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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN54: Connected Discourses on Breathing

SN54:7 Mahakappina

1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion the Venerable Mahakappina was sitting not far from the Blessed One, with his legs folded crosswise, holding his body straight, having set up mindfulness in front of him. The Blessed One saw him sitting nearby, with his legs folded crosswise, his body straight, having set up mindfulness in front of him. Having seen him, he addressed the bhikkhus thus:

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākappino bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahākappinaṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi: 

2"Bhikkhus, do you see any shaking or trembling in this bhikkhu's body?"

2"Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etassa bhikkhuno kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā phanditattaṁ vā"ti?

"Venerable sir, whenever we see that venerable one, whether he is sitting in the midst of the Saṅgha or sitting alone in private, sn.v.316 we never see any shaking or trembling in that venerable one's 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.

3"Bhikkhus, that bhikkhu gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, that concentration through the development and cultivation of which no shaking or trembling occurs in the body, and no shaking or trembling occurs in the mind. And what concentration is it through the development and cultivation of which no shaking or trembling occurs in the body, and no shaking or trembling occurs in the mind?

3"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. Katamassa ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

4"It is, bhikkhus, when concentration by mindfulness of breathing [n.295] At this point a shift is introduced in the text from simple ānāpānasati to ānāpānasatisamādhi. This change continues through the following suttas. has been developed and cultivated that no shaking or trembling occurs in the body, and no shaking or trembling occurs in the mind. And how, bhikkhus, is concentration by mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that no shaking or trembling occurs in the body, and no shaking or trembling occurs in the mind?

4Ānāpānassatisamādhissa, bhikkhave, bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā. Kathaṁ bhāvite ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi kathaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

5"Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down. Having folded his legs crosswise, straightened his body, and set up mindfulness in front of him, just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out … . He trains thus: ‘Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe in’; he trains thus: ‘Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe out.’

5Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. So satova assasati, satova passasati … pe … ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

"It is, bhikkhus, when concentration by mindfulness of breathing has been developed and cultivated in this way that no shaking or trembling occurs in the body, and no shaking or trembling occurs in the mind."

Evaṁ bhāvite ca kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi evaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ vā hoti phanditattaṁ vā"ti.

Sattamaṁ.