[72] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof, together with a number of very well-known elder disciples — the Venerable Pāla, the Venerable Upapāla, the Venerable Kakkaṭa, the Venerable Kaḷimbha, the Venerable Nikaṭa, and the Venerable Kaṭissaha — and with other very well-known elder disciples.
Now on that occasion a number of very well-known Licchavis, in fine carriage after fine carriage, one following upon another, with loud noise and great noise, were driving into the Great Wood to see the Blessed One. Then it occurred to those venerable ones: "These very well-known Licchavis, in fine carriage after fine carriage, one following upon another, with loud noise and great noise, are driving into the Great Wood to see the Blessed One. Now the jhānas have been declared by the Blessed One to have sound as a thorn (kaṇṭaka). Suppose we were to go to the Gosiṅga Sāl-wood Park; there we might dwell at ease, with little sound and uncrowded." Then those venerable ones went to the Gosiṅga Sāl-wood Park, and there those venerable ones dwelt at ease, with little sound and uncrowded.
Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, where is Pāla? Where is Upapāla? Where is Kakkaṭa? Where is Kaḷimbha? Where is Nikaṭa? Where is Kaṭissaha? Where, bhikkhus, have those elder disciples gone?"
"Here, venerable sir, it occurred to those venerable ones: 'These very well-known Licchavis, in fine carriage after fine carriage, one following upon another, with loud noise and great noise, are driving into the Great Wood to see the Blessed One. Now the jhānas have been declared by the Blessed One to have sound as a thorn. Suppose we were to go to the Gosiṅga Sāl-wood Park; there we might dwell at ease, with little sound and uncrowded.' Then, venerable sir, those venerable ones went to the Gosiṅga Sāl-wood Park, and there those venerable ones are dwelling at ease, with little sound and uncrowded."
"Good, good, bhikkhus! Those great disciples, answering rightly, have answered just as they should answer. For, bhikkhus, the jhānas have been declared by me to have sound as a thorn. Bhikkhus, there are these ten thorns. What ten? For one who delights in seclusion, delight in company is a thorn. For one devoted to the pursuit of the sign of foulness (asubhanimitta), pursuit of the sign of the beautiful is a thorn. For one guarding the doors of the sense faculties, the watching of unseemly shows is a thorn. For the holy life, keeping close company with women is a thorn. For the first jhāna, sound is a thorn. For the second jhāna, thought and examination (vitakka-vicāra) are thorns. For the third jhāna, rapture is a thorn. For the fourth jhāna, in-breathing and out-breathing are thorns. For the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling (saññāvedayitanirodha-samāpatti), perception and feeling (vedanā) are thorns. Lust (rāga) is a thorn; hatred is a thorn. Dwell thornless, bhikkhus; dwell thornless and rid of thorns, bhikkhus. The arahants, bhikkhus, are thornless; the arahants, bhikkhus, are thornless and rid of thorns."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.