Saṁyutta Nikāya 54.11

The Related Suttas Collection 54.11

2. Dutiyavagga

Chapter Two

Icchānaṅgalasutta

Icchānaṅgala

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā icchānaṅgale viharati icchānaṅgalavanasaṇḍe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “icchāmahaṁ, bhikkhave, temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Nāmhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā”ti.

At one time the Buddha was staying in a forest near Icchānaṅgala. There he addressed the bhikkhus, “Bhikkhus, I wish to go on retreat for three months. No-one should approach me, except for the one who brings my almsfood.”

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

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

Atha kho bhagavā tassa temāsassa accayena paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito bhikkhū āmantesi:

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

“sace kho, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘katamenāvuso, vihārena samaṇo gotamo vassāvāsaṁ bahulaṁ vihāsī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘ānāpānassatisamādhinā kho, āvuso, bhagavā vassāvāsaṁ bahulaṁ vihāsī’ti.

“Bhikkhus, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you: ‘Friends, what was the ascetic Gotama’s usual meditation during the rainy season residence?’ You should answer them like this. ‘Friends, the ascetic Gotama’s usual meditation during the rainy season residence was immersion due to mindfulness of breathing.’

Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sato assasāmi, sato passasāmi.

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

Dīghaṁ assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, dīghaṁ passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi; rassaṁ assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, rassaṁ passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi; ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi …pe…

Breathing in heavily I know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily I know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’ When breathing in lightly I know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly I know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’ I know: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ …

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

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

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi. Ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi.

For if anything should be rightly called ‘a noble meditation’, or else ‘a divine meditation’, or else ‘a realized one’s meditation’, it’s immersion due to mindfulness of breathing.

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

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

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

For those bhikkhus 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 immersion due to mindfulness of breathing leads to blissful meditation in the present life, and to mindfulness and awareness.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi. Ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipī”ti.

For if anything should be rightly called ‘a noble meditation’, or else ‘a divine meditation’, or else ‘a realized one’s meditation’, it’s immersion due to mindfulness of breathing.”

Paṭhamaṁ.