解脫道論 越色入無邊空處

Why are lower, middle, and upper superior resultant grounds not taught for the fourth jhāna? What is gained through the first three is coarse in some cases and subtle in others, the answer says, and therefore superior resultant grounds are taught. The fourth has “reached the far shore of subtle factors.” Beyond it there is no subtler factor, so no superior resultant ground is taught. The meditator then recollects the faults of the fourth, ranges in concentration on space, and goes beyond the form realm.

Attending to Boundless Space, the Earth Sign Is Lost

The practitioner emerges from the fourth jhāna, removes the sign of the earth kasiṇa, and cultivates concentration on space. Attending to space as boundless, before long the earth sign is lost. The source then says that mind arises from the earth sign and turns toward space; by the sign of entry into space it gains mastery and settles. This is the sequence listed here. The loss of the earth sign is not expanded into a universal law of taking and relinquishing.

The passage says that concentration on form is coarse and concentration on space subtle. It also says that the fourth jhāna depends on matters of form and is therefore coarse, and that seeing the virtues of concentration on space is its counteragent. These statements of coarse and subtle are kept with the items to which this passage attaches them.

Why Only Going Beyond Perception Is Taught

Why does the text speak only of going beyond perception, not feeling, formations, or consciousness? The answer first says, “If one goes beyond perception, all the others also come to be gone beyond”; if perception is not left, mind cannot go beyond. It then says that the Blessed One wished to speak of going beyond matters of form and therefore spoke of going beyond perceptions of form, closing with “all matters of concentration depend upon perception.” The source establishes only these dependencies. It does not explain how feeling, formations, consciousness, and perception operate together or establish a universal classification of concentration. The three verbs of the formula each keep their place: signs of form are gone beyond, resistant perceptions cease, and diverse perceptions are not attended to. The treatise does not explain their difference; that remains a question the reader may carry.

Five hundred carts pass before 迦蘭欝頭藍弗 without his seeing or hearing—the example of “cessation at the place.”

Boundless in Nature, Made Full in Cultivation

Space is what the four great elements do not touch. Two explanations of “boundless” stand together: one says “it is the boundless nature of space”; the other, “correctly settling the mind upon space and making it fill boundlessness.” The passage closes by stating that one is reborn in the Heaven of Space for two thousand eons.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Going Beyond Form into the Base of Boundless Space · Doorway · Summer 2026

Why Superior Resultant Grounds Are Not Taught for the Fourth Jhāna

Question: Why are superior resultant grounds taught as lower, middle, and upper in the first three jhānas, but not for the fourth?

Answer: What is gained through the first three jhānas is coarse in some cases and subtle in others, so superior resultant grounds are taught through superior factors. The fourth jhāna has reached the far shore of subtle factors. Beyond it there is no subtler factor, so no superior resultant ground is taught here.

Recollecting the Faults of the Fourth Jhāna and Ranging in the Concentration of Space

He recollects the faults of the fourth jhāna. At that time the meditator has gained mastery and pleasure in the fourth jhāna. He ranges in the concentration of space and goes beyond the form realm. He further reflects: concentration on form is coarse, concentration on space subtle. The meditator sees the faults of form and again sees the virtues of concentration on space.

The Faults of Form and of the Fourth Jhāna

What are the faults of form? They include taking up weapons and fighting, contention, divisive and false speech, cutting off hands and feet, and various other affairs, together with pain of the eyes, illness, cold, heat, hunger, thirst, and other suffering. These are called the faults of desire for form.

What are the faults of the fourth jhāna? It is near rapture, which becomes an enemy, and it depends on matters of form; therefore it is called coarse. Attached to pleasure here, one does not attain a superior portion. One must depend on the deeply quiet liberation of space. This concentration is coarse. Seeing the faults of the fourth jhāna with respect to form and the virtues of concentration on space is their counteragent.

Attention in Cultivating the Concentration of Boundless Space and Its Accomplishment Formula

That meditator, having thus seen form and the faults of the fourth jhāna and having seen the virtues of concentration on space, recollects entry into the fourth jhāna and makes clear the concentration of boundless space.

After emerging from this concentration, the practitioner removes the sign of the earth kasiṇa and cultivates concentration on space, so that the earth sign is lost. He attends to space, taking boundlessness as the task. If he attends in this present way, before long the earth sign is lost. The sequence of actions in the next sentence is: mind rises from the earth sign and turns toward space; by the sign of entry into space it gains mastery and settles. Yet how “成越於虛空,” “自在,” and the neighboring expressions attach to one another is not further explained. Only the sequence is preserved; no single syntax is imposed.

