SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 54 Linked Discourses on Ānāpāna – Ānāpānasaṁyutta > SN 54.11 Icchānaṅgala

Linked Discourses 54.11 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 54.11

Chapter Two – 2. Dutiyavagga

SN 54.11 Icchānaṅgala – Icchānaṅgalasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying in a forest near Icchānaṅgala.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā icchānaṅgale viharati icchānaṅgalavanasaṇḍe.

There he addressed the bhikkhū,

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū, I wish to go on retreat for three months.

“icchāmahaṁ, bhikkhave, temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ.

No-one should approach me, except for the one who brings my almsfood.”

Nāmhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā”ti.

“Yes, sir,” replied those bhikkhū. And no-one approached him, except for the one who brought the almsfood.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā nāssudha koci bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena.

Then after three months had passed, the Buddha came out of retreat and addressed the bhikkhū:

Atha kho bhagavā tassa temāsassa accayena paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū, if wanderers who follow another path were to ask you:

“sace kho, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:

‘Reverends, what was the ascetic Gotama’s usual meditation during the rainy season residence?’ You should answer them like this.

‘katamenāvuso, vihārena samaṇo gotamo vassāvāsaṁ bahulaṁ vihāsī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha:

‘Reverends, the ascetic Gotama’s usual meditation during the rainy season residence was samādhi due to mindfulness of breathing.’

‘ānāpānassatisamādhinā kho, āvuso, bhagavā vassāvāsaṁ bahulaṁ vihāsī’ti.

In this regard: mindful, I breathe in. Mindful, I breathe out.

Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sato assasāmi, sato passasāmi.

When breathing in heavily I know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ When breathing out heavily I know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’

Dīghaṁ assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, dīghaṁ passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi;

When breathing in lightly I know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ When breathing out lightly I know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’

rassaṁ assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, rassaṁ passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi;

I know: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ …

‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi …pe…

I know: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ I know: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’

‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti pajānāmi.

For if anything should be rightly called

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘the meditation of a noble one’, or else ‘the meditation of a Brahmā’, or else ‘the meditation of a realized one’,

‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi.

it’s samādhi due to mindfulness of breathing.

Ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi.

For those bhikkhū who are trainees—who haven’t achieved their heart’s desire, but live aspiring to the supreme sanctuary—the development and cultivation of samādhi due to mindfulness of breathing leads to the ending of defilements.

Ye te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū sekhā appattamānasā anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamānā viharanti tesaṁ ānāpānassatisamādhi bhāvito bahulīkato āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati.

For those bhikkhū who are perfected—who have ended the defilements, completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and are rightly freed through enlightenment—the development and cultivation of samādhi due to mindfulness of breathing leads to blissful meditation in the present life, and to mindfulness and awareness.

Ye ca kho te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū arahanto khīṇāsavā vusitavanto katakaraṇīyā ohitabhārā anuppattasadatthā parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojanā sammadaññāvimuttā, tesaṁ ānāpānassatisamādhi bhāvito bahulīkato diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya ceva saṁvattati satisampajaññāya ca.

For if anything should be rightly called

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘the meditation of a noble one’, or else ‘the meditation of a Brahmā’, or else ‘the meditation of a realized one’,

‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi.

it’s samādhi due to mindfulness of breathing.”

Ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipī”ti.