Structural analysis of daratha narration in the Cūḷasuññata Sutta (MN 121): Scriptural foundations for understanding meditation adverse effects

The Cūḷasuññata Sutta (MN 121) presents a formula—'there is only this measure of agitation'—across nine stages of perceptual transition. Analysis of this formula reveals three dimensions of daratha (agitation): perceptual, where previous agitation becomes transparent while new agitation remains; ontological, where agitation tied to body and life conditions emerges after perceptual agitation ceases; and dissolution of the formula itself through insight into conditioned phenomena. Correlating this structure with clinical cases and the taxonomy of challenging meditation experiences suggests that the Sutta frames agitation not as something to be eliminated but as an object to be discerned. Meditation adverse effects are thus reframed as structural residual agitation accompanying the transition toward emptiness, and ethical foundations are argued to be a structural prerequisite for stable observation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study explores the narrative structure of daratha (agitation) as presented in the Cūḷasuññata Sutta (MN 121) to provide a scriptural foundation for reframing contemporary discourses on meditation adverse effects. The Sutta consistently employs a specific formula- “there is only this measure of agitation”- across nine stages of perceptual (saññā) transition. Through a structural and sequential analysis of this formula, this research identifies three distinct dimensions of daratha: (1) Perceptual daratha, characterized by a dual structure where previous agitation becomes transparent while new agitation remains; (2) Ontological daratha, a dimensional shift where agitation contingent upon the body and life-conditions emerges after perceptual agitations have ceased; and (3) Dissolution of the formula, where the conventional framework of observation is deconstructed through insight into the conditioned (abhisaṅkhata). By correlating this three- dimensional structure with clinical vignettes and the taxonomy of challenging meditation experiences (Lindahl et al., 2017), this study suggests that the Cūḷasuññata Sutta frames agitation not as an element to be eliminated (pajahati) but as an object to be discerned (pajānāti). Consequently, meditation “adverse effects” are reframed as “structural residual agitation accompanying the transition toward emptiness (suññā).” Furthermore, the study suggests that sīla-based relational safety is not merely an ethical guideline but a structural prerequisite for the stable observation of daratha, advocating for a shift in meditation guidance from technique-centered interventions to those rooted in ethical foundations.