SN 40.4

Catutthajhānapañhāsutta

“‘Catutthaṁ jhānaṁ, catutthaṁ jhānan’ti vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho catutthaṁ jhānanti? Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Idaṁ vuccati catutthaṁ jhānan’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato sukhasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti.

A Question About the Fourth Absorption

“They speak of this thing called the ‘fourth absorption’. What is the fourth absorption? It occurred to me: ‘It’s when, with the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, a mendicant enters and remains in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. This is called the fourth absorption.’ And so … I was entering and remaining in the fourth absorption. While I was in that meditation, perception and focus accompanied by pleasure beset me.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘moggallāna, moggallāna. Mā, brāhmaṇa, catutthaṁ jhānaṁ pamādo, catutthe jhāne cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, catutthe jhāne cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, catutthe jhāne cittaṁ samādahā’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ. Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, sammā vadamāno vadeyya …pe… mahābhiññataṁ patto”ti.

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