their success in eliminating  the harmful  element.Our

　　   conclusion gains support when we take note of the fact

　　   that  sramana  Gotama  as a Bodhisattva  and the other

　　   sramana   sects   of   the   arupyavadins　　 and   the

　　   ucchedavadins  are explicitly  stated to have followed

　　   the  same  method  of  not  paying  attention  to  the

　　   undesirable element, as is evident form the use of the

　　   term "amanasikara  " etc.  in the formulas of the  ?

　　   arupyasama  pattis.(  注 31)

　　　　   We  may  conclude   that   the  same  method   of

　　   eliminating  the undesirable element by first creating

　　   aversion leading to the destruction  of attachment for

　　   it, and  then  paying  no  attention  to it  was  also

　　   followed  in getting  rid  of piti  and  sukha  in the

　　   higher  stages of meditation. Partial confirmation  of

　　   our interpretation  of the four jhanas can be found in

　　   the writing  of the early Buddhist  masters.  That the

　　   confirmation  is  partial  is to be  expected. For our

　　   interpretation  of the jhanic formulas is based on the

　　   philosophy of the Parama-dittha-dhamma-nibbanavadins

　　   , the   original   formulators   of  these   formulas.

　　   Sanghabhadra  states  that the vitakka  and vicara are

　　   two  types  of thought  and cannot  occur  at the same

　　   time.The Sautrantika  teachers  also point out that as

　　   the vitakka  and vicara  belong  to the same  species,

　　   they must arise  successively  and not simultaneously.

　　　　  They further state that vedana and samjna belonging

　　   to different  species can exist simultaneously.It  is

　　   to be noted that priti has not been mentioned in this

　　   connection.(  注 32)The  non-mention  of priti  might

　　   show that the Sautrantikas did not accept priti as an

　　   independent characteristic  of the jhana experienced.

　　   This is in conformity with the philosophy of the

　　   Parama-dittha-dhamma-nibbanavadins,

　　   ──────────────

　　   (31) The non-Buddhist  sramana sects were following a

　　　　   method  of  comprehending  the  demerits  of  the

　　　　   object  of attraction  in order to get rid of the

　　　　   attachment  for it, and paying no attention to it

　　　　   anymore. None  of  these   sects  have,  however,

　　　　   explicitly  mentioned  both  these  steps  of the

　　　　   meditative process.While the Parama-ditthandhamma

　　　　   -nibbanavadins  give  details  only  about  the