Issue 285

There are three heavens in the First Dhyana, three heavens in the Second Dhyana, and three heavens in the Third Dhyana. The three heavens of the First Dhyana are namely: Heaven of the Brahma Multitudes, Heaven of the Brahma Ministers, Great Brahman Heaven.

Heaven of the Brahma Multitudes. What is Brahma? Brahma means purity. In the First Dhyana Heaven, thoughts of desire are even lighter; hence, ‘Brahma’. All the celestial beings residing in this heaven are all pure. They are the celestial citizens of this heaven; hence, ‘multitudes.’

Heaven of the Brahma Ministers. These are ministers in the heavens who came to their positions because of their purity. They assist the Lord of the Great Brahma Heaven.

The Great Brahman Heaven is where the Lord of the Great Brahman Heaven dwells. He is one who very diligently cultivates the way. However, he only knows to cultivate heavenly blessings and has not become enlightened or attained fruition. When he’s done cultivating the way, he’s born in the heavens and became Lord of the Great Brahman Heaven. The Lord of the Great Brahman Heaven has the multitudes of Brahmans and Brahma Ministers supporting him. These are the three heavens of the First Dhyana.

The three heavens of the First Dhyana are called the Ground of Bliss from Leaving Production. Leaving behind the cycle of birth and death, this is a very joyful place. When we vigorously applied our efforts in cultivation and attained the state of First Dhyana, we can go to the First Dhyana Heavens and see the Lord of the Great Brahman Heaven, and also the ministers and citizens of the Great Brahman Heaven. When you reach the state of First Dhyana, your pulse comes to a stop while in meditation. For ordinary people, no pulse means death. However, you are in this state where your pulse and blood flow stop because your inherent nature has reached the First Dhyana heavens. This cessation of pulse is not because you are dead but because you have entered the First Dhyana Samadhi. This may last for one hour, two hours, three hours, five hours or one day, two days, three days, five days, ten days, twenty days. Although your pulse has stopped, your body does not deteriorate. For ordinary people, after death, the corpse begins to stink after seven days and the body has decayed. Nonetheless, if you can cultivate diligently and reach this state, then your body will not deteriorate no matter how long you are in samadhi. This is entering the three heavens of the First Dhyana.

The three heavens of the Second Dhyana are: Heaven of Lesser Light, Heaven of Limitless Light, Heaven of Light Sound. How can we be born in these heavens? Cut off love and desire, be devoid of lust. With lust, we cannot be born in the heavens. In the hierarchy of the heavens, each heaven is one level higher than the preceding one. Why? It is because thoughts of desire diminish and become less each time we ascend the hierarchy of the heavens.

Heaven of Lesser Light. Heavenly beings here have nimbus brighter than the lights in the Suyama Heaven. Among the three heavens of the Second Dhyana, luminosity from the Heaven of Lesser Light is comparatively less than the other two. Why is there light? It is because these heavenly beings upheld the precepts purely and particularly adhered to the vinaya during their life on earth. Those in the Heaven of Brahma Multitudes and Heaven of Brahma Ministers also observe the precepts, but not so well. They are pure but they do not emit light. Whereas, not only do beings in the Heaven of Lesser Light uphold the precepts well, they emit a kind of radiance. This is why they are born in this kind of heaven.

Heaven of Limitless Light. The preceding one was lesser light. Now, this one is limitless light and boundless.

The next level up from the Heaven of Limitless Light is the Heaven of Light Sounds. How do heavenly beings in this heaven speak? They speak with light. This is the science of optics, as seen in televisions, using lights to communicate. In the Heaven of Light Sounds, the heavenly beings do not speak, not because they do not know how to speak, but rather, they communicate with light, not with words. Some Dharma Masters criticize the heavenly beings in the Heaven of Light Sound saying that they do not speak because they have no language or words, so they use light in lieu of language and words. No, this is not the case. If they do not know how to speak, would they not be mutes? How is that better than those who can speak? What then, is the use of being born in this heaven and being mute? That’s why I say that in the Heaven of Light Sounds, they have a language, but do not use words; they use light. Just as people use words to represent language, does it mean we can solely rely on words and ignore the language.

They use light similarly to the way we use light to write, something along the lines of optics, like how a facsimile works. It is certainly that way. It is not that they just speak with light and there is no language. No. When speaking the Buddhadharama, you have tofigure out worldly dharma alongside the Buddhadharma. Then, you will know. Do not be like some dharma masters who say that there is neither language nor words in that heaven, saying that the heavenly beings in the Heaven of Light Sounds are mutes and cannot speak. This shows how these dharma masters do not understand.

This is the Second Dhyana Heavens. When people meditate and attain the Samadhi of the Second Dhyana Heaven, it is called the ‘Ground of Joy from Samadhi.’ What is the circumstance when people experienced this state and entered this samadhi? Their breathing stops. This is the state of the Second Dhyana Heaven. Having reached this state does not mean your skills are amazing and most lofty. No, it’s not.

To those of you who work hard in cultivation, ask yourselves now, “Have I reached this level? Has my pulse stopped? Has my breathing stopped? Does my breathing stop once I sit in meditation?” “No.” If not, then you have to work hard. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to end birth and death. When you attain the states of First Dhyana and the Second Dhyana, then you are liberated from birth and death. Hard work does not mean experiencing some minor states such as visions of dharma protecting bodhisattvas or some others. Even seeing light during meditation is insignificant, so do not be attached.

Perhaps during meditation, you begin to swing back and forth without intending to. You do not want to move, but you do. When you do move, you cannot make it stop even if you want to. These are the six forms of shaking at work. These are manifestations of the six senses and the six forms of shaking of the great earth. At this point, you have not attained authentic skill. You still need to forge ahead and strive hard. Until you reach the states of the First Dhyana and the Second Dhyana, you cannot be lazy. If you are lazy, then you cannot end birth and death; if you cannot end birth and death, you are in danger. It is not easy to become a monk. Hence, for each day that you are lazy, you bore into the hells. If you do not want to go to the hells, then work more diligently.

You say, “I feel discomfort as soon as I work hard. It is very unbearable.”When you go to the hells, it will be much more uncomfortable and unbearable than now. Wanting comfort now, you will be uncomfortable in the future. If you do some hard work now, you will be comfortable in the future. Do the math, figure it out. If you go to the hells, there’s no telling how long you will be there. There is no getting out from the Unintermittent Hells where you suffer day and night. Why does one end up suffering there? It is because one was very lazy as a novice, did not work hard and did not study the Buddhadharma. So now, one suffers. Pursuing for ‘ease’, one ends up in the hells.