[244] Bhikkhus, when a forest bull elephant (nāga) is intent upon his feeding-ground, and bull elephants, cow elephants, young elephants, and elephant calves, going along ahead of him, cut off the tips of the grasses, the forest bull elephant is thereby annoyed, humiliated, and disgusted. Bhikkhus, when a forest bull elephant is intent upon his feeding-ground, and bull elephants, cow elephants, young elephants, and elephant calves eat the branch-foliage that he has bent down and broken, the forest bull elephant is thereby annoyed, humiliated, and disgusted. Bhikkhus, when a forest bull elephant has plunged into the pool, and bull elephants, cow elephants, young elephants, and elephant calves, going along ahead of him, churn up the water with their trunks, the forest bull elephant is thereby annoyed, humiliated, and disgusted. Bhikkhus, when a forest bull elephant has plunged into the pool, and the cow elephants go along rubbing against his body, the forest bull elephant is thereby annoyed, humiliated, and disgusted.
On that occasion, bhikkhus, it occurs to the forest bull elephant: "At present I dwell hemmed in by bull elephants, cow elephants, young elephants, and elephant calves. I eat grasses whose tips have been cut off; the branch-foliage that I have bent down and broken is eaten; I drink muddied waters; and when I have come up from the pool, the cow elephants go along rubbing against my body. Suppose I were to dwell alone, withdrawn from the herd."
At a later time he dwells alone, withdrawn from the herd. He eats grasses whose tips have not been cut off; he does not eat branch-foliage that has been bent down and broken; he drinks unmuddied waters; and when he has come up from the pool, the cow elephants do not go along rubbing against his body. On that occasion, bhikkhus, it occurs to the forest bull elephant: "Formerly I dwelt hemmed in by bull elephants, cow elephants, young elephants, and elephant calves. I ate grasses whose tips had been cut off; the branch-foliage that I had bent down and broken was eaten; I drank muddied waters; and when I had come up from the pool, the cow elephants went along rubbing against my body. Now I dwell alone, withdrawn from the herd. I eat grasses whose tips have not been cut off; the branch-foliage that I have bent down and broken is eaten [by me]; I drink unmuddied waters; and when I have come up from the pool, the cow elephants do not go along rubbing against my body." Having broken off some branch-foliage with his trunk and rubbed his body with the branch-foliage, delighted, he allays his itch.
Just so, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu dwells hemmed in by bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, laywomen, kings, royal ministers, sectarian teachers, and the disciples of sectarian teachers, on that occasion, bhikkhus, it occurs to that bhikkhu: "At present I dwell hemmed in by bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, laywomen, kings, royal ministers, sectarian teachers, and the disciples of sectarian teachers. Suppose I were to dwell alone, withdrawn from the group." He resorts to a secluded lodging: a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, the open air, a heap of straw. Gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, he sits down folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and establishing mindfulness (sati) before him. Having abandoned covetousness for the world, he dwells with a mind free from covetousness; he purifies his mind (citta) from covetousness. Having abandoned ill will (byāpāda) and hatred, he dwells with a mind free from ill will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies his mind from ill will and hatred. Having abandoned dullness and drowsiness (thīna-middha), he dwells free from dullness and drowsiness, percipient of light, mindful and clearly comprehending (sampajāno); he purifies his mind from dullness and drowsiness. Having abandoned restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca), he dwells unagitated, with a mind inwardly stilled; he purifies his mind from restlessness and remorse. Having abandoned doubt (vicikicchā), he dwells having crossed over doubt, unperplexed about wholesome states; he purifies his mind from doubt.
Having abandoned these five hindrances (nīvaraṇa), corruptions of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he attains and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture (pīti) and happiness born of seclusion. Delighted, he allays his itch. With the subsiding of thought and examination … he attains and dwells in the second jhāna … the third jhāna … the fourth jhāna. Delighted, he allays his itch. 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 attains and dwells in the sphere of the infinity of space (ākāsānañcāyatana). Delighted, he allays his itch. Completely transcending the sphere of the infinity of space, [aware that] "consciousness is infinite," he attains and dwells in the sphere of the infinity of consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana) … Completely transcending the sphere of the infinity of consciousness, [aware that] "there is nothing," he attains and dwells in the sphere of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana). Completely transcending the sphere of nothingness, he attains and dwells in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception (nevasaññānāsaññāyatana). Completely transcending the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he attains and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling (saññāvedayitanirodha); and, having seen with wisdom, his taints (āsava) are utterly destroyed. Delighted, he allays his itch.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.