Non-material Sphere

The Meritorious Thought pertaining to the Non-material Sphere consists of the following four jhanas:

1. Akasanancayatana Jhana, mental absorption in the concept 'Space is Infinite'
2. Vinnanancayatana Jhana, mental absorption in the concept 'Consciousness is Infinite'.
3. Akincannayatana Jhana, mental absorption in the concept 'Nothing is there'
4. Nevasannanasannayatana Jhana, the jhana of neither Consciousness nor Non-consciousness.

i.

The yogi who is already established in the final stage of the Rupa Jhana can develop the first Arupa Jhana, if he wishes. At first he concentrates on the mental image of the kasina object which is the object of concentration he has had previously. Finally it is discarded and is replaced by space. He now concentrates on the concept 'Space is Infinite', this first Arupa Jhana is known as Akasanancayatana Jhana

ii.

To develop the Second Arupa Jhana, the yogi takes the first Arupa Jhana consciousness as the object of concentration. As the object of the first Arupa Jhana consciousness is the concept 'Space is Infinite', this first Arupa Jhana consciousness is also infinite. The second Arupa Jhana is attained by concentrating on the concept 'Consciousness is Infinite'. This is called Vinnanancayatana Jhana.

iii.

In Progressing to the third Arupa Jhana, the first Arupa Jhana Consciousness which has served as an object of concentration for the second Arupa Jhana has to be given up. Then, since even this first Arupa Jhana consciousness does not exist any more the concept of nothingness appears. This concept 'Nothing is there' is the object of concentration of this third Arupa Jhana known as Akincannayatana Jhana.

iv.

To reach the fourth Arupa Jhana, the concept 'Nothing is there' has to be given up. Then, since there is no other object of concentration, the third Arupa Jhana consciousness has to be taken as the object of concentration. Passing completely beyond the state of Nothingness, and concentrating on the third Arupa Jhana consciousness, the fourth Arupa Jhana is so subtle and refined that it is not easy to say whether there is consciousness or there is no consciousness. Hence this final stage of Arupa Jhana is termed Nevasannanasannayatana Jhana, the jhana of 'Neither Consciousness nor Non-Consciousness'.

In the case of the four Rupa Jhanas, the five jhana factors of vitakka, vicara, piti, sukha and ekaggata are reduced in each successive stage; they thus differ from one another according to the number of jhana factors that accompany them. But the four Arupa Jhanas differ according to the object of concentration. The first and the third Arupa Jhanas have two pannatti (concepts) as their object: the concept of lnfinity of Space and the concept of Nothingness. The second and the fourth Arupa Jhana consciousness have the first and the third Jhana consciousness respectively as their object.