解脫道論 四無量散句與禪地

The passage first asks why loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy arise with the third jhāna rather than the fourth. Its answer says that these three are cultivated with a mind arisen together with joy, so the third jhāna arises and the fourth does not; the ground of equanimity, accomplished through equanimity as feeling and equanimity within phenomena, is the fourth jhāna. It then introduces another account with “It is further said”: the four immeasurables arise in the four jhānas. Both accounts coexist, and the passage does not decide which is correct.

Why are there exactly four doorways? The answer lists anger, harming, absence of happiness, anger-and-affection, and their countering, but does not pair the four items one by one with the four doorways in this sentence. Another account says, “These four are only loving-kindness.” The four immeasurables have one nature and at the same time various characteristics. The list of reasons for forming one characteristic and the list of reasons for forming various characteristics can each be counted as three, but the original does not mark either list with the number “three.” Both remain present.

The culmination is the fourfold correspondence: loving-kindness is foremost in the base of purity, compassion in the base of space, appreciative joy in the base of consciousness, and equanimity in the base of nothingness. The original answers generally only that “each depends on what is near it,” then repeatedly writes “bring to appear in attention,” “with little effort,” and “the mind settles” in the four respective paragraphs. It does not define the four minds as four dispositions or diagnose them by whether concentration is effortless. (The miscellaneous statements are concluded.)

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Miscellaneous Statements on the Four Immeasurables and Their Jhāna Grounds · Doorway · Summer 2026

Further Clarification

The meaning of the four immeasurables is now further clarified.

Miscellaneous Statements

What are the miscellaneous statements on the immeasurables? The four immeasurables first arise with one being as their object and are then cultivated in relation to other objects. It is like a mother thinking of her child and responding according to the child’s present circumstance. The treatise next lists an animal, a person who violates the precepts, a person who possesses the precepts, a person disenchanted with desire, a hearer, a solitary awakened one, and a perfectly awakened one, followed by 歸依勝處, “taking refuge / supreme place.” Whether the final phrase is itself another item or continues “perfectly awakened one” remains syntactically unresolved. From this one may know that a supreme immeasurable is accomplished.

Why the Third Jhāna Arises Rather Than the Fourth

Question: Why do loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy give rise to the third jhāna rather than the fourth?

Answer: Beings give rise to distress, together with anger, harming, and absence of happiness. Loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy are cultivated with a mind arisen together with joy in order to counter that distress. Therefore the third jhāna arises, not the fourth.

Again, the fourth jhāna is the ground of equanimity because it is accomplished through two kinds of equanimity: equanimity as feeling and equanimity within phenomena. Dwelling on the ground of equanimity, one takes benefit toward beings and accomplishes equanimity. Because of the difference of ground, the first three immeasurables arise with the third jhāna, not the fourth.

The treatise also records another account: all four immeasurables can arise in the four jhānas. It then cites the Blessed One: a monastic should cultivate the four immeasurables; one should cultivate concentration with applied and sustained thought, with applied thought but without sustained thought, without applied or sustained thought, arisen together with joy, arisen together with pleasure, and arisen together with equanimity. The two accounts coexist; this passage does not decide which is correct.

Why Four Are Taught

Question: Why are four immeasurables taught, rather than three or five?

Answer: The original begins, 若然，一切所疑, “If so, everything is doubted.” The passage gives no further explanation of this sentence.

Again, the four immeasurables are established to counter the source’s list of anger, harming, absence of happiness, and anger-and-affection. In this sentence, the text does not assign each of the four to a particular doorway.

Another account holds that these four are only loving-kindness. Because people frequently arouse anger, harming, and affliction, the four doorways become supreme in order to remove them. The original next says that equanimity is the purification of loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy and the countering of anger and affection.

The four immeasurables have one nature while also possessing various characteristics. Because all counter drawbacks, all take beings as their object, and all have the intention of benefit, they form one characteristic.

The treatise also says that because the quality is supreme, the object taken is supreme, and the benefit taken is supreme, various characteristics are formed. The two accounts stand side by side; this passage does not decide which is correct.

