Aṇguttara Nikāya
XI. Ekā-Dasaka Nipāta
I. Nissāya
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
XI. The Book of the Elevens
I. Dependence
Sutta 8
Saññā-Manasikārā Suttaṃ (b)
Conscious Work-of-Mind (b)[1]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][olds] Then the venerable Ānanda,
having thanked the Exalted One for what he had said,
rose up from his seat,
saluted him by keeping his right side towards him,
and went to see the venerable Sāriputta,
whom he greeted courteously, and,
after the exchange of greetings and reminiscent talk,
sat down at one side.
So seated he said this to the venerable Sāriputta:
[320] "Pray, your reverence, may it be
that a monk's winning of concentration
may be of such a sort
that in earth he is unaware of earth,
in water unaware of water,
in fire unaware of fire,
in air unaware of it,
in the realm of unbounded space unaware of it,
in the realm of infinite intellection,
in the realm of nothingness,
in the realm of neither-perception-nor-not-perception unaware of it;
that in this world he is unaware of this world,
in the world beyond unaware of the world beyond;
that whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized,
attained, sought after, thought over by mind
— of all that he is unaware,
and yet is conscious?"
■
[2] "It may be so, Ānanda.
A monk's winning of concentration
may be of such a sort
that in earth he is unaware of earth,
in water unaware of water,
in fire unaware of fire,
in air unaware of it,
in the realm of unbounded space unaware of it,
in the realm of infinite intellection,
in the realm of nothingness,
in the realm of neither-perception-nor-not-perception unaware of it;
that in this world he is unaware of this world,
in the world beyond unaware of the world beyond;
that whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized,
attained, sought after, thought over by mind
— of all that he is unaware,
and yet is conscious."
■
[3] "But, sir, in what way
may a monk's winning of concentration
be of such a sort
that in earth he is unaware of earth,
in water unaware of water,
in fire unaware of fire,
in air unaware of it,
in the realm of unbounded space unaware of it,
in the realm of infinite intellection,
in the realm of nothingness,
in the realm of neither-perception-nor-not-perception unaware of it;
that in this world he is unaware of this world,
in the world beyond unaware of the world beyond;
that whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized,
attained, sought after, thought over by mind
— of all that he is unaware,
and yet is conscious?"
■
'Herein, Ānanda, a monk is conscious thus:
'This is the real,
this is the best, namely,
the calming of all activities,
the rejection of every substrate,
the ending of craving,
the fading of interest,
stopping and Nibbana.'
[4] In such a way, Ānanda,
a monk's winning of concentration
may be of such a sort
that in earth he is unaware of earth,
in water unaware of water,
in fire unaware of fire,
in air unaware of it,
in the realm of unbounded space unaware of it,
in the realm of infinite intellection,
in the realm of nothingness,
in the realm of neither-perception-nor-not-perception unaware of it;
that in this world he is unaware of this world,
in the world beyond unaware of the world beyond;
that whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized,
attained, sought after, thought over by mind
— of all that he is unaware,
and yet is conscious."
■
"It is wonderful, your reverence!
It is marvellous, your reverence,
how the explanation both of Master and disciple
will agree, will harmonize,
meaning with meaning,
letter with letter;
how they will not be inconsistent
— that is, in any word about the highest."
[321] "Just now, your reverence,
I went to the Exalted One
and asked him the meaning of this,
and he explained the meaning to me
in these very same words and syllables
as the venerable Sāriputta!"
"It is indeed a wonder, a marvel, your reverence,
how the explanation both of Master and disciple
will agree, will harmonize,
meaning with meaning,
letter with letter;
how they will not be inconsistent
— that is, in any word about the highest."[2]
[1] Apparently Comy. regards this sutta as part of the previous one.
[2] Cf. S. iv, 379 = K.S. iv, 269, where see Appendix, p. 298, for readings. Agga-padasmiṇ = nibbāne, Comy.
