Anussati

Recollections

Recollection of the Buddha (Buddhanussati)

The Aṅguttara Nikāya provides the following verse (gatha) for the recollection the Buddha:

"Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed."

— Mahanama Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.12)

It has been suggested that the recollection of the Buddha identified in the Theravādin's Pāli Canon might have been the basis for the more elaborately visual contemplations typical of Tibetan Buddhism.

Recollection of the Dhamma (Dhammanussati)

The Aṅguttara Nikāya provides the following verse for the recollection of the Dhamma:

"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves."

— Mahanama Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.12)

The Teaching of the Buddha has six supreme qualities:

1. Svākkhāto (Sanskrit: Svākhyāta; "well-expounded, well-proclaimed, or self-announced"). The Buddha's teaching is not a speculative philosophy but an exposition of the Universal Law of Nature based on a causal analysis of natural phenomena. It is taught, therefore, as a science rather than a sectarian belief system. Full comprehension (enlightenment) of the teaching may take varying lengths of time but Buddhists traditionally say that the course of study is 'excellent in the beginning (sīla; Sanskrit: śīla; "moral principles"), excellent in the middle (Sanskrit: samādhi; "concentration") and excellent in the end' (paññā; Sanskrit: prajñā; "wisdom").
2. Sandiṭṭhiko (Sanskrit: Sāṃdṛṣṭika; "able to be examined"). The Dhamma is open to scientific and other types of scrutiny and is not based on faith. It can be tested by personal practice and one who follows it will see the result for oneself by means of one's own experience. Sandiṭṭhiko comes from the word sandiṭṭhika which means "visible in this world" and is derived from the word sandiṭṭhi. Since the Dhamma is visible, it can be "seen": known and be experienced within one's life.
3. Akāliko (Sanskrit: Akālika; "timeless, immediate"). The Dhamma is able to bestow timeless and immediate results here and now. There is no need to wait for the future or a next existence. The Dhamma does not change over time and it is not relative to time.
4. Ehipassiko (Sanskrit: Ehipaśyika; "which you can come and see" — from the phrase ehi, paśya, "come, see!"). The Dhamma invites all beings to put it to the test and come see for themselves.
5. Opanayiko (Sanskrit: Avapraṇayika; "leading one close to"). Followed as a part of one's life the dhamma leads one to liberation. In the "Vishuddhimagga" this is also referred to as "Upanayanam." Opanayiko means "to be brought inside oneself". This can be understood with an analogy as follows. If one says a ripe mango tastes delicious, and if several people listen and come to believe it, they would imagine the taste of the mango according to their previous experiences of other delicious mangoes. Yet, they will still not really know exactly how this mango tastes. Also, if there is a person who has never tasted a ripe mango before, that person has no way of knowing exactly for himself how it tastes. So, the only way to know the exact taste is to experience it. In the same way, dhamma is said to be opanayiko which means that a person needs to experience it within to see exactly what it is.
6. Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi (Sanskrit: Pratyātmaṃ veditavyo vijñaiḥ; "to be meant to perceive directly"). The Dhamma is "to be realised by the wise for themselves". It can be perfectly realised only by the noble disciples (ariya-puggala) who have matured in supreme wisdom. No one can "enlighten" another person. Each intelligent person has to attain and experience for themselves. As an analogy, no one can simply make another know how to swim. Each person individually has to learn how to swim. In the same way, dhamma cannot be transferred or bestowed upon someone. Each one has to know for themselves.

Knowing these attributes, Buddhists believe that they will attain the greatest peace and happiness through the practice of the Dhamma. Therefore, each person is fully responsible for his or her self to put it into practice for real.

Here the Buddha is compared to an experienced and skillful doctor, and the Dhamma to proper medicine. However efficient the doctor or wonderful the medicine may be, the patients cannot be cured unless they take the medicine properly. So the practice of the Dhamma is the only way to attain the final deliverance of nibbāna.

These teachings ranged from understanding kamma (Sanskrit: karma; lit. 'action') and developing good impressions in one's mind, to reach full enlightenment by recognising the nature of mind.

Recollection of the Sangha (Sanghanussati)

The Aṅguttara Nikāya provides the following verses for the recollection of the Sangha:

"The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well... who have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully — in other words, the four types [of noble disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individual types — they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable field of merit for the world."

— Mahanama Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.12)

I'm fortunate, so very fortunate, to have good friends who advise and instruct me out of kindness and compassion.

— Nandiya Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.13)

Practicing masterfully, or practicing with integrity, means sharing what they have learned with others.

Recollection of virtues (Silanussati)

The Aṅguttara Nikāya provides the following verse for the recollection of virtues:

"[They are] untorn, unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating, praised by the wise, untarnished, conducive to concentration."

— Mahanama Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.12)

Recollection of generosity (Caganussati)

The Aṅguttara Nikāya provides the following verse for the recollection of generosity:

"It is a gain, a great gain for me, that — among people overcome with the stain of possessiveness — I live at home, my awareness cleansed of the stain of possessiveness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms."

— Mahanama Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.12)

Recollection of devas (Devatanussati)

The Aṅguttara Nikāya provides the following verses for the recollection of the devas:

"There are the devas of the Four Great Kings, the devas of the Thirty-three, the devas of the Hours, the Contented Devas, the devas who delight in creation, the devas who have power over the creations of others, the devas of Brahma's retinue, the devas beyond them. Whatever conviction they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of conviction is present in me as well. Whatever virtue they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of virtue is present in me as well. Whatever learning they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of learning is present in me as well. Whatever generosity they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of generosity is present in me as well. Whatever discernment they were endowed with that — when falling away from this life — they re-arose there, the same sort of discernment is present in me as well."

— Mahanama Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.12)

"There are deities who, surpassing the company of deities that consume solid food, are reborn in a certain host of mind-made deities. They don't see in themselves anything more to do, or anything that needs improvement."

— Nandiya Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.13)