Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts
Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts
Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts
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The Third Chapter for Recitation - 112<br />
[21: Aṭṭha Abhibhāyatanāni] 138<br />
[The Eight Means of (Mind) Mastery]<br />
Aṭṭha kho imāni Ānanda abhibhāyatanāni.<br />
There are, Ānanda, eight means of (mind) mastery. 139<br />
Katamāni aṭṭha?<br />
Which eight?<br />
1) Ajjhattaṁ rūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni,<br />
Perceiving forms internally, someone sees forms externally, limited, beautiful or ugly,<br />
tāni abhibhuyya: ‘jānāmi passāmī’ ti 140 evaṁsaññī hoti.<br />
and having mastered them, he is one who perceives thus: ‘I know, I see’.<br />
Idaṁ paṭhamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.<br />
This is the first means of (mind) mastery. 141<br />
2) Ajjhattaṁ rūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni<br />
suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni,<br />
Perceiving forms internally, someone sees forms externally, unlimited, beautiful or ugly,<br />
tāni abhibhuyya: ‘jānāmi passāmī’ ti evaṁsaññī hoti.<br />
and having mastered them, he is one who perceives thus: ‘I know, I see’.<br />
Idaṁ dutiyaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ<br />
This is the second means of (mind) mastery.<br />
3) Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni,<br />
Without perceiving forms internally, 142 someone sees forms externally, limited,<br />
beautiful or ugly,<br />
138 cf. Saṅgītisuttaṁ (<strong>DN</strong> 33); Abhibhāyatanasuttaṁ (AN Bk. 8:65); Mahāsakuludāyisuttaṁ (MN<br />
77); a very different six Spheres of Mastery are mentioned elsewhere, see<br />
Parihānadhammasuttaṁ (SN 35:96).<br />
139 The Commentary to MN 77 paraphrases this with abhibhavanakāraṇāni, which gives the<br />
translation here.<br />
140 PTS punctuates differently: “Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmīti” evaṁsaññī hoti. However,<br />
the Commentary’s: Jānāmi passāmī ti iminā panassa ābhogo kathito; I know, I see: by this his<br />
thought is related, shows that the first part belongs outside the quotes.<br />
141 The Commentary explains that these are means for mastering absorption (jhāna). If one takes<br />
a preliminary object (parikamma) internally but sees a limited sign (nimitta) externally, then the<br />
first means of (mind) mastery applies. With the second he sees an unlimited sign.<br />
142 Comm: alābhitāya vā anatthikatāya vā ajjhattarūpe parikammasaññāvirahito; without<br />
perception of the preliminary object on an internal form, either because he did not obtain it or<br />
because he did not need it.
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