From:
MilindapaƱha Milinda's Questions
MahÄvagga Great Chapter
14. SamÄdhipaƱha Concentration Question
RÄjÄ ÄhaāThe king asked:
ābhante nÄgasena, kiį¹lakkhaį¹o samÄdhÄ«āti? āVenerable NÄgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of concentration?ā
āPamukhalakkhaį¹o, mahÄrÄja, samÄdhi, ye keci kusalÄ dhammÄ, sabbe te samÄdhipamukhÄ honti samÄdhininnÄ samÄdhipoį¹Ä samÄdhipabbhÄrÄāti. āConcentration, your majesty, has being the foremost as a distinguishing characteristic, whatever wholesome mental states there are all these have concentration as the foremost, they lean towards concentration, slope towards concentration, and incline towards concentration.ā
āOpammaį¹ karohÄ«āti. āPlease give me an analogy.ā
āYathÄ, mahÄrÄja, kÅ«į¹ÄgÄrassa yÄ kÄci gopÄnasiyo, sabbÄ tÄ kÅ«į¹aį¹
gamÄ honti kÅ«į¹aninnÄ kÅ«į¹asamosaraį¹Ä, kÅ«į¹aį¹ tÄsaį¹ aggamakkhÄyati; āJust as, your majesty, whatever rafters there are in a house with a ridge pole, all the rafters go to that ridge pole, lean towards it, converge at it, and it is considered to be the chief of them.
evameva kho, mahÄrÄja, ye keci kusalÄ dhammÄ, sabbe te samÄdhipamukhÄ honti samÄdhininnÄ samÄdhipoį¹Ä samÄdhipabbhÄrÄāti. In the same way, your majesty, whatever wholesome mental states there are all these have concentration as the foremost, they lean towards concentration, slope towards concentration, and incline towards concentration.ā
āBhiyyo opammaį¹ karohÄ«āti. āGive me another analogy.ā
āYathÄ, mahÄrÄja, koci rÄjÄ caturaį¹
giniyÄ senÄya saddhiį¹ saį¹
gÄmaį¹ otareyya, sabbÄva senÄ hatthÄ« ca assÄ ca rathÄ ca pattÄ« ca tappamukhÄ bhaveyyuį¹ tanninnÄ tappoį¹Ä tappabbhÄrÄ taį¹yeva anupariyÄyeyyuį¹; āJust as, your majesty, whatever king with his four-factored army would go down into battle, all the army ā the elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers ā would have him as the foremost, lean towards him, slope towards him, and incline towards him, and would gather around him.
evameva kho, mahÄrÄja, ye keci kusalÄ dhammÄ, sabbe te samÄdhipamukhÄ honti samÄdhininnÄ samÄdhipoį¹Ä samÄdhipabbhÄrÄ. In the same way, your majesty, whatever wholesome mental states there are all these have concentration as the foremost, they lean towards concentration, slope towards concentration, and incline towards concentration.
Evaį¹ kho, mahÄrÄja, pamukhalakkhaį¹o samÄdhi. Thus, your majesty, concentration has being the foremost as a distinguishing characteristic.
BhÄsitampetaį¹, mahÄrÄja, bhagavatÄāAnd this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One:
āsamÄdhiį¹, bhikkhave, bhÄvetha, samÄhito, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathÄbhÅ«taį¹ pajÄnÄtÄ«āāti. āDevelop concentration, bhikkhus. A concentrated bhikkhu knows things as they really are.āā
āKallosi, bhante nÄgasenÄāti. āYou are clever, venerable NÄgasena!ā
SamÄdhipaƱho cuddasamo. Concentration Question fourteenth