2.
The Discourse on the Attainment of Progressive Abidings
33.
"I will teach you, monks, these nine progressive abiding attainments. Listen to that, etc.
And what, monks, are the nine progressive abiding attainments?
Where sensual pleasures cease, and those who, having ceased sensual pleasures again and again, dwell thus - 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, crossed over, gone beyond by that factor' - thus I say.
'Where do sensual pleasures cease, and who, having ceased sensual pleasures again and again, dwell thus -
I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus -
'Here, friend, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion.
Here sensual pleasures cease, and they, having ceased sensual pleasures again and again, dwell thus.'
Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!';
having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
Where applied and sustained thought cease, and those who, having ceased applied and sustained thought again and again, dwell thus - 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, crossed over, gone beyond by that factor' - thus I say. 'Where do applied and sustained thought cease, and who, having ceased applied and sustained thought again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption; here applied and sustained thought cease, and they, having ceased applied and sustained thought again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
Where rapture ceases, and those who, having ceased rapture again and again, dwell thus - 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, crossed over, gone beyond by that factor' - thus I say. 'Where does rapture cease, and who, having ceased rapture again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, with the fading away of rapture, etc. he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption; here rapture ceases, and they, having ceased rapture again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
Where equanimity and happiness cease, and those who, having ceased equanimity and happiness again and again, dwell thus - 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, crossed over, gone beyond by that factor' - thus I say. 'Where do equanimity and happiness cease, and who, having ceased equanimity and happiness again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure, etc. enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption; here equanimity and happiness cease, and they, having ceased equanimity and happiness again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
"Where perception of material form ceases, and those who, having ceased perception of material form again and again, dwell thus, 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, ones who have crossed over and gone beyond by that factor,' I say. 'Where does perception of material form cease, and who are those who, having ceased perception of material form again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, 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," enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space. Here perception of material form ceases, and those, having ceased perception of material form again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
"Where perception of the plane of infinite space ceases, and those who, having ceased perception of the plane of infinite space again and again, dwell thus, 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, ones who have crossed over and gone beyond by that factor,' I say. 'Where does perception of the plane of infinite space cease, and who are those who, having ceased perception of the plane of infinite space again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, having completely transcended the plane of infinite space, aware that "consciousness is infinite," enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. Here perception of the plane of infinite space ceases, and those, having ceased perception of the plane of infinite space again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
"Where perception of the plane of infinite consciousness ceases, and those who, having ceased perception of the plane of infinite consciousness again and again, dwell thus, 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, ones who have crossed over and gone beyond by that factor,' I say. 'Where does perception of the plane of infinite consciousness cease, and who are those who, having ceased perception of the plane of infinite consciousness again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, having completely transcended the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that "there is nothing," enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. Here perception of the plane of infinite consciousness ceases, and those, having ceased perception of the plane of infinite consciousness again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
"Where perception of the plane of nothingness ceases, and those who, having ceased perception of the plane of nothingness again and again, dwell thus, 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, ones who have crossed over and gone beyond by that factor,' I say. 'Where does perception of the plane of nothingness cease, and who are those who, having ceased perception of the plane of nothingness again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, having completely transcended the plane of nothingness, enters and dwells in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Here perception of the plane of nothingness ceases, and those, having ceased perception of the plane of nothingness again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon.
"Where perception of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception ceases, and those who, having ceased perception of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception again and again, dwell thus, 'Certainly those venerable ones are without hunger, quenched, ones who have crossed over and gone beyond by that factor,' I say. 'Where does perception of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception cease, and who are those who, having ceased perception of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception again and again, dwell thus - I do not know this, I do not see this' - thus whoever would say, he should be addressed thus - 'Here, friend, a monk, having completely transcended the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling. Here perception of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception ceases, and those, having ceased perception of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception again and again, dwell thus.' Certainly, monks, one who is not fraudulent and not deceitful would delight in and give thanks for what was said with 'Good!'; having delighted in and given thanks for what was said with 'Good!', paying homage with joined palms, he would attend upon. These, monks, are the nine progressive abiding attainments." The second.