1At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain.

Then the laywoman Kāḷī of Kurughara went up to Venerable Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

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“Sir, this was said by the Buddha in ‘The Maidens’ Questions’:

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2‘I’ve reached the goal, peace of heart.
Having conquered the army of the likable and pleasant,
alone, practicing absorption, I awakened to bliss.
That’s why I don’t get too close to people,
and no-one gets too close to me.’

3How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?”

4“Sister, some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal earth to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn. The Buddha directly knew the extent to which the attainment of the meditation on universal earth was the ultimate. Directly knowing this he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape. And he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths. Because he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape, and he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths, he knew that he had reached the goal, peace of heart.

5Some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal water to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn. … Some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on universal fire … universal air … universal blue … universal yellow … universal red … universal white … universal space … universal consciousness to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn. The Buddha directly knew the extent to which the attainment of the meditation on universal consciousness was the ultimate. Directly knowing this he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape. And he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths. Because he saw the beginning, the drawback, and the escape, and he saw the knowledge and vision of the variety of paths, he knew that he had reached the goal, peace of heart.

So, sister, that’s how to understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in ‘The Maiden’s Questions’:

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6‘I’ve reached the goal, peace of heart.
Having conquered the army of the likable and pleasant,
alone, practicing absorption, I awakened to bliss.
That’s why I don’t get too close to people,
and no-one gets too close to me.’”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu viharati kuraraghare pavatte pabbate.

Atha kho kāḷī upāsikā kuraragharikā yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kāḷī upāsikā kuraragharikā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca: 

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"Vuttamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā kumāripañhesu: 

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2‘Atthassa pattiṁ hadayassa santiṁ,
Jetvāna senaṁ piyasātarūpaṁ;
Ekohaṁ jhāyaṁ sukhamanubodhiṁ,
Tasmā janena na karomi sakkhiṁ;
Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci me’ti.

3Imassa kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti?

4"Pathavīkasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘attho’ti abhinibbattesuṁ. Yāvatā kho, bhagini, pathavīkasiṇasamāpattiparamatā, tadabhiññāsi bhagavā. Tadabhiññāya bhagavā assādamaddasa ādīnavamaddasa nissaraṇamaddasa maggāmaggañāṇadassanamaddasa. Tassa assādadassanahetu ādīnavadassanahetu nissaraṇadassanahetu maggāmaggañāṇadassanahetu atthassa patti hadayassa santi viditā hoti.

5Āpokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … pe … tejokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … vāyokasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … nīlakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … pītakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … lohitakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … odātakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … ākāsakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini … viññāṇakasiṇasamāpattiparamā kho, bhagini, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘attho’ti abhinibbattesuṁ. Yāvatā kho, bhagini, viññāṇakasiṇasamāpattiparamatā, tadabhiññāsi bhagavā. Tadabhiññāya bhagavā assādamaddasa … ādīnavamaddasa … nissaraṇamaddasa … maggāmaggañāṇadassanamaddasa … tassa assādadassanahetu ādīnavadassanahetu nissaraṇadassanahetu maggāmaggañāṇadassanahetu atthassa patti hadayassa santi viditā hoti.

Iti kho, bhagini, yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā kumāripañhesu: 

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6‘Atthassa pattiṁ hadayassa santiṁ,
Jetvāna senaṁ piyasātarūpaṁ;
Ekohaṁ jhāyaṁ sukhamanubodhiṁ,
Tasmā janena na karomi sakkhiṁ;
Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci me’ti.

7Imassa kho, bhagini, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.