AN9.35 — Gāvī Sutta - The Cow
Just as a young, inexperienced, unskilled cow in rough mountain terrain might think, Why don't I go to a place I've never been before, eat grass I've never eaten before, and drink water I've never drunk before?
But without firmly planting its front foot, it lifts its back foot and thus, it would neither reach a new place, eat new grass, nor drink new water. And standing in such a place, it might think the same again but would not return safely from that place. Why?
Because that cow is young, inexperienced, unskilled, and untrained in traversing rough mountain terrain. Similarly a certain disciple, inexperienced, unskilled, and untrained, might enter the first jhāna, which is separated from sensual desires and unwholesome states, accompanied by applied and sustained thought, rapture, and pleasure born of seclusion, but he does not engage with, develop, or frequently cultivate that sign.
He might think, Why don't I enter the second jhāna, which is without applied and sustained thought, with inner tranquility and oneness of mind, born of concentration, rapture, and pleasure? But he is unable to do so. He might then think to re-enter the first jhāna, but he is unable to do that either. This disciple is called one who is doubly lost and doubly deprived, just like that inexperienced cow in rough mountain terrain.
Just as a wise, experienced, skilled cow in rough mountain terrain might think, Why don't I go to a place I've never been before, eat grass I've never eaten before, and drink water I've never drunk before? And by firmly planting its front foot before lifting its back foot, it would reach new places, eat new grass, and drink new water, returning safely from that place. Why?
Because that cow is wise, experienced, skilled, and trained in traversing rough mountain terrain. Similarly a certain disciple, wise, experienced, skilled, and trained, might enter the first jhāna, which is separated from sensual desires and unwholesome states, accompanied by applied and sustained thought, rapture, and pleasure born of seclusion.
He engages with, develops, and frequently cultivates that sign. He might think, Why don't I enter the second jhāna, which is without applied and sustained thought, with inner tranquility and oneness of mind, born of concentration, rapture, and pleasure? And without distress, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna. He continues to engage with, develop, and frequently cultivate that sign.
He might then think to enter the third jhāna, where he dwells with equanimity, mindful and fully aware, feeling pleasure with the body, which the noble ones describe as dwelling happily with equanimity and mindfulness. Without distress, he enters and dwells in the third jhāna. He continues to engage with, develop, and frequently cultivate that sign.
He might think to enter the fourth jhāna, which is without pleasure and pain, with the purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. Without distress, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. He continues to engage with, develop, and frequently cultivate that sign. He might think to surpass all perceptions of form, with the disappearance of reactions, not attending to diversity, infinite space.
I would dwell having attained it. Thus, not harming anyone, completely surpassing the perception of form, he attains and dwells in the base of infinite space. He cultivates, develops, and frequently practices that sign, making it his own and establishing it.
He thinks: Why not completely surpass the base of infinite space and, having attained the base of infinite consciousness, dwell there? Thus, not harming anyone, completely surpassing the base of infinite space, he attains and dwells in the base of infinite consciousness, thinking infinite consciousness. He cultivates, develops, and frequently practices that sign, making it his own and establishing it. He thinks: Why not completely surpass the base of infinite consciousness and, having attained the base of nothingness, dwell there?
Thus, not harming anyone, completely surpassing the base of infinite consciousness, he attains and dwells in the base of nothingness, thinking there is nothing. He cultivates, develops, and frequently practices that sign, making it his own and establishing it. He thinks: Why not completely surpass the base of nothingness and, having attained the base of neither perception nor non-perception, dwell there?
Thus, not harming anyone, completely surpassing the base of nothingness, he attains and dwells in the base of neither perception nor non-perception. He cultivates, develops, and frequently practices that sign, making it his own and establishing it. He thinks: Why not completely surpass the base of neither perception nor non-perception and, having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, dwell there?
Thus, not harming anyone, completely surpassing the base of neither perception nor non-perception, he attains and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling. When a disciple enters and emerges from that attainment, his mind becomes soft, workable.
With a soft and workable mind, limitless concentration is well-developed. With that well-developed limitless concentration, wherever he directs his mind for the realization of any state that should be realized, he achieves the ability to witness it there and then.
If he wishes: May I experience various kinds of psychic powers: becoming one, becoming many... up to having power over the bodies up to the Brahma worlds, he achieves the ability to witness it there and then.
If he wishes: May I understand the minds of other beings, other persons, having encompassed them with my own mind..., he achieves the ability to witness it there and then. If he wishes: May I recollect my manifold past lives..., he achieves the ability to witness it there and then.
If he wishes: With the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, may I see beings passing away and reappearing..., he achieves the ability to witness it there and then. If he wishes:
Through the destruction of the taints, in this very life, may I enter and dwell in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for myself with direct knowing, he achieves the ability to witness it there and then.