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stood a golden palm tree; its trunk was gold, its leaves and fruits were silver. At the door of the beryl chamber stood a crystal palm tree; its trunk was crystal, its leaves and fruits were beryl. At the door of the crystal chamber stood a beryl palm tree; its trunk was beryl, its leaves and fruits were crystal. Then, Ananda, it occurred to King Mahāsudassana: ‘What if I were to have a palm grove made entirely of gold at the door of the great array of pinnacled chambers, where I could sit for my daytime rest?’ So, Ananda, King Mahāsudassana had at the door of the great array of pinnacled chambers a palm grove made entirely of gold, where he sat for his daytime rest. The Dhamma palace, Ananda, was surrounded by two railings; one railing was of gold, one was of silver. For the golden railing there were golden posts, and silver cross-bars and coping. For the silver railing there were silver posts, and golden cross-bars and coping. The Dhamma palace, Ananda, by two nets of bells surroun- It was spread out – one net of gold, one of silver. To the golden net, silver bells were attached. To the silver net, golden bells were attached. And Ananda, the sound of those bell-nets, stirred by the wind, was charming and delightful, agreeable and intoxicating. Just as, Ananda, the sound of a five-instrument orchestra, well-tuned, well-played, struck by skilled musicians, is charming and delightful, agreeable and intoxicating; even so, Ananda, the sound of those bell-nets, stirred by the wind, was charming and delightful, agreeable and intoxicating. And Ananda, those rogues, drunkards, and thirsty ones who were in the royal capital of Kusavati at that time, they enjoyed themselves with the sound of those bell-nets, stirred by the wind. And Ananda, the Dhamma Palace, when finished, was difficult to look at, it hurt the eyes. Just as, Ananda, in the last month of the rainy season, in the autumn, when the sky is clear and free of clouds, the sun, ascending into the sky, is difficult to look at, it hurts the eyes; even so, Ananda, the Dhamma Palace was difficult to look at, it hurt the eyes. Then, Ananda, it occurred to King Mahasudassana: "Let me build a lotus pond named Dhamma in front of the Dhamma Palace." And Ananda, King Mahasudassana built a lotus pond named Dhamma in front of the Dhamma Palace. The Dhamma lotus pond, Ananda, was one yojana in length from east to west, and half a yojana in width from north to south. The Dhamma lotus pond, Ananda, was built with bricks of four colors: one brick of gold, one of silver, one of beryl, one of crystal. The Dhamma lotus pond, Ananda, had twenty-four flights of steps... There were four kinds of stairs— one staircase of gold, one of silver, one of beryl, one of crystal. For the golden staircase, the pillars were of gold, the crossbars and coping were of silver. For the silver staircase, the pillars were of silver, the crossbars and coping were of gold. For the beryl staircase, the pillars were of beryl, the crossbars and coping were of crystal. For the crystal staircase, the pillars were of crystal, the crossbars and coping were of beryl. "Dhammā, Ānanda, the lotus pond was surrounded by two railings— one railing of gold, one of silver. For the golden railing, the pillars were of gold, the crossbars and coping were of silver. For the silver railing, the pillars were of silver, the crossbars and coping were of gold. "Dhammā, Ānanda, the lotus pond was surrounded by seven rows of palm trees— one row of palm trees of gold, one of silver, one of beryl, one of crystal, one of ruby, one of red coral, one of all jewels. For the golden palm tree, the trunk was of gold, the leaves and fruits were of silver. For the silver palm tree, the trunk was of silver, the leaves and fruits were of gold. For the beryl palm tree, the trunk was of beryl, the leaves and fruits were of crystal. For the crystal palm tree, the trunk was of crystal, the leaves and fruits were of beryl. For the ruby palm tree, the trunk was of ruby, the leaves and fruits were of red coral. For the red coral palm tree, the trunk was of red coral, the leaves and fruits were of ruby. For the all-jewel palm tree, the trunk was of all jewels, the leaves and fruits were of all jewels. And, Ānanda, of those rows of palm trees, when the wind The sound of them being stirred arose, charming and delightful, pleasing and intoxicating. Just as, Ānanda, the sound of a five-part orchestra, well-tuned, well-struck, played by skilled musicians, is charming and delightful, pleasing and intoxicating, even so, Ānanda, the sound of those palm-rows, stirred by the wind, arose, charming and delightful, pleasing and intoxicating. And indeed, Ānanda, those rogues, drunkards, and thirsty ones who were in the royal capital of Kusāvatī at that time, they entertained themselves