8.
The Discourse on Attention
8.
Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One -
"Could there be, venerable sir, such an attainment of concentration for a monk that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to matter, would not attend to the ear, would not attend to sound, would not attend to the nose, would not attend to odour, would not attend to the tongue, would not attend to flavour, would not attend to the body, would not attend to tangible object, would not attend to earth, would not attend to water, would not attend to fire, would not attend to air, would not attend to the plane of infinite space, would not attend to the plane of infinite consciousness, would not attend to the plane of nothingness, would not attend to the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, would not attend to this world, would not attend to the world beyond, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognised, attained, sought after, pondered over by the mind, that too he would not attend to; and yet he would attend?"
"There could be, Ānanda, such an attainment of concentration for a monk that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to matter, would not attend to the ear, would not attend to sound, would not attend to the nose, would not attend to odour, would not attend to the tongue, would not attend to flavour, would not attend to the body, would not attend to tangible object, would not attend to earth, would not attend to water, would not attend to fire, would not attend to air, would not attend to the plane of infinite space, would not attend to the plane of infinite consciousness, would not attend to the plane of nothingness, would not attend to the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, would not attend to this world, would not attend to the world beyond, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognised, attained, sought after, pondered over by the mind, that too he would not attend to; and yet he would attend."
"In what way, venerable sir, could there be such an attainment of concentration for a monk that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to matter... whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognised, attained, sought after, pondered over by the mind, that too he would not attend to; and yet he would attend?"
"Here, Ānanda, a monk attends thus - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, the stilling of all activities, the relinquishment of all clinging, the elimination of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna.' Thus, Ānanda, there could be such an attainment of concentration for a monk that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to matter... etc. whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognised, attained, sought after, pondered over by the mind, that too he would not attend to; and yet he would attend." The eighth.