Having aroused all signs of form and extinguished resistant perceptions, and because he does not attend to diverse perceptions, that meditator enters the attainment and dwells in the base of boundless space.

Lexical Explanation of the Accomplishment Formula

“All” means arising without remainder.

As for “signs of form”: what are signs of form? The perceptual knowing and clear knowing of one who enters concentration in the form realm are called signs of form. “Going beyond” means arising from here.

As for “cessation of resistant perceptions”: what are resistant perceptions? Perceptions of form, sound, odor, taste, and touch are called resistant perceptions. “Cessation” means that those diverse perceptions are exhausted.

As for “not attending to diverse perceptions”: what are diverse perceptions? In a person not in concentration, the perceptual knowing and clear knowing associated either with the mind-element or with the mind-consciousness-element are called diverse perceptions. Not attending to these diverse perceptions is called not attending to diverse perceptions.

Why Only Going Beyond Perception Is Taught, Not Feeling, Formations, or Consciousness

Question: Why does the source speak only of going beyond perception, without speaking of feeling, formations, or consciousness?

Answer: If one goes beyond perception, all the others also come to be gone beyond. Why? If one does not leave perception, the mind cannot go beyond.

Furthermore, because the Blessed One wished to speak of going beyond matters of form, he spoke of going beyond perceptions of form. All matters of concentration depend upon perception.

Does One Who Enters Form-Realm Concentration Not Also Have Resistant and Diverse Perceptions?

Question: If it is not so, one who enters form-realm concentration also has resistant and diverse perceptions; they are not absent.

Answer: A person who enters form-realm concentration has resistant and diverse perceptions because they have been abandoned.

Why Is the Path Not Cultivated There?

Question: The source asks, “Why is the path not cultivated there?” It does not state what “there” denotes.

The answer first says that the practice is “for disenchantment with form.” The next source sentence is “是故於彼不滅、於彼不盡故.” It does not say what the two occurrences of “there” denote or how the sentence explains or follows from the preceding one.

It next gives the first jhāna as an example: “In the first jhāna, sound is its thorn; it is like this.” The source then reads “佛所說於此為厭色以修行道，是故於此成斷.” What the two occurrences of “here” denote, whether they share a referent with the preceding “there,” and where the cited words of the Buddha begin and end are all unmarked.

The source continues: “於此斷故，無色定不動行想。寂寂解脫想.” This gives another “here,” making three in all. How 不動行想 and 寂寂解脫想 are each to be divided, whether they are parallel or sequential, and how they attach to “because it is abandoned here” are not explained. Their terms and sequence are therefore preserved, while the syntax remains unresolved.

The example of 迦蘭欝頭藍弗 entering concentration without perception follows. Five hundred carts pass back and forth before him, yet he neither sees nor hears. From this the source says “therefore cessation is spoken of at the place.” How “at the place” connects to the preceding sentences is preserved without a further decision.

Here, arousing all perceptions of form is said to abandon form-realm phenomena, resistant perceptions, and the cessation of diverse perceptions. “Not attending” is said to abandon desire-realm phenomena.

Furthermore, going beyond all perceptions of form is said to gain the formless realm. Cessation of resistant perceptions is said to abandon disturbance outside that concentration and to manifest the unmoving. Not attending to diverse perceptions is said to abandon disturbance within concentration and to manifest the sign of deeply quiet liberation.

Space, Boundlessness, Entry into Space, and Entry into the Base of Space

Question: In “boundless space,” what is space?

Answer: This space enters the space-element and empty opening and is not touched by the four great elements. This is called space. Correctly settling the mind upon space and making it fill boundlessness is called boundlessness.

“Boundless space” is entry into boundless space. The mind and mental factors entering the base of space are called entry into space.

What is the meaning of entry into space? It is the boundless nature of space. This base of space having a boundless nature expresses the meaning of space. Just as dwelling in a heavenly place is called a heavenly place, the concentration of the base of space is called entry into the base of space.

One Who Dwells Correctly and the Heaven of Rebirth

“One who dwells correctly” gains concentration on the base of space, goes beyond the three portions of matters of form, accomplishes three kinds of goodness, fulfills ten characteristics, is associated with twenty-two virtues, dwells in deep quiet, and cultivates the result of concentration. This virtue brings rebirth in the base of space, as explained at length at the beginning.

