Paṭhamaphalasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 54.4

Linked Discourses 54.4

1. Ekadhammavagga

1. One Thing

Paṭhamaphalasutta

Fruits (1st)

“Ānāpānassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā.

“Mendicants, when mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial.

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 …pe…

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

‘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.

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

Evaṁ bhāvitāya kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatiyā evaṁ bahulīkatāya dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—

When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated in this way you can expect one of two results:

diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati vā upādisese anāgāmitā”ti.

enlightenment in this very life, or if there’s residue left behind, non-return.”

Catutthaṁ.