4.
The Discourse on the Simile of the Cow
35.
"Just as, monks, a mountain cow, foolish, inexperienced, not knowing the suitable place, unskilled in walking on uneven mountains.
She might think thus -
'What if I were to go to a direction not gone to before, and eat grasses not eaten before, and drink waters not drunk before?'
She, not having firmly placed her front foot, might lift up her hind foot.
She would neither go to a direction not gone to before, nor eat grasses not eaten before, nor drink waters not drunk before;
and in whatever place she was standing when she thought thus -
'What if I were to go to a direction not gone to before, and eat grasses not eaten before, and drink waters not drunk before?' - she would not safely return to that place.
What is the reason for this?
For that mountain cow, monks, is foolish, inexperienced, not knowing the suitable place, unskilled in walking on uneven mountains.
So too, monks, here a certain monk, foolish, inexperienced, not knowing the suitable place, unskilled, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion;
he does not practise that sign, does not develop it, does not cultivate it, does not firmly determine it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, were to enter and dwell in the second meditative absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of concentration?' He is unable, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. to enter and dwell in the second meditative absorption. He thinks thus: 'What if I, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, were to enter and dwell in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion?' He is unable, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, etc. to enter and dwell in the first meditative absorption. This is called, monks, 'a monk fallen away from both, declined from both, just as that mountain cow, foolish, inexperienced, not knowing the suitable place, unskilled in walking on uneven mountains.'
"Just as, monks, a mountain cow, wise, experienced, knowing the suitable place, skilled in walking on uneven mountains. She might think thus - 'What if I were to go to a direction not gone to before, and eat grasses not eaten before, and drink waters not drunk before?' She, having firmly placed her front foot, might lift up her hind foot. She would go to a direction not gone to before, and eat grasses not eaten before, and drink waters not drunk before. And in whatever place she was standing when she thought thus - 'What if I were to go to a direction not gone to before, and eat grasses not eaten before, and drink waters not drunk before?' - she would safely return to that place. What is the reason for this? For that mountain cow, monks, is wise, experienced, knowing the suitable place, skilled in walking on uneven mountains. So too, monks, here a certain monk, wise, experienced, knowing the suitable place, skilled, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, were to enter and dwell in the second meditative absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of concentration?' Without forcing the second meditative absorption, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought... he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, with the fading away of rapture, were to dwell equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experience happiness with the body - that which the noble ones declare: "One who is equanimous and mindful, one who dwells in happiness" - were to enter and dwell in the third meditative absorption.' Without forcing the third meditative absorption, with the fading away of rapture, etc. he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, were to enter and dwell in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.' Without forcing the fourth meditative absorption, with the abandoning of pleasure, etc. he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of material form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with inattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that "space is infinite," were to enter and dwell in the plane of infinite space.' Without forcing the plane of infinite space, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of material form, etc. he enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, having completely transcended the plane of infinite space, aware that "consciousness is infinite," were to enter and dwell in the plane of infinite consciousness.' Without forcing the plane of infinite consciousness, having completely transcended the plane of infinite space, aware that "consciousness is infinite," he enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, having completely transcended the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that "there is nothing," were to enter and dwell in the plane of nothingness.' Without forcing the plane of nothingness, having completely transcended the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that "there is nothing," he enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, having completely transcended the plane of nothingness, were to enter and dwell in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.' Without forcing the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, having completely transcended the plane of nothingness, he enters and dwells in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. He practises that sign, develops it, cultivates it, firmly determines it.
He thinks thus - 'What if I, having completely transcended the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, were to enter and dwell in the cessation of perception and feeling?' Without forcing the cessation of perception and feeling, having completely transcended the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling.
When, monks, a monk both attains and emerges from that very same attainment, his mind becomes soft and wieldy. With a soft and wieldy mind, concentration becomes limitless and well developed. With limitless concentration well developed, towards whatever mental state to be realised by direct knowledge he inclines the mind for realisation by direct knowledge, in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'May I experience the various kinds of supernormal power: having been one, may I become many; having been many, may I become one, etc. may I exercise mastery with my body even as far as the Brahma world' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - with the divine ear element, etc. when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'May I understand the minds of other beings, of other persons, having encompassed them with my own mind: may I understand a mind with lust as "a mind with lust"; may I understand a mind without lust as "a mind without lust"; may I understand a mind with hate as "a mind with hate"; may I understand a mind without hate as "a mind without hate"; may I understand a mind with delusion as "a mind with delusion"; a mind without delusion... a contracted mind, a distracted mind, an exalted mind, a not exalted mind, a surpassed mind, an unsurpassed mind, a concentrated mind, an unconcentrated mind, a liberated mind, may I understand an unliberated mind as "an unliberated mind"' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'May I recollect manifold past lives, as follows - one birth, two births, etc. thus with aspects and terms may I recollect manifold past lives' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'With the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, etc. may I understand beings according to their actions' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'With the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge myself, having attained, may I dwell in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness." The fourth.