“One whose virtue brings rebirth in space” has cultivated the base of space and at death is reborn in the Heaven of Space, with a lifespan of two thousand eons.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Going Beyond Form into the Base of Boundless Space · Vernacular · Summer 2026

This passage first answers why superior resultant grounds are not taught for the fourth jhāna. It then says that the meditator recollects the faults of the fourth, sees the virtues of concentration on space, removes the sign of the earth kasiṇa, and cultivates the concentration of boundless space. Finally it explains the base of boundless space and its result word by word.

The Far Shore of Subtle Factors: The Ladder Has Reached Its Top

“Question: Why are superior resultant grounds taught as lower, middle, and upper in the first three jhānas but not in the fourth? Answer: What is gained through the first three jhānas is coarse in some cases and subtle in others, so superior resultant grounds are taught through superior factors. The fourth jhāna has reached the far shore of subtle factors. Beyond it there is no subtler factor; therefore no superior resultant ground is taught here” 〔T32 420c08–11〕. The answer gives only two levels: because what is gained through the first three is coarse and subtle, superior resultant grounds are taught; because the fourth has reached the far shore of subtle factors and no subtler factor remains, they are not. No scheme of resultant divisions from another unit is added to make a new causal account.

“Coarse and subtle” is expressly attached to “what is gained through the first three,” followed by “therefore superior resultant grounds are taught through superior factors.” On the fourth-jhāna side, the source says in order: it has reached the far shore of subtle factors; beyond it there is no subtler factor; therefore no superior resultant ground is taught. Each side has its own causal terms, and this exposition follows their sentence order. “Superior factor” and “superior resultant ground” receive no further definition here, so the grades or destinations from elsewhere cannot be imposed upon them.

Turning from the Fourth Jhāna toward the Concentration of Boundless Space

“Recollecting the faults of the fourth jhāna, at that time the meditator has gained mastery and pleasure in the fourth jhāna; he ranges in concentration on space and goes beyond the form realm” 〔T32 420c11–13〕. The passage expressly says that he has gained mastery and pleasure in the fourth, recollects its faults, ranges in concentration on space, and goes beyond the form realm. The base character 遊 has a variant 起. Both are recorded, while the body follows the base.

The next observations are also listed item by item: “He further reflects: concentration on form is coarse, concentration on space subtle. The meditator sees the faults of form and again sees the virtues of concentration on space” 〔T32 420c13–14〕. One pair contrasts coarse concentration on form with subtle concentration on space; the other pairs seeing the faults of form with seeing the virtues of space. The source writes both in sequence; no single general grading principle need be added.

The faults of form are laid out in their original list: “What are the faults of form? Taking up weapons and fighting, contention, divisive and false speech, cutting off hands and feet, and various affairs; pain of the eyes, illness, cold, heat, hunger, thirst, and other suffering—these are called the faults of desire for form” 〔T32 420c14–17〕. Weapons and fighting, divisive and false speech, cutting off hands and feet, pain of the eyes, illness, cold, heat, hunger, and thirst are all listed here. The question says “faults of form,” its conclusion “faults of desire for form,” and the variant “faults of desire-form.” The three forms do not align. The fourth-jhāna faults read: “It is near rapture, which becomes an enemy; it depends on matters of form and is therefore called coarse. Attached to pleasure here, one does not attain a superior portion; one depends on the deeply quiet liberation of space” 〔T32 420c17–19〕. The source next says, “With respect to form, seeing the faults of the fourth jhāna and the virtues of concentration on space is their counteragent” 〔T32 420c19–20〕. These reasons remain in their original order and are not expanded into a rule of coarse and subtle spanning other units.

The sentence order in the fourth-jhāna section must remain complete: “near rapture, which becomes an enemy”; “depending on matters of form, it is called coarse”; “attached to pleasure here, one does not attain a superior portion”; and “depending on the deeply quiet liberation of space.” The next sentence separately says “this concentration is coarse” and connects seeing the faults of the fourth, seeing the virtues of concentration on space, and counteraction 〔T32 420c17–20〕. How 此, 於是, and 於此 attach is not individually explained. What can be confirmed is the statements and their sequence; they may not be recast as a grading law for other concentrations.

