The Buddha teaches on immersion (4th), presenting a elevenfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 11.21 Immersion (4th)

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

“siyā nu kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?

“Dūratopi kho mayaṁ, āvuso, āgaccheyyāma āyasmato sāriputtassa santike etassa bhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ. Sādhu vatāyasmantaṁyeva sāriputtaṁ paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Āyasmato sāriputtassa sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

“Tenahāvuso, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“Siyā, āvuso, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

“Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?

“Idha, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁsaññī hoti: ‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Anussativaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve vuttā mahānāmena,
nandiyena subhūtinā;
Mettā aṭṭhako gopālo,
cattāro ca samādhināti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants:

“siyā nu kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?

“Could it be, reverends, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this? They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.”

“Dūratopi kho mayaṁ, āvuso, āgaccheyyāma āyasmato sāriputtassa santike etassa bhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ.

“Reverend, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable Sāriputta.

Sādhu vatāyasmantaṁyeva sāriputtaṁ paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho.

May Venerable Sāriputta himself please clarify the meaning of this.

Āyasmato sāriputtassa sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

The mendicants will listen and remember it.”

“Tenahāvuso, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Then listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.

“Yes, reverend,” they replied.

Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

Sāriputta said this:

“Siyā, āvuso, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

“A mendicant could gain such a state of immersion.”

“Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa …pe… yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?

“But how could this be?”

“Idha, āvuso, bhikkhu evaṁsaññī hoti:

“It’s when a mendicant perceives:

‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.

‘This is peaceful; this is sublime—that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.’

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti.

That’s how a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this. They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.”

Ekādasamaṁ.

Anussativaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve vuttā mahānāmena,

nandiyena subhūtinā;

Mettā aṭṭhako gopālo,

cattāro ca samādhināti.

Topics & Qualities:

Collectedness

Collectedness

A mental quality of composure where awareness is gathered, steady, rather than scattered or tense. In such collectedness, supported by mindfulness and right view, experience is clearly known and can be wisely contemplated.

Also known as: mental composure, stability of mind, stillness of mind, concentration, undistracted awareness
Pāli: samādhi, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026