As the Blessed One says in the Yellow-Robe Sūtra: loving-kindness is foremost in the base of purity, compassion is foremost in the base of space, appreciative joy is foremost in the base of consciousness, and equanimity is foremost in the base of nothingness.

How Can This Be Known?

Question: How can this be known?

Answer: Its meaning can be known because each depends on what is near it. The exact relation denoted by “it” is explained only through the four following paragraphs.

Loving-Kindness Is Foremost in the Base of Purity

Question: Why?

Answer: One cultivates loving-kindness toward all beings, following their wishes. By following them constantly, one brings attention to the blue-green and yellow kasiṇas, and with little effort the mind settles. The base text then runs together this sentence: 是眾生種類事，或色界清淨，一切入放意, “this is a matter of kinds of beings; or the form realm is pure; the kasiṇa releases attention.” Whether 或 concludes the preceding phrase as an alternative or opens “or the form realm is pure,” and how “matter of kinds of beings” and “the kasiṇa releases attention” are divided, remain unresolved. The syntax cannot be decided on the base text’s behalf. At that time the meditator attains the fourth jhāna in the form realm; therefore loving-kindness is said to be foremost in the base of purity. Depending on loving-kindness in the fourth jhāna of the form realm, the meditator then goes beyond it.

Compassion Is Foremost in the Base of Space

Question: What does this mean?

Answer: Through cultivating loving-kindness, the mind knows the drawbacks of the form realm. Why? Seeing beings suffer, the original says 彼為色因生慈, “that / because of form / loving-kindness arises.” The passage does not explain how 彼, “because of form,” and “loving-kindness arises” attach. From this, the mind knows the drawbacks of the form realm and brings attention to emergence from form. In the base of space, with little effort the mind settles, because its support has been obtained. Therefore compassion is said to be foremost in the base of space. The meditator next depends on appreciative joy to go beyond the base of space.

Appreciative Joy Is Foremost in the Base of Consciousness

Question: What does this mean?

Answer: Because appreciative joy has been cultivated, the mind is unattached and continually takes boundless consciousness as its object. Why? The original says 此喜於無所著無邊識處安眾生事, “this appreciative joy / in nonattachment / the base of boundless consciousness / establishes the matter of beings.” The attachment of these phrases within the sentence is not further explained. The mind is then unattached and continually takes boundless consciousness as its object. Leaving form and adhering to space, it brings boundless consciousness to appear in attention; with little effort the mind settles. Because this is a matter of kinds of beings, appreciative joy is said to be foremost in the base of consciousness.

Equanimity Is Foremost in the Base of Nothingness

Question: The meditator depends on equanimity to go beyond the base of consciousness. What does this mean?

Answer: Because equanimity has been cultivated, the mind becomes detached. Why? Cultivating equanimity does not cause attachment to be acquired. The original next says, 此眾生得樂得苦，或由喜或由樂, “this being gains happiness and gains suffering, perhaps through joy or through pleasure.” The sentence does not indicate how “joy” and “pleasure” correspond to the preceding “gains happiness” and “gains suffering.” From this the mind becomes detached. The division of the next sentence, 離無所著無所有處，現令心喜, “depart / nonattachment / base of nothingness / presently cause the mind to rejoice,” likewise remains unresolved. With little effort the mind settles and is not attached to various objects. Why? In the base of nothingness, it becomes attached neither to consciousness nor to boundlessness. Therefore equanimity is said to be foremost in the base of nothingness.

(The miscellaneous statements are concluded.)

