6.
The Discourse on Concentration
6.
Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, etc.
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 be percipient of earth in earth, not be percipient of water in water, not be percipient of fire in fire, not be percipient of air in air, not be percipient of the plane of infinite space in the plane of infinite space, not be percipient of the plane of infinite consciousness in the plane of infinite consciousness, not be percipient of the plane of nothingness in the plane of nothingness, not be percipient of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, not be percipient of this world in this world, not be percipient of the world beyond in the world beyond;
and yet he would be percipient?"
"There could be, Ānanda, such an attainment of concentration for a monk that he would not be percipient of earth in earth, not be percipient of water in water, not be percipient of fire in fire, not be percipient of air in air, not be percipient of the plane of infinite space in the plane of infinite space, not be percipient of the plane of infinite consciousness in the plane of infinite consciousness, not be percipient of the plane of nothingness in the plane of nothingness, not be percipient of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, not be percipient of this world in this world, not be percipient of the world beyond in the world beyond;
and yet he would be percipient."
"In what way, venerable sir, could there be such an attainment of concentration for a monk that he would not be percipient of earth in earth, not be percipient of water in water, not be percipient of fire in fire, not be percipient of air in air, not be percipient of the plane of infinite space in the plane of infinite space, not be percipient of the plane of infinite consciousness in the plane of infinite consciousness, not be percipient of the plane of nothingness in the plane of nothingness, not be percipient of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, not be percipient of this world in this world, not be percipient of the world beyond in the world beyond; and yet he would be percipient?"
"Here, Ānanda, a monk has this perception - '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 be percipient of earth in earth, not be percipient of water in water, not be percipient of fire in fire, not be percipient of air in air, not be percipient of the plane of infinite space in the plane of infinite space, not be percipient of the plane of infinite consciousness in the plane of infinite consciousness, not be percipient of the plane of nothingness in the plane of nothingness, not be percipient of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, not be percipient of this world in this world, not be percipient of the world beyond in the world beyond; and yet he would be percipient." The sixth.