42 (1) Confinement
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Park. Then the Venerable Udāyī approached the Venerable Ānanda and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Venerable Ānanda:
“This was said, friend, by the young deva Pañcālacaṇḍa:
“‘The sage, the withdrawn chief bull,
the Buddha who awakened to jhāna,
the One of Broad Wisdom has found
the opening amid confinement.’1950
“What, friend, has the Blessed One spoken of as confinement and what as the achievement of an opening in the midst of confinement?”1951
“The Blessed One, friend, has spoken of these five objects of sensual pleasure as confinement. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing; sounds cognizable by the ear … odors cognizable by the nose … tastes cognizable by the tongue … tactile objects cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing. The Blessed One has spoken of these five objects of sensual pleasure as confinement.
(1) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna …. To this extent the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense.1952 There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? [450] Whatever thought and examination have not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(2) “Again, friend, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna …. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever rapture has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(3) “Again, friend, with the fading away of rapture, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the third jhāna …. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever pleasure [connected with] equanimity has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(4) “Again, friend, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna …. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of form1953 has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(5) “Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, [perceiving] ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of the infinity of space has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(6) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of space, [perceiving] ‘consciousness is infinite,’ a bhikkhu [451] enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of the infinity of consciousness has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(7) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of consciousness, [perceiving] ‘there is nothing,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of nothingness. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of nothingness has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(8) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a provisional sense. There, too, there is confinement. And what is the confinement there? Whatever perception of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception has not ceased there is the confinement in this case.
(9) “Again, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of the achievement of an opening amid confinement in a non-provisional sense.”1954
43 (2) Body Witness
“It is said, friend, ‘a body witness, a body witness.’1955 In what way has the Blessed One spoken of a body witness?”
(1) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna …. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained].1956 To this extent the Blessed One has spoken of a body witness in a provisional sense. [452]
(2)–(4) “Again, friend, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna … the third jhāna … the fourth jhāna …. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained]. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of a body witness in a provisional sense.
(5)–(8) “Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space … the base of the infinity of consciousness … the base of nothingness … the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained]. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of a body witness in a provisional sense.
(9) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained]. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of a body witness in a non-provisional sense.”1957
44 (3) Wisdom
“It is said, friend, ‘liberated by wisdom, liberated by wisdom.’ In what way has the Blessed One spoken of one liberated by wisdom?”1958
(1) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna … and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated by wisdom in a provisional sense.
(2)–(4) “Again, friend, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna … the third jhāna … the fourth jhāna … and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated by wisdom in a provisional sense.
(5)–(8) “Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, [perceiving] ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space … the base of the infinity of consciousness … the base of nothingness … the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception; and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated by wisdom in a provisional sense. [453]
(9) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed; and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated by wisdom in a non-provisional sense.”
45 (4) Both Respects
“It is said, friend, ‘liberated in both respects, liberated in both respects.’ In what way has the Blessed One spoken of one liberated in both respects?”
(1) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna …. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained], and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated in both respects in a provisional sense.
(2)–(4) “Again, friend, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna … the third jhāna … the fourth jhāna …. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained], and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated in both respects in a provisional sense.
(5)–(8) “Again, friend, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, [perceiving] ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space … the base of the infinity of consciousness … the base of nothingness … the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained], and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated in both respects in a provisional sense.
(9) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed. He dwells having contacted that base with the body in whatever way [it is attained], and he understands it with wisdom. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of one liberated in both respects in a non-provisional sense.”
46 (5) Directly Visible (1)
“It is said, friend, ‘the directly visible Dhamma, the directly visible Dhamma.’ In what way has the Blessed One spoken of the directly visible Dhamma?”
(1)–(8) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna …. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of the directly visible Dhamma in a provisional sense ….
(9) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of the directly visible Dhamma in a non-provisional sense.”
47 (6) Directly Visible (2)
“It is said, friend, ‘directly visible nibbāna, directly visible nibbāna.’ In what way has the Blessed One spoken of directly visible nibbāna?”
(1)–(8) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna …. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of directly visible nibbāna in a provisional sense ….
(9) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of directly visible nibbāna in a non-provisional sense.” [454]
“It is said, friend, ‘nibbāna, nibbāna.’ … ”
[To be elaborated as in 9:47.]
49 (8) Final Nibbāna
“It is said, friend, ‘final nibbāna, final nibbāna.’ … ”
[To be elaborated as in 9:47.]
50 (9) That Particular Respect
“It is said, friend, ‘nibbāna in a particular respect, nibbāna in a particular respect.’…”
[To be elaborated as in 9:47.]
51 (10) In This Very Life
“It is said, friend, ‘nibbāna in this very life, nibbāna in this very life.’ In what way, friend, has the Blessed One spoken of nibbāna in this very life?”
(1)–(8) “Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna …. To this extent, too, the Blessed One has spoken of nibbāna in this very life in a provisional sense ….
(9) “Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed. To this extent, friend, the Blessed One has spoken of nibbāna in this very life in a non-provisional sense.” [455]
1949 In Ce and Be Sāmaññavaggo. Ee names this Pañcālavagga.
1950 The verse occurs at SN 2:7, I 48. Be and Ee have a faulty reading of pāda a in AN, sambādhe gataṃ okāsaṃ, as against Ce sambādhe vata okāsaṃ. The Be and Ee text of SN 2:7 reads vata. Also, in pāda b, Ce has avindi, Ee avidā, two aorist forms meaning “knew.” But Be has avidvā, “unknowing, ignorant,” which is hard to account for. In SN 2:7 Be also reads the verb as avindi.
1951 See 9:37.
1952 Pariyāyena. Mp: “For a single reason (ekena kāraṇena). For the first jhāna is called the achievement of an opening with respect merely to the absence of confinement by sensuality, not in every respect.”
1953 Yadeva tattha rūpasaññā aniruddhā hoti. The singular verb hoti indicates that “perception” in the singular is intended here. In the immediately following paragraph, however, rūpasaññānaṃ and paṭighasaññānaṃ are genitive plurals.
1954 Nippariyāyena. Mp: “Not just for a single reason, but because it abandons all confinement, the destruction of the taints is called the achievement of an opening in every way.”
1955 MN 70.17, I 478,4–8 offers a formal definition of the body witness (kāyasakkhī) as a person who “contacts with the body and abides in those emancipations that are peaceful and formless, transcending forms, and some of his taints are destroyed by his seeing with wisdom.” In the present sutta, however, the term “body witness” does not conform to this formal definition but is explained on the basis of a word play. Strictly speaking, the one who attains the complete destruction of the taints is no longer a body witness, a category restricted to those still in training.
1956 Yathā yathā ca tadāyatanaṃ tathā tathā naṃ kāyena phusitvā viharati. Mp: “Through whatever means or in whatever way there is that base consisting in the first jhāna, by that same means, or in that same way, he dwells having contacted that attainment with the coexistent mental body (sahajātanāmakāyena phusitvā).”
1957 As suggested by the previous note, here the term “nonprovisional sense” is itself being used in a loose, “provisional” sense. In the strict, non-provisional sense, such a disciple is not a body witness, for the real body witness has still not reached arahantship.
1958 Again, strictly speaking, according to the formal definition at MN 70.16, I 477,33–36, the one liberated by wisdom (paññāvimutta) is an arahant who does not attain the formless emancipations or the cessation of perception and feeling. Similarly, to meet the formal requirement of “liberated in both respects” (in the following sutta), a disciple must not only realize arahantship but must also attain the formless emancipations, as stated at MN 70.15, I 477,25–28.