SN 54.1PTS SN 5.3112 min read

One Thing

Ekadhammasutta

Breath meditation is very beneficial. It is developed by going into seclusion, establishing mindfulness on the breath, and proceeding through sixteen stages.

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

0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 54.1Linked Discourses 54.1
0.21. Ekadhammavagga1. One Thing

0.3EkadhammasuttaOne Thing

1.1PTS 5.311Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Tatra kho …pe… etadavoca:

1.3“ekadhammo, bhikkhave, bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.“Mendicants, when one thing is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial.1.4Katamo ekadhammo?What one thing?1.5Ānāpānassati.Mindfulness of breathing.

1.6Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassati kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā?And how is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial?

1.7Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present.¹

1.8So satova assasati, satova passasati.Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out.²

2.1Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti;Breathing in heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’³2.2rassaṁ vā assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, rassaṁ vā passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti;Breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’⁴2.3‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.’⁵2.4‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the physical process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the physical process.’⁶

3.1PTS 5.312‘Pītippaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing rapture.’⁷3.2‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing bliss.’⁸3.3‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mental process.’⁹3.4‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the mental process.’¹⁰

4.1‘Cittappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mind.’¹¹4.2‘abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out gladdening the mind.’¹²4.3‘samādahaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘samādahaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out immersing the mind in samādhi.’¹³4.4‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out freeing the mind.’¹⁴4.5‘aniccānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati.They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing impermanence.’¹⁵

5.1‘Aniccānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;5.2‘virāgānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘virāgānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing fading away.’¹⁶5.3‘nirodhānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘nirodhānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing cessation.’¹⁷5.4‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’¹⁸

6.1Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassati evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā”ti.Mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial.”

6.2Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

The situation here—a mendicant gone to the forest—establishes that this practice takes place in the wider context of the Gradual Training. Indeed, this whole sutta can be understood as an expansion of this phrase, mentioned briefly at DN 2:67.3.
For parimukhaṁ (“present”) we find pratimukha in Sanskrit, which can mean “presence” or the reflection of the face. Late canonical Pali explains parimukhaṁ as “the tip of the nose or the reflection of the face (mukhanimitta)”. Parimukha in Sanskrit is rare, but it appears in Pāṇini 4.4.29, which the commentary illustrates with the example of a servant “in the presence” of their master (cp. SN 47.8). So it seems the sense is “before the face” or more generally “in the presence”.
To “bring mindfulness” (satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā) is to “do satipaṭṭhāna”. The root sense of upaṭṭhāna is to “stand near” or “attend” (like a nurse on a patient, SN 47.13:1.3), and the Sanskrit upasthāna is commonly used in the sense “homage” of the gods, based on the idea of “attending” the sacred flame. A literal translation of the phrase might be, “having made memory attend to what is present”.
↩ sn54.1:1.7
The most fundamental meditation instruction. Notice how the Buddha phrases it: not “concentrate on the breath” as an object, but rather “breathing” as an activity to which one brings mindfulness. The stages of breath meditation are not meant to be done deliberately, but to be observed and understood as the natural process of deepening meditation.
↩ sn54.1:1.8
In the beginning, the breath is somewhat rough and coarse. The Pali idiom is “long” and “short” breath, but in English we usually say one breathes “heavily” or “lightly”.
↩ sn54.1:2.1
Over time, the breath becomes more subtle and soft.
↩ sn54.1:2.2
The “whole body” (sabbakāya) here refers to the breath, marking the fuller and more continuous awareness that arises with tranquility. Some, however, interpret it as the “whole physical body”, broadening awareness to encompass the movement and settling of energies throughout the body.
↩ sn54.1:2.3
The “physical process” (kāyasaṅkhāra) is the breath itself (SN 41.6:1.8). This can become so soft as to be imperceptible.
↩ sn54.1:2.4
“Rapture” (pīti) is a joyous emotional response to pleasure, usually a spiritual sense of elevation or uplift in meditation. Normally rapture is said to arise before tranquility as part of the process leading toward absorption (see below, MN 118:34.1). In mindfulness of breathing, however, the body typically becomes quite tranquil before rapture arises.
↩ sn54.1:3.1
The uplifting quality of rapture becomes sublimated to a more subtle, pervasive pleasure or bliss. The meditator refines and stabilizes these positive emotions in their journey toward absorption, which occurs when all necessary factors are fully developed and perfectly balanced in a subtle union.
↩ sn54.1:3.2
“Mental processes” are said to be “perception and feeling” (MN 44:14.1, SN 41.6:1.7). The “feelings” include rapture and bliss. “Perception” in meditation includes the “light” (MN 128:28.2) or “forms” (MN 77:23.14) often experienced by meditators at this point. Later texts call this a nimitta, a “sign” that the mind is becoming subtle and the hindrances quiet as the meditator nears absorption.
↩ sn54.1:3.3
A paradox of meditation is that the stronger things are, the more subtle they become. In the initial stages of practice, it is common to have overwhelming experiences of rapture, with tears of joy, or dramatic and striking “visions”. Inexperienced meditators often take this to signify a profound realization. With patient mindfulness, however, the feelings and perceptions settle down and become unified, so they are no longer experienced as separate things. Just as the physical breath virtually disappeared, here too the feelings and perceptions can become so subtle as to feel like the simple, normal state of the mind.
↩ sn54.1:3.4
With the stilling of “mental processes”, the mind itself becomes clear, the center of awareness that knows all of this. These four factors focus on the experience of absorption.
↩ sn54.1:4.1
This applies especially to the first two absorptions.
↩ sn54.1:4.2
“Immersion” (samādhi) is deep meditative stillness. The word conveys the sense of “gathered”, “collected”, with a secondary sense of “ignited”, “illuminated”. It emphasizes both the stability of the mind as well as the unification of all the mental factors present (see MN 44:12.2 and note there).
↩ sn54.1:4.3
The mind is liberated from hindrances in absorption. This is a state so very refined it is called the “bliss of awakening” (MN 139:9.18), albeit temporarily (AN 5.149).
↩ sn54.1:4.4
The first twelve steps focused on serenity (samatha), and now the final four steps shift focus to discernment (or “insight”, vipassanā). This exemplifies the most common course of practice, where serenity precedes discernment (AN 4.170:3.2). Here, impermanence is contemplated in the context of mindfulness of breathing itself. The entire course of practice has seen the physical energies of the breath become subtle and fade, then the mental processes, then the mind itself is transformed. The meditator reflects on these changes and sees not simply that change happens, but how changes happen due to causes.
↩ sn54.1:4.5
Virāga means both “dispassion” in the sense of letting go desire, and “fading away” in the sense of its gradual disappearance.
↩ sn54.1:5.2
This refers to the permanent ending of the fetters or underlying tendencies.
↩ sn54.1:5.3
This is the full renunciation of all worldly desires that occurs with arahantship (“perfection”). These final four stages illustrating the progress of insight can even be mapped on to the four stages of awakening: the stream-enterer sees that “whatever has a beginning also has an end”; for the once-returner, greed and hate are fading away; for the non-returner, greed and hate have ceased; and for the arahant, all defilements are relinquished.
↩ sn54.1:5.4