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a silk rug, a large woolen rug, an elephant rug, a horse rug, a chariot rug, an antelope skin rug, the best antelope skin rug, with a canopy, with red pillows at both ends— they are hard to obtain for renunciants, and even if obtained, they are not allowable. There are, brahmin, these three high and grand couches and beds, of which I am now a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unlaborious recipient. Which three? The divine high and grand couch and bed, the Brahma-like high and grand couch and bed, the noble high and grand couch and bed. These, brahmin, are the three high and grand couches and beds, of which I am now a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unlaborious recipient. Which, good Gotama, is that divine high and grand couch and bed, of which good Gotama is now a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unlaborious recipient? Here, brahmin, whatever village or town I dwell near, in the forenoon, having dressed, and taking my bowl and robe, I enter that same village or town for alms. After the meal, having returned from my alms round, I enter the edge of a forest. So, whatever There are grasses or leaves, Having gathered them together, I sit down, Having folded my legs crosswise, Having set my body upright, Having established mindfulness in front of me. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, Secluded from unwholesome states, With initial and sustained application, Born of seclusion, rapture and pleasure, I enter and dwell in the first jhāna; With the fading away of initial and sustained application, With internal assurance, And unification of mind, Without initial and sustained application, Born of concentration, rapture and pleasure, I enter and dwell in the second jhāna; With the fading away of rapture, I dwell in equanimity, Mindful and clearly comprehending, And I experience pleasure with the body, That of which the noble ones declare – ‘He is equanimous, mindful, dwelling in pleasure’ – I enter and dwell in the third jhāna; With the abandoning of pleasure And the abandoning of pain, And with the prior passing away of joy and sorrow, I enter and dwell in the state of neither-pain-nor-pleasure, The purity of mindfulness due to equanimity, The fourth jhāna. If I, brahmin, being thus, walk, That walking of mine at that time is divine. If I, brahmin, being thus, stand, That standing of mine at that time is divine. If I, brahmin, being thus, sit, That sitting of mine at that time is divine. If I, brahmin, being thus, lie down, That lying down of mine at that time is a divine high couch, a grand couch. This, brahmin, is the divine high couch, the grand couch, Which I now obtain at will, Without difficulty, Without trouble. Wonderful, good Gotama, Amazing, good Gotama! Who else would obtain such a divine high couch, a grand couch, At will, without difficulty, without trouble, Other than the good Gotama! But what, good Gotama, Is that divine high couch, grand couch, Which the good Gotama now obtains at will, Without difficulty, Without trouble? Here, brahmin, Whatever village or town I dwell near, Then, in the forenoon, having dressed, taking my bowl and robe, I enter that same village or town for alms. Then, after the meal, having returned from the alms-round, I enter the edge of the forest. Whatever grasses or leaves are there, I gather them together, and sit down, having folded my legs crosswise, holding my body erect, and establishing mindfulness in front of me. Then, with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, I dwell pervading one direction, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, around, everywhere, in every way, the entire world, I dwell pervading with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. With a mind imbued with compassion... with a mind imbued with appreciative joy... with a mind imbued with equanimity, I dwell pervading one direction, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, around, everywhere, in every way, the entire world, I dwell pervading with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. If I, brahmin, thus being, walk, that walking is divine for me at that time. If I, brahmin, thus being, stand, or sit, or lie down, that is a divine high and grand couch for me at that time. This, brahmin, is the divine high and grand couch, which I now obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble. "Wonderful, Master Gotama! Amazing, Master Gotama! Who else would obtain such a divine high and grand couch at will, without difficulty, without trouble, other than Master Gotama! "But what, Master Gotama, is that noble high and grand couch, which Master Gotama now obtains at will, without difficulty, without trouble?" "Here, brahmin, whatever village or I dwell near a village or a market town. Then in the forenoon, having put on my under-robe and outer robe, and taking my bowl, I enter that same village or market town for alms. After my meal, having returned from my alms round, I enter the edge of a forest. Whatever grasses or leaves are there, I gather them together, and sit down, having folded my legs crosswise, set my body erect, and established mindfulness in front of me. Then I know thus: ‘My lust is abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future; my hatred is abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future; my delusion is abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future.’ If I, brahmin, being thus, walk, that walking of mine at that time is noble. If I, brahmin, being thus, stand… sit… lie down, that high couch, great couch of mine at that time is noble. This, brahmin, is the noble high couch, great couch, which I now obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble.” “Wonderful, good Gotama! Amazing, good Gotama! Who else would obtain at will, without difficulty, without trouble, such a noble high couch, great couch, other than the good Gotama! “Excellent, good Gotama! Excellent, good Gotama! Just as, good Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or show the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms; even so has the Dhamma been made clear by the good Gotama in many ways. We go for refuge to the good Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May the good Gotama remember us as lay followers who have taken refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts.” The Third. 4. The Sarabha Sutta 65. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One He was dwelling in Rājagaha, on Gijjhakūṭa mountain. Now at that time, a wanderer named Sarabha had recently departed from this Dhamma and Discipline. He spoke thus in the assembly in Rājagaha: "The Dhamma of the Sakyan recluses is known by me. And having known the Dhamma of the Sakyan recluses, I have departed from that Dhamma and Discipline." Then many bhikkhus, having dressed in the morning, and taking their bowls and robes, entered Rājagaha for alms. Those bhikkhus heard Sarabha the wanderer speaking thus in the assembly in Rājagaha: "The Dhamma of the Sakyan recluses is known by me. And having known the Dhamma of the Sakyan recluses, I have departed from that Dhamma and Discipline." Then those bhikkhus, having walked for alms in Rājagaha, and returned from their alms round after their meal, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, a wanderer named Sarabha has recently departed from this Dhamma and Discipline. He speaks thus in the assembly in Rājagaha: 'The Dhamma of the Sakyan recluses is known by me. And having known the Dhamma of the Sakyan recluses, I have departed from that Dhamma and Discipline.' It would be good, Venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the wanderers' park on the bank of Sippinikā, where Sarabha the wanderer is, out of compassion." The Blessed One consented by silence. Then the Blessed One, having risen from seclusion in the evening, approached the wanderers' park on the bank of Sippinikā, where Sarabha the wanderer was. Having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared. Seated, the Blessed One said to Sarabha the wanderer: "Is it true, Sarabha, that you, Sarabha, you said this – 'Known by me is the Dhamma of the Sakyaputta ascetics. And having known the Dhamma of the Sakyaputta ascetics, I have departed from that Dhamma and Discipline'?" When this was said, Sarabha the wanderer remained silent. A second time, indeed, the Blessed One said to Sarabha the wanderer – "Speak, Sarabha, how is the Dhamma of the Sakyaputta ascetics known to you? If it is incomplete for you, I will complete it. But if it is complete for you, I will approve it." A second time, indeed, Sarabha the wanderer remained silent. A third time, indeed, the Blessed One said to Sarabha the wanderer – "Speak, Sarabha, how is the Dhamma of the Sakyaputta ascetics known to you? If it is incomplete for you, I will complete it. But if it is complete for you, I will approve it." A third time, indeed, Sarabha the wanderer remained silent. Then, indeed, those wanderers said to Sarabha the wanderer – "Whatever you, friend Sarabha, might ask of the ascetic Gotama, that the ascetic Gotama offers to you. Speak, friend Sarabha, how is the Dhamma of the Sakyaputta ascetics known to you? If it is incomplete for you, the ascetic Gotama will complete it. But if it is complete for you, the ascetic Gotama will approve it." When this was said, Sarabha the wanderer, silent, ashamed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, pondering, without a ready answer, sat down.