an.9.41 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

To Tapussa

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Mallans near a Mallan town named Uruvelakappa. Then early in the morning the Blessed One, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl and outer robe, went into Uruvelakappa for alms. Having gone into Uruvelakappa for alms, after his meal, on his return from his alms round, he said to Ven. Ananda, “Stay right here, Ananda, while I go into the Great Wood for the day’s abiding.”

“As you say, lord,” Ven. Ananda responded.

Then the Blessed One went into the Great Wood and sat down at the root of a certain tree for the day’s abiding.

Then Tapussa the householder went to Ven. Ananda and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Ananda: “Venerable Ananda, sir, we are householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensuality, enjoy sensuality, rejoice in sensuality. For us—indulging in sensuality, delighting in sensuality, enjoying sensuality, rejoicing in sensuality—renunciation seems like a sheer drop-off. Yet I’ve heard that in this doctrine & discipline the hearts of the very young monks leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. So right here is where this doctrine & discipline is contrary to the great mass of people: i.e., [this issue of] renunciation.”

“This calls for a talk, householder. Let’s go see the Blessed One. Let’s approach him and, on arrival, tell him this matter. However he explains it to us, we will bear it in mind.”

“As you say, sir,” Tapussa the householder responded to Ven. Ananda.

Then Ven. Ananda, together with Tapussa the householder, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: “Tapussa the householder, here, has said to me, ‘Venerable Ananda, sir, we are householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensuality, enjoy sensuality, rejoice in sensuality. For us—indulging in sensuality, delighting in sensuality, enjoying sensuality, rejoicing in sensuality—renunciation seems like a sheer drop-off. Yet I’ve heard that in this doctrine & discipline the hearts of the very young monks leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. So right here is where this doctrine & discipline is contrary to the great mass of people: i.e., [this issue of] renunciation.’”

“So it is, Ananda. So it is. Even I myself, before my Awakening, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, thought: ‘Renunciation is good. Seclusion is good.’ But my heart didn’t leap up at renunciation, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: ‘What is the cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn’t leap up at renunciation, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?’ Then the thought occurred to me: ‘I haven’t seen the drawback of sensual pleasures; I haven’t pursued [that theme]. I haven’t understood the reward of renunciation; I haven’t familiarized myself with it. That’s why my heart doesn’t leap up at renunciation, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace.’

[1] “Then the thought occurred to me: ‘If, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I were to pursue that theme; and if, having understood the reward of renunciation, I were to familiarize myself with it, there’s the possibility that my heart would leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace.’

“So at a later time, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of renunciation, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at renunciation, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. Then, quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with sensuality. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with sensuality that beset me was an affliction for me.

[2] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, I were to enter & remain in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.’ But my heart didn’t leap up at being without directed thought, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: ‘What is the cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn’t leap up at being without directed thought, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?’ Then the thought occurred to me: ‘I haven’t seen the drawback of directed thought; I haven’t pursued that theme. I haven’t understood the reward of being without directed thought; I haven’t familiarized myself with it. That’s why my heart doesn’t leap up at being without directed thought, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace.’

“Then the thought occurred to me: ‘If, having seen the drawback of directed thought, I were to pursue that theme; and if, having understood the reward of being without directed thought, I were to familiarize myself with it, there’s the possibility that my heart would leap up at being without directed thought, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace.’

“So at a later time, having seen the drawback of directed thought, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of being without directed thought, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at being without directed thought, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, I entered & remained in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with directed thought. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with directed thought that beset me was an affliction for me.

[3] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the fading of rapture, I were to remain in equanimity, mindful & alert, to be physically sensitive to pleasure, and to enter & remain in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, “Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding"?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at being without rapture, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace… So at a later time, having seen the drawback of rapture, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of being without rapture, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at being without rapture, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the fading of rapture, I remained in equanimity, mindful & alert, physically sensitive to pleasure, and entered & remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with rapture. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with rapture that beset me was an affliction for me.

[4] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the abandoning of pleasure & stress—as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress—I were to enter & remain in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at being without the pleasure of equanimity, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace… So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the pleasure of equanimity, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of neither-pleasure-nor-pain, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at neither-pleasure-nor-pain, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the abandoning of pleasure & stress—as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress—I entered & remained in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with equanimity. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with equanimity that beset me was an affliction for me.

