MAJJHIMA NIKAAYA III
II. 3. 5. Maagandiyasutta.m
III.
3.1. Cuulasu~n~natasutta.m-The shorter Discourse on Voidity-(121).
I
heard thus. At one time the Blessed One lived in the Pubba monastery, the
palace of Migaara’s mother in Saavatthi. Venerabe Aananda, getting up from
his seclusion in the evening, approached the Blessed One, worshipped, sat
on a side and said thus. ‘Venerable sir, once when the Blessed One was
living with the Sakyas in the hamlet Naagaraka, I heard these acknowledged
words from the Blessed One himself: “Aananda, at present I abide much in
voidity.” How could I, hearing it, grasp it thoroughly bear it?’
‘Then
Aananda, listen, hear, grasp thoroughly and bear it. Aananda, in the past
as well as now, I abide much in voidity. Just as the palace of Migaara’s
mother is void of elephants, cattle, mares, raw gold, sovereign gold and
assemblies of women and men and is not void of the community, on account
of this there is a single perception. In the same manner the bhikkhu not
attending to the perception of village or humans.attends to the single
perception of remoteness.*1) With the perception of remoteness, the mind
springs, gets settled and is released.*2) Whatever anxiety there’s on account
of the perception of village, is not evident here. Whatever anxiety there’s
on account of the perception of humans, is not evident here There is this
anxiety of the perception of remoteness. He knows, this is void of the
perception of village and the perception of humans. He knows it is not
void of the perception of remoteness. Thus on account of whatever is not
there, voidity is perceived, whatever remains is perceived as peaceful.
Aananda, as it is enjoyed, thus comes about the unperverted, pure ascend
to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception ofhumans
or the perception of remoteness, attends to the single perception of earth.With
the perception of earth the mind springs, gets settled and is released.
Like the bull beaten with the goad, is no more in his own power In the
same manner the bhikkhu disregarding the irregular features such as highlands,
lowlands, river valleys and ridges attends to the single perception of
earthTo him with the perception
of earth the mind springs, gets settled and is released. He knows, whatever
anxiety there’s on account of the perception of humans and the perception
of remoteness, they’re not evident here.There is non voidity on account
of the single perception of earth. Thus on account of whatever is not there,
voidity is perceived, whatever remains is perceived as peaceful. Aananda,
as it is enjoyed, thus comes about the unperverted, pure ascend to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception of remoteness or the
perception of earth, attends to the single perception of the sphere of
space.With the perception of the sphere of space the mind springs, gets
settled and is released. He knows, whatever anxiety there’s on account
of the perception of remoteness and the perception of earth, they’re not
evident here.There is non voidity on account of the single perception of
the sphere of space. Thus on account of whatever is not there, voidity
is perceived, whatever remains is perceived as peaceful. Aananda, as it’s
enjoyed, thus comes about the unperverted, pure ascend to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception of earth or the perception
of the sphere of space, attends to the single perception of the sphere
of consciousness.With the perception of the sphere of consciousness the
mind springs, gets settled and is released. He knows, whatever anxiety
there’s on account of the perception of earth and the perception of the
sphere of space, they’re not evident here.There is non voidity on account
of the single perception of the sphere of consciousness.Thus on account
of whatever is not there, voidity is perceived, whatever remains is perceived
as peaceful. Aananda, as it’s enjoyed, thus comes about the unperverted,
pure ascend to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception of the sphere of space
or the perception of the sphere of consciousness, attends to the single
perception of the sphere of nothingness.With the perception of the sphere
of nothingness the mind springs, gets settled and is released. He knows,
whatever anxiety there’s on account of the perception of the sphere of
space and the perception of the sphere of consciousness, are not evident
here.There is non voidity on account of the single perception of the sphere
of nothingness.Thus on account of whatever is not there, voidity is perceived,
whatever remains is perceived as peaceful. Aananda, as it’s enjoyed, thus
comes about the unperverted, pure ascend to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception of the sphere of consciousness
or the perception of the sphere of nothingness, attends to the single perception
on account of neither perception nor non perception With neither perception
nor non perception the mind springs, gets settled and is released. He knows,
whatever anxiety there’s on account of the perception of the sphere of
consciousness and the perception of the sphere of nothingness, they’re
not evident here.There is anxiety on account of the single perception of
neither perception nor non perception.Thus on account of whatever is not
there, voidity is perceived, whatever remains there, is perceived as peaceful.
Aananda, as it is enjoyed, thus comes about the unperverted, pure ascend
to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception of the sphere of nothingness
or the perception of neither perception nor non perception, attends to
the single signless concentration of the mind. With the signless concentration,
the mind springs, gets settled and is released. He knows, whatever anxiety
there’s on account of the perception of the sphere of nothingness and the
perception of the sphere of neither perception nor non perception they’re
not evident here.There is anxiety on account of life and the body of six
mental spheres.Thus on account of whatever is not there, voidity is perceived,
whatever remains there, is perceived as peaceful. Aananda, as it is enjoyed,
thus comes about the unperverted, pure ascend to voidity.
Again,
Aananda, the bhikkhu not attending to the perception of the sphere of nothingness
or the perception of neither perception nor non perception, attends to
the single signless concentration of the mind. With the signless concentration,
the mind springs, gets settled and is released. He knows, even this signless
concentration is compounded and mentally thought out. Whatever is compounded
and mentally thought out, is impermanent and it ceases.When he knows and
sees this, his mind finds release, from sensual desires, from desires ‘to
be,’ and from ignorant desires. When released knowledge arises, I’m released.
Birth is destroyed, the holy life is lived, what should be done is done.
He knows, there is nothing to wish. He knows, whatever anxiety there’s
on account of sensual desires, they’re not evident.On account of desires
‘to be’ they’re not evident. On account of ignorant desires, they’re not
evident.There is anxiety on account of life and the body of six mental
spheres. He knows this is void of sensual desires, void of desires ‘to
be’ and void of ignorant desires. There is non voidity on account of life
and the body of six mental spheres Thus on account of whatever is not there,
voidity is perceived whatever remains is perceived as peaceful. Aananda,
as it is enjoyed, thus comes about the most noble unperverted, pure ascend
to voidityAananda, whoever recluses
or brahmins abode in voidity, they all abode in this most noble and pure
voidity. Whoever recluses or brahmins will abide in voidity, they all will
abide in this most noble and pure voidity.Whoever recluses or brahmins
now abide in voidity, they all abide in this most noble and pure voidity.
Therefore Aananda, you should train, we should abide in this most noble
pure voidity.’
The
Blessed One said thus and venerable Aananda delighted in the words of the
Blessed One.
Notes.
1. Attends to the single perception of remoteness. ‘ara~n~nsa~n~na.m pa.ticca
manasikaroti ekatta.m’ The perception of remoteness is the physical displacing
of the enjoyments of the five strands of sensual pleasures.
2. With the perception of remoteness, the mind springs, gets settled and is released. ‘tassa ara~n~nasa~n~naaya citta.m pakkhandati pasiidati santi.t.thati vimuccati.’ Itis the nature of the mind to spring at a sign, if agreeable get settled there and if ready to be released, to be released..