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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

8: The Book of the Eights

VII. Earthquakes — AN 8.66: Liberations

1“Mendicants, there are these eight liberations. What eight?

Having physical form, they see visions. This is the first liberation.

2Not perceiving form internally, they see visions externally. This is the second liberation.

3They’re focused only on beauty. This is the third liberation.

4Going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space. This is the fourth liberation.

5Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness. This is the fifth liberation.

6Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness. This is the sixth liberation.

7Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the seventh liberation.

8Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is the eighth liberation.

These are the eight liberations.”

1"Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, vimokkhā. Katame aṭṭha?

Rūpī rūpāni passati. Ayaṁ paṭhamo vimokkho. (1)

2Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī, bahiddhā rūpāni passati. Ayaṁ dutiyo vimokkho. (2)

3Subhanteva adhimutto hoti. Ayaṁ tatiyo vimokkho. (3)

4Sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ catuttho vimokkho. (4)

5Sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ pañcamo vimokkho. (5)

6Sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘Natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ chaṭṭho vimokkho. (6)

7Sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ sattamo vimokkho. (7)

8Sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ aṭṭhamo vimokkho.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha vimokkhā"ti. (8)

Chaṭṭhaṁ.