SA 926（九二六） 迦旃延

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Deep Valley Monastery in the village of Nālaka.

At that time, the World-Honored One said to Sañjaya Kātyāyana: "One should cultivate true meditation, not strong and excellent meditation. Like a strong and excellent horse tied to a manger, it does not think about what it should or should not do, but only thinks about grain and grass. In the same way, a person who cultivates the fetter of greed and desire a lot does not truly know the path of liberation, but always runs after the fetter of greed and desire, seeking to attain it. Because of cultivating the fetters of anger, sleep, agitation, remorse, and doubt a lot, one does not truly know the path of liberation, but seeks to attain it by contemplating with the fetter of doubt.

Sañjaya! If a real horse is tied to a manger, it does not think about water and grass, but only thinks about being ridden. In the same way, a person does not think about the fetter of greed and desire, abides in liberation and truly knows it, and does not seek to attain it through the fetter of greed and desire. He also does not have the fetters of anger, sleep, agitation, remorse, and doubt, but abides in liberation a lot. He truly knows the fetters of anger, sleep, agitation, remorse, and doubt, and does not seek to attain it through the fetter of doubt.

In this way, Sañjaya! A bhikṣu who meditates like this does not cultivate meditation based on earth, water, fire, wind, space, consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. He does not cultivate meditation based on this world or the other world, not on the sun or moon, not on seeing, hearing, cognition, or perception, not on attainment or seeking, not on following perception, or following contemplation.

Sañjaya! A bhikṣu who cultivates meditation like this is respected, bowed to, and praised in verse by the lords of the gods, the asuras, and the gandharvas:

Homage to the great man, homage to the supreme man. I
am unable to know on what he relies for his meditation.

At that time, Venerable Vakkali was standing behind the Buddha, holding a fan and fanning him. Vakkali said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! How can a bhikṣu enter meditation without relying on earth, water, fire, wind, up to discernment and investigation, and cultivate meditative concentration? How can a bhikṣu's meditation be respected and bowed to with joined palms by the lords of the gods, the asuras, and the gandharvas, who then praise him in verse:

Homage to the great man, homage to the supreme man. I
am unable to know on what he relies for his meditation.

The Buddha told Vakkali, "A bhikṣu can subdue the notion of earth, water, fire, wind, the notion of the sphere of infinite space, the notion of the sphere of consciousness, the notion of the sphere of nothingness, and the notion of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. This world and the other world, the sun and moon, seeing, hearing, knowing, and perceiving, whether attained or sought, whether known or observed, all those notions are subdued. Vakkali! A bhikṣu's meditation like this does not rely on earth, water, fire, wind, up to not relying on discernment and investigation to cultivate meditation. Vakkali! A bhikṣu's meditation like this is respected and bowed to with joined palms by the lords of the gods, the asuras, and the gandharvas, who then praise him in verse:

Homage to the great man, homage to the supreme man. I
am unable to know on what he relies for his meditation.

When the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the bhikṣu Saṃgharakṣa was far removed from defilements and attained the purity of the Dharma eye. The bhikṣu Vakkali was free from all taints and attained liberation of the mind.

After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the bhikṣu Vakkali, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and upheld it.