandoned sukha faculty ceases sukha as bodily feeling is abandoned

Sarv"stiv"da a a

1) sukha = prasrabdhi feeling 2) sukha faculty = bodily feeling sukha faculty as bodily feeling

sukha = prasrabdhi feeling

Sautr"ntika a

sukha faculty as bodily feeling

denes sukha of the rst three jh"nas as somanassa (see above). On a the other hand, this is also in accordance with the Uppatip". ika Sutta, . at which says that the somanassa faculty ceases in the fourth jh"na. As a discussed above, this account is dicult to square with the usual jh"na formulas description of the fourth jh"na. The foregoing is a a summarised in Table 3. While the Sarv"stiv"dins contend that pr"ti belongs to the a a i aggregate of feeling, p"ti (= Skt pr"ti) is classied under the aggregate i i of volitional formations (samkh"rakkhandha) in the Therav"da a . a . Abhidhamma, e.g. the Dhammasan gani 62, 148, etc. The Visud. dhimagga explicitly states that p"ti of the rst two jh"nas is included in i a 67 the aggregate of volitional formations. In the earliest texts, how. 67 Vism 145: samkh"rakkhandhasan gahit" p"ti. Vism 158: p"tisukhan ti idam vuta i i . a . tanayam eva.

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TABLE 3 Two schools interpretations of somanassa and p"ti i

1st jh"na a 2nd jh"na a 3rd jh"na a 4th jh"na a

Usual jh"na a formula Avipar"taka i " Sutra Sarv"stiv"da a a Therav"da a Uppatip".tika . a Sutta

pr"ti & sukha i exist

pr"ti & sukha i exist

pr"ti fades away i sukha exists saumanasya ceases sukha ceases

saumanasya = saumanasya = pr"ti i pr"ti i somanassa = sukha somanassa = sukha somanassa = sukha sukha ceases somanassa ceases

ever, p"ti is apparently regarded as a feeling. For example, when the i " a a 16 exercises of the an"p"nasati are correlated to the four establishments of mindfulness (satipatth"na), the exercise He trains thus: I .. a will breathe in experiencing p"ti; he trains thus: I will breathe out i experiencing p"ti. (p"tipatisamved" assasiss"m" ti sikkhati, i i i a i . . p"tipatisamved" passasiss"m" ti sikkhati) is assigned to contemplation i i a i . . a of feelings.68 Another example can be found in sutta 29 of the Vedan" Samyutta, a chapter of the Samyutta Nik"ya devoted to the discusa . . sion of feeling (vedan"). Here p"ti, sukha and upekkh" that arise in a i a dependence on sensual pleasure are called worldly (s"misa) p"ti, a i worldly sukha, and worldly upekkh"; p"ti in the rst and second a i jh"nas is unworldly (nir"misa) p"ti; sukha in the rst, second and third a a i jh"nas is unworldly sukha (S IV 235236). It is evident that p"ti, along a i with sukha and upekkh", is treated as a feeling since these three are a a a discussed in the same manner in this text.69 The Sarv"stiv"dins are right in classifying pr"ti under the aggregate of feeling, but there does i not seem to be any support from the earliest texts for their argument that pr"ti refers to the saumanasya faculty. i

e.g. M III 84, S V 323324. Although worldly liberation (vimokkha) and unworldly liberation, etc. are also discussed in this text, they are treated in a dierent way and cannot be seen as feelings.
69

68

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

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Upekkh"/upeksa a ." In the later Therav"da literature a distinction is made between upa ekkh" as feeling (vedanupekkh") and upekkh" as specic neutrality a a a a (tatramajjhattupekkh");70 specic neutrality includes upekkh" of the a third and fourth jh"nas71 and is placed under the aggregate of volia tional formations (samkh"rakkhandha).72 It is necessary for the . a Therav"dins to interpret upekkh" of the third jh"na as something a a a . distinct from feeling, since according to their Vibhan ga, sukha of the third jh"na is the same as somanassa (see above),73 which is a a incompatible with upekkh" as feeling.74 The Nik"yas do speak of a a upekkh" as feeling,75 but do not mention upekkh" as specic neua trality or samkh"ra. The second book of the Pali Abhidhamma, the . a . Vibhan ga, is perhaps the rst text to dene upekkh" of the third and a fourth jh"nas as something similar to specic neutrality stated in the a later literature: What is upekkh"? That which is upekkh", upekkhan" a a a (also meaning equanimity), supreme upekkhan", neutrality of a mind.76 Such a denition, however, is not found in the rst book . of the Pali Abhidhamma, the Dhammasan gani, which makes mention . of upekkh" only as feeling. In this text upekkh" and the upekkh" a a a faculty are both dened as mental (cetasika) neutral feeling, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.77 In other words, they refer to the feeling . free from somanassa and domanassa. In the Dhammasan gani 165, . upekkh" and the upekkh" faculty (upekkhindriya) are included in the a a mental factors of the fourth jh"na, but neither upekkh" nor the a a
70 ". Literally neutral therein upekkh". Ven. Nanamoli (1975: 167) translates it as a equanimity as specic neutrality. C.A.F. Rhys Davids translates tatramajjhattat" as a a. balance of mind, mental equipoise (Aung, 1910: 230). I follow Ven. N"namolis translation. 71 e.g. Vism 161. Here jh"nupekkh" refers to the upekkh" of the third jh"na, and a a a a p"risuddhupekkh" refers to the upekkh" of the fourth jh"na. Both are said to be the a a a a same as tatramajjhattupekkh". a 72 Aung (1910: 229 230) and Gethin (2001: 157). 73 According to the Uppatip".tika Sutta, the somanassa faculty ceases in the fourth . a jh"na. This also implies that somanassa is present in the third jh"na. a a 74 This is suggested by Gunaratana (1985: 90 91): The statement that both happiness and equanimity are present in the third jh"na might create the impression a that two dierent feelings are present simultaneously. Such confusion is due to misinterpreting this equanimity as equanimous feeling (vedan upekkh"). a 75 e.g. S IV 232; S V 209. 76 Vibh 261: y" upekkh" upekkhan" ajjhupekkhan" majjhattat" cittassa. a a a a a 77 Dhs 153, 154: cetasikam neva s"tam n"s"tam cetosamphassajam adukkhamaa . aa . . . sukham vedayitam cetosamphassaj" adukkhamasukh" vedan". a a a . .