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Miscellaneous Statements on the Four Immeasurables and Their Jhāna Grounds · Vernacular · Summer 2026

This is the concluding passage in the sequence of the four immeasurables. State first what the text itself shows: “Further clarification of the meaning of the four immeasurables” (重明四無量義)〔T32 438a07〕forms a seven-character paragraph of its own. All four other witnesses omit this sentence, but the base text is retained. The passage then treats in sequence the miscellaneous statements, jhāna grounds, the reason for four, one nature and various characteristics, and the correspondence of four doorways to four bases. This unit has nine paragraphs: one general heading, one on the miscellaneous statements, one on the jhāna grounds, one on the reason for four and the general correspondence, one asking “How can this be known?”, and four final paragraphs explaining loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity in turn. The questions must also be read according to the base text. The miscellaneous statements open directly with “What are...” and do not use the character meaning “Question”; each of the next seven paragraphs begins with “Question”; and the question formulas of the last four paragraphs are not entirely uniform. Reading from the general heading through “(The miscellaneous statements are concluded.)”〔T32 438b24〕shows this passage’s work: it reclassifies, enumerates, and assigns grounds to the four previously established doorways. The Exposition unfolds only the express wording of these nine paragraphs and does not enlarge “further clarification” into a summary the treatise never gives.

Miscellaneous Statements: As a Mother Thinks of Her Child According to the Time

“What are the miscellaneous statements on the immeasurables? The four immeasurables arise with one being as their object and are cultivated in relation to other objects, as a mother thinks of her child according to the child’s present circumstance”〔T32 438a08–09〕. The four immeasurables arise from the matter of one being and are then cultivated in other contexts. The simile says only that the mother thinks of her child according to the time. The treatise does not list what the mother does at different times or assign loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity to four situations of daily life. Examples involving food, clothing, or illness are therefore not supplied, and the immeasurables are not turned into a system of switching gestures. The next sentence lists: “in this way, toward an animal, a person who violates the precepts, a person who possesses the precepts, a person disenchanted with desire, a hearer, a solitary awakened one, a perfectly awakened one, 歸依勝處; one may know that a supreme immeasurable is accomplished”〔T32 438a09–12〕. The base punctuation sets out eight successive expressions. The last, 歸依勝處, differs in kind from the preceding seven. Whether it is the eighth item or continues “perfectly awakened one” remains unresolved. The reading to take away is: stop where the simile stops. Preserve “according to the time” and the unresolved syntax of the last expression; do not answer either gap by importing a familiar story about mother and child.

Distinguishing the Jhāna Grounds: Two Accounts of the Third and Fourth Jhānas

“Question: Why do loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy give rise to the third jhāna rather than the fourth?”〔T32 438a12〕. The first answer begins: “Beings give rise to distress, anger, harming, and absence of happiness. Countering that distress, loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy are cultivated with a mind arisen together with joy; therefore the third jhāna arises, not the fourth”〔T32 438a12–15〕. What is certain is that loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy are cultivated with “a mind arisen together with joy,” and the conclusion expressly says that the third jhāna arises rather than the fourth. The internal division of 眾生憂惱所起，瞋恚害不樂 is not separately explained, so no additional etiology is supplied. The answer then turns to equanimity: “Again, the ground of equanimity is the fourth jhāna because it is accomplished through two kinds of equanimity, namely equanimity as feeling and equanimity within phenomena. Dwelling on the ground of equanimity, one takes benefit toward beings and accomplishes equanimity”〔T32 438a15–17〕. A count of two is expressly marked and the two names are given; the passage does not define them further. The first account then concludes: “Because of the ground, the first three immeasurables arise with the third jhāna, not the fourth”〔T32 438a17〕.

The same paragraph immediately introduces another account with “It is further said”: “It is further said that the four immeasurables arise in the four jhānas”〔T32 438a17–18〕. The Blessed One’s statement follows: “Regarding the four immeasurables, monastic, you should cultivate. This concentration has applied and sustained thought; you should cultivate with applied thought but without sustained thought; you should cultivate without applied or sustained thought; you should cultivate arisen together with joy; you should cultivate arisen together with pleasure; you should cultivate arisen together with equanimity”〔T32 438a18–21〕. The quotation first has “monastic, you should cultivate,” then one statement on concentration with applied and sustained thought. Afterward, the exact phrase “you should cultivate” occurs five times, introducing in order: with applied but without sustained thought, without applied or sustained thought, arisen together with joy, arisen together with pleasure, and arisen together with equanimity. The passage does not assign each of these five individually to a particular jhāna, nor does the later account cancel the earlier. The reading is therefore: whenever “It is further said” appears, preserve the preceding and following accounts in separate columns. The earlier account assigns the first three immeasurables to the third jhāna and equanimity to the fourth-jhāna ground; the later says that the four immeasurables arise in the four jhānas and gives six formulations for cultivating concentration. The two accounts of third and fourth jhāna coexist; the Exposition does not decide between them.