[5] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the complete transcending of perceptions of [physical] form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, thinking, “Infinite space,” I were to enter & remain in the dimension of the infinitude of space?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at the dimension of the infinitude of space, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace… So at a later time, having seen the drawback of forms, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of the dimension of the infinitude of space, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at the dimension of the infinitude of space, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the complete transcending of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, [perceiving,] ‘Infinite space,’ I entered & remained in the dimension of the infinitude of space.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with forms. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with forms that beset me was an affliction for me.

[6] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, thinking, “Infinite consciousness,” I were to enter & remain in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace… So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the dimension of the infinitude of space, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, [perceiving,] ‘Infinite consciousness,’ I entered & remained in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of the infinitude of space. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of the infinitude of space that beset me was an affliction for me.

[7] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, thinking, “There is nothing,” I were to enter & remain in the dimension of nothingness?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at the dimension of nothingness, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace… So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of the dimension of nothingness, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at the dimension of nothingness, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, [perceiving,] ‘There is nothing,’ I entered & remained in the dimension of nothingness.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness that beset me was an affliction for me.

[8] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if I, with the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, were to enter & remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace… So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the dimension of nothingness, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, I entered & remained in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of nothingness. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of nothingness that beset me was an affliction for me.

[9] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if I, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, were to enter & remain in the cessation of perception & feeling?’ But my heart didn’t leap up at the cessation of perception & feeling, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: ‘What is the cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn’t leap up at the cessation of perception & feeling, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?’ Then the thought occurred to me: ‘I haven’t seen the drawback of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; I haven’t pursued that theme. I haven’t understood the reward of the cessation of perception & feeling; I haven’t familiarized myself with it. That’s why my heart doesn’t leap up at the cessation of perception & feeling, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace.’

“Then the thought occurred to me: ‘If, having seen the drawback of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I were to pursue that theme; and if, having understood the reward of the cessation of perception & feeling, I were to familiarize myself with it, there’s the possibility that my heart would leap up at the cessation of perception & feeling, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace.’

“So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of the cessation of perception & feeling, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at the cessation of perception & feeling, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I entered & remained in the cessation of perception & feeling. And as I saw with discernment, the mental fermentations went to their total end.

“Ananda, as long as I had not attained & emerged from these nine step-by-step dwelling-attainments in forward & backward order in this way, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people. But as soon as I had attained & emerged from these nine step-by-step dwelling-attainments in forward & backward order in this way, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people. Knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘My release is unshakable. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.’”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera

With the Householder Tapussa

Then I thought,

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Mallas, near the Mallian town named Uruvelakappa.
Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Uruvelakappa for alms.
Then, after the meal, on his return from almsround, he addressed Venerable Ānanda,
“Ānanda, you stay right here, while I plunge deep into the Great Wood for the day’s meditation.”
“Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied.
Then the Buddha plunged deep into the Great Wood and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.
The householder Tapussa went up to Venerable Ānanda, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Sir, Ānanda, we are laypeople who enjoy sensual pleasures. We like sensual pleasures, we love them and take joy in them.
But renunciation seems like an abyss.
I have heard that in this teaching and training there are very young mendicants whose minds are eager for renunciation; they’re confident, settled, and decided about it. They see it as peaceful.
Renunciation is the dividing line between the multitude and the mendicants in this teaching and training.”
“Householder, we should see the Buddha about this matter.
Come, let’s go to the Buddha and inform him about this.
As he answers, so we’ll remember it.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Tapussa.
Then Ānanda together with Tapussa went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Ānanda told him what had happened.

