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Majjhima Nikāya 111 Middle Discourses 111Middle Discourses 111
Anupadasutta One After AnotherOne by One
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—I have heard thatSo I have heard. This discourse describes Sāriputta’s practice of discernment leading to awakening. It fills in the blanks between realizing stream entry and arahantship, reminding us that when a narrative depicts a person realizing the truth while listening to a teaching—as Sāriputta does—there is usually an extensive background of practice behind that. A number of indications suggest that this is among the later discourses: there are no parallels; the exposition is unusually elaborate; there is editorial clumsiness; and a number of terms are unique or characteristic of later texts.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: There he addressed the monks, saying,There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“bhikkhavo”ti. “Monks!”“Mendicants!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. “Yes, lord,” the monks responded to him.“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca: The Blessed One said,The Buddha said this:
“Paṇḍito, bhikkhave, sāriputto; “Monks, Sāriputta is wise,“Sāriputta is astute, mendicants.
mahāpañño, bhikkhave, sāriputto; of great discernment,He has great wisdom, These are qualities of the Buddha at DN 30:1.26.6 and of Sāriputta again at SN 8.7:3.2.
puthupañño, bhikkhave, sāriputto; deep discernment,widespread wisdom, “Widespread wisdom” is defined at AN 3.30:3.1 as one who often listens to teachings, applies their mind while listening, and continues to do so afterwards.
hāsapañño, bhikkhave, sāriputto; wide…laughing wisdom,
javanapañño, bhikkhave, sāriputto; joyous…swift wisdom,
tikkhapañño, bhikkhave, sāriputto; rapid… quick…sharp wisdom,
nibbedhikapañño, bhikkhave, sāriputto; penetrating discernment.and penetrating wisdom.
sāriputto, bhikkhave, aḍḍhamāsaṁ anupadadhammavipassanaṁ vipassati. For half a month, Sāriputta clearly saw insight into mental qualities one after another.“Clearly saw insight”: In Pali, this is vipassanaṁ vipassi, which could be translated literally as “clearly saw clear seeing” or “insighted insight.” The Commentary states that the half-month mentioned here refers to the half month between Ven. Sāriputta’s ordination and his attainment of arahantship, described in MN 74. These two suttas treat Sāriputta’s attainment from two different perspectives. This sutta shows it from the standpoint of his mastery of the four jhānas and the formless attainments based on the fourth jhāna. That sutta shows it as occurring when he starts reflecting on a point while listening to a discourse that the Buddha is giving to his nephew. To put the two suttas together, we can infer that prior to the discourse given in MN 74, Sāriputta had mastered the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. While listening to the discourse, he reflected on the point that the Buddha recommended abandoning all mental qualities through direct knowledge. This would have led him to the cessation of perception and feeling (during which he would not be listening to the discourse) and so to awakening.For a fortnight he practiced discernment of phenomena one by one. The fortnight between realizing stream-entry while still a student of Sañjaya (Kd 1:23.5.6) and arahantship while overhearing the Buddha teach Dīghanakha (MN 74:5.1). | Anupada elsewhere means a “following statement” (Bu Pc 4:2.1.11, Vv 35:7.4, Vv 53:9.4). Here it refers to the “discernment” (vipassanā) of each individual phenomena one by one as they occur. This methodical style of contemplation is reflected in the similarly detailed and thorough teachings characteristic of Sāriputta.
Tatridaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputtassa anupadadhammavipassanāya hoti. This is what occurred to Sāriputta through insight into mental qualities one after another:And this is how he did it.
Idha, bhikkhave, sāriputto vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. There was the case where Sāriputta—quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities—entered & remained in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, he entered and remained in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.
