[246] "Bhikkhus, suppose a magician or a magician's apprentice were to display a magical illusion at a crossroads of four great highways.¹ A man with good eyesight would see it, ponder it, and carefully examine it with proper attention; and to him, seeing it, pondering it, and carefully examining it, it would appear void only, it would appear hollow only, it would appear without substance only. For what substance, bhikkhus, could there be in a magical illusion? Even so, bhikkhus, whatever consciousness (viññāṇa) there is—past, future, or present … whether far or near—a bhikkhu sees it, ponders it, and carefully examines it; and to him, seeing it, pondering it, and carefully examining it, it appears void only, it appears hollow only, it appears without substance only. For what substance, bhikkhus, could there be in consciousness?
"Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form (rūpa), disenchanted also with feeling (vedanā), with perception, with volitional formations, and disenchanted also with consciousness. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion he is liberated. When he is liberated, there comes the knowledge (ñāṇa): 'Liberated.' … He understands: '… there is no more of this state of being.'"
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:
¹ Variant (Yu. edition): "mahāpathe" (a great highway).
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.