[215] 8. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, could there be for a bhikkhu such an attainment of concentration (samādhi) that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to form, would not attend to the ear, would not attend to sound, would not attend to the nose, would not attend to odour, would not attend to the tongue, would not attend to taste, would not attend to the body, would not attend to the tangible, would not attend to earth, would not attend to water, would not attend to fire, would not attend to air, would not attend to the sphere of infinity of space, would not attend to the sphere of infinity of consciousness, would not attend to the sphere of nothingness, would not attend to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, would not attend to this world, would not attend to the world beyond — and whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind, to that too he would not attend — and yet he would still attend?"
"There could be, Ānanda, for a bhikkhu such an attainment of concentration that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to form, would not attend to the ear, would not attend to sound, would not attend to the nose, would not attend to odour, would not attend to the tongue, would not attend to taste, would not attend to the body, would not attend to the tangible, would not attend to earth, would not attend to water, would not attend to fire, would not attend to air, would not attend to the sphere of infinity of space, would not attend to the sphere of infinity of consciousness, would not attend to the sphere of nothingness, would not attend to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, would not attend to this world, would not attend to the world beyond — and whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind, to that too he would not attend — and yet he would still attend."
"But how, venerable sir, could there be for a bhikkhu such an attainment of concentration that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to form … and whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind, to that too he would not attend — and yet he would still attend?"
"Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu attends thus: 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, namely, the stilling of all formations (saṅkhāra), the relinquishment of all acquisitions (upadhi), the destruction of craving (taṇhā), dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna.' It is in this way, Ānanda, that there could be for a bhikkhu such an attainment of concentration that he would not attend to the eye, would not attend to form, would not attend to the ear, would not attend to sound, would not attend to the nose, would not attend to odour, would not attend to the tongue, would not attend to taste, would not attend to the body, would not attend to the tangible, would not attend to earth, would not attend to water, would not attend to fire, would not attend to air, would not attend to the sphere of infinity of space, would not attend to the sphere of infinity of consciousness, would not attend to the sphere of nothingness, would not attend to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, would not attend to this world, would not attend to the world beyond — and whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind, to that too he would not attend — and yet he would still attend."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.