AN11.9 — Saddhasutta
At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Nātika at the Brick House.
Then Venerable Saddha approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. While sitting to one side, the Blessed One said to Venerable Saddha:
Contemplate like a thoroughbred, Saddha, not like a wild colt.
And how does one contemplate like a wild colt?
A wild colt, Saddha, tied to a post, contemplates only the fodder.
Why is that?
Because, Saddha, a wild colt tied to a post does not think, What work will the trainer make me do today? What will I do for him?
So, tied to the post, it contemplates only the fodder.
Similarly, Saddha, here some person, even if gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, abides with a mind obsessed and overwhelmed by sensual desire, and does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen sensual desire.
He meditates, premeditates, postmeditates, and reviews with sensual desire as the object.
He abides with a mind obsessed and overwhelmed by ill will...
He abides with a mind obsessed and overwhelmed by sloth and torpor...
He abides with a mind obsessed and overwhelmed by restlessness and remorse...
He abides with a mind obsessed and overwhelmed by doubt, and does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen doubt.
He meditates, premeditates, postmeditates, and reviews with doubt as the object.
He meditates depending on earth, he meditates depending on water, he meditates depending on fire, he meditates depending on air, he meditates depending on the base of infinite space, he meditates depending on the base of infinite consciousness, he meditates depending on the base of nothingness, he meditates depending on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he meditates depending on this world, he meditates depending on the other world, he meditates depending on whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, and reflected upon by the mind.
Thus, Saddha, is the meditation of a wild colt.
And how does one contemplate like a thoroughbred?
A thoroughbred, Saddha, tied to a post, does not contemplate only the fodder.
Why is that?
Because, Saddha, a thoroughbred tied to a post thinks, What work will the trainer make me do today? What will I do for him?
So the ox tied to the yoke does not meditate thinking, Grass, grass.
For indeed, a noble thoroughbred steed, O Saddha, considers the goad as it is, the yoke as it is, the harness as it is, the bridle as it is, and the whip as it is.
In the same way, O Saddha, a noble thoroughbred man, even when gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, does not dwell with a mind obsessed by sensual desire, nor with a mind overcome by sensual desire. He understands as it really is the escape from arisen sensual desire.
He does not dwell with a mind obsessed by ill will...
He does not dwell with a mind obsessed by sloth and torpor...
He does not dwell with a mind obsessed by restlessness and worry...
He does not dwell with a mind obsessed by doubt, nor with a mind overcome by doubt. He understands as it really is the escape from arisen doubt.
He does not meditate depending on earth, nor does he meditate depending on water, nor does he meditate depending on fire, nor does he meditate depending on air, nor does he meditate depending on the base of infinite space, nor does he meditate depending on the base of infinite consciousness, nor does he meditate depending on the base of nothingness, nor does he meditate depending on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor does he meditate depending on this world, nor does he meditate depending on the other world, nor does he meditate depending on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, and reflected upon by the mind;
yet he does meditate.
And such a meditator, O Saddha, the noble thoroughbred man, is honored from afar by the gods with Indra, by the gods with Brahma, by the gods with Pajapati, saying, Homage to you, noble thoroughbred man,
homage to you, supreme man;
we do not know what you depend on to meditate.
When this was said, the Venerable Saddha said to the Blessed One, But how, venerable sir, does the noble thoroughbred man meditate without depending on earth, without depending on water, without depending on fire, without depending on air, without depending on the base of infinite space, without depending on the base of infinite consciousness, without depending on the base of nothingness, without depending on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, without depending on this world, without depending on the other world, without depending on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, and reflected upon by the mind;
yet he does meditate?
And how, venerable sir, does such a meditator, the noble thoroughbred man, is honored from afar by the gods with Indra, by the gods with Brahma, by the gods with Pajapati, saying, Homage to you, noble thoroughbred man,
Homage to you, supreme person;
We do not know what you rely on to meditate.
Here, Saddha, for a noble person on earth, the perception of earth vanishes, the perception of water vanishes, the perception of fire vanishes, the perception of air vanishes, the perception of the realm of infinite space vanishes, the perception of the realm of infinite consciousness vanishes, the perception of the realm of nothingness vanishes, the perception of the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception vanishes, the perception of this world vanishes, the perception of the other world vanishes, and whatever is seen, heard, sensed, known, attained, sought, and mentally pondered, even there the perception vanishes.
Thus, Saddha, a noble person does not meditate relying on earth... nor on whatever is seen, heard, sensed, known, attained, sought, and mentally pondered; yet he meditates.
And thus, Saddha, the noble person who meditates in this way is honored from afar by the gods with Indra, Brahma, and Pajapati, saying:
Homage to you, noble person,
Homage to you, supreme person;
We do not know what you rely on to meditate.