Thoughts Accompanied with Reasoning

1. At one time venerable Mahamoggallana was living in the monastery offered by Anathapindika in Jeta's grove in Savatthi.

2. Venerable Mahamoggallana addressed the monks from there: “Friends, monks!”

Those monks responded pleasantly.

3. “Friends, this thought and thought process arose to me in my seclusion; it is said the first high stage of the mind. What is the first high stage of the mind?

4. “Friends, then it occurred to me, the monk secluding the mind from sensual desires and demerit thoughts, with logical reasoning and investigation and with pleasant joy born of seclusion raises the mind to the first high stage. This is the first high stage of the mind.

5. “Friends, then I secluded the mind from sensual desires and thoughts of demerit and with logical reasoning and investigation and with pleasant joy born of seclusion raised my mind to the first high stage. When abiding in the first high stage of the mind, sensual perceptions and thoughts assailed me.

6 Then the Blessed One approached me by psychic power and said: `Moggallana, Noble Man! Do not be negligent! Establish, concentrate and bring the mind to one point in the first high stage.'

7. “Friends, in the meantime I secluded the mind from sensual desires and thoughts of demerit and with logical reasoning and investigation, with pleasant joy born of seclusion raised my mind to the first high stage and abode.

8. “Friends, saying it correctly, I am the disciple, who attained great wisdom, with the compassionate help of the Teacher.”