http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.138.than.html
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying
near Savatthi
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the
monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks replied.
The Blessed One said: "Monks, I will teach you a statement &
its analysis. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said this: "A monk should investigate in such a
way that, his consciousness neither externally scattered &
diffused, nor internally positioned, he would from lack of
clinging/sustenance be unagitated. When — his consciousness neither
externally scattered & diffused, nor internally positioned —
from lack of clinging/sustenance he would be unagitated, there is
no seed for the conditions of future birth, aging, death, or
stress."
That is what the Blessed One said. Having said it, the One
Well-gone got up from his seat and went into his dwelling.
Then, not long after the Blessed One had left, this thought
occurred to the monks: "This brief statement the Blessed One has
made, after which he went into his dwelling without analyzing the
detailed meaning — i.e., 'A monk should investigate in such a way
that, his consciousness neither externally scattered &
diffused, nor internally positioned, he would from lack of
clinging/sustenance be unagitated. When — his consciousness neither
externally scattered & diffused, nor internally positioned —
from lack of clinging/sustenance he would be unagitated, there is
no seed for the conditions of future birth, aging, death, or
stress': now who might analyze the unanalyzed detailed meaning of
this brief statement?" Then the thought occurred to them, "Ven.
Maha Kaccana is praised by the Teacher and esteemed by his
knowledgeable companions in the holy life. He is capable of
analyzing the unanalyzed detailed meaning of this brief statement.
Suppose we were to go to him and, on arrival, question him about
this matter."
So the monks went to Ven. Maha Kaccana and, on arrival exchanged courteous
greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings &
courtesies, they sat to one side. As they were standing there, they
[told him what had happened, and added,] "Analyze the meaning, Ven.
Maha Kaccana!"
[He replied:] "Friends, it's as if a man needing heartwood, looking for
heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood — passing over the root
& trunk of a standing tree possessing heartwood — were to
imagine that heartwood should be looked for among its branches
& leaves. So it is with you, who — having bypassed the Blessed
One when you were face to face with him, the Teacher — imagine that
I should be asked about this matter. For knowing, the Blessed One
knows; seeing, he sees. He is the Eye, he is Knowledge, he is
Dhamma, he is Brahma. He is the speaker, the proclaimer, the
elucidator of meaning, the giver of the Deathless, the lord of the
Dhamma, the Tathagata. That was the time when you should have
questioned him about this matter. However he answered, that was how
you should have remembered it."
"Yes, friend Kaccana: knowing, the Blessed One knows; seeing, he
sees. He is the Eye, he is Knowledge, he is Dhamma, he is Brahma.
He is the speaker, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the
giver of the Deathless, the lord of the Dhamma, the Tathagata. That
was the time when we should have questioned him about this matter.
However he answered, that was how we should have remembered it. But
you are praised by the Teacher and esteemed by your knowledgeable
companions in the holy life. You are capable of analyzing the
unanalyzed detailed meaning of this brief statement. Analyze the
meaning, Ven. Maha Kaccana!"
"In that case, my friends, listen & pay close attention. I
will speak."
"As you say, friend," the monks responded.
Ven. Maha Kaccana said this: "Concerning the brief statement the
Blessed One made, after which he entered his dwelling without
analyzing the detailed meaning — i.e., 'A monk should investigate
in such a way that, his consciousness neither externally scattered
& diffused, nor internally positioned, he would from lack of
clinging/sustenance be unagitated. When — his consciousness neither
externally scattered & diffused, nor internally positioned —
from lack of clinging/sustenance he would be unagitated, there is
no seed for the conditions of future birth, aging, death, or
stress' — I understand the detailed meaning to be this:
"How is consciousness said to be scattered & diffused? There
is the case where a form is seen with the eye, and consciousness
follows the drift of (lit.: 'flows after') the theme of the form,
is tied to the attraction of the theme of the form, is chained to
the attraction of the theme of the form, is fettered & joined
to the attraction of the theme of the form: Consciousness is said
to be externally scattered & diffused.
"There is the case where a sound is heard with the ear... an
aroma is smelled with the nose... a flavor is tasted with the
tongue... a tactile sensation is felt with the body... an idea is
cognized with the intellect, and consciousness follows the drift of
the theme of the idea, is tied to the attraction of the theme of
the idea, is chained to the attraction of the theme of the idea, is
fettered & joined to the attraction of the theme of the idea:
Consciousness is said to be externally scattered &
diffused.
"And how is consciousness said not to be externally scattered
& diffused? There is the case where a form is seen with the
eye, and consciousness does not follow the drift of the theme of
the form, is not tied to... chained to... fettered, or joined to
the attraction of the theme of the form: Consciousness is said not
to be externally scattered & diffused.
"There is the case where a sound is heard with the ear... an
aroma is smelled with the nose... a flavor is tasted with the
tongue... a tactile sensation is felt with the body... an idea is
cognized with the intellect, and consciousness does not follow the
drift of the theme of the idea, is not tied to... chained to...
fettered, or joined to the attraction of the theme of the idea:
Consciousness is said not to be externally scattered &
diffused.
