SN 40.1

Paṭhamajhānapañhāsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhikkhū āmantesi: “āvuso bhikkhave”ti. “Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:

A Question About the First Absorption

At one time Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this:

“Idha mayhaṁ, āvuso, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ, paṭhamaṁ jhānan’ti vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho paṭhamaṁ jhānanti? Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Idaṁ vuccati paṭhamaṁ jhānan’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato kāmasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti.

“Just now, reverends, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind: ‘They speak of this thing called the “first absorption”. What is the first absorption?’ It occurred to me: ‘It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. This is called the first absorption.’ And so … I was entering and remaining in the first absorption. While I was in that meditation, perception and focus accompanied by sensual pleasures beset me.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘moggallāna, moggallāna. Mā, brāhmaṇa, paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ pamādo, paṭhame jhāne cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, paṭhame jhāne cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, paṭhame jhāne cittaṁ samādahā’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ. Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘satthārānuggahito sāvako mahābhiññataṁ patto’ti, mamaṁ taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘satthārānuggahito sāvako mahābhiññataṁ patto’”ti.

Then the Buddha came up to me with his psychic power and said, ‘Moggallāna, Moggallāna! Don’t neglect the first absorption, brahmin! Settle your mind in the first absorption; unify your mind and immerse it in the first absorption.’ And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the first absorption. So if anyone should be rightly called a disciple who attained to great direct knowledge with help from the Teacher, it’s me.”