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Numbered Discourses · AN 11.20

  • Numbered Discourses 11.20Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.20
  • 2. Recollection2. Anussativagga

Immersion (3rd)Tatiyasamādhisutta

And then several mendicants went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and said to him:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Could it be, reverend, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion 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 sāriputta, 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?

“It could be, reverends.”“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.

“But how could this be?”“Yathā kathaṁ pana, āvuso sāriputta, 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?

“It’s when a mendicant perceives:“Idha, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁsaññī hoti: ‘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. That’s how a mendicant might gain a state of immersion 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 …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. AN 11.21 Immersion (4th) 0.90near 0.1Numbered Discourses 11.21 2. Recollection Immersion (4th) There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: “Could it be, reverends, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this? They wouldn’t perceive earth in ear…
  2. AN 11.18 Immersion (1st) 0.86near 0.1Numbered Discourses 11.18 2. Recollection Immersion (1st) And then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Could it be, sir, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersi…
  3. AN 11.19 Immersion (2nd) 0.81near 0.1Numbered Discourses 11.19 2. Recollection Immersion (2nd) There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Could it be, mendicants, that a mendicant might gai…
  4. AN 11.7 Percipient 0.71near 0.1Numbered Discourses 11.7 1. Dependence Percipient Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Could it be, sir, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this?…
  5. AN 10.6 Immersion 0.69near 4.3“But how could this be, sir?” “Ānanda, it’s when a mendicant perceives: ‘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, c…
  6. AN 11.8 Focus 0.64near 4.3That’s how a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this. They wouldn’t focus on the eye or sights, ear or sounds, nose or smells, tongue or tastes, or body or touches. … And they wouldn’t focus on what is seen,…
  7. SN 54.8 The Simile of the Lamp 0.57near 4.3So let them closely focus on this immersion due to mindfulness of breathing. Now, a mendicant might wish: ‘Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that “consciousness is infinite”, may I enter and rem…