The Buddha reports on meditation he practiced at the time of his awakening, analyzing how feeling is conditioned by wrong and right view, immersion, desire, thought, and perception until they are stilled.

SN 45.12 Meditation (2nd)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Icchāmahaṁ, bhikkhave, temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Namhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā”ti.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā nāssudha koci bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena.

Atha kho bhagavā tassa temāsassa accayena paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito bhikkhū āmantesi:

“yena svāhaṁ, bhikkhave, vihārena paṭhamābhisambuddho viharāmi, tassa padesena vihāsiṁ.

So evaṁ pajānāmi: ‘micchādiṭṭhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; micchādiṭṭhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; sammādiṭṭhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; sammādiṭṭhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ …pe… micchāsamādhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; micchāsamādhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ, sammāsamādhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; sammāsamādhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

chandapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; chandavūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; vitakkapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; vitakkavūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; saññāpaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; saññāvūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; chando ca avūpasanto hoti, vitakko ca avūpasanto hoti, saññā ca avūpasantā hoti, tappaccayāpi vedayitaṁ; chando ca vūpasanto hoti, vitakko ca vūpasanto hoti, saññā ca vūpasantā hoti, tappaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

appattassa pattiyā atthi āyāmaṁ, tasmimpi ṭhāne anuppatte tappaccayāpi vedayitan’”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Icchāmahaṁ, bhikkhave, temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ.

“Mendicants, I wish to go on retreat for three months.

Namhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā”ti.

No-one should approach me, except for the one who brings my almsfood.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā nāssudha koci bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena.

“Yes, sir,” replied those mendicants. And no-one approached him, except for the one who brought the almsfood.

Atha kho bhagavā tassa temāsassa accayena paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito bhikkhū āmantesi:

Then after three months had passed, the Buddha came out of retreat and addressed the mendicants:

“yena svāhaṁ, bhikkhave, vihārena paṭhamābhisambuddho viharāmi, tassa padesena vihāsiṁ.

“Mendicants, I’ve been practicing part of the meditation I practiced when I was first awakened.

So evaṁ pajānāmi:

I understand that

‘micchādiṭṭhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

there’s feeling conditioned by wrong view

micchādiṭṭhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

and by the settling of wrong view,

sammādiṭṭhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

by right view

sammādiṭṭhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ …pe…

and by the settling of right view. …

micchāsamādhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

There’s feeling conditioned by wrong immersion

micchāsamādhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ, sammāsamādhipaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

and by the settling of wrong immersion, by right immersion

sammāsamādhivūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

and by the settling of right immersion.

chandapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

There’s feeling conditioned by desire

chandavūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

and by the settling of desire.

vitakkapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

There’s feeling conditioned by thought,

vitakkavūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

and by the settling of thought.

saññāpaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

There’s feeling conditioned by perception,

saññāvūpasamapaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

and by the settling of perception.

chando ca avūpasanto hoti, vitakko ca avūpasanto hoti, saññā ca avūpasantā hoti, tappaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

As long as desire, thought, and perception are not stilled, there is feeling conditioned by that.

chando ca vūpasanto hoti, vitakko ca vūpasanto hoti, saññā ca vūpasantā hoti, tappaccayāpi vedayitaṁ;

When desire, thought, and perception are stilled, there is feeling conditioned by that.

appattassa pattiyā atthi āyāmaṁ, tasmimpi ṭhāne anuppatte tappaccayāpi vedayitan’”ti.

There is effort to attain the unattained. When that state has been attained, there is also feeling conditioned by that.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Cultivation

Cultivation

The active practice of 'bringing into being' wholesome states. It is the deliberate nurturing of the bright state of mind.

Also known as: development, improvement, meditation, nurturing, growth
Pāli: bhāvanā
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Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Jhana

Jhana

An abiding with a steady, collected awareness that is attained through seclusion from the five hindrances and unwholesome mental states. When supported by right view, a jhāna can be a basis for the wearing away of taints and directing the mind toward the vision of Nibbāna.

Also known as: meditation, undistracted awareness, absorption, mental absorption
Pāli: jhāna, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
View all discourses →
Right view

Right view

View that is in line with the Dhamma — teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth.

Also known as: right understanding, right belief, view that is inline with the Dhamma
Pāli: sammādiṭṭhi
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Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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Wrong view

Wrong view

A distorted understanding that sees permanence in the impermanent, satisfaction in the unsatisfactory, or self in the not-self. Wrong view guides action by delusion, obscuring cause and effect, and closes the door to wisdom and release.

Also known as: distorted or inverted perception, untrue view, false belief
Pāli: micchādiṭṭhi
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Last updated on July 27, 2026