1At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. He wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from alms-round, he went to the Dark Forest, plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.

2Then in the late afternoon, Sāriputta came out of retreat and went to Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Venerable Ānanda saw him coming off in the distance, and said to him:

“Reverend Sāriputta, your faculties are so very clear, and your complexion is pure and bright. What meditation were you practicing today?”

3“Reverend, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I entered and remained in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

But it didn’t occur to me: ‘I am entering the first absorption’ or ‘I have entered the first absorption’ or ‘I am emerging from the first absorption’.”

“That must be because Venerable Sāriputta has long ago totally eradicated ego, possessiveness, and the underlying tendency to conceit. That’s why it didn’t occur to you: ‘I am entering the first absorption’ or ‘I have entered the first absorption’ or ‘I am emerging from the first absorption’.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya. Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

2Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena jetavanaṁ anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāmo tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

"vippasannāni kho te, āvuso sāriputta, indriyāni; parisuddho mukhavaṇṇo pariyodāto. Katamenāyasmā sāriputto ajja vihārena vihāsī"ti?

3"Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, na evaṁ hoti: ‘Ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmī’ti vā ‘Ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpanno’ti vā ‘Ahaṁ paṭhamā jhānā vuṭṭhito’ti vā"ti.

Tathā hi panāyasmato sāriputtassa dīgharattaṁ ahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayā susamūhatā. Tasmā āyasmato sāriputtassa na evaṁ hoti: "‘Ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmī’ti vā ‘Ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpanno’ti vā ‘Ahaṁ paṭhamā jhānā vuṭṭhito’ti vā"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.