Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
40. Moggallāna Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
40. Kindred Sayings about Moggallāna
Sutta 6
Viññānañ-c'Āyatana Suttaṃ
Consciousness
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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ONCE the venerable Moggallāna the Great was staying near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the venerable Moggallāna the Great
addressed the brethren, saving:
"Brethren."
"Yes, brother," replied those brethren
to the venerable Moggallāna the Great.
"Friends, when I was meditating alone here,
this consideration arose in me:
'They say "the realm of infinite consciousness,
the realm of infinite consciousness!"
Now what is the realm of infinite consciousness?'
Then, friends, this occurred to me:
'Herein a brother,
passing utterly beyond the realm of infinite space,
with the idea:
"Endless[1] is consciousness,"
enters on and abides in
the realm of infinite consciousness.
This is called "the realm of infinite consciousness.'
So I, friends,
passing utterly beyond the realm of infinite space,
with the idea:
'Endless is consciousness,'
entered on and abode in
the realm of infinite consciousness.
But when I had thus abode
(and had emerged from trance),
perception and work of mind
connected with the perception of the realm of infinite space,
still continued.
Thereupon, friends, the Exalted One
by magic power
came to me and said:
'Moggallāna,
Moggallāna,
be not remiss in the realm of infinite consciousness, brahmin!
Make steadfast thy mind in the realm of infinite consciousness.
In the realm of infinite consciousness make the mind one-pointed.
In the realm of infinite consciousness compose the mind.'
So after that, friends,
passing utterly beyond the realm of infinite space,
with the idea:
'Endless is consciousness,'
entered on and abode in
the realm of infinite consciousness
Now, friends, if anyone would say rightly:
'Helped by the Master
the disciple won great super-knowledge,'
he would say of me:
'Helped by the Master
did the disciple win great super-knowledge.'"
[1] As above, at xxxvi, § 19, I read anantaṃ for text's anattaṃ.
