<p>For sure what you have heard of is this incident. After the night of his Awakening, the Buddha spent 49 days experiencing the bliss of release. The knowledge of all that one will ever know in all of the three worlds was known to the Buddha within those 49 days. A mention of the vastness of this knowledge in him was mentioned when he was in the forest of simsapa trees. The Simsapa tree has very small leaves. </p>

<p>Taking a handful of the Simsapa leaves Buddha asked the monks, “Which is more, the leaves in my hand or the leaves in the forest?” The monks replied, “Of course, the leaves in the forest are many more than the leaves in your hand.”</p>

<p>Buddha said, “In the same way, what I learned in the course of my Awakening is like the leaves in the forest. What I have brought out to teach is like the leaves in my hand.” </p>

<p>Please read <a href="https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=buddha%20what%20is%20greater%20leaves%20in%20hand" rel="nofollow">Simsapa Sutta: The Simsapa Leaves - Access to Insight</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-04T03:18:59.467Z
2016-09-04T03:18:59.467Z
Saptha Visuddhi
<p>In the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html">Maha-Saccaka Sutta</a> it describes his learning some meditation types/techniques, from teachers, before he sat and was enlightened:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Alara Kalama ... the dimension of nothingness.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~~~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Uddaka Ramaputta ... the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~~~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Whatever brahmans or contemplatives in the past have felt painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost.
  None have been greater than this. Whatever brahmans or contemplatives
  in the future will feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to
  their striving, this is the utmost. None will be greater than this.
  Whatever brahmans or contemplatives in the present are feeling
  painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the
  utmost. None is greater than this. But with this racking <strong>practice of
  austerities</strong> I haven't attained any superior human state, any
  distinction in knowledge or vision worthy of the noble ones.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-04T08:54:34.223Z
2016-09-04T10:11:23.810Z
2016-09-04T10:11:23.810Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>I vaguely recall that before he sat to meditate under the bodhi tree and was enlightened, he learned all the different techniques of meditation. Where does it say this?</p>

<reference-request><the-buddha>
Where does it say Siddhartha Gautama mastered all types of meditation?
# Where does it say Siddhartha Gautama mastered all types of meditation?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-04)

I vaguely recall that before he sat to meditate under the bodhi tree and was enlightened, he learned all the different techniques of meditation. Where does it say this?

**Tags:** reference-request, the-buddha


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-09-04. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

In the [Maha-Saccaka Sutta](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html) it describes his learning some meditation types/techniques, from teachers, before he sat and was enlightened:

> Alara Kalama ... the dimension of nothingness.

~~~

> Uddaka Ramaputta ... the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

~~~

> Whatever brahmans or contemplatives in the past have felt painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost.
> None have been greater than this. Whatever brahmans or contemplatives
> in the future will feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to
> their striving, this is the utmost. None will be greater than this.
> Whatever brahmans or contemplatives in the present are feeling
> painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the
> utmost. None is greater than this. But with this racking **practice of
> austerities** I haven't attained any superior human state, any
> distinction in knowledge or vision worthy of the noble ones.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-09-04. Score: 3

For sure what you have heard of is this incident. After the night of his Awakening, the Buddha spent 49 days experiencing the bliss of release. The knowledge of all that one will ever know in all of the three worlds was known to the Buddha within those 49 days. A mention of the vastness of this knowledge in him was mentioned when he was in the forest of simsapa trees. The Simsapa tree has very small leaves.

Taking a handful of the Simsapa leaves Buddha asked the monks, “Which is more, the leaves in my hand or the leaves in the forest?” The monks replied, “Of course, the leaves in the forest are many more than the leaves in your hand.”

Buddha said, “In the same way, what I learned in the course of my Awakening is like the leaves in the forest. What I have brought out to teach is like the leaves in my hand.”

Please read [Simsapa Sutta: The Simsapa Leaves - Access to Insight](https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=buddha%20what%20is%20greater%20leaves%20in%20hand)


---