Ye ca paṭhame jhāne dhammā vitakko ca vicāro ca pīti ca sukhañca cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti. Whatever qualities there are in the first jhāna—directed thought, evaluation, rapture, pleasure, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out one after another.Reading viññāṇaṁ with the Thai edition of the Canon. The Burmese and PTS editions read cittaṁ, which could mean “mind” or “intent” (as in the four bases of success).And he distinguished the phenomena of the first absorption one by one: placing and keeping and rapture and bliss and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind. Vavatthita (“distinguished”) occurs elsewhere in the suttas in only one late verse (DN 20:6.10). The Vinaya gives it as an antonym to sambhinna, “mixed” (Kd 13:33.1.7). | The first five items here are the five so-called “jhāna factors”, which in the suttas appear here and at MN 43:19.3. The list summarizes the normal depiction of the first absorption, as the first four factors are all part of the standard first absorption formula, and all absorption or samādhi is characterized by unification of mind (eg. MN 20:3.3). | There is a striking syntactic break between the first five factors and the remainder of the list starting with “contact”. The five factors are articulated in the colloquial Pali fashion connected with ca, while the remainder are simply listed without ca. This, together with the fact that the first five appear elsewhere as a set and the remainder do not, as well as the fact that the second list is partly redundant (eg. “feeling” is already covered in the five factors), makes it certain that the latter items were appended to the first five. Indeed, the appended items appear elaborated even compared with similar lists in the Abhidhamma (eg. Dt 1.2:16.1, Kv 15.10:2.3; see too Mil 3.3.6:7.2).
Tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away. He was mindfully aware as the attainment characterized by these qualities arose, persisted, and fell away. As Anālayo points out, this cannot refer to observing the cessation of phenomena inside the absorption, as the absorption itself is defined by their persistence (Early Buddhist Meditation Studies, p. 117ff.). In other words, he was aware of the impermanence of absorption, not of impermanence in absorption. | Compare the “development of immersion” that contemplates feelings, perceptions, and thoughts in the same way (AN 4.41:4.3). According to the suttas, for all conditioned phenomena, “arising is evident, vanishing is evident, and change while persisting is evident” (AN 3.47:1.3).
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’ In the previous passage he observed them, whereas now he reflects on what he has seen. This course of practice anticipates the Niddesa’s notion of three kinds of full knowledge (Cnd 11:51.4). First comes “full knowledge of the known” (ñātapariññā), where the meditator clearly observes each phenomena in experience. Then they reflect and scrutinize the “known” in light of the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and not-self, as Sāriputta is doing here (tīraṇapariññā). Finally they let go all attachments (pahānapariññā), as Sāriputta does below. | “Flit away” (paṭiventi) is unique.
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, with mind free of boundaries. “Without getting involved or shying away” (anupāyo anapāyo) is explained by the commentary as not being swayed by the power of lust or aversion. It means having a poised and unreactive attitude. It is a rare phrase that also occurs, with the same syntactic context, in the next sutta, creating a link between the two (MN 112:4.2).
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’ The “escape beyond” (uttari nissaraṇaṁ) normally refers to full awakening (MN 7:17.1, MN 49:2.3, AN 3.66:46.6, AN 7.56:6.1, AN 10.93:14.4), but the commentary says that here it refers to the next higher attainment.
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him. The compound atthitvevassa resolves to: atthi iti (“that it is real”) eva (“indeed”) assa (“for him”). The commentary glosses, “That it is real is reinforced for that monk.”
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, Sāriputta entered & remained in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected were stilled, he entered and remained in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected.
Ye ca dutiye jhāne dhammā—ajjhattaṁ sampasādo ca pīti ca sukhañca cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti. Whatever qualities there are in the second jhāna—internal assurance, rapture, pleasure, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out one after another.And he distinguished the phenomena of the second absorption one by one: internal confidence and rapture and bliss and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind. The initial list representing the absorption factors is adjusted according to the level of absorption, while the remainder of the list stays the same.
Tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away.
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, with mind free of boundaries.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti. Yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the fading of rapture, Sāriputta—remaining equanimous, mindful, & alert, and sensing pleasure with the body—entered & remained in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’Furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, he entered and remained in the third absorption, where he meditated with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’
Ye ca tatiye jhāne dhammā—sukhañca sati ca sampajaññañca cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—Whatever qualities there are in the third jhāna—equanimity, pleasure, mindfulness, alertness, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—And he distinguished the phenomena of the third absorption one by one: bliss and mindfulness and awareness and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind.
tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. he ferreted them out one after another. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away.
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, with mind free of boundaries.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain—as with the earlier disappearance of joys & distresses—Sāriputta entered & remained in the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain.Furthermore, with the giving up of pleasure and pain, and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, he entered and remained in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.
