Synopsis |
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Main theme of this sutta |
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| What is one percipient of, when one is in a samādhi attainment where the mind is divorced from the 5 sense faculties? In answer to that question, the sutta lists the first 3 formless attainments (space-infinitude, consciousness-infinitude, nothingness), without specifically naming the other 9 samāpatti. A special samādhi attainment is listed as a 4th possibility. | |
| AN 9.37 is in a cluster of 30 suttas in AN starting from (approximately) AN 9.30 through AN 9.60, that all are centered on the 9 samāpatti, meditative attainments (first jhāna, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4 formless attainments, perception & feelings’ cessation as the 9th attainment). | |
| What’s unusual about the structure of this sutta, it’s not obvious at first what the 9 items are, since they don’t specifically address all of the 9 samāpatti explicitly as usual practice in this cluster. | |
Four jhānas are not divorced from 5 sense faculties |
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| From other core EBT sutta passages, it’s obvious why the other 6 attainments are not listed as potential answers. Attainment #9, perception has ceased, so one can not perceive. Attainment #8, perception is too subtle, not completely ceased, but not clear enough to qualify as percipient. The four jhānas are not listed because the anatomical body, and nirā-misa sukha and upekkha vedana which are explicitly said to originate in anatomical body (SN 36.14), that unequivocally means four jhānas can perceive the anatomical body and feelings originating from anatomical body. That’s why the four jhānas are not listed as possible states. | |
So how does this sutta come up with 9 things to fulfill AN 9 requirement? |
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| The 5 sense faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) that the mind is divorced from are the first 5 things. The 3 formless attainments that one can be percipient of are the next 3, and the 9th thing is a special state of samādhi called “na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato”. |
AN 9.37 ānanda-suttaṃ |
AN 9.37 ānanda-discourse |
ekaṃ samayaṃ āyasmā ānando |
One time Venerable Ānanda |
kosambiyaṃ viharati ghosit-ārāme. |
(at) Kosambi (he was) dwelling (in) Ghosita’s-Park. |
tatra kho āyasmā ānando |
There, *** Venerable Ānanda, |
bhikkhū āmantesi — |
(to the) monks (he) addressed - |
“āvuso bhikkhave”ti. |
“Friends, monks!” |
“āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū |
“Friend!” *** those monks, |
āyasmato ānandassa paccassosuṃ. |
(to the) venerable Ānanda, replied. |
āyasmā ānando etad-avoca — |
Venerable Ānanda {said}-this: |
“acchariyaṃ, āvuso, |
“(It is) astounding, friends! |
abbhutaṃ, āvuso! |
(It is) amazing, friends! |
yāvañcidaṃ tena bhagavatā |
that the Blessed One, |
jānatā passatā |
(who) knows (and) sees, |
arahatā |
(the) Arahant, |
sammā-sam-buddhena |
(the) Perfectly Enlightened One, |
sambādhe okās-ādhigamo anubuddho |
has discovered the achievement of an opening in the midst of confinement: |
sattānaṃ visuddhiyā |
for the purification of beings, |
sokaparidevānaṃ samatikkamāya |
for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, |
dukkhadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamāya |
for the passing away of pain and dejection, |
ñāyassa adhigamāya |
for the achievement of the method, |
nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. |
for the realization of nibbāna. |
tadeva nāma cakkhuṃ bhavissati te rūpā |
(1) That very eye will-be-present (with) those forms |
Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati. |
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. |
tadeva nāma sotaṃ bhavissati te saddā |
(2) That very ear will-be-present (with) those sounds, |
Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati. |
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. |
tadeva nāma ghānaṃ bhavissati te gandhā |
(3) That very nose will-be-present (with) those odors, |
Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati. |
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. |
sāva nāma jivhā bhavissati te rasā |
(4) That very tongue will-be-present (with) those tastes, |
Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati. |
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. |
sova nāma kāyo bhavissati te phoṭṭhabbā |
That very body will-be-present (with) those tactile-objects, |
Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati. |
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. |
ti. |
