The tale speaks to the difference between meditation highs and enduring change. Beyond transitory states like samadhi (or their equivalent, the absorptive jhanas), there can be lasting changes in our very being. The Vissudhimagga holds this transformation to be the true fruit of reaching the highest levels of the path of insight. For example, as the text says, strong negative feelings like greed and selfishness, anger and ill will, fade away. In their place comes the predominance of positive qualities like equanimity, kindness, compassion, and joy.
