1-12.
The Twelve Discourses on Meditative Absorption and So On
923-934.
At Sāvatthī. "There are, monks, these four meditative absorptions.
Which four?
Here, monks, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters upon and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and bliss born of seclusion.
With the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, he enters upon and dwells in the second meditative absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and bliss born of concentration.
With the fading away of rapture, he dwells equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experiences bliss with the body - that which the noble ones declare:
'He who is equanimous and mindful dwells in bliss' - he enters upon and dwells in the third meditative absorption.
With the abandoning of bliss and pain, and with the prior disappearance of pleasure and displeasure, he enters upon and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-pain-nor-bliss and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
These, monks, are the four meditative absorptions."
"Just as, monks, the river Ganges slants towards the east, slopes towards the east, inclines towards the east; so too, monks, a monk developing the four meditative absorptions, cultivating the four meditative absorptions, slants towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, inclines towards Nibbāna. And how, monks, does a monk developing the four meditative absorptions, cultivating the four meditative absorptions, slant towards Nibbāna, slope towards Nibbāna, incline towards Nibbāna? Here, monks, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters upon and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. With the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. the second meditative absorption, etc. the third meditative absorption... etc. he enters upon and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. Thus, monks, a monk developing the four meditative absorptions, cultivating the four meditative absorptions, slants towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, inclines towards Nibbāna." The twelfth.