Mahāsakuludāyisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 77

The Longer Discourse with Sakuludāyī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Seyyathāpi nāma umāpupphaṁ nīlaṁ nīlavaṇṇaṁ nīlanidassanaṁ nīlanibhāsaṁ, seyyathā vā pana taṁ vatthaṁ bārāṇaseyyakaṁ ubhatobhāgavimaṭṭhaṁ nīlaṁ nīlavaṇṇaṁ nīlanidassanaṁ nīlanibhāsaṁ;
evameva ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati nīlāni nīlavaṇṇāni nīlanidassanāni nīlanibhāsāni.
‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi, passāmī’ti evaṁ saññī hoti.
Idaṁ pañcamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.
Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati pītāni pītavaṇṇāni pītanidassanāni pītanibhāsāni.
Seyyathāpi nāma kaṇikārapupphaṁ pītaṁ pītavaṇṇaṁ pītanidassanaṁ pītanibhāsaṁ, seyyathā vā pana taṁ vatthaṁ bārāṇaseyyakaṁ ubhatobhāgavimaṭṭhaṁ pītaṁ pītavaṇṇaṁ pītanidassanaṁ pītanibhāsaṁ;
evameva ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati pītāni pītavaṇṇāni pītanidassanāni pītanibhāsāni.
‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi, passāmī’ti evaṁ saññī hoti.
Idaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.
Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati lohitakāni lohitakavaṇṇāni lohitakanidassanāni lohitakanibhāsāni.

They’re like a flax flower that’s blue, with blue color and blue appearance. Or a cloth from Varanasi that’s smoothed on both sides, blue, with blue color and blue appearance. In the same way, not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, blue, with blue color and blue appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the fifth dimension of mastery. Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally that are yellow, with yellow color and yellow appearance. They’re like a champak flower that’s yellow, with yellow color and yellow appearance. Or a cloth from Varanasi that’s smoothed on both sides, yellow, with yellow color and yellow appearance. In the same way, not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally that are yellow, with yellow color and yellow appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the sixth dimension of mastery. Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally that are red, with red color and red appearance.

Seyyathāpi nāma bandhujīvakapupphaṁ lohitakaṁ lohitakavaṇṇaṁ lohitakanidassanaṁ lohitakanibhāsaṁ, seyyathā vā pana taṁ vatthaṁ bārāṇaseyyakaṁ ubhatobhāgavimaṭṭhaṁ lohitakaṁ lohitakavaṇṇaṁ lohitakanidassanaṁ lohitakanibhāsaṁ;
evameva ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati lohitakāni lohitakavaṇṇāni lohitakanidassanāni lohitakanibhāsāni.
‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi, passāmī’ti evaṁ saññī hoti.
Idaṁ sattamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.
Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati odātāni odātavaṇṇāni odātanidassanāni odātanibhāsāni.
Seyyathāpi nāma osadhitārakā odātā odātavaṇṇā odātanidassanā odātanibhāsā, seyyathā vā pana taṁ vatthaṁ bārāṇaseyyakaṁ ubhatobhāgavimaṭṭhaṁ odātaṁ odātavaṇṇaṁ odātanidassanaṁ odātanibhāsaṁ;
evameva ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati odātāni odātavaṇṇāni odātanidassanāni odātanibhāsāni.
‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi, passāmī’ti evaṁsaññī hoti.
Idaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.
Tatra ca pana me sāvakā bahū abhiññāvosānapāramippattā viharanti.

They’re like a scarlet mallow flower that’s red, with red color and red appearance. Or a cloth from Varanasi that’s smoothed on both sides, red, with red color and red appearance. In the same way, not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally that are red, with red color and red appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the seventh dimension of mastery. Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally that are white, with white color and white appearance. They’re like the morning star that’s white, with white color and white appearance. Or a cloth from Varanasi that’s smoothed on both sides, white, with white color and white appearance. In the same way, not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally that are white, with white color and white appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the eighth dimension of mastery. And many of my disciples meditate on that having attained perfection and consummation of insight.

Furthermore, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to develop the ten universal dimensions of meditation. Someone perceives the meditation on universal earth above, below, across, undivided and limitless. They perceive the meditation on universal water … the meditation on universal fire … the meditation on universal air … the meditation on universal blue … the meditation on universal yellow … the meditation on universal red … the meditation on universal white … the meditation on universal space … the meditation on universal consciousness above, below, across, undivided and limitless. And many of my disciples meditate on that having attained perfection and consummation of insight.

Puna caparaṁ, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā cattāri jhānāni bhāventi.
Idhudāyi, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
So imameva kāyaṁ vivekajena pītisukhena abhisandeti parisandeti paripūreti parippharati, nāssa kiñci sabbāvato kāyassa vivekajena pītisukhena apphuṭaṁ hoti.
Seyyathāpi, udāyi, dakkho nhāpako vā nhāpakantevāsī vā kaṁsathāle nhānīyacuṇṇāni ākiritvā udakena paripphosakaṁ paripphosakaṁ sanneyya, sāyaṁ nhānīyapiṇḍi snehānugatā snehaparetā santarabāhirā phuṭā snehena na ca pagghariṇī;
evameva kho, udāyi, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṁ vivekajena pītisukhena abhisandeti parisandeti paripūreti parippharati, nāssa kiñci sabbāvato kāyassa vivekajena pītisukhena apphuṭaṁ hoti.

Furthermore, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to develop the four absorptions. It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. They drench, steep, fill, and spread themselves with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. It’s like when a deft bathroom attendant or their apprentice pours bath powder into a bronze dish, sprinkling it little by little with water. They knead it until the ball of bath powder is soaked and saturated with moisture, spread through inside and out; yet no moisture oozes out. In the same way, a mendicant drenches, steeps, fills, and spreads themselves with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion.

Puna caparaṁ, udāyi, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
So imameva kāyaṁ samādhijena pītisukhena abhisandeti parisandeti paripūreti parippharati, nāssa kiñci sabbāvato kāyassa samādhijena pītisukhena apphuṭaṁ hoti.
Seyyathāpi, udāyi, udakarahado gambhīro ubbhidodako. Tassa nevassa puratthimāya disāya udakassa āyamukhaṁ, na pacchimāya disāya udakassa āyamukhaṁ, na uttarāya disāya udakassa āyamukhaṁ, na dakkhiṇāya disāya udakassa āyamukhaṁ, devo ca na kālena kālaṁ sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya;
atha kho tamhāva udakarahadā sītā vāridhārā ubbhijjitvā tameva udakarahadaṁ sītena vārinā abhisandeyya parisandeyya paripūreyya paripphareyya, nāssa kiñci sabbāvato udakarahadassa sītena vārinā apphuṭaṁ assa.

Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. They drench, steep, fill, and spread themselves with rapture and bliss born of immersion. There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with rapture and bliss born of immersion. It’s like a deep lake fed by spring water. There’s no inlet to the east, west, north, or south, and the heavens would not properly bestow showers from time to time. But the stream of cool water welling up in the lake drenches, steeps, fills, and spreads throughout the lake. There’s no part of the lake that’s not spread through with cool water.

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