English
5. The Chapter on Asceticism 1. The Discourse on Confinement 42. At one time, the venerable Ānanda was staying in Kosambī, at Ghositārāma. Then the venerable Udāyī approached the venerable Ānanda; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Ānanda. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Udāyī said to the venerable Ānanda: "This was said, friend, by the deity Pañcālacaṇḍa: "Gone to confinement, the ignorant, though of vast wisdom; He who awakened to jhāna, the Buddha, the sage, with senses withdrawn." "What, friend, is confinement? What is the attainment of space in confinement, as declared by the Blessed One?" "These five sense-pleasures, friend, are declared by the Blessed One to be confinement. Which five? Forms cognizable by the eye—desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual desire, arousing passion; sounds cognizable by the ear… smells cognizable by the nose… tastes cognizable by the tongue… tactile objects cognizable by the body—desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual desire, arousing passion. These five sense-pleasures, friend, are declared by the Blessed One to be confinement. "Here, friend, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures… enters upon and abides in the first jhāna. To this extent, friend, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One, by way of a method. But there is still confinement there. And what is confinement there? That which consists of unsuppressed thought and examination there, this is confinement there. "Furthermore, friend, a monk, with the stilling of thought and examination… enters upon and abides in the second jhāna. To this extent, friend, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One, by way of a method. But there is still confinement there. And what is confinement there? That which consists of unsuppressed rapture there, this is confinement there. "Furthermore, friend, a monk, with the fading of rapture… enters upon and abides in the third jhāna. To this extent, friend, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One. by means of a method. Therein is confinement. And what is the confinement therein? Whatever equanimity-pleasure therein is not ceased, this is the confinement therein. “Furthermore, friends, a bhikkhu, with the abandoning of pleasure… …enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. Even to this extent, friends, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One by means of a method. Therein is confinement. And what is the confinement therein? Whatever perception of form therein is not ceased, this is the confinement therein. “Furthermore, friends, a bhikkhu, by completely transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, by not attending to perceptions of diversity, (thinking) ‘space is infinite,’ enters and dwells in the dimension of infinite space. Even to this extent, friends, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One by means of a method. Therein is confinement. And what is the confinement therein? Whatever perception of the dimension of infinite space therein is not ceased, this is the confinement therein. “Furthermore, friends, a bhikkhu, by completely transcending the dimension of infinite space, (thinking) ‘consciousness is infinite,’ enters and dwells in the dimension of infinite consciousness. Even to this extent, friends, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One by means of a method. Therein is confinement. And what is the confinement therein? Whatever perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness therein is not ceased, this is the confinement therein. “Furthermore, friends, a bhikkhu, by completely transcending the dimension of infinite consciousness, (thinking) ‘there is nothing,’ enters and dwells in the dimension of nothingness. Even to this extent, friends, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One by means of a method. Therein is confinement. And what is the confinement therein? Whatever perception of the dimension of nothingness therein is not ceased, this is the confinement therein. “Furthermore, friends, a bhikkhu, by completely transcending the dimension of nothingness, enters and dwells in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Even to this extent, friends, the attainment of space in confinement is declared by the Blessed One by means of a method. Therein This is a constriction. And what is the constriction there? That the perception of neither-perception-nor-non-perception is not ceased there, this is the constriction here. "Furthermore, friends, a monk, having entirely transcended the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his defilements are destroyed. To this extent too, friends, the attainment of space in constriction has been declared by the Blessed One in the ultimate sense." The First. 2. The Discourse on the Body-Witness "Friends, 'body-witness, body-witness' is said. To what extent, friends, has a body-witness been declared by the Blessed One?" "Here, friends, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures... (as before) ... enters and dwells in the first jhana. And as that sphere is, so he touches it with his body and dwells. To this extent too, friends, a body-witness has been declared by the Blessed One in a provisional sense. "Furthermore, friends, a monk, with the stilling of applied thought and sustained thought... (as before) ... enters and dwells in the second jhana... the third jhana... the fourth jhana. And as that sphere is, so he touches it with his body and dwells. To this extent too, friends, a body-witness has been declared by the Blessed One in a provisional sense. "Furthermore, friends, a monk, with the complete transcending of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, (thinking) 'space is infinite,' enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite space. And as that sphere is, so he touches it with his body and dwells. To this extent too, friends, a body-witness has been declared by the Blessed One in a provisional sense... (as before) .... "Furthermore, friends, a monk, having entirely transcended the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his defilements are destroyed. And as that sphere is, so he touches it with his body and dwells. To this extent too, friends, a body-witness has been declared by the Blessed One in the ultimate sense." The Second. 3. The Discourse on Release by Wisdom 44. “‘Released by wisdom, released by wisdom,’ friend, it is said. To what extent, friend, has release by wisdom been declared by the Blessed One?” “Here, friend, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures… (and so on)… enters upon and abides in the first jhana, and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, friend, release by wisdom has been declared by the Blessed One by way of a method… (and so on)… “Furthermore, friend, a bhikkhu, by completely transcending the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are destroyed, and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, friend, release by wisdom has been declared by the Blessed One in the ultimate sense.” The Third. 4. The Discourse on Release in Both Ways 45. “‘Released in both ways, released in both ways,’ friend, it is said. To what extent, friend, has release in both ways been declared by the Blessed One?” “Here, friend, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures… (and so on)… enters upon and abides in the first jhana. And in whatever way that dimension is, in that way he touches it with the body and abides, and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, friend, release in both ways has been declared by the Blessed One by way of a method… (and so on)… “Furthermore, friend, a bhikkhu, by completely transcending the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are destroyed. And in whatever way that dimension is, in that way he touches it with the body and abides, and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, friend, release in both ways has been declared by the Blessed One in the ultimate sense.” The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on the Directly Visible Dhamma 46. “‘The Dhamma is directly visible, the Dhamma is directly visible,’ friend, it is said. To what extent, friend, has the directly visible Dhamma been declared by the Blessed One?” “Here, friend, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures… (and so on)… enters upon and abides in the first jhana. To this extent, friend, the directly visible Dhamma has been declared…” One teaching was spoken by the Blessed One indirectly... Furthermore, friends, a monk, having completely transcended the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his defilements are destroyed. To this extent, friends, the Dhamma visible here and now was spoken by the Blessed One directly. The fifth. 6. The Discourse on Nibbāna Visible Here and Now 47. "Nibbāna visible here and now, Nibbāna visible here and now," friends, is said. To what extent, friends, has Nibbāna visible here and now been spoken by the Blessed One? Here, friends, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures... enters and dwells in the first jhana. To this extent, friends, Nibbāna visible here and now was spoken by the Blessed One indirectly...