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upekkh" faculty is included in the mental factors of the rst, second, a or even third jh"nas in 160, 161 and 163, presumably because these a sections include somanassindriya in these three jh"nas.78 Since somaa nassa is incompatible with upekkh", the Dhammasagani has to a . exclude upekkh" from the rst three jh"nas.79 Similar omission of a a upekkh" is found in Sutta 29 of the Vedan" Samyutta (S IV 237), a a . which explains unworldly upekkh" as the upekkh" in the fourth jh"na a a a without mention of the third jh"na. But according to the Samyukta a . " Agama preserved in Chinese translation, unworldly80 *upeksa refers ." to the upeksa in the third dhy"na, while that in the fourth dhy"na is a a ." " called unworldly unworldly81 *upeksa.82 The omission of unworldly . upekkh" in the third jh"na in the Pali version is perhaps also a a inuenced by the Uppatip". ika Sutta, according to which the third . at jh"na still has somanassa, which is incompatible with upekkh". a a In summary, upekkh" of the third and fourth jh"nas found in the a a usual jh"na formula is interpreted by the Therav"dins as upekkh" as a a a specic neutrality (belonging to samkh"rakkhandha), whereas . a upekkh" as feeling (or the upekkh" faculty) only exists in the fourth a a jh"na according to this school. Therefore, the fourth jh"na has two a a dierent types of upekkh", as Gunaratana (1985: 99) has pointed out. a Similarly, the Sarv"stiv"dins also posit two kinds of upeksa with a a ." regard to the dhy"nas. In its interpretation of the fourth dhy"na, the a a *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra says that upeksa here refers to upeksa as a as " a ." ." " " volitional formation (*samsk"ropeksa).83 Even upeksa of the third a . . . dhy"na, along with the fourth dhy"na, is also said to be upeksa as a a a ." volitional formation in the later version of this text, the *Mah"vibh". a.84 As for the upeksa faculty, it is present in all the four a as " ."
. Likewise, the Vibhan ga identies sukha of the rst three jh"nas as somanassa. a Moreover, the Uppatip".tika Sutta says that somanassa ceases in the fourth jh"na, and a . a so implies that somanassa exists in the rst three jh"nas. a 79 It can also be inferred from Dhs 1, 146, 147, 150, 156 and 157 that somanassa and upekkh" do not coexist. a 80 , literally non-food, *nir"misa. a . 81 This probably means even more unworldly. 82 T 2, 123b:
78 83

T 28, 313a:

Although the term fourth dhy"na does not a occur here, the lemmas are from the description of the fourth dhy"na in the usual a dhy"na formula. a 84 T 27, 416c: . . ..

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

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TABLE 4 Two schools interpretations of upekkh" a

1st jh"na a 2nd jh"na a 3rd jh"na a 4th jh"na a

Therav"da a

upekkh" as a samkh"ra . a

1. upekkh" as a samkh"ra . a 2. upekkh" a faculty 1. upeksa as ." samsk"ra . a 2. upeksa faculty ."

Sarv"stiv"da a a (Mah"vibh".sa) a a"

upeksa ." faculty

upeksa ." faculty

1. upeksa as ." samsk"ra . a 2. upeksa faculty ."

dhy"nas according to the *Mah"vibh". a.85 The *Abhidharmahrdayaa a as " . s"stra (T 28, 823c) and *Samyukt"bhidharmahrdaya (T 28, 924c), a a . . however, only mention the upeksa faculty in the rst three dhy"nas. It a ." seems surprising that the Sarv"stiv"dins believe that the upeksa a a ." faculty is present in the rst two dhy"nas, considering that saumaa nasya (= pr"ti according to them) exists there. This is explained in the i *Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stra in its exposition of the second dhy"na: a a . Secluded from vitarka-vic"ra, one has manifold mind: sometimes a one enters the saumanasya faculty, and sometimes enters the upeksa ." 86 faculty. In other words, the saumanasya faculty and the upeksa ." faculty arise alternately, and therefore they can both exist in the second dhy"na. The same theory is probably also intended to apply to a the rst dhy"na although the text does not specify. The opinions of a the two schools can be summarised in Table 4. Just as in their interpretations of sukha, the Therav"dins and a Sarv"stiv"dins also distinguish between upekkh" as a jh"na factor and a a a a the upekkh" faculty, but still the two schools do not agree with each a other. As demonstrated above, the Sautr"ntikas refute such a diera entiating approach and identify the sukha faculty with sukha as a jh"na a factor in accordance with the earliest texts. Unfortunately, the Abhidharmakosabh". ya does not discuss the Sautr"ntika view on this topic. It as a " does not interpret upeksa as a dhy"na factor to mean upeksa as a volia . ." tional formation, nor does it mention the upeksa faculty in its discus."
85

27,

463a: See also *Samyukt"bhia .

T 28, 823c: dharmahrdaya (T28, . ).

