Simile for 4th jhāna imperturbability in Pāli suttas?

Q & A
1

I’m reading Ven. Anālayo’s EBMS book.
In the section doing comparative Agama studies on gradual training, the Agama parallel to DN 2 as an extra simile for 4th jhana that is really cool. I don’t recall seeing it in the Pali suttas before. Anyone know for sure?

(5th simile at bottom of post)
ebms p.75 DA parallel to DN 2 for gradual training

  1. Then they diligently discard sensual desire, evil and

unwholesome states. Being endowed with [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation,23 with joy and happiness

arisen from seclusion, they gain entry into the first absorption.

Their body is completely pervaded, filled, and drenched by

joy and happiness,24 with no [part] that is not permeated.

It is just like a capable bath attendant who fills a container

with much [soap] powder. By drenching it with water, he

completely moistens it with water,25 so that no [part] is not

pervaded [by water].26

In the same way monastics gain entry into the first absorption, with joy and happiness throughout their body,

with no [part] that is not permeated. Young brahmin, in this

way this is the first gaining of happiness with the present

body. Why is that? Because this is to be gained by being

diligent, with mindfulness that is not confused, and by delighting in quietude and seclusion.

Discarding [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation,27 they give rise to confidence,28 and their mindfulness is collected in mental unification. Being without [directed] awareness and without [sustained] contemplation,

with joy and happiness arisen from concentration, they

enter the second absorption. Their body is completely pervaded, filled, and drenched by the joy and happiness of

mental unification, with no [part] that is not permeated.

It is just like [a pool] on a mountain top with cool spring

water that wells up by itself from within, none coming in

from outside.29 The pool itself is in turn soaked by the clear

water that wells up from within, with no [part] that is not

pervaded.

Young brahmin, in the same way monastics enter the

second absorption, with no [part of their body] that is not

permeated by the joy and happiness born of concentration.

This is their second gaining of happiness with the present

body.

Discarding joy, they dwell in equipoise and with mind

fulness that is not confused. With their whole being expe

riencing acute happiness they enter the third absorption,30

which is spoken of by noble ones as a [condition of] equi

poise, mindfulness, and happiness.31 Their body is com

pletely pervaded, filled, and drenched by happiness that is

without joy, with no [part] that is not permeated.

It is just like uppala lotuses, paduma lotuses, kumuda

lotuses, [or] puṇḍarīka lotuses, which have emerged from

the mud, but have not emerged above the water. Their roots,

stems, stalks, and flowers are soaked in the water, with no

[part] that is not pervaded [by the water].32

Young brahmin, in the same way monastics enter the

third absorption and dwell with their body soaked with

happiness that is secluded from joy, with no [part] that is

not pervaded. [85c] This is their third gaining of happiness

with the present body.

Discarding pain and happiness,33 sadness and joy having

previously ceased, being without pain and without happiness,

with purity of equipoise and mindfulness, they enter the fourth

absorption. Their body is completely filled and drenched

with mental purity, with no [part] that is not pervaded.

It is just like a person who has taken a bath and is clean.

He covers his body with a new white cloth, demonstrating

the cleanness of his body.34

Young brahmin, in the same way monastics enter the

fourth absorption and permeate their body with mental

purity, with no [part] of it that is not pervaded.

plus a 5th simile for 4th jhana imperturbability

  1. Again, having entered the fourth absorption their mind

is imperturbable, without increase or decrease. They dwell

without craving or aversion in the stage of imperturbability.

It is just like a private room that has been plastered in

side and outside, and whose door has been firmly shut and

locked,35 with no wind or dust [entering]. Inside a lamp has

been lit, which nobody touches or agitates. The flame of

that lamp rises quietly and without perturbation.36

Young brahmin, in the same way monastics have en

tered the fourth absorption and their mind is imperturbable,

without increase or decrease. They dwell without craving

or aversion in the stage of imperturbability. This is their

fourth gaining of happiness with the present body. Why is

that? Because this is to be gained by being diligent without

laxity, being with mindfulness that is not confused, and

delighting in quietude and seclusion.

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2

What is his “EBMS book”?

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Early Buddhist Meditation Studies by Bhikkhu Anālayo
A link to the book: here

“As an act of Dhammadāna, Bhikkhu Anālayo has waved royalty
payments for this book.” Page 4.

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Thanks!

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@frankk Just to clarify. Are you referring to this simile? As Bhikkhu Anālayo notes on p.79 n.36, the simile is not found in DN 2. But you are asking if it appears in any other of the Pali suttas.

I only know of one simile in the Pali suttas for the 4th Jhana :

suppose a man were to be sitting covered from the head down by a white cloth, so that there would be no part of his entire body not suffused by the white cloth.

Be interesting to know if there are any others.

6

Yes, I’m referring to having no recollection of seeing that simile of a plastered in room it in any pali suttas.

I’ve wondered for a long time now how many of the similes recorded in the pali suttas were actually composed by the buddha. That 4th jhana plastered in room is an example that feeds my doubt. A simile that cool, if it was composed by the Buddha, you would expect to see it in all of the reciter traditions. I even have doubts about the authenticity of the 4 classic jhana similes (AN 5.28, DN 2, MN 119).

Now just because a simile may not have been spoken by the Buddha, doesn’t mean the simile is not 100% accurate in accordance with reality. But I really wish they would have created a Nikaya of commentaries and similes composed by Arahant disciples and labeled them as such. By claiming the Buddha composed them, it just creates doubt and corruption for future generations, because inevitably new material that gets added and attributed to the buddha include material that isn’t in accordance with reality.

AN 3.101 and AN 3.102 have gold similes that implictly represent high quality 4th jhana capable of realizing 6 abhiñña, but don’t explicitly call it out as a 4th jhana simile as that DA sutta.

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I don’t know if anyone else noticed this, but in contrast to the first four jhana similes which in pali explicitly pervade the whole kaya (body) , and the DA parallel also the chinese is “body”,

the 5th simile for the imperturbable 4th jhana looks like it’s a nexus to the formless attainments, where sense of the body as disappeared, and with the door closed shutting out wind which makes noise, one presumably is experiencing perfect quiet with no sound.

It also strongly resembles the first jhana of Ajahn Brahm and Vism., with the flame of the lamp representing the light nimitta.

Before I even encountered this simile, I had mentally classified Ajahn Brahm’s first jhana as an EBT 4th jhana formless attainment hybrid.

Here’s another strong piece of anecdotal evidence. If you ask big name teachers of the Vism. jhana system, their experience from validating the vism. jhana from scores if not hundreds of students, show that typically, once they have validated the student as having a competent first jhana, within a few days, they are validated as being able to do 2nd, 3rd, 4th jhanas. Formless attainements and kasina jhanas also can be completed in a matter of a few short weeks.

Doesn’t that strike anyone as really weird? What happened to gradual training and development of samadhi, that you would expect to gradually and organically happen over months and years? If you were to look at those hundreds of students certified with vism. jhana, and instead mapped out their jhana progression according to an ockhams razor interpretation of EBT jhana, you’d probably find that it happened over months and years.

This 4th jhana imperturbability simile supports my thesis.