The Buddha teaches on immersion, presenting a sixfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 6.70 Immersion

“‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na santena samādhinā na paṇītena na paṭippassaddhiladdhena na ekodibhāvādhigatena anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhavissatiekopi hutvā bahudhā bhavissati, bahudhāpi hutvā eko bhavissati …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattessatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘Dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissatidibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘Parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati sarāgaṁ cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajānissati …pe… vimuttaṁ cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajānissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘Anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissati, seyyathidaṁekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘Dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘Āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu santena samādhinā paṇītena paṭippassaddhiladdhena ekodibhāvādhigatena anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhavissati …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattessatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

‘Dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissatidibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

‘Parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati sarāgaṁ cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajānissati …pe… vimuttaṁ cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

‘Anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissati, seyyathidaṁekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

‘Dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

‘Āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na santena samādhinā na paṇītena na paṭippassaddhiladdhena na ekodibhāvādhigatena anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhavissatiekopi hutvā bahudhā bhavissati, bahudhāpi hutvā eko bhavissati …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattessatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

“Mendicants, it is quite impossible that a mendicant without immersion that is peaceful, refined, tranquil, and unified will wield the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; materializing and dematerializing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. They control the body as far as the realm of divinity.

‘Dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissatidibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It’s impossible that with clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they’ll hear both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far.

‘Parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati

It’s impossible that they’ll understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having encompassed them with their own mind,

sarāgaṁ cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajānissati …pe…

understanding mind with greed as ‘mind with greed’ …

vimuttaṁ cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajānissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

and freed mind as ‘freed mind’.

‘Anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissati, seyyathidaṁekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It’s impossible that they’ll recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

‘Dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It’s impossible that with clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, they’ll understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

‘Āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It’s impossible that they’ll realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu santena samādhinā paṇītena paṭippassaddhiladdhena ekodibhāvādhigatena anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhavissati …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattessatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

But it’s quite possible that a mendicant who has immersion that is peaceful, refined, tranquil, and unified will wield the many kinds of psychic power …

‘Dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissatidibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

It’s possible that with clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they’ll hear both kinds of sounds …

‘Parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati

It’s possible that they’ll understand the minds of other beings …

sarāgaṁ cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajānissati …pe…

vimuttaṁ cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

‘Anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissati, seyyathidaṁekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

It’s possible that they’ll recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

‘Dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

It’s possible that with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they’ll understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

‘Āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.

It’s possible that they’ll realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

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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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Psychic power

Psychic power

Supernormal capacities resulting from a practice of collectedness rooted in aspiration, determination, purification of mind, and investigation of phenomena.

Also known as: supernormal abilities, psychic ability, spiritual power
Pāli: iddhi, iddhimant
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026