- Jhāna-paccaya: The Relation of Jhāna
- Jhāna-paccaya: The Relation of Jhāna
The seven constituents of jhāna are the paccaya-dhamma in the relation of jhāna. They are: vitakka (initial application), vicāra (sustained application), pīti (pleasurable interest), somanassa (joy), domanassa (grief), upekkhā (equanimity) and ekaggatā (unification of mind, concentration in the sense of capacity to individualise).
All classes of consciousness except the five senses, along with their concomitants and material qualities in co-existence with the seven constituents, are the paccayuppanna-dhamma here.
In what sense is jhāna to be understood?
Jhāna is to be understood in the sense of closely viewing or actively looking at,
that is, going close to the object and looking at it mentally.
Just as an archer, holding the arrow firmly in his hand making it steady, directing it towards the mark, keeping the target in view, and attentively aiming at it, sends the arrow through the bull’s eye of a small distant target,
so also a yogi or one who practises jhāna, directing his mind towards the object, making it steadfast; and keeping the object in view, thrusts his mind into it by means of these seven constituents of jhāna.
Thus, by closely viewing them, a person carries out his action of body, word and mind without failure.
Here, “action of body” means going forward and backward, and so forth;
“action of word” means making vocal expressions, such as the sounds of the alphabet, words and so forth;
“action of mind” means being conscious of objects of any kind.
So no deed, such as giving charity or taking life, can be executed by a feeble mind lacking the necessary constituents of jhāna.
It is the same with all moral and immoral deeds.
To have a clear understanding of its meaning, the salient characteristic mark of each constituent of jhāna should be separately explained.
Vitakka has the characteristic mark of directing the concomitant properties towards the object, and it therefore fixes the mind firmly on the object.
Vicāra has the characteristic mark of reviewing the object over and over, and it thus attaches the mind firmly to the object.
Pīti has the characteristic mark of creating interest in the object, and makes the mind happy and content.
The three kinds of feeling, i.e. joy, grief and indifference, have the characteristic marks of feeling the object, and they also enable the mind to experience the essence of desirable, undesirable, and neutral objects.
Ekaggatā has the characteristic mark of concentration and it also keeps the mind steadfastly fixed on the object.
End of the Jhāna-relation.