Suttas mentioning tranquility and concentration nimittas
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:03 am
Bhikkhu Analyo's Encyclopaedia entry on nimitta
http://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg. ... ations.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Various teachers, such as Ajahn Brahm, and Pa Auk Sayadaw (and Ven Analayo himself according to some of his talks: http://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/208/, http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/439/) stress the importance of nimittas for entry into jhana.
In his Encyclopaedia entry Ven Analayo notes:
I thought it would be interesting to look at the passages in the Suttas that refer to the nimittas associated with tranquilly and concentration. These are from Ven Analayo's footnotes to the Encyclopaedia article. The quotations and page numbers are from the Wisdom Publications translations by Walshe/Nanamoli/Bodhi.
Sign of tranquilty (samathaanimitta)
DN iii 213. DN 33, page 481
Sign of concentration (samadhinimitta)
DN iii 226. DN 33, p490
MN i 249. MN 36, p342.
MN i 301. MN 44, p398-399
MN iii 112. MN 122, p 973.
AN i 115. AN 3.19, p213-214
AN ii 17. AN 4.14, p403.
4. Samvarasutta: Restraint.
AN iii 23. AN 5.26, p646
SN v 151. SN 47.8, p1635
AN iii 423. AN 6.68, p969
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... passage-85" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mike
http://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg. ... ations.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
discusses it's meaning as123) "Nimitta", in EB, 2003, vol. 7 no. 1 pp. 177–179 download
In that sense it appears often in the suttas. Thanissaro Bhikkhu translates it as "theme".'sign', in the sense of being a characteristic mark of things
Various teachers, such as Ajahn Brahm, and Pa Auk Sayadaw (and Ven Analayo himself according to some of his talks: http://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/208/, http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/439/) stress the importance of nimittas for entry into jhana.
In his Encyclopaedia entry Ven Analayo notes:
He goes on to describe the commentarial discussion in the Visuddhimagga http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... index.html.The relation of the nimitta to the development of concentration is also reflected in the expressions sign of tranquilty (samathaanimitta), sign of concentration (samadhinimitta), and sign of the mind (cittanimitta), which occur in serveral instances in the discourses. the development of beneficial types of nimitta is particularly relevant to the beginning stages of samatha meditation.
I thought it would be interesting to look at the passages in the Suttas that refer to the nimittas associated with tranquilly and concentration. These are from Ven Analayo's footnotes to the Encyclopaedia article. The quotations and page numbers are from the Wisdom Publications translations by Walshe/Nanamoli/Bodhi.
Sign of tranquilty (samathaanimitta)
DN iii 213. DN 33, page 481
SN v 66. SN 46.2, p15701.9. ‘There are [sets of] two things that were perfectly proclaimed by the Lord... Which are they?
...
(23) ‘Calm and insight (samatho ca vipassanā ca).
(24) ‘The sign of calm and grasping the sign (samatha-nimittañ ca paggaha-nimittañ ca).
...
SN v 105. SN 46.51, p1599“And what, bhikkhus, is the nutriment for the arising of the unarisen enlightenment factor of concentration and for the fulfilment by development of the arisen enlightenment factor of concentration? There are, bhikkhus, the sign of serenity, the sign of nondispersal[62] frequently giving careful attention to them is the nutriment for the arising of the unarisen enlightenment factor of concentration and for the fulfilment by development of the arisen enlightenment factor of concentration.
- [62] Spk: The sign of serenity (samathanimitta) is serenity itself as well as its object (Spk-pṭ: the paṭibhāganimitta or counterpart sign); the sign of nondispersal (abyagganimitta) is synonymous with it.
Another translation: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;“And what, bhikkhus, is the nutriment for the arising of the unarisen enlightenment factor of concentration and for the fulfilment by development of the arisen enlightenment factor of concentration? There are, bhikkhus, the sign of serenity, the sign of nondispersal: frequently giving careful attention to them is the nutriment for the arising of the unarisen enlightenment factor of concentration and for the fulfilment by development of the arisen enlightenment factor of concentration.
Sign of concentration (samadhinimitta)
DN iii 226. DN 33, p490
DN iii 242. DN 33, p498What is (d) the effort of preservation? Here, a monk keeps firmly in his mind a favourable object of concentration which has arisen, such as a skeleton, or a corpse that is full of worms, blue-black, full of holes, bloated.
DN iii 279. DN 34, p 515. [As in DN iii 242](25) ‘Five bases of deliverance (vimuttāyatanāni): Here, (a) the Teacher or a respected fellow-disciple teaches a monk Dhamma. And as he receives the teaching, he gains a grasp of both the spirit and the letter of the teaching. At this, joy arises in him, and from this joy, delight (pīti); and by this delight his senses are calmed, he feels happiness (sukhaṁ) as a result, and with this happiness his mind is established; (b) he has not heard it thus, but in the course of teaching Dhamma to others he has learnt it by heart as he has heard it; or (c) as he is chanting the Dhamma ... ; or (d) ... when he applies his mind to the Dhamma, thinks and ponders over it and concentrates his attention on it (anupekkhati); or (e) when he has properly grasped some concentration-sign (samādhi-nimittam ), has well considered it, applied his mind to it (supadhāritaṁ), and has well penetrated it with wisdom (suppaṭividdhaṁ paññāya). At this, joy arises in him, and from this joy, delight; and by this delight his senses are calmed, he feels happiness as a result, and with this happiness his mind is established.
MN i 249. MN 36, p342.
Another translation: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;45. “Aggivessana, I recall teaching the Dhamma to an assembly of many hundreds, and even then each person thinks of me: ‘The recluse Gotama is teaching the Dhamma especially for me.’ But it should not be so regarded; the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma to others only to give them knowledge. When the talk is finished, Aggivessana, then I steady my mind internally, quieten it, bring it to singleness, and concentrate it on that same sign of concentration as before, in which I constantly abide.”