The Reason for Establishing Four: Why Exactly Four Doorways?

“Question: Why are four immeasurables taught, rather than three or five? Answer: 若然，一切所疑”〔T32 438a21–22〕. The first four characters of the answer are not self-explained, so they are not fixed as either a rhetorical challenge or a rebuke. Only the next sentence lists the reason: “Again, the four immeasurables are established because they counter anger, harming, absence of happiness, and anger-and-affection”〔T32 438a22–23〕. The four expressions and “countering” occur together in one sentence, but the original does not say item by item which belongs to loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, or equanimity. The Exposition preserves the four expressions and their relation to establishing the four immeasurables without forcing a four-by-four correspondence.

The answer also records: “It is further said that these four are only loving-kindness. Because people frequently arouse anger, harming, and affliction, the four doorways become supreme in order to remove them”〔T32 438a23–25〕. This account expressly says “these four are only loving-kindness” and expressly says that the four doorways become supreme because people frequently arouse anger, harming, and affliction and these are to be removed. How the next sentence, “As for equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy are purified; because anger and affection are countered”〔T32 438a25〕, connects is not further unfolded, so a new definition is not created for “as for equanimity.” The passage then establishes one nature and various characteristics: “The four immeasurables have one nature; their various characteristics may be known”〔T32 438a25–26〕. There are three reasons for forming one characteristic: countering drawbacks, the object of beings, and the intention of benefit〔T32 438a26–27〕. There are also three reasons for forming various characteristics: supremacy of the quality, supremacy of the object taken, and supremacy of the benefit taken〔T32 438a27–28〕. Each side has three items; the latter is introduced by “It is further said.” One nature and various characteristics stand together, and the passage does not require choosing one over the other.

The two groups can each be counted as three in their original order. The group forming one characteristic is “countering drawbacks,” “the object of beings,” and “the intention of benefit.” The group forming various characteristics is “supremacy of the quality,” “supremacy of the object taken,” and “supremacy of the benefit taken”〔T32 438a26–28〕. The first is listed directly in the text and the second is introduced by “It is further said”; neither is labeled with the number three. The four bases subsequently listed in the Yellow-Robe Sūtra each contain “foremost”: loving-kindness foremost in the base of purity, compassion foremost in the base of space, appreciative joy foremost in the base of consciousness, and equanimity foremost in the base of nothingness〔T32 438a28–438b02〕. These repeated terms establish the items and their order but do not supply a fixed correspondence between the two preceding groups of three, nor turn the four occurrences of “foremost” into a ladder of practice absent from this passage.

Pause at one question: do the two groups of three correspond item for item? The original places three items in each group but does not say that the first corresponds to the first or the second to the second. What can be checked is that each list actually has three members, not that the treatise expressly establishes three fixed correspondences. This pause also supplies a way of reading: list members may be counted; an unmarked correspondence may not be added. The paragraph finally cites the Yellow-Robe Sūtra: “Loving-kindness is foremost in the base of purity, compassion is foremost in the base of space, appreciative joy is foremost in the base of consciousness, and equanimity is foremost in the base of nothingness”〔T32 438a29–438b02〕. This is the general table for the fourfold correspondence explained next. The title of the scripture occurs in the passage itself, but no further scriptural context is given, so its identity is not determined here.

