106. Āneñjasappāya Sutta

The Way to the Imperturbable

1.Thus have I heard.1007 See n.1000. Here, too, the term “imperturbable” seems to comprise only the fourth jhāna and the two lower immaterial attainments. On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Kuru country where there was a town of the Kurus named Kammāsadhamma. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:

2.“Bhikkhus, sensual pleasures1008 MA says both objective sensual pleasures and sensual defilements are intended. are impermanent, hollow, false, deceptive; they are illusory, the prattle of fools. Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come, [262] sensual perceptions here and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come—both alike are Māra’s realm, Māra’s domain, Māra’s bait, Māra’s hunting ground. On account of them, these evil unwholesome mental states such as covetousness, ill will, and presumption arise, and they constitute an obstruction to a noble disciple in training here.

(THE IMPERTURBABLE)

3.“Therein, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come…constitute an obstruction to a noble disciple in training here. Suppose I were to abide with a mind abundant and exalted, having transcended the world and made a firm determination with the mind.1009 MA glosses: “having transcended the sense-sphere world and having determined with a mind that has jhāna as its objective.” When I do so, there will be no more evil unwholesome mental states such as covetousness, ill will, and presumption in me, and with the abandoning of them my mind will be unlimited, immeasurable, and well developed.’ When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base.1010 MA explains the phrase “his mind acquires confidence in this base” to mean that he attains either insight aimed at reaching arahantship or the access to the fourth jhāna. If he gains access to the fourth jhāna, this becomes his basis for attaining “the imperturbable,” i.e., the fourth jhāna itself. But if he gains insight, then “he resolves [upon it] with wisdom” by deepening his insight in order to reach arahantship. The expression “resolution with wisdom” may explain why so many of the following sections of this sutta, though culminating in attainments along the scale of concentration, are expressed in phrasing appropriate to the development of insight. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the imperturbable now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the imperturbable.1011 MA explains that this passage describes the rebirth process of one who could not realise arahantship after reaching the fourth jhāna. The “evolving consciousness” (saṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ) is the resultant consciousness by which this person is reborn, and this has the same imperturbable nature as the kammically formative consciousness that attained to the fourth jhāna. Since it is the fourth-jhāna consciousness that determines rebirth, this person will be reborn in one of the exalted realms corresponding to the fourth jhāna. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the first way directed to the imperturbable.

4.“Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus: 1012 MA says that this is the reflection of one who has attained the fourth jhāna. Since he includes material form among the things to be transcended, if he attains to the imperturbable he reaches the base of infinite space, and if he does not attain arahantship he is reborn in the plane of infinite space. ‘[There are] sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come, sensual perceptions here and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come; whatever material form [there is], all material form is the four great elements and the material form derived from the four great elements.’ When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the imperturbable now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the imperturbable. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the second way directed to the imperturbable. [263]

5.“Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus:1013 MA says that this is the reflection of one who has attained the base of infinite space. If he attains to the imperturbable, he reaches the base of infinite consciousness and is reborn in that plane if he does not reach arahantship. ‘Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come, sensual perceptions here and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come, material forms here and now and material forms in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of forms in lives to come—both alike are impermanent. What is impermanent is not worth delighting in, not worth welcoming, not worth holding to.’ When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the imperturbable now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the imperturbable. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the third way directed to the imperturbable.

(THE BASE OF NOTHINGNESS)

6.“Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus:1014 This is the reflection of one who has attained the base of infinite consciousness and aims at attaining the base of nothingness. ‘Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come, sensual perceptions here and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come, material forms here and now and material forms in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of forms in lives to come, and perceptions of the imperturbable—all are perceptions. Where these perceptions cease without remainder, that is the peaceful, that is the sublime, namely, the base of nothingness.’ When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the base of nothingness now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the base of nothingness. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the first way directed to the base of nothingness.

7.“Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty hut, considers thus: ‘This is void of a self or of what belongs to a self.’1015 MA calls this two-pointed voidness—the absence of “I” and “mine”—and says that this teaching of the base of nothingness is expounded by way of insight rather than concentration, the approach taken in the previous section. At MN 43.33, this contemplation is said to lead to the deliverance of mind through voidness. When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the base of nothingness now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the base of nothingness. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the second way directed to the base of nothingness.

8.“Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘I am not anything belonging to anyone anywhere, [264] nor is there anything belonging to me in anyone anywhere.’1016 MA calls this four-pointed voidness and explains thus: (i) he does not see his self anywhere; (ii) he does not see a self of his own that can be treated as something belonging to another, e.g., as a brother, friend, assistant, etc.; (iii) he does not see the self of another; (iv) he does not see the self of another that can be treated as something belonging to him. Ms has a note by Ñm: “These expressions [in this paragraph and the next] seem to have been stereotyped slogans or descriptions of the attainments of nothingness and neither-perception-nor-non-perception, primarily non-Buddhist, and sometimes used as a basis for the existing-body [=identity] view.” See Ñm’s note 19 to Vsm XXI, 53 for further discussion and other references. When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the base of nothingness now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the base of nothingness. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the third way directed to the base of nothingness.

