skilled goldsmith or his apprentice were to prepare a furnace,
heat up the crucible, take some gold with tongs, and put it into
the crucible. From time to time he would blow on it, from time
to time he would sprinkle water over it, and from time to time
he would just look on. That gold would become refined, well
refined, completely refined, faultless, rid of dross, malleable,
wieldy, and radiant. Then whatever kind of ornament he wished
to make from it, whether a golden chain or earrings or a necklace
or a golden garland, it would serve his purpose. So too, bhikkhu,
then there remains only equanimity, purified and bright,
malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
21. “He understands thus: ‘If I were to direct this
equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of infinite space
and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of
mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a
very long time. If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified
and bright, to the base of infinite consciousness...to the base of
nothingness...to the base of neither‐perception‐nor‐non‐perception
and develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity
of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would
remain for a very long time.’
22. “He understands thus: ‘If I were to direct this
equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of infinite space
and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned.
If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the
base of infinite consciousness...to the base of nothingness...to
the base of neither‐perception‐nor‐non‐perception and to
develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned.’ He
does not form any condition or generate any volition tending
towards either being or non‐being. Since he does not form any
condition or generate any volition tending towards either being
or non‐being, he does not cling to anything in this world. When
he does not cling, he is not agitated. When he is not agitated, he
personally attains Nibbāna. He understands thus: ‘Birth is
destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has
been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’
23. “If he feels a pleasant feeling, he understands: ‘It is
impermanent; there is no holding to it; there is no delight in it.’
If he feels a painful feeling, he understands: ‘It is impermanent;
there is no holding to it; there is no delight in it.’ If he feels a
neither‐painful‐nor‐pleasant feeling, he understands: ‘It is
impermanent; there is no holding to it; there is no delight in it.’
24. “If he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it detached; if
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he feels a painful feeling, he feels it detached; if he feels a neither‐
painful‐nor‐pleasant feeling, he feels it detached. When he feels
a feeling terminating with the body, he understands: ‘I feel a
feeling terminating with the body.’ When he feels a feeling
terminating with life, he understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating
with life.’ He understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with
the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will
become cool right here.’ Bhikkhu, just as an oil‐lamp burns in
dependence on oil and a wick, and when the oil and wick are
used up, if it does not get any more fuel, it is extinguished from
lack of fuel; so too when he feels a feeling terminating with the
body...a feeling terminating with life, he understands: ‘I feel a
feeling terminating with life.’ He understands: ‘On the dissolution
of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being
delighted in, will become cool right here.’
25. “Therefore a bhikkhu possessing [this wisdom]
possesses the supreme foundation of wisdom. For this, bhikkhu,
is the supreme noble wisdom, namely, the knowledge of the
destruction of all suffering.
26. “His deliverance, being founded upon truth, is
unshakeable. For that is false, bhikkhu, which has a deceptive
nature, and that is true which has an undeceptive nature —
Nibbāna. Therefore a bhikkhu possessing [this truth] possesses
the supreme foundation of truth. For this, bhikkhu, is the
supreme noble truth, namely, Nibbāna, which has an
undeceptive nature.
27. “Formerly, when he was ignorant, he acquired and
developed attachments; now he has abandoned them, cut them
off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with
them so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Therefore
a bhikkhu possessing [this relinquishment] possesses the
supreme foundation of relinquishment. For this, bhikkhu, is the
supreme noble relinquishment, namely, the relinquishing of all
attachments.
28. “Formerly, when he was ignorant, he experienced
covetousness, desire, and lust; now he has abandoned them,
cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done
away with them so that they are no longer subject to future
arising. Formerly, when he was ignorant, he experienced anger,
ill will, and hate; now he has abandoned them, cut them off at
the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them
so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Formerly,
when he was ignorant, he experienced ignorance and delusion;
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now he has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made
them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are
no longer subject to future arising. Therefore a bhikkhu
possessing [this peace] possesses the supreme foundation of
peace. For this, bhikkhu, is the supreme noble peace, namely,
the pacification of lust, hate, and delusion.
29. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One
should not neglect wisdom, should preserve truth, should
cultivate relinquishment, and should train for peace.’
30. “‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who
stands upon these [foundations], and when the tides of
conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace.’
So it was said. And with reference to what was this said?
31. “Bhikkhu, ‘I am’ is a conceiving; ‘I am this’ is a
conceiving; ‘I shall be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall not be’ is a
conceiving; ‘I shall be possessed of form’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall
be formless’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving;
‘I shall be non‐percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be neither‐percipient‐
nor‐non‐percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving is a
disease, conceiving is a tumour, conceiving is a dart. By
overcoming all conceivings, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at
peace. And the sage at peace is not born, does not age, does not
die; he is not shaken and is not agitated. For there is nothing
present in him by which he might be born. Not being born, how
could he age? Not ageing, how could he die? Not dying, how
could he be shaken? Not being shaken, why should he be
agitated?
32. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘The
tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands upon
these [foundations], and when the tides of conceiving no longer
sweep over him he is called a sage at peace.’ Bhikkhu, bear in
mind this brief exposition of the six elements.”
33. Thereupon the venerable Pukkusāti thought:
“Indeed, the Teacher has come to me! The Sublime One has
come to me! The Fully Enlightened One has come to me!” Then
he rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder,
and prostrating himself with his head at the Blessèd One’s feet,
he said: “Venerable sir, a transgression overcame me, in that
like a fool, confused and blundering, I presumed to address the
Blessèd One as ‘friend.’ Venerable sir, may the Blessèd One
forgive my transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in
the future.”
“Surely, bhikkhu, a transgression overcame you, in that
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