Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

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dhassana, as kings in a world long before the Buddha, practised this
form of concentration, which deserved them a rebirth in the spheres
among the Brahmas 22 . Even wandering ascetics of other religious
sects went through this practice, resulting after their death in being
united with Brahma 23 .
But, although probably of non-Buddhistic origin, this practice
of concentration was not only adopted by, but also assimilated in
the context of the Buddha’s doctrine whenever the difference in
shown 24 . Whereas the practice of the ascetics could result in rebirth
in the Brahma-world, the culture according to the Buddha-doctrine
includes the cultivation of ‘freedom of mind’ (ceto-vimutti), which is
said to lead to the transcendent state of a non-returner (anāgāmin),
the penultimate stage towards full emancipation of arahantship 25 .
This freedom of mind (ceto-vimutti) is not the deliverance of
Nibbāna, but a freedom from thought in the direct experiencing
of the four formless spheres of mental absorption (arūpa-jhāna),
with beauty (subha) as the limit of the first sphere through benevolence
(mettā); infinity of space (ākāsānañca) through compassion
(karuṇā); infinity of consciousness (viññāṇa) through sympathetic
joy (muditā); and the sphere of nothingness (ākiñcaññā) through
mental poise (upekkhā 26 . It is because of the infinities of the formless
that these sublime states are called divine (brahma-vihāra) and
immeasurable (appamaññā).
They are in their immeasurableness not states of concentration;
for what can be the object of thought when thought itself has been
absorbed in the ecstasy of boundless space, of infinite consciousness,
of being nothing, of imperceptible perception? They are the experiences
in contemplation (vipassanā), when no thought can refer to
‘self’, no concept can conceive the infinite, no ideal can replace what
22 M. ii. 76; D. ii. 196
23 D. i. 250; M. ii. 195.
24 S. v. 115.
25 A. v. 300.
26 S. v. 115