The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [514]
“When he has heard a sound with the ear…smelt an odour with the nose…tasted a flavour with the tongue…touched a tangible with the body…cognized a mind-object with the mind, if his consciousness does not follow after the sign of the mind-object, is not tied and shackled by gratification in the sign of the mind-object, is not fettered by the fetter of gratification in the sign of the mind-object, then his consciousness is called ‘not distracted and scattered externally.’
12. “And how, friends, is the mind called ‘stuck inter-nally’? 1252 Here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. If his consciousness follows after the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, is tied and shackled by gratification in the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, then his mind is called ‘stuck internally.’
13. “Again, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind without applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration. If his consciousness follows after the rapture and pleasure born of concentration…then his mind is called ‘stuck internally.’
14. “Again, with the fading away as well of rapture, a bhikkhu abides in equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna, on account of which noble ones announce: ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.’ If his consciousness follows after the equanimity…then his mind is called ‘stuck internally.’
15. “Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. If his consciousness follows after the neither-pain-nor-pleasure, is tied and shackled by gratification in the neither-pain-nor-pleasure, is fettered by the fetter of gratification in the neither-pain-nor-pleasure, then his mind is called ‘stuck internally.’ That is how the mind is called ‘stuck internally.’ [227]
16. “And how, friends, is the mind called ‘not stuck internally’? Here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna…If his consciousness does not follow after the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, is not tied and shackled by gratification in the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, is not fettered by the fetter of gratification in the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, then his mind is called ‘not stuck internally.’
17. “Again, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna…If his consciousness does not follow after the rapture and pleasure born of concentration…then his mind is called ‘not stuck internally.’
18. “Again, with the fading away as well of rapture, a bhikkhu… enters upon and abides in the third jhāna…If his consciousness does not follow after the equanimity…then his mind is called ‘not stuck internally.’
19. “Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain…a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna…If his consciousness does not follow after the neither-pain-nor-pleasure, is not tied and shackled by gratification in the neither-pain-nor-pleasure, is not fettered by the fetter of gratification in the neither-pain-nor-pleasure, then his mind is called ‘not stuck internally.’ That is how the mind is called ‘not stuck internally.’
20. “How, friends, is there agitation due to clinging?1253 Here an untaught ordinary person who has no regard for noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who has