sutta » sn » sn40 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 40.3

Tatiyajhānapañhāsutta

A Question About the Third Absorption

“‘Tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ, tatiyaṁ jhānan’ti vuccati.
“They speak of this thing called the ‘third absorption’.

Katamaṁ nu kho tatiyaṁ jhānanti?
What is the third absorption?

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi—
It occurred to me:

idha bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
‘With the fading away of rapture, a mendicant enters and remains in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, “Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.”

Idaṁ vuccati tatiyaṁ jhānanti.
This is called the third absorption.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharāmi sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedemi. Yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.
And so … I was entering and remaining in the third absorption.

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato pītisahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions accompanied by rapture beset me due to loss of focus.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca:
Then the Buddha came up to me with his psychic power and said,

‘moggallāna, moggallāna.
‘Moggallāna, Moggallāna!

Mā, brāhmaṇa, tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ pamādo, tatiye jhāne cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, tatiye jhāne cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, tatiye jhāne cittaṁ samādahā’ti.
Don’t neglect the third absorption, brahmin! Settle your mind in the third absorption; unify your mind and immerse it in the third absorption.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharāmi sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedemi, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.
And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the third absorption.

Yañhi taṁ āvuso sammā vadamāno vadeyya …pe… mahābhiññataṁ patto”ti.
So if anyone should be rightly called a disciple who attained to great direct knowledge with help from the Teacher, it’s me.”

Tatiyaṁ.