The solution seems to be in sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato (sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato) in AN 3.101 - see also the Pali.
Sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato (translated as):
- reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements]. (Bodhi)
- kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint. (Thanissaro)
- maintained by suppressing the defilements through strenuous effort. (Piya Tan)
- a state dependent on painful habitual restraint. (Woodward)
Note: sasaṅkhāra (lit. “with formation”) is translated as “forceful”, or “strenuous”; or even “painful”.
Wouldn’t it be possible to see unification, as the termination of the saṃ+khāra itself (Sk: saṃ = “together,” and karoti = “to make.”) - as the stilling, if not the ending of that synergy (co-ordinated activity) between two or more things. In this case, between defilement and non defilement. Namely, the progressive unification between the extremes that are the gross defilements & the Dhamma - both being transcended into one. Into neither, nor?
And I am not talking “grey” here. I meant “neither, nor”. Huge difference.
As in “transcendence” - viz. rising (above) to one - to something higher.
As in: “I have the right to ask for justice (revenge,) if someone offences me. But I don’t use that right. I go beyond justice. I transcend justice and offence - I experience something higher, that is neither revenge, nor offence”.
The oneness of the neither, nor - (eka-udi >> rising above, excelling, surpassing the one).
I’d be inclined to favor @Gabriel’s choice.
Ekodi - Some suttas with parallels
With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal placidity and unification of mind (cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ) and consists of rapture and pleasure born of concentration, without thought and examination.
AN 3.58
Ekodi - Some suttas with parallels
With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal placidity and unification of mind (cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ) and consists of rapture and pleasure born of concentration, without thought and examination.
AN 3.58
“So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is devoted to the higher mind,
(1) there are in him gross defilements: bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct. An earnest, capable bhikkhu abandons, dispels, terminates, and obliterates them. When this has been done,
(2) there remain in him middling defilements: sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of harming. An earnest, capable bhikkhu abandons, dispels, terminates, and obliterates them. When this has been done,
(3) there remain in him subtle defilements: thoughts about his relations, thoughts about his country, and thoughts about his reputation. An earnest, capable bhikkhu abandons, dispels, terminates, and obliterates them. When this has been done, then there remain thoughts connected with the Dhamma. That concentration is not peaceful and sublime, not gained by full tranquilization, not attained to unification (ekodibhāvādhigato), but is reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing (sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato) [the defilements] .
“But, bhikkhus, there comes a time when his mind becomes internally steady, composed, unified (ekodi), and concentrated. That concentration is peaceful and sublime, gained by full tranquilization, and attained to unification (ekodibhāvādhigato); it is not reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements]. Then, there being a suitable basis, he is capable of realizing any state realizable by direct knowledge toward which he might incline his mind.
AN 3.101
Pali
Again, a bhikkhu’s mind is seized by restlessness about the Dhamma. But there comes an occasion when his mind becomes internally steady, composed, unified (ekodi), and concentrated. Then the path is generated in him. He pursues this path, develops it, and cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
AN 4.170
So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu’s mind (citta) has been subdued (udujitaṃ), well subdued, regarding the six bases for contact (phassāyatanesu), it then becomes inwardly steady, settled, unified (ekodi), and concentrated.
SN 35.246
Then, friends, the Blessed One came to me by means of spiritual power and said this: ‘Moggallāna, Moggallāna, do not be negligent, brahmin, regarding the signless concentration of mind. Steady your mind in the signless concentration of mind, unify your mind (cittaṃ ekodiṃ) in the signless concentration of mind, concentrate your mind in the signless concentration of mind.’
SN 40.9
Come, friends, dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, unified (ekodibhūtā ), with limpid mind, concentrated, with one-pointed mind, in order to know the body as it really is. Dwell contemplating feelings in feelings …
Etha tumhe, āvuso, kāye kāyānupassino viharatha ātāpino sampajānā ekodibhūtā vippasannacittā samāhitā ekaggacittā, kāyassa yathābhūtaṃ ñāṇāya; vedanāsu vedanānupassino viharatha…
SN 47.4
Metta