Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

DDB Top Page 
 
 
  XML source

四禪定

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: four concentrations

Senses:

  • The four stages of meditation which enable one to remove the delusions attached to in the realm of desire to make way for the bliss of the form realm 色界 (rūpa-dhātu).
    1. In the first meditation the practitioner experiences the joy and pleasure of abandoning coarse desires 離生喜樂. This is gained through the five mental functions of investigation 覺 (vitarka), observation (vicāra) 觀, joy 喜 (prīti), bliss 樂 (sukha), and concentration 一心 (samādhi). These are accompanied by the eight kinds of feeling and the ten virtues.
    2. In the second, one dwells solely in the joy and pleasure produced by meditation 定生喜樂. This is achieved through calmness 內淨, joy 喜, bliss 樂, and concentration 一心.
    3. In the third, one attains sublime pleasure that transcends ordinary joy 離喜妙樂, This is attained through the five of: equanimity 捨, mindfulness 念, wisdom 慧, bliss 樂, and concentration 一心.
    4. In the fourth, one dwells in a state of mental stability free from various sensations of pain and pleasure 非苦非樂.There are four states of mind: neither suffering nor joy 不苦不樂, equanimity 捨, mindfulness 念, and a concentrated state of mind 一心.
    These four dhyāna-concentrations which lead to existence in the four dhyāna heavenly regions 四禪天. [Charles Muller; source(s): Yokoi, FGD, JEBD]
  • Search SAT
  • Search INBUDS Database

    • Feedback

    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 413

    Bulgyo sajeon 370a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 441c

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 357

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 292a/323

    Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary (Yokoi) 674

    Zengo jiten (Iriya and Koga) 1-P214

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 526a

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 722-2

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1997-09-15

    Updated: 2010-05-05