1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nādika in the brick hall. Then the Venerable Sandha [n.2208] Be has the name as Saddha. approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him:

2"Meditate like a thoroughbred, Sandha, not like a wild colt. And how does a wild colt meditate? When a wild colt is tied up near the feeding trough he meditates: ‘Fodder, fodder!’ For what reason? Because when a wild colt is tied up by the feeding trough, he does not ask himself: ‘Now what task will my trainer set for me today? What can I do to satisfy him?’ Tied up by the feeding trough, he just meditates: ‘Fodder, fodder!’ So too, Sandha, a person who is like a wild colt, when gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, dwells with a mind obsessed and oppressed by sensual lust, and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust. Harboring sensual lust within, he meditates, cogitates, ponders, and ruminates. [n.2209] Jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati. As in AN6.46, III 354,8–10, the tone is derisive. He dwells with a mind obsessed and oppressed by ill will … by dullness and drowsiness … by restlessness and remorse … by doubt, and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen doubt. Harboring doubt within, he meditates, cogitates, ponders, and ruminates.

"He meditates (1) in dependence on earth, (2) in dependence on water, (3) in dependence on fire, (4) in dependence on air, (5) in dependence on the base of the infinity of space, (6) in dependence on the base of the infinity of consciousness, (7) in dependence on the base of nothingness, (8) in dependence on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, (9) in dependence on this world, (10) in dependence on the other world, (11) in dependence on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, and examined by the mind. Such is the meditation of a person who is like a wild colt.

3"And how, Sandha, does a thoroughbred meditate? When an excellent thoroughbred horse is tied up near the feeding trough he does not meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’ For what reason? Because when an excellent thoroughbred horse is tied up by the feeding trough, he asks himself: ‘Now what task will my trainer set for me today? What can I do to satisfy him?’ Tied up by the feeding trough, he does not meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’ For that excellent thoroughbred horse regards the application of the goad as a debt, a bond, a loss, and failure. So too, an excellent thoroughbred person, when gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, does not dwell with a mind obsessed and oppressed by sensual lust, and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust. He does not dwell with a mind obsessed and oppressed by ill will … by dullness and drowsiness … by restlessness and remorse … by doubt, and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen doubt.

"He does not meditate (1) in dependence on earth, (2) in dependence on water, (3) in dependence on fire, (4) in dependence on air, (5) in dependence on the base of the infinity of space, (6) in dependence on the base of the infinity of consciousness, (7) in dependence on the base of nothingness, (8) in dependence on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, (9) in dependence on this world, (10) in dependence on the other world, (11) in dependence on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, or examined by the mind, and yet he meditates.

"When he meditates in such a way, the devas along with Indra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati worship the excellent thoroughbred person from afar, saying:

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4"‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred person!
Homage to you, O supreme person!
We ourselves do not understand
What you meditate in dependence on.’" [n.2210] Yassa te nābhijānāma, yampi nissāya jhāyasi. See MN 22.55, I 140,1–7: "When the devas with Indra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati, search for a monk thus liberated in mind, they do not find that on which the consciousness of one who has thus attained is dependent. Why so? I say that one who has thus attained is untraceable even in this very life" (evaṁ vimuttacittaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ sa-indā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā anvesaṁ nādhigacchanti ‘idaṁ nissitaṁ tathāgatassa viññāṇan’ ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Diṭṭh’evāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dhamme tathāgataṁ ananuvijjo ti vadāmi).

5When this was said, the Venerable Sandha said to the Blessed One: "But how, Bhante, does an excellent thoroughbred person meditate? If he does not meditate in dependence on earth … in dependence on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, and examined by the mind, and yet he meditates, just how does he meditate so that the devas … worship the excellent thoroughbred person from afar, saying:

6"‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred person! …
What you meditate in dependence on’?"

