The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [484]
19. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Fear arose in me, and because of fear my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared.’ Suppose a man set out on a journey and murderers leaped out on both sides of him; then fear would arise in him because of that. So too, fear arose in me…the light and the vision of forms disappeared. [I considered thus:] ‘I shall so act [159] that neither doubt nor inattention nor sloth and torpor nor fear will arise in me again.’
20. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Elation arose in me, and because of elation my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared.’ Suppose a man seeking one entrance to a hidden treasure came all at once upon five entrances to a hidden treasure;1191 then elation would arise in him because of that. So too, elation arose in me…the light and the vision of forms disappeared. [I considered thus:] ‘I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor fear nor elation will arise in me again.’
21. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Inertia arose in me, and because of inertia my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared. I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor elation nor inertia will arise in me again.’
22. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Excess of energy arose in me, and because of excess of energy my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared.’ Suppose a man were to grip a quail tightly with both hands; it would die then and there. So too, an excess of energy arose in me…the light and the vision of forms disappeared. [I considered thus:] ‘I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor inertia nor excess of energy will arise in me again.’
23. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Deficiency of energy arose in me, [160] and because of deficiency of energy my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared. ’ Suppose a man were to grip a quail loosely; it would fly out of his hands. So too, a deficiency of energy arose in me…the light and the vision of forms disappeared. [I considered thus:] ‘I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor excess of energy nor deficiency of energy will arise in me again.’
24. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Longing arose in me, and because of that longing my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared. I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor deficiency of energy nor longing will arise in me again.’
25. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Perception of diversity arose in me,1192 and because of perception of diversity my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared. I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor longing nor perception of diversity will arise in me again.’
26. “As, Anuruddha, I was abiding diligent…I considered thus: ‘Excessive meditation upon forms arose in me,1193 and because of excessive meditation upon forms my concentration fell away; when my concentration fell away, the light and the vision of forms disappeared. I shall so act that neither doubt nor inattention…nor perception of diversity nor excessive meditation upon forms will arise in me again.’
27. “When, Anuruddha, I understood that doubt is an imperfection of the mind,1194 I abandoned doubt, an imperfection of the mind. When I understood that inattention