1On one occasion the Venerable Anuruddha was dwelling at Sāvatthī on the bank of the Sutanu. Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Venerable Anuruddha and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, they sat down to one side sn.v.298 and said to the Venerable Anuruddha:

"By having developed and cultivated what things has the Venerable Anuruddha attained to greatness of direct knowledge?"

2"It is, friends, because I have developed and cultivated the four establishments of mindfulness that I have attained to greatness of direct knowledge. What four? Here, friends, I dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world.

"I dwell contemplating feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world.

"It is, friends, because I have developed and cultivated these four establishments of mindfulness that I have attained to greatness of direct knowledge. Further, friends, it is because I have developed and cultivated these four establishments of mindfulness that I directly knew the inferior state as inferior; that I directly knew the middling state as middling; that I directly knew the sublime state as sublime." [n.283] On the three levels, Spk quotes Dhs §§1025–27, which defines inferior phenomena (hīnā dhammā) as the twelve unwholesome classes of consciousness; middling phenomena (majjhimā dhammā) as mundane wholesome states, resultants, functionals (kiriya), and form; and sublime phenomena (paṇītā dhammā) as the four paths, their fruits, and Nibbāna. See, however, AN3.76, where the three terms are correlated with the three realms of rebirth—the sensuous realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati sutanutīre. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yenāyasmā anuruddho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā anuruddhena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ etadavocuṁ:

"Katamesaṁ āyasmā anuruddho dhammānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā mahābhiññataṁ patto"ti?

2"Catunnaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā mahābhiññataṁ patto. Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, kāye kāyānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;

Vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ

– imesaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā mahābhiññataṁ patto. Imesañca panāhaṁ, āvuso, catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā hīnaṁ dhammaṁ hīnato abbhaññāsiṁ, majjhimaṁ dhammaṁ majjhimato abbhaññāsiṁ, paṇītaṁ dhammaṁ paṇītato abbhaññāsin"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.