English
He does not meditate relying on the base of infinite consciousness, He does not meditate relying on the base of nothingness, He does not meditate relying on the base of neither perception nor non-perception, He does not meditate relying on this world, He does not meditate relying on the other world, And he does not meditate relying on what is seen, heard, sensed, known, attained, sought, and pondered by the mind; Yet he meditates. And such a meditator, Indeed, Saddha, the noble thoroughbred man, with Indra, the devas, with Brahmā, with Pajāpati, they pay homage from afar— "Homage to you, O noble man, homage to you, O supreme man; We do not know what you rely on, that you meditate." When this was said, Venerable Saddha said to the Blessed One: "How, then, Venerable Sir, does the noble thoroughbred man meditate, not relying on earth, not relying on water, not relying on fire, not relying on air, not relying on the sphere of infinite space, not relying on the sphere of infinite consciousness, not relying on the sphere of nothingness, not relying on the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, not relying on this world, not relying on the other world, and not relying on that which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, or explored by the mind; yet he meditates? And how, Venerable Sir, do Indra, the devas, with Brahmā, with Pajāpati, pay homage from afar to such a meditating noble thoroughbred man— "Homage to you, O noble man, homage to you, O supreme man; We do not know what you rely on, that you meditate." "Here, Saddha, for the noble thoroughbred man, the perception of earth in earth is dispelled, the perception of water in water is dispelled, the perception of fire in fire is dispelled, the perception of air in air is dispelled, the perception of the sphere of infinite space in the sphere of infinite space is dispelled, the perception of the sphere of infinite consciousness in the sphere of infinite consciousness is dispelled, the perception of the sphere of nothingness in the sphere of nothingness is dispelled, the perception of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception is dispelled, the perception of this world in this world is dispelled, the perception of the other world in the other world is dispelled, and even the perception in that which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, or explored by the mind is dispelled. Meditating thus, Saddha, Friend, a noble thoroughbred man does not meditate relying on earth... ...whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, pondered by the mind, he does not meditate relying on that either; yet he meditates. And such a meditator, friend, a noble thoroughbred man, gods with Indra, with Brahmā, with Prajāpati, worship from afar: "Homage to you, thoroughbred man, homage to you, supreme man; Whose reliance we do not know, on which you meditate." The Sutta on the Peacock's Feeding Ground Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, at the Peacock's Feeding Ground, in the wanderers' park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Bhikkhus!" "Venerable Sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu endowed with three qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly ended, supreme among gods and humans. Which three? With the consummate aggregate of virtue, with the consummate aggregate of concentration, with the consummate aggregate of wisdom. Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu endowed with these three qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly ended, supreme among gods and humans. Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu endowed with three qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly ended, supreme among gods and humans. Which three? With the miracle of psychic power, with the miracle of mind-reading, with the miracle of instruction. Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu endowed with these three qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly ended, supreme among gods and humans. Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu endowed with three qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly ended, supreme among gods and humans. Which three? With right view, with right knowledge, with right liberation. Indeed, monks, a monk endowed with these three qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly complete, the best among gods and humans. Monks, a monk endowed with two qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly complete, the best among gods and humans. Which two? Knowledge and conduct. Monks, a monk endowed with these two qualities is utterly accomplished, utterly secure from bondage, utterly a pure liver, utterly complete, the best among gods and humans. Monks, this verse was spoken by Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra: “The warrior is best among people, those who rely on lineage; But one endowed with knowledge and conduct, he is best among gods and humans.” Monks, that verse spoken by Sanaṅkumāra is well-spoken, not ill-spoken; connected with meaning, not disconnected from meaning; approved by me. I too, monks, say this: “The warrior is best among people, those who rely on lineage; But one endowed with knowledge and conduct, he is best among gods and humans.” The Tenth. The Chapter on Reliance, the First. Its summary: For what purpose, intention, three, cause, and by misfortune; Two perceptions, attention, faithful, and the peacock's food.