The Fourfold Correspondence: A Distinct Upper Limit for Each of the Four Minds

The culmination of the debate is cited from scripture: “As the Blessed One says in the Yellow-Robe Sūtra: loving-kindness is foremost in the base of purity, compassion is foremost in the base of space, appreciative joy is foremost in the base of consciousness, and equanimity is foremost in the base of nothingness”〔T32 438a28–438b02〕. The phrase “Yellow-Robe Sūtra” occurs once in the whole treatise; the title is supplied by the treatise, which gives no further text, so it is retained without identification. “Question: How can this be known? Answer: Its meaning can be known because each depends on what is near it”〔T32 438b02–03〕. The paragraph explains the fourfold correspondence only through “near”; it does not recast nearness as disposition, habit, or ease of entering concentration. The next four paragraphs unfold in their original order. First, loving-kindness and the base of purity: “One cultivates loving-kindness toward all beings, following their wishes. By following constantly, one brings attention to the blue-green and yellow kasiṇas; with little effort the mind settles”〔T32 438b03–05〕. In the immediately following 是眾生種類事，或色界清淨，一切入放意〔T32 438b05–06〕, the character 或 and the sentence boundaries remain unresolved. The matter of kinds of beings, purity of the form realm, and release of attention in the kasiṇa are therefore preserved literally and not arranged into a fixed causal sequence. The text then expressly says that the meditator attains the fourth jhāna in the form realm; hence loving-kindness is foremost in the base of purity〔T32 438b06–08〕. Second, compassion and the base of space: because loving-kindness has been cultivated, the mind knows the drawbacks of the form realm; on seeing beings suffer, the attachment of 彼為色因生慈 remains unclear. What follows can be established: attention is brought to emergence from form, the mind settles in the base of space with little effort, and therefore compassion is foremost in the base of space〔T32 438b09–13〕. Third, appreciative joy and the base of consciousness: appreciative joy has been cultivated, the mind is unattached, and it continually takes boundless consciousness as its object. The syntax of 此喜於無所著無邊識處安眾生事 is irregular. The text then again lists the arising of boundless consciousness in attention and settlement of the mind with little effort; therefore appreciative joy is foremost in the base of consciousness〔T32 438b14–18〕. Fourth, equanimity and the base of nothingness: because equanimity has been cultivated, the mind becomes detached. The assignments within 此眾生得樂得苦，或由喜或由樂 and 離無所著無所有處，現令心喜 both remain unresolved. What follows can be established: the mind is not attached to various objects or, in the base of nothingness, to consciousness or boundlessness; therefore equanimity is foremost in the base of nothingness〔T32 438b18–24〕. The four paragraphs share expressions such as “bring to appear in attention,” “with little effort,” and “the mind settles.” This is a checkable repetition in the wording; no mental inertia is inferred from it, and whether practice feels effortful is not made a diagnosis of attainment. The reading is therefore simple: read the four correspondences in the source order of their four paragraphs, preserve repeated expressions, and do not supply unresolved attachments.

Paragraph-by-Paragraph Check of the Four Correspondences

The loving-kindness paragraph first asks “Why?” and answers from “cultivating loving-kindness toward all beings”〔T32 438b03–04〕. It writes “following” twice in succession: first “following their wishes,” then “by following constantly.” Only afterward does it turn to the blue-green and yellow kasiṇas, bringing attention to appear, little effort, and settlement of the mind〔T32 438b04–05〕. The difficulty comes in the next sentence: 是眾生種類事，或色界清淨，一切入放意〔T32 438b05–06〕. Reading 或 with what precedes differs from reading it with what follows; attaching “the kasiṇa releases attention” to the preceding or following sentence likewise changes the boundary. The base gives no further punctuation, so the later conclusion concerning the fourth jhāna is not used to retroactively punctuate the earlier sentence. The final three certain steps are attainment of the fourth jhāna in the form realm, loving-kindness being foremost in the base of purity, and dependence on loving-kindness in the fourth jhāna of the form realm to go beyond it〔T32 438b06–08〕.

