“Bhikkhus, I will teach the cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness. Listen to this and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One then said this:
“And what, bhikkhus, is the cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness?
1) Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures and unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by reflection and examination, born from seclusion, and is filled with joyful pleasure. He suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with joyful pleasure born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his body not suffused by the joyful pleasure born of seclusion. Just as a skilled bath attendant or his apprentice might knead bathing powder in a bronze bowl, sprinkling water again and again until the lump becomes permeated with moisture, saturated inside and out, yet does not drip. In the same way, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with joyful pleasure born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his body not suffused by the joyful pleasure born of seclusion. This, bhikkhus, is the first cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness.
2) Furthermore, bhikkhus, with the settling of reflection and examination, the bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is characterized by internal tranquility and unification of mind, is without reflection and examination, born from collectedness, and is filled with joyful pleasure. He suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with joyful pleasure born of collectedness, so that there is no part of his body not suffused by joyful pleasure born of collectedness. Just as a deep lake fed by an underground spring—with no inflow from the east direction, west direction, north direction, or the south direction, and no rainclouds showering water—would have cool streams welling up from within to thoroughly suffuse, pervade, fill, and permeate the entire lake, leaving no part uncovered by cool water. In the same way, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with the joyful pleasure born of collectedness, so that there is no part of his body not suffused by joyful pleasure born of collectedness. This, bhikkhus, is the second cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness.
3) Furthermore, bhikkhus, with the fading away of joyful pleasure, the bhikkhu dwells in a state of equanimity, mindful and fully aware, experiencing ease with the body. He enters and dwells in the third jhāna, which the noble ones describe as, ‘one who dwells equanimous, mindful, and at ease.’ He suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with ease devoid of joyful pleasure, so that there is no part of his entire body that is not suffused with ease devoid of joyful pleasure. Just as, bhikkhus, in a pond of blue, red, or white lotuses, some lotuses born in the water grow entirely submerged, and remain nourished from within by cool water that thoroughly suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates them from their tips to their roots, leaving no part untouched by cool water. In the same way, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with ease devoid of joyful pleasure, so that there is no part of his body that is not suffused with ease devoid of joyful pleasure. This, bhikkhus, is the third cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness.
4) Furthermore, bhikkhus, with the abandoning of ease and discontentment, and with the settling down of joy and sorrow, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is characterized by purification of mindfulness through equanimity, experiencing a feeling which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant. He suffuses, pervades, fills, and permeates his entire body with a purified and clear mind, so that there is no part of his body that is not suffused by this purified and clear mind. Just as, bhikkhus, a person covered from head to toe in a spotless white cloth with no part of his body uncovered. In the same way, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu sits pervading this very body with a pure mind, so purified and clarified, that there is no part of his whole body not pervaded by the pure mind. In the same way, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu sits pervading this very body with a pure mind, so purified and clarified, that there is no part of his whole body not pervaded by the pure mind. This, bhikkhus, is the fourth cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness.
5) Furthermore, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu‘s object of contemplation is well grasped, well attended to, well reflected upon, and thoroughly penetrated by wisdom. Just as, bhikkhus, a person standing might clearly observe someone seated, or a seated person might clearly observe someone lying down. In the same way, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu’s object of contemplation is well grasped, well attended to, well reflected upon, and thoroughly penetrated by wisdom. This, bhikkhus, is the fifth cultivation of the noble fivefold right collectedness.
When, bhikkhus, the noble fivefold right collectedness is cultivated and frequently practiced in this way, then, there being a suitable basis, the bhikkhu is capable of realizing any phenomenon realizable by direct knowing by directing his mind towards it.
Bhikkhus, suppose a water jar is placed on a stand, filled right up to the brim such that crows could drink from it. If a strong man were to tilt it in any direction, would the water flow out?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“So too, bhikkhus, when the noble fivefold right collectedness is cultivated and frequently practiced in this way, then, there being a suitable basis, the bhikkhu is capable of realizing any phenomenon realizable by direct knowing by directing his mind towards it.
Bhikkhus, imagine a four-sided pond on level ground, enclosed by embankments, filled with water up to the brim. If a strong man were to breach the embankment at any point, would the water flow out?”
”Yes, venerable sir.”
So too, bhikkhus, when the noble fivefold right collectedness is cultivated and frequently practiced in this way, then, there being a suitable basis, the bhikkhu is capable of realizing any phenomenon realizable by direct knowing by directing his mind towards it.
Bhikkhus, imagine a chariot yoked to thoroughbred horses standing ready at a level crossroads, with a whip ready at hand. A skilled horse-taming charioteer, a master trainer, mounts it, takes the reins with his left hand and the whip with his right, and drives it forward or back wherever he wishes. So too, bhikkhus, when the noble fivefold right collectedness is cultivated and frequently practiced in this way, then, there being a suitable basis, the bhikkhu is capable of realizing any phenomenon realizable by direct knowing by directing his mind towards it.
If he wishes: ‘May I realize the various kinds of psychic abilities such as—being one, become many, being many, become one; appear and disappear; pass through walls, enclosures, and mountains without obstruction, as though through space; dive into and emerge from the earth as if its water; walk on water without sinking as though on solid ground; travel cross-legged through the sky, like a bird with wings; touch and stroke the sun and moon with hand, mighty and powerful as they are; wielding mastery with the body even as far as the Brahmā world,’ then, in each case, he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ‘May I, with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human level, hear both kinds of sounds, divine and human, whether distant or near,’ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ‘May I, having discerned others’ minds with my own mind, understand: a mind with lust as a mind with lust, and a mind free from lust as a mind free from lust; a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred, and a mind free from hatred as a mind free from hatred; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind free from delusion as a mind free from delusion; a contracted mind as a contracted mind, and a distracted mind as a distracted mind; an exalted mind as an exalted mind, and an unexalted mind as an unexalted mind; an inferior mind as an inferior mind, and an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind; a collected mind as a collected mind, and an uncollected mind as an uncollected mind; a liberated mind as a liberated mind, and an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind,‘ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ’May I recollect my manifold past lives, such as: one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand births; many cycles of [universal] contraction, many cycles of [universal] expansion, and many cycles of [universal] contraction and expansion; in such a place I was named so-and-so, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my lifespan; and passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere; and there too I had such a name, such a clan, such an appearance, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan; and passing away from there, I was reborn here. Thus, with all details and aspects, may I recollect my manifold past lives,‘ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ’May I, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human vision, see beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations—and understand beings according to their actions: These beings, engaged in bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct, revilers of the Noble Ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views—upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have arisen in a state of loss, a bad destination, a place of ruin, even in hell. But these beings, engaged in good bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, not revilers of the Noble Ones, holding right views and undertaking actions based on right views—upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have arisen in a good destination, the heavenly world. In this way, may I, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human vision, see beings as they pass away and are reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and unattractive, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations, and understand beings according to their actions,‘ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ’May I, through the wearing away of the mental defilements, dwell having directly realized and attained in this very life the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, achieved by one‘s own direct knowledge,’ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.