'recollection', meditation, contemplation. The
six recollections often described in the Suttas (e.g. A.VI.10, 25; D.33) are:
- (1) recollection of the Buddha,
- (2) his Doctrine,
- (3) his Community of noble
disciples,
- (4) of morality,
- (5) liberality,
- (6) heavenly beings (buddhānussati,
dhammānussati, sanghānussati, sīlānussati, cāgānussati, devatānussati).
(1) "The noble disciple, Mahānāma, recollects thus: 'This
Blessed One is holy, a fully Enlightened One, perfected in wisdom and conduct,
faring happily, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of men to be trained,
teacher of heavenly beings and men, a Buddha, a Blessed One.'
(2) 'Well proclaimed by the Blessed One is the Doctrine (dhamma),
directly visible, with immediate fruit, inviting investigation, leading on to
Nibbāna, to be comprehended by the wise, each by himself.'
(3) 'Of good conduct is the Community (Sangha) of the
Blessed One's disciples, of upright conduct, living on the right path,
performing their duties, to wit: the 4 pairs of men or 8 individuals (s.
ariya puggala). This Community of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of
offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverence with
raised hands, the unsurpassed field for doing meritorious deeds.'
(4) "The noble disciple further recollects his own morality (sīla)
which is unbroken, without any breach, undefiled, untarnished, conducive to
liberation, praised by the wise, not dependent (on craving or opinions), leading
to concentration.
(5) "The noble disciple further recollects his own liberality
(cāga) thus: 'Blessed truly am I, highly blessed am I who, amongst beings
defiled with the filth of stinginess, live with heart free from stinginess,
liberal, open-handed, rejoicing in giving, ready to give anything asked for,
glad to give and share with others.'
(6) "The noble disciple further recollects the heavenly
beings (devatā): 'There are the heavenly beings of the retinue of the
Four Great Kings, the heavenly beings of the World of the Thirty-Three, the
Yāmadevas ... and there are heavenly beings besides (s.
deva). Such
faith, such morality, such knowledge, such liberality, such insight, possessed
of which those heavenly beings, after vanishing from here, are reborn in those
worlds, such things are also found in me.' " (A. III,70; VI,10; XI,12).
"At the time when the noble disciple recollects the Perfect
One ... at such a time his mind is neither possessed of greed, nor of hate, nor
of delusion. Quite upright at such a time is his mind owing to the Perfect One
... With upright mind the noble disciple attains understanding of the sense,
understanding of the law, attains joy through the law. In the joyous one rapture
arises. With heart enraptured, his whole being becomes stilled. Stilled within
his being, he feels happiness; and the mind of the happy one becomes firm. Of
this noble disciple it is said that amongst those gone astray, he walks on the
right path, among those suffering he abides free from suffering. Thus having
reached the stream of the law, he develops the recollection of the Enlightened
One...." (A.VI.10).
In A.I.21 (PTS: I, xvi) and A.I.27 (PTS: xx. 2) another 4
recollections are added:
The first six recollections are fully explained in Vis.M.
VII, the latter four in Vis.M. VIII.

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