with  sukha  and dukkha, and can disassociate  himself

　　   from  them.So  the  ability  of mind  to know  a thing

　　   perfectly  is no longer affected by the experience  of

　　   dukkha  and  sukha.The  phrase  upekkha-satiparisuddhi

　　   should thus mean either "purity of mindfulness  due to

　　   equanimity"　　 or   "equanimity　　 and　　 purity　　 of

　　   mindfulness."Equanimity  is  here  with  reference  to

　　   dukkha and sukha, and is not associated with somanassa

　　   and   domanassa.

　　　　   I have accepted  the first  interpretation, as it

　　   tallies with the explanation given in the Vibhanga.

　　   ( 注 30) Upekkha? in this  case  can  in  no way  be

　　   understood   as  feeing.   The  only  feeling   to  be

　　   experienced in the fourth jhana is adukkhamasukham

　　   for  the  sake  of  which  the  comparatively  grosser

　　   feeling  of sukha of the third  jhana  had to be given

　　   up. This is the most  subtle  bodily  feeling  that  a

　　   meditator can experience.It does not hamper at all the

　　   perfect execution  of the activity  of mindfulness.The

　　   concept of adukkhamasukham  as the supreme  Nibbana ?

　　   na   was   not   rejected   by  any   group   of   the

　　   Parama-ditthadhamma-nibbanavadins.

　　　　 We are  now  able  to critically  comment  on the

　　   contents of a jhana formula.The  jhana formula appears

　　   to  be  mnemonic  statement   not  only  about  mental

　　   elements  determining  the quality  of the  mind  that

　　   experineces  and  a mental  element  as an  object  of

　　   experience but also about the meditative technique and

　　   process leading to the attainment of a jhana.

　　   ──────────────

　　   (30)  Vibhanga  (Rangoon, Burma, Buddhasasana  Samiti,

　　　　　　 1961) p. 271; H. Gunaratana, ibid. p. 99.

　　　　　　　　　　  476 页

　　   b)Meditative technique

　　　　  The Parama-ditthadhamma-nibbanavadins  followed an

　　   identical  method  of meditation  before and after the

　　   attainment  of t first jhana.In both the cases we read

　　   about  the rejection  of undesirable  mental  elements

　　   (e.gkusaladhamma, pitisukha  etc. ) but  not abou  the

　　   wilful  and  direct cultivation   of  the  desireble

　　   element.This   will  be  clear  when  we  analyse  the

　　   spiritual exertions of the followers of this sect.They