The practitioner first “recollects entry into the fourth jhāna and makes clear the concentration of boundless space” 〔T32 420c22〕. Next, “Emerging from this concentration, he removes the sign of the earth kasiṇa; cultivating concentration on space, the earth sign is lost. He attends to space, taking boundlessness as the task; attending presently in this way, before long the earth sign is lost” 〔T32 420c22–25〕. The actions listed here are concrete: emerging from concentration, removing the sign of the earth kasiṇa, cultivating concentration on space, and attending to space as boundless, whereupon the earth sign is lost. The small passage says “the earth sign is lost” twice: first immediately after cultivating concentration on space, then after “attending presently in this way, before long.” What can be confirmed is only that, in this cultivation, the earth sign is lost when one presently attends to boundless space. No general rule is made that every relinquished object is lost through a shift of attention.

The next sentence is “From the earth sign, mind arises and comes to go beyond into space; by the sign of entry into space it gains mastery and settles” 〔T32 420c25–26〕. It preserves at least three successive groups: mind arises from the earth sign; comes to go beyond into space; by the sign of entry into space, mastery and settled mind. It can be confirmed that mind leaves the earth sign and turns toward space, ending with mastery and settledness. But whether 成越於虛空 joins upward with mind’s arising or downward with entry into space, and whether 自在 modifies sign, entry, or mind, are not further explained. The three groups are therefore listed in order without adding a unique syntax or expanding them into a universal method of taking and abandoning.

Putting together the actions that can be confirmed: first he recollects entry into the fourth and makes clear the concentration of boundless space; then he emerges, removes the sign of the earth kasiṇa, and cultivates concentration on space. When he attends to boundless space, the earth sign is lost. Only afterward come the three groups “mind arises from the earth sign,” “comes to go beyond into space,” and “by the sign of entry into space, mastery and settled mind.” The closing sentence says that having aroused all signs of form and extinguished resistant perceptions, and because he does not attend to diverse perceptions, the meditator enters the attainment and dwells in the base of boundless space 〔T32 420c22–27〕. This is the complete order from attention to attainment supplied here. Only the syntactic attachment among the final groups remains unclear.

Six Terms in the Accomplishment Formula: One Key for Each Word

“Having aroused all signs of form and extinguished resistant perceptions, and because he does not attend to diverse perceptions, the meditator enters the attainment and dwells in the base of boundless space” 〔T32 420c26–27〕. The first formless-realm formula now stands. The treatise then explains six expressions from it, each in the same form:

“All means arising without remainder” 〔T32 420c28〕. This is the only explanation of “all” given here. “As for signs of form: what are signs of form? The perceptual knowing and clear knowing of one who enters concentration in the form realm are called signs of form” 〔T32 420c28–29〕. “Going beyond means arising from here” 〔T32 420c29〕. “What are resistant perceptions? Perceptions of form, sound, odor, taste, and touch are called resistant perceptions” 〔T32 421a01–02〕. The five are retained in their original list. “Cessation means that those diverse perceptions are exhausted” 〔T32 421a02〕. “What are diverse perceptions? In a person not in concentration, the perceptual knowing and clear knowing associated either with the mind-element or the mind-consciousness-element are called diverse perceptions” 〔T32 421a03–04〕. When the six explanations have been given, the formula still has going beyond signs of form, cessation of resistant perceptions, and nonattention to diverse perceptions; the treatise does not explain the difference among these three terms.

Each of the six explanations has a different range. “All” is explained only as “arising without remainder.” “Signs of form” are attached to perceptual knowing and clear knowing in form-realm concentration. “Going beyond” is explained only as “arising from here.” “Resistant perceptions” are listed as perceptions of form, sound, odor, taste, and touch. “Cessation” says only that diverse perceptions are exhausted. “Diverse perceptions” are attached to a person outside concentration and list perceptual knowing and clear knowing associated with the mind-element and mind-consciousness-element. The source explains the formula through these six terms. It does not turn “without remainder” into an additional condition of success or state that the three verbs are interchangeable.

