Saṃyuttanikāyo Khandhavaggo Khandhasaṃyuttaṃ Nakulapituvaggo Samādhisuttaṃ

All of us experience various forms of suffering and sorrow because of the five aggregates of clinging (pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā)—that is, because we hold onto form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness with intense craving in our minds. 

In this sutta, the Blessed One has taught how suffering arises due to the five aggregates of clinging, as well as how to free oneself from the five aggregates of clinging to eliminate suffering, declaring that one must cultivate concentration (samādhi) for that purpose. This sutta can be utilized as a great support to free oneself from all unwholesome states, continually engage in wholesome actions, develop wholesome concentration, and attain liberation from suffering.

Evaṃ me sutaṃ – ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi – ‘‘bhikkhavo’’ti. ‘‘Bhadante’’ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etadavoca – ‘‘samādhiṃ, bhikkhave, bhāvetha; samāhito, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti. Kiñca yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti? Rūpassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca, vedanāya samudayañca atthaṅgamañca , saññāya samudayañca atthaṅgamañca, saṅkhārānaṃ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca, viññāṇassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca’’.

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Monks!”

“Venerable Sir,” those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:

“Develop concentration, monks. A monk who is concentrated understands things as they really are. And what does he understand as it really is? 

The origination and passing away of form, 

the origination and passing away of feeling, 

the origination and passing away of perception, 

the origination and passing away of volitional formations, 

the origination and passing away of consciousness.

‘‘Ko ca, bhikkhave, rūpassa samudayo, ko vedanāya samudayo, ko saññāya samudayo, ko saṅkhārānaṃ samudayo, ko viññāṇassa samudayo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati.

‘‘Kiñca abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati? Rūpaṃ abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa rūpaṃ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato uppajjati nandī. Yā rūpe nandī tadupādānaṃ. Tassupādānapaccayā bhavo; bhavapaccayā jāti; jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

“And what, monks, is the origination of form? What is the origination of feeling? What is the origination of perception? What is the origination of volitional formations? What is the origination of consciousness?

“Here, monks, a monk welcomes, speaks in favor of, and remains attached.

“And to what does he welcome, speaks in favor of, and remain attached?
He welcomes, speaks in favor of, and remains attached to form. As he welcomes, speaks in favor of, and remains attached to form, delight arises in him.
Delight in form is clinging. With his clinging as condition, existence comes to be; with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be.
Such is the origination of this whole mass of suffering.

‘‘Vedanaṃ abhinandati…pe… saññaṃ abhinandati… saṅkhāre abhinandati… viññāṇaṃ abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa viññāṇaṃ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato uppajjati nandī. Yā viññāṇe nandī tadupādānaṃ. Tassupādānapaccayā bhavo; bhavapaccayā jāti; jātipaccayā…pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

‘‘Ayaṃ, bhikkhave, rūpassa samudayo; ayaṃ vedanāya samudayo; ayaṃ saññāya samudayo; ayaṃ saṅkhārānaṃ samudayo; ayaṃ viññāṇassa samudayo.

“He welcomes, speaks in favor of, and remains attached
to feeling...
to perception...
to volitional formations...
to consciousness. As he welcomes, speaks in favor of, and remains attached to consciousness, delight arises in him. Delight in consciousness is clinging. With his clinging as condition, existence comes to be; with existence as condition, birth...
Such is the origination of this whole mass of suffering.

“This, monks, is the origination of form; this is the origination of feeling; this is the origination of perception; this is the origination of volitional formations; this is the origination of consciousness.

‘‘Ko ca, bhikkhave, rūpassa atthaṅgamo, ko vedanāya… ko saññāya… ko saṅkhārānaṃ… ko viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo? Idha, bhikkhave, nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati.

‘‘Kiñca nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati? Rūpaṃ nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa rūpaṃ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato yā rūpe nandī sā nirujjhati. Tassa nandīnirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho…pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

“And what, monks, is the passing away of form? What is the passing away of feeling... perception... volitional formations... consciousness?

“Here, monks, one does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached.

“And to what does he not welcome, not speaks in favor of, and not remain attached?
He does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to form. As he does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to form, whatever delight he had in form ceases. With the cessation of delight comes the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, the cessation of existence...
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.

‘‘Vedanaṃ nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa vedanaṃ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosā tiṭṭhato yā vedanāya nandī sā nirujjhati. Tassa nandīnirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho…pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

“He does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to feeling. As he does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to feeling, whatever delight he had in feeling ceases. With the cessation of delight comes the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, the cessation of existence... 

Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.

‘‘Saññaṃ nābhinandati…pe… saṅkhāre nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa saṅkhāre anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato yā saṅkhāresu nandī sā nirujjhati. Tassa nandīnirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho…pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

“He does not welcome...
to perception...
to volitional formations... As he does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to volitional formations, whatever delight he had in volitional formations ceases. With the cessation of delight comes the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, the cessation of existence...
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.

‘‘Viññāṇaṃ nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa viññāṇaṃ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato yā viññāṇe nandī sā nirujjhati. Tassa nandīnirodhā upādānanirodho…pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

‘‘Ayaṃ , bhikkhave, rūpassa atthaṅgamo, ayaṃ vedanāya atthaṅgamo, ayaṃ saññāya atthaṅgamo, ayaṃ saṅkhārānaṃ atthaṅgamo, ayaṃ viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’’ti. Pañcamaṃ.

“He does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to consciousness. As he does not welcome, does not speaks in favor of, and does not remain attached to consciousness, whatever delight he had in consciousness ceases. With the cessation of delight comes the cessation of clinging...
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.

“This, monks, is the passing away of form; this is the passing away of feeling; this is the passing away of perception; this is the passing away of volitional formations; this is the passing away of consciousness.”

Samādhi Sutta Commentary (Samādhisuttavaṇṇanā)

Regarding "concentration" (samādhi): Seeing those monks declining in one-pointedness of mind, and knowing, "If these [monks] attain one-pointedness of mind, their meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna) will flourish," the Blessed One said this.

• Delights in (abhinandati): [This means] he desires/longs for [it].

• Welcomes (abhivadati): Through that delight, he speaks thus: "Oh, how dear, desirable, lovely, and agreeable!" Even if one is simply delighting through speech, by generating greed in dependence on that object, it is indeed called "welcoming."

• Relishes and remains (ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati): Having swallowed [it], he completely settles upon it and holds fast to it.

• Whatever delight there is in form (yārūpe nandī): That delight which is known as strong longing/desire for form.

• That is grasping (tadupādānaṃ): That is "grasping" in the sense of taking hold/clinging.

• Does not delight in (nābhinandati): He does not desire/long for [it].

• Does not welcome (nābhivadati): By way of longing, he does not say, "It is desirable and lovely." Even if one utters words with a mind of insight (vipassanā-citta), contemplating "impermanent, suffering," he is still truly "not welcoming" [it].