Thus have I heard: At one time the venerable Ānanda was staying near Vesālī in Beluva hamlet. Now at that time the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka had arrived in Pātaliputta on some business or other. Then the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka approached a monk in Cock's Monastery; having approached, having greeted that monk, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down at a respectful distance the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka spoke thus to that monk: “Revered sir, where is the venerable Ānanda staying at present, for we are anxious to see the venerable Ānanda?” “Householder, the venerable Ānanda is staying near Vesālī in Beluva hamlet.”

Then the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka, having concluded his business in Pātaliputta, approached the venerable Ānanda in Beluva hamlet; having approached, having greeted the venerable Ānanda, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down at a respectful distance, the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka spoke thus to the venerable Ānanda:

“Now is there, revered Ānanda, any one thing pointed out by that Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened One, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind, not (yet) freed, is freed; or the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; or he attains that matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained?” “There is one thing, householder, pointed out by that Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.”

“But what, revered Ānanda, is this one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained?” “As to this, householder, a monk, (1) aloof from the pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, entering into the first meditation which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful, abides in it. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This first meditation is effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk, (2) by allaying initial and discursive thought, his mind subjectively tranquillised and fixed on one point, enters on and abides in the second meditation which is devoid of initial and discursive thought, is born of concentration and is rapturous and joyful. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This second meditation is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk, (3) by the fading out of rapture, dwells with equanimity, attentive and clearly conscious, and experiences in his person that joy of which the ariyans say: ‘Joyful lives he who has equanimity and is mindful,’ and he enters on and abides in the third meditation. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This third meditation is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk, (4) by getting rid of joy, by getting rid of anguish, by the going down of his former pleasures and sorrows, enters on and abides in the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This fourth meditation is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk dwells, (1) having suffused the first quarter with a mind of friendliness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; just so above, below, across; he dwelt having suffused the whole world everywhere, in every way, with a mind of friendliness that was far-reaching, wide-spread, immeasurable, without enmity, without malevolence. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This freedom of mind that is friendliness is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk dwells, (2) having suffused the first quarter with a mind of compassion, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; just so above, below, across; he dwelt having suffused the whole world everywhere, in every way, with a mind of compassion that was far-reaching, wide-spread, immeasurable, without enmity, without malevolence. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This freedom of mind that is compassion is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk dwells, (3) having suffused the first quarter with a mind of sympathetic joy, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; just so above, below, across; he dwelt having suffused the whole world everywhere, in every way, with a mind of sympathetic joy that was far-reaching, wide-spread, immeasurable, without enmity, without malevolence. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This freedom of mind that is sympathetic joy is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk dwells, (4) having suffused the first quarter with a mind of equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; just so above, below, across; he dwelt having suffused the whole world everywhere, in every way, with a mind of equanimity that was far-reaching, wide-spread, immeasurable, without enmity, without malevolence. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This freedom of mind that is equanimity is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk, (1) by wholly transcending perception of material shapes, by the going down of perception due to sensory impressions, by not attending to perception of variety, thinking: ‘Ether is unending,’ enters on and abides in the plane of infinite ether. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This attainment of the plane of infinite ether is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, monks, a monk, (2) by wholly transcending the plane of infinite ether, thinking: ‘Consciousness is unending,’ enters on and abides in the plane of infinite consciousness. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This attainment of the plane of infinite consciousness is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

And again, householder, a monk, (3) by wholly transcending the plane of infinite consciousness, thinking: ‘There is not anything,’ enters on and abides in the plane of no-thing. He reflects on this and comprehends: ‘This attainment of the plane of no-thing is also effected and thought out. But whatever is effected and thought out, that is impermanent, it is liable to stopping.’ Firm in this, he attains the destruction of the cankers. If he does not attain the destruction of the cankers, then by this attachment to Dhamma, by this delight in Dhamma, by the destruction of the five fetters binding to this lower (shore), he is of spontaneous uprising, one who attains nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. This, householder, is one thing pointed out by the Lord who knows, who sees, perfected one, fully Self-Awakened one, whereby if a monk dwell diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind not (yet) freed, is freed; and also the cankers, not (yet) completely destroyed, go to complete destruction; and, too, he attains the matchless security from the bonds, not (yet) attained.

When this had been said, the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka spoke thus to the venerable Ānanda: “Revered Ānanda, it is as though a man who was seeking for one opening to (some hidden) treasure were to come at one and the same time on eleven openings to the treasure. Even so do I, revered sir, in seeking for one door to the deathless, come to hear at one and the same time of eleven doors to the deathless. And too, revered sir, it is like a man's house that has eleven doors; if his house were on fire he could make himself safe by any one of the doors. Even so can I, revered sir, make myself safe by any one of these eleven doors to the deathless. Now, revered sir, members of other sects will look about for a fee for the teacher, but why should not I pay honour to the venerable Ānanda?”

Then the householder Dasama of Aṭṭhaka, having had the Order of Monks that was at Pāṭaliputta and Vesālī gathered together, with his own hand served and satisfied them with sumptuous foods, solid and soft, and presented each monk with a separate pair of cloths; to the venerable Ānanda he presented a set of three robes and had a dwelling-place that cost five hundred pieces built for the venerable Ānanda.

Discourse to a Citizen of Aṭṭhaka: The Second