40c: The Last Days 3, In Malla – 1618
Then again, rising from the first absorption (
jhāna
), the Buddha entered into the
second absorption. Rising from the second absorption, he entered into the third
absorption. Rising from the third absorption, he entered into the fourth
absorption. Rising from the fourth absorption, he contemplated equanimity and
one-pointedness of mind, the two absorption factors of the fourth absorption,
alternatively or both of them together. Then at the end of the reviewing
impulsion (
paccavekkhaṇa-mahā-kriyā-javana
), with the life-continuum
thought-moment or consciousness, which is associated with happiness, associated
with knowledge, the unprompted resultant of the first-order, which is the truth
of suffering (
dukkha-sacca
) of neither meritorious nor demeritorious thought,
the Buddha realized Parinibbāna and made an end of suffering (
dukkha
).
There are two kinds of Parinibbāna, namely:
1. Passing away after the end of dwelling in absorption where the
incumbent Arahat, after entering into absorption and rising from it,
reverts to the life-continuum thought moment, during which he passes
away.
2. Passing away after the reviewing impulsion where the incumbent
Arahat, after entering in absorption and rising from it, contemplates the
absorption and the factors combined or separate, and at the end of such
contemplation, which is the reviewing impulsion, he reverts to the life
continuum thought-moment, during which he passes away.
Of the above two kinds, the Buddha passed away after the second kind.
[1082]