About MahākappinaMahākappinasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Now at that time Venerable Mahākappina was sitting not far from the Buddha, cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness brought to the present.Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākappino bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. The Buddha saw him,Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahākappinaṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. and addressed the mendicants:Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Mendicants, do you see any perturbation or trembling in that mendicant’s body?”“Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etassa bhikkhuno kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā phanditattaṁ vā”ti?

“Sir, whenever we see that mendicant meditating—whether in the middle of the Saṅgha or alone in private—we never see any perturbation or trembling in his body.”“Yadāpi mayaṁ, bhante, taṁ āyasmantaṁ passāma saṅghamajjhe vā nisinnaṁ ekaṁ vā raho nisinnaṁ, tadāpi mayaṁ tassa āyasmato na passāma kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā phanditattaṁ vā”ti.

“Mendicants, when an immersion has been developed and cultivated there’s no perturbation or trembling of the body or mind. That mendicant gets such immersion when he wants, without trouble or difficulty.“Yassa, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, tassa so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samādhissa nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī. And what is that immersion?Katamassa ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

When immersion due to mindfulness of breathing has been developed and cultivated there’s no perturbation or trembling of the body or mind.Ānāpānassatisamādhissa, bhikkhave, bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā. And how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated in such a way?Kathaṁ bhāvite ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi kathaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. …So satova assasati, satova passasati …pe… They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

That’s how immersion due to mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated so that there’s no perturbation or trembling of the body or mind.”Evaṁ bhāvite ca kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi evaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā”ti.