Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN34: Connected Discourses on Meditation

SN34:6 The Range in relation to Concentration

The same, but read "skilled in the raṅge." [n.304] Na gocarakusalo. Spk: Unskilled in the range of the meditation subject (Spk-pṭ: in the range of the concentration to be produced, in the place of its occurrence known as the meditation subject), and unskilled in the range of the alms round (Spk-pṭ: owing to lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension).
Mp III 354 comments somewhat differently: "Having avoided the unsuitable things that are unhelpful and pursued the suitable things that are helpful, he is skilled in the range when he knows, ‘This concentration has a sign (nimitta, a mental image) as object, this one the characteristics (impermanence, etc.) as object.’" This last sentence refers to the distinction between samatha (serenity meditation) and vipassanā (insight meditation).
sn.iii.267

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Cattārome, bhikkhave, jhāyī. Katame cattāro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco jhāyī samādhismiṁ samādhikusalo hoti, na samādhismiṁ gocarakusalo. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco jhāyī samādhismiṁ gocarakusalo hoti, na samādhismiṁ samādhikusalo. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco jhāyī neva samādhismiṁ samādhikusalo hoti, na ca samādhismiṁ gocarakusalo. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco jhāyī samādhismiṁ samādhikusalo ca hoti, samādhismiṁ gocarakusalo ca. Tatra, bhikkhave, yvāyaṁ jhāyī samādhismiṁ samādhikusalo ca hoti samādhismiṁ gocarakusalo ca ayaṁ imesaṁ catunnaṁ jhāyīnaṁ aggo ca seṭṭho ca mokkho ca uttamo ca pavaro ca. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gavā khīraṁ … pe … pavaro cā"ti.


Chaṭṭhaṁ.

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