1.
The Discourse on Kolita
235.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
There the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the monks:
"Friends, monks!"
"Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna.
The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this: "Here, friends, when I had gone to a private place and was in seclusion, this reflection arose in my mind: 'Noble silence, noble silence, it is said. What indeed is noble silence?' This occurred to me, friends: 'Here a monk, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, enters and dwells 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. This is called noble silence.' So I, friends, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, entered and dwelt 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. While I was dwelling with this abiding, friends, perceptions and attention accompanied by applied thought occurred to me."
"Then, friends, the Blessed One, having approached me by supernormal power, said this: 'Moggallāna, Moggallāna, do not be negligent, brahmin, regarding noble silence; steady your mind in noble silence, unify your mind in noble silence, concentrate your mind in noble silence.' So I, friends, at a later time, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, 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. If anyone, friends, speaking rightly would say: 'A disciple helped by the Teacher has attained great direct knowledge,' it is of me that one speaking rightly would say: 'A disciple helped by the Teacher has attained great direct knowledge.'" The first.