AN 11 The Book of the Elevens – Ekādasakanipāta > AN 11.21 Samādhi (4th)

Numbered Discourses 11.21 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.21

2. Recollection – 2. Anussativagga

AN 11.21 Samādhi (4th) – Catutthasamādhisutta

1.1

There Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhū:

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

1.2

“Could it be, reverends, that a bhikkhu might gain a state of samādhi like this? They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.”

“siyā nu kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?

2.1

“Reverend, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable Sāriputta.

“Dūratopi kho mayaṁ, āvuso, āgaccheyyāma āyasmato sāriputtassa santike etassa bhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ.

2.2

May Venerable Sāriputta himself please clarify the meaning of this.

Sādhu vatāyasmantaṁyeva sāriputtaṁ paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho.

2.3

The bhikkhū will listen and remember it.”

Āyasmato sāriputtassa sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

3.1

“Then listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Tenahāvuso, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha; bhāsissāmī”ti.

3.2

“Yes, friend,” they replied.

“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.

3.3

Sāriputta said this:

Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

4.1

“A bhikkhu could gain such a state of samādhi.”

“Siyā, āvuso, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

5.1

“But how could this be?”

“Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?

6.1

“It’s when a bhikkhu perceives:

“Idha, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁsaññī hoti:

6.2

‘This is peaceful; this is sublime—that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.’

‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.

6.3

That’s how a bhikkhu might gain a state of samādhi like this. They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.”

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

6.4

Ekādasamaṁ.

6.5

Anussativaggo dutiyo.

7.0

Tassuddānaṁ

7.1

Dve vuttā mahānāmena,

7.2

nandiyena subhūtinā;

7.3

Mettā aṭṭhako gopālo,

7.4

cattāro ca samādhināti.