Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
40. Moggallāna Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
IV. Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-fold Sphere'
Chapter 40: Kindred Sayings about Moggallāna
Sutta 8
N'eva-Saññā-nā-Saññ'Āyatana Suttaṃ
The Realm of Neither-Perception-nor-non-perception
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time Old Man Moggallāna The Great,
Sāvatthī-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There then Old Man Moggallāna The Great addressed the beggars:
"Beggars, my friends!"
"Friend!" the beggars responded to Moggallāna.
Old Man Moggallāna The Great said to them:
"Here, friends,
as I had retreated into solitude
there arose in my heart
this train of thought:
'"The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception!
The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception!"
so they say.
Now what then is The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception?'
So then it recurred to me, friends:
'Here a beggar,
passing entirely beyond The Realm of Naught Whose-Whatever
abides getting a grip
on The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
This is what they call The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception'
Then I, friends,
passing entirely beyond The Realm of Naught Whose-Whatever
abided getting a grip
on The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
But then, friends,
as I abided in this abiding,
there arose and came about me
attention of mind to
perceptions connected to The Realm of Naught Whose-Whatever.
There then, friends,
The Lucky man, through his majesty,
approached me and said:
'Moggallāna!
Moggallāna!
Do not, Brahmin,
be careless with The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception!
Set your heart on The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception!
Make one with your heart The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
Steady your heart in The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception!'
So then I, friends,
passing entirely beyond The Realm of Naught Whose-Whatever
abided getting a grip
on The Realm of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
He who would, speaking highly of one, friends, say:
'The Master brought the student
to attainment of great higher knowledge,'
would, speaking highly of me, say:
'The Master brought the student
to attainment of great higher knowledge.'"
