Ja 135 The Story about Moonlight
(Candābhajātaka)
In the present the monks are wondering at how Ven. Sāriputta can answer a question put by the Buddha that is beyond everyone else. The Buddha says that he could do this also in the past, and shows how his last words in that life had been correctly interpreted by his chief disciple (full story).
1. Candābhaṁ sūriyābhañ-ca, yodha paññāya gādhati.
Avitakkena jhānena hoti Ābhassarūpago ti.
He who, with wisdom, is well grounded in the moon’s or sun’s lustre, through absorption, without thinking, will go to the Radiant Realm.
In this connection, moon’s ... lustre, he points out the white meditation object.
Sun’s lustre, the yellow meditation object.
He who, with wisdom, is well grounded, that person who here in the world of beings is well grounded, with wisdom, in this pair of meditation objects, having made them his object, right there is settled, is established.
Or, he who, with wisdom, is well grounded in the moon’s or sun’s lustre, however much it is possible the moon’s lustre and sun’s lustre extends, that much it is possible, having developed the preliminary meditation object, having the object, producing the absorption, being what is known as well grounded, with wisdom, in either of these lustres. Because this is the meaning here also.
Through absorption, without thinking, will go to the Radiant Realm, that person having, in such a way obtaining the second absorption, The second absorption is characterised in part as avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ, being without thinking, without reflection; and its cosmological correspondent are the three Ābhaloka, of which the Ābhassarabrahmaloka is the highest realm. will go to the Radiant Realm.