Re: Nimitta

Dear Bryan,

I am not sure if this question was addressed to Jim or not, but since has not yet answered I will try to do so.

Yes, the sign is to be extended or spread through whole universe, immeasurably. Immeasurable pervasion or spreading is also done in the development of the four brahmaviharas or immeasurables (appamañña) of loving kindness, compassion, etc.
In the Pali commentaries it is said that kasi.na is called so on account of 'entirely pervading ': sakalapharaṇavasena pathavīkasiṇaṃ.
Commentarial explanations:
Majjhima Commentary:''Pervasion with the totality (kasinapharana) is the extension (pattharana) of the totality in the thousandfold world-realm''.
Patisambhida Commentary: “Therein the earth totality is the earth totality (kasina) that is reckoned as the counterpart-sign because of entirely pervading, [and] that has been produced dependent upon the earth disc”.
Digha Nikaya Commentary's explanation of the canonical description is: ''they are totalities (kasinas) in the sense of entirity (or 'wholeness', sakala). ... 'Immeasurable' is said on account of the immeasurable pervading of it. For when pervading with the mind (cetasaa), one pervades entirely. One does not take measurements (such as) 'this is the beginning of it' or 'this is the middle'.”

See also the explanation of the canonical definition at Visuddhimagga Ch. 5 § 38-39, which Nyanamoli translates as:
38. The classification “above, below, around, exclusive, measureless” applies to all kasinas; for this is said: “He perceives the earth kasina above, below, around, exclusive, measureless” (D III 268, M II 14), and so on.
39. Herein, above is upwards towards the sky’s level. Below is downwards towards the earth’s level. Around is marked off all around like the perimeter of a field. For one extends a kasina upwards only, another downwards, another all round; or for some reason another projects it thus as one who wants to see visible objects with the divine eye projects light. Hence “above, below, around” is said. The word exclusive (advaya), however, shows that anyone such state has nothing to do with any other. Just as there is water and nothing else in all directions for one who is actually in water, so too, the earth kasina is the earth kasina only; it has nothing in common with any other kasina. Similarly in each instance. Measureless means measureless intentness. He is intent upon the entirety with his mind, taking no measurements in this way: “This is its beginning, this is its middle.''
(Nyanamoli renders phara.na as 'intentness' instead of 'pervading' which fits better here; see my translation above.)

(

Ps IV 148: Kasiṇapharaṇaṃ nāma lokadhātusahasse kasiṇapattharaṇaṃ.

Paṭis-a II 450: Tattha pathavīkasiṇan ti pathavīmaṇḍalaṃ nissāya uppāditaṃ paṭibhāganimittasaṅkhātaṃ sakalapharaṇavasena pathavīkasiṇaṃ:

Paṭis-a I 80: Kasiṇan-ti sakalapharaṇavasena kasiṇamaṇḍalampi …

Vism-mht: Sakalapharaṇavasenāti niravasesapharaṇavasena

Sv 1047: … sakalaṭṭhena kasiṇāni. … Appamāṇanti idaṃ tassa pharaṇaappamāṇavasena vuttaṃ. Tañhi cetasā pharanto sakalameva pharati, na ayamassa ādi, idaṃ majjhan-ti pamāṇaṃ gaṇhātī ti.

Visuddhimagga Ch. 5 § 49: Sabbāneva uddhaṃ adho tiriyaṃ advayaṃ appamāṇanti imaṃ pabhedaṃ labhanti. Vuttañhetaṃ ‘‘pathavīkasiṇameko sañjānāti. Uddhamadhotiriyaṃ advayamappamāṇa’’ntiādi.Tattha uddhanti uparigaganatalābhimukhaṃ. Adhoti heṭṭhābhūmitalābhimukhaṃ. Tiriyanti khettamaṇḍalamiva samantā paricchinditaṃ. Ekacco hi uddhameva kasiṇaṃ vaḍḍheti, ekacco adho, ekacco samantato. Tena tena vā kāraṇena evaṃ pasāreti. Ālokamiva dibbacakkhunā rūpadassanakāmo. Tena vuttaṃ uddhamadhotiriyanti. Advayanti idaṃ pana ekassa aññabhāvānupagamanatthaṃ vuttaṃ. Yathā hi udakaṃ paviṭṭhassa sabbadisāsu udakameva hoti, na aññaṃ, evameva pathavīkasiṇaṃ pathavīkasiṇameva hoti, natthi tassa añño kasiṇasambhedoti. Eseva nayo sabbattha. Appamāṇanti idaṃ tassa pharaṇaappamāṇavasena vuttaṃ. Tañhi cetasā pharanto sakalameva pharati. Na ayamassa ādi idaṃ majjhanti pamāṇaṃ gaṇhātīti..

Canonical passages related to extension of the sign are found in the Cūḷasuññatasutta:
“Again, Ananda, a bhikkhu -- not attending to the perception of people, not attending to the perception of forest -- attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of earth. His mind enters into that perception of earth and acquires confidence, steadiness, and decision. Just as a bull’s hide becomes free from folds when fully stretched with a hundred pegs; so too, a bhikkhu - not attending to any of the ridges and hollows of this earth, to the rivers and ravines, the tracts of stumps and thorns, the mountains and uneven places - attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of earth. His mind enters into that perception of earth and acquires confidence, steadiness, and decision.”
and
Theragatha: "... pervades this earth entirely with the skeleton-perception".

M III 105: Seyyathā pi, ānanda, āsabhacammaṃ saṅkusatena suvihataṃ vigatavalikaṃ; evameva kho, ānanda, bhikkhu yaṃ imissā pathaviyā ukkūlavikkūlaṃ nadīviduggaṃ khāṇukaṇṭakaṭṭhānaṃ pabbatavisamaṃ taṃ sabbaṃ amanasikaritvā pathavīsaññaṃ paṭicca manasikaroti ekattaṃ. Tassa pathavīsaññāya cittaṃ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati.
Th 18: kevalaṃ aṭṭhisaññāya aphari pathaviṃ imaṃ

The similarity between the canonical descriptions of the four brahmaviharas or immeasurables and the kasinas is obvious. In the former loving kindness is spread in all directions, while in the latter the universe is pervaded with the perception of an element or colour.

D III 268: Pathavīkasiṇameko sañjānāti, uddhaṃ adho tiriyaṃ advayaṃ appamāṇaṃ.

D I 250: ‘‘So mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati. Tathā dutiyaṃ. Tathā tatiyaṃ. Tathā catutthaṃ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.

Sn verse 150: Mettañca sabbalokasmiṃ, mānasaṃ bhāvaye aparimāṇaṃ; Uddhaṃ adho ca tiriyañca, asambādhaṃ averamasapattaṃ.

I wonder if there is any parallel of the canonical description pathavīkasiṇam-eko sañjānāti, uddhamadhotiriyaṃ advayamappamāṇaṃ in the works of other schools. Buddhaghosa and Dhammapala explain eko as ekacco, 'someone', which is odd. Perhaps it originally, in a different reading, was taken in the sense of ekatta as in the Cūḷasuññatasutta's pathavīsaññaṃ paṭicca manasikaroti ekattaṃ. I will check this later.

Best wishes,
Nyanatusita

On 9/23/2016 10:28 PM, Bryan Levman bryan.levman@... [palistudy] wrote: