1. Thus I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was
living at Savatthi in the Eastern Park, the Palace of Migara's Mother.
2. Then when it was evening, the venerable Ánanda rose
from retreat, and he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he
sat down at one side. When he had done so, he said to the Blessed One:
3. 'Venerable sir, once the Blessed One was living in
the Sakyan country. There is a town of the Sakyans called Nagaraka; there I
heard and learnt this from the Blessed One's own lips: "Now I abide much in
the voiding, Ánanda." Venerable sir, was this well heard by me, well
apprehended, well attended to and well remembered?' 'Certainly, Ánanda, that was
well heard by you, well apprehended, well attended to and well remembered. As
formerly, so now too, I abide much in the void.
4. 'Ánanda, just as the Palace of Migara's Mother is
void of elephants, cattle, horses and mares, void of gold and silver, void of
the forgathering of women and men, and there is (present) only this non-void
ness, that is to say, the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the
presence of) the community of Bhikkhus; so too, without giving attention to
perception of village, without giving attention to perception of man, a Bhikkhu
gives attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the
presence of) perception of forest. His mind enters into that perception of
forest and acquires confidence, steadiness and decision. He understands thus:
"Disturbances that would be present dependent on perception of village are
not present here, disturbances that would be present on perception of man are
not present here, and only this measure of disturbance is present, that is to
say, the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of forest." He understands: "This field of perception is
void of perception of village." He understands: "This field of
perception is void of perception of man.” (And he understands): "There is
(present) only this non-void ness, that is to say, the single state (of non-void
ness) dependent on (the presence of) perception of forest." So he sees it
as void of what is not there, but of what remains there he understands:
"There is that still present there." Now this has been for him an
alighting upon void ness that accords with what actually is, without perversion
of meaning and is pure.
5. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of man, without giving attention to perception of forest, a Bhikkhu
gives attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the
presence of) perception of earth. His mind enters into that perception of earth
and acquires confidence, steadiness and decision. Just as though a bull's hide
were freed from folds by stretching it with a hundred pegs, so too, without
giving attention to all the ridges and hollows, the river ravines, the tracts of
stumps and thorns, the rocky inequalities, on this earth, a Bhikkhu gives
attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of earth. His mind enters into the perception of earth and acquires
confidence, steadiness and decision. He understands thus: "Disturbances
that would have been present dependent on perception of man are not present
here, disturbances that would be present dependent on perception of forest are
not present here, and only this measure of disturbance is present, that is to
say, the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of earth." He understands: "This field of perception is
void of perception of man." He understands: "This field of perception
is void of perception of forest.” (And he understands): "There is
(present) only this non-void ness, that is to say, the single state (of non-void
ness) dependent on (the presence of) perception of earth." So he sees it as
void of what is not there, but of what remains there he understands: "There
is that still present there." Now this too has been for him an alighting
upon void ness that accords with what actually is, without perversion of
meaning, and is pure.
6. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of forest, without giving attention to perception of earth, a Bhikkhu
gives attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the
presence of) perception of the base consisting of infinite space. His mind
enters into that perception of the base consisting of infinite space and
acquires confidence, steadiness and decision. He understands thus:
"Disturbances that would be present dependent on perception of forest are
not present here, disturbances that would be present on perception of earth are
not present here, and only this measure of disturbance is present, that is to
say, the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of the base consisting of infinite space." He understands:
"This field of perception is void of perception of forest." He
understands: "This field of perception is void of perception of earth.”
(And he understands:) "There is (present) only this non-void ness, that is
to say, the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of the base consisting of infinite space." So he sees it as void
of what is not there, but of what remains there he understands: "There is
that still present there." Now this too has been for him an alighting upon
void ness that accords with what actually is, without perversion of meaning and
is pure.
7. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of earth, without giving attention to perception of the base
consisting of infinite space, a Bhikkhu gives attention to the single state (of
non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of) perception of the base consisting
of infinite consciousness. His mind enters into the perception of the base
consisting of infinite consciousness and acquires confidence, steadiness and
decision. He understands thus: "Disturbances that would be present
dependent on perception of earth are not present here, disturbances that would
be present dependent on perception of the base consisting of infinite space are
not present here, and only this measure of disturbance is present, that is to
say, the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of the base consisting of infinite consciousness." He
understands: "This field of perception is void of perception of
earth." He understands: "This field of perception is void of
perception of the base consisting of infinite space", (and he understands):
"There is (present) only this non-void ness, that is to say, the single
state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of) perception of the base
consisting of infinite consciousness." So he sees it as void of what is not
there, but of what remains there he understands: "There is that still
present there." Now this too has been for him an alighting upon void ness
that accords with what actually is, without perversion of meaning, and is pure.
8. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of infinite space, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of infinite consciousness, a Bhikkhu gives
attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of the base consisting of nothingness. His mind enters into the
perception of the base consisting of nothingness and he acquires confidence,
steadiness and decision. He understands thus: "Disturbances that would be
present dependent on perception of the base of infinite space are not present
here, disturbances that would be present dependent on perception of the base of
infinite consciousness are not present here, and only this measure of
disturbance is present, that is to say, the single state (of non-void ness)
dependent on (the presence of) perception of the base consisting of
nothingness." He understands: "This field of perception is void of
perception of the base consisting of infinite space.” and he understands:
"This field of perception is void of perception of the base consisting of
infinite consciousness.” (And he understands): "There is (present) only
this non-void ness, that is to say, the single state (of non-void ness)
dependent on (the presence of) perception of the base consisting of
nothingness." So he sees it as void of what is not there, but of what
remains there he understands: "There is that still present there." Now
this too has been for him an alighting upon void ness that accords with what is,
without perversion of meaning and is pure.
9. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of infinite consciousness, without giving
attention to perception of the base consisting of nothingness, a Bhikkhu gives
attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of)
perception of the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. His
mind enters into the perception of the base consisting of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception and acquires confidence, steadiness and
decision. He understands thus: "Disturbances that would be present
dependent on the perception of the base consisting of infinite consciousness are
not present here, disturbances that would present dependent on the perception of
the base consisting of nothingness are not present here, and only this measure
of disturbance is present, that is to say, the single state (of non-void ness)
dependent on (the presence of) perception of the base consisting of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception." He understands: "This field of
perception is void of perception of the base consisting of infinite
consciousness." He understands: "This field of perception is void of
perception of the base consisting of nothingness.” (And he understands):
"There is (present) only this non-void ness, that is to say, the single
state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the presence of) perception of the base
consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception." So he sees it as void
of what is not there, but of what remains there he understands: "There is
that still present there." Now this too has been for him an alighting upon
void ness that accords with what actually is, without perversion of meaning and
is pure.
10. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of nothingness, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a
Bhikkhu gives attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the
presence of) the sign less concentration of mind. His mind enters into the sign
less concentration of mind and acquires confidence, steadiness and decision. He
understands thus: "Disturbances that would be present dependent on the
perception of the base consisting of nothingness are not present here,
disturbances that would be present dependent on the perception of the base
consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception are not present here, and
only this measure of disturbance is present, that is to say, that (disturbance)
which has life as its condition dependent on the presence of this body with its
six bases." He understands: "This field of perception is void of
perception of the base consisting of nothingness." He understands:
"This field of perception is void of perception of the base consisting of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception.” (And he understands): "There is
(present) only this non-void ness, that is to say, that (non-void ness) with
life as its condition dependent on this body with its six bases." So he
sees it as void of what is not there, but of what remains there he understands:
"There is that still present there." Now this too has been for him an
alighting upon void ness that accords with what actually is, without perversion
of meaning and is pure.
11. 'Again, Ánanda, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of nothingness, without giving attention to
perception of the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a
Bhikkhu gives attention to the single state (of non-void ness) dependent on (the
presence of) the sign less concentration of mind. His mind enters into the sign
less concentration of mind and acquires confidence, steadiness and decision. He
understands thus: "This sign less concentration of mind is conditioned and
mentally produced." He understands: "Whatever is conditioned and
mentally produced is impermanent and liable to cessation." When he knows
and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the
taint of being, from the taint of ignorance. When liberated there comes the
knowledge "It is liberated". He understands: "Birth is exhausted,
the life divine has been lived out, what was to be done is done, there is no
more of this to come." He understands thus: "Disturbances that would
be present dependent on the taint of sensual desire are not present here,
disturbances that would be present dependent on the taint of being are not
present here, disturbances that would be present dependent on the taint of
ignorance are not present here, and only this measure of disturbance is present,
that is to say, that (non-void ness) with life as its condition dependent on
(the presence of) this body with its six bases." He understands: "This
field of perception is void of the taint of sensual desire." He
understands: "This field of perception is void of the taint of being."
He understands: "This field of perception is void of the taint of
ignorance.” (And he understands): "There is (present) only this non-void
ness, that is to say, that (non-void ness) with life as its condition dependent
on (the presence of) this body with its six bases." So he sees it as void
of what is not there, but of what remains there he understands: "There is
that still present there." Now this has been for him an alighting upon void
ness that accords with what actually is, without perversion of meaning, is pure
and is unsurpassed by any other.
12. 'Whatever monks or divines in the past have entered
upon and abode in a void ness that was purified and unsurpassed by any other,
they have all of them entered upon and abode in this void ness that is pure and
unsurpassed by any other.
_____'Whatever monks and divines in the future will enter upon and abide in a
void ness that will be purified and unsurpassed by any other, they will all of
them enter upon and abide in this void ness that is pure and unsurpassed by any
other.
_____’Whatever monks and divines in the present enter upon and abide in a void
ness that is purified and unsurpassed by any other, they all of them will enter
upon and abide in this void ness that is pure and unsurpassed by any other.
_____'Therefore, Ánanda, you should train thus: "We will enter upon and
abide in the void ness that is pure and unsurpassed by any other."'
______That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ánanda was satisfied, and
he delighted in the Blessed One's words.