- MA explains the “sign of concentration” (sam̄dhinimitta) here as the fruition attainment of emptiness (suññataphalasamāpatti ). See also MN 122.6.
MN i 301. MN 44, p398-399
Another translation: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;12. “Lady, what is concentration? What is the basis of concentration? What is the equipment of concentration? What is the development of concentration?”
“Unification of mind, friend Visākha, is concentration; the four foundations of mindfulness are the basis of concentration; the four right kinds of striving are the equipment of concentration; the repetition, development, and cultivation of these same states is the development of concentration therein.”
- BB: The four foundations of mindfulness are the basis of concentration (samādhinimitta) in the sense of being its condition (MA). Here it would seem incorrect to translate nimitta as “sign,” in the sense of either distinctive mark or object. The four right kinds of striving are explained at MN 77.16.
MN iii 112. MN 122, p 973.
Another translation: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;10. “Then that bhikkhu should steady his mind internally, quiet it, bring it to singleness, and concentrate it on that same sign of concentration as before. [1154] Then he gives attention to voidness internally. While he is giving attention to voidness internally, his mind enters into voidness internally and acquires confidence, steadiness, and decision. When that is so, he understands thus: ‘While I am giving attention to voidness internally, my mind enters into voidness internally and acquires confidence, steadiness, and decision.’ In this way he has full awareness of that.
- [1154] MA: This refers to the jhāna that was used as the basis for insight. If, after emerging from the basic jhāna, his mind does not enter into voidness through insight contemplation on his own aggregates or those of others, and he also cannot attain the imperturbable immaterial attainment, he should return to the same basic jhāna that he originally developed and attend to it again and again.
AN i 115. AN 3.19, p213-214
AN i 256. AN 3.102, p338.“So too, possessing three factors, a bhikkhu is capable of achieving a wholesome state not yet attained and of increasing a wholesome state already attained. What three? Here, a bhikkhu diligently applies himself to an object of concentration in the morning, in the middle of the day, and in the evening. Possessing these three factors, a bhikkhu is capable of achieving a wholesome state not yet attained and of increasing a wholesome state already attained.
Alternative translation: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is devoted to the higher mind, from time to time he should give attention to three marks.[566] (1) From time to time he should give attention to the mark of concentration, (2) from time to time to the mark of exertion, and (3) from time to time to the mark of equanimity.
- [566] nimittāni. Mp glosses as “three causes” (tīṇi kāraṇāni). The three nimittas are samādhinimitta, paggahanimitta, and upekkhānimitta.
AN ii 17. AN 4.14, p403.
Alternative translation: http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pit ... ggo-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;(4) “And what is striving by protection? Here, a bhikkhu protects an arisen excellent object of concentration:[642] the perception of a skeleton, the perception of a worm-infested corpse, the perception of a livid corpse, the perception of a festering corpse, the perception of a fissured corpse, the perception of a bloated corpse. This is called striving by
- [642] samādhinimittaṃ. The six mentioned here are included among the ten asubha meditation subjects in Vism chap. 6.
4. Samvarasutta: Restraint.
AN iii 23. AN 5.26, p646
AN iii 321. AN 6.28, p888-889(5) “Again, neither the Teacher nor a fellow monk in the position of a
teaches the Dhamma to a bhikkhu, nor does he teach the Dhamma to others in detail as he has heard it and learned it, nor does he recite the Dhamma in detail as he has heard it and learned it, nor does he ponder, examine, and mentally inspect the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it, but he has grasped well a certain object of concentration, attended to it well, sustained it well, and penetrated it well with wisdom. In whatever way the bhikkhu has grasped well a certain object of concentration, attended to it well, sustained it well, and penetrated it well with wisdom, in just that way, in relation to that Dhamma, he experiences inspiration in the meaning and inspiration in the Dhamma.
Sign of the mind (cittanimitta).When he had spoken, another bhikkhu told him: “Friend, that isn’t the proper occasion for going to see an esteemed bhikkhu. [321] In the evening, when an esteemed bhikkhu has emerged from seclusion and is sitting in the shade of his dwelling with his legs crossed, holding his body straight, having established mindfulness before him, the object of concentration that he attended to during the day is still present to him.
- Mp: “On that occasion when he is sitting in his daytime dwelling it occurs in his mind door.
SN v 151. SN 47.8, p1635
Alternative translation: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;“So too, bhikkhus, here some wise, competent, skilful bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. While he dwells contemplating the body in the body, his mind becomes concentrated, his corruptions are abandoned, he picks up that sign. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. While he dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, his mind becomes concentrated, his corruptions are abandoned, he picks up that sign.
AN iii 423. AN 6.68, p969
Thag. 85“Bhikkhus, (1) it is possible that a bhikkhu who does not delight in company, who is not delighted with company, who is not devoted to delight in company; who does not delight in a group, who is not delighted with a group, who is not devoted to delight in a group, will find delight in solitude when he is alone. (2) It is possible that one who finds delight in solitude when he is alone will acquire the object of the mind. (3) It is possible that one who acquires the object of the mind will fulfill right view. (4) It is possible that one who fulfills right view will fulfill right concentration. (5) It is possible that one who fulfills right concentration will abandon the fetters. (6) Having abandoned the fetters, it is possible that one will realize nibbāna.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... passage-85" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
None of these cases refer specifically to "light" nimittas used by Vens Brahm, Pa Auk, and others. I am aware that there are some references to "light" in the suttas, but I'm afraid I've run out of steam here. Perhaps someone has something to add?Adept in a theme for the mind,
sensing the savor of solitude,
practicing jhana,
masterful, mindful,
you'd attain a pleasure
not of the flesh.
Mike