Ye ca catutthe jhāne dhammā—upekkhā adukkhamasukhā vedanā passaddhattā cetaso anābhogo satipārisuddhi cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti. Whatever qualities there are in the fourth jhāna—a feeling of equanimity, neither pleasure nor pain; an unconcern due to calmness of awareness; singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out one after another.Reading passaddhattā with the Burmese edition. The Thai edition reads, parisuddhatā, “through purity.” The Sinhalese edition reads pasiddhatā, which would mean “empowerment” (?—this term is not listed in the PTS Dictionary). The PTS edition reads passi vedanā, which is unintelligible.And he distinguished the phenomena of the fourth absorption one by one: equanimity and neutral feeling and mental unconcern due to tranquility and pure mindfulness and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind. “Unconcern” (anābhoga) is a unique term in the suttas. In the Abhidhamma Vibhaṅga, it is said to be a characteristic of the five kinds of sense consciousness, which according to that system do not feel pleasure or pain (Vb 16:13.1).
Tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away.
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, his mind without boundaries.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the complete transcending of perceptions of (physical) form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not attending to perceptions of multiplicity, (perceiving,) ‘Infinite space,’ Sāriputta entered & remained in the dimension of the infinitude of space.Furthermore, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, he entered and remained in the dimension of infinite space.
Ye ca ākāsānañcāyatane dhammā—ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā ca cittekaggatā ca phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti. Whatever qualities there are in the dimension of the infinitude of space—the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out one after another.And he distinguished the phenomena of the dimension of infinite space one by one: the perception of the dimension of infinite space and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind.
Tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away.
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, with mind free of boundaries.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, (perceiving,) ‘Infinite consciousness,’ Sāriputta entered & remained in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.Furthermore, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, he entered and remained in the dimension of infinite consciousness.
Ye ca viññāṇañcāyatane dhammā—viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā ca cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti. Whatever qualities there are in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness—the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out one after another.And he distinguished the phenomena of the dimension of infinite consciousness one by one: the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind.
Tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away.
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, his mind free of limits.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, (perceiving,) ‘There is nothing,’ Sāriputta entered & remained in the dimension of nothingness.Furthermore, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, he entered and remained in the dimension of nothingness.
Ye ca ākiñcaññāyatane dhammā—ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā ca cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṁ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti. Whatever qualities there are in the dimension of nothingness—the perception of the dimension of nothingness, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out one after another.And he distinguished the phenomena of the dimension of nothingness one by one: the perception of the dimension of nothingness and unification of mind; contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, enthusiasm, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and application of mind.
Tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Known to him they arose, known to him they became established, known to him they subsided.He knew those phenomena as they arose, as they remained, and as they went away.
So evaṁ pajānāti: He discerned,He understood:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, with mind free of boundaries.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. And further, with the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, Sāriputta entered & remained in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.Furthermore, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, he entered and remained in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.
So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahati. He emerged mindfully from that attainment.And he emerged from that attainment with mindfulness.
So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahitvā ye dhammā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā te dhamme samanupassati: On emerging mindfully from that attainment, he regarded the past qualities that had ceased & changed:Then he contemplated the phenomena of that attainment that had passed, ceased, and perished:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’ In this, the highest of the eight attainments, there is no individual discernment of mental factors, as the function of “perception” is liminal; compare MN 52:14.7, MN 64:15.5, and MN 102:4.4. And rather than observing the arising, persisting, and ceasing of the absorption phenomena, as he had done previously, he reflects on the fact of their come and gone. As Anālayo (ibid., 122) puts it, “there is no continuity of perceptual awareness from before the time one entered these attainments to emergence from them … practitioners could only know that at some time in the past they entered and that by now they have emerged”.
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, his mind without boundaries.
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is a further escape,’He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’Notice that, with each of the previous levels of attainment, Sāriputta was able to ferret out the various mental qualities arising there while he was still in the attainment. With this attainment and the following one, however, he was not able to analyze the mental qualities present and absent there until after he had left the attainment. The difference here is related to the point made in AN 9:36 that all the attainments up through the dimension of nothingness are “perception-attainments.” And that, “As far as the perception-attainments go, that is as far as gnosis-penetration goes. As for these two dimensions—the attainment of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception & the attainment of the cessation of perception & feeling—I tell you that they are to be rightly explained by those monks who are meditators, skilled at attainment, skilled at attainment-emergence, who have attained & emerged in dependence on them.” For a discussion of how insight can be developed in the context of jhāna, see The Wings to awakening, IIIF.Repeated practice of that confirmed this for him.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati. Paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti. And further, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, Sāriputta entered & remained in the cessation of perception & feeling. And when he saw with discernment, his effluents were totally ended.Furthermore, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he entered and remained in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, his defilements came to an end.
