[246] On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Kosambī, in Ghosita's Park. Then the Venerable Udāyī approached the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Venerable Ānanda, and when the courteous and amiable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Udāyī said this to the Venerable Ānanda: "Friend, this was said by the young deva Pañcālacaṇḍa:
The opening amid confinement
was found by the one of vast wisdom,
the Buddha who awakened to jhāna,
the withdrawn chief bull, the sage.
"What, friend, is the confinement, and what is the attainment of an opening amid confinement, spoken of by the Blessed One?"
"Friend, these five cords of sensual pleasure (kāmaguṇa) have been spoken of by the Blessed One as confinement. Which five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, endearing, connected with sensuality, provocative of lust; sounds cognizable by the ear …; odors cognizable by the nose …; tastes cognizable by the tongue …; tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, endearing, connected with sensuality, provocative of lust. These five cords of sensual pleasure, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One as confinement.
"Here, friend, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and dwells in the first jhāna. To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever thought and examination (vitakka-vicāra) have not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the subsiding of thought and examination … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna. To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever rapture (pīti) has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the fading away of rapture … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the third jhāna. To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever pleasure connected with equanimity (upekkhāsukha) has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the abandoning of pleasure … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of form (rūpasaññā) has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the complete surmounting 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,' a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space (ākāsānañcāyatana). To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of the infinity of space has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of the base of the infinity of space, [aware that] 'consciousness is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana). To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of the infinity of consciousness has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of the base of the infinity of consciousness, [aware that] 'there is nothing,' a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana). To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of nothingness has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception (nevasaññānāsaññāyatana). To this extent too, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in a qualified sense. There too there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception has not ceased there — this is the confinement here.
"Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling (saññāvedayitanirodha), and having seen with wisdom, his taints (āsava) are utterly destroyed. To this extent, friend, the attainment of an opening amid confinement has been spoken of by the Blessed One in the definitive sense (nippariyāyena)."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.