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an.8.120 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

8.120

“Bhikkhus, for direct knowledge of lust, eight things are to be developed. What eight? (1) One possessing form sees forms. (2) One not percipient of form internally sees forms externally. (3) One is focused only on ‘beautiful.’ (4) With the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, perceiving ‘space is infinite,’ one enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space. (5) By completely surmounting the base of the infinity of space, perceiving ‘consciousness is infinite,’ one enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness. (6) By completely surmounting the base of the infinity of consciousness, perceiving ‘there is nothing,’ one enters and dwells in the base of nothingness. (7) By completely surmounting the base of nothingness, one enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. (8) By completely surmounting the base of neither-perceptionnor-non-perception, one enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling. For direct knowledge of lust, these eight things are to be developed.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh


Untitled Discourse on Greed (3rd)

“For insight into greed, eight things should be developed.
What eight?
Having physical form, they see visions … not perceiving form internally, they see visions externally … they’re focused only on beauty … going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space … going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness … going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness … going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling …
For insight into greed, these eight things should be developed.”