Dear Nina and friends,

thanks very much for the trouble to come up with this extensive
answer. Now I see how the teachings in this sutta helps in jhana, but
of course, from jhana, Rahula moved on to vipassana.

Would you kindly explain the word 'taadibhaavo', suchness. Thank you.

metta,
Yong Peng

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, nina van gorkom wrote:
I think this may answer your question about jhana and vipassana.
Towards the end of the sutta the Buddha explained again about
mindfulness of breathing. It is very meaningful that this was
explained after he had spoken in detail to Rahula about the
development of vipassana. Rahula could attain jhana with mindfulness
of breathing, but he had to be mindful of nama and rupa in between
the different stages of jhana he entered into and emerged from. He
had to realize also the jhanafactors (applied thought, sustained
thought, rapture, etc.) as impermanent, dukkha and non-self. He
should not take jhanacitta for self. It is explained in the
Visuddhimagga and in the Co to the Anapanasati sutta that mindfulness
of breathing can be object of samatha and of insight. Piya
incorporated these explanations in his glosses to the
Mahaaraahulovaadasutta.