86

924c:

306

TSE-FU KUAN

sion of dhy"na. It only mentions upeksa in the lists of factors of the third a ." a and fourth dhy"nas,87 just as the usual jh"na formula only mentions a upekkh" in the third and fourth jh"nas. Therefore, it is possible that a a Vasubandhu does not accept the way in which the Sarv"stiv"dins ina a terpret upeksa of the dhy"nas. Here I would like to propose a possibly a ." more plausible interpretation of upekkh" in the jh"nas by elucidating a a the earliest texts through those texts themselves. This might be called " the Sautr"ntika approach, i.e. taking sutras/suttas as criteria. a Since there is no passage in the earliest texts that denes upekkh" of a jh"na as samkh"ra and distinguishes it from the upekkh" faculty a a a . (belonging to vedan"), let us assume that upekkh" mentioned in the a a usual jh"na formula is identical with the upekkh" faculty, and try to a a nd out if this hypothesis makes sense. As mentioned above, according to the earliest texts, upekkh" can be either bodily or mental: a bodily upekkh" is free from sukha and dukkha, while mental upekkh" a a is free from somanassa and domanassa. The usual jh"na formula rst a mentions upekkh" in its adjective form upekkhako in the third jh"na. a a Since sukha, bodily feeling, is present in the third jh"na, the upekkh" a a " referred to here cannot be bodily. According to the Avipar"taka Sutra i account, domanassa ceases in the rst jh"na and somanassa ceases in a the third jh"na. Therefore, when one enters the third jh"na, one has a a neither domanassa nor somanassa. In other words, one achieves mental upekkh" in the third jh"na. We can infer from the Avipar"taka a a i " Sutra account that somanassa exists in the rst two jh"nas88 and a prevents the arising of mental upekkh". Since the rst three jh"nas a a have sukha, they must be devoid of bodily upekkh". This can explain a why the usual jh"na formula makes no mention of upekkh" in the rst a a two jh"nas as there is neither mental nor bodily upekkh" there, but it a a mentions upekkh" in the third jh"na as there is mental upekkh". The a a a uaual jh"na formula speaks of upekkh" again in the fourth jh"na. a a a Since sukha as well as dukkha is abandoned in the fourth jh"na a " according to the usual jh"na formula and the Avipar"taka Sutra a i account, the fourth jh"na is devoid of not only somanassa and a domanassa, but also dukkha and sukha. Therefore, upekkh" here can a
Xuanzang uses (*samsk"ropeksa) to translate upeksa in the lists of factors . a ." ." of the third and fourth dhy"nas (T 29, 146c: a ... . . .), but the Sanskrit original only has upeksa instead of ." a samsk"ropeksa (Ak-P 438, Ak-S 1140-1141). Param"rtha (T 29, 298a) translates . a ." (*upeksa) rather than (*samsk"ropeksa). Xuanzangs translation may have been ." . a ." inuenced by his understanding of the Sarv"stiv"da interpretation. a a 88 As mentioned above, both the Therav"dins and Sarv"stiv"dins accept that a a a somanassa exists in the rst two jh"nas. a
87

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

307

TABLE 5 Interpretation of upekkh" according to the earliest texts a

Abandoned Present

1st jh"na a 2nd jh"na a 3rd jh"na a 4th jh"na a

domanassa dukkha somanassa sukha

dukkha, sukha, somanassa sukha, somanassa sukha, mental upekkh" a mental upekkh", bodily upekkh" a a

refer to both mental and bodily neutral feeling. In conclusion, the " Avipar"taka Sutra account on the feelings ts in very well with the i usual jh"na formula, and so upekkh" in the usual jh"na formula may a a a refer to the upekkh" faculty, and there seems to be no need to ina terpret upekkh" in the usual jh"na formula as something other than a a feeling (like samkh"ra) and distinct from the upekkh" faculty. The a a . above points I made are summarised in Table 5. Domanassa and Dukkha " While recognising that the sutra (Avipar"taka version) says that the i daurmanasya faculty ceases in the rst dhy"na and that the duh kha a . faculty ceases in the second dhy"na, the *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra a as " a holds that both faculties cease when one is secluded from desire (*k"ma),89 which is elsewhere referred to as desire in the realm of a a a sense-desire (*k"madh"tu).90 In other words, for the Sarv"stiv"dins a a these two feelings disappear as soon as one has escaped from the realm of sense-desire and attained the dhy"nas, equivalent to the a " realm of form (rupadh"tu), or has attained even higher meditative a states called formless attainments ("rupyasam"patti), equivalent to a " a " a a the formless realm (arupadh"tu).91 According to this Sarv"stiv"da a opinion, duh kha is already abandoned at the moment of entering the . " rst dhy"na, whereas the Avipar"taka Sutra says that the duh kha a i . faculty ceases in the second dhy"na, which implies that duh kha still a . exists in the rst dhy"na. The *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra proposes a as " a four interpretations to reconcile this apparent contradiction. In striking contrast with a Therav"da explanation stated later, the last a
89

T 28, 313b:

T 28, 313b: T 28, 313a: In Buddhism, there is a correspondence between cosmology and states of mind, including those meditative states. See Gethin (1998: 119).
91

