183 (1)
“Bhikkhus, for direct knowledge of lust, three things616 are to be developed. What three? Emptiness concentration, markless concentration, and wishless concentration.617 For direct knowledge of lust, these three things are to be developed.”
184 (2)–352 (170)
“Bhikkhus, for full understanding of lust … for the utter destruction … for the abandoning … for the destruction … for the vanishing … for the fading away … for the cessation … for the giving up … For the relinquishment of lust, these three things are to be developed.
“Bhikkhus, for direct knowledge … for full understanding … for the utter destruction … for the abandoning … for the destruction … for the vanishing … for the fading away … for the cessation … for the giving up … for the relinquishment of hatred … delusion … anger … hostility … denigration … insolence … envy … miserliness … deceitfulness … craftiness … obstinacy … vehemence … conceit … arrogance … intoxication … heedlessness, three things are to be developed. What three? Emptiness concentration, markless concentration, and wishless concentration. For the relinquishment of heedlessness, these three things are to be developed.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Elated, those bhikkhus delighted in the Blessed One’s statement.
The Book of the Threes is finished.
615 Be and Ee count only one sutta here, 184 and 163 in their respective enumerations. Ce, which I follow, counts 170 suttas.
616 With Be and Ee, I read simply tayo dhammā rather than ime tayo dhammā with Ce.
617 Suññato samādhi, animitto samādhi, appaṇihito samādhi. Mp says only that “insight is explained by means of them (tīhipi samādhīhi vipasssanā va kathitā).” The three are mentioned as a set at DN III 219,21–22, again without explanation, but Sv III 1003–4 comments: “The explanation is threefold, by way of arrival (āgamanato), by way of quality (saguṇato), and by way of object (ārammaṇato). (1) By way of arrival, (i) one bhikkhu interprets in terms of non-self, sees in terms of non-self, and reaches the path by [contemplation of] non-self; for him, insight is called ‘emptiness.’ Why? Because of the absence of the defilements responsible for [the idea of] self or non-emptiness. The concentration of the path (maggasamādhi), being reached by insight, is called emptiness; and the concentration of the fruit (phalasamādhi), being reached by the path, is also called emptiness. (ii) Another interprets in terms of impermanence, sees in terms of impermanence, and reaches the path by [contemplation of] impermanence; for him, insight is called ‘mark-less.’ Why? Because of the absence of the defilements responsible for marks. The concentration of the path, being reached by insight, is called mark-less; and the concentration of the fruit, being reached by this path, is also called markless. (iii) Another interprets in terms of suffering, sees in terms of suffering, and reaches the path by [contemplation of] suffering; for him, insight is called ‘wishless.’ Why? Because of the absence of the defilements responsible for wishes. The concentration of the path, being reached by insight, is called wishless; and the concentration of the fruit, being reached by this path, is also called wishless. (2) By way of quality: The concentration of the path is empty because it is empty of lust, etc.; it is mark-less, because the marks of lust, etc., are absent; and it is wishless because wishes caused by lust, etc., are absent. (3) By way of object: Nibbāna is emptiness because it is empty of lust, etc.; it is markless and wishless, because it is without the marks of lust, etc., and without wishes caused by lust, etc.” Vism 657,13–259,10, Ppn 21.66–73, discusses the three “gateways to liberation” (vimuttimukha) under the same three names.
NOTES TO THE FOURS