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by Henepola Gunaratana
Jhana and the Noble Disciples
All noble persons, as we saw, acquire supramundane jhana along with
their attainment of the noble paths and fruits. The noble ones at each
of the four stages of liberation, moreover, have access to the
supramundane jhana of their respective fruition attainments, from the
fruition attainment of stream-entry up to the fruition attainments of
arahatship. It remains problematic, however to what extent they also
enjoy the possession of mundane jhana. To determine an answer to this
question we will consult an early typology of seven types of noble
disciples, which provides a more psychologically oriented way of
classifying the eight noble individuals. A look at the explanation of
these seven types will enable us to see the range of jhanic attainment
reached by the noble disciples. On this basis we will proceed to
assess the place of mundane jhana in the early Buddhist picture of the
arahant, the perfected individual.
Seven Types of Disciples
The sevenfold typology is originally found in the Kitagiri Sutta of
the Majjhima Nikaya (M.i,477-79) and is reformulated in the
Puggalapaññatti of the Abhidhamma Pitaka. This typology classifies
the noble persons on the paths and fruits into seven types: the
faith-devotee (saddhanusari), the one liberated by faith (saddhavimutta),
the body-witness (kayasakkhi), the one liberated in both ways (ubhatobhagavimutta),
the truth-devotee (dhammanusari), the one attained to understanding (ditthipatta),
and the one liberated by wisdom (paññavimutta). The seven types may
be divided into three general groups, each defined by the predominance
of a particular spiritual faculty, The first two types are governed by
a predominance of faith, the middle two by a predominance of
concentration, and the last three by a predominance of wisdom. To this
division, however, certain qualifications will have to made as we go
along.
[1] The faith-devotee is explained the sutta thus:
Herein, monks, some person has not reached with his own (mental)
body those peaceful immaterial deliverances transcending material
form: nor after seeing with wisdom, have his cankers been destroyed.27
But he has a certain degree of faith in the Tathagata, a certain
degree of devotion to him, and he has these qualities — the
faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom.
This person, monks, is called a faith-devotee. (M.i,479)
The Puggalapaññatti (p 182) defines the faith-devotee from a
different angle as a disciple practicing for the fruit of stream-entry
in whom the faculty of faith is predominant and who develops the noble
path led by faith. It adds that when he is established in the fruit he
becomes one liberated by faith. Although the sutta excluded the
"peaceful immaterial attainments," i.e., the four immaterial
jhana, from the faith-devotee's equipment, this implies nothing with
regard to his achievement of the four lower mundane jhanas. It would
seem that the faith-devotee can have previously attained any of the
four fine-material jhanas before reaching the path, and can also be a
dry-insight worker bereft of mundane jhana.
[2] The one liberated by faith is strictly and literally defined as
a noble disciple at the six intermediate levels, from the fruit of
stream-entry through to the path of arahatship, who lacks the
immaterial jhanas and has a predominance of the faith faculty.
The Buddha explains the one liberated by faith as follows:
Herein, monks, some person has not reached with his own (mental)
body those peaceful immaterial deliverances transcending material
form; but having seen with wisdom, some of his cankers have been
destroyed, and his faith in the Tathagata is settled, deeply rooted,
well established. This person, monks, is called one liberated by
faith. (M.i,478)
As in the case of the faith-devotee, the one liberated by faith,
while lacking the immaterial jhanas, may still be an obtainer of the
four mundane jhanas as well as a dry insight worker.
The Puggalapaññatti states (pp.184-85) that the person liberated
by faith is one who understands the Four Noble Truths, has seen and
verified by means of wisdom the teachings proclaimed by the Tathagata,
and having seen with wisdom has eliminated some of his cankers.
However, he has not done so as easily as the ditthipatta, the person
attained to understanding, whose progress is easier due to his
superior wisdom. The fact that the one liberated by faith has
destroyed only some of this cankers implies that he has advanced
beyond the first path but not yet reached the final fruit, the fruit
of arahatship.28
[3] The body-witness is a noble disciple at the six intermediate
levels, from the fruit of stream-entry to the path of arahatship, who
has a predominance of the faculty of concentration and can obtain the
immaterial jhanas. The sutta explanation reads:
And what person, monks is a body-witness? Herein, monks, some
person has reached with his own (mental) body those peaceful
immaterial deliverances transcending material form, and having seen
with wisdom, some of his cankers having been destroyed. This person,
monks, is called a body-witness. (M.i,478)
The Puggalapaññatti (p. 184) offers a slight variation in this
phrasing, substituting "the eight deliverances" (atthavimokkha)
for the sutta's "peaceful immaterial deliverances" (santa
vimokkha aruppa). These eight deliverances consist of three meditative
attainments pertaining to the fine-material sphere (inclusive of all
four lower jhanas), the four immaterial jhanas, and the cessation of
perception and feeling (saññavedayitanirodha) — the last a special
attainment accessible only to those nonreturners and arahats who have
also mastered the eight jhanas.29 The statement of the
Puggalapaññatti does not mean either that the achievement of all
eight deliverances is necessary to become a body-witness or that the
achievement of the three lower deliverances is sufficient. What is
both requisite and sufficient to qualify as a body-witness is the
partial destruction of defilements coupled with the attainment of at
least the lowest immaterial jhana. Thus the body witness becomes
fivefold by way of those who obtain any of the four immaterial jhanas
and the one who also obtains the cessation of perception and feeling.
