1. Thus have I heard: Once the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's grove, Anathapindika's park.

2. There the venerable Mahamoggallana addressed the monks saying: "Monks, friends." And those monks replied: "Yes, friend."

3. Venerable Mahamoggallana said: "Friends, when I was in seclusion this thinking and pondering occurred to me, 'It is said noble silence. What is noble silence?'

4. "Friends, it occurred to me, here one pacifies thinking and pondering and with the mind internally settled and in one point, without thinking and pondering and with rapture and happiness born of concentration, one raises the mind to the second jhana. This is called noble silence.

5. "Friends, when I pacified thinking and pondering and internally settled the mind in one point and without thinking and pondering raised the mind to the second jhana and enjoyed the happiness born of concentration, my attention was disturbed by the perception of thoughts.

6. "Then the Blessed One approached me by psychic power and said: 'O! Brahmin, Moggallana, do not neglect noble silence. Establish the mind in noble silence. Collect the mind in one point and establish it in noble silence.'

7. "Friends, I then pacified thinking and pondering and with the mind internally settled and in one point, without thinking and pondering and with rapture and happiness born of concentration, I raised the mind to the second jhana. Friends, saying it correctly I am his disciple and son attained to deep knowledge with the compassionate help of the Teacher."

1. Kolita was Mahamoggallana personal name; Moggallana being derived from his clan name.

Bhikkhu Bodhi has an excellent translation of SN 21.1 at Sutta Central
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Leigh Brasington / / Revised 02 July 15