“That’s so true, Ānanda! That’s so true!
Before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I too thought,
‘Renunciation is good! Seclusion is good!’
But my mind wasn’t eager for renunciation; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for renunciation, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of renunciation, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for renunciation, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of renunciation, I were to develop that.
It’s possible that my mind would be eager for renunciation; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of sensual pleasures and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of renunciation and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for renunciation; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I entered and remained in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by sensual pleasures beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by sensual pleasures beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled … enter and remain in the second absorption?’
But my mind wasn’t eager to stop placing the mind; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager to stop placing the mind, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of placing the mind, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of not placing the mind, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager to stop placing the mind, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of placing the mind, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of not placing the mind, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager to stop placing the mind; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of placing the mind and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of not placing the mind and developed that.
Then my mind was eager to stop placing the mind; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected were stilled … I entered and remained in the second absorption.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by placing the mind beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by placing the mind and keeping it connected beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, with the fading away of rapture, enter and remain in the third absorption, where I will meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, “Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss”?’
But my mind wasn’t eager for freedom from rapture; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for freedom from rapture, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of rapture, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of freedom from rapture, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for freedom from rapture, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of rapture, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of freedom from rapture, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager to be free from rapture; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of rapture and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of freedom from rapture and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for freedom from rapture; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, with the fading away of rapture … I entered and remained in the third absorption.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by rapture beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by rapture beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, with the giving up of pleasure and pain, and the ending of former happiness and sadness, enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness?’
But my mind wasn’t eager to be without pleasure and pain; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager to be without pleasure and pain, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of equanimous bliss, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of being without pleasure and pain, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager to be without pleasure and pain, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of equanimous bliss, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of being without pleasure and pain, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager to be without pleasure and pain; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of equanimous bliss and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of being without pleasure and pain and developed that.
‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”
Then my mind was eager to be without pleasure and pain; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, giving up pleasure and pain … I entered and remained in the fourth absorption.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by equanimous bliss beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by equanimous bliss beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that “space is infinite”, enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space?’
But my mind wasn’t eager for the dimension of infinite space; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of infinite space, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of forms, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of the dimension of infinite space, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of infinite space, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of forms, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of the dimension of infinite space, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager for the dimension of infinite space; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of forms and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of the dimension of infinite space and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for the dimension of infinite space; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, I entered and remained in the dimension of infinite space.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by forms beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by forms beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that “consciousness is infinite”, enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness?’
But my mind wasn’t eager for the dimension of infinite consciousness; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of infinite consciousness, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of the dimension of infinite space, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of the dimension of infinite consciousness, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of infinite consciousness, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of the dimension of infinite space, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of the dimension of infinite consciousness, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager for the dimension of infinite consciousness; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of the dimension of infinite space and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of the dimension of infinite consciousness and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for the dimension of infinite consciousness; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, I entered and remained in the dimension of infinite consciousness.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by the dimension of infinite space beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by the dimension of infinite space beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that “there is nothing at all”, enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness?’
But my mind wasn’t eager for the dimension of nothingness; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of nothingness, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of the dimension of infinite consciousness, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of the dimension of nothingness, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of nothingness, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of the dimension of infinite consciousness, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of the dimension of nothingness, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager for the dimension of nothingness; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of the dimension of infinite consciousness and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of the dimension of nothingness and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for the dimension of nothingness; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, I entered and remained in the dimension of nothingness.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by the dimension of infinite consciousness beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by the dimension of infinite consciousness beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception?’
But my mind wasn’t eager for the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of the dimension of nothingness, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of the dimension of nothingness, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager for the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of the dimension of nothingness and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, I entered and remained in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.
While I was in that meditation, perceptions and attentions accompanied by the dimension of nothingness beset me, and that was an affliction for me.
Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them.
In the same way, when perceptions and attentions accompanied by the dimension of nothingness beset me, that was an affliction for me.
Then I thought,
‘Why don’t I, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling?’
But my mind wasn’t eager for the cessation of perception and feeling; it wasn’t confident, settled, and decided about it. I didn’t see it as peaceful.
Then I thought,
‘What is the cause, what is the reason why my mind isn’t eager for the cessation of perception and feeling, and not confident, settled, and decided about it? Why don’t I see it as peaceful?’
Then I thought,
‘I haven’t seen the drawbacks of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and so I haven’t cultivated that. I haven’t realized the benefits of the cessation of perception and feeling, and so I haven’t developed that.
That’s why my mind isn’t eager for the cessation of perception and feeling, and not confident, settled, and decided about it. And it’s why I don’t see it as peaceful.’
Then I thought,
‘Suppose that, seeing the drawbacks of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I were to cultivate that. And suppose that, realizing the benefits of the cessation of perception and feeling, I were to develop that. It’s possible that my mind would be eager for cessation of perception and feeling; it would be confident, settled, and decided about it. And I would see it as peaceful.’
And so, after some time, I saw the drawbacks of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception and cultivated that, and I realized the benefits of the cessation of perception and feeling and developed that.
Then my mind was eager for the cessation of perception and feeling; it was confident, settled, and decided about it. I saw it as peaceful.
And so, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I entered and remained in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, my defilements were ended.
As long as I hadn’t entered into and withdrawn from these nine progressive meditative attainments in both forward and reverse order, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
But when I had entered into and withdrawn from these nine progressive meditative attainments in both forward and reverse order, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
Knowledge and vision arose in me: