<p>The excerpt given below provides some references but in the pages following this one, the meditation subjects are explained and many more references are given. With this in mind, I suggest going to the link provided at the end of the excerpt and read these pages to extract the additional references.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>§75 FORTY CONCENTRATION EXERCISES</strong></p>
<p>There are forty concentration exercises (kammatthana) leading to the tranquility of the
absorptions. They are:</p>
<p><strong>I. Ten kasina exercises</strong>: (1) earth kasina, (2) water kasina, (3) fire
kasina, (4) wind kasina, (5) blue kasina, (6) yellow kasina, (7) red
kasina, (8) white kasina, (9) light kasina, (10) space kasina. The
older suttas replace the light kasina with the consciousness kasina,
as at <a href="http://suttacentral.net/an10.29" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 10:29</a>.</p>
<p><strong>II. Ten perceptions of loathsomeness (asubha-sañña)</strong>: a swollen-up
corpse, a bluish discoloured corpse, a festering corpse, a split
corpse, a gnawed corpse, a scattered corpse, a dismembered and
scattered corpse, a blood-stained corpse, a corpse full of worms, a
skeleton. More or less identical with these exercises are the nine
cemetery contemplations in <a href="http://suttacentral.net/mn10" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 10</a> and <a href="http://suttacentral.net/dn22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DN 22</a>, and the contemplation in
<a href="http://suttacentral.net/an4.14" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 4:14</a>, quoted below.</p>
<p><strong>III. Ten contemplations (anussati)</strong>: (1) on the Buddha, (2) the
Doctrine, (3) the Community of Noble Disciples, (4) morality, (5)
liberality, (6) heavenly beings, (7) death, (8) body, (9)
in-and-out-breathing, (10) peace. While 1-6 are mostly explained in
one and the same sutta, (7)—(10) are described each separately in
different suttas, e.g. (7) in <a href="http://suttacentral.net/an8.73" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 8:73f</a>. (8) in <a href="http://suttacentral.net/mn119" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 119</a> (but not as in
<a href="http://suttacentral.net/mn10" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 10</a>, while in Vism the meditation refers to the thirty-two parts of
the body); (9) in <a href="http://suttacentral.net/mn118" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 118</a>; (10) in <a href="http://suttacentral.net/an9.52" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 9:52</a>-<a href="http://suttacentral.net/an9.61" rel="nofollow noreferrer">61</a>, <a href="http://suttacentral.net/an10.26" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10:26</a>.</p>
<p><strong>IV. Four divine abodes (brahma-vihara)</strong>: (1) all-em bracing kindness
(metta), (2) compassion (karuna), (3) altruistic joy (mudita)), (4)
equanimity (upekkha).</p>
<p><strong>V. Four immaterial spheres (arupayatana)</strong>: (1) sphere of boundless
space, (2) sphere of boundless consciousness, (3) sphere of
nothingness, (4) sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.</p>
<p><strong>VI. Perception of the loathsomeness of food.</strong></p>
<p><strong>VII. Analysis of the four elements.</strong></p>
<p>Neighbourhood concentration may be reached by <strong>III</strong> 1-7, 10; <strong>VI</strong>; and
<strong>VII</strong>.<br />
The first jhana may be reached by <strong>II</strong> 1-10 and <strong>III</strong> 8.<br />
The first three jhanas may be reached by <strong>IV</strong> 1-3.<br />
The four jhanas may be reached by <strong>I</strong> 1-10 and <strong>III</strong> 9.<br />
The fourth jhana may be reached by <strong>IV</strong> 4.<br />
The immaterial attainments may be reached by <strong>V</strong> 1-4.<br />
The acquired image (uggaha-nimitta) and counter-image
(patibhaga-nimitta) will arise only on realizing <strong>I</strong> 1-10; <strong>II</strong> 1-10; <strong>III</strong>
8, 9: hence in twenty-two exercises.</p>
<p>For a full explanation of these forty exercises, see Vism III—XI.<br />
For further details about jhana, etc., see Fund. <strong>IV</strong>.</p>
<p><em>-<a href="http://www.shanyoma.org/yoma/The-Buddhas-Path-to-Deliverance.pdf#page=89" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Buddha's Path of Deliverance, p.75</a> by Nyanatiloka Thera</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-27T00:24:10.510Z
I would only add MN118 and MN119.  I wish I had this answer years ago!
avgvstvs
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T14:57:27.087Z
Great answer but could be a bit more bibliographic. The [Vinaya](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaya_Pitaka) also has Anapana and perhaps the [Abhidhamma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhidhamma_Pitaka) also may have some references.
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T15:01:50.087Z
I up voted your answer. If I do not get a better answer in some time will accept it.
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T16:06:04.413Z
If you were intent on getting more comprehensive answers then I suggest editing the question but bear in mind that being exhaustive with the references is quite difficult & time-consuming some times.
Unrul3r
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T16:14:32.777Z
I made some edits. See if this is sufficient.
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T16:15:19.143Z
Your answer does cover many of the references so is pretty good as it is.
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T18:03:07.800Z
I think it's sufficient. This way people intending to answer will know exactly what you are looking for.
Unrul3r
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-11T14:41:36.893Z
2014-08-11T14:41:36.893Z
2020-06-17T09:56:10.877Z
Unrul3r
<p>Works like Visuddhimagga covers 40 types of meditations. I am looking for the original source of these meditations within the Tripitaka. Ideally with complete bibliographical references to the occurrences within the Tripitaka.</p>

<pali-canon><meditation-classification>
What are the verses relating to meditation in the Tripitaka? And to what type of meditation does it relate to?
# What are the verses relating to meditation in the Tripitaka? And to what type of meditation does it relate to?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-11)

Works like Visuddhimagga covers 40 types of meditations. I am looking for the original source of these meditations within the Tripitaka. Ideally with complete bibliographical references to the occurrences within the Tripitaka.

