Without Thoughts

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 second high stage of the mind. What is the second high stage of the mind?

4. “Friends, then it occurred to me, the monk overcoming logical reasoning and investigation and calming the mind internally and bringing it to one point, without thoughts and discursive thoughts and with pleasant joy born of concentration raises the mind to the second high stage. This is the second high stage of the mind.

5. “Friends, then I overcame logical reasoning and investigation and calmed the mind internally and brought it to one point and without thoughts and discursive thoughts, with pleasant joy born of concentration raised my mind to the second high stage. When abiding in the second high stage of the mind, perceptions related to logical reasoning 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 second high stage.'

7. “Friends, in the meantime I overcame logical reasoning and calming the mind internally and bringing it to one point, without thoughts and discursive thoughts and with pleasant joy born of concentration raised my mind to the second high stage and abode.

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