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Or it does not occur to him, 'I will make what is not so fit to be so.' Ananda, when this is so, it is enough to say that the view of an immaterial limited self does not lie latent. Ananda, there, he who does not conceive an immaterial infinite self, nor does he conceive it. Or as existing now, he does not conceive an immaterial infinite self, nor does he conceive it. Or as existing there, he does not conceive an immaterial infinite self, nor does he conceive it. Or it does not occur to him, 'I will make what is not so fit to be so.' Ananda, when this is so, it is enough to say that the view of an immaterial infinite self does not lie latent. Ananda, to this extent, he does not conceive a self, nor does he conceive it. Contemplation of Self 121. Ananda, to what extent does one contemplate the self as the self? Ananda, one contemplates feeling as the self, thinking: 'Feeling is my self.' Or, Ananda, one contemplates the self, thinking: 'Feeling is certainly not my self, my self is unfeeling.' Or, Ananda, one contemplates the self, thinking: 'Feeling is certainly not my self, nor is my self unfeeling; my self feels, for my self is of the nature to feel.' 122. Ananda, there, he who says: 'Feeling is my self,' should be told: 'There are these three, friend...' Listen, feeling – pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. Of these three feelings, which do you regard as self? Ananda, when one feels a pleasant feeling, at that time one does not feel a painful feeling, nor a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling; at that time one feels only a pleasant feeling. Ananda, when one feels a painful feeling, at that time one does not feel a pleasant feeling, nor a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling; at that time one feels only a painful feeling. Ananda, when one feels a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, at that time one does not feel a pleasant feeling, nor a painful feeling; at that time one feels only a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. 123. Ananda, pleasant feeling is also impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to destruction, subject to vanishing, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. Ananda, painful feeling is also impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to destruction, subject to vanishing, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. Ananda, neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling is also impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to destruction, subject to vanishing, subject to fading away, subject to cessation. When one feels a pleasant feeling, one thinks, 'This is my self.' With the cessation of that very pleasant feeling, one thinks, 'My self has vanished.' When one feels a painful feeling, one thinks, 'This is my self.' With the cessation of that very painful feeling, one thinks, 'My self has vanished.' When one feels a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, one thinks, 'This is my self.' With the cessation of that very neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, one thinks, 'My self has vanished.' Thus, in this very life, one who says 'feeling is my self' regards the self as impermanent, mixed with pleasant and painful, subject to arising and vanishing. Therefore, Ananda, it is not fitting to regard 'feeling is my self.' 124. There Ananda, if someone says this: 'Feeling is certainly not my self, my self is without feeling.' He should be told this: 'Friend, where there is absolutely no feeling, would there then be, "I am this"?' 'No, venerable sir.' Therefore, Ananda, it is not fitting to regard this: 'Feeling is certainly not my self, my self is without feeling.' 125. Ananda, if someone says this: 'Feeling is certainly not my self, nor is my self without feeling; my self feels, for my self is of the nature of feeling.' He should be told this: 'Friend, if feelings were to cease completely, in every way, without remainder; when feeling is entirely absent, due to the cessation of feeling, would there then be, "I am this"?' 'No, venerable sir.' Therefore, Ananda, it is not fitting to regard this: 'Feeling is certainly not my self, nor is my self without feeling; my self feels, for my self is of the nature of feeling.' 126. Ananda, when a bhikkhu does not regard feeling as self, nor does he regard the unfeeling as self, nor does he regard 'my self feels, for my self is of the nature of feeling' as self. Not regarding thus, he grasps nothing in the world. Not grasping, he does not tremble. Not trembling, he personally attains Nibbana. He understands: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.' Ananda, if someone were to say of such a bhikkhu, whose mind is thus liberated: 'The Tathagata exists after death' – that is not fitting. 'The Tathagata does not exist after death' – that is not fitting. 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death' – that is not fitting. 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death' – "thus," that is not proper. For what reason? As far as, Ananda, designation, as far as the path of designation, as far as expression, as far as the path of expression, as far as concept, as far as the path of concept, as far as wisdom, as far as the range of wisdom, as far as the round of existence revolves, as far as it revolves, to say of a bhikkhu liberated by direct knowledge of that, of such a bhikkhu liberated by direct knowledge of that, 'he does not know, he does not see' - that is not proper. Seven Stations of Consciousness 127. There are, Ananda, seven stations of consciousness, and two bases. Which are the seven? There are, Ananda, beings with diverse bodies and diverse perceptions, such as human beings, some devas, and some in the lower realms. This is the first station of consciousness. There are, Ananda, beings with diverse bodies and unified perceptions, such as the devas of the Brahma-world who are reborn there for the first time. This is the second station of consciousness. There are, Ananda, beings with unified bodies and diverse perceptions, such as the Abhassara devas. This is the third station of consciousness. There are, Ananda, beings with unified bodies and unified perceptions, such as the Subhakiṇha devas. This is the fourth station of consciousness. There are, Ananda, beings who, by completely transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, by not attending to perceptions of diversity, reach the sphere of infinite space, thinking 'space is infinite'. This is the fifth station of consciousness. There are, Ananda, beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite space, reach the sphere of infinite consciousness, thinking 'consciousness is infinite'. This is the sixth station of consciousness. There are, Ananda, beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness, reach the sphere of nothingness, thinking 'there is nothing'. This is the seventh station of consciousness. The sphere of non-percipient beings, and the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, are the two. 128. Therein, Ananda, this first station of consciousness, with diverse bodies and diverse perceptions, such as human beings, some devas, and some in the lower realms. Ananda, if someone knows it, and knows its origin, and knows its cessation, and knows its gratification, and knows its danger, and knows its escape, is it proper for him to delight in it? No, venerable sir. ... Ananda, as for this abode of non-percipient beings. If someone knows it, and knows its origin, and knows its cessation, and knows its gratification, and knows its danger, and knows its escape, is it proper for him to delight in it? No, venerable sir. Ananda, as for this abode of neither perception nor non-perception. If someone knows it, and knows its origin, and knows its cessation, and knows its gratification, and knows its danger, and knows its escape, is it proper for him to delight in it? No, venerable sir. Ananda, when a bhikkhu, having truly understood the origin, cessation, gratification, danger, and escape of these seven stations of consciousness and these two abodes, is liberated without clinging, that bhikkhu, Ananda, is called wisdom-liberated. Eight Liberations 129. Ananda, there are these eight liberations. Which eight? 1. One with form sees forms; this is the first liberation. 2. One perceiving formlessness internally sees forms externally; this is the second liberation. 3. One is intent on the beautiful; this is the third liberation. 4. Completely transcending perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, not attending to perceptions of diversity, one enters and abides in the sphere of infinite space, thinking 'space is infinite'; this is the fourth liberation. 5. Completely transcending the sphere of infinite space, one enters and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness, thinking 'consciousness is infinite'; this is the fifth liberation. 6. Completely transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness... Entering and abiding in the dimension of nothingness, thinking, ‘There is nothing,’ this is the sixth liberation. Completely transcending the dimension of nothingness, entering and abiding in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, this is the seventh liberation. Completely transcending the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, entering and abiding in the cessation of perception and feeling, this is the eighth liberation. These, Ānanda, are the eight liberations. 130. “When, Ānanda, a bhikkhu enters these eight liberations in forward order, in reverse order, in forward and reverse order, entering and emerging as he wishes, as he likes, for as long as he likes. And with the destruction of the taints, by his own direct knowledge,