​MN 52 Atthakanagara Sutta: The Man from Atthakanagara 

Thus have i heard. 

On one occasion the Venerable Ananda was living at Beluvagamaka near Vesali. Now on that occasion the householder Dasama of Atthakanagara had arrived at Pataliputta for some business or other. Then he went to a certain bhikkhu in Kukkuta's Park, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and asked him: "Where does the venerable Ananda live now, venerable sir? I wish to see the venerable Ananda." The Bhikkhu replied: "The venerable Ananda is living at Beluvagamaka near Vesali, householder."

When the householder Dasama had completed his business at Pataliputta, he went to visit venerable Ananda. After paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and asked him: "Venerable Ananda, has any one thing been proclaimed by the Blessed One who knows and sees, accomplished and fully enlightened, wherein if a bhikkhu abides diligent, ardent, and resolute, his unliberated mind comes to be liberated, his undestroyed taints come to be destroyed, and he attains the supreme security from bondage that he had not attained before?"
Ananda: "Yes, householder, one such thing has been proclaimed by the Blessed One."
Dasama: "What is that one thing, venerable Ananda?"
Ananda: "Here, householder, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. He considers this and understands it thus: 'This first jhana is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then because of that desire for the Dhamma, that delight in the dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters he becomes one due to reappear spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and there attain final Nibbana without ever returning from that world. This is one thing proclaimed by the Blessed One who knows and sees, accomplished and fully enlightened, wherein if a bhikkhu abides diligent, ardent, and resolute, his unliberated mind comes to be liberated, his undestroyed taints come to be destroyed, and he attains the supreme security from bondage that he had not attained before."

Ananda: "Again, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters and abides in the second jhana...He considers this and understands it thus: 'This second jhana is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints...without ever returning from that world. Again, with the fading away as well of rapture, a bhikkhu...enters upon and abides in the third jhana...He considers this and understands it thus: 'This third jhana is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is-impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints...without ever returning from that world. Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain...a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana.. .He considers this and understands it thus: 'This fourth jhana is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints...without ever returning from that world. "

Ananda: "Again, a bhikkhu abides pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he abides pervading the all encompassing world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will. He considers this and understands it thus: 'This deliverance of mind through loving-kindness is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints.. .without ever returning from that world. Again, a bhikkhu abides pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with compassion, appreciative joy, equanimity...without ill will. He considers this and understands it thus: This deliverance of mind through compassion is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints.. .without ever returning from that world." 

"Again, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space. He considers this and understands it thus: 'This attainment of the base of infinite space is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints.. .without ever returning from that world. Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness. He considers this and understands it thus: "This attainment of the base of infi. nite consciousness is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints.. .without ever returning from that world. "

"Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness. He considers this and understands it thus: 'This attainment of the base of nothingness is conditioned and volitionally produced. But whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent, subject to cessation.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then because of that desire for the Dhamma, that delight in the Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters he becomes one due to reappear spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and there attain final Nibbana without ever returning from that world. "This too is one thing proclaimed by the Blessed One who knows and Sees, accomplished and fully enlightened, wherein if a bhikkhu abides diligent, ardent, and resolute, his un-liberated mind comes to be liberated, his un-destroyed taints come to be destroyed, and he attains the supreme security from bondage that he had not attained before."

When venerable Ananda had spoken, the householder Dasama said to him: "Venerable Ananda, just as if a man seeking one entrance to a hidden treasure came all at once upon eleven entrances to a hidden treasure, so too, while I was seeking one door to the Deathless, I have come all at once to hear of eleven doors to the Deathless. Just as if a man had a house with eleven doors and when that house caught on fire, he could flee to safety by any one of these eleven doors, so I can flee to safety by any one of these eleven doors to the Deathless. Venerable sir, these sectarians will even seek a teacher's fee for their teachers; why shouldn't I make an offering to the venerable Ananda?"

Then the householder Dasama of Atthakanagara assembled the Sangha of bhikkhus from Pataliputta and Vesali, and with his own hands he served and satisfied them with various kinds of good food. He presented a pair of cloths to each bhikkhu, and he presented a triple robe to the venerable Ananda, and he had a dwelling worth five hundred built for the venerable Ananda. 

​ In summary, Venerable Ananda explains to a householder Dasama how Arahantship can be attained via any single one of eleven different avenues (11 "doors to the Deathless"). The avenues are any one of the four jhanas, the brahma Vihāras (loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity), or the arupa jhanas up to the Realm of No Thing's to be Had. The effeciant cause of the attainment, it is clear, is not the jhana meditative state but more of the insight understanding of the reality on how things actually are  and the destruction of taints. 

​By WHH

References: 
1. www.accesstoinsight.org
2. https://suttacentral.net/
3. The middle length discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)