Dear Pāli Friends,
In
the Mahāvedallasutta, Sāriputta talks
about attaining, maintaining and emerging from the signless deliverance of mind
(animittā cetovimutti). He also
compares the animittā cetovimutti to
four other ceto-vimuttis, the
immeasureable, and unshakeable liberations of mind, and the liberations through
voidness and nothingness. From the sutta:
"Friend, how many conditions are there
for the attainment
of the signIess deliverance of mind?"
"Friend, there are two conditions for the attainment of the
signless deliverance of mind: non-attention to all signs and
attention to the signIess element. These are the two conditions
for the attainment of the signless deliverance of mind."
"Friend, how many conditions are there for the persistence
of the signIess deliverance of mind?"
"Friend, there are three conditions for the persistence of the
signless deliverance of mind:
non-attention to all signs,
attention to the signless element, and the prior determination [of
its duration]. These are the three conditions for the persistence
of the signless deliverance of mind."
"Friend, how many conditions are there for emergence
from the signIess deliverance of mind?"
"Friend, there are two conditions for emergence from the signless
deliverance of mind: attention to all signs and non-attention to the signless
element. These are the two conditions for emergence from the signless
deliverance of mind." (Majjhima Nikāya, Ñāṇamoli and Bodhi,
393-394)
Buddhaghosa has the following
commentary on this section which I find quite abstruse:
idāni
valañjanasamāpattiṃ pucchanto kati
panāvuso, paccayā tiādimāha. nirodhato hi vuṭṭhānakaphalasamāpattiyā ṭhiti
nāma na hoti, ekaṃ dve cittavārameva pavattitvā bhavaṅgaṃ otarati. ayañhi
bhikkhu satta divase arūpapavattaṃ nirodhetvā nisinno nirodhavuṭṭhānakaphalasamāpattiyaṃ
na ciraṃ tiṭṭhati. valañjanasamāpattiyaṃ pana addhānaparicchedova pamāṇaṃ.
tasmā sā ṭhiti nāma hoti. tenāha — “animittāya cetovimuttiyā ṭhitiyā”ti. tassā
ciraṭṭhitatthaṃ kati paccayāti attho. vissajjane panassā pubbe ca abhisaṅkhāro ti addhānaparicchedo vutto. vuṭṭhānāyā ti idha bhavaṅgavuṭṭhānaṃ
pucchati. vissajjanepissā sabbanimittānañ
ca manasikāro ti rūpādinimittavasena
bhavaṅgasahajātamanasikāro vutto.
Tentative translation:
Now, asking about the attainment
of valañjana (“use”; ṭīkā: “the
attainment of abiding by virtue of
the noble abiding”), he says, (kati
panāvuso,
paccayā), “How many conditions are there, friend (for the attainment of
the signless deliverance of mind, for the persistence of the signless
deliverance, for the emergence…).” For what is called persistence of the
attainment of the fruit of emergence does not exist, it continues for one or
two mind-moments and descends into the life continuum.For this monk, having
caused the cessation of his formless activity (arūpa-pavattaṃ) after seven
days, sat down and did not remain long in the attainment of the fruit of the
emergence from cessation. But in the attainment of velañja (use), just the
determination of the time (of cessation)
is the measure (pamaṇaṃ). Therefore that which is called persistence (ṭhiti) exists. Therefore he
(Sāriputta) said , “(There are three
conditions for) the persistence of the mental liberation of signlessness (as
noted above). “For the purpose of long time
(persistence) what are the conditions?” is the meaning (of the question). And
in his answer re: persistence, ”The former preparation for it" (pubbe
ca abhisaṅkhāro), that is, the
determination of the time (of cessation) was cited. vuṭṭhānāya (conditions
for the emergence from the signless meditation, as noted above); now he asks
about the emergence from the life
continuum (bhavaṅgavuṭṭhānaṃ). In the
answer he says, “attention to all signs,” and because of signs, starting with
form, etc., attention arises at the same
time from the life continuum.
Questions:
Does anyone know what the valañja-samāpatti is?
What is the relation between the
animittā ceto-vimutti and the bhavaṅga? Buddhaghosa seems to be
equating the two in the above passage.Are they the same or different? (or like
the other ceto-vimuttis in the sutta,
both the same and different).
Is the commentator stating that
the persistence of the attainment of the fruit of emergence will not last,
unless one makes a pre-determination of the time of cessation, or am I
misreading this?
Any help would be appreciated,
Mettā,
Bryan