vī) and gradually extends it (krameṇa vistārayati) to all the empty space (ākāśa) of the ten directions. He does the same with water (ap), fire (tejas) and wind (vāyu).
b. He grasps the nature of blue (nīlanimitta) and gradually extends it to all the space of the ten directions. He does the same with yellow (pīta), red (lohita) and white (avadāta).
These three, [namely the vimokṣas, the abhibhvāyatanas and the kṛtsnāyatanas], are one and the same thing (ekārtha), with three name-changes.
Question. – The [first] three vimokṣas, the eight abhibhvātanas and the ten kṛtsnāyatanas are either objective considerations (bhūtapratyavekṣā) or subjective considerations (adhimuktipratyavekṣā).
If they are objective considerations, since the body still contains skin (tvac) and flesh (māṃsa), how can one see only white bones (śvetasthika) in it? Besides, the body is constituted by an assemblage of thirty-six substances (ṣaṭtriṃḷśaddhātusāmagrī); [see appendix on substances] why distinguish them and consider them separately? The four great elements (mahābhūta) [entering into the constitution of the body] each have their own nature (svalakṣaṇa); why exclude three of them [water, fire and wind] and consider just the earth element (pṛthivīmahābhūta)? The four colors are not blue (nīla) exclusively; why then practice meditation just on blue (nīlabhāvana)?
Answer. – [In these considerations] there is an objective consideration (bhūtapratyavekṣā) as well as a subjective consideration (adhimuktipratyavekṣā).
Bodily characteristics (kāyanimitta), objectively, are unpleasant (aśubha): that is an objective consideration. Among outer things (bāhyadharma), there are all kinds of colors of pleasant nature (śubhalakṣaṇa): this is also an objective consideration. The pleasant (śubha) and the unpleasant (aśubha) come within objective considerations.
On the other hand, when one takes the small number of pleasant things and extends it to consider everything as pleasant, when one chooses the single element water and extends it to see everything as water, when one chooses the small amount of blue that exists and extends it to see everything as blue and so on, those are subjective considerations that are not objective.
4. Vimokṣas four to seven
The four formless vimokṣas (ārūpyavimokṣa) are similar to meditations practiced in the four formless absorptions (ārūpyasamāpatti). The person who wants to acquire these vimokṣas first enters into the formless absorptions: the latter are the gateway into these vimokṣas, for the sphere of the infinity of space (ākāśānantyāyatana) ‘turns the back on and rejects’ material objects (rūpyālambana).
Question. – If it is the same for the formless absorptions, how do [the formless vimokṣas] differ?
Answer. – The worldly person (pṛthagjana) who acquires the formless absorptions is arūpin [‘without form’ or without the concept of form]. But when the saint (āryapudgala) with high resolve (adhyāśaya) acquires these formless absorptions, [he is arūpin] absolutely and without regression: that is why it is called vimokṣa.
It is the same for the other vimokṣas coming within the spheres of infinity of consciousness (vijñānānantyāyatana), nothing at all (ākiṃcanyāyatana) and neither identification nor non-identification (naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana).
5. The eighth vimokṣa
Turning the back on and suppressing feelings (vedita) and concepts (saṃjñā) as well as all mind (citta) and all mental events (caitasikadharma) is what is called ‘liberation consisting of the cessation of feeling and concept’ (saṃjñāveditanirodhavimokṣa).
Question. – Why is the absorption of non-identification (asaṃjñāsamāpatti) not a vimokṣa?
Answer. – Because when beings with wrong view (mithyādarśin) who do not discern the defects (doṣa) of dharmas enter into the absorption [216a] [of non-identification], they identify it with nirvāṇa and when they emerge from of this absorption, they feel regret (vipratisāra) and fall back into their wrong views (mithyādṛṣṭi). This is why the absorption [of non-identification] is not a vimokṣa.
On the other hand, by the cessation o