Reply To: Revealing Nirodha Samāpatti – Delson Armstrong

#51822
Lal
Keymaster

Taking any “lokiya nimitta” (an object belonging to the world) as a meditation object (nimitta) is an anariya meditation (as Christian emphasized). 

  • Once Ven. Ananda asked the Buddha about that, and the Buddha explained it in detail. See “Saññā Sutta (AN 11.7).”
  • Ven. Ananda asked: “Siyā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṁ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṁ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā”ti?
  • The translation there can be improved as., “Could it be, bhante, that a bhikkhu might gain a samādhi like this? They would not focus their minds on pathavi (as using a clay ball in kasina meditation) by “taking in” the “pathavi saññā” OR āpo (as using a water bowl in kasina meditation) by “taking in” the “āpo saññā” OR tejo (as using a fire in kasina meditation) by “taking in” the “tejo saññā” OR vāyo (as using air in breath meditation) by “taking in” the “vāyo saññā” ..
  • For example, “breath meditation” takes the saññā of air as the nimitta: “vāyosaññī assa.” 
  • The rest of the verse similarly is on arupa samapatti. For example, to cultivate ākāsānañcāyatana arupa samapatti, an Ariya will not focus their mind on “infinite space.”
  • P.S. At the end of the verse, Ven. Ananda asked whether a samādhi can be attained without taking any nimitta associated with this world (this realm or any other realm). The answer is yes.
  • @marker 5.1, the Buddha explains that an Ariya (Noble Person) takes the “cooling down/ultimate calmness of Nibbana” as the nimitta: “‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.”

P.P.S. This is also why saññā is a critical concept in Buddha Dhamma. All saññās associated with this world are illusions or mirages, as we have discussed:Sotapanna Stage via Understanding Perception (Saññā).”

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