90

308

TSE-FU KUAN

interpretation is noteworthy: Here vitarka-vic"ra is spoken of as a duh kha. The noble people form the conception of duh kha in regard to . . vitarka-vic"ra.92 Therefore, the duh kha faculty exists in the rst a . dhy"na since vitarka-vic"ra is present there, and ceases in the second a a dhy"na as vitarka-vic"ra is abandoned. a a As mentioned above, there is a paradox between the usual jh"na a " formula and the Avipar"taka Sutra account: the former mentions i with the abandoning of sukha and dukkha in the fourth jh"na, a whereas the latter says that dukkha ceases in the second jh"na. Facing a a similar paradox, the *Abhidharmavibh". a-s"stra raises this quesas " a tion: When secluded from the desire of the realm of sense-desire, the practitioner has already abandoned the duh kha faculty. Why does . [the usual jh"na formula] mention the abandoning of duh kha when a . one is secluded from the desire of the third dhy"na93?94 Five reasons a are given here. The second one seems quite plausible:
Because the pair is abandoned absolutely is meant here. Duhkha and sukha are a . pair. Although duhkha and sukha95 are abandoned when one is secluded from the . desire [of the realm of] sense-desire, sukha is not absolutely abandoned. When one is secluded from the desire of the third dhy"na, sukha is absolutely abandoned.96 a

The same reason can be used to explain why the duh kha faculty ceases . " in the second dhy"na according to the Avipar"taka Sutra, while the a i usual jh"na formula mentions the abandoning of dukkha in the a attaining of the fourth jh"na. Likewise, in this formula somanassa and a domanassa also form a pair, and their previous disappearance (pubbe va somanassadomanass"nam atthagam") is also mentioned in the a . a fourth jh"na. These expressions emphasise that the fourth jh"na a a represents a state free from any pleasant and unpleasant feelings, whether bodily (sukha, dukkha) or mental (somanassa, domanassa). As for the Therav"da school, the Visuddhimagga holds that the a dukkha faculty ceases in the rst jh"na, in accordance with the a Uppatip". ika Sutta. It says that the dukkha faculty has absolutely at .
T 28, 313c: Secluded from the desire of the third dhy"na means surmounting the third a dhy"na and entering the fourth dhy"na. a a 94 T 28, 313a: . 95 This sukha is not found in the later translation, the *Mah"vibh".sa: Although a a" duhkha ceases when one is secluded from [the realm of] sense-desire, sukha does not . yet cease. (T 27, 417a-b: ). Sukha in the earlier translation is probably redundent. 96 T 28, 313a:
93 92

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

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TABLE 6 Two schools interpretations of dukkha and domanassa

1st jh"na a 2nd jh"na a 3rd jh"na a 4th jh"na a

Usual jh"na a formula Avipar"taka i " Sutra Sarv"stiv"da a a daurmanasya ceases duhkha exists = vitarka. vic"ra (or duhkha ceases) a . dukkha ceases domanassa exists, conditioned by vitakka-vic"ra a duhkha ceases . duhkha ceases . as vitarkavic"ra ceases a domanassa ceases domanassa ceases as vitakka-vic"ra a ceases

dukkha ceases

Uppatip".tika . a Sutta Therav"da a

ceased during the rst jh"na as the practitioners body is showered a i with sukha due to pervasion by p"ti.97 This implies that p"ti and sukha i of the rst jh"na do not allow the presence of the dukkha faculty. a Also following the Uppatip". ika Sutta, the Visuddhimagga explains . at why the domanassa faculty ceases in the second jh"na by arguing that a the domanassa faculty only arises when there are bodily fatigue and mental injury, which have vitakka-vic"ra as their condition, and so a the domanassa faculty may arise in the second jh"na access when its a condition, vitakka-vic"ra, is not abandoned, but it ceases in the seca ond jh"na for vitakka-vic"ra is absent there.98 Therefore, the domaa a nassa faculty is causally associated with vitakka-vic"ra, which is a present in the rst jh"na, and is abandoned in the second jh"na. This a a interpretation is in sharp contrast with the foregoing Sarv"stiv"da a a interpretation which associates the duh kha faculty, rather than the . domanassa faculty, with vitarka-vic"ra. The two schools interpretaa tions of dukkha and domanassa can be summarised Table 6.
97 " " Vism 166: p"tipharanena sabbo kayo sukhokkanto hoti, sukhokkantakayassa ca i . sut.thu niruddham hoti dukkhindriyam. . . . 98 " " " " Vism 166: dutiyajjhanupacare pah"nassa pi domanassindriyassa yasma etam i . " " " vitakkavicarapaccaye pi kayakilamathe cittupaghate ca sati uppajjati. vitakka"" " " " vicarabhave ca neva uppajjati. yattha pana uppajjati, tattha vitakkavicarabhave, " " " "" " appah"na eva ca dutiyajjhanupacare vitakkavicara ti tatth assa siya uppatti, na tv eva i " " " dutiyajjhane, pah"napaccayatta. i

310

TSE-FU KUAN
EXAMINATION OF THE TWO SCHOOLS EXEGETIC APPROACHES

It would be worthwhile to have a review of the above interpretations by the Therav"dins and Sarv"stiv"dins and examine their exegetic a a a approaches. When some terms in the canon occur in contexts that contradict their particular tenets or even passages of their own canon, they often assign these terms new attributes that can, as it were, avoid contradiction. For example, since the Uppatip". ika Sutta says that the . at sukha faculty (bodily feeling) ceases in the third jh"na, the Thera av"dins are forced to identify sukha of the third jh"na with somaa a nassa, metnal feeling, and to interpret the body that feels this sukha as the three mental aggregates. In a similar way, the Sarv"stiv"dins a a have to interpret sukha of the rst two dhy"nas as prasrabdhi rather a than feeling because of their tenets that the ve classes of consciousness do not work in the dhy"nas and that sukha as feeling a cannot coexist with pr"ti, which they identify with saumanasya. i Although such an approach can avoid certain contradictions, it creates more problems as have been demonstrated above. Another approach they use is to associate the faculties of feeling with the jh"na factors that cease simultaneously with them. Since the order in a which the faculties cease diers in dierent traditions, the way in which they associate the faculties with the jh"na factors is also dierent. a Therefore, the Therav"dins say that domanassa is conditioned by via takka-vic"ra, but the Sarv"stiv"dins equate duh kha to vitarka-vic"ra. a a a a . Similarly, the Sarv"stiv"dins identify saumanasya with pr"ti, whereas a a i the Therav"dins maintain that p"ti is the condition for the sukha faculty a i as bodily feeling, so the sukha faculty ceases in the third jh"na when p"ti a i ceases. Interestingly, they use the same approaches to interpret the earliest texts, but sometimes reach dierent conclusions.

