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The
Eight Attainments
4. "It may be, Cunda, that some monk, detached from sense-objects,
detached from unsalutary ideas, enters into the first absorption that is born
of detachment, accompanied by thought-conception and discursive thinking, and
filled with rapture and joy, and he then might think: 'I am abiding in
effacement.' But in the Noble One's discipline it is not these [attainments]
that are called 'effacement'; in the Noble One's discipline they are called
'abidings in ease here and now.'12
5.
"It may be that after the stilling of thought conception and discursive
thinking, he gains the inner tranquillity and harmony of the second absorption
that is free of thought-conception and discursive thinking, born of
concentration and filled with rapture and joy; and he then might think: 'I am
abiding in effacement.' But in the Noble One's discipline it is not these
[attainments] that are called 'effacement'; in the Noble One's discipline they
are caged 'abidings in ease here and now.'
6.
"It may be that after the fading away of rapture, the monk dwells in
equanimity, mindful and clearly aware, and he experiences a happiness in his
body of which the Noble Ones say: 'Happily lives he who dwells in equanimity
and is mindful!' -- that third absorption he wins; and he then might think: 'I
am abiding in effacement.' But in the Noble One's discipline it is not these
[attainments] that are called 'effacement'; in the Noble One's discipline they
are called 'abidings in ease here and now.'
7.
"It may be that with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the
previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters upon and abides in the
fourth absorption, which is beyond pleasure and pain and has purity of
mindfulness due to equanimity; and he then might think: 'I am abiding in
effacement.' But in the Noble One's discipline it is not these [attainments]
that are called 'effacement'; in the Noble One's discipline they are called
'abidings in ease here and now.'
8.
"It may be that, with the entire transcending of perceptions of
corporeality,13 with the disappearance of perceptions of
sense-response,'14 with non-attention to perceptions of
variety,15 thinking: 'Space is infinite,' some monk enters upon and
abides in the sphere of infinite space; and he then might think: 'I am abiding
in effacement.' But in the Noble One's discipline it is not these [attainments]
that are called 'effacement'; in the Noble One's discipline they are called
'peaceful abidings.'
9.
"It may be that by entirely transcending the sphere of infinite space,
thinking: 'Consciousness is infinite,' some monk enters and abides in the
sphere of infinite consciousness; and he then might think: 'I am abiding in
effacement.' But in the Noble One's discipline it is not these [attainments]
that are called 'effacement'; in the Noble One's discipline they are called
'peaceful abidings.'
10.
"It may be that by entirely transcending the sphere of infinite
consciousness, some monk enters and abides in the sphere of nothingness; and he
then might think: I am abiding in effacement.' But in the Noble One's
discipline it is not these [attainments] that are called 'effacement'; in the
Noble One's discipline they are called 'peaceful abidings.'
11.
"It may be that, by entirely transcending the sphere of nothingness, some
monk enters and abides in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception;
and he then might think: 'I am abiding in effacement.' But in the Noble One's
discipline it is not these [attainments] that are called 'effacement'; in the
Noble one's discipline they are called 'peaceful abidings.'
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