Sutta on leaving absorption/concentration/meditation

Question

I'm looking for a Sutta I read recently that has instructions (or a description) on a gradual exit of meditation/levels of concentration. It might talk about this in the context of Samādhi or Jhāna, I'm not sure. I recall it being somewhat similar to SN 47:10 in that it is more of a parallel description of concentration/absorption/mindfulness, rather than the usual formulas.

I've skimmed through the Satipaṭṭhānasaṁyutta and the Jhānasaṁyutta, but there's just too many discourses. Not to mention the fact that the Sutta I'm looking for might not even be in the Saṁyutta Nikaya.

Any pointers would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

The first sutta that came to mind is the Culavedalla Sutta where a very exquisite dialogue takes place between the nun Dhammadinna and the laymen Visakha. Here is the excerpt in question.

Now, lady, how does emergence from the cessation of perception & feeling come about?"

"The thought does not occur to a monk as he is emerging from the cessation of perception & feeling that 'I am about to emerge from the cessation of perception & feeling' or that 'I am emerging from the cessation of perception & feeling' or that 'I have emerged from the cessation of perception & feeling.' Instead, the way his mind has previously been developed leads him to that state."

"But when a monk is emerging from the cessation of perception & feeling, which things arise first: bodily fabrications, verbal fabrications, or mental fabrications?"

"When a monk is emerging from the cessation of perception & feeling, friend Visakha, mental fabrications arise first, then bodily fabrications, then verbal fabrications."

"When a monk has emerged from the cessation of perception & feeling, lady, how many contacts make contact?"

"When a monk has emerged from the cessation of perception & feeling, friend Visakha, three contacts make contact: contact with emptiness, contact with the signless, & contact with the undirected."[2]

"When a monk has emerged from the cessation of perception & feeling, lady, to what does his mind lean, to what does it tend, to what does it incline?"

"When a monk has emerged from the cessation of perception & feeling, friend Visakha, his mind leans to seclusion, tends to seclusion, inclines to seclusion."[3]

Culavedalla Sutta

Answer 2

check out MN 111, and AN 9.36. Note that only the last two of the 9 attainments require emerging from the attainment before doing vipassana. Visuddhimagga redefines jhana into a disembodied state (as opposed to suttas wehre one can perceive 5 senses of the body), and also adds a frozen stupor state. MN 111 and AN 9.36 show clearly the different between Vism. and suttas.