1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Friends, bhikkhus!"

"Friend!" those bhikkhus replied.

2The Venerable [n.378] Kolita was Mahāmoggallāna’s personal name, Moggallāna being derived from his clan name. The present sutta is nearly identical with 40:2 and must be simply a variant on the latter, formulated in terms of noble silence rather than the second jhāna. As Spk makes clear, the sutta refers back to Moggallāna’s week of striving for arahantship. said this:

"Here, friends, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘It is said, "noble silence, noble silence." What now is noble silence?’ [n.379] Spk explains that the second jhāna is called noble silence (ariya tuṇhībhāva) because within it thought and examination (vitakka-vicārā) cease, and with their cessation speech cannot occur. At SN41.6 (IV 293,24–26) thought and examination are called the verbal formation (vacisaṅkhāra), the mental factors responsible for articulation of speech. But, Spk adds, when the Buddha says "either speak on the Dhamma or observe noble silence" (e.g., at MN I 161,32–33), even attention to a meditation subject can be considered noble silence.

"Then, friends, it occurred to me: ‘Here, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration. This is called noble silence.’

"Then, friends, with the subsiding of thought and examination, I entered and dwelt in the second jhāna, which … has rapture and happiness born of concentration. While I dwelt therein, perception and attention accompanied by thought assailed me.

3"Then, friends, the Blessed One came to me by means of spiritual power and said this: ‘Moggallana, Moggallana, do not be negligent regarding noble silence, brahmin. Steady your mind in noble silence, unify your mind in noble silence, concentrate your mind on noble silence.’ Then, friends, on a later occasion, with the subsiding of thought and examination, I entered and dwelt in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration.

"If, sn.ii.274 friends, one speaking rightly could say of anyone: ‘He is a disciple who attained to greatness of direct knowledge with the assistance of the Teacher,’ it is of me that one could rightly say this." [n.380] Spk: It is said that by this means, over seven days, the Teacher helped the elder to develop concentration on occasions when it was tending to decline (hānabhāgiya) and thus led him to "greatness of direct knowledge" (mahābhiññatā), i.e., to the six direct knowledges.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhikkhū āmantesi: "āvuso bhikkhave"ti.

"Āvuso"ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa paccassosuṁ.

2Āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:

"idha mayhaṁ, āvuso, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘ariyo tuṇhībhāvo, ariyo tuṇhībhāvoti vuccati. Katamo nu kho ariyo tuṇhībhāvo’ti?

Tassa mayhaṁ āvuso, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihārati. Ayaṁ vuccati ariyo tuṇhībhāvo’ti.

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihariṁ. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena vihārato vitakkasahagatā saññā manasikārā samudācaranti.

3Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘moggallāna moggallāna, mā, brāhmaṇa, ariyaṁ tuṇhībhāvaṁ pamādo, ariye tuṇhībhāve cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, ariye tuṇhībhāve cittaṁ ekodibhāvaṁ karohi, ariye tuṇhībhāve cittaṁ samādahā’ti. So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘satthārā anuggahito sāvako mahābhiññataṁ patto’ti, mamaṁ taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘satthārā anuggahito sāvako mahābhiññataṁ patto’"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.