back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 7904

[from 'Buddhacarita' by Ashvaghosha, in 29. Religion / C. Spiritual Disciplines / 3. Buddhism ]

Full Idea

The first stage of trance is calm amidst applied and discursive thinking.

Gist of Idea

The first stage of trance is calm amidst applied and discursive thinking

Source

Ashvaghosha (Buddhacarita [c.50], V.11)

Book Reference

'Buddhist Scriptures', ed/tr. Conze,Edward [Penguin 1959], p.42


A Reaction

Personally I am not sure that I would want to go any further that the first stage, since the elimination of discursive thinking seems to me to be approaching death. To pursue intense thinking very calmly I take to be the ideal of all western philosophers.