8.
The Discourse on the Fivefold
28.
"Monks, I will teach the development of the noble fivefold right concentration.
Listen to that, pay close attention;
I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"And what, monks, is the development of the noble fivefold right concentration? Here, monks, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, etc. he enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion; there is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. Just as, monks, a skilled bathman or his apprentice, having scattered bath powder in a bronze dish, might knead it by sprinkling it again and again with water. That ball of bath powder is permeated with moisture, pervaded by moisture, pervaded within and without by moisture, yet does not drip. So too, monks, a monk drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion; there is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. This, monks, is the first development of the noble fivefold right concentration.
"Furthermore, monks, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of concentration; there is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and happiness born of concentration. Just as, monks, there might be a deep lake with a spring. It has no inlet for water from the eastern direction, no inlet for water from the western direction, no inlet for water from the northern direction, no inlet for water from the southern direction, and the rain god would not send down proper showers from time to time. Then cool streams of water, having sprung up from that very lake, would drench, steep, fill, and pervade that very lake with cool water; there would be no part of the entire lake that is not pervaded by cool water. So too, monks, a monk drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of concentration; there is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the rapture and happiness born of concentration. This, monks, is the second development of the noble fivefold right concentration.
"Furthermore, monks, with the fading away of rapture, etc. he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with happiness free from rapture; there is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by happiness free from rapture. Just as, monks, in a pond of water lilies, or a pond of lotuses, or a pond of white lotuses, some water lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses are born in the water, grow in the water, do not rise above the water, and are nourished while submerged within. They, from their tips to their roots, are drenched, steeped, filled, and pervaded with cool water; there is no part of the entire water lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses that is not pervaded by cool water. So too, monks, a monk drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with happiness free from rapture; there is no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by happiness free from rapture. This, monks, is the third development of the noble fivefold right concentration.
"Furthermore, monks, with the abandoning of pleasure, etc. he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. He sits having pervaded this very body with a pure and bright mind; there is nothing of his entire body that is not pervaded by the pure and bright mind. Just as, monks, a man having wrapped himself up to the head with a white cloth might be seated; there would be no part of his entire body that is not pervaded by the white cloth. So too, monks, a monk sits having pervaded this very body with a pure and bright mind; there is nothing of his entire body that is not pervaded by the pure and bright mind. This is the fourth development of the noble five-factored right concentration, monks.
"Furthermore, monks, for a monk the sign of reviewing has been rightly grasped, well attended to, well considered, thoroughly understood with wisdom. Just as, monks, one person might review another, or one standing might review one seated, or one seated might review one lying down. So too, monks, for a monk the sign of reviewing has been rightly grasped, well attended to, well considered, thoroughly understood with wisdom. This is the fifth development of the noble five-factored right concentration, monks. Thus developed, monks, when a monk has thus cultivated the noble five-factored right concentration, towards whatever mental state to be realised by direct knowledge he inclines the mind for realisation by direct knowledge, in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"Just as, monks, a water jar full of water, filled to the brim so that a crow could drink from it, placed on a stand. If a strong man were to tip it from any direction, would water come out?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, monks, when a monk has thus developed the noble five-factored right concentration, thus cultivated, towards whatever mental state to be realised by direct knowledge he inclines the mind for realisation by direct knowledge, in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"Just as, monks, on a level piece of ground there might be a quadrangular pond, bounded by embankments, full of water, filled to the brim so that a crow could drink from it. If a strong man were to release the embankment from any direction, would water come out?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, monks, when a monk has thus developed the noble five-factored right concentration, thus cultivated, towards whatever mental state to be realised by direct knowledge, etc. when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"Just as, monks, on level ground at a crossroads a chariot harnessed to thoroughbreds might stand ready with goad lying ready. A skilled trainer, a charioteer of horses to be tamed, having mounted it, having taken the reins in his left hand, having taken the goad in his right hand, might drive it forward and back wherever he wishes, however he wishes. So too, monks, when a monk has thus developed the noble five-factored right concentration, thus cultivated, towards whatever mental state to be realised by direct knowledge he inclines the mind for realisation by direct knowledge, in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'May I experience the various kinds of supernormal power - having been one, may I become many, etc. may I exercise mastery with my body even as far as the Brahma world' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'With the divine ear element, purified and surpassing the human, may I hear both sounds - divine and human, whether far or near' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'May I understand the minds of other beings, of other persons, having encompassed them with my own mind - may I understand a mind with lust as "a mind with lust", may I understand a mind without lust as "a mind without lust", a mind with hate... a mind without hate, a mind with delusion, a mind without delusion, a contracted mind, a distracted mind, an exalted mind, a not exalted mind, a surpassed mind, an unsurpassed mind, a concentrated mind, an unconcentrated mind, a liberated mind, may I understand an unliberated mind as "an unliberated mind"' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'May I recollect manifold past lives, as follows - one birth, two births, etc. thus with aspects and terms may I recollect manifold past lives' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'With the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, etc. may I understand beings according to their actions' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness.
"If he wishes - 'With the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge myself, having attained, may I dwell in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions' - in each and every case he attains the ability to witness, when there is a basis for mindfulness." The eighth.