The Buddha describes the eight dimensions of mastery—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, and perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limitless, both pretty and ugly, and mastering them, they perceive: ‘i know and see.’, and this is the second dimension of mastery, and not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limited, both pretty and ugly, and mastering them, they perceive: ‘i know and see.’.

AN 8.65 Dimensions of Mastery

“Aṭṭhimāni, bhikkhave, abhibhāyatanāni. Katamāni aṭṭha?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Pañcamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Aṭṭhimāni, bhikkhave, abhibhāyatanāni.

“Mendicants, there are these eight dimensions of mastery.

Katamāni aṭṭha?

What eight?

Ajjhattaṁ rūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni.

Perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limited, both pretty and ugly.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ paṭhamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the first dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ rūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni.

Perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limitless, both pretty and ugly.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ dutiyaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the second dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limited, both pretty and ugly.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ tatiyaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the third dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, limitless, both pretty and ugly.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ catutthaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the fourth dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati nīlāni nīlavaṇṇāni nīlanidassanāni nīlanibhāsāni.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, blue, with blue color and blue appearance.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ pañcamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the fifth dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati pītāni pītavaṇṇāni pītanidassanāni pītanibhāsāni.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, yellow, with yellow color and yellow appearance.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the sixth dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati lohitakāni lohitakavaṇṇāni lohitakanidassanāni lohitakanibhāsāni.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, red, with red color and red appearance.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ sattamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the seventh dimension of mastery.

Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī eko bahiddhā rūpāni passati odātāni odātavaṇṇāni odātanidassanāni odātanibhāsāni.

Not perceiving form internally, someone sees forms externally, white, with white color and white appearance.

‘Tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti, evaṁsaññī hoti.

Mastering them, they perceive: ‘I know and see.’

Idaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ abhibhāyatanaṁ.

This is the eighth dimension of mastery.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha abhibhāyatanānī”ti.

These are the eight dimensions of mastery.”

Pañcamaṁ.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026