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Can feeling… Can perception… Can formations… Can consciousness be held by psychic power so that it becomes permanent? It should not be said thus… Endowed with psychic power, would he remain for an eon? Yes. Can beings subject to birth be held by psychic power so that they do not give birth? It should not be said thus… Can beings subject to aging be held by psychic power so that they do not age? Can beings subject to sickness be held by psychic power so that they do not sicken? Can beings subject to death be held by psychic power so that they do not die? It should not be said thus… 623. Should it not be said: “Endowed with psychic power, would he remain for an eon”? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: “Whoever, Ānanda, has developed, cultivated, made a vehicle of, made a basis of, established, practiced, and thoroughly mastered the four bases of psychic power, if he wishes, he would remain for an eon or for the remainder of an eon”? Is there such a discourse? Yes. Then, endowed with psychic power, he would remain for an eon. 624. Endowed with psychic power, would he remain for an eon? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: “Monks, for these four things, there is no one who can guarantee it, no ascetic, no brahmin, no god, no Māra, no Brahmā, no one else in the world! Which four? Subject to aging, "May I not age!" There is no guarantor, no recluse or brahmin, no god or Māra or Brahmā, no one in the world. Subject to sickness, "May I not sicken!" ... Subject to death, "May I not die!" ... And as for those evil deeds done in the past, defiling, leading to rebirth, painful, with painful results, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future— for their result, "May it not arise!" there is no guarantor, no recluse or brahmin, no god or Māra or Brahmā, no one in the world. "For these four things, monks, there is no guarantor, no recluse or brahmin, no god or Māra or Brahmā, no one in the world." Is there such a discourse? Yes, there is. Then it should not be said "endowed with power, one might remain for an eon." The discussion on power is concluded. The Eleventh Chapter 8. Discussion on Concentration Is continuity of mind concentration? Yes, it is. Is past continuity of mind concentration? It should not be said so. ... Is continuity of mind concentration? Yes, it is. Is future continuity of mind concentration? It should not be said so. ... Is continuity of mind concentration? Yes, it is. Is not the past ceased, and the future not yet arisen? Yes, it is. If the past is ceased and the future not yet arisen, then surely it should not be said "continuity of mind is concentration." Is concentration a single moment of consciousness? Yes, it is. Is one endowed with eye-consciousness in attainment? It should not be said so. ... Endowed with ear-consciousness... ... Endowed with nose-consciousness... Endowed with tongue-consciousness... Endowed with body-consciousness... ... Endowed with unwholesome consciousness... ... Endowed with consciousness accompanied by lust... ... Endowed with consciousness accompanied by hatred... ... Endowed with consciousness accompanied by delusion... ... Is one endowed with consciousness accompanied by shamelessness in attainment? It should not be said so. ... Is continuity of mind concentration? Yes, it is. Unwholesome Is defiled continuity of consciousness concentration? It should not be said thus... Is the continuity of consciousness accompanied by lust... accompanied by hatred... accompanied by delusion... accompanied by shamelessness concentration? It should not be said thus... Should it not be said: "The continuity of consciousness is concentration"? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: "Indeed, friends, Nigaṇṭhas, I am able to dwell experiencing unalloyed happiness for seven days and nights, without moving my body, without speaking a word!"? Is there such a Sutta? Yes. Therefore, the continuity of consciousness is concentration. The discourse on Concentration is finished. 11. The Eleventh Chapter (114) 9. Discourse on the Stability of Dhamma 627. Is the stability of Dhamma perfected? Yes. Is stability perfected by that? It should not be said thus... Is stability perfected by that? Yes. By that very stability, is there no ending of suffering, no cutting off of the cycle, no unconditioned Nibbāna? It should not be said thus... Is the stability of form perfected? Yes. Is stability perfected by that? It should not be said thus... Is stability perfected by that? Yes. By that very stability, is there no ending of suffering, no cutting off of the cycle, no unconditioned Nibbāna? It should not be said thus... Is the stability of feeling... the stability of perception... the stability of formations... the stability of consciousness perfected? Yes. Is stability perfected by that? It should not be said thus... Is stability perfected by that? Yes. By that very stability, is there no ending of suffering, no cutting off of the cycle, no unconditioned Nibbāna? It should not be said thus... The discourse on the Stability of Dhamma is finished. 11. The Eleventh Chapter (115) 10. Discourse on Impermanence 628. Is impermanence perfected? Yes. Is impermanence perfected by that impermanence? It should not be said thus... Is impermanence perfected by that impermanence? Yes. By that very impermanence, is there no Indeed, is there an end to suffering, is there a cutting off of the cycle, is there Nibbāna without clinging? It should not be said thus. Is old age fully accomplished? Yes. Is old age fully accomplished by that old age? It should not be said thus. ... Is old age fully accomplished by that old age? Yes. By that very old age, is there no end to suffering, is there no cutting off of the cycle, is there no Nibbāna without clinging? It should not be said thus. ... Is death fully accomplished? Yes. Is death fully accomplished by that death? It should not be said thus. Is death fully accomplished by that death? Yes. By that very death, is there no end to suffering, is there no cutting off of the cycle, is there no Nibbāna without clinging? It should not be said thus. ... 629. Is form fully accomplished? Does form have impermanence? Yes. Is impermanence fully accomplished? Does impermanence have impermanence? It should not be said thus. ... Is form fully accomplished? Does form have old age? Yes. Is old age fully accomplished? Does old age have old age? It should not be said thus. ... Is form fully accomplished? Does form have dissolution? Does (form) have disappearance? Yes. Is death fully accomplished? Does death have dissolution? Does (death) have disappearance? It should not be said thus. ... Is feeling... Is perception... Is formations... Is consciousness fully accomplished? Does consciousness have impermanence? Yes. Is impermanence fully accomplished? Does impermanence have impermanence? It should not be said thus. ... Is consciousness fully accomplished? Does consciousness have old age? Yes. Is old age fully accomplished? Does old age have old age? It should not be said thus. ... Is consciousness fully accomplished? Does consciousness have dissolution? Does (consciousness) have disappearance? Yes. Is death fully accomplished? Does death have dissolution? Does (death) have disappearance? It should not be said thus. ... The discourse on impermanence is concluded. The Eleventh Chapter. Its summary – Latent tendencies, indeterminate, without cause, dissociated from consciousness, when ignorance has vanished. The knowing one, Knowledge disjoined from mind, Where knowledge proceeds in sound, Endowed with psychic power, one might endure for an eon, Continuity of mind is concentration, The stability of phenomena, Impermanence.