However, I’m trying to be clear about the relationship between
passaddhi - tranquillity below
samādhi - immersion below
samatha - serenity below
I’ve given some sutta references below.
Passaddhi is a precursor to samādhi in a number of suttas, so that it reasonably clear. My understanding (from the above topic, and other resources) is that samatha is a more general term than samādhi and jhāna, which involve specific attainments, so perhaps samatha might include several of the awakening factors.
Some relevant suttas:
AN10.102
The awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity.
Satisambojjhaṅgo, dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgo, vīriyasambojjhaṅgo, pītisambojjhaṅgo, passaddhisambojjhaṅgo, samādhisambojjhaṅgo, upekkhāsambojjhaṅgo—
AN2.31
“These two things play a part in realization.
“Dve me, bhikkhave, dhammā vijjābhāgiyā.
What two?
Katame dve?
Serenity and discernment.
Samatho ca vipassanā ca.
…
SN12.23
I say that immersion has a vital condition.
Samādhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.
And what is it?
Kā ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa upanisā?
You should say: ‘Bliss.’
‘Sukhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
I say that bliss has a vital condition.
Sukhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.
And what is it?
Kā ca, bhikkhave, sukhassa upanisā?
You should say: ‘Tranquility.’
‘Passaddhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
…
Well put. This is a good topic. I can only guess the only reason no one has replied is because you have already answered your own question too well! Just to “bump” this worthy topic so it doesn’t die, here are some more sutta quotes to tease out your great post.
As for the person who has discernment but not serenity*: they should approach someone who has serenity and ask: ‘Reverend, how should the mind be stilled?
How should it be settled?
How should it be unified?
How should it be immersed in samādhi? 3.1 * cetosamathassa 1. masc. peace of mind; mental peace; tranquillity of mind; (or) balanced mind [ceto + samatha]
The above sutta uses the term cetosamathassa rather then samatha itself. Cetosamathassa appears to be an umbrella term, like samatha is, for the domain of samma-samadhi. Cetosamathassa appears distinct to samatha as a completion and attainment stage.
The sutta indicates Cetosamathassa contains multiple qualities of samma-samadhi that help define it:
saṇṭhapetabba ptp. should be steadied; should be stabilised; should be setted; lit. to cause to be stood together
samādahātabbaṃ 1. ptp. should be composed; should be stabilized; should be collected
ekodi 1. adj. (mentally) unified; single [eka + odi]
Of note is the absence of passaddhi in Cetosamathassa. This might indicate that passaddhi is more part of samtha training towards attaining samma-samadhi, as well as a Factor for Awakening training towards bodhi.
Indeed:
When the mind is restless, it’s the right time to develop the awakening factors of tranquility, immersion, and equanimity. 13.1
So samatha includes three Factors for Awakening. The triad that is indicated for counteracting states of agitation.
The climax of the Sutta is:>
5.1As for the person who has both serenity and discernment: grounded on those skillful qualities, they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.
I wonder if Venerable Brahmali @Brahmali might have time to kindly please correct this post with his expertise?
I agree that samatha and passaddhi are broader than samādhi and cetosamatha. For instance, samatha is used in the compound adhikaraṇasamatha, which means “the settling of legal issues”. It is also found in vīriyasamatha, “the calming of energy”. In both of these cases samatha has the general sense of “calming”, acting like an agent noun, similar to a verb. Samādhi, on the other hand, does not have this verbal quality, nor does cetosamatha, I think. This verbal quality, here indicated by the -ing ending, quite naturally gives samatha a broad sense.