The compassion paragraph begins with the corrected reading “What does this mean?”〔T32 438b08–09〕. Although the answer is to explain why compassion is foremost in the base of space, its first sentence says, “Because loving-kindness has been cultivated, the mind knows the drawbacks of the form realm”〔T32 438b09〕. The word “loving-kindness” is retained and not changed to “compassion.” The text then asks “Why?” and says, “Seeing beings suffer, 彼為色因生慈”〔T32 438b09–10〕. The original does not say whether 彼 refers to the beings, suffering, or the preceding sentence, or how “because of form” connects with the arising of loving-kindness. The subsequent order is clear: the mind knows the drawbacks of the form realm, brings attention to emergence from form, uses little effort at the base of space, settles, has obtained its support, and therefore compassion is foremost in the base of space〔T32 438b10–13〕. The closing statement “The meditator depends on appreciative joy to go beyond the base of space”〔T32 438b13〕is transitional and introduces appreciative joy and the base of space before the next paragraph.

The appreciative-joy paragraph again asks “What does this mean?” and answers with “Because appreciative joy has been cultivated, the mind is unattached and continually takes boundless consciousness as its object”〔T32 438b13–14〕. After asking itself “Why?”, the original says 此喜於無所著無邊識處安眾生事〔T32 438b15〕. Punctuation cannot determine how “nonattachment,” “the base of boundless consciousness,” and “establishing the matter of beings” combine. What is worth seeing literally is that the answer writes “the mind is unattached and continually takes boundless consciousness as its object” twice〔T32 438b14–16〕. Only after the second occurrence does it list leaving form, adhering to space, causing boundless consciousness to arise in attention, settling with little effort, and the matter of kinds, and finally conclude, “Appreciative joy is foremost in the base of consciousness”〔T32 438b18〕. The repeated sentence is certain; the doctrinal reason for its repetition is not supplied.

The equanimity paragraph places the transitional statement inside the question: “The meditator depends on equanimity to go beyond the base of consciousness. What does this mean?”〔T32 438b18–19〕. The answer first lists having cultivated equanimity and the mind’s becoming detached. It asks “Why?” and answers, “Cultivating equanimity does not cause attachment to be acquired”〔T32 438b20〕. The two most difficult points follow. 此眾生得樂得苦，或由喜或由樂〔T32 438b20–21〕does not mark how joy and pleasure correspond to gaining happiness and gaining suffering. 從彼以心離著，離無所著無所有處，現令心喜〔T32 438b21–22〕does not mark the scope of each occurrence of “depart.” The certain conclusion may still be read: with little effort the mind settles and is not attached to various objects; in the base of nothingness it becomes attached neither to consciousness nor to boundlessness; therefore equanimity is foremost in the base of nothingness〔T32 438b22–24〕. The inline note concluding the miscellaneous statements follows immediately, with no further transitional sentence.

The final answer first says that because equanimity has been cultivated the mind becomes detached, then lists settling with little effort and nonattachment to various objects, and says that in the base of nothingness it becomes attached neither to consciousness nor to boundlessness〔T32 438b19–24〕. The conclusion is “Therefore equanimity is said to be foremost in the base of nothingness”; its final word is expressly “foremost.” Beneath it appears only the inline note “(The miscellaneous statements are concluded.)”〔T32 438b24〕. The passage stops here and adds no separate summary.

Take away three points: one thing seen—the passage lists anger, harming, absence of happiness, anger-and-affection, and their countering, then records another account that “these four are only loving-kindness”; because it gives no item-by-item pairing, the list is simply preserved; one way of reading—read the four correspondences in the source order of their four paragraphs: loving-kindness in the base of purity, compassion in the base of space, appreciative joy in the base of consciousness, and equanimity in the base of nothingness; repeated expressions such as “bring to appear in attention,” “with little effort,” and “the mind settles” are read literally and not elevated into dispositions or diagnoses; and one line—two accounts of the first three immeasurables in the third jhāna and all four immeasurables in the four jhānas coexist, just as one nature and various characteristics coexist, without this passage deciding between them. The end expressly records “(The miscellaneous statements are concluded.)”; the unit stops there.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Miscellaneous Statements on the Four Immeasurables and Their Jhāna Grounds · Exposition · Summer 2026