Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
VII. Bhūmi-Cāla Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Eights
Chapter VII: On Earthquakes
Sutta 65
Mastery
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, there are these eight spheres of mastery.[1]
What eight?
When, personally conscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
whether limited,
lovely or ugly,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the first sphere of mastery.
■
When, personally conscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
whether boundless,
lovely or ugly,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the second sphere of mastery.
■
[203] When, personally unconscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
whether limited,
lovely or ugly,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the third sphere of mastery.
■
When, personally unconscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
whether boundless,
lovely or ugly,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the fourth sphere of mastery.
■
When, personally unconscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
blue,
blue in colour,
blue in appearance,
reflecting blue,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the fifth sphere of mastery.
■
When, personally unconscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
yellow,
yellow in colour,
yellow in appearance,
reflecting yellow,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the sixth sphere of mastery.
■
When, personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
red,
red in colour,
red in appearance,
reflecting red,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the seventh sphere of mastery.
■
When, personally unconscious of body,
anyone sees forms exterior to himself,
white,
white in colour,
white in appearance,
reflecting white,
he is thus conscious:
'Having mastered them,
I know,
I see them.'
This is the eighth sphere of mastery.[2]
Monks, these are the eight spheres of mastery."
[1] See DhS. trsl., § 204; Dial. ii, 118; iii, 241; A. i, 40; v, 61; M. ii, 13; below VIII, Chap. X, § 2, p. 229.
[2] See above, p. 175, for experiences with coloured devatā.
