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- Anguttara Nikaya IV.41
- Samadhi Sutta
- Concentration
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"Monks, these are the four developments of concentration. Which four? There is the
development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to a pleasant
abiding in the here & now. There is the development of concentration that, when
developed & pursued, leads to the attainment of knowledge & vision. There is the
development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to mindfulness
& alertness. There is the development of concentration that, when developed &
pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued,
leads to a pleasant abiding in the here & now? There is the case where a monk -- quite
withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities -- enters & remains in
the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed
thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed thought & evaluation, he
enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure,
unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation -- internal
assurance. With the fading of rapture he remains in equanimity, mindful & alert, and
physically sensitive to pleasure. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the
Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' With the
abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with the earlier disappearance of elation &
distress -- he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is the development of concentration that,
when developed & pursued, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here & now.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued,
leads to the attainment of knowledge & 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 an
awareness open & unhampered, he develops a brightened mind. This is the development of
concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the attainment of knowledge
& vision.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued,
leads to mindfulness & 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 & pursued, leads to mindfulness & alertness.
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued,
leads to the ending of the effluents? There is the case where a monk remains focused on
arising & falling away with reference to the five aggregates for sustenance/clinging:
'Such is form, such its origination, such its passing away. Such is feeling, such its
origination, such its passing away. Such is perception, such its origination, such its
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 & 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 [Sn V.3]:
'He who has fathomed
the far & near in the world,
for whom there is nothing
perturbing in the world --
his vices evaporated,
undesiring, untroubled,
at peace --
he, I tell you, has crossed over birth
aging.'"