8.
The Discourse on the Battle of the Gods and Titans
39.
"Once in the past, monks, there was a battle between the gods and the titans that was fully engaged.
Now in that battle, monks, the titans won, the gods were defeated.
And defeated, monks, the gods fled northward, the titans pursued them.
Then, monks, this occurred to the gods -
'The titans are indeed pursuing us.
What if we were to fight a battle with the titans for the second time.'
For the second time, monks, the gods fought a battle with the titans.
For the second time, monks, the titans won, the gods were defeated.
And defeated, monks, the gods fled northward, the titans pursued them.
Then, monks, this occurred to the gods - 'The titans are indeed pursuing us. What if we were to fight a battle with the titans for the third time.' For the third time, monks, the gods fought a battle with the titans. For the third time, monks, the titans won, the gods were defeated. And defeated, monks, the gods, frightened, entered the city of the gods. And to the gods who had gone to the city of the gods, monks, this occurred - 'Having reached a refuge for the fearful, we now dwell by ourselves, not to be overcome by the titans.' To the titans also, monks, this occurred - 'Having reached a refuge for the fearful, the gods now dwell by themselves, not to be overcome by us.'
"Once in the past, monks, there was a battle between the gods and the titans that was fully engaged. Now in that battle, monks, the gods won, the titans were defeated. And defeated, monks, the titans fled southward, the gods pursued them. Then, monks, this occurred to the titans - 'The gods are indeed pursuing us. What if we were to fight a battle with the gods for the second time.' For the second time, monks, the titans fought a battle with the gods. For the second time, monks, the gods won, the titans were defeated. And defeated, monks, the titans fled southward, the gods pursued them.
Then, monks, this occurred to the titans - 'The gods are indeed pursuing us. What if we were to fight a battle with the gods for the third time.' For the third time, monks, the titans fought a battle with the gods. For the third time, monks, the gods won, the titans were defeated. And defeated, monks, the titans, frightened, entered the city of the titans. And to the titans who had gone to the city of the titans, monks, this occurred - 'Having reached a refuge for the fearful, we now dwell by ourselves, not to be overcome by the gods.' To the gods also, monks, this occurred - 'Having reached a refuge for the fearful, the titans now dwell by themselves, not to be overcome by us.'
"So too, monks, at the time when 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, at that time, monks, the monk thinks thus - 'Now I dwell with a self that has reached the refuge for the fearful, not to be done by Māra.' And to Māra the Evil One, monks, it occurs thus - 'Now the monk dwells with a self that has reached the refuge for the fearful, not to be done by me.'"
"At the time, monks, when a monk, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought... etc. the second meditative absorption... the third meditative absorption... enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, at that time, monks, the monk thinks thus - 'Now I dwell with a self that has reached the refuge for the fearful, not to be done by Māra.' And to Māra the Evil One, monks, it occurs thus - 'Now the monk dwells with a self that has reached the refuge for the fearful, not to be done by me.'"
"At the time, monks, when 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. This is called, monks, 'a monk who has made an end of Māra, who, having destroyed his track, has gone beyond the sight of the Evil One, one who has crossed over attachment in the world.'"
"At the time, monks, when a monk, having completely transcended the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness... having completely transcended the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness... With the complete transcendence of the plane of nothingness, one enters and dwells in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception... having completely transcended the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated. This is called, monks, 'a monk who has made an end of Māra, who, having destroyed his track, has gone beyond the sight of the Evil One, one who has crossed over attachment in the world.'" The eighth.