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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