Numbered Discourses 9.33

4. The Great Chapter

The Nine Progressive Meditative Attainments

“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the nine progressive meditative attainments … And what are the nine progressive meditative attainments?

Where sensual pleasures cease, and those who have thoroughly ended sensual pleasures meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where sensual pleasures cease’, they should be told: ‘Friend, it’s when a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first jhāna, which has the (mental) joy and (bodily) pleasure born of seclusion, while thougths are being born and sustained analysis is going on. That’s where sensual pleasures cease.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where the thougths being born and the sustained analysis going on cease, and those who have thoroughly ended the thougths being born and the sustained analysis going on meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the thougths being born and the sustained analysis going on cease’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, as the thougths being born and the sustained analysis going on are stilled, enters and remains in the second jhāna, which has the (mental) joy and (bodily) pleasure born of samādhi, with internal clarity and mind at one, without thougths being born and without sustained analysis going on. That’s where the thougths being born and the sustained analysis going on cease.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where (mental) joy ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended (mental) joy meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where (mental) joy ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, with the fading away of (mental) joy, enters and remains in the third jhāna, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally feeling deeply the (bodily) pleasure of which the noble ones declare, “Equanimous and mindful, a pleasure is to meditate”. That’s where (mental) joy ceases.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where (bodily) pleasure with equanimity ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended (bodily) pleasure with equanimity meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where (bodily) pleasure with equanimity ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, enters and remains in the fourth jhāna, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. That’s where (bodily) pleasure with equanimity ceases.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where perceptions of form ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended perceptions of form meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where perceptions of form ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that “space is infinite”, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space. That’s where perceptions of form cease.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where the perception of the dimension of infinite space ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended the perception of the dimension of infinite space meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the perception of the dimension of infinite space ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that “consciousness is infinite”, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness. That’s where the perception of the dimension of infinite space ceases.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that “there is nothing at all”, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness. That’s where the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness ceases.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where the perception of the dimension of nothingness ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended the perception of the dimension of nothingness meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the perception of the dimension of nothingness ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, enters and remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. That’s where the perception of the dimension of nothingness ceases.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

Where the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception ceases, and those who have thoroughly ended the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception meditate, I say: ‘Clearly those venerables are desireless, extinguished, crossed over, and gone beyond in that respect.’ If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling. That’s where the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception ceases.’ Clearly someone who is not devious or deceitful would approve and agree with that statement. They’d say ‘Good!’ and bowing down, they’d pay homage with joined palms.

These are the nine progressive meditative attainments.”