Two further rounds of correspondence follow 〔T32 421a17–21〕 and deserve slow reading. The treatise itself gives two charts for the same formula. The first relates it to realms: “Here, arousing all perceptions of form is said to abandon form-realm phenomena, resistant perceptions, and the cessation of diverse perceptions. Not attending is said to abandon desire-realm phenomena” 〔T32 421a16–18〕. Going beyond perceptions of form abandons form-realm phenomena; nonattention abandons desire-realm phenomena. The three expressions are distributed across two realms, an accounting downward. The second begins with “furthermore”: “Going beyond all perceptions of form is said to gain the formless realm. Cessation of resistant perceptions is said to abandon disturbance outside that concentration and to manifest the unmoving. Not attending to diverse perceptions is said to abandon disturbance within concentration and to manifest the sign of deeply quiet liberation” 〔T32 421a18–21〕. Going beyond perceptions of form positively establishes the formless realm; cessation of resistant perceptions abandons disturbance outside concentration; nonattention to diverse perceptions abandons disturbance within. The accounting now uses inside and outside concentration. One text gives two arrangements. They do not subsume one another, and the treatise retains both without adjudication. Their relation remains unresolved. The reader need only recognize that each forms its own sequence, without forcing a reconciliation.

In the first round, the source does not individually mark the attachments among “form-realm phenomena,” “resistant perceptions,” and “cessation of diverse perceptions.” One can therefore preserve only that it first speaks of abandoning form-realm phenomena and later says that nonattention abandons desire-realm phenomena. The second round more clearly lists three items: going beyond all perceptions of form means gaining the formless realm; cessation of resistant perceptions means abandoning disturbance outside that concentration; nonattention to diverse perceptions means abandoning disturbance within. Yet the division of 為顯現無動種種想 and its attachment to the surrounding items are still not separately explained. Both rounds retain the original order, without assigning what the source leaves unassigned.

Pause at the Question: Why Only Perception, Not Feeling, Formations, or Consciousness?

“Question: Why does it speak only of going beyond perception, without speaking of feeling, formations, or consciousness?” 〔T32 421a05–06〕. The accomplishment formula names perception—perceptions of form, resistant perceptions, diverse perceptions. Why are the other three of the four aggregates not named? Pause here. 止 has a variant 正, and the reading remains unresolved.

“Answer: If one goes beyond perception, all the others also come to be gone beyond. Why? If one does not leave perception, the mind cannot go beyond. Furthermore, because the Blessed One wished to speak of going beyond matters of form, he spoke of going beyond perceptions of form; all matters of concentration depend upon perception” 〔T32 421a06–09〕. The answer first says that if perception is gone beyond, “all the others” are also gone beyond; if perception is not left, the mind cannot go beyond. Although the question lists feeling, formations, and consciousness, the answer gathers them only under “all the others.” It does not explain a mechanism relating their arising or operation to perception or appoint perception to a function governing the other three. Only these dependencies are preserved. “Furthermore” then gives another answer: the Blessed One wished to say “going beyond matters of form,” and therefore said “going beyond perceptions of form,” concluding that “all matters of concentration depend upon perception.” This is the answer to why only perception is named; it does not establish another rule for determining the category of every concentration. The treatise then adds a distinction: one in form-realm concentration has resistant and diverse perceptions, and the answer reads “has resistant perceptions and has diverse perceptions because they have been abandoned” 〔T32 421a10–11〕. Next comes “Why is the path not cultivated there?” The referent of “there” and the relations among the answering sentences must remain according to the source, without first imposing a definite stage of cultivation.

The intervening short exchange cannot be omitted. The questioner proposes that one in form-realm concentration also has resistant and diverse perceptions; they are not absent. The answer says only, “A person who enters form-realm concentration has resistant perceptions and has diverse perceptions because they have been abandoned” 〔T32 421a10–11〕. Whether 以斷故 governs both kinds or only the nearer item is not divided further. What is certain is that the question raises two perceptions, and the answer lists both again and says “because they have been abandoned.”

The answer first states “for disenchantment with form,” then “是故於彼不滅、於彼不盡故” 〔T32 421a12〕. The referents of the two instances of “there” and their relation to disenchantment with form are unstated. Next comes “In the first jhāna, sound is its thorn; it is like this,” followed by “佛所說於此為厭色以修行道，是故於此成斷” 〔T32 421a13–14〕. Whether the three instances of “here” share a referent, whether they match the preceding “there,” and the boundary of what the Buddha said are all unmarked.

The next sentence reads “於此斷故，無色定不動行想。寂寂解脫想” 〔T32 421a14–15〕. How 不動行想 and 寂寂解脫想 are divided, whether they are parallel or sequential, and how they attach to “because it is abandoned here” receive no explanation. Only the original order is preserved. No two-stage law of suppression in the form realm and exhaustion in the formless realm is constructed from it.

