6.
The Discourse on Ānanda
37.
On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita's park.
There the Venerable Ānanda addressed the monks -
"Friends, monks!"
"Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Ānanda.
The Venerable Ānanda said this -
"It is wonderful, friend, it is marvellous, friend! How well the achievement of opportunity in confinement has been understood by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna. That same eye will be there, those forms will be there, yet one does not experience that sense base. That same ear will be there, those sounds will be there, yet one does not experience that sense base. That same nose will be there, those odours will be there, yet one does not experience that sense base. That same tongue will be there, those flavours will be there, yet one does not experience that sense base. That same body will be there, those tangible objects will be there, yet one does not experience that sense base."
When this was said, the Venerable Udāyī said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Is it one with perception, friend Ānanda, who does not experience that sense base, or one without perception?" "It is one with perception, friend, who does not experience that sense base, not one without perception."
"But with what perception, friend, does one not experience that sense base?" "Here, friend, 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,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space. Even with such perception, friend, one does not experience that sense base.
"Furthermore, friend, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. Even with such perception, friend, one does not experience that sense base.
"Furthermore, friend, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. Even with such perception, friend, one does not experience that sense base."
"On one occasion, friend, I was dwelling at Sāketa in the Añjana Grove, in the Deer Park. Then, friend, the nun Jaṭilavāsikā approached me; having approached, he paid respect to me and stood to one side. Standing to one side, friend, the nun Jaṭilavāsikā said this to me - 'This concentration, Venerable Ānanda, that is neither bent forward nor bent backward, nor reached by forceful suppression and restraint, that is stable because of being liberated, content because of being stable, and because of being content is not agitated. This concentration, Venerable Ānanda, what fruit has it been declared by the Blessed One?'
"When this was said, I, friend, said this to the nun Jaṭilavāsikā - 'This concentration, sister, that is neither bent forward nor bent backward, nor reached by forceful suppression and restraint, that is stable because of being liberated, content because of being stable, and because of being content is not agitated. This concentration, sister, has been declared by the Blessed One to have final knowledge as its fruit.' Even with such perception, friend, one does not experience that sense base." The sixth.