Emerging from a three-month seclusion, the Buddha reveals his primary meditative dwelling: collectedness born from mindfulness of breathing. He elevates this practice as the “Tathāgata’s dwelling.” For a trainee, it leads to the wearing away of defilements, and for an Arahant, it offers a pleasant dwelling in this life.

SN 54.11  Icchānaṅgala sutta - At Icchānaṅgala

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā icchānaṅgale viharati icchānaṅgalavanasaṇḍe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “icchāmahaṁ, bhikkhave, temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Nāmhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā”ti.

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Icchānaṅgala::name of a brahmin village in Kosala [icchānaṅgala]|, in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, I wish to go into seclusion for three months. I should not be approached by anyone, except for the one who brings me alms food.”

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

“Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. And no one approached him, except for the one who brought him alms food.

Atha kho bhagavā tassa temāsassa accayena paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito bhikkhū āmantesi:

Then, when those three months had passed, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and addressed the bhikkhus:

“sace kho, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘katamenāvuso, vihārena samaṇo gotamo vassāvāsaṁ bahulaṁ vihāsī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘ānāpānassatisamādhinā kho, āvuso, bhagavā vassāvāsaṁ bahulaṁ vihāsī’ti.

“Bhikkhus, if wanderers of other sects ask you: ‘In what dwelling, friends, did the Blessed One usually dwell during the rains retreat?’ —being asked this, you should answer those wanderers thus: ‘Friends, the Blessed One usually dwelt in the |collectedness::stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure [samādhi]| [born from] from |mindfulness while breathing in and out::mindfulness during inhalation and exhalation [ānāpānassati]|.’

Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sato assasāmi, sato passasāmi.

Here, bhikkhus, mindful I breathe in, mindful I breathe out.

Dīghaṁ assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, dīghaṁ passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi; rassaṁ assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, rassaṁ passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi; ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi …pe…

1.) Breathing in long, I |discern::distinguish, understand, knows clearly [pajānāti]|: ‘I am breathing in long;’ breathing out long, I discern: ‘I am breathing out long.’ 2.) Breathing in short, I discern: ‘I am breathing in short;’ breathing out short, I discern: ‘I am breathing out short.’ 3.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |experiencing the whole body::conscious of the whole body, sensitive to the whole process [sabbakāyapaṭisaṃvedī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out experiencing the whole body.’ 4.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |settling::calming, stilling [passambhayanta]| the |bodily constructs::bodily processes associated with breathing, specifically the in-and-out breath. It encompasses the physical movements and sensations that arise from the act of breathing. [kāyasaṅkhāra]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out settling the bodily constructs.’ 5.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |experiencing joy::heartfelt or intense joy, feeling of love, rapture lit. lovely feeling [pītipaṭisaṃvedī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out experiencing joy.’ 6.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |experiencing ease::contentment, happiness, pleasant abiding [sukhapaṭisaṃvedī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out experiencing ease.’ 7.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |experiencing mental activity::observe thought formation, be sensitive to the mental processes; (comm) conscious of feeling and perception [cittasaṅkhārapaṭisaṃvedī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out experiencing mental activity.’ 8.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in settling the mental activity;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out settling the mental activity.’ 9.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |experiencing the mind::be conscious of the psyche, be sensitive to the mind [cittapaṭisaṃvedī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out experiencing the mind.’ 10.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in gladdening the mind;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out gladdening the mind.’ 11.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |stabilizing::composing, collecting [samādaha]| the mind;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out stabilizing the mind.’ 12.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |disengaging::detaching, releasing [vimocayanta]| the mind;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out disengaging the mind.’ 13.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |observing impermanence::watching instability [aniccānupassī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out observing impermanence.’ 14.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |observing dispassion::watching fading of desire [virāgānupassī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out observing dispassion.’ 15.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |observing cessation::watching the natural ending of phenomena [nirodhānupassī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out observing cessation.’

‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti pajānāmi.

16.) I discern: ‘I am breathing in |observing relinquishment::watching letting go of craving, attachment, identification with processes [paṭinissagganupassī]|;’ I discern: ‘I am breathing out observing relinquishment.’

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi. Ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi.

Bhikkhus, for if anyone, speaking rightly, could say of anything: ‘It is a noble dwelling, a |divine dwelling::sublime state [brahmavihāra]|, the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|’s dwelling,’ he would, speaking rightly, describe the collectedness [born from] mindfulness while breathing in and out as: ‘It is a noble dwelling, a divine dwelling, the |Tathāgata’s dwelling::Buddha’s state of mind [tathāgatavihāra]|.’

Ye te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū sekhā appattamānasā anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamānā viharanti tesaṁ ānāpānassatisamādhi bhāvito bahulīkato āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati.

Those bhikkhus who are trainees, who have |not attained [their mind’s ideal]::not reached the goal; (comm) not attained arahantship [appattamānasa]|, who dwell aspiring for the unsurpassed security from bondage: for them, the collectedness [born from] mindfulness while breathing in and out, when cultivated and frequently practiced, leads to the |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion, gradual destruction [khaya]| of the |mental defilements::outflows, discharges, taints [āsavā]|.

Ye ca kho te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū arahanto khīṇāsavā vusitavanto katakaraṇīyā ohitabhārā anuppattasadatthā parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojanā sammadaññāvimuttā, tesaṁ ānāpānassatisamādhi bhāvito bahulīkato diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya ceva saṁvattati satisampajaññāya ca.

And those bhikkhus who are arahants, |whose mental defilements have ended::who is awakened through the complete exhaustion of the mental effluents, taints [khīṇāsava]|, who have fulfilled the spiritual life, who have done what had to be done, having put down the burden, having achieved the highest goal, |having exhausted the fetter of existence::who has worn away the bonds of continued conditional existence, i.e. the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [parikkhīṇabhavasaṃyojana]|, and having been liberated through complete comprehension: for them, the collectedness [born from] mindfulness while breathing in and out, when cultivated and frequently practiced, leads to a pleasant dwelling in this very life and to |clear present moment awareness::mindfulness and clear comprehension, mindful attentiveness [satisampajañña]|.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipi. Ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathāgatavihāro’ itipī”ti.

Bhikkhus, for if anyone, speaking rightly, could say of anything: ‘It is a noble dwelling, a divine dwelling, the Tathāgata’s dwelling,’ he would, speaking rightly, describe the collectedness [born from] mindfulness while breathing in and out as: ‘It is a noble dwelling, a divine dwelling, the Tathāgata’s dwelling.’”

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: jhāna, samādhi, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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Full awareness

Full awareness

Also known as: clear awareness, clear comprehension, being intentional, deliberate, purposeful
Pāli: sampajañña, sampajāna
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Giving up

Giving up

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

Mindfulness

Remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities in and of themselves.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anupassanā
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Last updated on November 24, 2025