From:  Bruce bmalcolm@n...
              Date:  Fri Feb 9, 2001 2:02pm

In ati it's called the "Samadhi Sutta" (and names AN IV 45 as the "Rohitassa Sutta") -- according to this translation, there is a form of concentration that "when developed and pursued" leads not to jhanic supression of the nivarna, but to their eradication...  So the point being made is that there is form of concentration that a person actively develops and pursues.... concentration? to be developed? Is this samadhi-bhavana?  Or am I completely mistaken in my reading of this??  Does anyone have the Pali handy?

Here is the last part (worth quoting imho):  "And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents? There is the case where a monk remains focused on arising falling away with reference to the five aggregates...
 

We should compare the above with this passage from the chapter on Vipassana in the 'Summary' in the advanced section, <http://www.DhammaStudy.com>:

The development of samatha-bhavana and that of vipassana-bhavana differ in the aramana and the levels of panna.  The former has arammana which render the mahakusala-nana-sampayutta-citta peaceful upon contemplation until it is steadily and uniquely based on a unique arammana. Vipassana-bhavana has paramattha-arammana, namely nama-dhamma and rupa-dhamma, that arise, appear and fall away as arammana, which the mahakusala-nana-sampayutta-citta begin to take note of, examine arammana by arammana, regularly, constantly until it knows that they are realities that are not entities, persons, or the selves.  The result of samatha-bhavana is to be born a brahma-puggala in the brahma-bhumi.  The result of vipassana-bhavana is that panna, fully realizes the characteristics of realities as they truly are and eradicates kilesa completely according to the level of lokuttara-magga-citta with nibbana as arammana unto the level of arahanta-magga-citta, which completely eradicates all kilesa so samsara-vatta would end with no more rebirth.

"...for sustenance/clinging: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its passing away. Such is feeling, such its origination, such its passing away.  Such is perception, such its origination, such its passing away. Such are fabrications, such their origination, such their passing away.  Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'...

This is of course mindfulness of the 5 sankhara (aggregates, conglomerate, composed realities) 'form' is probably translated from 'rupa', 'feeling' from 'vedana' etc.  which form what we take for us and the world around us, in other words, three of the four paramattha-dhamma exempting nibbana.

...This is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents."

The study of the impermanence of realities to the right degree always does.
 
 
 

              From: Bruce <bmalcolm@n...>
              Date: Sat Feb 10, 2001 1:12am

I also thought the below-quoted the fourth form's similarities to vipassana-bhavana were noteworthy; what I'm wondering is, why is it called a "form of concentration"?
 

There are two realities, nama and rupa, so mental development, bhavana, concerns uniquely the nama, but since all citta are the same, all knowing element, it is the cetasika that is in fact the determining factor of kusala or akusala.  In the old days before the Buddha they didn't have any knowledge of the nature of citta and cetasika as arising and falling away, though they did know that if they did something kusala, kusala vipaka arose.  Therefore they concentrated on the development of kusala citta, and found that concentration on something neutral could suppress akusala that arose from the six sense dvara, plus bring a host of fringe benefits such as supernatural powers including birth for endless periods as a superior being exempt from dukkha, and even dosa for the brahma.  But still they had to come back to be, so they still searched for a higher peace from kilesa.

The Buddha was the one who discovered that the citta was not a single permanent entity but a series of realities arising and falling away, and that this knowledge could liberate from the endless samsara: what no longer is born would not suffer any dukkha or impermanence of any kind.  But no matter the amount of concentration (or the development of samadhi without satipatthana) could not bring about this knowledge if it was concentrated on the single arammana: at that moment much kusala was developed, if done correctly, but not more panna of things as they really are.  To develop that special panna that knows things as they really are to the strength that can completely eradicate kilesa one would need to know that the citta, like all other realities is impermanent and not us, not the self, not under our control.  The only way to realize and experience that is to gradually see the true characteristics of things as they really are through the study of satipatthana, the sati that arises with all kusala citta would accumulate knowledge that increases panna about all that arises and appears to the citta and grow more and more powerful and confident and lessen attachment to realities that are not us or the world at all but things that arise and mislead us into clinging to the selves and the world.

But as the ekaggata cetasika (concentration) is a universal cetasika that arises with ALL CITTA INCLUDING MICHA SAMADHI, it arises with BHAVANA OR MENTAL DEVELOPMENT.  With samma samadhi it is greatly developed to concentrate on one reality so as to shut out all akusala for kusala to develop, whereas in satipatthana in vipassana, it arises with sati as samadhindriya to grow strong and powerful along with the other five cetasika that arise when there is study of realities as they really are, as the five magga: samma ditthi (panna), sankappa (vitaka), vayama (viriya) sati (sati), and samadhi (ekaggata).  From this beginning, there would be increasing numbers of kusala cetasika arising, until the eight magga arise together with nibbana as arammana according to the strength of that instant of panna, to eradicate kilesa of that respective level, until all kilesa are completely eradicated.