[253] "Bhikkhus, my energy (vīriya) was aroused and unflagging; my mindfulness (sati) was established and unconfused; my body was tranquil and untroubled; my mind (citta) was concentrated and unified. Bhikkhus, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered upon and dwelt in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied thought (vitakka) and sustained thought (vicāra), with rapture (pīti) and pleasure born of seclusion. With the subsiding of applied thought and sustained thought, [I entered upon and dwelt in] the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration (samādhi) … the third jhāna … I entered upon and dwelt in the fourth jhāna.
When my mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, become malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed my mind to the knowledge (ñāṇa) of the recollection of past abodes. I recollected my manifold past abodes, that is: one birth (jāti), two births … Thus with their aspects and particulars I recollected my manifold past abodes. This, bhikkhus, was the first true knowledge (vijjā) attained by me in the first watch of the night; ignorance (avijjā) was dispelled and true knowledge arose, darkness was dispelled and light arose, as happens for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute.
When my mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, become malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed my mind to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearing of beings. With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing … 'These beings, sirs, endowed with misconduct of body …' Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate—and I understood how beings fare according to their kamma. This, bhikkhus, was the second true knowledge attained by me in the middle watch of the night; ignorance was dispelled and true knowledge arose, darkness was dispelled and light arose, as happens for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute.
When my mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, become malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed my mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints (āsava). I directly knew as it really is: 'This is suffering (dukkha)'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' I directly knew as it really is: 'These are the taints'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the origin of the taints'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the cessation of the taints'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of the taints.' When I knew thus and saw thus, my mind was liberated from the taint of sensuality, liberated from the taint of existence, and liberated from the taint of ignorance. When it was liberated, there came the knowledge: 'It is liberated.' I directly knew: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.' This, bhikkhus, was the third true knowledge attained by me in the last watch of the night; ignorance was dispelled and true knowledge arose, darkness was dispelled and light arose, as happens for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.