So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahati. He emerged mindfully from that attainment.And he emerged from that attainment with mindfulness.
So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahitvā ye dhammā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā te dhamme samanupassati: On emerging mindfully from that attainment, he regarded the past qualities that had ceased & changed:Then he contemplated the phenomena of that attainment that had passed, ceased, and perished:
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti. ‘So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’For a more detailed description of what a meditator experiences on emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling, see MN 44.‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’ It is not clear what this refers to, as there are no mental states arising or ceasing in the state of cessation. The commentary says it refers to either the material states present (i.e. the body originated by kamma) or the states of the previous attainment. Perhaps it is simply an editorial slip.
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati. He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with unrestricted awareness.Regarding those phenomena, he meditated without getting involved or shying away, independent, untied, liberated, detached, with mind free of boundaries.
So ‘natthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti. He discerned that ‘There is no further escape,’He understood: ‘There is no escape beyond.’ He has fully realized Nibbāna, beyond which there is nothing higher.
Tabbahulīkārā natthi tvevassa hoti. and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There isn’t.’By cultivating that he confirmed that there is not.
Yaṁ kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: “If a person, rightly saying it of anyone, were to say,And if there’s anyone of whom it may be rightly said that
‘vasippatto pāramippatto ariyasmiṁ sīlasmiṁ, vasippatto pāramippatto ariyasmiṁ samādhismiṁ, vasippatto pāramippatto ariyāya paññāya, vasippatto pāramippatto ariyāya vimuttiyā’ti, sāriputtameva taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘He has attained mastery & perfection in noble virtue… noble concentration… noble discernment… noble release,’ he would be rightly saying it of Sāriputta if he were to say:they have attained mastery and perfection in noble ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom, it’s Sāriputta. Compare MN 77:15.6 and MN 100:6.1.
‘vasippatto pāramippatto ariyasmiṁ sīlasmiṁ, vasippatto pāramippatto ariyasmiṁ samādhismiṁ, vasippatto pāramippatto ariyāya paññāya, vasippatto pāramippatto ariyāya vimuttiyā’ti. ‘He has attained mastery & perfection in noble virtue… noble concentration… noble discernment… noble release.’
Yaṁ kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: “If a person, rightly saying it of anyone, were to say,And if there’s anyone of whom it may be rightly said that
‘bhagavato putto oraso mukhato jāto dhammajo dhammanimmito dhammadāyādo no āmisadāyādo’ti, sāriputtameva taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘He is the Blessed One’s son, his offspring—born of his mouth, born of the Dhamma, created by the Dhamma, his heir in the Dhamma, not his heir in material things,’ he would be rightly saying it of Sāriputta if he were to say:they’re the Buddha’s bosom son, born from his mouth, born of the teaching, created by the teaching, heir in the teaching, not in things of the flesh, it’s Sāriputta. Also said of Sāriputta at SN 8.7:3.2 and of Mahākassapa at SN 16.11:15.2. The phrase was adopted from the Brahmins’ claim to be born from the mouth of Brahmā (MN 84:4.5, DN 27:3.9).
‘bhagavato putto oraso mukhato jāto dhammajo dhammanimmito dhammadāyādo no āmisadāyādo’ti. ‘He is the Blessed One’s son, his offspring—born of his mouth, born of the Dhamma, created by the Dhamma, his heir in the Dhamma, not his heir in material things.’
Sāriputto, bhikkhave, tathāgatena anuttaraṁ dhammacakkaṁ pavattitaṁ sammadeva anuppavattetī”ti. Sāriputta, monks, takes the unexcelled wheel of Dhamma set rolling by the Tathāgata, and keeps it rolling rightly.”Sāriputta rightly keeps rolling the supreme Wheel of Dhamma that was rolled forth by the Realized One.” Also at AN 1.187:1.2, AN 5.132:4.3, and SN 8.7:3.4. This is a reference to the Buddha’s first teaching (SN 56.11).
Idamavoca bhagavā. That is what the Blessed One said.That is what the Buddha said.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words.See also: MN 43; MN 52; MN 140; AN 5:28; AN 9:36Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.
Anupadasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.