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SN 52.1PTS SN 5.2942 min read

In Private (1st)

Paṭhamarahogatasutta

While meditating alone, Anuruddha reflected that one who has neglected the four kinds of mindfulness meditation has neglected the path to the end of suffering. Moggallāna reads his mind and visits to question him on this. Anuruddha speaks of developing the four kinds of mindfulness meditation internally and externally, in terms of origin and cessation, and developing power over perceptions.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 52.1Linked Discourses 52.1
  • 0.21. Rahogatavagga1. In Private

0.3PaṭhamarahogatasuttaIn Private (1st)

1.1PTS 5.294Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time Venerable Anuruddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.11.3Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:Then as Anuruddha was in private retreat this thought came to his mind:

1.4“yesaṁ kesañci cattāro satipaṭṭhānā viraddhā, viraddho tesaṁ ariyo maggo sammā dukkhakkhayagāmī.“Whoever has missed out on these four kinds of mindfulness meditation has missed out on the noble path to the complete ending of suffering.21.5Yesaṁ kesañci cattāro satipaṭṭhānā āraddhā, āraddho tesaṁ ariyo maggo sammā dukkhakkhayagāmī”ti.Whoever has undertaken these four kinds of mindfulness meditation has undertaken the noble path to the complete ending of suffering.”

2.1Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno āyasmato anuruddhassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—āyasmato anuruddhassa sammukhe pāturahosi.Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna knew what Venerable Anuruddha was thinking. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he reappeared in front of Anuruddha,32.2Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ etadavoca:and said to him:

2.3“kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso anuruddha, bhikkhuno cattāro satipaṭṭhānā āraddhā hontī”ti?“Reverend Anuruddha, how do you define the undertaking of the four kinds of mindfulness meditation by a mendicant?”

3.1PTS 5.295“Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ajjhattaṁ kāye samudayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattaṁ kāye vayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattaṁ kāye samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.“Reverend, it’s when a mendicant, with respect to the body internally, meditates observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.43.2Bahiddhā kāye samudayadhammānupassī viharati, bahiddhā kāye vayadhammānupassī viharati, bahiddhā kāye samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.With respect to the body externally, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.3.3Ajjhattabahiddhā kāye samudayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā kāye vayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā kāye samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.With respect to the body internally and externally, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

4.1So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.4.2sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,’ that’s what they do.4.3sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle ca paṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and the repulsive,’ that’s what they do.4.4sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.4.5sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūlañca paṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṁ sato sampajāno’ti, upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.If they wish: ‘May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

5.1PTS 5.296Ajjhattaṁ vedanāsu samudayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattaṁ vedanāsu vayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattaṁ vedanāsu samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.With respect to feelings internally …5.2Bahiddhā vedanāsu samudayadhammānupassī viharati, bahiddhā vedanāsu vayadhammānupassī viharati, bahiddhā vedanāsu samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.externally …5.3Ajjhattabahiddhā vedanāsu samudayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā vedanāsu vayadhammānupassī viharati, ajjhattabahiddhā vedanāsu samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.internally and externally, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish …

6.1So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;6.2sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;6.3sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle ca paṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;6.4sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati;6.5sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūlañca paṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṁ sato sampajāno’ti, upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.

7.1Ajjhattaṁ citte …pe…With respect to the mind internally …7.2bahiddhā citte …pe…externally …7.3ajjhattabahiddhā citte samudayadhammānupassī viharati … ajjhattabahiddhā citte vayadhammānupassī viharati … ajjhattabahiddhā citte samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī …pe… abhijjhādomanassaṁ.internally and externally, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish …

8.1So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati …pe…8.2upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.

9.1Ajjhattaṁ dhammesu …pe…With respect to principles internally …9.2bahiddhā dhammesu …pe…externally …9.3ajjhattabahiddhā dhammesu samudayadhammānupassī viharati … ajjhattabahiddhā dhammesu vayadhammānupassī viharati … ajjhattabahiddhā dhammesu samudayavayadhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.internally and externally, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish …

10.1So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati …pe…If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do. …10.2upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.If they wish: ‘May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, ignoring both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

10.3Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cattāro satipaṭṭhānā āraddhā hontī”ti.That’s how to define the undertaking of the four kinds of mindfulness meditation by a mendicant.”

10.4Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Anuruddha was the brother of Ānanda and Mahānāma (Kd 17:1.1.3) which, according to the commentary, makes the Buddha his cousin. In this Saṁyutta he appears as an exponent of mindfulness meditation; he is well known also as a master of clairvoyance (AN 1.192:1.1). Many Suttas feature him, and his verses at Thag 16.9 give further details of his home life, his practice, and his past lives.

    ↩ sn52.1:1.2
  2. Also at SN 47.33.

    ↩ sn52.1:1.4
  3. Despite Anuruddha’s love of solitude, his appearances in the discourses often feature his encounters with fellow monks, speaking to their warm and collegiate relationship.

    ↩ sn52.1:2.1
  4. Here Anuruddha extends the basic satipaṭṭhāna formula to include both internal/external and origination/vanishing.

    ↩ sn52.1:3.1