SN 40.2

Dutiyajhānapañhāsutta

“‘Dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ, dutiyaṁ jhānan’ti vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho dutiyaṁ jhānanti? Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Idaṁ vuccati dutiyaṁ jhānan’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato vitakkasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti.

A Question About the Second Absorption

“They speak of this thing called the ‘second absorption’. What is the second absorption? It occurred to me: ‘As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. This is called the second absorption.’ And so … I was entering and remaining in the second absorption. While I was in that meditation, perception and focus accompanied by placing the mind beset me.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘moggallāna, moggallāna. Mā, brāhmaṇa, dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ pamādo, dutiye jhāne cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, dutiye jhāne cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, dutiye jhāne cittaṁ samādahā’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ 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 second absorption, brahmin! Settle your mind in the second absorption; unify your mind and immerse it in the second absorption.’ And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the second absorption. So if anyone should be rightly called a disciple who attained to great direct knowledge with help from the Teacher, it’s me.”