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proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the eight liberations.764 Possessed of material form, one sees forms: this is the first liberation. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally: this is the second liberation. One is resolved only upon the beautiful: this is the third liberation. [13] With the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ one enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space: this is the fourth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ one enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness: this is the fifth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ one enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness: this is the sixth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of nothingness, one enters upon and abides in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception: this is the seventh liberation. By completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling: this is the eighth liberation. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

(9. The Eight Bases for Transcendence)

23. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the eight bases for transcendence.765 Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the first base for transcendence .766 Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the second base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the third base for transcendence .767 Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the fourth base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity. Just like a flax flower, which is blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with blue luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the fifth [14] base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity. Just like a kaṇṇikāra flower, which is yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with yellow luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the sixth base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, red, of red colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity. Just like a hibiscus flower, which is red, of red colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is red, of red colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with red luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the seventh base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, white, of white colour, white in appearance, with white luminosity. Just like