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or is the Noble Eightfold Path included in the three aggregates?” “The three aggregates, friend Visākha, are not included in the Noble Eightfold Path; but the Noble Eightfold Path, friend Visākha, is included in the three aggregates.” And, friend Visākha, right speech, and right action, and right livelihood— these phenomena are included in the aggregate of virtue. And right effort, and right mindfulness, and right concentration— these phenomena are included in the aggregate of concentration. And right view, and right intention— these phenomena are included in the aggregate of wisdom. "But what, lady, is concentration? What phenomena are the signs of concentration? What phenomena are the requisites of concentration? What is the development of concentration?" "Friend Visākha, the one-pointedness of mind— this is concentration. The four foundations of mindfulness are the signs of concentration. The four right efforts are the requisites of concentration. The repeated practice, development, and cultivation of these very phenomena— this is the development of concentration here." "But how many, lady, are formations?" "Friend Visākha, there are these three formations: bodily formation, verbal formation, mental formation." "But what, lady, is bodily formation? What is verbal formation? What is mental formation?" "Friend Visākha, in-breaths and out-breaths are bodily formation. Initial application and sustained application are verbal formation. Perception and feeling are mental formation." "But why, lady, are in-breaths and out-breaths bodily formation? Why are initial application and sustained application verbal formation? Why are perception and feeling mental formation?" "Friend Visākha, in-breaths and out-breaths are bodily phenomena, bound up with the body. Therefore, in-breaths and out-breaths are bodily formation. Friend Visākha, having first applied and sustained the mind, one later breaks into speech. Therefore, initial application and sustained application are verbal formation. Perception and feeling are mental phenomena, bound up with the mind. Therefore, perception and feeling are mental formation." "But how, lady, does the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling occur?" "Friend Visākha, when a bhikkhu enters the cessation of perception and feeling, it does not occur to him: 'I will enter the cessation of perception and feeling,' or 'I am entering the cessation of perception and feeling,' or, 'I have attained the cessation of perception and feeling.' Rather, his mind has been developed beforehand in such a way that it leads him to that state." "But, venerable one, for a bhikkhu entering the cessation of perception and feeling, which phenomena cease first— is it the bodily formation, or the verbal formation, or the mental formation?" "Friend Visākha, for a bhikkhu entering the cessation of perception and feeling, first the verbal formation ceases, then the bodily formation, then the mental formation." "But, venerable one, how does one emerge from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling?" "Friend Visākha, for a bhikkhu emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, it is not thus: 'I shall emerge from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling,' or 'I am emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling,' or 'I have emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling.' Rather, his mind has been developed beforehand in such a way that it leads him to that state." "But, venerable one, for a bhikkhu emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, which phenomena arise first— is it the bodily formation, or the verbal formation, or the mental formation?" "Friend Visākha, for a bhikkhu emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, first the mental formation arises, then the bodily formation, then the verbal formation." "But, venerable one, how many contacts touch a bhikkhu who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling?" "Friend Visākha, three contacts touch a bhikkhu who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling: the contact of emptiness, the contact of signlessness, the contact of desirelessness." "But, venerable one, for a bhikkhu who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, towards what does his mind incline, to what does it lean, to what does it tend?" "Friend Visākha, for one who has emerged , friend Visakha, for a bhikkhu, the mind is inclined to seclusion, prone to seclusion, tending towards seclusion. 465. ‘‘But how many feelings are there, lady?’’ ‘‘There are these three feelings, friend Visakha – pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.’’ ‘‘But what, lady, is pleasant feeling, what is painful feeling, what is neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?’’ ‘‘Whatever, friend Visakha, is felt as bodily or mental pleasure, agreeable – this is pleasant feeling. Whatever, friend Visakha, is felt as bodily or mental pain, disagreeable – this is painful feeling. Whatever, friend Visakha, is felt as bodily or mental neither agreeable nor disagreeable – this is neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.’’ ‘‘But lady, pleasant feeling, what is its pleasure, what is its pain? Painful feeling, what is its pleasure, what is its pain? Neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, what is its pleasure, what is its pain?’’ ‘‘Pleasant feeling, friend Visakha, has pleasure in its presence, pain in its change. Painful feeling has pain in its presence, pleasure in its change. Neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling has pleasure in knowledge, pain in ignorance.’’ ‘‘But lady, what underlying tendency lies latent in pleasant feeling? What underlying tendency lies latent in painful feeling? What underlying tendency lies latent in neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?’’ ‘‘In pleasant feeling, friend Visakha, the underlying tendency of lust lies latent. In painful feeling, the underlying tendency of aversion lies latent. In neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, the underlying tendency of ignorance lies latent.’’ ‘‘But lady, does the underlying tendency of lust lie latent in all pleasant feeling? Does the underlying tendency of aversion lie latent in all painful feeling? Does the underlying tendency of ignorance lie latent in all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?’’ ‘‘No, friend Visakha, the underlying tendency of lust does not lie latent in all pleasant feeling. The underlying tendency of aversion does not lie latent in all painful feeling. The underlying tendency of ignorance does not lie latent in all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.’’ ‘‘But lady, what should be abandoned in pleasant feeling? In painful feeling... what should be abandoned in pleasant feeling, what should be abandoned in painful feeling, what should be abandoned in neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling? In pleasant feeling, friend Visākha, the latent tendency of lust should be abandoned. In painful feeling, the latent tendency of aversion should be abandoned. In neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, the latent tendency of ignorance should be abandoned. Is it in all pleasant feeling, venerable one, that the latent tendency of lust should be abandoned? Is it in all painful feeling that the latent tendency of aversion should be abandoned? Is it in all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling that the latent tendency of ignorance should be abandoned? No, friend Visākha, it is not in all pleasant feeling that the latent tendency of lust should be abandoned. It is not in all painful feeling that the latent tendency of aversion should be abandoned. It is not in all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling that the latent tendency of ignorance should be abandoned. Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure. He abandons lust by that, the latent tendency of lust does not lie latent there. Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘When shall I enter and dwell in that attainment in which the noble ones now enter and dwell?’ As he establishes longing for the unsurpassed liberations, displeasure arises conditioned by longing. He abandons aversion by that, the latent tendency of aversion does not lie latent there. Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu, by the abandoning of pleasure and by the abandoning of pain, and by the prior disappearance of joy and displeasure, enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither-pleasant-nor-painful, with purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. He abandons ignorance by that, the latent tendency of ignorance does not lie latent there. And what, venerable one, is the counterpart of pleasant feeling? The counterpart of pleasant feeling, friend Visākha, is painful feeling. And what, venerable one, is the counterpart of painful feeling? The counterpart of painful feeling, friend Visākha, is pleasant feeling. And what, venerable one, is the counterpart of neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling? What is the counterpart of feeling? Of neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, friend Visākha, ignorance is the counterpart. And of ignorance, lady, what is the counterpart? Of ignorance, friend Visākha, knowledge is the counterpart. And of knowledge, lady, what is the counterpart? Of knowledge, friend Visākha, liberation is the counterpart. And of liberation, lady, what is the counterpart? Of liberation, friend Visākha, Nibbāna is the counterpart. And of Nibbāna, lady, what is the counterpart? You have gone too far, friend Visākha, you could not grasp the limit of the questions. For the holy life, friend Visākha, is immersed in Nibbāna, has Nibbāna as its destination, Nibbāna as its culmination.