Saṁyutta Nikāya 54.8 1.

The Simile of the Lamp

Ekadhammavagga Padīpopamasutta “Ānāpānassatisamādhi, bhikkhave, bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.

Disciples, when concentration by mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, it is of great fruit and great benefit.

Kathaṁ bhāvito ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso?

And how is concentration by mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be of great fruit and great benefit?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

Here a disciple, having gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, sets his body erect, and establishes mindfulness on itself.

So satova assasati, satova passasati.

Ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.

Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti …pe… ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

Breathing in long, he knows; breathing out long, he knows; He trains thus: I shall breathe in contemplating relinquishment; he trains thus: I shall breathe out contemplating relinquishment.

Evaṁ bhāvito kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhi evaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.

It is in this way that concentration by mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and great benefit.

Ahampi sudaṁ, bhikkhave, pubbeva sambodhā anabhisambuddho bodhisattova samāno iminā vihārena bahulaṁ viharāmi.

I, too before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, used to dwell in this dwelling.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iminā vihārena bahulaṁ viharato neva kāyo kilamati na cakkhūni; anupādāya ca me āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.

As I dwelt thus, neither my body nor my eyes were fatigued; and my mind, without clinging, was freed from the defilements.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘neva me kāyo kilameyya na cakkhūni, anupādāya ca me āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

Therefore if a disciple should wish: May neither my body nor my eyes be fatigued, and may my mind, without clinging, be freed from the defilements, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘ye me gehasitā sarasaṅkappā te pahīyeyyun’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May the thoughts connected with the household life be abandoned, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I abide perceiving the repulsive in the non-repulsive, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I abide perceiving the non-repulsive in the repulsive, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I abide perceiving the repulsive in both the repulsive and the non-repulsive, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I abide perceiving the non-repulsive in both the repulsive and the non-repulsive, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘appaṭikūlañca paṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṁ sato sampajāno’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I abide with equanimity, mindful and clearly knowing, avoiding both the repulsive and the non-repulsive, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enter and abide in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by directed and sustained attention, with pīti and pleasure born of seclusion, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, with the subsiding of directed and sustained attention, enter and abide in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without directed and sustained attention, and has pīti and pleasure born of concentration, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca vihareyyaṁ sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeyyaṁ, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti—upekkhako satimā sukhavihārīti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, with the fading away of pīti, abide in equanimity, mindful and clearly knowing, and experience pleasure with the body, and enter and abide in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare, He abides in equanimity, mindful, and clearly knowing, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, enter and abide in the fourth jhāna, which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ananto ākāsoti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impingement, and with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that space is infinite, enter and abide in the base of the infinity of space, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma anantaṁ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of space, aware that consciousness is infinite, enter and abide in the base of the infinity of consciousness, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of consciousness, aware that there is nothing, enter and abide in the realm of nothingness, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, by completely transcending the realm of nothingness, enter and abide in the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya: ‘sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.

If a disciple should wish: May I, by completely transcending the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enter and abide in the cessation of perception and feeling, then he should attend carefully to this concentration by mindfulness of breathing.

Evaṁ bhāvite kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi evaṁ bahulīkate, sukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, sā ‘aniccā’ti pajānāti, ‘anajjhositā’ti pajānāti, ‘anabhinanditā’ti pajānāti; dukkhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, sā ‘aniccā’ti pajānāti, ‘anajjhositā’ti pajānāti, ‘anabhinanditā’ti pajānāti; adukkhamasukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, ‘sā aniccā’ti pajānāti, ‘anajjhositā’ti pajānāti, ‘anabhinanditā’ti pajānāti.

When concentration by mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated in this way even when he feels a pleasant feeling, he knows it is impermanent, he knows it is not clung to, he knows it is not delighted in. Even when he feels a painful feeling, he knows it is impermanent, he knows it is not clung to, he knows it is not delighted in.

Sukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaṁyutto naṁ vedayati; dukkhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaṁyutto naṁ vedayati; adukkhamasukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaṁyutto naṁ vedayati.

Even when he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he knows it is impermanent, he knows it is not clung to, he knows it is not delighted in.

So kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti, jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti, ‘kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānāti.

When he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it detached. When he feels a painful feeling, he feels it detached. When he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it detached.

He knows: With the breakup of the body, after life has ended, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, telañca paṭicca, vaṭṭiñca paṭicca telappadīpo jhāyeyya, tasseva telassa ca vaṭṭiyā ca pariyādānā anāhāro nibbāyeyya; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti, jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti, ‘kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānātī”ti. Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Just as an oil lamp burns in dependence on oil and a wick; with the exhaustion of the oil and the wick, it is extinguished through lack of fuel; so too when a disciple feels a feeling that is limited by the body, he knows: I feel a feeling that is limited by the body. When he feels a feeling that is limited by life, he knows: I feel a feeling that is limited by life.

He knows: With the breakup of the body, after life has ended, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here. This is the end of the discourse.