2.
The Discourse to the Man from the City of Aṭṭhaka
17. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Vesālī in the village of Beluva. Now at that time the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara had arrived at Pāṭaliputta on some business. Then the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara approached the Kukkuṭa Monastery, approached a certain monk; having approached, he paid respect to that monk and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara said this to that monk - "Where, venerable sir, is the Venerable Ānanda dwelling at present? For we wish to see that Venerable Ānanda." "This Venerable Ānanda, householder, is dwelling at Vesālī in the village of Beluva." Then the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara, having finished that business at Pāṭaliputta, approached Vesālī, approached the village of Beluva, approached the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he paid respect to the Venerable Ānanda and sat down to one side.
18. Seated to one side, the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Is there indeed, venerable Ānanda, one teaching declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, where for a monk dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute, the unliberated mind becomes liberated, the mental corruptions that were not eliminated go to utter elimination, and the unsurpassed freedom from bondage that was not attained is attained?"
"There is indeed, householder, one teaching declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, where for a monk dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute, the unliberated mind becomes liberated, the mental corruptions that were not eliminated go to utter elimination, and the unsurpassed freedom from bondage that was not attained is attained."
"But what, venerable Ānanda, is that one teaching declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, where for a monk dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute, the unliberated mind becomes liberated, the mental corruptions that were not eliminated go to utter elimination, and the unsurpassed freedom from bondage that was not attained is attained?"
19. "Here, householder, 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. He considers thus: 'This first meditative absorption too is conditioned, fashioned by volition. But whatever is conditioned, fashioned by volition, that is impermanent, having the nature of cessation,' he understands. He, steady in that, attains the elimination of mental corruptions. If he does not attain the elimination of mental corruptions, then by that very lust for mental states, by that delight in mental states, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, he becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This too, householder, is one teaching declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, where for a monk dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute, the unliberated mind becomes liberated, the mental corruptions that were not eliminated go to utter elimination, and the unsurpassed freedom from bondage that was not attained is attained.
20. "Furthermore, householder, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, a monk, with internal confidence... etc. he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption. He considers thus: 'This second meditative absorption too is conditioned, fashioned by volition... he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, with the fading away of rapture, a monk... etc. he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption. He considers thus: 'This third meditative absorption too is conditioned, fashioned by volition... etc. he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, with the abandoning of pleasure, a monk... etc. he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. He considers thus: 'This fourth meditative absorption too is conditioned, fashioned by volition... he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, a monk dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by friendliness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, he dwells having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by friendliness, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. He considers thus: 'This liberation of mind through friendliness too is conditioned, fashioned by volition. But whatever is conditioned, fashioned by volition, that is impermanent, having the nature of cessation,' he understands. He, steady in that... etc. he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, a monk with a mind accompanied by compassion... etc. with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy... etc. He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, he dwells having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. He considers thus: 'This liberation of mind through equanimity too is conditioned, fashioned by volition. But whatever is conditioned, fashioned by volition, that is impermanent, having the nature of cessation,' he understands. He, steady in that... he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, 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,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space. He considers thus: 'This too, the attainment of the plane of infinite space, is conditioned, fashioned by volition. But whatever is conditioned, fashioned by volition, that is impermanent, having the nature of cessation,' he understands. He, steady in that... etc. he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. He considers thus: 'This too, the attainment of the plane of infinite consciousness, is conditioned, fashioned by volition. But whatever is conditioned, fashioned by volition, that is impermanent, having the nature of cessation,' he understands. He, steady in that... etc. he attains the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
"Furthermore, householder, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. He considers thus: 'This too, the attainment of the plane of nothingness, is conditioned, fashioned by volition. But whatever is conditioned, fashioned by volition, that is impermanent, having the nature of cessation,' he understands. He, steady in that, attains the elimination of mental corruptions. If he does not attain the elimination of mental corruptions, then by that very lust for mental states, by that delight in mental states, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, he becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This too, householder, is one teaching declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, where for a monk dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute, the unliberated mind becomes liberated, the mental corruptions that were not eliminated go to utter elimination, and the unsurpassed freedom from bondage that was not attained is attained."
21. When this was said, the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Just as, venerable Ānanda, a man seeking only one treasure opening might at once find eleven treasure openings; just so indeed, venerable sir, I, seeking one door to the Deathless, have at once obtained eleven doors to the Deathless for development. Just as, venerable sir, a man might have a house with eleven doors, and when that house is on fire, he would be able to bring himself to safety through even one door; just so indeed, venerable sir, through even one of these eleven doors to the Deathless, I shall be able to bring myself to safety. If indeed, venerable sir, these heterodox followers will seek a teacher's fee for their teacher, why should I not make an offering to the Venerable Ānanda!" Then the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhakanagara, having assembled the Community of monks from Pāṭaliputta and Vesālī, with his own hand satisfied and served them with superior solid and soft food, clothed each and every monk individually with a suit of garments, clothed the Venerable Ānanda with the three robes, and had a monastery worth five hundred built for the Venerable Ānanda.
The Discourse on the Man from Aṭṭhakanāgara is concluded as second.