SOME PERSONAL VIEWS BASED ON THE EARLIEST TEXTS

" From the above discussion it is clear that the Avipar"taka Sutra i account, rather than the Pali version, ts in quite well with the usual jh"na formula, and there is no need to distinguish the sukha faculty a and upekkh" faculty from sukha and upekkh" in the usual jh"na a a a " formula. The Avipar"taka Sutra account provides us with a clear i order in which feelings are reduced in jh"na meditation. This account a is largely in accordance with the order implied in the usual jh"na a formula, although they seem to disagree as to in which jh"na is a

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

311

dukkha abandoned. As discussed above, there could be no contradiction at all in the light of a Sarv"stiv"da interpretation. a a " Furthermore, the Avipar"taka Sutra also provides a more reasoni able order with regard to the relationship between dierent feelings. In his discussion of vedan", Johansson (1979: 88) notes that a disa tinction between the mere reception of sensation and the subjective reaction to it was made in Buddhism. This point is illustrated very well in sutta 6 of the Vedan" Samyutta, in which the Buddha says, a . Monks, when an uninstructed ordinary person comes into contact with a painful feeling, he sorrows, distresses himself, laments, weeps beating his chest, and becomes bewildered. He feels two feelings: a bodily one and a mental one.99 The bodily feeling is compared to a stab by a dart, while the mental feeling is compared to a further stab by a second dart.100 In this statement the bodily feeling refers to the original painful feeling (dukkha) he experiences, which is the mere reception of sensory data, while the mental feeling refers to the subsequent subjective reaction to the original feeling, and is probably expressed in this sutta by the words he sorrows, distresses himself. This sutta says that the instructed noble disciple only feels the bodily feeling, not the mental one.101 The original feeling may be intrinsic, as it were, in the sensory data, just like the pain felt when a man is struck by a dart. While the original feeling is inevitable, the secondary mental feeling can be avoided. According to sutta 36 of the Indriya Samyutta (S V 209), the sukha . faculty and dukkha faculty are bodily feelings; the somanassa faculty and domanassa faculty are mental feelings; the upekkh" faculty can be a either bodily or mental feeling. Therefore sukha and dukkha in the jh"nas may correspond to the original bodily feelings in the Vedan" a a Samyutta, while somanassa and domanassa may correspond to the . secondary mental feelings. It is plausible that the secondary mental feelings can be surmounted before their corresponding original bodily feelings are surmounted, for the latter are more intrinsic. Therefore domanassa (mental displeasure) ceases before dukkha (bodily dis99 " " " " S IV 208: assutava. bhikkhave, puthujjano dukkhaya vedanaya phut.tho samano . "i " " socati kilamati paridevati urattal"kandati sammoham apajjati. so dve vedana vedayati . " kayikan ca cetasikan ca. 100 S IV 208: seyyath" pi bhikkhave purisam sallena vijjheyyum, tam enam dutiyena a . . . sallena anuvedham vijjheyyum. . . 101 " " " " S IV 209: sutava ca kho bhikkhave ariyasavako dukkhaya vedanaya phut.tho . " "i " samano na socati na kilamati na paridevati na urattal"kandati na sammoham apajjati. . " so ekam vedanam vedayati kayikam, na cetasikam. . . . .

312

TSE-FU KUAN

pleasure), and somanassa (mental pleasure) before sukha (bodily pleasure). This does not mean that all somanassa and domanassa are related to sukha and dukkha, but only indicates that bodily feelings (sukha and dukkha) may exist without being accompanied by secondary mental feelings (somanassa and domanassa) as stated in sutta 6 of the Vedan" Samyutta. This can be illustrated by the following a . examples. In the rst jh"na, a practitioner may feel dukkha (una pleasant physical feeling) in his legs due to sitting for a long time, but he will not feel domanassa (unpleasant mental feeling) in reaction to such dukkha as he would if he were in a normal state of mind. In passing to the second jh"na even dukkha is no longer felt. Throughout a the rst three jh"nas he can feel sukha (physical pleasure). In the rst a two jh"nas he can feel somanassa as a secondary feeling in reaction to a such physical pleasure, but on entering the third jh"na, he overcomes a somanassa while still experiencing that physical pleasure. Even the physical pleasure is abandoned when he attains the fourth jh"na. a The process of jh"na meditation involves reducing feelings, and a therefore achieving upekkh", a state free from pleasant and una . " pleasant feelings. The Salayatanavibhan ga Sutta of the Majjhima . Nik"ya (M III 217219) expounds somanassa, domanassa and upa ekkh" based on the household life as opposed to those based on a a absence of desire.102 Somanassa, domanassa and upekkh" based on the household life must only exist in an ordinary state of mind, while somanassa and upekkh" in the jh"nas must belong to somanassa and a a upekkh" based on absence of desire. As mentioned above, in the a Vedan" Samyutta, p"ti, sukha and upekkh" that arise in dependence a i a . on sensual pleasure are called worldly p"ti, worldly sukha, and i worldly upekkh"; p"ti in the rst two jh"nas is unworldly p"ti; sukha in a i a i the rst three jh"nas is unworldly sukha; upekkh" in the third and a a fourth jh"nas is also unworldly. Here worldly upekkh" corresponds to a a upekkh" based on the household life, while upekkh" in the third and a a fourth jh"nas corresponds to upekkh" based on absence of desire. By a a
102 N"namoli and Bodhi (2001: 1067.) translate nekkhamma as renunciation. a. PED (s.v. nekkhamma) takes this word as a derivation from nikkhamma (gerund of nikkhamati), equivalent to Sanskrit *naiskramya, and gives a meaning renunciation. . On the other hand, PED suggests that nekkhamma may be a bastard derivation from nikk"ma (= Sanskrit *naisk"mya), which means desireless, but the form should be a . a nekkamma. In his discussion of this term, Gethin (2001: 192) argues: [T]here appears to be no clear reason for thinking nekkhamma as well as *nekkamma cannot stand for *naisk"mya. The Chinese translation is absence of desire ( T . a 1, 692c693b), which supports the latter etymological explanation. I am grateful to Dr Gethin for indicating to me the problems with this term.

