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四禪

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Definition^[1]

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The 'four meditations.' Four progressively subtle stages of meditation which lead one out from the desire realm into rebirth in the four meditation heavens 四禪天 in the realm of form 色界 (catur-dhyāna). (1) In the first meditation the practitioner experiences the joy and pleasure of abandoning coarse desires 離生喜樂; (2) in the second, one dwells solely in the joy and pleasure produced by meditation 定生喜樂; (3) in the third, one attains sublime pleasure that transcends ordinary joy 離喜妙樂, and (4) in the fourth, one dwells in a state of mental stability free from various sensations of pain and pleasure 非苦非樂.

Definition^[2]

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The four dhyāna heavens, 四靜慮 (四靜慮天), i. e. the division of the eighteen brahmalokas into four dhyānas: the disciple attains to one of these heavens according to the dhyāna he observes: (1) 初禪天 The first region, 'as large as one whole universe' comprises the three heavens, Brahmā-pāriṣadya, Brahmā-purohita, and Mahābrahmā, 梵輔, 梵衆, and 大梵天; the inhabitants are without gustatory or olfactory organs, not needing food, but possess the other four of the six organs. (2) 二禪天 The second region, equal to 'a small chiliocosmos' 小千界, comprises the three heavens, according to Eitel, 'Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, and Ābhāsvara, ' i. e. 少光 minor light, 無量光 infinite light, and 極光淨 utmost light purity; the inhabitants have ceased to require the five physical organs, possessing only the organ of mind. (3) 三禪天 The third region, equal to 'a middling chiliocosmos '中千界, comprises three heavens; Eitel gives them as Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, and Śubhakrtsna, i. e. 少淨 minor purity, 無量淨 infinite purity, and 徧淨 universal purity; the inhabitants still have the organ of mind and are receptive of great joy. (4) 四禪天 The fourth region, equal to a great chiliocosmos, 大千界, comprises the remaining nine brahmālokas, namely, Punyaprasava, Anabhraka, Brhatphala, Asañjñisattva, Avrha, Atapa, Sudrśa, Sudarśana, and Akanistha (Eitel). The Chinese titles are 福生 felicitous birth, 無雲 cloudless, 廣果 large fruitage, 無煩 no vexations, atapa is 無熱 no heat, sudrśa is 善見 beautiful to see, sudarśana is 善現 beautiful appearing, two others are 色究竟 the end of form, and 無想天 the heaven above thought, but it is difficult to trace avrha and akanistha; the inhabitants of this fourth region still have mind. The number of the dhyāna heavens differs; the Sarvāstivādins say 16, the 經 or Sūtra school 17, and the Sthavira school 18. Eitel points out that the first dhyāna has one world with one moon, one mem, four continents, and six devalokas; the second dhyāna has 1, 000 times the worlds of the first; the third has 1, 000 times the worlds of the second; the fourth dhyāna has 1, 000 times those of the third. Within a kalpa of destruction 壞劫 the first is destroyed fifty-six times by fire, the second seven by water, the third once by wind, the fourth 'corresponding to a state of absolute indifference' remains 'untouched' by all the other evolutions; when 'fate (天命) comes to an end then the fourth dhyāna may come to an end too, but not sooner'.