Counted word for word, this small passage first has three occurrences of “there”: “Why is the path not cultivated there?” and “there it is not extinguished; there it is not exhausted.” Three occurrences of “here” follow: “here the path is cultivated for disenchantment with form,” “here abandonment is accomplished,” and “because it is abandoned here” 〔T32 421a11–15〕. The source repeatedly uses pronouns without naming each referent. Their six occurrences can therefore be preserved in sequence, but not automatically assigned to one place, two places, or a line of stages from suppression to extinction.

The example follows: “It is like 迦蘭欝頭藍弗 entering concentration without perception: five hundred carts pass back and forth before him, yet he neither sees nor hears; therefore cessation is spoken of at the place” 〔T32 421a15–16〕. Five hundred carts passing before him unseen and unheard and the final “therefore cessation is spoken of at the place” are explicit. What “at the place” denotes and how the example connects to “unmoving formation-perception” and “deeply quiet liberation-perception” are not explained, and nothing is added.

Four Expressions for Space and Its Result

After the formula has been analyzed, the treatise explains “boundless space” term by term. Its first question asks what space is: “This space enters the space-element and empty opening and is not touched by the four great elements; this is called space” 〔T32 421a22–23〕. The certain definition is “not touched by the four great elements.” “Space-element” and “empty opening” receive no further explanation. Next, “Correctly settling the mind upon space and making it fill boundlessness is called boundlessness” 〔T32 421a23〕. Then, “Boundless space is entry into boundless space. The mind and mental factors entering the base of space are called entry into space” 〔T32 421a23–25〕, placing boundless space, entry into boundless space, entry into space, and the entering mind and mental factors in sequence.

The treatise asks, “What is the meaning of entry into space?” and answers: “It is the boundless nature of space. This base of space having a boundless nature expresses the meaning of space” 〔T32 421a25–26〕. Thus the passage says both “settling the mind upon space and making it fill boundlessness” as cultivation and “it is the boundless nature of space.” Both statements must be retained. Finally it compares: “Just as dwelling in a heavenly place is called a heavenly place,” then says, “the concentration of the base of space is called entry into the base of space” 〔T32 421a27〕. The comparison explains naming by place; it does not separately define space-element, empty opening, or the range of boundless nature.

The close says: “One who dwells correctly gains concentration on the base of space, goes beyond the three portions of matters of form, accomplishes three kinds of goodness, fulfills ten characteristics, is associated with twenty-two virtues, dwells in deep quiet, and cultivates the result of concentration. This virtue brings rebirth in the base of space, as explained at length at the beginning” 〔T32 421a27–421b01〕. The three portions in “goes beyond the three portions of matters of form” are not listed, so the words are retained without assignment. It then explicitly says, “Having cultivated the base of space, at death one is reborn in the Heaven of Space, with a lifespan of two thousand eons” 〔T32 421b01–02〕.

No item in the section on correct dwelling may be omitted: gaining concentration on the base of space; going beyond the three portions of matters of form; accomplishing three kinds of goodness; fulfilling ten characteristics; association with twenty-two virtues; dwelling in deep quiet; and cultivating the result of concentration. It next says that this virtue brings rebirth in the base of space, as explained at length at the beginning. The separate result sentence begins “one whose virtue brings rebirth in space” and explicitly gives cultivation of the base of space, rebirth at death in the Heaven of Space, and a lifespan of two thousand eons. The items of the three portions and the details covered by “as explained at length at the beginning” are not repeated here and are not supplied.

The two sentences answer different aspects. The first is headed “one who dwells correctly” and lists gaining concentration, going beyond three portions, and corresponding virtues. The second is headed “one whose virtue brings rebirth in space” and lists cultivation, destination at death, and lifespan. Dwelling in the first and rebirth in the second are separately preserved as explicit statements and are not blended into one answer.

Conclusion

Return to the passage. What is gained through the first three jhānas is coarse and subtle; the fourth has reached the far shore of subtle factors, with no subtler factor beyond it, so no superior resultant ground is taught there. The meditator recollects the faults of the fourth, attends to boundless space, loses the earth sign, and turns the mind toward space until it settles. The passage answers why only perception is named with “all matters of concentration depend upon perception,” and closes with correct dwelling in the base of boundless space and two thousand eons in the Heaven of Space.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Going Beyond Form into the Base of Boundless Space · Exposition · Summer 2026