Samādhibhāvanāsutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.41

Numbered Discourses 4.41

5. Rohitassavagga

5. With Rohitassa

Samādhibhāvanāsutta

Ways of Developing Immersion Further

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā.

“Mendicants, there are these four ways of developing immersion further.

Katamā catasso?

What four?

Atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati;

There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life.

atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati;

There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision.

atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satisampajaññāya saṁvattati;

There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness.

atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati.

There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati?

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati.

This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati?

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ālokasaññaṁ manasi karoti, divāsaññaṁ adhiṭṭhāti—

It’s when a mendicant applies their mind to the perception of light, focusing on the perception of day:

yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.

as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day.

Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati.

This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satisampajaññāya saṁvattati?

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viditā vedanā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti;

It’s when a mendicant knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away.

viditā saññā …pe… viditā vitakkā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.

They know perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. They know thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satisampajaññāya saṁvattati.

This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati?

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī viharati:

It’s when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates.

‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo;

‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the disappearance of form.

iti vedanā, iti vedanāya samudayo, iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo;

Such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the disappearance of feeling.

iti saññā, iti saññāya samudayo, iti saññāya atthaṅgamo;

Such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the disappearance of perception.

iti saṅkhārā, iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo, iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo;

Such are choices, such is the origin of choices, such is the disappearance of choices.

iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti.

Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the disappearance of consciousness.’

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati.

This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso samādhibhāvanā.

These are the four ways of developing immersion further.

Idañca pana metaṁ, bhikkhave, sandhāya bhāsitaṁ pārāyane puṇṇakapañhe:

And it was in this connection that I said in ‘The Way to the Far Shore’, in ‘The Questions of Puṇṇaka’:

‘Saṅkhāya lokasmiṁ paroparāni,

‘Having appraised the world high and low,

Yassiñjitaṁ natthi kuhiñci loke;

there is nothing in the world that disturbs them.

Santo vidhūmo anīgho nirāso,

Peaceful, unclouded, untroubled,
with no need for hope,

Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī’”ti.

they’ve crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.’”

Paṭhamaṁ.