Ok, go for ya life and criticise the sutras, mate. Pity you weren't around at
the time of the Buddha so you could've corrected him and I wouldn't be wasting
my time on his teachings.. er, I mean 'fool's gold'.
The Samádhi Suttas
(One Through Five)
Samádhi Sutta
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."
Back to BuddhaSutra.com
