AN 8.65

Abhibhāyatanasutta

“Aṭṭhimāni, bhikkhave, abhibhāyatanāni. Katamāni aṭṭha? Ajjhattaṁ rūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ paṭhamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Dimensions of Mastery

“Mendicants, there are these eight dimensions of mastery. What eight? Perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limited, both pretty and ugly. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the first dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ rūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ dutiyaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limitless, both pretty and ugly. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the second dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ tatiyaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limited, both pretty and ugly. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the third dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ catutthaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limitless, both pretty and ugly. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the fourth dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati nīlāni nīlavaṇṇāni nīlanidassanāni nīlanibhāsāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ pañcamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, blue, with blue color and blue appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the fifth dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati pītāni pītavaṇṇāni pītanidassanāni pītanibhāsāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, yellow, with yellow color and yellow appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the sixth dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati lohitakāni lohitakavaṇṇāni lohitakanidassanāni lohitakanibhāsāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ sattamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, red, with red color and red appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the seventh dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati odātāni odātavaṇṇāni odātanidassanāni odātanibhāsāni. ‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti. Idaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha abhibhāyatanānī”ti.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, white, with white color and white appearance. Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’ This is the eighth dimension of mastery. These are the eight dimensions of mastery.”