12-26-2010, 12:00 AM
I, Ánanda, Live in the Fullness of Emptiness
Empty of Empty Habits
Not an Empty Habitat
A Little Spell of Emptiness
I hear tell:
Once Upon A Time, The Lucky Man came-a-visiting. At this time, Ánanda, just emerging from his
afternoon’s sit down practice, went to the Teacher, greeted him, and sat down
to one side. There he said:
Sir, at one time, The Lucky Man was residing among the Sakyans in the market
town of Nagaraka, and I, also, was there. In that place, I recall having heard,
learnt, studied, grasped, face-to-face with the Lucky Man, this statement made
by him: "At this time, Ánanda, I reside in the fullness of
emptiness." Did I hear this correctly?
Yes, Ánanda, you heard, learnt, studied, grasped this correctly. Previously,
as well as now, I reside in the fullness of emptiness.
In the same way, Ánanda, as this Palace of Migara’s Mother is
empty of the disturbances of the city: empty of elephants, cows, horses, asses;
empty of dealings with gold and silver; empty of groups of men and women, and
there is only this that remains to disturb the emptiness: that is, the vibration
emanating off the beggars here; in the same way, a beggar, paying no attention
to the disturbances of the city, paying no attention to human beings, pays
attention only to the vibration emanating off the forest. He takes to paying
attention only to perception of the forest, and cleans out, tidies up and
liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of the city. This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of human beings. This way there is only that disturbance which
emanates off perception of the forest." Thus: "This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of the city. This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of human beings. This way there is only
this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off
perception of the forest."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present; and, with regard to what remains, he understands that: ‘That being;
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to human beings,
paying no attention to the forest, he takes to paying attention only to
perception of earth, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
In the same way as he would regard a bull’s hide, stretched out to cure,
held down by a hundred pegs, it’s life done gone; when he pays attention to
earth, he does not think about anything on earth such as dry land or rivers or
swamps or marshes with plants with branches and thorns or mountains or plains,
but he only just pays attention to the vibration which emanates off perception
of earth. He takes to paying attention only to perception of earth, and cleans
out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of human beings. This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of the forest." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of human beings. This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of the forest. This way there is only this that
disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off perception of
earth."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present; and, with regard to what remains, he understands that: ‘That being;
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to the forest,
paying no attention to earth, he takes to paying attention only to perception of
The Sphere of Unlimited Space, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of the forest. This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of earth." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of the forest. This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of earth. This way there is only this that disturbs
the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off perception of the
Sphere of Unlimited Space."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to earth, paying no
attention to The Sphere of Unlimited Space, he takes to paying attention only to
perception of the Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness, and cleans out, tidies up
and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of earth. This way there is no disturbance emanating from perception
of The Sphere of Unlimited Space." Thus: "This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of earth. This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Space. This way there is
only this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off
perception of the Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere of
Unlimited Space, paying no attention to The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness,
he takes to paying attention only to perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Space. This way there is no disturbance
emanating from the perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness."
Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance emanating from perception of the
Sphere of Unlimited Space. This way is empty of disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness. This way there is only this
that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off
perception of the Sphere Where No Thing’s There."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere of
Unlimited Consciousness, paying no attention to The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There, he takes to paying attention only to perception of The Sphere of Neither
Perception Nor Non Perception, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness. This way there is no
disturbance emanating from perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance emanating from
perception of the Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness. This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from the perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the
vibration which emanates off perception of the Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere Where
No Thing’s There, paying no attention to The Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception, he takes to paying attention only to the mental High-Getting
that is Sign-less, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s There. This way there is no
disturbance emanating from perception of the Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance emanating
from perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s There. This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of The Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness: that
is, the six sense-realms bound to this body reacting to life."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere Where
No Thing’s There, paying no attention to The Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception, he takes to paying attention only to the mental High-Getting
that is Sign-less, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This Mental High-Getting that is Sign-less is something
that has been constructed, thought out. Whatever has been constructed or thought
out is subject to change and coming to an end." Knowing and seeing this,
his heart is free from the grip of sense pleasures, his heart is freed from the
grip of living, his mind is free from the grip of blindness. In Freedom comes
the knowledge of Freedom, and he knows: "Left Behind is Rebirth, Lived is
the Best of Lives, Done is Duty’s Doing, Crossed over Am I; No More It’ and
At’ for Me!"
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from the
grip of sense pleasures. This way there is no disturbance emanating from the
grip of living. This way there is no disturbance emanating from the grip of
blindness." Thus: "This way is empty of the disturbance emanating from
the grip of sense pleasures. This way is empty of the disturbance emanating from
the grip of living. This way is empty of the disturbance emanating from the grip
of blindness. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness, that is
the six sense-realms bound to this body reacting to life."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And, Ánanda, all those Shamen or Brahmen of the long distant past who
attained the highest surpassing purity of emptiness and made it a habitat, all
of them did so by attaining this same highest surpassing purity of emptiness and
making it a habitat.
And, Ánanda, all those Shamen or Brahmen who in the far distant future will
attain the highest surpassing purity of emptiness and make it a habitat, all of
them will do so by attaining this same highest surpassing purity of emptiness
and making it a habitat.
And, Ánanda, all those Shamen or Brahmen who at present are able to attain
the highest surpassing purity of emptiness and make it a habitat, all of them do
so by attaining this same highest surpassing purity of emptiness and making it a
habitat.
Wherefore, Ánanda, train yourself this way: "I will attain the highest
surpassing purity of emptiness and make a habitat of that."
