1.1PTS 5.323Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.

1.2Atha kho āyasmā saddho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ saddhaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:Then Venerable Sandha went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

2.1PTS 5.324“Ājānīyajhāyitaṁ kho, saddha, jhāya;“Sandha, meditate like a thoroughbred,2.2mā khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ.not like a wild colt.

2.3Kathañca, khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti?And how does a wild colt meditate?2.4Assakhaḷuṅko hi, saddha, doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.A wild colt, tied up by the feeding trough, meditates: ‘Fodder, fodder!’2.5Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?2.6Na hi, saddha, assakhaḷuṅkassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti:Because it doesn’t occur to the wild colt tied up by the feeding trough:2.7‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti.‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’2.8So doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.Tied up by the feeding trough they just meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

2.9Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, idhekacco purisakhaḷuṅko araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati kāmarāgaparetena uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.In the same way, take a certain wild person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they don’t truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen.2.10So kāmarāgaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati,Harboring sensual desire within they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate.2.11byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …Their heart is overcome by ill will …2.12thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …dullness and drowsiness …2.13uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …restlessness and remorse …2.14vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.doubt …2.15So vicikicchaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati.Harboring doubt within they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate.2.16So pathavimpi nissāya jhāyati, āpampi nissāya jhāyati, tejampi nissāya jhāyati, vāyampi nissāya jhāyati, ākāsānañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, viññāṇañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, ākiñcaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, idhalokampi nissāya jhāyati, paralokampi nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya jhāyati.They meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They meditate dependent on this world or the other world. They meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.2.17Evaṁ kho, saddha, purisakhaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti.That’s how a wild colt meditates.

3.1PTS 5.325Kathañca, saddha, ājānīyajhāyitaṁ hoti?And how does a thoroughbred meditate?3.2Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.A fine thoroughbred, tied up by the feeding trough, doesn’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’3.3Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?3.4Bhadrassa hi, saddha, assājānīyassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti:Because it occurs to the fine thoroughbred tied up by the feeding trough:3.5‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti.‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’3.6So doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.Tied up by the feeding trough they don’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’3.7Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo yathā iṇaṁ yathā bandhaṁ yathā jāniṁ yathā kaliṁ evaṁ patodassa ajjhoharaṇaṁ samanupassati.For that fine thoroughbred regards the use of the goad as a debt, a bond, a loss, a misfortune.

3.8Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi na kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na kāmarāgaparetena, uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti,In the same way, take a certain fine thoroughbred person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is not overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen.3.9na byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …Their heart is not overcome by ill will …3.10na thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …dullness and drowsiness …3.11na uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …restlessness and remorse …3.12na vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.doubt …3.13So neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;They don’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They don’t meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They don’t meditate dependent on this world or the other world. They don’t meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.3.14jhāyati ca pana.Yet they do meditate.

3.15Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:When a fine thoroughbred meditates like this, the gods together with Indra, the Divinity, and the Progenitor worship them from afar:

4.1‘Namo te purisājañña,∥‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!4.2namo te purisuttama;Homage to you, supreme among men!4.3Yassa te nābhijānāma,We don’t understand4.4yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.the basis of your absorption.’”

5.1Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā saddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he said this, Venerable Sandha asked the Buddha,5.2“kathaṁ jhāyī pana, bhante, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;“But sir, how does that fine thoroughbred meditate?”5.3jhāyati ca pana?5.4Kathaṁ jhāyiñca pana, bhante, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

6.1‘Namo te purisājañña,6.2namo te purisuttama;6.3Yassa te nābhijānāma,6.4yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

7.1PTS 5.326“Idha, saddha, bhadrassa purisājānīyassa pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññā vibhūtā hoti, āpasmiṁ āposaññā vibhūtā hoti, tejasmiṁ tejosaññā vibhūtā hoti, vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, idhaloke idhalokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, paraloke paralokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tatrāpi saññā vibhūtā hoti.“Sandha, for a fine thoroughbred person, the perception of earth has vanished in relation to earth. The perception of water … fire … air has vanished in relation to air. The perception of the dimension of infinite space has vanished in relation to the dimension of infinite space. The perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness … nothingness … neither perception nor non-perception has vanished in relation to the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. The perception of this world has vanished in relation to this world. The perception of the other world has vanished in relation to the other world. And the perception of what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind has vanished.7.2Evaṁ jhāyī kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati …pe…That’s how that fine thoroughbred person doesn’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They don’t meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They don’t meditate dependent on this world or the other world.7.3yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;They don’t meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.7.4jhāyati ca pana.Yet they do meditate.

7.5Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:When a fine thoroughbred person meditates like this, the gods together with Indra, the Divinity, and the Progenitor worship them from afar:

8.1‘Namo te purisājañña,‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!8.2namo te purisuttama;Homage to you, supreme among men!8.3Yassa te nābhijānāma,We don’t understand8.4yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.the basis of your absorption.’”

8.5Navamaṁ.