Saṁyutta Nikāya
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga
40. Moggallāna Saṁyutta

IV. Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-fold Sphere'
Chapter 40: Kindred Sayings about Moggallāna

Sutta 6

Viññānañcāyatana Suttaṁ

Consciousness

 

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THUS have I heard:

ONCE the venerable Moggallāna the Great was staying near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Then the venerable Moggallāna the Great
addressed the brethren, saving:

'Brethren.'

'Yes, brother,' replied those brethren
to the venerable Moggallāna the Great.

'Friends, when I was meditating alone here,
this consideration arose in me:

"They say 'the realm of infinite consciousness,
the realm of infinite consciousness!'

Now what is the realm of infinite consciousness?"

Then, friends, this occurred to me:

Herein a brother,
passing utterly beyond the realm of infinite space,
with the idea:
"Endless¹ is consciousness,"
enters on and abides in
the realm of infinite consciousness.

This is called "the realm of infinite consciousness."

So I, friends,
passing utterly beyond the realm of infinite space,
with the idea:
"Endless is consciousness,"
entered on and abode in
the realm of infinite consciousness.

But when I had thus abode
(and had emerged from trance),
perception and work of mind
connected with the perception of the realm of infinite space,
still continued.

Thereupon, friends, the Exalted One
by magic power
came to me and said:

"Moggallāna,
Moggallāna,
be not remiss in the realm of infinite consciousness, brahmin!

Make steadfast thy mind in the realm of infinite consciousness.

In the realm of infinite consciousness make the mind one-pointed.

In the realm of infinite consciousness compose the mind."

So after that, friends,
passing utterly beyond the realm of infinite space,
with the idea:
"Endless is consciousness,"
entered on and abode in
the realm of infinite consciousness

Now, friends, if anyone would say rightly:

"Helped by the Master
the disciple won great super-knowledge,"

he would say of me:

"Helped by the Master
did the disciple win great super-knowledge."'

 

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¹ As above, at xxxvi, § 19, I read anantaṁ for text's anattaṁ.