Empty of Empty Habits
Not an Empty Habitat
A Little Spell of Emptiness
I hear tell:
Once Upon A Time, The Lucky Man came-a-visiting. At this time, Ánanda, just emerging from his
afternoon’s sit down practice, went to the Teacher, greeted him, and sat down
to one side. There he said:
Sir, at one time, The Lucky Man was residing among the Sakyans in the market
town of Nagaraka, and I, also, was there. In that place, I recall having heard,
learnt, studied, grasped, face-to-face with the Lucky Man, this statement made
by him: "At this time, Ánanda, I reside in the fullness of
emptiness." Did I hear this correctly?
Yes, Ánanda, you heard, learnt, studied, grasped this correctly. Previously,
as well as now, I reside in the fullness of emptiness.
In the same way, Ánanda, as this Palace of Migara’s Mother is
empty of the disturbances of the city: empty of elephants, cows, horses, asses;
empty of dealings with gold and silver; empty of groups of men and women, and
there is only this that remains to disturb the emptiness: that is, the vibration
emanating off the beggars here; in the same way, a beggar, paying no attention
to the disturbances of the city, paying no attention to human beings, pays
attention only to the vibration emanating off the forest. He takes to paying
attention only to perception of the forest, and cleans out, tidies up and
liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of the city. This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of human beings. This way there is only that disturbance which
emanates off perception of the forest." Thus: "This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of the city. This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of human beings. This way there is only
this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off
perception of the forest."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present; and, with regard to what remains, he understands that: ‘That being;
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to human beings,
paying no attention to the forest, he takes to paying attention only to
perception of earth, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
In the same way as he would regard a bull’s hide, stretched out to cure,
held down by a hundred pegs, it’s life done gone; when he pays attention to
earth, he does not think about anything on earth such as dry land or rivers or
swamps or marshes with plants with branches and thorns or mountains or plains,
but he only just pays attention to the vibration which emanates off perception
of earth. He takes to paying attention only to perception of earth, and cleans
out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of human beings. This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of the forest." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of human beings. This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of the forest. This way there is only this that
disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off perception of
earth."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present; and, with regard to what remains, he understands that: ‘That being;
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to the forest,
paying no attention to earth, he takes to paying attention only to perception of
The Sphere of Unlimited Space, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of the forest. This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of earth." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of the forest. This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of earth. This way there is only this that disturbs
the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off perception of the
Sphere of Unlimited Space."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to earth, paying no
attention to The Sphere of Unlimited Space, he takes to paying attention only to
perception of the Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness, and cleans out, tidies up
and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of earth. This way there is no disturbance emanating from perception
of The Sphere of Unlimited Space." Thus: "This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of earth. This way is empty of disturbance
emanating from perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Space. This way there is
only this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off
perception of the Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere of
Unlimited Space, paying no attention to The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness,
he takes to paying attention only to perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Space. This way there is no disturbance
emanating from the perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness."
Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance emanating from perception of the
Sphere of Unlimited Space. This way is empty of disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness. This way there is only this
that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off
perception of the Sphere Where No Thing’s There."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere of
Unlimited Consciousness, paying no attention to The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There, he takes to paying attention only to perception of The Sphere of Neither
Perception Nor Non Perception, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness. This way there is no
disturbance emanating from perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance emanating from
perception of the Sphere of Unlimited Consciousness. This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from the perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s
There. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the
vibration which emanates off perception of the Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere Where
No Thing’s There, paying no attention to The Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception, he takes to paying attention only to the mental High-Getting
that is Sign-less, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from
perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s There. This way there is no
disturbance emanating from perception of the Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception." Thus: "This way is empty of disturbance emanating
from perception of The Sphere Where No Thing’s There. This way is empty of
disturbance emanating from perception of The Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness: that
is, the six sense-realms bound to this body reacting to life."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to The Sphere Where
No Thing’s There, paying no attention to The Sphere of Neither Perception Nor
Non Perception, he takes to paying attention only to the mental High-Getting
that is Sign-less, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.
He understands: "This Mental High-Getting that is Sign-less is something
that has been constructed, thought out. Whatever has been constructed or thought
out is subject to change and coming to an end." Knowing and seeing this,
his heart is free from the grip of sense pleasures, his heart is freed from the
grip of living, his mind is free from the grip of blindness. In Freedom comes
the knowledge of Freedom, and he knows: "Left Behind is Rebirth, Lived is
the Best of Lives, Done is Duty’s Doing, Crossed over Am I; No More It’ and
At’ for Me!"
He understands: "This way there is no disturbance emanating from the
grip of sense pleasures. This way there is no disturbance emanating from the
grip of living. This way there is no disturbance emanating from the grip of
blindness." Thus: "This way is empty of the disturbance emanating from
the grip of sense pleasures. This way is empty of the disturbance emanating from
the grip of living. This way is empty of the disturbance emanating from the grip
of blindness. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness, that is
the six sense-realms bound to this body reacting to life."
In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not
present, and, with regard to what remains, he understands that ‘That being,
this is.’
Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out
that results in surpassing purity.
And, Ánanda, all those Shamen or Brahmen of the long distant past who
attained the highest surpassing purity of emptiness and made it a habitat, all
of them did so by attaining this same highest surpassing purity of emptiness and
making it a habitat.
And, Ánanda, all those Shamen or Brahmen who in the far distant future will
attain the highest surpassing purity of emptiness and make it a habitat, all of
them will do so by attaining this same highest surpassing purity of emptiness
and making it a habitat.
And, Ánanda, all those Shamen or Brahmen who at present are able to attain
the highest surpassing purity of emptiness and make it a habitat, all of them do
so by attaining this same highest surpassing purity of emptiness and making it a
habitat.
Wherefore, Ánanda, train yourself this way: "I will attain the highest
surpassing purity of emptiness and make a habitat of that."