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

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analogy, somanassa in the jh"nas must be unworldly and refer to a somanassa based on absence of desire rather than that based on the household life, and may correspond to unworldly p"ti according to i the Sarv"stiv"dins as discussed above. These points together with the a a " Avipar"taka Sutra account can be shown in the following chart i (factors in bold type are to be surmounted in the next jh"na): a ordinary state: domanassa (worldly and unworldly), worldly somanassa, worldly p"ti, worldly sukha, worldly upekkh", i a dukkha rst jh"na: a dukkha, unworldly somanassa, unworldly p"ti, uni worldly sukha second jh"na unworldly somanassa, unworldly p"ti, unworldly sukha a i third jh"na: a unworldly sukha, unworldly upekkh" (mental) a fourth jh"na unworldly unworldly upekkh" (both mental and bodily) a a . In the Salayatanavibhan ga Sutta the Buddha exhorts the monks ." 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. to abandon somanassa based on the household life depending on somanassa based on absence of desire, to abandon domanassa based on the household life depending on domanassa based on absence of desire, to abandon upekkh" based on the household life a depending on upekkh" based on absence of desire, a to abandon domanassa based on absence of desire depending on somanassa based on absence of desire, to abandon somanassa based on absence of desire depending on upekkh" based on absence of desire.103 a by by by by by

This passage can provide an explanation for the purpose of jh"na a meditation with regard to feelings. When one attains the rst jh"na, a one has developed unworldly somanassa based on absence of desire,

M III 220: 1. y"ni cha nekkhammasit"ni somanass"ni t"ni niss"ya t"ni agamma a a a a a a " y"ni cha gehasit"ni somanass"ni t"ni pajahatha, t"ni samatikkamatha ... 2. y"ni cha a a a a a a nekkhammasit"ni domanass"ni t"ni niss"ya t"ni agamma y"ni cha gehasit"ni domaa a a a a " a a nass"ni t"ni pajahatha, t"ni samatikkamatha ... 3. y" cha nekkhammasit" upekkh" t" a a a a a a a niss"ya t" agamma y" cha gehasit" upekkh" t" pajahatha, t" samatikkamatha ... 4. a a " a a a a a y"ni cha nekkhammasit"ni somanass"ni t"ni niss"ya t"ni agamma y"ni cha neka a a a a a " a khammasit"ni domanass"ni t"ni pajahatha, t"ni samatikkamatha ... 5. y" cha a a a a a nekkhammasit" upekkh" t" niss"ya t" agamma y"ni cha nekkhammasit"ni somaa a a a a " a a nass"ni t"ni pajahatha, t"ni samatikkamatha.... a a a

103

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TSE-FU KUAN

which counteracts worldly somanassa based on the household life in an ordinary state of mind (point 1). This unworldly somanassa of the rst jh"na also counteracts unworldly domanassa (point 4), which has a counteracted worldly domanassa (point 2). In the third jh"na, una worldly somanassa is abandoned due to unworldly upekkh" (point 5). a All these feelings can be considered to be emotions, and upekkh" is a the supreme state of emotion that should be developed. Griths (1983: 61) describes upekkh" as a psychological condition opposed a to any kind of extreme emotional reaction, either pleasant or unpleasant. Likewise, C.A.F. Rhys Davids indicates that upekkh" a dividing somanassa and domanassa is emotional (Aung, 1910: 230). She translates upekkh" as emotional indierence (1931: 166) or a emotional neutrality (1931: 35) in the context of the jh"nas. As Spiro a (1982: 48) notes, upekkh" is the only emotional state ultimately a i valued by nibbanic Buddhism.104 P"ti can also be regarded as an emotion. This is how Rhys Davids (1974: 9) comments on p"ti: It i connotes emotion, as distinct from bare feeling. Similarly, Guenther (1974: 124) translates pr"ti as ecstatic emotivity. In the course of i jh"na meditation, one rst develops unworldly pleasant feelings and a abandons worldly pleasant feelings as well as unpleasant feelings. As one proceeds to higher levels of jh"na, even unworldly pleasant a feelings, from emotions to bodily feelings, are gradually abandoned. When the emotional elements, unwordly p"ti and somanassa, are i abandoned in the third jh"na, the practitioner achieves the supreme a aective state, upekkh". In the fourth jh"na, even unworldly sukha is a a eliminated, and therefore upekkh" is even purer,105 as it is free not a

