Aṇguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
V. Pañcāla Vagga
Sutta 43
Kāya-Sakkhi Suttaṃ
Bodily Witness
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][pts][olds] [Udayin:] "'Bodily witness, bodily witness,' it is said.
To what extent is one described by the Blessed One as a bodily witness?"
[Ānanda:] "There is the case, my friend, where a monk, withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first jhāna: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation.
He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there [see AN IX.35].
It is to this extent that one is described in a sequential way by the Blessed One as a bodily witness.
"And further, with the stilling of directed thought and evaluation, he enters and remains in the second jhāna...
the third jhāna...
the fourth jhāna...
the dimension of the infinitude of space...
the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness...
the dimension of nothingness...
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.
He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there.
It is to this extent that one is described in a sequential way by the Blessed One as a bodily witness.
"And further, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling.
And as he sees with discernment, the mental effluents go to their total end.
He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there.
It is to this extent that one is described in a non-sequential way by the Blessed One as a bodily witness."
References:
Revised version:
[Ven. Udayin:] "'Bodily witness, bodily witness,' it is said.
To what extent is one described by the Blessed One as a bodily witness?"
[Ven. Ānanda:] "There is the case, my friend, where a monk, quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first jhāna: rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation.
He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there.[1]
It's to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as a bodily witness, though with a sequel.
"And further, with the stilling of directed thoughts and evaluations, he enters and remains in the second jhāna ...
the third jhāna ...
the fourth jhāna ...
the dimension of the infinitude of space ...
the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness ...
the dimension of nothingness ...
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.
He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there.
It's to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as a bodily witness, though with a sequel.
"Then, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling.
And as he sees (that) with discernment, effluents are completely ended.
He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there.
It's to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as a bodily witness without a sequel."
