FEAR 
385 
falls in. And so on-close the practice by a block-buster 
hitting you accurately on the tip of the nose. This must be 
done realistically enough to make you actually afraid. But 
presently the fear wears off, and you get interested in your 
various adventures after each explosion: ambulance taking 
you to hospital, getting tools and digging out other people 
and so as far as your imagination takes you. After that comes 
yet another stage; your interest declines; you find yourself 
indifferent to the entire proceedings. After a few nights you 
can no longer distinguish between the real thing and your 
own private and peculiar Brock's Benefit. The fear will have 
vanished; familiarity breeds contempt. Finally, one is no 
longer even aware that the boys are out again on a lark. 
Incidentally, one may draw a quite close parallel between 
these four stages and those accompanying Samadhi (Probably 
listed in Mrs. Rhys David's book on Buddhist Psychology, or 
in Warren's bran-tub or translations from the Tripitaka, or 
Three Baskets of the Dhamma. I haven't seen either book for 
forty years or more, don't remember the exact titles; scholars 
would help us to dig them out, but it isn't worthwhile. I 
recall the quintessence accurately enough). 
Stage I is Ananda, usually translated "Bliss." This is an 
intensity of enjoyment altogether indescribable. This is due 
to the temporary destruction of the pain-bearing Ahamkara, 
or Ego-making faculty. 
Stage 2. Ananda wears off sufficiently to allow one to 
observe the state itself: intense interest (objective) of a kind 
that suggests approach to the Trance of Wonder. (See Little 
Essays Toward Truth, pp. 24-28.) 
Stage 3. Interest exhausted, one just doesn't care. (Once 
more "Indifference" Op cit. pp. 39-44. How simple, how 
serene, how innocent a pleasure to write Op cit.! It does make 
one feel good!) 
Stage 4. "Neither indifference nor not-indifference ." One 
hardly knows what to make of this translation of the 
technical · Buddhist term: probably no meaning is really 
illuminating to one who has not experienced that state of