Aṅguttara Nikāya
4. Catukka Nipāta
V. Rohitassa Vagga
Sutta 41
Samadhi Sutta
Concentration
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.
[1][pts][olds] "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.
■
[2][pts][olds] "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 secluded from sensuality,
secluded from unskillful qualities —
enters and remains in the first jhāna:
rapture and pleasure born of seclusion,
accompanied by directed thought and evaluation.
With the stilling of directed thought and evaluation,
he enters and remains in the second jhāna:
rapture and pleasure born of concentration,
unification of awareness
free from directed thought and evaluation
— internal assurance.
With the fading of rapture
he remains in equanimity,
mindful and alert,
and senses pleasure with the body.
He enters and remains in the third jhāna,
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 jhāna:
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.[1]
■
[3][pts][olds] "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 an 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.[2]
■
[4][pts][olds] "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.[3]
■
[5][pts][olds] "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 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 and pursued,
leads to the ending of the effluents.[4]
"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 and near in the world,
for whom there is nothing
perturbing in the world[5] —
his vices evaporated,
undesiring, untroubled,
at peace —
he, I tell you, has crossed over birth
and aging.'"
[1] For more on the first development of concentration, see AN 5:28.
[2] For more on the second development of concentration, see SN 51:20 and AN 5:28.
[3] For more on the third development of concentration, see MN 118, MN 149, SN 54:8, and AN 8:63 [DTO 70]. MN 111 and MN 121, which discuss the perceptions and feelings that arise and disappear on shifting from one level of concentration to another would also seem to be relevant here.
[4] The difference between the third and fourth developments of concentration is apparently that in the fourth, the aggregates are viewed not only in terms of their arising but also their origination: what causes them to arise. For more on the fourth development of concentration, see MN 52, SN 22:5, AN 4:124, AN 4:126, AN 5:28, and AN 9:36.
It is sometimes argued that the first development of concentration is the only one that falls under the four jhānas, but the passages cited in these notes all show that jhāna is involved in all four developments. The difference lies in how the practice of jhāna is used.
[5] Imperturbability is a quality of concentration that allows it to be used for the second and fourth developments of concentration (see MN 4). For more on imperturbable concentration, see MN 66 and MN 106. On an even higher level, the arahant’s mind is said to be imperturbable in the face of all sensory input. On this point, see AN 6:55.