Aronson (1979: 6) interprets Spiros remark as the destruction of emotion. In the usual jh"na formula, the fourth jh"na is described as upa a ekkh"satip"risuddhi. The commentary on the Majjhima Nik"ya takes p"risuddhi a a a a (purity) to apply to both upekkh" and sati: Purity of mindfulness means pure a mindfulness. Equanimity is also pure equanimity. (Ps IV 90: satip"risuddh" ti a i parisuddh" sati yeva. upekh" pi parisuddh" upekh"). The Sarv"stiv"dins also say that a a a a a a the fourth dhy"na consists of four factors, including purity of equanimity (upa eksaparisuddhi) and purity of mindfulness (smrtiparisuddhi). See the *Mah"vibh".sa (T a a ." . 27, 412a) and Ak-P 438. Accordingly, upekh"satip"risuddhi should be translated as a a purity of equanimity and of mindfulness. This seems plausible since both sati and upekkh" are mentioned in the third jh"na, and thus the term upekh"satip"risuddhi a a a a might be intended to indicate that these two factors are both further elevated, or . purer, in the fourth jh"na. However, the Vibhan ga regards upekh" as the cause of a a satip"risuddhi: By this equanimity, this mindfulness is uncovered as pure and clean. a Therefore this is called upekh"satip"risuddhi (Vibh 261: ayam sati im"ya upekh"ya a a a a . vivata hoti parisuddh" pariyod"t". tena vuccati upekh"satip"risuddhin ti). a aa a a ."
105

104

CLARIFICATION ON FEELINGS IN BUDDHIST

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only from emotional disturbance, but also from the disturbance of bodily feelings. Thus proceeding through the four jh"nas involves a a reduction in aective and hedonic experiences to a state of equanimity, upekkh". a

CONCLUSION

" The foregoing passage of the Avipar"taka Sutra preserved in the i Sanskrit and Chinese literature provides a plausible account of the order in which specic feelings cease in dierent jh"nas, which ts in a quite well with the usual jh"na formula. Its Pali counterpart in the a Uppatip". ika Sutta, however, contradicts the usual jh"na formula in a . at three respects and has caused diculties to Therav"da exegesis. a Similarly, some doctrines of the Sarv"stiv"da Abhidharma also cona a tradict the usual jh"na formula. The two schools use the same a approaches to iron out their respective contradictions, but by so doing they get into other inconsistencies and complexities, and unsurprisingly the two schools sometimes arrive at dierent conclusions although using the same approaches. In contrast, the Sautr"ntika interpretation of sukha appears to be consistent with the a " earliest texts. Such a Sautr"ntika approach, i.e. taking sutras as a criteria, adopted by this essay shows that the earliest accounts suce to elucidate each other regarding the issue of feelings in jh"na, and a that a plausible and consistent interpretation can be drawn from the earliest texts rather than from some later literature. In conclusion, we " can accept the Avipar"taka Sutra account that domanassa, dukkha, i somanassa, sukha and upekkh" cease successively as one proceeds a from lower to higher meditative attainments, and these ve terms in this account are not dierent from those in the usual jh"na formula. It a is not necessary to equate sukha of the rst three jh"nas to somanassa a as the Therav"dins do, or to identify sukha of the rst two jh"nas with a a prasrabdhi (a volitional formation, not a feeling) as the Sarv"stiv"dins a a do. Neither is it necessary to interpret upekkh" in the jh"nas as a a a volitional formation as the two traditions do. The process of reducing feelings as prescribed in the scheme of jh"na conforms with what is a . " stated in the Salayatanavibhan ga Sutta: rst developing pleasant . feeling and eliminating unpleasant feeling; then abandoning pleasant feeling and achieving upekkh". a

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to Mr L.S. Cousins for directing me to many useful sources and giving me his invaluable advice. I would also like to thank Dr William Pruitt and the reviewer of this journal for their suggestions, which enabled me to improve this essay.
REFERENCES

Primary Sources References to Pali texts are to the Pali Text Society editions. Abhidharmakosabh". ya (see Ak-P, Ak-S). as ). T 28, 809a*Abhidharmahrdaya-s"stra (A pi tan xin lun a . 833b. *[Abhidharma]mah"vibh"sa[s"stra] (A pi da mo da pi po sha lun a a. " a ). T 27, 1a-1004a. ). *Abhidharm"mrta(rasa)-s"stra (A pi tan gan lu wei lun a . a T 28, 966a-980b. ). T 28, *Abhidharmavibh"sa-s"stra (A pi tan pi po sha lun a. " a 1b-414c. . An guttara Nik"ya a " Arthaviniscaya-sutra (see Avs). . Dhammasan gani. . ). T 26, 453bDharmaskandha (A pi da mo fa yun zu lun [ 513c. D"gha Nik"ya. i a (a Chinese commentary on the AbhidharmakoJu she lun ji ). T 41, 1a-452b. sabh". ya by Puguang as Kath"vatthu. a Majjhima Nik"ya. a " ). T 2, 1a-373b. Samyukta Agama (Za a han jing . ). T 28, *Samyukt"bhidharmahrdaya (Za a pi tan xin lun a . . 869c-965c. Samyutta Nik"ya. a . ). T 32, *Tattvasiddhi (or *Satyasiddhi-s"stra, Cheng shi lun a 239a-373b. . Vibhan ga. ). T 28, 416a-523b. *Vibh". a-s"stra (Pi po sha lun as a Visuddhimagga. " ). T 30, 279-881c. Yog"c"rabhumi (Yu qie shi di lun a a

