[452] What eight things should be directly known? The eight bases of mastery (abhibhāyatana).
Percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — limited, beautiful and ugly; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the first base of mastery.
Percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — measureless, beautiful and ugly; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the second base of mastery.
Not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — limited, beautiful and ugly; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the third base of mastery.
Not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — measureless, beautiful and ugly; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the fourth base of mastery.
Not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — blue, blue in color, blue in appearance, blue in luster. Just as a flax flower (ummāpuppha) is blue, blue in color, blue in appearance, blue in luster; or just as cloth of Bārāṇasī, smoothed on both sides, is blue, blue in color, blue in appearance, blue in luster — even so, not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — blue, blue in color, blue in appearance, blue in luster; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the fifth base of mastery.
Not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster. Just as a kaṇṇikāra flower is yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster; or just as cloth of Bārāṇasī, smoothed on both sides, is yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster — even so, not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — yellow, yellow in color, yellow in appearance, yellow in luster; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the sixth base of mastery.
Not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster. Just as a bandhujīvaka flower is red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster; or just as cloth of Bārāṇasī, smoothed on both sides, is red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster — even so, not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — red, red in color, red in appearance, red in luster; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the seventh base of mastery.
Not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster. Just as the morning star (osadhitārakā) is white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster; or just as cloth of Bārāṇasī, smoothed on both sides, is white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster — even so, not percipient of form internally, one sees forms externally — white, white in color, white in appearance, white in luster; having mastered them, one is percipient thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the eighth base of mastery.
These are the eight things that should be directly known.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.