“ |
♦ evaṃ vutte āyasmā udāyī |
with-that said, Venerable Udāyī |
āyasmantaṃ ānandaṃ etadavoca — |
(to) Venerable Ānanda {said}-this: |
“saññīm-eva nu kho, āvuso ānanda, |
"(Is one) percipient-*** ***, friend Ānanda, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti |
(while) that-base (is) not experienced, |
udāhu a-saññī”ti? |
or (is one) not-percipient?" |
“saññīm-eva kho, āvuso, |
"[One is] Percipient-*** indeed, *****, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti, |
(while) that-base (is) not experienced, |
no a-saññī”ti. |
not un-percipient." |
♦ “kiṃ-saññī panāvuso, |
"What-(is one)-percipient (of), friend, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedetī”ti? |
(while) that-base (is) not experienced?" |
“idh-āvuso, bhikkhu, |
“Here-friend, a-monk, |
sabbaso rūpa-saññānaṃ samatikkamā |
(with) complete [physical] form-perceptions transcending, |
Paṭigha-saññānaṃ atthaṅgamā |
(with) resistance-perceptions disappearance, |
nānatta-saññānaṃ a-manasikārā |
(and) diversity-perceptions; non-attention (to them), |
‘an-anto ākāso’ti |
[perceiving,] 'In-finite space,' |
ākāsānañcā-(a)yatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. |
Space-infinitude-dimension, (he) enters, dwells. |
evaṃ-saññīpi kho, āvuso, |
thus-percipient ***, friend, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti. |
that-base [one does] not experience. |
♦ “puna ca-paraṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu |
"Again and-furthermore, friend, a-monk, |
sabbaso ākāsānañcā-(a)yatanaṃ samatikkamma |
(with) complete Space-infinitude-dimension's transcending, |
An-antaṃ viññāṇanti |
(perceiving,) 'In-finite consciousness,' |
viññāṇañcā-(a)yatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. |
Consciousness-infinitude-dimension, (he) enters, dwells. |
evaṃ-saññīpi kho, āvuso, |
thus-percipient ***, friend, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti. |
that-base [one does] not experience. |
♦ “puna ca-paraṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu |
"Again and-furthermore, friend, a-monk, |
sabbaso viññāṇañcā-(a)yatanaṃ samatikkamma |
(with) complete consciousness-infinitude-dimension's transcending |
N-atthi kiñcīti |
(perceiving,) 'There-is nothing,' |
ākiñcaññā-(a)yatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. |
Nothingness-dimension, (he) enters, dwells. |
evaṃ-saññīpi kho, āvuso, |
thus-percipient ***, friend, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti. |
that-base [one does] not experience. |
♦ “ekamidāhaṃ, āvuso, samayaṃ sākete viharāmi |
"One, *****, time (at) Sāketa (I) dwelled, |
añjana-vane miga-dāye. |
(in the) Añjana-Grove deer-park. |
atha kho, āvuso, |
Then ***, ******, |
jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī yenāhaṃ tenupasaṅkami; |
Jaṭilagāhiyā (the) bhikkhunī {approached} me, |
upasaṅkamitvā maṃ abhivādetvā |
having-approached me, paid-homage, |
ekam-antaṃ aṭṭhāsi. |
(towards) one-side (she) stood. |
ekam-antaṃ ṭhitā kho, āvuso, |
(at) one-side standing there, *****, |
jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī maṃ etad-avoca — |
Jaṭilagāhiyā (the) bhikkhunī (to) me {said}-this |
‘yāyaṃ, bhante ānanda, |
‘*****, Bhante Ānanda, |
samādhi na c-ābhinato |
(the) concentration (that does) not lean-forward |
na c-āpanato |
(and does) not bend-back, |
na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato, |
(and that is) not ** reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements]— |
vimutt-attā ṭhito, |
{being}-liberated, (it is) steady, |
ṭhit-attā santusito, |
{being}-steady (it is) content, |
santusit-attā no paritassati. |
{being}-content (one is) not agitated. |
ayaṃ, bhante ānanda, |
This, ****** ******, |
samādhi kiṃ-phalo |
concentration (has) what-(as its)-fruit, |
vutto bhagavatā’”ti? |
did the-blessed one say? |
♦ “evaṃ vutte, sohaṃ, āvuso, |
"When asked, I {responded to}, *****, |
jaṭilavāsikaṃ bhikkhuniṃ etadavocaṃ — |
Jaṭilagāhiyā (the) bhikkhunī {*********} - |
‘yāyaṃ, bhagini, |
‘*****, Sister, |
samādhi na c-ābhinato |
(the) concentration (that does) not lean-forward |
na c-āpanato |
(and does) not bend-back, |
na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato, |
(and that is) not ** reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements]— |
vimutt-attā ṭhito, |
{being}-liberated, (it is) steady, |
ṭhit-attā santusito, |
{being}-steady (it is) content, |
santusit-attā no paritassati. |
{being}-content (one is) not agitated. |
ayaṃ, bhagini, samādhi |
This, *******, concentration |
aññā-phalo |
(has) final-knowledge-(as its)-fruit, |
vutto bhagavatā’ti. |
(that) was-said (by) the-blessed-one.' |
evaṃ-saññīpi kho, āvuso, |
thus-percipient ***, friend, |
