[26] On one occasion the Venerable Mahākaccāna was dwelling among the Avantīs, on Mount Pavatta near Kuraraghara. Then the laywoman Kāḷī of Kuraraghara approached the Venerable Mahākaccāna; having approached and paid homage to the Venerable Mahākaccāna, she sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the laywoman Kāḷī of Kuraraghara said this to the Venerable Mahākaccāna: "Venerable sir, this was said by the Blessed One in the Maidens' Questions (Kumārīpañhā):
'The attainment of the goal, the peace of the heart —
having conquered the army of what is dear and agreeable,
alone, meditating, I awakened to happiness.
Therefore I form no intimacy with people;
intimacy with anyone does not come about for me.'
How, venerable sir, should the meaning of this, spoken in brief by the Blessed One, be understood in detail?"
"Some ascetics and brahmins, sister, holding the attainment (samāpatti) of the earth-kasiṇa as supreme, generated it as their goal. As far, sister, as the supremacy of the attainment of the earth-kasiṇa extends, the Blessed One directly knew that. Having directly known it, the Blessed One saw the beginning, saw the danger (ādīnava), saw the escape (nissaraṇa), and saw the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path. Through his seeing the beginning, through his seeing the danger, through his seeing the escape, and through his seeing the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path, the attainment of the goal, the peace of the heart, became known to him.
Some ascetics and brahmins, sister, holding the attainment of the water-kasiṇa as supreme … holding the attainment of the fire-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … holding the attainment of the air-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … holding the attainment of the blue-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … holding the attainment of the yellow-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … holding the attainment of the red-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … holding the attainment of the white-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … holding the attainment of the space-kasiṇa as supreme, sister … Some ascetics and brahmins, sister, holding the attainment of the consciousness-kasiṇa as supreme, generated it as their goal. As far, sister, as the supremacy of the attainment of the consciousness-kasiṇa extends, the Blessed One directly knew that. Having directly known it, the Blessed One saw the beginning, saw the danger, saw the escape, and saw the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path. Through his seeing the beginning, through his seeing the danger, through his seeing the escape, and through his seeing the knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path, the attainment of the goal, the peace of the heart, became known to him.
Thus, sister, as to what was said by the Blessed One in the Maidens' Questions:
'The attainment of the goal, the peace of the heart —
having conquered the army of what is dear and agreeable,
alone, meditating, I awakened to happiness.
Therefore I form no intimacy with people;
intimacy with anyone does not come about for me.'
It is thus, sister, that the meaning of this, spoken in brief by the Blessed One, should be understood in detail."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.