Venerable Bhaddaji

At one time venerable Ānanda was living in Ghosita's monastery in Kosambi. Then venerable Bhaddaji approached venerable Ānanda exchanged friendly greetings, sat on a side and venerable Ānanda said thus:

Friend, Bhaddaji, of sights what is the foremost, of sounds what is the foremost, of pleasantnesses what is the foremost, of perceptions what is the foremost and of the states of being what is the foremost?

Friend, there is brahma the overlord who is not overcome who pervades the directions and is the authority. If someone sees that brahma, that is the foremost sight. Friends, there are gods emitting streaks of light like lightening from their bodies. Overcome and drenched in pleasantness one day or other, they utter a solemn utterance: Ah! this is pleasant! This is pleasant! If someone hears that sound, that is the foremost of sounds. Friends, there are gods who are drenched in happiness and they abide appeased in the heaven of happiness. This is the foremost happiness. Friend, there are gods who abide in the sphere, where there is nothing. That is the foremost of perceptions. Friend, there are gods in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. That is the foremost state of being [1]. Does venerable Bhaddaji aggree with this explanation as the general populace does?

Venerable Ānanda is learned, let venerable Ānanda explain. Friend, Bhaddaji, then listen and attend carefully: Friend, when looking on, without an interval, desires get destroyed. That is the foremost sight. When listening without an interval, desires get destroyed. That is the foremost hearing. When pleasantness is without an interval, desires get destroyed. That is the foremost pleasantness. When the perception is without an interval, desires get destroyed. That is the foremost perception. When being [1] is without an interval, desires get destroyed. That is the foremost being.

Notes. 1. Being `bhavānaṃ': This is maintaining the mind in a single position, without any intrusions of good or evil.