The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [460]
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
3
The Division on Voidness
(Suññatavagga)
Cūḷasuññata Sutta
The Shorter Discourse on Voidness
[104] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in the Palace of Migāra’s Mother.
2. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Ānanda rose from meditation, went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and said to the Blessed One:
3. “Venerable sir, on one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Sakyan country where there is a town of the Sakyans named Nagaraka. There, venerable sir, I heard and learned this from the Blessed One’s own lips: ‘Now, Ānanda, I often abide in voidness.’1137 Did I hear that correctly, venerable sir, did I learn that correctly, attend to that correctly, remember that correctly?”
“Certainly, Ānanda, you heard that correctly, learned that correctly, attended to that correctly, remembered that correctly. As formerly, Ānanda, so now too I often abide in voidness.
4. “Ānanda, just as this Palace of Migāra’s Mother is void of elephants, cattle, horses, and mares, void of gold and silver, void of the assembly of men and women, and there is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the Sangha of bhikkhus; so too, a bhikkhu—not attending to the perception of village, not attending to the perception of people—attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of forest.1138 His mind enters into that perception of forest and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of village, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of people, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of forest.’1139 He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of village; this field of perception is void of the perception of people. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of forest. ’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what [105] remains there he understands that which is present thus: ‘This is present.’ Thus, Ānanda, this is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness.
5. “Again, Ānanda, a bhikkhu—not attending to the perception of people, not attending to the perception of forest—attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of earth.1140 His mind enters into that perception of earth and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. Just as a bull’s hide becomes free from folds when fully stretched with a hundred pegs; so too, a bhikkhu—not attending to any of the ridges and hollows of this earth, to the rivers and ravines, the tracts of stumps and thorns, the mountains and uneven places—attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of earth. His mind enters into that perception of earth and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution. He understands thus: ‘Whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of people, those are not present here; whatever disturbances there might be dependent on the perception of forest, those are not present here. There is present only this amount of disturbance, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of earth.’ He understands: ‘This field of perception is void of the perception of people; this field of perception is void of the perception of forest. There is present only this non-voidness, namely, the singleness dependent on the perception of earth.’ Thus he regards it as void of what is not there, but as to what