AN 9.37 a new translation, features details showing that four jhānas has mind connected to 5 senses of the body

In terms of word count, this is mostly Sujato's translation.

But I've made some major improvements, highlighted in yellow, that will greatly assist your understanding of some important points related to four jhānas being embodied, in contrast with disembodied formless attainments.

Sutta text enclosed in [ ] square braces is relevant information from other suttas outside of this one, to help you connect the dots.

AN 9.37 Ānanda: By Ānanda

(2022 SP-FLUENT translation by frankk‍ derived from B. Sujato‍ 2018/12)

37. Ānandasutta	37. By Ānanda
Ekaṃ samayaṃ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṃ viharati ghositārāme.	At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambi, in Ghosita’s Monastery.
Tatra kho āyasmā ānando bhikkhū āmantesi:	There Ānanda addressed the monks:
“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.	“Reverends, monks!”
“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato ānandassa paccassosuṃ.	“Reverend,” they replied.
Āyasmā ānando etadavoca:	Ānanda said this:
“Acchariyaṃ, āvuso, abbhutaṃ, āvuso.	“It’s incredible, reverends, it’s amazing!
Yāvañcidaṃ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sambādhe okāsādhigamo anubuddho	How this Blessed One who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, has found an opening in a confined space.

 

37.1 – (This passage is same as famous MN 10 intro statement, SN 47.1: “...for purification of beings...”)

sattānaṃ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṃ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.	It’s in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to complete the procedure, and to realize nirvāṇa.

 

37.2 – (terminology for describing mind divorced from 5 senses/ayatana)

Tadeva nāma cakkhuṃ bhavissati te rūpā tañcāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.	The eye itself is actually present, and so are those sights. Yet one will not experience that sense-field.
Tadeva nāma sotaṃ bhavissati te saddā tañcāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.	The ear itself is actually present, and so are those sounds. Yet one will not experience that sense-field.
Tadeva nāma ghānaṃ bhavissati te gandhā tañcāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.	The nose itself is actually present, and so are those smells. Yet one will not experience that sense-field.
Sāva nāma jivhā bhavissati te rasā tañcāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.	The tongue itself is actually present, and so are those tastes. Yet one will not experience that sense-field.
Sova nāma kāyo bhavissati te phoṭṭhabbā tañcāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissatī”ti.	The body itself is actually present, and so are those touches. Yet one will not experience that sense-field.”

[In other words, one would not be able to see forms, hear sounds, smell odors, taste food, feel mosquito bites in this state.]

 

37.3 – (Is perception/sañña in this state? Yes.)

Evaṃ vutte, āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṃ ānandaṃ etadavoca:	When he said this, Venerable Udāyī said to Venerable Ānanda:
“saññīmeva nu kho, āvuso ānanda, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti udāhu asaññī”ti?	“Reverend Ānanda, is one who doesn’t experience that sense-field actually percipient or not?”
“Saññīmeva kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti, no asaññī”ti.	“Reverend, one who doesn’t experience that sense-field is actually percipient, not non-percipient.”

 

37.4 – (What can one perceive with mind divorced from body? 4 jhānas conspicuously missing!)

“Kiṃsaññī panāvuso, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedetī”ti?	“But what does one who doesn’t experience that sense-field perceive?”

[One can perceive various formless attainments, four of which I will name. But not the four jhānas, since the Buddha already stated in the previous sutta, AN 9.36, that in the four jhānas one is percipient of material form and the 5 sense fields that depend on that.]

37.4.1 – (ākāsānañcā-(a)yatanaṃ: dimension of infinite space)

“Idhāvuso, bhikkhu,	“It’s when a monk,

sabbaso rūpa-saññānaṃ samatikkamā	Going totally beyond perceptions of [both the internal physical body and external] forms,
Paṭigha-saññānaṃ atthaṅgamā	with the ending of perceptions of impingement, [such as extreme cold, heat, bug bites that can only be felt when the mind is still connected to the 5 senses],
nānatta-saññānaṃ a-manasikārā	not focusing on perceptions of diversity [that occur when the five sense faculties are active],
‘an-anto ākāso’ti	[one perceives that] ‘space is infinite’,
ākāsānañcā-(a)yatanaṃ upasampajja viharati.	they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space.

Evaṃsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti.	One who doesn’t experience that sense-field perceives in this way.

37.4.2 – (viññāṇañcā-(a)yatanaṃ: dimension of infinite consciousness)

Puna caparaṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu	Furthermore, a monk,

sabbaso ākāsānañcā-(a)yatanaṃ samatikkamma	Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space,
'An-antaṃ viññāṇan’ti	[one perceives that] ‘the consciousness [that remains when the perception of infinite space drops out is also] infinite’,
viññāṇañcā-(a)yatanaṃ upasampajja viharati.	they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness.

Evaṃsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti.	One who doesn’t experience that sense-field perceives in this way.

37.4.3 – (ākiñcaññā-(a)yatanaṃ: dimension of nothingness)

Puna caparaṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu	Furthermore, a monk,

sabbaso viññāṇañcā-(a)yatanaṃ samatikkamma	Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness,
'N-atthi kiñcī’ti	[one perceives that] ‘there is nothing at all’ [after one drops the perception of infinite consciousness],
ākiñcaññā-(a)yatanaṃ upasampajja viharati.	they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness.

Evaṃsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedetīti.	One who doesn’t experience that sense-field perceives in this way.

37.4.4 - (na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato)

Ekamidāhaṃ, āvuso, samayaṃ sākete viharāmi añjanavane migadāye.	Reverend, one time I was staying near Sāketa in the deer park in Añjana Wood.
Atha kho, āvuso, jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī yenāhaṃ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṃ ṭhitā kho, āvuso, jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī maṃ etadavoca:	Then the nun Jaṭilagāhikā came up to me, bowed, stood to one side, and said to me:
‘yāyaṃ, bhante ānanda, samādhi na cābhinato na cāpanato na ca sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato,	‘Sir, Ānanda, regarding the undistractible-lucidity that does not lean forward or pull back, and is not held in place by forceful suppression.
vimuttattā ṭhito, ṭhitattā santusito, santusitattā no paritassati.	Being free, it’s stable. Being stable, it’s content. Being content, one is not anxious.
Ayaṃ, bhante ānanda, samādhi kiṃphalo vutto bhagavatā’ti?	What did the Buddha say was the fruit of this undistractible-lucidity?’

37.4.5 – (fruit of that samādhi is final knowledge i.e. nirvana)

Evaṃ vutte, sohaṃ, āvuso, jaṭilavāsikaṃ bhikkhuniṃ etadavocaṃ:	When she said this, I said to her:
‘yāyaṃ, bhagini, samādhi na cābhinato na cāpanato na ca sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato,	‘Sister, regarding the undistractible-lucidity that does not lean forward or pull back, and is not held in place by forceful suppression.
vimuttattā ṭhito, ṭhitattā santusito, santusitattā no paritassati.	Being free, it’s stable. Being stable, it’s content. Being content, one is not anxious.
Ayaṃ, bhagini, samādhi aññāphalo vutto bhagavatā’ti.	The Buddha said that the fruit of this undistractible-lucidity is enlightenment.’
Evaṃsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedetī”ti.	One who doesn’t experience that sense-field perceives in this way, too.”

(end of sutta ⏹️)