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14. Samādhipañha

Concentration Question

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, kiṁlakkhaṇo samādhī”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of concentration?”

“Pamukhalakkhaṇo, mahārāja, samādhi, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te samādhipamukhā honti samādhininnā samādhipoṇā samādhipabbhārā”ti.
“Concentration, 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.”

“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, kūṭāgārassa yā kāci gopānasiyo, sabbā tā kūṭaṅgamā honti kūṭaninnā kūṭasamosaraṇā, kūṭaṁ tāsaṁ aggamakkhāyati;
“Just 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, mahārāja, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te samādhipamukhā honti samādhininnā samādhipoṇā samādhipabbhārā”ti.
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.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, koci rājā caturaṅginiyā senāya saddhiṁ saṅgāmaṁ otareyya, sabbāva senā hatthī ca assā ca rathā ca pattī ca tappamukhā bhaveyyuṁ tanninnā tappoṇā tappabbhārā taṁyeva anupariyāyeyyuṁ;
“Just as, your majesty, whatever king with his four-factored army would go down into battle, all the army – the elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers – would have him as the foremost, lean towards him, slope towards him, and incline towards him, and would gather around him.

evameva kho, mahārāja, ye keci kusalā dhammā, sabbe te samādhipamukhā honti samādhininnā samādhipoṇā samādhipabbhārā.
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.

Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, pamukhalakkhaṇo samādhi.
Thus, your majesty, concentration has being the foremost as a distinguishing characteristic.

Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
And this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One:

‘samādhiṁ, bhikkhave, bhāvetha, samāhito, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathābhūtaṁ pajānātī’”ti.
‘Develop concentration, bhikkhus. A concentrated bhikkhu knows things as they really are.’”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”

Samādhipañho cuddasamo.
Concentration Question fourteenth