Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery. Atha kho āyasmā udāyī yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. Then Venerable Udāyī went up to Venerable Ānanda and exchanged pleasantries with him. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: When the amicable and cordial talk was over, he sat down to one side and said to Ānanda, “vuttamidaṁ, āvuso, pañcālacaṇḍena devaputtena: “Friend, this was said by the god Pañcālacaṇḍa:

‘Sambādhe gataṁ okāsaṁ, ‘The opening amid confinement Avidvā bhūrimedhaso; was discovered by the Buddha of vast wisdom, Yo jhānamabujjhi buddho, who awakened to jhāna, Paṭilīnanisabho munī’ti. the sage, the solitary bull.’

Katamo, āvuso, sambādho, katamo sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā”ti? But what is confinement, and what is the opening amid confinement that the Buddha spoke of?”

“Pañcime, āvuso, kāmaguṇā sambādho vutto bhagavatā. “Friend, these five strands of sensuality are called ‘confinement’ by the Buddha. Katame pañca? What five? Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā, Sights cognizable by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensuality, and enticing. sotaviññeyyā saddā …pe… Sounds cognizable by the ear … ghānaviññeyyā gandhā … Smells cognizable by the nose … jivhāviññeyyā rasā … Tastes cognizable by the tongue … kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Touches cognizable by the body that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensuality, and enticing. Ime kho, āvuso, pañca kāmaguṇā sambādho vutto bhagavatā. “Friend, these five strands of sensuality are called ‘confinement’ by the Buddha.

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Now, take a bhikkhu who, quite disjoined from sensuality … abides having entered upon the first jhāna. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. *This contradicts the view that in the first jhāna one becomes unaware of the domain of the five senses and is *therefore* said to be “separated from sensuality”. Furthermore, the statement is not just that one is confined within the perception of objects of the five senses and that these simply become devoid of their agreeability. No, one is confined within *things that are desirable*. A thing is desirable because of how one’s own senses are disposed towards it, not because it belongs to some imaginary public set of things that are deemed as such. And that desirability is not in one's control, but it's also not in itself sensuality, as stated in AN 6.63. One must therefore train one's mind [to become disenchanted with the very wanting of the senses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ttVxzlzlj0). That is the “opening amid confinement”, in contrast to directly trying to force the senses to not find things agreeable—and endless and ultimately misguided endeavor. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha vitakkavicārā aniruddhā honti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever thinking and pondering has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. ‘Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, with the appeasement of thinking and pondering … abides having entered upon the second jhāna.’ Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha pīti aniruddhā hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever joy has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā …pe… tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. ‘Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, with the fading of joy … abides having entered upon the third jhāna.’ Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha upekkhāsukhaṁ aniruddhaṁ hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever joy of equanimity has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, with the giving up of comfort and discomfort … abides having entered upon the fourth jhāna. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha rūpasaññā aniruddhā hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever perception of form has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Furthermore, a bhikkhu, having fully surmounted perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of resistance, not attending to perceptions of multiplicity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, abides having entered upon the extent of infinite space. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā aniruddhā hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever perception of the extent of infinite space has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Furthermore, a bhikkhu, having fully surmounted the extent of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, abides having entered upon the extent of infinite consciousness. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā aniruddhā hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever perception of the extent of infinite consciousness has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Furthermore, a bhikkhu, having fully surmounted the extent of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing’, abides having entered upon the extent of nothingness. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā aniruddhā hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever perception of the extent of nothingness has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Furthermore, a bhikkhu, having fully surmounted the extent of nothingness, abides having entered upon the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opening amid confinement from a certain angle. Tatrāpatthi sambādho. But there is still confinement there. Kiñca tattha sambādho? And what is the confinement there? Yadeva tattha nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā aniruddhā hoti, ayamettha sambādho. Whatever perception of the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti. Furthermore, a bhikkhu, having fully surmounted the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, abides having entered upon the cessation of perception-and-feeling. And, having seen with understanding, his influxes are destroyed. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, sambādhe okāsādhigamo vutto bhagavatā nippariyāyenā”ti. To this extent the Buddha spoke of an opportunity amid confinement in a definitive sense.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

AN9_42: Pañcāla Sutta