SN 54.20 — The Ending of Defilements

“Mendicants, when immersion due to mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it leads to the ending of defilements.” … “And how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so as to lead to giving up the fetters, uprooting the underlying tendencies, completely understanding the course of time, and ending the defilements? It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and establishes mindfulness in front of them. … They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’ That’s how immersion due to mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated so as to lead to giving up the fetters, uprooting the underlying tendencies, completely understanding the course of time, and ending the defilements.” The Linked Discourses on Mindfulness of Breathing, the tenth section. Linked Discourses on Stream-Entry Contents The Chapter at Bamboo Gate SN 55.1 A Wheel-Turning Monarch Cakkavattirājasutta SN 55.2 The Objective of the Spiritual Life Brahmacariyogadhasutta SN 55.3 With Dīghāvu Dīghāvuupāsakasutta SN 55.4 With Sāriputta (1st) Paṭhamasāriputtasutta SN 55.5 With Sāriputta (2nd) Dutiyasāriputtasutta SN 55.6 The Chamberlains Thapatisutta SN 55.7 The People of Bamboo Gate Veḷudvāreyyasutta SN 55.8 In the Brick Hall (1st) Paṭhamagiñjakāvasathasutta SN 55.9 At the Brick Hall (2nd) Dutiyagiñjakāvasathasutta SN 55.10 At the Brick Hall (3rd) Tatiyagiñjakāvasathasutta The Chapter on the Royal Monastery SN 55.11 A Saṅgha of a Thousand Nuns Sahassabhikkhunisaṁghasutta SN 55.12 The Brahmins Brāhmaṇasutta SN 55.13 With the Senior Monk Ānanda Ānandattherasutta SN 55.14 Fear of the Bad Place Duggatibhayasutta SN 55.15 Fear of the Bad Place, the Underworld Duggativinipātabhayasutta SN 55.16 Friends and Colleagues (1st) Paṭhamamittāmaccasutta SN 55.17 Friends and Colleagues (2nd) Dutiyamittāmaccasutta SN 55.18 A Visit to the Gods (1st) Paṭhamadevacārikasutta SN 55.19 A Visit to the Gods (2nd) Dutiyadevacārikasutta SN 55.20 A Visit to the Gods (3rd) Tatiyadevacārikasutta The Chapter with Sarakāni SN 55.21 With Mahānāma (1st) Paṭhamamahānāmasutta SN 55.22 With Mahānāma (2nd) Dutiyamahānāmasutta SN 55.23 With Godhā the Sakyan Godhasakkasutta SN 55.24 About Sarakāni (1st) Paṭhamasaraṇānisakkasutta SN 55.25 About Sarakāni the Sakyan (2nd) Dutiyasaraṇānisakkasutta SN 55.26 With Anāthapiṇḍika (1st) Paṭhamaanāthapiṇḍikasutta SN 55.27 With Anāthapiṇḍika (2nd) Dutiyaanāthapiṇḍikasutta SN 55.28 Fears and Enmities (1st) Paṭhamabhayaverūpasantasutta SN 55.29 Fears and Enmities (2nd) Dutiyabhayaverūpasantasutta SN 55.30 With Nandaka the Licchavi Nandakalicchavisutta The Chapter on Overflowing Merit SN 55.31 Overflowing Merit (1st) Paṭhamapuññābhisandasutta SN 55.32 Overflowing Merit (2nd) Dutiyapuññābhisandasutta SN 55.33 Overflowing Merit (3rd) Tatiyapuññābhisandasutta SN 55.34 Footprints of the Gods (1st) Paṭhamadevapadasutta SN 55.35 Footprints of the Gods (2nd) Dutiyadevapadasutta SN 55.36 In Common With the Gods Devasabhāgatasutta SN 55.37 With Mahānāma Mahānāmasutta SN 55.38 Rain Vassasutta SN 55.39 With Kāḷigodhā Kāḷigodhasutta SN 55.40 Nandiya the Sakyan Nandiyasakkasutta The Chapter on Overflowing Merit, With Verses SN 55.41 Overflowing Merit (1st) Paṭhamaabhisandasutta SN 55.42 Overflowing Merit (2nd) Dutiyaabhisandasutta SN 55.43 Overflowing Merit (3rd) Tatiyaabhisandasutta SN 55.44 Rich (1st) Paṭhamamahaddhanasutta SN 55.45 Rich (2nd) Dutiyamahaddhanasutta SN 55.46 Plain Version Suddhakasutta SN 55.47 With Nandiya Nandiyasutta SN 55.48 With Bhaddiya Bhaddiyasutta SN 55.49 With Mahānāma Mahānāmasutta SN 55.50 Factors Aṅgasutta The Chapter on a Wise Person SN 55.51 With Verses Sagāthakasutta SN 55.52 One Who Completed the Rains Vassaṁvutthasutta SN 55.53 With Dhammadinna Dhammadinnasutta SN 55.54 Sick Gilānasutta SN 55.55 The Fruit of Stream-Entry Sotāpattiphalasutta SN 55.56 The Fruit of Once-Return Sakadāgāmiphalasutta SN 55.57 The Fruit of Non-Return Anāgāmiphalasutta SN 55.58 The Fruit of Perfection Arahattaphalasutta SN 55.59 The Getting of Wisdom Paññāpaṭilābhasutta SN 55.60 The Growth of Wisdom Paññāvuddhisutta SN 55.61 The Increase of Wisdom Paññāvepullasutta The Chapter on Great Wisdom SN 55.62 Great Wisdom Mahāpaññāsutta SN 55.63 Widespread Wisdom Puthupaññāsutta SN 55.64 Abundant Wisdom Vipulapaññāsutta SN 55.65 Deep Wisdom Gambhīrapaññāsutta SN 55.66 Extraordinary Wisdom Appamattapaññāsutta SN 55.67 Vast Wisdom Bhūripaññāsutta SN 55.68 Much Wisdom Paññābāhullasutta SN 55.69 Fast Wisdom Sīghapaññāsutta SN 55.70 Light Wisdom Lahupaññāsutta SN 55.71 Laughing Wisdom Hāsapaññāsutta SN 55.72 Swift Wisdom Javanapaññāsutta SN 55.73 Sharp Wisdom Tikkhapaññāsutta SN 55.74 Penetrating Wisdom Nibbedhikapaññāsutta The Chapter at Bamboo Gate