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sees external forms, immeasurable, beautiful or ugly. He perceives, 'Having overcome them, I know, I see.' This is the second sphere of mastery. One, not perceiving forms internally, sees external forms, small, beautiful or ugly. He perceives, 'Having overcome them, I know, I see.' This is the third sphere of mastery. One, not perceiving forms internally, sees external forms, immeasurable, beautiful or ugly. He perceives, 'Having overcome them, I know, I see.' This is the fourth sphere of mastery. One, not perceiving forms internally, sees external forms, blue, of blue color, blue in appearance, blue in luster. Just as a flax flower is blue, of blue color, blue in appearance, blue in luster, or just as a Benares cloth, well-polished on both sides, is blue, of blue color, blue in appearance, blue in luster. Even so, one, not perceiving forms internally, sees external forms that are blue, of blue color, blue in appearance, blue in luster. He perceives, 'Having overcome them, I know, I see.' This is the fifth sphere of mastery. The sphere of mastery. Internally perceiving formlessness, one externally sees forms yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster. Just as a kaṇikāra flower is yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster; or just as that Benares cloth, smooth on both sides, is yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster. Even so, internally perceiving formlessness, one externally sees forms yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster. 'Having overcome them, I know, I see,' such is his perception. This is the sixth sphere of mastery. Internally perceiving formlessness, one externally sees forms red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster. Just as a bandhujīvaka flower is red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster; or just as that Benares cloth, smooth on both sides, is red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster. Even so, internally perceiving formlessness, one externally sees forms red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster. 'Having overcome them, I know, I see,' such is his perception. This is the seventh sphere of mastery. Internally perceiving formlessness, one externally sees forms white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster. Just as the morning star is white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster; or just as that Benares cloth, smooth on both sides, is white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster. Even so, internally perceiving formlessness, one externally sees forms white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster. 'Having overcome them, I know, I see,' such is his perception. This is the eighth sphere of mastery. Eight liberations. One with form sees forms. This is the first liberation. “Internally perceiving formlessness, externally one sees forms. This is the second liberation. “One is intent on the beautiful. This is the third liberation. “Completely transcending perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not attending to perceptions of diversity, one enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite space, thinking, ‘Space is infinite.’ This is the fourth liberation. “Completely transcending the sphere of infinite space, one enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite consciousness, thinking, ‘Consciousness is infinite.’ This is the fifth liberation. “Completely transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness, one enters and dwells in the sphere of nothingness, thinking, ‘There is nothing.’ This is the sixth liberation. “Completely transcending the sphere of nothingness, one enters and dwells in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the seventh liberation. “Completely transcending the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, one enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is the eighth liberation. “These, friends, are the eight teachings well-proclaimed by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One; there, all should chant together… for the welfare, for the benefit, for the happiness of gods and humans. The Nine 340. “There are, friends, nine teachings well-proclaimed by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One; there, all should chant together… for the welfare, for the benefit, for the happiness of gods and humans. Which are the nine? “Nine bases of resentment. ‘He did me harm,’ one harbors resentment; ‘He is doing me harm,’ one harbors resentment; ‘He will do me harm,’ one harbors resentment; ‘He did harm to my dear and pleasing one,’ one harbors resentment… ‘He is doing harm’… one harbors resentment… ‘He will do harm’… one harbors resentment; ‘He did good to my unloved and displeasing one,’ one harbors resentment… ‘He is doing good’… one harbors resentment… ‘He will do good’… one harbors resentment. Nine ways of subduing resentment. 'He acted to my detriment, how can that be obtained here?' Thus he subdues resentment. 'He acts to my detriment, how can that be obtained here?' Thus he subdues resentment. 'He will act to my detriment, how can that be obtained here?' Thus he subdues resentment. 'He acted to the detriment of my dear, beloved one... ...he acts to the detriment... ...he will act to the detriment, how can that be obtained here?' Thus he subdues resentment. 'He acted to the benefit of my disliked, unpleasant one... ...he acts to the benefit... ...he will act to the benefit, how can that be obtained here?' Thus he subdues resentment. 341. Nine abodes of beings. Friends, there are beings with diverse bodies and diverse perceptions, such as humans, some devas, and some in the lower realms. This is the first abode of beings. Friends, there are beings with diverse bodies and unified perception, such as the Brahma-bodied devas who are reborn for the first time. This is the second abode of beings. Friends, there are beings with unified bodies and diverse perceptions, such as the Abhassara devas. This is the third abode of beings. Friends, there are beings with unified bodies and unified perception, such as the Subhakiṇha devas. This is the fourth abode of beings. Friends, there are beings without perception and without feeling, such as the non-percipient devas. This is the fifth abode of beings. Friends, there are beings who, by completely transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, by not attending to perceptions of diversity, (thinking) 'Space is infinite,' have attained the sphere of infinite space. This is the sixth abode of beings. Friends, there are beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite space, (thinking) 'Consciousness is infinite,' have attained the sphere of infinite consciousness. This is the seventh abode of beings. Friends, there are beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness, (thinking) 'There is nothing,' have attained the sphere of nothingness. This is the eighth abode of beings. Friends, there are beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of nothingness, This is peaceful, this is sublime. Those who have attained the realm of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the ninth abode of beings. 342. “There are nine inopportune times, unsuitable for leading the holy life. Here, friends, a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened One, has arisen in the world, and the Dhamma is taught, leading to calm, to complete Nibbāna, to full enlightenment, proclaimed by the Fortunate One. But this person has been reborn in hell. This is the first inopportune time, unsuitable for leading the holy life. “Again, friends, a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened One, has arisen in the world, and the Dhamma is taught, leading to calm, to complete Nibbāna, to full enlightenment, proclaimed by the Fortunate One. But this person has been reborn in the animal realm. This is the second inopportune time, unsuitable for leading the holy life. “Again… has been reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts. This is the third inopportune time, unsuitable for leading the holy life. “Again… has been reborn in the host of asuras. This is the fourth inopportune time, unsuitable for leading the holy life. “Again… has been reborn in some long-lived divine realm. This is the fifth inopportune time, unsuitable for leading the holy life. “Again… has been reborn in barbarian borderlands, among uncivilized people, where there is no access for monks, nuns, male lay followers, or female lay followers. This is the sixth inopportune time, unsuitable for leading the holy life. “Again… has been reborn in the central lands. But that person holds wrong view, a perverted outlook: ‘There is no giving, there is no offering, there is no sacrifice, there is no fruit or result of good and bad deeds, there is no this world, there is no other world, there is no mother, there is no father, there are no spontaneously arisen beings, there are no recluses and brahmins in the world who are rightly gone, rightly practiced, who, having themselves realized and experienced this world and the other world, proclaim them.’ This the seventh inopportune time, unseasonable for the living of the holy life. “Again, furthermore… (as before) … he is reborn in the central countries. And he is dull-witted, stupid, a mute idiot, unable to understand the meaning of well-spoken and ill-spoken words. This is the eighth inopportune time, unseasonable for the living of the holy life. “Again, furthermore, friends, a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened One, has not arisen in the world, and the Dhamma is not taught, which is calming, leading to Nibbāna, leading to enlightenment, proclaimed by the Fortunate One.