“Mendicants, there are these four ways of developing immersion further. “Catasso imā, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā. What four? Katamā catasso? There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life. Atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati; There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision. atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati; There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness. atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satisampajaññāya saṁvattati; There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements. atthi, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati? It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati? It’s when a mendicant applies their mind to the perception of light, focusing on the perception of day: Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ālokasaññaṁ manasi karoti, divāsaññaṁ adhiṭṭhāti—as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satisampajaññāya saṁvattati? It’s when a mendicant knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viditā vedanā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti; They know perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. They know thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. viditā saññā …pe… viditā vitakkā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satisampajaññāya saṁvattati.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati? It’s when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī viharati: ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. ‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; Such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the ending of feeling. iti vedanā, iti vedanāya samudayo, iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo; Such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the ending of perception. iti saññā, iti saññāya samudayo, iti saññāya atthaṅgamo; Such are choices, such is the origin of choices, such is the ending of choices. iti saṅkhārā, iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo, iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo; Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattati.

These are the four ways of developing immersion further. Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso samādhibhāvanā. And it was in this connection that I said in ‘The Way to the Far Shore’, in ‘The Questions of Puṇṇaka’: Idañca pana metaṁ, bhikkhave, sandhāya bhāsitaṁ pārāyane puṇṇakapañhe:

‘Having appraised the world high and low, ‘Saṅkhāya lokasmiṁ paroparāni, there is nothing in the world that disturbs them. Yassiñjitaṁ natthi kuhiñci loke; Peaceful, unclouded, untroubled, <j>with no need for hope, Santo vidhūmo anīgho nirāso, they’ve crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.’” Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī’”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.