.This  religious  sect  was  not  concerned  with  the

　　   eternity  or destructibility  of atta.Their  nibbana

　　   was  the  attainment  by the  atta  ? of an agreeable

　　   feeling   which   is   extremely　　 subtle,   neutral,

　　   unchangeable  (i.e.not subject to involuntary  change)

　　   and absolutely  free  from  dukkha.Every  human  being

　　   possessed  a number  of souls (atta ), and  each  of

　　   these  souls  enjoyed  a particular  type of agreeable

　　   feeling;　　 the   most   subtle   of   such   feelings

　　   (i.e.adukkhamasukham) was worthy of being

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　　   (20) See pp.  478 ～ 480 of the present  article;  see

　　　　   note no.19

　　   (21) Vekhanassasutta (Majjhima Nikaya), II, pp.  42 ～

　　　　   43.

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　　   accepted  by  all  the  groups  of the  Parma-ditt

　　   hadhamma-nibbanavadins  as the supreme nibbanana  in

　　   the visible world.

　　   Ⅳ.  Comments  on the jhanic  formula

　　   a) On the progression  from lower to higher jhana

　　　　 In the preparatory  stage an individual tries to be

　　   free from suffering (dukkha) through the enjoyment  of

　　   five  types  of  kama  (panca  vatthuhi).When  he  has

　　   complete  mastery  over  the kamas  with  which  he is

　　   abundantly  provided  (samappitam  samangibhutam),  he

　　   thinks  that  he  has  attained  Nibbana,  the  very

　　   opposite  of dukkha.Now  what is meant  by kame in the

　　   present context?

　　　　  Kama  may  mean  either  "desire"  or  "object  of

　　   desire".In   the  present   context   kama  should  be

　　   understood  in the sense of "object of desire", for it

　　   is  stated   that  when  kama  undergoes   change   or

　　   destruction, one suffers  grief, lamentation  etc.Here

　　   kama cannot  mean "desire", for destruction  of desire

　　   is  always   considered   desirable   as  a  spiritual

　　   attainment, and an asket would surely  not grieve  for

　　   it.So   kama   means　　 five   types　　 of   desirable

　　   sense-objects.Objects  of  mind  or  dhammas  are  not

　　   included in the category  of kama.The  Buddhists  also

　　   used the term kama  in the sense  of sense-objects  in

　　   some suttas.( 注 22)