Survey of the Paramattha dhammas

hundred or a thousand can do it...”

It is the same in the case of remembering one’s former lives, it is most difficult. Who could attain upacåra samådhi, access concentration, if the citta is not mahå-kusala citta accompanied by paññå? Who could claim to have attained appanå samådhi that arises at the moment of the first stage of jhåna? Who could claim to have attained the second, third, fourth and fifth stage of jhåna, or arúpa-jhåna? Who could claim to remember his past lives if he cannot revert in memory from now to this morning? Can he remember each moment? Can he revert to yesterday evening, to yesterday morning, or can he, with a citta firmly established in calm, remember each moment reverting to the rebirthconsciousness, or even to the last moment of the last day of his past life and revert successively to past lives? This can only be achieved if the jhånacitta has become powerful, and if one has trained oneself in all the skills necessary for supernatural powers. If that is the case one can cause mahå-kusala citta accompanied by paññå to arise and remembrance of past lives can be accomplished while reverting from a specific moment on to the past.

If one studies in detail and understands the right conditions for the special qualities which are the supernatural powers, one will know whether a certain achievement is truly due to those special qualities or not.

By the development of samatha defilements are not eradicated. In samatha the paññå is not developed which penetrates the characteristics of impermanence, dukkha and anattå, which knows the true nature of realities. Only this kind of paññå can eradicate defilements. If jhåna does not decline and jhånacitta can arise in the process just before the dying-consciousness, the jhånacitta is kamma-condition for the arising of jhåna vipåkacitta that is the rebirth-consciousness in one of the brahma planes. However, when that person’s lifespan has come to an end in such a plane, he will again revert to a life in this world with clinging to self, to visible object, sound, odour, flavour and tangible object.

The development of samatha in past lives can be accumulated in the cycle of birth and death. It can be a condition for some people to have a presentiment of events that may take place. Someone who has developed concentration may be able to see omens and have a presentiment of events in the future. However, it should be remembered that for the accomplishment of supernatural powers samatha must be developed by mahå-kusala citta accompanied by paññå, so that calm grows and concentration on the meditation subject becomes firmly established, to the degree that the stages of jhåna can successively arise. It should be noted that all this is most difficult. A person who has developed concentration may have visions of future events, and some of his presentiments may come true whereas some may be wrong. His visions may be a result of his development of concentration, but they are not supernatural powers, the special qualities that are the result of the development of samatha.

If one develops samatha it is already most difficult to attain even upacåra samådhi, access concentration. The reason is that when an object impinges on one of the senses or the mind-door, we usually turn to such an object with lobha, dosa or moha. Kusala citta of the level of dåna, síla or mental development arises very rarely in our daily life. The 178