SN 40.9

Animittapañhāsutta

“‘Animitto cetosamādhi, animitto cetosamādhī’ti vuccati. Katamo nu kho animitto cetosamādhīti? Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ vuccati animitto cetosamādhī’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato nimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti.

A Question About the Signless

“They speak of this thing called the ‘signless immersion of the heart’. What is the signless immersion of the heart? It occurred to me: ‘It’s when a mendicant, not focusing on any signs, enters and remains in the signless immersion of the heart. This is called the signless immersion of the heart.’ And so … I was entering and remaining in the signless immersion of the heart. While I was in that meditation, my consciousness followed after signs.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘moggallāna, moggallāna. Mā, brāhmaṇa, animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ pamādo, animitte cetosamādhismiṁ cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, animitte cetosamādhismiṁ cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, animitte cetosamādhismiṁ cittaṁ samādahā’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ 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 signless immersion of the heart, brahmin! Settle your mind in the signless immersion of the heart; unify your mind and immerse it in the signless immersion of the heart.’ And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the signless immersion of the heart. So if anyone should be rightly called a disciple who attained to great direct knowledge with help from the Teacher, it’s me.”