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti. |
that-base [one does] not experience. |
AN 9.37 parallels, SA 557-559 |
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| SA 557 is listed on Suttacentral as a partial parallel to AN 9.37. When one compares the Pali AN 9.37 to SA 559, there seems to be a contradiction. Dr. Chu’s commentary clears up the seeming contradiction in detail, but the quick answer is, the Agama sutra is talking about a very specific Animitta Samādhi, while the Pali AN 9.37 is talking about a samādhi where the mind is divorced from 5 sense faculties. | |
Commentary by Dr. Chu |
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| SA557-SA559 should be treated as a cluster of suttas on the same theme, i.e., that of animitta samadhi. | |
| This is not a controversial observation. It has been pointed out by a few Agama specialists, including Yinshun (see, for example, Kong zhi tanjiu (1985), p. 36). Also, in the Chinese Agamas, Ananda is most often the main interlocutor or expounder of animitta samadhi. And here, in all three suttas, Ananda was the protagonist. | |
| Animitta samadhi is a tricky matter, both in the context of the Pali canon and that of the Chinese Agamas. In both contexts, animitta could refer to a variety of very different attainments: it could be synonymous with the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception; it could be an unskillful, coma-like state of general non-differentiation (an instance of Wrong Concentration which the Sarvastivadins and the Sautrantikas classify as one possible manifestations of the fourth jhana, and the Theravadins classify as unskillful but nonetheless above the realm of the fourth jhana); it could be a characteristic of the Unbinding itself; it could be the cessation [of feeling and perception] attainment; or it could be this unspecified but highly revered attainment where all disturbances cease (c.f. Culasunnata Sutta). | |
| In the Chinese context, animitta is variously translated as wuxiang 無想 and wuxiang 無相. Given the context of SA557-SA559, there’s little doubt that wuxiang 無想 and wuxiang 無相 are indeed treated as the same thing. | |
| With this in mind, there’s nothing particularly controversial about the doctrinal stance of SA559. | |
| Typically, jhanas in the major Nikayas/Agamas are primarily described in somatic terms (related to the body). There’s good continuity on this issue between the “early of the early suttas” (e.g. portions of KN) and the major Nikayas/Agamas. The former talks often of “staying in touch with bodily bliss” as among the primary duties of a monk, that it is perfectly sensible that the same theme is picked up and elaborated in the other Nikayas/Agamas. It also leaves little doubt that, jhanas, as envisioned in the early suttas, entail tactile/corporeal sensory experience. | |
| In contrast, the formless are differentiated from the jhanas by the experience of sensory shutoff: bodily perception is transcended, the mind is no longer sensitive of the dimension [of the five senses], there’s not the perception of multiplicity, feelings and somatic metaphors are absent in their standard descriptions… | |
| But there’s an exception to this general rule. This is where the animitta is shown to be unique. And in fact, SA557-SA559 are precisely about Ananda being asked about the special status of animitta. When first jhana all the way to the dimension of not-a-thing-ness are practiced in the animitta way, the mind can be “noncognizant [of the sensory dimension]” but still perceiving perceptual data; and when neither-perception-or-non-perception is practiced in the animitta way, the mind can be “noncognizant [of the sensory dimension]” AND also not perceiving perceptual data. | |
| In other words, the main point of the SA suttas in question is to point out the unique nature of the animitta attainment, which subverts the norm. The norm is of course that, in jhanas, one is cognizant of the sensory dimension and perceiving perceptual data. | |
| Although AN9.37 is identified as a parallel sutta to SA557 & SA559 taken as a cluster, AN9.37 is, unlike its supposed SA parallel, actually spelling out the norm: first, it makes no mention of the animitta at all (this is significant, and it brings to question whether we are dealing with sister suttas after all). It is simply talking about the formless attainments. Second, it proceeds to describe the formless attainments as having the characteristic of “not being sensitive to the sensory dimension.” And of course you cannot apply that same description to jhanas, which is precisely why AN9.37 didn’t include the jhanas in its list of “not-sensitive to that dimension.” |