"And how is the mind said to be internally positioned? There is
the case where a monk, quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn
from unskillful (mental) qualities, enters & remains in the
first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal,
accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. His consciousness
follows the drift of the rapture & pleasure born of withdrawal,
is tied to... chained... fettered, & joined to the attraction
of the rapture & pleasure born of withdrawal. Or further, with
the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters
& remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of
concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought
& evaluation — internal assurance. His consciousness follows
the drift of the rapture & pleasure born of composure, is tied
to... chained... fettered, & joined to the attraction of the
rapture & pleasure born of composure. Or further, with the
fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and
senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third
jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful,
he has a pleasant abiding.' His consciousness follows the drift of
the equanimity & pleasure, is tied to... chained... fettered,
& joined to the attraction of the equanimity & pleasure. Or
further, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the
earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters &
remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. His consciousness follows
the drift of the neither pleasure nor pain, is tied to... chained
to... fettered, & joined to the attraction of the neither
pleasure nor pain: The mind is said to be internally
positioned.
"And how is the mind said not to be internally positioned? There
is the case where a monk, quite withdrawn from sensuality,
withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities, enters & remains
in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal,
accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. His consciousness
does not follow the drift of the rapture & pleasure born of
withdrawal, is not tied to... chained to... fettered, or joined to
the attraction of the rapture & pleasure born of withdrawal. Or
further, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations,
he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure
born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed
thought & evaluation — internal assurance. His consciousness
does not follow the drift of the rapture & pleasure born of
composure, is not tied to... chained... fettered, or joined to the
attraction of the rapture & pleasure born of composure. Or
further, with the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous,
mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters
& remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare,
'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' His
consciousness does not follow the drift of the equanimity &
pleasure, is not tied to... chained... fettered, or joined to the
attraction of the equanimity & pleasure. Or further, with the
abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier
disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains
in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness,
neither pleasure nor pain. His consciousness does not follow the
drift of the neither pleasure nor pain, is not tied to... chained
to... fettered, or joined to the attraction of the neither pleasure
nor pain: The mind is said to be not internally positioned.
"And how is agitation caused by clinging/sustenance? There is
the case where an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person — who has no
regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their
Dhamma; who has no regard for men of integrity, is not well-versed
or disciplined in their Dhamma — assumes form to be the self, or
the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as
in form. His form changes & is unstable. Because of the change
& instability of form, his consciousness alters in accordance
with the change in form. With the agitations born from the
alteration in accordance with the change in form and coming from
the co-arising of (unskillful mental) qualities, his mind stays
consumed. And because of the consumption of awareness, he feels
fearful, threatened, & solicitous.
"He assumes feeling to be the self...
"He assumes perception to be the self...
"He assumes (mental) fabrications to be the self...
"He assumes consciousness to be the self, of the self as
possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the
self as in consciousness. His consciousness changes & is
unstable. Because of the change & instability of consciousness,
his consciousness alters in accordance with the change in
consciousness. With the agitations born from the alteration in
accordance with the change in consciousness and coming from the
co-arising of (unskillful mental) qualities, his mind stays
consumed. And because of the consumption of awareness, he feels
fearful, threatened, & solicitous.
"This, friends, is how agitation is caused by
clinging/sustenance.
"And how is non-agitation caused by lack of clinging/
sustenance? There is the case where an instructed disciple of the
noble ones — who has regard for nobles ones, is well-versed &
disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for men of integrity,
is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma — doesn't assume
form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in
the self, or the self as in form. His form changes & is
unstable, but his consciousness doesn't — because of the change
& instability of form — alter in accordance with the change in
form. His mind is not consumed with any agitations born from an
alteration in accordance with the change in form or coming from the
co-arising of (unskillful mental) qualities. And because his
awareness is not consumed, he feels neither fearful, threatened,
nor solicitous.
"He doesn't assume feeling to be the self...
"He doesn't assume perception to be the self...
"He doesn't assume fabrications to be the self...
"He doesn't assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as
possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the
self as in consciousness. His consciousness changes & is
unstable, but his consciousness doesn't — because of the change
& instability of consciousness — alter in accordance with the
change in consciousness. His mind is not consumed with any
agitations born from an alteration in accordance with the change in
consciousness or coming from the co-arising of (unskillful mental)
qualities. And because his awareness is not consumed, he feels
neither fearful, threatened, nor solicitous.
"This, friends, is how non-agitation is caused by lack of
clinging/sustenance.
"So, concerning the brief statement the Blessed One made, after
which he entered his dwelling without analyzing the detailed
meaning — i.e., 'A monk should investigate in such a way that, his
consciousness neither externally scattered & diffused, nor
internally positioned, he would from lack of clinging/sustenance be
unagitated. When — his consciousness neither externally scattered
& diffused, nor internally positioned — from lack of clinging/
sustenance he would be unagitated, there is no seed for the
conditions of future birth, aging, death, or stress' — this is how
I understand the detailed meaning. Now, if you wish, having gone to
the Blessed One, question him about this matter. However he answers
is how you should remember it."
Then the monks, delighting in & approving of Ven. Maha
Kaccayana's words, rose from their seats and went to the Blessed
One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, they sat to one side. As
they were sitting there, they [told him what had happened after he
had gone into his dwelling, and ended by saying,] "Then Ven. Maha
Kaccayana analyzed the meaning using these words, these statements,
these phrases."
"Maha Kaccayana is wise, monks. He is a person of great
discernment. If you had asked me about this matter, I too would
have answered in the same way he did. That is the meaning of this
statement. That is how you should remember it."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks
delighted in the Blessed One's words.
See also:
AN 4.192;
AN 7.64;
AN 8.54; Ud
6.2.