[637] "'Of all master trainers, it is he that is called the supreme charioteer of persons to be tamed (purisadammasārathi)' — so indeed this was said. And in dependence on what was this said? Bhikkhus, an elephant to be tamed, driven by an elephant tamer, runs in one direction only: to the east, or the west, or the north, or the south. Bhikkhus, a horse to be tamed, driven by a horse tamer, runs in one direction only: to the east, or the west, or the north, or the south. Bhikkhus, an ox to be tamed, driven by an ox tamer, runs in one direction only: to the east, or the west, or the north, or the south. But, bhikkhus, a person to be tamed, driven by the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, runs in eight directions: Possessed of form, he sees forms — this is the first direction. Percipient of the formless internally, he sees forms externally — this is the second direction. He is intent only upon the beautiful — this is the third direction. With the complete transcending of perceptions of form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, [aware that] 'space is infinite,' he enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space (ākāsānañcāyatana) — this is the fourth direction. With the complete transcending of the base of the infinity of space, [aware that] 'consciousness is infinite,' he enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana) — this is the fifth direction. With the complete transcending of the base of the infinity of consciousness, [aware that] 'there is nothing,' he enters and dwells in the base of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana) — this is the sixth direction. With the complete transcending of the base of nothingness, he enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception (nevasaññānāsaññāyatana) — this is the seventh direction. With the complete transcending of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling (saññāvedayitanirodha) — this is the eighth direction. Bhikkhus, a person to be tamed, driven by the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, runs in these eight directions. So when it was said: 'Of all master trainers, it is he that is called the supreme charioteer of persons to be tamed,' it was in dependence on this that it was said."
Thus spoke the Blessed One. Delighted, those bhikkhus rejoiced in the Blessed One's utterance.
The Saḷāyatanavibhaṅga Sutta, the Seventh, is finished.
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8. The Uddesavibhaṅga Sutta (138)
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.