10.
The Discourse on Analysis
832.
"Monks, these four bases for spiritual power, when developed and cultivated, are of great fruit and great benefit."
"And how, monks, are the four bases for spiritual power developed, how are they cultivated, so that they are of great fruit and great benefit? Here, monks, a monk develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional activities of striving - 'thus my desire will not be too slack, nor too tense, nor contracted internally, nor distracted externally.' And he dwells perceiving after and before - 'as before so after, as after so before; as below so above, as above so below; as by day so by night, as by night so by day.' Thus with an open mind, unobstructed, he develops a mind of luminosity. Concentration due to energy, etc. concentration due to mind, etc. he develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to investigation and volitional activities of striving - 'thus my investigation will not be too slack, nor too tense, nor contracted internally, nor distracted externally.' And he dwells perceiving after and before - 'as before so after, as after so before; as below so above, as above so below; as by day so by night, as by night so by day.' Thus with an open mind, unobstructed, he develops a mind of luminosity.
"And what, monks, is desire that is too slack? Whatever desire, monks, is accompanied by idleness, associated with idleness - this is called, monks, desire that is too slack.
"And what, monks, is desire that is too tense? Whatever desire, monks, is accompanied by restlessness, associated with restlessness - this is called, monks, desire that is too tense.
"And what, monks, is desire that is contracted internally? Whatever desire, monks, is accompanied by sloth and torpor, associated with sloth and torpor - this is called, monks, desire that is contracted internally.
"And what, monks, is desire that is distracted externally? Whatever desire, monks, concerning the five kinds of sensual pleasure externally, is scattered about, spread about - this is called, monks, desire that is distracted externally.
"And how, monks, does a monk dwell perceiving after and before - as before so after, as after so before? Here, monks, for a monk the perception of after and before is rightly taken, well attended to, well retained, well penetrated by wisdom. Thus, monks, a monk dwells perceiving after and before - as before so after, as after so before.
"And how, monks, does a monk dwell as below so above, as above so below? Here, monks, a monk reviews this very body, upwards from the soles of the feet, downwards from the top of the hair, bounded by the skin, as full of many kinds of impurity: 'There are in this body head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, synovic fluid, urine.' Thus, monks, a monk dwells as below so above, as above so below.
"And how, monks, does a monk dwell as by day so by night, as by night so by day? Here, monks, a monk develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional activities of striving by whatever characteristics, by whatever signs, by whatever marks by day, he develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional activities of striving by those characteristics, by those signs, by those marks by night; or else by whatever characteristics, by whatever signs, by whatever marks he develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional activities of striving by night, he develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional activities of striving by those characteristics, by those signs, by those marks by day. Thus, monks, a monk dwells as by day so by night, as by night so by day.
"And how, monks, does a monk with an open mind, unobstructed, develop a mind of luminosity? Here, monks, for a monk the perception of light is rightly taken, the perception of day is well determined. Thus, monks, a monk with an open mind, unobstructed, develops a mind of luminosity.
"And what, monks, is too slack energy? Whatever energy, monks, is accompanied by idleness, associated with idleness - this is called, monks, too slack energy.
"And what, monks, is too tense energy? Whatever energy, monks, is accompanied by restlessness, associated with restlessness - this is called, monks, too tense energy.
"And what, monks, is internally contracted energy? Whatever energy, monks, is accompanied by sloth and torpor, associated with sloth and torpor - this is called, monks, internally contracted energy.
"And what, monks, is externally distracted energy? Whatever energy, monks, is distracted and scattered externally concerning the five kinds of sensual pleasure - this is called, monks, externally distracted energy. Etc.
"And how, monks, does a monk with an open mind, unobstructed, develop a mind of luminosity? Here, monks, for a monk the perception of light is rightly taken, the perception of day is well determined. Thus, monks, a monk with an open mind, unobstructed, develops a mind of luminosity.
"And what, monks, is a mind that is too slack? Whatever mind, monks, is accompanied by idleness, associated with idleness - this is called, monks, a mind that is too slack.
"And what, monks, is a mind that is too tense? Whatever mind, monks, is accompanied by restlessness, associated with restlessness - this is called, monks, a mind that is too tense.
"And what, monks, is a mind contracted internally? Whatever mind, monks, is accompanied by sloth and torpor, associated with sloth and torpor - this is called, monks, a mind contracted internally.
"And what, monks, is a mind distracted externally? Whatever mind, monks, is distracted and scattered externally concerning the five kinds of sensual pleasure - this is called, monks, a mind distracted externally. Etc. Thus, monks, a monk with an open mind, unobstructed, develops a mind of luminosity.
"And what, monks, is investigation that is too slack? Whatever investigation, monks, is accompanied by idleness, associated with idleness - this is called, monks, investigation that is too slack.
"And what, monks, is investigation that is too tense? Whatever investigation, monks, is accompanied by restlessness, associated with restlessness - this is called, monks, investigation that is too tense.
"And what, monks, is investigation contracted internally? Whatever investigation, monks, is accompanied by sloth and torpor, associated with sloth and torpor - this is called, monks, investigation contracted internally.
"And what, monks, is investigation distracted externally? Whatever investigation, monks, is distracted and scattered externally concerning the five kinds of sensual pleasure - this is called, monks, investigation distracted externally. Etc. Thus, monks, a monk with an open mind, unobstructed, develops a mind of luminosity. Thus developed, monks, the four bases for spiritual power, thus cultivated, are of great fruit and great benefit.
"When the four bases for spiritual power have been thus developed, monks, when they have been thus cultivated, a monk experiences the various kinds of supernormal power - having been one, he becomes many; having been many, he becomes one; etc. He exercises mastery with his body even as far as the Brahma world. When the four bases for spiritual power have been thus developed, monks, when they have been thus cultivated, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, a monk dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions." The tenth.