**Tags:** pali-canon, meditation-classification


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-08-11. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The excerpt given below provides some references but in the pages following this one, the meditation subjects are explained and many more references are given. With this in mind, I suggest going to the link provided at the end of the excerpt and read these pages to extract the additional references.

> **§75 FORTY CONCENTRATION EXERCISES**
>
> There are forty concentration exercises (kammatthana) leading to the tranquility of the
> absorptions. They are:
>
> **I. Ten kasina exercises**: (1) earth kasina, (2) water kasina, (3) fire
> kasina, (4) wind kasina, (5) blue kasina, (6) yellow kasina, (7) red
> kasina, (8) white kasina, (9) light kasina, (10) space kasina. The
> older suttas replace the light kasina with the consciousness kasina,
> as at [AN 10:29](http://suttacentral.net/an10.29).
>
> **II. Ten perceptions of loathsomeness (asubha-sañña)**: a swollen-up
> corpse, a bluish discoloured corpse, a festering corpse, a split
> corpse, a gnawed corpse, a scattered corpse, a dismembered and
> scattered corpse, a blood-stained corpse, a corpse full of worms, a
> skeleton. More or less identical with these exercises are the nine
> cemetery contemplations in [MN 10](http://suttacentral.net/mn10) and [DN 22](http://suttacentral.net/dn22), and the contemplation in
> [AN 4:14](http://suttacentral.net/an4.14), quoted below.
>
> **III. Ten contemplations (anussati)**: (1) on the Buddha, (2) the
> Doctrine, (3) the Community of Noble Disciples, (4) morality, (5)
> liberality, (6) heavenly beings, (7) death, (8) body, (9)
> in-and-out-breathing, (10) peace. While 1-6 are mostly explained in
> one and the same sutta, (7)—(10) are described each separately in
> different suttas, e.g. (7) in [AN 8:73f](http://suttacentral.net/an8.73). (8) in [MN 119](http://suttacentral.net/mn119) (but not as in
> [MN 10](http://suttacentral.net/mn10), while in Vism the meditation refers to the thirty-two parts of
> the body); (9) in [MN 118](http://suttacentral.net/mn118); (10) in [AN 9:52](http://suttacentral.net/an9.52)-[61](http://suttacentral.net/an9.61), [10:26](http://suttacentral.net/an10.26).
>
> **IV. Four divine abodes (brahma-vihara)**: (1) all-em bracing kindness
> (metta), (2) compassion (karuna), (3) altruistic joy (mudita)), (4)
> equanimity (upekkha).
>
> **V. Four immaterial spheres (arupayatana)**: (1) sphere of boundless
> space, (2) sphere of boundless consciousness, (3) sphere of
> nothingness, (4) sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
>
> **VI. Perception of the loathsomeness of food.**
>
> **VII. Analysis of the four elements.**
>
> Neighbourhood concentration may be reached by **III** 1-7, 10; **VI**; and
> **VII**.  
> The first jhana may be reached by **II** 1-10 and **III** 8.  
> The first three jhanas may be reached by **IV** 1-3.  
> The four jhanas may be reached by **I** 1-10 and **III** 9.  
> The fourth jhana may be reached by **IV** 4.  
> The immaterial attainments may be reached by **V** 1-4.  
> The acquired image (uggaha-nimitta) and counter-image
> (patibhaga-nimitta) will arise only on realizing **I** 1-10; **II** 1-10; **III**
> 8, 9: hence in twenty-two exercises.
>
> For a full explanation of these forty exercises, see Vism III—XI.  
> For further details about jhana, etc., see Fund. **IV**.
>
> *-[The Buddha's Path of Deliverance, p.75](http://www.shanyoma.org/yoma/The-Buddhas-Path-to-Deliverance.pdf#page=89) by Nyanatiloka Thera*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Great answer but could be a bit more bibliographic. The [Vinaya](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaya_Pitaka) also has Anapana and perhaps the [Abhidhamma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhidhamma_Pitaka) also may have some references.  
> **username_0**: I up voted your answer. If I do not get a better answer in some time will accept it.  
> **username_1**: If you were intent on getting more comprehensive answers then I suggest editing the question but bear in mind that being exhaustive with the references is quite difficult & time-consuming some times.  
> **username_0**: I made some edits. See if this is sufficient.  
> **username_0**: Your answer does cover many of the references so is pretty good as it is.  
> **username_1**: I think it's sufficient. This way people intending to answer will know exactly what you are looking for.  
> **username_2**: I would only add MN118 and MN119.  I wish I had this answer years ago!  

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