Ānanda Sutta (1) — The First Discourse to Ānanda
(C-style translation: faithful, lean, preserves Pāli terms)
[1380] At Sāvatthī. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage, and sat to one side. Seated there, he asked:
“Bhante, is there one thing which, when a bhikkhu develops and cultivates, fulfills four dhammas; and when those four dhammas are developed and cultivated, they fulfill seven dhammas; and when those seven dhammas are developed and cultivated, they fulfill two dhammas?”
The Blessed One said: “There is, Ānanda.”
One → Four → Seven → Two
[1381] “And what, Bhante, is that one thing…?”
“Ānanda, that one thing is samādhi accompanied by ānāpānassati. When a bhikkhu develops and cultivates this, it fulfills the four satipaṭṭhānas. The four satipaṭṭhānas, when developed and cultivated, fulfill the seven bojjhaṅgas. The seven bojjhaṅgas, when developed and cultivated, fulfill vijjā and vimutti.”
1. How ānāpānassati fulfills the four satipaṭṭhānas
Kāyānupassanā
[1382] A bhikkhu, gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut, sits down; he folds his legs crosswise, sets his body erect, and establishes mindfulness in front.
He practices:
- “Breathing in long, I know ‘I breathe in long.’ Breathing out long, I know ‘I breathe out long.’
- Breathing in short… breathing out short…
- ‘I shall train to calm bodily formations (kāya-saṅkhāra) breathing in.’ ‘I shall train to calm bodily formations breathing out.’”
Thus he contemplates the body in the body, with ardency, clear comprehension, and mindfulness, having removed covetousness and distress regarding the world.
Because the in-breath and out-breath are “a body among bodies”, Ānanda, this is kāyānupassanā.
Vedanānupassanā
[1383] He trains:
- “I shall experience pīti breathing in… breathing out.”
- “I shall experience sukha…”
- “I shall experience the citta-saṅkhāra…”
- “I shall calm the citta-saṅkhāra…”
Thus he contemplates feelings in feelings, removing covetousness and distress.
Because attending well to the in-/out-breath is a feeling among feelings, this is vedanānupassanā.
Cittānupassanā
[1384] He trains:
- “I shall be aware of the mind breathing in… out.”
- “I shall gladden the mind…”
- “I shall steady the mind…”
- “I shall release the mind…”
Thus he contemplates the mind in the mind, with ardency, clear comprehension, and mindfulness.
This is cittānupassanā.
Dhammānupassanā
[1385] He trains:
- “I shall contemplate impermanence (anicca)…
- fading (virāga)…
- cessation (nirodha)…
- relinquishment (paṭinissagga)… while breathing in/out.”
Thus he contemplates dhammas in dhammas, abandoning covetousness and distress.
Conclusion for Part 1
[1386] “Ānanda, in this way, samādhi accompanied by ānāpānassati fulfills the four satipaṭṭhānas.”
2. How the four satipaṭṭhānas fulfill the seven bojjhaṅgas
[1387–1393] When a bhikkhu practices:
- kāyānupassanā, mindfulness becomes established → the sati-bojjhaṅga arises and matures.
- With mindfulness established, he investigates the dhamma → dhammavicaya-bojjhaṅga.
- Investigation brings arousing energy → viriya-bojjhaṅga.
- With aroused energy, pīti arises → pīti-bojjhaṅga.
- With pīti, the body and mind become tranquil → passaddhi-bojjhaṅga.
- With tranquillity, the mind becomes collected → samādhi-bojjhaṅga.
- He regards the collected mind with equanimity → upekkhā-bojjhaṅga.
Thus, Ānanda, the four satipaṭṭhānas fulfill the seven bojjhaṅgas.
3. How the seven bojjhaṅgas fulfill vijjā and vimutti
[1398] When the seven bojjhaṅgas are developed and cultivated, supported by seclusion (viveka), dispassion (virāga), cessation (nirodha), and leading to relinquishment (vossagga), they fulfill vijjā and vimutti.
Conclusion
The Blessed One said: “Thus, Ānanda, one thing — samādhi accompanied by ānāpānassati — fulfills four; the four fulfill seven; the seven fulfill vijjā-vimutti.”
End of the First Ānanda Sutta.
Short Pāli Glossary (concise, essential only)
ānāpānassati — mindfulness of breathing; attending to in-/out-breath satipaṭṭhāna — “establishing of mindfulness”; four modes of direct contemplation kāyānupassanā — contemplation of the body vedanānupassanā — contemplation of feelings cittānupassanā — contemplation of mind dhammānupassanā — contemplation of dhammas/aspects of phenomena bojjhaṅga — seven factors of awakening sati — mindfulness dhammavicaya — investigation of dhammas viriya — energy, effort pīti — rapture passaddhi — tranquillity samādhi — collectedness, concentration upekkhā — equanimity vijjā — knowledge (direct knowing of things-as-they-are) vimutti — liberation