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The Samádhi Suttas
(One Through Five)
Immeasurable Concentration
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
For free distribution only
"Wise and mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration [i.e., concentration based on immeasurable good will, compassion, appreciation, or equanimity]. When, wise and mindful, one has developed immeasurable concentration, five realizations arise right within oneself. Which five?
"The realization arises right within oneself that 'This concentration is blissful in the present and will result in bliss in the future.'
"The realization arises right within oneself that 'This concentration is noble and not connected with the baits of the flesh.'
"The realization arises right within oneself that 'This concentration is not obtained by base people.'
"The realization arises right within oneself that 'This concentration is peaceful, exquisite, the acquiring of serenity, the attainment of unity, not kept in place by the fabrications of forceful restraint.'
"The realization arises right within oneself that 'I enter into this concentration mindfully, and mindfully I emerge from it.'
"Wise and mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration. When, wise and mindful, one has developed immeasurable concentration, these five realizations arise right within oneself."
Samádhi Sutta
Concentration: Tranquility and Insight
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
For free distribution only
"Monks, these four types of individuals are to be found existing in world. Which four?
"There is the case of the individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness, but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. Then there is the case of the individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, but not internal tranquility of awareness. Then there is the case of the individual who has attained neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. And then there is the case of the individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
"The individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness, but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, should approach an individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment and ask him: 'How should fabrications be regarded? How should they be investigated? How should they be seen with insight?' The other will answer in line with what he has seen and experienced: 'Fabrications should be regarded in this way. Fabrications should be investigated in this way. Fabrications should be seen in this way with insight.' Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
"As for the individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, but not internal tranquility of awareness, he should approach an individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness... and ask him, 'How should the mind be steadied? How should it be made to settle down? How should it be unified? How should it be concentrated?' The other will answer in line with what he has seen and experienced: 'the mind should be steadied in this way. The mind should be made to settle down in this way. The mind should be unified in this way. The mind should be concentrated in this way.' Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
"As for the individual who has attained neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, he should approach an individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment... and ask him, 'How should the mind be steadied? How should it be made to settle down? How should it be unified? How should it be concentrated? How should fabrications be regarded? How should they be investigated? How should they be seen with insight?' The other will answer in line with what he has seen and experienced: 'the mind should be steadied in this way. The mind should be made to settle down in this way. The mind should be unified in this way. The mind should be concentrated in this way. Fabrications should be regarded in this way. Fabrications should be investigated in this way. Fabrications should be seen in this way with insight.' Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
"As for the individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, his duty is to make an effort in establishing ('tuning') those very same skillful qualities to a higher degree for the ending of the mental fermentations.
"These are four types of individuals to be found existing in world."
Samádhi Sutta
Concentration
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
For free distribution only
"Monks, these are the four developments of concentration. Which four? There is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here and now. There is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to the attainment of knowledge and vision. There is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to mindfulness and alertness. There is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here and now? There is the case where a monk -- quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities -- enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. With the stilling of directed thought and evaluation, he enters and remains in the second jhana: rapture and pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought and evaluation -- internal assurance. With the fading of rapture he remains in equanimity, mindful and alert, and physically sensitive to pleasure. He enters and remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous and mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure and pain -- as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress -- he enters and remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here and now.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to the attainment of knowledge and vision? There is the case where a monk attends to the perception of light and is resolved on the perception of daytime [at any hour of the day]. Day for him is the same as night; night is the same as day. By means of awareness open and unhampered, he develops a brightened mind. This is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to the attainment of knowledge and vision.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to mindfulness and alertness? There is the case where feelings are known to the monk as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Perceptions are known to him as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Thoughts are known to him as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. This is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to mindfulness and alertness.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents? There is the case where a monk remains focused on arising and falling away with reference to the five clinging-aggregates: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its passing away. Such is feeling, such its origination, such it’s passing away. Such is perception, such its origination; such it’s passing away. Such are fabrications, such their origination, such their passing away. Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.' This is the development of concentration that, when developed and pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents.
"These are the four developments of concentration.
"And it was in connection with this that I stated in Punnaka's Question in the Way to the Far Shore:
'He who has fathomed
the far and near in the world,
for whom there is nothing
perturbing in the world --
his vices evaporated,
un-deserving, untroubled,
at peace --
he, I tell you, has crossed over birth
aging.'"
Samádhi Sutta
Concentration
Translated from the Pali by Nyanaponika Thera
For free distribution only
"There are, O monks, these three feelings: pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings."
A disciple of the Buddha, mindful,
clearly comprehending, with his mind collected,
he knows the feelings [1] and their origin, [2]
knows whereby they cease [3] and knows the path
that to the ending of feelings lead. [4]
And when the end of feelings he has reached,
such a monk, his thirsting quenched, attains Nibbána."[5]
Footnotes
1. Comy: He knows the feelings by way of the Truth of Suffering.
2. Comy: He knows them by way of the Truth of the Origin of Suffering.
3. Comy: He knows, by way of the Truth of Cessation, that feelings cease in Nibbána.
4. Comy: He knows the feelings by way of the Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of Suffering.
5. Parinibbuto, "fully extinguished"; Comy: through the full extinction of the defilements (kilesa-parinibbanaya).
Samádhi Sutta
Concentration
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
For free distribution only
"Develop concentration, monks. A concentrated monk discerns things as they actually are present. And what does he discern as it actually is present?
"He discerns, as it actually is present, that 'The eye is inconstant'... 'Forms are inconstant'... 'Eye-consciousness is inconstant'... 'Eye-contact is inconstant'... 'Whatever arises in dependence on eye-contact, experienced either as pleasure, as pain, or as neither-pleasure-nor-pain, that too is inconstant.'
"He discerns, as it actually is present, that 'The ear is inconstant'... 'The nose is inconstant'... 'The tongue is inconstant'... 'The body is inconstant"...
"He discerns, as it actually is present, that 'The intellect is inconstant'... 'Ideas are inconstant'... 'Intellect-consciousness is inconstant'... 'Intellect-contact is inconstant'... 'Whatever arises in dependence on intellect-contact, experienced either as pleasure, as pain, or as neither-pleasure-nor-pain, that too is inconstant.'
"So develop concentration, monks. A concentrated monk discerns things as they actually are present."
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