with the sound of those palm-rows stirred by the wind. Now, Ānanda, when the Dhamma Palace was completed, and the Dhamma Pond was completed, King Mahāsudassana, having satisfied with all desires those who at that time were ascetics or considered ascetics, or brahmins or considered brahmins, ascended the Dhamma Palace. The First Recitation Section. Attainment of Jhāna 260. Then, Ānanda, this thought occurred to King Mahāsudassana: 'Of what kamma is this the fruit for me? Of what kamma is this the result, that I am now so mighty, so powerful?' Then, Ānanda, this thought occurred to King Mahāsudassana: 'This is the fruit of three kammas for me, the result of three kammas, that I am now so mighty, so powerful, namely, of giving, of self-control, and of restraint.' Then, Ānanda, King Mahāsudassana approached the Great Arrayed Palace. Having approached, standing at the door of the Great Arrayed Palace, he uttered an exclamation: 'Stop, thought of sensual desire! Stop, thought of ill-will! Stop, thought of harm! So far, thought of sensual desire! So far, thought of ill-will! So far, thought of harm!' 261. Then, Ānanda, King Mahāsudassana, having entered the Great Arrayed Palace, seated on a golden couch, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with thought and... With thought and examination, joy and pleasure born of seclusion, he entered and remained in the first jhāna. With the stilling of thought and examination, with internal assurance, with the unification of mind, without thought and examination, with joy and pleasure born of concentration, he entered and remained in the second jhāna. With the fading of joy, he remained equanimous, mindful and clearly comprehending, and experienced pleasure with the body, of which the noble ones declare: ‘He dwells equanimous, mindful, and in pleasure’ – he entered and remained in the third jhāna. With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the prior disappearance of gladness and sadness, he entered and remained in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant, and is purified by equanimity and mindfulness. 262. Then, Ananda, King Mahāsudassana, having emerged from the great array of pinnacled buildings, entered the golden pinnacled building, and sat on a silver couch. He dwelled pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness. Likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, in every way, he dwelled pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. With a mind imbued with compassion (similarly)... With a mind imbued with appreciative joy (similarly)... With a mind imbued with equanimity, he dwelled pervading one direction. Likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, in every way, he dwelled pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. Eighty-four thousand cities 263. To King Mahāsudassana, Ananda, there were eighty-four thousand cities, with Kusāvatī as the chief royal capital. There were eighty-four thousand palaces, with the Dhamma Palace as the chief. There were eighty-four thousand pinnacled buildings, with the Great Array of Pinnacled Buildings as the chief. There were eighty-four thousand couches: made of gold, made of silver, made of ivory, made of heartwood, covered with long-haired rugs. Spread with coverings, spread with carpets, with excellent coverings of antelope skins, with upper sheets, with red pillows on both sides; Eighty-four thousand elephants there were, adorned with gold ornaments, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, led by the elephant king Uposatha; Eighty-four thousand horses there were, adorned with gold ornaments, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, led by the horse king Valāhaka; Eighty-four thousand chariots there were, covered with lion skins, covered with tiger skins, covered with leopard skins, covered with yellow blankets, adorned with gold ornaments, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, led by the chariot Vejayanta; Eighty-four thousand jewels there were, led by the jewel-gem; Eighty-four thousand women there were, led by Queen Subhaddā; Eighty-four thousand householders there were, led by the householder-gem; Eighty-four thousand khattiyas there were, followers, led by the general-gem; Eighty-four thousand milch cows there were, yielding milk in streams, held in bronze pails; Eighty-four thousand crores of garments there were, of fine linen, of fine cotton, of fine silk, of fine wool; For King Mahāsudassana, Ananda, eighty-four thousand dishes of cooked rice there were, brought morning and evening. 264. "Now at that time, Ananda, eighty-four thousand elephants of King Mahāsudassana came for attendance morning and evening. Then, Ananda, it occurred to King Mahāsudassana: 'These eighty-four thousand elephants of mine come for attendance morning and evening. What if, after a hundred years,