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7"Here, Sandha, for an excellent thoroughbred person, the perception of earth has disappeared in relation to earth, [n.2211] Paṭhaviyaṁ paṭhavisaññā vibhūtā hoti. Mp glosses vibhūta here with "evident" (pākaṭa), explaining: "The perceptions of the four or five jhānas arisen with earth, etc., as object are evident … because they have been seen with insight as impermanent, suffering, and non-self." Mp tries to support its interpretation with a citation it says is from a sutta: vibhūtā, bhante, rūpasaññā avibhūtā aṭṭhikasaññā. However, a search through CST 4.0 fails to locate these words anywhere in the Nikāyas. To my knowledge, in the Nikāyas vibhūta always means "disappeared, vanished." See the expressions vibhūtasaññī at Sn 874, and vibhūtarūpasaññissa at Sn 1113, where in both cases vibhūta can only mean "disappeared." There seems no reason to ascribe a later meaning to it here. A Chinese parallel, SĀ 926 (at T II 235c26 –236b11), supports this conclusion. Taking earth as an example (at II 236a27), it reads: "A bhikkhu is able to suppress the perception of earth in relation to the perception of earth"(). Could the middle here be gratuitous so that we should read ? the perception of the base of nothingness has disappeared in relation to the base of nothingness, the perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception has disappeared in relation to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the perception of this world has disappeared in relation to this world, the perception of the other world has disappeared in relation to the other world; perception has disappeared in relation to whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, and examined by the mind.

"Meditating in such a way, Sandha, an excellent thoroughbred person does not meditate in dependence on earth, in dependence on water, in dependence on fire, in dependence on air, in dependence on the base of the infinity of space, in dependence on the base of the infinity of consciousness, in dependence on the base of nothingness, in dependence on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, in dependence on this world, in dependence on the other world; in dependence on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, or examined by the mind and yet he meditates. [n.2212] Mp: "He meditates by the attainment of fruition engendered by having passed in this way through the sequence of insights" (evaṁ vipassanāpaṭipāṭiyā āgantvā uppāditāya phalasamāpattiyā jhāyanto). And as he meditates in such a way, the devas along with Indra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati worship the excellent thoroughbred person from afar, saying:

8"‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred person!
Homage to you, O supreme person!
We ourselves do not understand
What you meditate in dependence on.’"

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Atha kho āyasmā saddho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ saddhaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

2"Ājānīyajhāyitaṁ kho, saddha, jhāya; mā khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ. Kathañca, khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti? Assakhaḷuṅko hi, saddha, doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Na hi, saddha, assakhaḷuṅkassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti: ‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti. So doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati. Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, idhekacco purisakhaḷuṅko araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati kāmarāgaparetena uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. So kāmarāgaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati, byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati … thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati … uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati … vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. So vicikicchaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati.

So pathavimpi nissāya jhāyati, āpampi nissāya jhāyati, tejampi nissāya jhāyati, vāyampi nissāya jhāyati, ākāsānañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, viññāṇañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, ākiñcaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, idhalokampi nissāya jhāyati, paralokampi nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya jhāyati. Evaṁ kho, saddha, purisakhaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti.

3Kathañca, saddha, ājānīyajhāyitaṁ hoti? Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Bhadrassa hi, saddha, assājānīyassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti: ‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti. So doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati. Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo yathā iṇaṁ yathā bandhaṁ yathā jāniṁ yathā kaliṁ evaṁ patodassa ajjhoharaṇaṁ samanupassati. Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi na kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na kāmarāgaparetena, uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, na byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati … na thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati … na uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati … na vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

So neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati; jhāyati ca pana.

Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

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4‘Namo te purisājañña,
namo te purisuttama;
Yassa te nābhijānāma,
yampi nissāya jhāyasī’"ti.

5Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā saddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Kathaṁ jhāyī pana, bhante, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati; jhāyati ca pana? Kathaṁ jhāyiñca pana, bhante, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

6‘Namo te purisājañña,
namo te purisuttama;
Yassa te nābhijānāma,
yampi nissāya jhāyasī’"ti.

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7"Idha, saddha, bhadrassa purisājānīyassa pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññā vibhūtā hoti, āpasmiṁ āposaññā vibhūtā hoti, tejasmiṁ tejosaññā vibhūtā hoti, vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, idhaloke idhalokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, paraloke paralokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tatrāpi saññā vibhūtā hoti.

Evaṁ jhāyī kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati … pe … yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati; jhāyati ca pana. Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

8‘Namo te purisājañña,
namo te purisuttama;
Yassa te nābhijānāma,
yampi nissāya jhāyasī’"ti.

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Navamaṁ.