AN 3.102

Nimittasutta

“Adhicittamanuyuttena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tīṇi nimittāni kālena kālaṁ manasi kātabbāni— kālena kālaṁ samādhinimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ, kālena kālaṁ paggahanimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ, kālena kālaṁ upekkhānimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ. Sace, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṁ samādhinimittaṁyeva manasi kareyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ cittaṁ kosajjāya saṁvatteyya. Sace, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṁ paggahanimittaṁyeva manasi kareyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ cittaṁ uddhaccāya saṁvatteyya. Sace, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṁ upekkhānimittaṁyeva manasi kareyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ cittaṁ na sammā samādhiyeyya āsavānaṁ khayāya. Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ samādhinimittaṁ manasi karoti, kālena kālaṁ paggahanimittaṁ manasi karoti, kālena kālaṁ upekkhānimittaṁ manasi karoti, taṁ hoti cittaṁ muduñca kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, na ca pabhaṅgu, sammā samādhiyati āsavānaṁ khayāya.

Basis

“Mendicants, a mendicant committed to the higher mind should focus on three bases from time to time: the basis of immersion, the basis of exertion, and the basis of equanimity. If a mendicant dedicated to the higher mind focuses solely on the basis of immersion, it’s likely their mind will incline to laziness. If they focus solely on the basis of exertion, it’s likely their mind will incline to restlessness. If they focus solely on the basis of equanimity, it’s likely their mind won’t properly become immersed in samādhi for the ending of defilements. But when a mendicant dedicated to the higher mind focuses from time to time on the basis of immersion, the basis of exertion, and the basis of equanimity, their mind becomes pliable, workable, and radiant, not brittle, and has become rightly immersed in samādhi for the ending of defilements.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā ukkaṁ bandheyya, ukkaṁ bandhitvā ukkāmukhaṁ ālimpeyya, ukkāmukhaṁ ālimpetvā saṇḍāsena jātarūpaṁ gahetvā ukkāmukhe pakkhipeyya, ukkāmukhe pakkhipitvā kālena kālaṁ abhidhamati, kālena kālaṁ udakena paripphoseti, kālena kālaṁ ajjhupekkhati. Sace, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṁ jātarūpaṁ ekantaṁ abhidhameyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ jātarūpaṁ ḍaheyya. Sace, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṁ jātarūpaṁ ekantaṁ udakena paripphoseyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ jātarūpaṁ nibbāpeyya. Sace, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṁ jātarūpaṁ ekantaṁ ajjhupekkheyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ jātarūpaṁ na sammā paripākaṁ gaccheyya. Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṁ jātarūpaṁ kālena kālaṁ abhidhamati, kālena kālaṁ udakena paripphoseti, kālena kālaṁ ajjhupekkhati, taṁ hoti jātarūpaṁ muduñca kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, na ca pabhaṅgu, sammā upeti kammāya. Yassā yassā ca pilandhanavikatiyā ākaṅkhati—yadi paṭṭikāya, yadi kuṇḍalāya, yadi gīveyyake, yadi suvaṇṇamālāya—tañcassa atthaṁ anubhoti.

It’s like when a goldsmith or a goldsmith’s apprentice prepares a forge, fires the crucible, picks up some native gold with tongs and puts it in the crucible. From time to time they fan it, from time to time they sprinkle water on it, and from time to time they just watch over it. If they solely fanned it, the native gold would likely be scorched. If they solely sprinkled water on it, the native gold would likely cool down. If they solely watched over it, the native gold would likely not be properly processed. But when that goldsmith fans it from time to time, sprinkles water on it from time to time, and watches over it from time to time, that native gold becomes pliable, workable, and radiant, not brittle, and is ready to be worked. Then the goldsmith can successfully create any kind of ornament they want, whether a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a golden garland.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyuttena bhikkhunā tīṇi nimittāni kālena kālaṁ manasi kātabbāni— kālena kālaṁ samādhinimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ, kālena kālaṁ paggahanimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ, kālena kālaṁ upekkhānimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ. Sace, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṁ samādhinimittaṁyeva manasi kareyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ cittaṁ kosajjāya saṁvatteyya. Sace, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṁ paggahanimittaṁyeva manasi kareyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ cittaṁ uddhaccāya saṁvatteyya. Sace, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṁ upekkhānimittaṁyeva manasi kareyya, ṭhānaṁ taṁ cittaṁ na sammā samādhiyeyya āsavānaṁ khayāya. Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, adhicittamanuyutto bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ samādhinimittaṁ manasi karoti, kālena kālaṁ paggahanimittaṁ manasi karoti, kālena kālaṁ upekkhānimittaṁ manasi karoti, taṁ hoti cittaṁ muduñca kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, na ca pabhaṅgu, sammā samādhiyati āsavānaṁ khayāya. Yassa yassa ca abhiññāsacchikaraṇīyassa dhammassa cittaṁ abhininnāmeti abhiññāsacchikiriyāya, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

In the same way, a mendicant committed to the higher mind should focus on three bases from time to time: the basis of immersion, the basis of exertion, and the basis of equanimity. … When a mendicant dedicated to the higher mind focuses from time to time on the basis of immersion, the basis of exertion, and the basis of equanimity, their mind becomes pliable, workable, and radiant, not brittle, and has become rightly immersed in samādhi for the ending of defilements. They extend the mind to realize by insight each and every thing that can be realized by insight; and they are capable of realizing those things, since each and every one is within range.

So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhaveyyaṁ …pe… (cha abhiññā vitthāretabbā.) Āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane”ti.

If they wish: ‘May I wield the many kinds of psychic power’ … ‘With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, may I hear both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far.’ … ‘May I recollect many kinds of past lives.’ … ‘With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, may I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn.’ … ‘May I realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with my own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.’ They are capable of realizing these things, since each and every one is within range.”