Table of Contents

  • Synopsis
    • AN 6.70 Samādhi
      • (same idea restated as complementary opposite)

Synopsis

Without a quality of samādhi that is peaceful, sublime, undistractable, lucid, properly pacified, unified, the 6 higher knowledges, with arahantship attainment being the 6th, is not possible.
From other suttas, we know this must mean the samādhi must be 4th jhāna quality or higher. Unification (ekodhi-bhava) is a primary characteristic of second jhāna, and santa&panita (peaceful and sublime) may be an epithet for something better than 4th jhāna.
The samadhi described, is the same one as in AN 3.101, minus the gold simile, and AN 3.101 also doesn’t explicitly name any of the 4j.

AN 6.70 Samādhi

samādhi-suttaṃ n (AN 6.70)
 AN 6.70 undistractable-lucidity
♦ 70. “‘so vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 “Monks, (for a) monk
na santena samādhinā na paṇītena
 (of) not peaceful undistractable-lucidty, not exquisite,
na paṭip-passaddhi-laddhena
 not properly-pacified-(and not having)-obtained (that),
na ekodi-bhāv-ādhigatena
 not unified-****-(and)-attained (to that),

[it is not possible that he could do the STED 6ab (abhiñña, #6 is arahantship) ]

anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhavissati — ekopi hutvā bahudhā bhavissati, bahudhāpi hutvā eko bhavissati ... pe ... yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṃ vattessatī’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati. ‘dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissati — dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati. ‘parasattānaṃ parapuggalānaṃ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati — sarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ sarāgaṃ cittanti pajānissati ... pe ... vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ vimuttaṃ cittanti pajānissatī’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati. ‘anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarissati, seyyathidaṃ — ekampi jātiṃ, dvepi jātiyo ... pe ... iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarissatī’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati. ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati ... pe ... yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati. ‘āsavānaṃ khayā ... pe ... sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti
 could wield the various kinds of psychic potency: having been one, he could become many … [all abridged passages here as in 6:2] … he could exercise mastery with the body as far as the brahmā world. (2) It is impossible that with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, he could hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and human, those that are far as well as near. (3) It is impossible that he could understand the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with his own mind; that he could understand a mind with lust as a mind with lust … an unliberated mind as unliberated. (4) It is impossible that he could recollect his manifold past abodes … [426] with their aspects and details. (5) It is impossible that with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he could see beings passing away and being reborn … and could understand how beings fare in accordance with their kamma. (6) It is impossible that with the destruction of the taints, he could realize for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, could dwell in it.
n-etaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.
 No-[way]-this condition (can) exist.

(same idea restated as complementary opposite)

♦ “‘so vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 [but] “Monks, (for a) monk
santena samādhinā paṇītena
 (with) peaceful, undistractable-lucidty, exquisite,
paṭip-passaddhi-laddhena
 properly-pacified-(and)-obtained,
ekodi-bhāv-ādhigatena
 unified-****-(and)-attained (to that),

[it IS possible that he could do the STED 6ab (abhiñña, #6 is arahantship)]

anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhavissati ... pe ... yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṃ vattessatī’ti ṭhānametaṃ vijjati. ‘dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissati — dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti ṭhānametaṃ vijjati. ‘parasattānaṃ parapuggalānaṃ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati — sarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ sarāgaṃ cittanti pajānissati ... pe ... vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ vimuttaṃ cittanti pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṃ vijjati. ‘anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarissati, seyyathidaṃ — ekampi jātiṃ, dvepi jātiyo ... pe ... iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarissatī’ti ṭhānametaṃ vijjati. ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṃ vijjati. ‘āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ ... pe ... sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti
 could wield the various kinds of psychic potency … (2) could hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and human, those that are far as well as near … (3) could understand the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with his own mind … (4) could recollect his manifold past abodes with their aspects and details … (5) could, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, see beings passing away and being reborn … and could understand how beings fare in accordance with their kamma … (6) with the destruction of the taints, could realize for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, could dwell in it.”
ṭhānametaṃ vijjatī”ti.
 {this}-condition (can) exist.
chaṭṭhaṃ.
 (end of sutta)