samādhi-nimittaṃ : undistractable-lucidity-signs [& themes]
- examples of good and bad nimittas working in their native habitat
- MN 20 Vitakka-saṇṭhāna-sutta
nimitta, sañña, vitakka food chain
- MN 18 proliferation
  - summary
- This why the term “nimitta” is used in 7sb
  - SN 47.10 another good example like MN 20
7sb Dhamma app store
- These 20 apps for 7sb are basic and essential
  - VII. IN-AND-OUT BREATHING Ānāpāna Vagga
  - VIII. CESSATION Nirodha Vagga
- These 6 “sati” apps induce pīti into 7sb

samādhi-nimittaṃ : undistractable-lucidity-signs [& themes]

sati remembers Dhamma, nimittas are Dhammas fed into the 7sb machine.

Sati = samma sati = 4sp (satipatthana) = sati-indriya (of 5ind) = sati-bala = sati-sambojjhanga (of 7sb)

the 7sb (awakening factors) are a supercomputer that will take you to nirvana if you feed it the right Dhamma programs.

nimittas are the Dhamma programs fed into sati, into 7sb.

There are good nimittas, and bad nimittas.

Bad nimittas are malware, mara’s code, removed by right effort and 4pd (padhana).

good nimittas are the only thing you want to feed sati and 7sb.

A samadhi-nimitta is a good nimitta which tends to induce samadhi, samadhi-sambojjhanga in 7sb.

You want to protect and hold on to samadhi nimittas.

examples of good and bad nimittas working in their native habitat

nimitta = sign, theme (samādhi-nimittā = 4sp)

	MN 44
katame dhammā samādhi-nimittā,	which Dhammas are undistractable-lucidity-themes?
cattāro sati-’paṭṭhānā samādhi-nimittā;	four remembrance-establishings (are) undistractable-lucidity-themes.

AN 4.14 (1. STED Saṃvarap-padhānaṃ)


katamañca, bhikkhave, saṃvarap-padhānaṃ?	What, ***********, (is) restraint-exertion?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu	Here, monks, (a) monk,

1. eye

cakkhunā rūpaṃ disvā	With-the-eye, [visible]-form (he) sees.
na nimittag-gāhī hoti	(he) Does-not {grab}-signs ****.
Nā-nubyañjanag-gāhī.	Does-not {grab}-features.
yatvādhikaraṇamenaṃ cakkhu’ndriyaṃ a-saṃvutaṃ viharantaṃ	Since-if-he-were-to {dwell with the} eye-faculty un-restrained ***********,
Abhijjhā-domanassā pāpakā a-kusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṃ,	greed-(and)-distress (and) evil un-skillful states would-invade [his mind].
tassa saṃvarāya paṭipajjati,	His restraint (is put into) practice.
rakkhati cakkhu-’ndriyaṃ,	(he) protects (the) eye-faculty.
Cakkhu-’ndriye saṃvaraṃ āpajjati.	The eye-faculty restraint (he) undertakes.

(similarly for ear, nose, tongue…, mind)

AN 4.14 (4. Anurakkhaṇāp-padhānaṃ)


“katamañca, bhikkhave, anu-rakkhaṇāp-padhānaṃ?	What (is), *********, protection-exertion?
idha, bhikkhave,bhikkhu	Here, monks, (a) monk,

uppannaṃ bhaddakaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃ	(with an) arisen excellent concentration-sign [a vivid image],
anu-rakkhati	(he) protects (it). (such as the)
aṭṭhika-saññaṃ	Skeleton-perception
puḷavaka-saññaṃ	worm infested [corpse] -perception
vinīlaka-saññaṃ	Black-ish / purple / discolored [corpse] –perception
Vic-chiddaka-saññaṃ	Full-of-holes [a fissured corpse] -perception
uddhumātaka-saññaṃ.	swollen [bloated corpse] -perception

idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, anu-rakkhaṇāp-padhānaṃ.	This (is) called, *********, protection-exertion.

imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri padhānānī”ti.	These *, *******, (are the) four exertions.”

MN 20 Vitakka-saṇṭhāna-sutta

(Adhicitta = syn.of samādhi, 5 nimittas are methods to remove unwanted thoughts)

(1. Replace unskillful with skillful thought)

(2. Seeing danger in un-skilful)

(3. Forget, give no attention)

(4. Progressive slow down)

(5. Mind crush mind)

succesful execution leads to 2nd jhana and higher.