(THE BASE OF NEITHER-PERCEPTION-NOR-NON-PERCEPTION)

9.“Again, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come, sensual perceptions here and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come, material forms here and now and material forms in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of forms in lives to come, perceptions of the imperturbable, and perceptions of the base of nothingness—all are perceptions. Where these perceptions cease without remainder, that is the peaceful, that is the sublime, namely, the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. ’ When he practises in this way and frequently abides thus, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, he either attains to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception now or else he resolves [upon it] with wisdom. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that the evolving consciousness may pass on [to rebirth] in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. This, bhikkhus, is declared to be the way directed to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.”

(NIBBĀNA)

10.When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, here a bhikkhu is practising thus: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine; it will not be, and it will not be mine. What exists, what has come to be, that I am abandoning.’ Thus he obtains equanimity.1017 MA glosses: “If the round of kamma had not been accumulated by me, now there would not be for me the round of results; if the round of kamma is not accumulated by me now, in the future there will not be the round of results.” “What exists, what has come to be” are the five aggregates. The first part of the formula again seems to be a condensed formulation of a view held by non-Buddhists. Several suttas identify it as an expression for the annihilationist view, adapted by the Buddha with new meanings assigned to it. For other occurrences of this formula, see SN iii.55–56, 99, 183, 206; AN iv.69–72, v.63.

MA says that he obtains the equanimity of insight, but from §11 it seems that the equanimity of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception is also intended.
Venerable sir, does such a bhikkhu attain Nibbāna?”

“One bhikkhu here, Ānanda, might attain Nibbāna, another bhikkhu here might not attain Nibbāna.”

“What is the cause and reason, venerable sir, why one bhikkhu here might attain Nibbāna, while another bhikkhu here might not attain Nibbāna?”

“Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu is practising thus: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine; it will not be, and it will not be mine. What exists, [265] what has come to be, that I am abandoning.’ Thus he obtains equanimity. He delights in that equanimity, welcomes it, and remains holding to it. As he does so, his consciousness becomes dependent on it and clings to it. A bhikkhu with clinging, Ānanda, does not attain Nibb̄na.”1018 There is word play here that cannot be successfully reproduced in translation. The verb parinibbāyati, rendered “to attain Nibbāna,” is also applied to the going out of a fire. The attainment of Nibbāna is thus the “going out” of the fires of lust, hatred, and delusion. Upādāna, “clinging,” also designates the fuel which a fire consumes. Thus consciousness continues on in the round of rebirths so long as it is sustained by the fuel of clinging. When the defilements are extinguished, there is no more fuel for consciousness to burn, and thus the bhikkhu without clinging “goes out” by the attainment of Nibbāna. The subtlest object of clinging, thus the subtlest fuel (as the following exchange will show), is the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.

11.“But, venerable sir, when that bhikkhu clings, what does he cling to?”

“To the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, Ānanda.”

“When that bhikkhu clings, venerable sir, it seems he clings to the best [object of] clinging.”

“When that bhikkhu clings, Ānanda, he clings to the best [object of] clinging; for this is the best [object of] clinging, namely, the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.1019 MA: This is said with reference to the rebirth of one who attains the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. The meaning is that he takes rebirth in the best, the highest, plane of existence.

12.“Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu is practising thus: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine; it will not be, and it will not be mine. What exists, what has come to be, that I am abandoning.’ Thus he obtains equanimity. He does not delight in that equanimity, welcome it, or remain holding to it. Since he does not do so, his consciousness does not become dependent on it and does not cling to it. A bhikkhu without clinging, Ānanda, attains Nibbāna.”

13.“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous! The Blessed One, indeed, has explained to us the crossing of the flood in dependence upon one support or another. 1020 Nissāya nissāya oghassa nittharaṇā. MA: The Buddha has explained the crossing of the flood for a bhikkhu who uses as the basis (for reaching arahantship) any of the attainments from the third jhāna up to the fourth immaterial attainment. But, venerable sir, what is noble liberation?”1021 MA: Ānanda’s question is intended to elicit from the Buddha an account of the practice of the dry-insight meditator (sukkhavipassaka), who attains arahantship without depending on a jhānic attainment.

“Here, Ānanda, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual pleasures here and now and sensual pleasures in lives to come, sensual perceptions here and now and sensual perceptions in lives to come, material forms here and now and material forms in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of forms in lives to come, perceptions of the imperturbable, perceptions of the base of nothingness, and perceptions of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception—this is identity as far as identity extends.1022 Esa sakkāyo yāvatā sakkāyo. MA: This is the personal identity in its entirety—the round of the three realms of existence; there is no personal identity outside of this. This is the Deathless, namely, the liberation of the mind through not clinging.’1023 MA says that the arahantship of the dry-insight meditator is intended. MṬ adds that arahantship is called “the Deathless” because it has the flavour of the Deathless, being attained on the basis of Nibbāna the Deathless.

14.“Thus, Ānanda, I have taught the way directed to the imperturbable, I have taught the way directed to the base of nothingness, I have taught the way directed to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, I have taught the crossing of the flood in dependence upon one support or another, I have taught noble liberation.

15.“What should be done for his disciples out of compassion by a teacher who seeks their welfare and has compassion for them, [266] that I have done for you, Ānanda. There are these roots of trees, these empty huts. Meditate, Ānanda, do not delay, or else you will regret it later. This is our instruction to you.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ānanda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.