Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
54. Ānāpāna Saɱyutta
2. Ānanda or Dutiya Vagga
Sutta 12
Sakaṁbhiya Suttaɱ
With Sakaṁbhiya
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sourced from the edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
Translator's Note:
Although the Buddha had many lay disciples who were non-returners and so had mastered the jhānas — see, for example, DN 16, AN 7:50, and AN 8:22 — there are very few discourses depicting how lay people were taught advanced meditation techniques. This discourse is one of the few.
[1][pts][bodh][olds] I have heard that on one occasion Ven. Lomasakaṁbhiya[1] was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood.
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went to him and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.
As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Lomasakaṁbhiya, "Is it the case, venerable sir, that a Tathāgata's[2] (meditative) dwelling is the same as the (meditative) dwelling of one in training, or is a Tathāgata's dwelling one thing, and the dwelling of one in training something else?"
"It's not the case, friend Mahānāma, that a Tathāgata's (meditative) dwelling is the same as the (meditative) dwelling of one in training.
A Tathāgata's dwelling one thing, and the dwelling of one in training is something else.
"Those monks who are learners, who have yet to attain their hearts' aspiration, who dwell resolved on the unexcelled safety from bondage, dwell abandoning the five hindrances.
Which five?
They dwell abandoning the hindrance of sensual desire...
the hindrance of ill will...
the hindrance of sloth and drowsiness...
the hindrance of restlessness and anxiety...
they dwell abandoning the hindrance of uncertainty.
Those monks who are learners, who have yet to attain their hearts' aspiration, who dwell resolved on the unexcelled safety from bondage, dwell abandoning these five hindrances.
"But as for those monks who are arahants, whose effluents are ended, who have reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who are released through right gnosis: In them the five hindrances are destroyed at the root, made like a palmyra stump deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising.
Which five?
The hindrance of sensual desire is destroyed at the root, made like a palmyra stump deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising.
The hindrance of ill will...
The hindrance of sloth and drowsiness...
The hindrance of restlessness and anxiety...
The hindrance of uncertainty is destroyed at the root, made like a palmyra stump deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising.
Those monks, Mahānāma, who are arahants, whose effluents are ended, who have reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who are released through right gnosis: In them these five hindrances are destroyed at the root, made like a palmyra stump deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising.
"And by the following sequence it may also be known how a Tathāgata's dwelling is one thing, and the dwelling of one in training is something else.
"There was one time, friend Mahānāma when the Blessed One was staying in Icchānaṅgala in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove.
There he addressed the monks:
'Monks, I wish to go into seclusion for three months.
I am not to be approached by anyone at all except for the one who brings almsfood.'
"'As you say, lord,' the monks responded to him.
And no one approached the Blessed One except for the one who brought almsfood.
"Then the Blessed One, having emerged from seclusion after the passing of three months, addressed the monks:
'Monks, if wanderers of other sects ask you,
"By means of what dwelling, friends, did Gotama the contemplative mostly dwell during the rains residence?"
You, thus asked, should answer them in this way:
"It was by means of the concentration of mindfulness of breathing that the Blessed One mostly dwelled."'
"'There is the case, monks, where mindful[3] I breathe in; mindful I breathe out.
[1] "'Breathing in long, I discern, "I am breathing in long";
or breathing out long, I discern, "I am breathing out long."
[2] Or breathing in short, I discern, "I am breathing in short";
or breathing out short, I discern, "I am breathing out short."
[3] I discern,[4] "I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body."
I discern, "I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body."
[4] I discern, "I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication [in-and-out breathing]."
I discern, "I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication."
[5] "'I discern, "I will breathe in sensitive to rapture."
I discern, "I will breathe out sensitive to rapture."
[6] I discern, "I will breathe in sensitive to pleasure."
I discern, "I will breathe out sensitive to pleasure."
[7] I discern, "I will breathe in sensitive to mental fabrication [feeling and perception]."
I discern, "I will breathe out sensitive to mental fabrication."
[8] I discern, "I will breathe in calming mental fabrication."
I discern, "I will breathe out calming mental fabrication."
[9] "'I discern, "I will breathe in sensitive to the mind."
I discern, "I will breathe out sensitive to the mind."
[10] I discern, "I will breathe in gladdening the mind."
I discern, "I will breathe out gladdening the mind."
[11] I discern, "I will breathe in concentrating the mind."
I discern, "I will breathe out concentrating the mind."
[12] I discern, "I will breathe in releasing the mind."
I discern, "I will breathe out releasing the mind."
[13] "'I discern, "I will breathe in focusing on inconstancy."
I discern, "I will breathe out focusing on inconstancy."
[14] I discern, "I will breathe in focusing on dispassion [lit: fading]."
I discern, "I will breathe out focusing on dispassion."
[15] I discern, "I will breathe in focusing on cessation."
I discern, "I will breathe out focusing on cessation."
[16] I discern, "I will breathe in focusing on relinquishment."
I discern, "I will breathe out focusing on relinquishment."
"'For whatever one rightly speaking would call, "a noble dwelling," "a brahmā dwelling," "a Tathāgata dwelling," it would be the concentration of mindfulness of breathing that he, speaking rightly, would call, "a noble dwelling," "a brahmā dwelling," "a Tathāgata dwelling."
"'Those monks who are learners, who have yet to attain their hearts' aspiration, who dwell resolved on the unexcelled safety from bondage:
When the concentration of mindfulness of breathing is developed and pursued by them, it leads to the ending of the effluents.
"'Those monks who are arahants, whose effluents are ended, who have reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who are released through right gnosis:
When the concentration of mindfulness of breathing is developed and pursued by them, it leads to a pleasant abiding here-and-now and to mindfulness and alertness.
"'For whatever one rightly speaking would call, "a noble dwelling," "a brahmā dwelling," "a Tathāgata dwelling," it would be the concentration of mindfulness of breathing that he, speaking rightly, would call, "a noble dwelling," "a brahmā dwelling," "a Tathāgata dwelling."'
"It's by this sequence, friend Mahānāma, that it may be known how a Tathāgata's dwelling is one thing, and the dwelling of one in training is something else."
[1] Following the Thai edition. The other editions call him Ven. Lomavaṅgīsa, and title the sutta, Kaṅkheyya, "Perplexity."
[2] This word can be an epithet specifically of the Buddha or of any arahant. As the following discussion shows, it has the second meaning here.
[3] Whereas, in the normal formula for breath meditation, the meditator is described as "always mindful (sato'va)," the Buddha simply describes himself as mindful. This, apparently, is a reference to the fact that he is already always mindful, so he doesn't have to emphasize the point.
[4] Whereas, in the normal formula for breath meditation, the verb in this step and the remaining ones is "he trains himself (sikkhati)," when the Buddha talks of his own practice, he simply says, "I discern (pajānāmi)." He has no further need to train.
Of Related Interest:
MN 143;
SN 22:122;
SN 46:4;
SN 47:4;
SN 52:9;
SN 55:54;
AN 3:74