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Secondary Sources and Translations Aronson, Harvey B. (1979). Equanimity (Upekkh") in Therav"da Buddhism, Stua a dies in Pali and Buddhism (pp. 118). Delhi: B.R. Publishing Corporation. Aung, Shwe Zan (tr.) (1910). Compendium of Philosophy. London: Pali Text Society. Bodhi, Bhikkhu (tr.). (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha. Oxford: Pali Text Society. Bucknell, Roderick S. (1993). Reinterpreting the Jh"nas. Journal of the International a Association of Buddhist Studies 16(2), 375409. Buswell, Robert E. Jr. & Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1996). The development of Abhidharma philosophy. In Karl H. Potter, (ed.), Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies Vol. VII: Abhidharma Buddhism to 150 A.D. (pp. 73119). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. Cousins, L.S. (1973). Buddhist Jh"na: Its nature and attainment according to the a Pali sources. Religion 3, 115131. Dessein, Bart (2003). Sautr"ntika and the Hrdaya treatises. Journal of the Intera . national Association of Buddhist Studies 26(2), 287319. Gethin, R.M.L. (1998). The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gethin, R.M.L. (2001). The Buddhist Path to Awakening, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. (First published by E.J. Brill 1992) Griths, Paul (1983). Buddhist Jh"na: A form critical study. Religion 13, 5568. a Guenther, Herbert V. (1974). Philosophy and Psychology in the Abhidharma. Berkeley: Shambhala publications. Gunaratana, Henepola (1985). The Path of Serenity and Insight. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. Heiler, Friedrich (1922). Die Buddhistische Versenkung. Munchen: Verlag von Ernst Reinhardt. von Hinuber, Oskar (1997). A Handbook of P"li Literature. 1st Indian ed. New a Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. (First published 1996, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co). Johansson, Rune E.A. (1979). The Dynamic Psychology of Early Buddhism. Oxford: Curzon Press. Kritzer, Robert (1996). Ghosaka, Abhidharm"mrta. In Karl H. Potter (ed.), a . . Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Vol. VII: Abhidharma Buddhism to 150 A.D. (pp. 489509). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. Kritzer, Robert (2003). General introduction. Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 26(2), 201224. Kragh, Ulrich (2002). The extant Abhidharma-literature. The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies 3, 123167. Lamotte, Etienne (1988). History of Indian Buddhism: From the Origin to the Saka Era, translated from the French by Sara Webb-Boin. Louvain: Peeters Press. de La Vallee Poussin, Louis (tr.) (1988). Abhidharmakosabh".syam, Volume I, English a translation by Leo M. Pruden. Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press. Lu, Cheng (1982). Yin du fo xue si xiang gai lun (An In troduction to Indian Buddhist Thought). Taipei: . a. N"namoli, Bhikkhu (tr.) (1975). The Path of Purication, 3rd ed. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. a. N"namoli, Bhikkhu & Bodhi, Bhikkhu (tr.) (2001). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, revised edition. Oxford: Pali Text Society. (First published 1995, Somerville: Wisdom Publications). Rahula, Walpola (1980). Psychology of Buddhist Meditation, Indianisme et Boud dhisme: Melanges oerts a` Mgr Etienne Lamotte. (pp. 267279). Louvain-la Neuve: Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut Orientaliste.

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Rhys Davids, C.A.F. (1931). Sakya or Buddhist Origins. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd. Rhys Davids, C.A.F. (1974). A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics, 3rd ed. London: Pali Text Society. (First published 1900). Spiro, Melford E. (1982). Buddhism and Society, 2nd, expanded edition. Berkeley: University of California Press. (1st edition 1970). Takakusu, J. (1905). The Abhidharma literature of the Sarv"stiv"dins. Journal of a a the Pali Text Society 19041905, 67146. . Thit tila, Pathamakyaw Ashin (tr.) (2002). The Book of Analysis (Vibhan ga). Oxford: .. . Pali Text Society. (First published 1969). Willemen, Charles, Dessein, Bart & Cox, Collett (1998). Sarv"stiv"da Buddhist a a Scholasticism. Leiden: Brill. Yinshun (1968). Shuo yi qie you bu wei zhu de lun shu yu lun shi zhi yan jiu a a (A Study on the S"stras and the S"strak"ras a principally of the Sarv"stiv"da School). Taipei: a a . Yoshifumi, Honj" (2003). The word Sautr"ntika. Journal of the International o a Association of Buddhist Studies 26(2), 321330.

ABBREVIATIONS

. A An guttara Nik"ya a Ak-P Abhidharma-kosabh". ya, ed. P. Pradhan, Patna: K. P. Jayaswal as Research Institute, 1967. " a Ak-S Abhidharmakosa & Bh". ya of Ac"rya Vasubandhu with as " arya Yasomitra, ed. Sw"m" Sphutarth" Commentary of Ac" a  ." a Dw"rik"d"s S"str" Varanasi: Bauddha Bharati, 1987. a a a a , Akvy Sphutarth" Abhidharmakosavy"khy" by Yas omitra, ed. Unrai a a ." a Wogihara, Tokyo: The Publishing Association of Abhidharmakos avy"khy", 19321936. a a " Avs The Arthaviniscaya-sutra and Its Commentary (Nibandhana), ed. N.H. Santati, Patna: K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute, 1971. D D"gha Nik"ya. i a . Dhs Dhammasan gani. . DOP A Dictionary of P"li, ed. Margaret Cone, Oxford: Pali Text a Society, 2001. Kv Kath"vatthu. a M Majjhima Nik"ya. a PED The Pali Text Societys Pali-English Dictionary, ed. T. W. Rhys Davids and William Stede, London: Pali Text Society, reprinted 1986. (First published 19211925). Ps Papan udan" (Commentary on the Majjhima Nik"ya). a cas " i Skt Sanskrit. S Samyutta Nik"ya. a .

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T Taish" Shinshu Daiz"ky" o o o Tokyo, reprinted: 1978. (referred to by volume number and page number). . Vibh Vibhan ga. Vism Visuddhimagga.