Bhikkhu Bodhi: Absorptions and Knowledges

Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Jhānābhiñña Sutta (Saṁyutta Nikāya, 16.9, Connected Discourses with Kassapa); edited by Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly

The Meditative Absorptions (Jhanas) and Direct Knowledges

Thus have I heard. At Savatthī. “Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I enter and dwell in the first absorption (jhana or meditation), which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion (sn.ii.211). Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, with the subsiding of thought and examination, I enter and dwell in the second absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is free of thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, with the subsiding of thought and examination, enters and dwells in the second absorption.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, with the fading away as well of rapture, I dwell equanimous, and mindful and clearly comprehending, I experience happiness with the body; I enter and dwell in the third absorption of which the noble ones declare: ‘One is equanimous, mindful, who dwells happily.’ Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the third absorption.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and displeasure, I enter and dwell in the fourth absorption, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the fourth absorption.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with nonattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ I enter and dwell in the base of the infinity of space. Kassapa too, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the [fifth meditative absorption known as the] base of the boundlessness of space.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, by completely transcending the [sixth meditative absorption known as the] base of the boundlessness of space, aware that ‘consciousness is boundless,’ I enter and dwell in the base of the boundlessness of consciousness (sn.ii.212). Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the base of the boundlessness of consciousness.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, by completely transcending the [seventh meditative absorption known as the] base of the boundlessness of consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ I enter and dwell in the base of nothingness. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the base of nothingness.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, by completely transcending the base of nothingness, I enter and dwell in the [eigth meditative absorption known as the] base of neither-perception-nor-nonperception. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-nonperception.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, by completely transcending the base of neither-perception-nor-nonperception, I enter and dwell in the [attainment available only to noble ones known as the] cessation of feeling and perception. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, enters and dwells in the cessation of feeling and perception.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, I wield the various kinds of spiritual [magic] power: Having been one, I become many; having been many, I become one; I appear and vanish; I go unhindered through a wall, through a rampart, through a mountain as though through space; I dive in and out of the earth as though it were water; I walk on water without sinking as though it were earth; seated cross-legged, I travel in space like a bird; with my hand I touch and stroke the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; I exercise mastery with the body as far as the brahma world. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, wields the various kinds of spiritual power.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, I hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and human, those that are far as well as near. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, hears both kinds of sounds (sn.ii.213).

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, I understand the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with my own mind. I understand a mind with lust as a mind with lust; a mind without lust as a mind without lust; a mind with hatred [or fear] as a mind with hatred; a mind without hatred as a mind without hatred; a mind with delusion [wrong view or ignorance] as a mind with delusion; a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion; a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as unexalted; a surpassable mind as surpassable and an unsurpassable mind as unsurpassable; a concentrated mind as concentrated and an unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; a liberated mind as liberated and an unliberated mind as unliberated. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, understands the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with his own mind.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, I recollect my manifold past abodes [former lives], that is, one rebirth, two rebirths, three rebirths, four rebirths, five rebirths, ten rebirths, 20 rebirths, 30 rebirths, 40 rebirths, 50 rebirths, 100 births, 1000 births, 100,000 rebirths, many aeons (kalpas) of world-contraction, many aeons of world-expansion, many aeons of world-contraction and expansion thus:

“‘There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life span; passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere, and there, too, I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life span; passing away from there, I was reborn here.’

“Thus I recollect my manifold past abodes with their modes and details. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, recollects his manifold past abodes with their modes and details.

“Meditators, to whatever extent I wish, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I see beings (sn.ii.214) passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and I understand how beings fare on according to their karma [previous actions] thus:

“‘These beings who engaged in misconduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong view, and undertook actions [karma] based on wrong view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have been reborn in a state of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, even in hell. But these beings who engaged in skillful conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right view, and undertook action based on right view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have been reborn in a fortunate destination, even in a heavenly world.’

“Thus, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I see beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and I understand how beings fare on according to their karma. Kassapa also, to whatever extent he wishes, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, sees beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings fare on according to their karma.

“Meditators, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life I enter and dwell in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for myself with direct knowledge. Kassapa also, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge.”