nimitta, sañña, vitakka food chain

MN 18 proliferation


Cakkhuñc-āvuso, paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu-viññāṇaṃ,	Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights.
tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso,	The meeting of the three is contact.
phassa-paccayā vedanā,	Contact is a condition for feeling.
yaṃ vedeti taṃ sañjānāti,	What you feel, you perceive.
yaṃ sañjānāti taṃ vitakketi,	What you perceive, you think about.
yaṃ vitakketi taṃ papañceti,	What you think about, you proliferate.
yaṃ papañceti tato-nidānaṃ	What you proliferate about is the source
purisaṃ papañca-saññā-saṅkhā samudācaranti	from which a person is beset by concepts of identity that emerge from the proliferation of perceptions.
atīt-ānāgata-paccuppannesu cakkhu-viññeyyesu rūpesu.	This occurs with respect to sights known by the eye in the past, future, and present.

summary


Cakkhu + rūpe + viññāṇaṃ → phasso → vedanā → sañjānāti → vitakketi → papañceti

eye + forms + consciousness → contact → feeling → perceive → think → proliferate

This why the term “nimitta” is used in 7sb

sati is memory, a remembering (noun).

sati is a remembering of Dhamma.

the Dhamma remembered by sati is fed into the 7sb sequence, where Dhamma-vicaya investigates it, etc…

the word dhamma is already overloaded, so we need another term to describe the program being fed into the 7sb sequence.

Some suttas talk about Dhamma-vitakka as that software program.

other suttas talk about perceptions (sañña), see next section on Dhamma app store for many examples.

So nimitta is a black box that can contain either a vitakka (thought) or a sañña (perception), or a sati (remembering), or a thought/phenomena/thing (dhamma).

In MN 20, where the 5 methods of stopping wrong thought, are called “nimittas”. Conceptually, you would think it’s more natural to say we use good thoughts to stop bad thoughts. But the reason the black box “nimitta” is used, is so that even in second jhana and higher, nimitta could represent wholesome perceptions/intentions to execute the same thing a vitakka/thought would in first jhana.

SN 47.10 another good example like MN 20

If you track “nimitta” is this sutta, again, it’s like MN 20 where it seems awkward to use that term when the natural thing to say is “one uses good inspiring thoughts to induce joy and the 7b sequence leading into samadhi.”

The reason the Buddha doesn’t use vitakka/thought here, and uses “nimitta” instead, is to differentiate between directed and undirected samadhi, i.e. first jhana and the higher jhanas. That is so his instructions, as stated, work whether you’re using it to get into first jhana ro the higher jhanas. If he used Dhamma-vitakka instead of “nimitta”, then the instructions could only apply to first jhana.

7sb Dhamma app store

Buddha approved apps, come pre installed on your 7sb machine. (Dhammas you should have memorized and recite regularly)

SN 46 is the bojjhanga samyutta

These 20 apps for 7sb are basic and essential

VII. IN-AND-OUT BREATHING Ānāpāna Vagga



SN 46.57 Aṭṭhika (sañña)	57. The Skeleton (perception)
SN 46.58 Puḷavaka (sañña)	58. The Worm-Infested (perception)
SN 46.59 Vinīlaka (sañña)	59. The Livid (perception)
SN 46.60 Vicchiddaka (sañña)	60. The Fissured (perception)
SN 46.61 Uddhumātaka (sañña)	61. The Bloated (perception)
SN 46.62 Mettā	62. Lovingkindness
SN 46.63 Karuṇā	63. Compassion
SN 46.64 Muditā	64. Altruistic Joy
SN 46.65 Upekhā	65. Equanimity
SN 46.66 Ānāpānasati	66. Breathing

VIII. CESSATION Nirodha Vagga


SN 46.67 Asubha (sañña)	67. Foulness (perception)
SN 46.68 Maraṇa (sañña)	68. Death (perception)
SN 46.69 Paṭikkūla (sañña)	69. Repulsiveness of Food (perception)
SN 46.70 Sabbaloke (sañña)	70. Nondelight (perception)
SN 46.71 Anicca (sañña)	71. Impermanence (perception)
SN 46.72 Dukkha (sañña)	72. Suffering (perception)
SN 46.73 Anatta (sañña)	73. Nonself (perception)
SN 46.74 Pahāna (sañña)	74. Abandonment (perception)
SN 46.75 Virāga (sañña)	75. Dispassion (perception)
SN 46.76 Nirodha (sañña)	76. Cessation(perception)

SN 56.7 and SN 56.1

4 vitakka and 4 sanna on 4NT, can be thought of as commentary on dukkha sanna, and show how samadhi nimitta can be vitakka or sanna.

These 6 “sati” apps induce pīti into 7sb


AN 6.9 Anus-satiṭ-ṭhāna-sutta	9. Topics for Recollection
“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, anus-satiṭ-ṭhānāni.	“Mendicants, there are these six topics for recollection.
Katamāni cha?	What six?
Buddhā-nus-sati,	The recollection of the Buddha,
dhammā-nus-sati,	the teaching,
saṃghā-nus-sati,	the Saṅgha,
sīlā-nus-sati,	ethics,
cāgā-nus-sati,	generosity,
devatā-nus-sati.	and the deities.

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