[4] One who is liberated in both ways is an arahant who has
completely destroyed the defilements and possesses the immaterial
attainments. The commentaries explain the name "liberated in both
ways" as meaning "through the immaterial attainment he is
liberated from the material body and through the path (of arahatship)
he is liberated from the mental body" (MA.ii,131). The sutta
defines this type of disciple thus:
And what person, monks, is liberated in both ways? Herein, monks,
someone has reached with his own (mental) body those peaceful
immaterial deliverances transcending material form, and having seen
with wisdom, his cankers are destroyed. This person, monks, is called
liberated in both ways. (M.i,477)
The Puggalapaññatti (p.184) gives basically the same formula but
replaces "immaterial deliverances" with "the eight
deliverances." The same principle of interpretation that applied
to the body-witness applies here: the attainment of any immaterial
jhana, even the lowest, is sufficient to qualify a person as both-ways
liberated. As the commentary to the Visuddhimagga says: "One who
has attained arahatship after gaining even one [immaterial jhana] is
liberated both ways" (Vism.T.ii,466). This type becomes fivefold
by way of those who attain arahatship after emerging from one or
another of the four immaterial jhanas and the one who attains
arahatship after emerging from the attainment of cessation
(MA:iii,131).
[5] The truth-devotee is a disciple on the first path in whom the
faculty of wisdom is predominant. The Buddha explains the
truth-devotee as follows:
Herein, monks, some person has not reached with his own (mental)
body those peaceful immaterial deliverances transcending material
form; nor, after seeing with wisdom, have his cankers been destroyed.
But the teachings proclaimed by the Tathagata are accepted by him
through mere reflection, and he has these qualities — the faculties
of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. This person,
monks, is called a truth-devotee. (M.i,479)
The Puggalapaññatti (p.185) defines the truth-devotee as one
practicing for realization of the fruit of stream-entry in whom the
faculty of wisdom is predominant, and who develops the path led by
wisdom. It adds that when a truth-devotee is established in the fruit
of stream-entry he becomes one attained to understanding, the sixth
type. The sutta and Abhidhamma again differ as to emphasis, the one
stressing lack of the immaterial jhanas, the other the ariyan stature.
Presumably, he may have any of the four fine-material jhanas or be a
bare-insight practitioner without any mundane jhana.
[6] The one attained to understanding is a noble disciple at the
six intermediate levels who lacks the immaterial jhanas and has a
predominance of the wisdom faculty. The Buddha explains:
And what person, monks, is the one attained to understanding?
Herein, monks someone has not reached with his own mental body those
peaceful immaterial deliverances transcending material form, but
having seen with wisdom some of his cankers are destroyed, and the
teachings proclaimed by the Tathagata have been seen and verified by
him with wisdom. This person, monks, is called the one attained to
understanding. (M.i,478)
The Puggalapaññatti (p.185) defines the one attained to
understanding as a person who understands the Four Noble Truths, has
seen and verified by means of wisdom the teachings proclaimed by the
Tathagata, and having seen with wisdom has eliminated some of his
cankers. He is thus the "wisdom counterpart" of the one
liberated by faith, but progresses more easily than the latter by
virtue of his sharper wisdom. Like his counterpart, he may possess any
of the four mundane jhanas or may be a dry-insight worker.
[7] The one liberated by wisdom is an arahant who does not obtain
the immaterial attainments. In the words of the sutta:
And what person, monks, is the one liberated by wisdom? Herein,
monks, someone has not reached with his own (mental) body those
peaceful material deliverances transcending material form, but having
seen with wisdom his cankers are destroyed. This person, monks, is
called one liberated by wisdom. (M.i,477-78)
The Puggalapaññatti's definition (p.185) merely replaces
"immaterial deliverance" with "the eight
deliverances." Though such arahats do not reach the immaterial
jhanas it is quite possible for them to attain the lower jhanas. The
sutta commentary in fact states that the one liberated by wisdom is
fivefold by way of the dry-insight worker and the four who attain
arahatship after emerging from the four jhanas.
It should be noted that the one liberated by wisdom is contrasted
not with the one liberated by faith, but with the one liberated in
both ways. The issue that divides the two types of arahant is the lack
or possession of the four immaterial jhanas and the attainment of
cessation. The person liberated by faith is found at the six
intermediate levels of sanctity, not at the level of arahatship. When
he obtains arahatship, lacking the immaterial jhanas, he becomes one
liberated by wisdom even though faith rather that wisdom is his
predominant faculty. Similarly, a meditator with predominance of
concentration who possesses the immaterial attainments will still be
liberated in both ways even if wisdom rather than concentration claims
first place among his spiritual endowments, as was the case with the
venerable Sariputta.
Source: The Jhanas In Theravada Buddhist Meditation by
Henepola Gunaratana. The Wheel Publication No. 351/353 (Kandy:
Buddhist Publication Society, 1988). Transcribed from the print
edition in 1995 by Bill Petrow and Jane Yudelman under the auspices of
the DharmaNet Dharma Book Transcription Project, with the kind
permission of the Buddhist Publication Society. This book is an
abridged version of the author's The Path of Serenity and Insight: An
Explanation of the Buddhist Jhanas, copyright © 1985 Motilal
Banarsidass, New Delhi, and is published in the Wheel series by
arrangement with that publisher. Copyright © 1988 Buddhist
Publication Society. Reproduced and reformatted from Access to Insight
edition © 1995 For free distribution. This work may be republished,
reformatted, reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the
author's wish, however, that any such republication and redistribution
be made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and
that translations and other derivative works be clearly marked as
such.
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