1There the Venerable Mahākaccāna addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!"

"Friend!" those bhikkhus replied.

The Venerable Mahākaccāna said this:

---

"It's astounding and amazing, friends, that the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who knows and sees, has discovered the opening in the midst of confinement for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna, that is, the six subjects of recollection. [n.1294] Mp: "In the midst of confinement (sambādhe): amid confinement in the five objects of sensual pleasure. Has discovered the opening (okāsādhigamo): the opening is the six subject of recollection, which he has discovered."

2What six? (1) "Here, friends, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata thus: ‘The Blessed One is an arahant … the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ When a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight. He has departed from greed, freed himself from it, emerged from it. ‘Greed,’ friends, is a designation for the five objects of sensual pleasure. This noble disciple dwells with a mind entirely like space: vast, exalted, measureless, without enmity and ill will. Having made this a basis, some beings here become pure in such a way. [n.1295] Where the preceding sutta reads idh’ekacce sattā visujjhanti, the present one has idh’ ekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. There is no difference in the meaning.

3(2) "Again, a noble disciple recollects the Dhamma thus: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One … to be personally experienced by the wise.’ When a noble disciple recollects the Dhamma, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight. He has departed from greed … some beings here become pure in such a way.

4(3) "Again, a noble disciple recollects the Saṅgha thus: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing the good way … the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ When a noble disciple recollects the Saṅgha, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight. He has departed from greed … … some beings here become pure in such a way.

5(4) "Again, a noble disciple recollects his own virtuous behavior as unbroken, flawless, unblemished, unblotched, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration. When a noble disciple recollects his virtuous behavior, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight. He has departed from greed … some beings here become pure in such a way.

6(5) "Again, a noble disciple recollects his own generosity thus: ‘It is truly my good fortune … that in a population obsessed by the stain of miserliness, I dwell with a mind devoid of the stain of miserliness … delighting in giving and sharing.’ When a noble disciple recollects his generosity, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight. He has departed from greed … beings here become pure in such a way.

7(6) "Again, a noble disciple recollects the deities thus: ‘There are devas (ruled by) the four great kings … … I too have such faith … such virtuous behavior … such learning … such generosity … such wisdom as those deities possessed, because of which, when they passed away here, they were reborn there.’ When a noble disciple recollects the faith, virtuous behavior, learning, generosity, and wisdom in himself and in those deities, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight. He has departed from greed, freed himself from it, emerged from it. ‘Greed,’ friends, is a designation for the five objects of sensual pleasure. This noble disciple dwells with a mind entirely like space: vast, exalted, measureless, without enmity and ill will. Having made this a basis, too, some beings here become pure in such a way.

8"It's astounding and amazing, friends, that the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who knows and sees, has discovered the opening in the midst of confinement for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna, that is, the six subjects of recollection."

1Tatra kho āyasmā mahākaccāno bhikkhū āmantesi: "āvuso bhikkhave"ti.

"Āvuso"ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahākaccānassa paccassosuṁ.

Āyasmā mahākaccāno etadavoca:

---

"acchariyaṁ, āvuso; abbhutaṁ, āvuso. Yāvañcidaṁ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sambādhe okāsādhigamo anubuddho sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ cha anussatiṭṭhānāni.

2Katamāni cha? Idhāvuso, ariyasāvako tathāgataṁ anussarati: ‘itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti. Yasmiṁ, āvuso, samaye ariyasāvako tathāgataṁ anussarati nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti, nikkhantaṁ muttaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ gedhamhā. ‘Gedho’ti kho, āvuso, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sa kho so, āvuso, ariyasāvako sabbaso ākāsasamena cetasā viharati vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena. Idampi kho, āvuso, ārammaṇaṁ karitvā evamidhekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. (1)

3Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, ariyasāvako dhammaṁ anussarati: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo … pe … paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti. Yasmiṁ, āvuso, samaye ariyasāvako dhammaṁ anussarati nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti, nikkhantaṁ muttaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ gedhamhā. ‘Gedho’ti kho, āvuso, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sa kho so, āvuso, ariyasāvako sabbaso ākāsasamena cetasā viharati vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena. Idampi kho, āvuso, ārammaṇaṁ karitvā evamidhekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. (2)

4Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, ariyasāvako saṅghaṁ anussarati: ‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā’ti. Yasmiṁ, āvuso, samaye ariyasāvako saṅghaṁ anussarati nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti, nikkhantaṁ muttaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ gedhamhā. ‘Gedho’ti kho, āvuso, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sa kho so, āvuso, ariyasāvako sabbaso ākāsasamena cetasā viharati vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena. Idampi kho, āvuso, ārammaṇaṁ karitvā evamidhekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. (3)

5Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, ariyasāvako attano sīlāni anussarati akhaṇḍāni … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikāni. Yasmiṁ, āvuso, samaye ariyasāvako attano sīlaṁ anussarati nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti, nikkhantaṁ muttaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ gedhamhā. ‘Gedho’ti kho, āvuso, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sa kho so, āvuso, ariyasāvako sabbaso ākāsasamena cetasā viharati vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena. Idampi kho, āvuso, ārammaṇaṁ karitvā evamidhekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. (4)

6Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, ariyasāvako attano cāgaṁ anussarati: ‘lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me … pe … yācayogo dānasaṁvibhāgarato’ti. Yasmiṁ, āvuso, samaye ariyasāvako attano cāgaṁ anussarati nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti, nikkhantaṁ muttaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ gedhamhā. ‘Gedho’ti kho, āvuso, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sa kho so, āvuso, ariyasāvako sabbaso ākāsasamena cetasā viharati vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena. Idampi kho, āvuso, ārammaṇaṁ karitvā evamidhekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. (5)

7Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, ariyasāvako devatā anussarati: ‘santi devā cātumahārājikā, santi devā … pe … tatuttari. Yathārūpāya saddhāya samannāgatā tā devatā ito cutā tattha upapannā; mayhampi tathārūpā saddhā saṁvijjati. Yathārūpena sīlena … sutena … cāgena … paññāya samannāgatā tā devatā ito cutā tattha upapannā; mayhampi tathārūpā paññā saṁvijjatī’ti. Yasmiṁ, āvuso, samaye ariyasāvako attano ca tāsañca devatānaṁ saddhañca sīlañca sutañca cāgañca paññañca anussarati nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti, nikkhantaṁ muttaṁ vuṭṭhitaṁ gedhamhā. ‘Gedho’ti kho, āvuso, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sa kho so, āvuso, ariyasāvako sabbaso ākāsasamena cetasā viharati vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena. Idampi kho, āvuso, ārammaṇaṁ karitvā evamidhekacce sattā visuddhidhammā bhavanti. (6)

8Acchariyaṁ, āvuso, abbhutaṁ, āvuso. Yāvañcidaṁ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sambādhe okāsādhigamo anubuddho sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ cha anussatiṭṭhānānī"ti.

---

Chaṭṭhaṁ.