Cūḷavedallasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 44

The Shorter Classification · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Katamo panāyye, samādhi, katame dhammā samādhinimittā, katame dhammā samādhiparikkhārā, katamā samādhibhāvanā”ti?
“Yā kho, āvuso visākha, cittassa ekaggatā ayaṁ samādhi;
cattāro satipaṭṭhānā samādhinimittā;
cattāro sammappadhānā samādhiparikkhārā.
Yā tesaṁyeva dhammānaṁ āsevanā bhāvanā bahulīkammaṁ, ayaṁ ettha samādhibhāvanā”ti.

“But ma’am, what is immersion? What things are the bases of immersion? What things are the prerequisites for immersion? What is the development of immersion?” “Unification of the mind is immersion. The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the bases for immersion. The four right efforts are the prerequisites for immersion. The cultivation, development, and making much of these very same things is the development of immersion.”

“Kati panāyye, saṅkhārā”ti?
“Tayome, āvuso visākha, saṅkhārā—
kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“How many processes are there?” “There are these three processes. The physical process, the verbal process, and the mental process.”

“Katamo panāyye, kāyasaṅkhāro, katamo vacīsaṅkhāro, katamo cittasaṅkhāro”ti?
“Assāsapassāsā kho, āvuso visākha, kāyasaṅkhāro, vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“But ma’am, what is the physical process? What’s the verbal process? What’s the mental process?” “Breathing is a physical process. Placing the mind and keeping it connected are a verbal process. Perception and feeling are a mental process.”

“Kasmā panāyye, assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro, kasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, kasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti?
“Assāsapassāsā kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikā ete dhammā kāyappaṭibaddhā, tasmā assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro.
Pubbe kho, āvuso visākha, vitakketvā vicāretvā pacchā vācaṁ bhindati, tasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro.
Saññā ca vedanā ca cetasikā ete dhammā cittappaṭibaddhā, tasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“But ma’am, why is breathing a physical process? Why are placing the mind and keeping it connected a verbal process? Why are perception and feeling a mental process?” “Breathing is physical. It’s tied up with the body, that’s why breathing is a physical process. First you place the mind and keep it connected, then you break into speech. That’s why placing the mind and keeping it connected are a verbal process. Perception and feeling are mental. They’re tied up with the mind, that’s why perception and feeling are a mental process.”

“Kathaṁ panāyye, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpatti hotī”ti?
“Na kho, āvuso visākha, saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti:
‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjissan’ti vā, ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmī’ti vā, ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno’ti vā.
Atha khvāssa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

“But ma’am, how does someone attain the cessation of perception and feeling?” “A mendicant who is entering such an attainment does not think: ‘I will enter the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I am entering the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I have entered the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, their mind has been previously developed so as to lead to such a state.”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa panāyye, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ nirujjhanti—yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti?
“Saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa kho, āvuso visākha, bhikkhuno paṭhamaṁ nirujjhati vacīsaṅkhāro, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“But ma’am, which process ceases first for a mendicant who is entering the cessation of perception and feeling: physical, verbal, or mental?” “The verbal process ceases first, then physical, then mental.”

“Kathaṁ panāyye, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhānaṁ hotī”ti?
“Na kho, āvuso visākha, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti:
‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahissan’ti vā, ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahāmī’ti vā, ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhito’ti vā.
Atha khvāssa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

“But ma’am, how does someone emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling?” “A mendicant who is emerging from such an attainment does not think: ‘I will emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I am emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I have emerged from the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, their mind has been previously developed so as to lead to such a state.”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa panāyye, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ uppajjanti—yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti?
“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa kho, āvuso visākha, bhikkhuno paṭhamaṁ uppajjati cittasaṅkhāro, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato vacīsaṅkhāro”ti.

“But ma’am, which process arises first for a mendicant who is emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling: physical, verbal, or mental?” “The mental process arises first, then physical, then verbal.”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ panāyye, bhikkhuṁ kati phassā phusantī”ti?
“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, bhikkhuṁ tayo phassā phusanti—suññato phasso, animitto phasso, appaṇihito phasso”ti.

“But ma’am, when a mendicant has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, how many kinds of contact do they experience?” “They experience three kinds of contact: emptiness, signless, and undirected contacts.”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa panāyye, bhikkhuno kiṁninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti kiṁpoṇaṁ kiṁpabbhāran”ti?
“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa kho, āvuso visākha, bhikkhuno vivekaninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti, vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāran”ti.

“But ma’am, when a mendicant has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, what does their mind slant, slope, and incline to?” “Their mind slants, slopes, and inclines to seclusion.”

“Kati panāyye, vedanā”ti?
“Tisso kho imā, āvuso visākha, vedanā—
sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā”ti.

“But ma’am, how many feelings are there?” “There are three feelings: pleasant, painful, and neutral feeling.”

“Katamā panāyye, sukhā vedanā, katamā dukkhā vedanā, katamā adukkhamasukhā vedanā”ti?
“Yaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikaṁ vā cetasikaṁ vā sukhaṁ sātaṁ vedayitaṁ—
ayaṁ sukhā vedanā.
Yaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikaṁ vā cetasikaṁ vā dukkhaṁ asātaṁ vedayitaṁ—
ayaṁ dukkhā vedanā.
Yaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikaṁ vā cetasikaṁ vā neva sātaṁ nāsātaṁ vedayitaṁ—
ayaṁ adukkhamasukhā vedanā”ti.

“What are these three feelings?” “Anything felt physically or mentally as pleasant or enjoyable. This is pleasant feeling. Anything felt physically or mentally as painful or unpleasant. This is painful feeling. Anything felt physically or mentally as neither pleasurable nor painful. This is neutral feeling.”

“Sukhā panāyye, vedanā kiṁsukhā kiṁdukkhā, dukkhā vedanā kiṁsukhā kiṁdukkhā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā kiṁsukhā kiṁdukkhā”ti?
“Sukhā kho, āvuso visākha, vedanā ṭhitisukhā vipariṇāmadukkhā;
dukkhā vedanā ṭhitidukkhā vipariṇāmasukhā;
adukkhamasukhā vedanā ñāṇasukhā aññāṇadukkhā”ti.

“What is pleasant and what is painful regarding each of the three feelings?” “Pleasant feeling is pleasant when it remains and painful when it perishes. Painful feeling is painful when it remains and pleasant when it perishes. Neutral feeling is pleasant in the presence of knowledge, and painful in the presence of ignorance.”

“Sukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṁ anusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya kiṁ anusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya kiṁ anusayo anusetī”ti?
“Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgānusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī”ti.

“What underlying tendencies underlie each of the three feelings?” “The underlying tendency for greed underlies pleasant feeling. The underlying tendency for aversion underlies painful feeling. The underlying tendency for ignorance underlies neutral feeling.”

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