Ekadhammasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 54.1

Linked Discourses 54.1

1. Ekadhammavagga

1. One Thing

Ekadhammasutta

One Thing

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Tatra kho …pe… etadavoca:

“ekadhammo, bhikkhave, bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.

“Mendicants, when one thing is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial.

Katamo ekadhammo?

What one thing?

Ānāpānassati.

Mindfulness of breathing.

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassati kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā?

And how is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present.

So satova assasati, satova passasati.

Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out.

Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti;

Breathing in heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’

rassaṁ vā assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, rassaṁ vā passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti;

Breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’

‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.’

‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the physical process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the physical process.’

‘Pītippaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing rapture.’

‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing bliss.’

‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mental process.’

‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the mental process.’

‘Cittappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mind.’

‘abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out gladdening the mind.’

‘samādahaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘samādahaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out immersing the mind in samādhi.’

‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out freeing the mind.’

‘aniccānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing impermanence.’

‘Aniccānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

‘virāgānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘virāgānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing fading away.’

‘nirodhānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘nirodhānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing cessation.’

‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’

Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassati evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā”ti.

Mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial.”

Paṭhamaṁ.