Not Perceptive

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 sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. What is the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception?

4. “Friends, then it occurred to me, the monk overcoming all the sphere of nothingness attains to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.

5. “Friends, then I overcame the sphere of nothingness and attained to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. When abiding in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, perceptions related to nothingness 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 sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.'

7. “Friends, in the meantime I overcame all the sphere of nothingness and attained to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.

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