mn106:1.1So I have heard.This sutta describes practices that lead to attaining the formless meditations: three ways to attain the “imperturbable”, three ways to continue to the dimension of nothingness, and finally a way to attain neither perception nor non-perception. One theme of the text is that deep states of absorption are supported by reflective wisdom. The sutta concludes by teaching what is beyond all these, namely not grasping. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near the Kuru town named Kammāsadamma. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”

mn106:1.5“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

mn106:2.1“Mendicants, sensual pleasures are impermanent, hollow, false, and deceptive. This is made by illusion, mendicants, lamented by fools.This phrase is sometimes translated as if it was joined to the previous. However, the repeated use of bhikkhave, the shift from plural to singular, and the independent occurrence of the former portion (AN10.46:6 verse 6 - ) all suggest it is a distinct sentence.
As for bālalāpana, at SN22.95 verse 13 - we find bālalāpinī in a similar context, which there follows right after the death of the physical body. This suggests that lāpinī there has the sense “lament” which is attested in Sanskrit. Bālalāpana is found at Therigatha 5 verse 73 of a beautiful body; see too Jataka 421:5.3. In later Sanskrit, bālalapitaṁ is used by Jayarāśi Bhaṭṭa in his Tattvopaplavasiṁha in the sense “prattle of fools”. Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come; both of these are Māra’s dominion, Māra’s domain, Māra’s lair, and Māra’s range. They conduce to bad, unskillful qualities such as desire, ill will, and aggression. And they create an obstacle for a noble disciple training here.

mn106:3.1A noble disciple reflects on this: ‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come; both of these are Māra’s dominion, Māra’s domain, Māra’s lair, and Māra’s range. They conduce to bad, unskillful qualities such as desire, ill will, and aggression. And they create an obstacle for a noble disciple training here. Why don’t I meditate with an abundant, expansive heart, having mastered the world and stabilized the mind? Then I will have no more bad, unskillful qualities such as desire, ill will, and aggression. And by giving them up my mind, no longer limited, will become limitless and well developed.’

mn106:3.10Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the imperturbable now, or are freed by wisdom.The Pali has paññāya vā adhimuccati (“they resolve with wisdom”). This appears to be an old confusion between adhimuccati (“resolves”) and vimuccati (“is freed”). Elsewhere in Pali we find one who is “freed by wisdom” (eg. SN22.45) but we don’t find adhimuccati used in this way. The commentary accepts the reading adhimuccati, but explains it as referring to either the realization of arahantship or the development of the path to arahantship, which agrees with the idea of “freedom”. Finally, the Chinese parallel (MA 75 at T i 542b23) has 解, while the Tibetan parallel in Śamathadeva’s commentary on the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya (D (4094) mngon pa, ju 228a2) has rnam par grol ba, both of which appear to translate vimuccati. If this reading is accepted, it also adds greater coherence to the sutta as a whole, for after discussing the various ways to the imperturbable, the final section is devoted to the “noble liberation”, where vimokkha is a synonym of vimutti (MN106:13.4). When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the imperturbable.Saṁvattanika means “conducive, leading to”. The state of consciousness developed in meditation leads to a rebirth in a plane where the normal level of consciousness is that of the corresponding meditation attainment. Thus if they have developed the fourth absorption, they will be reborn in a corresponding Brahmā realm. This is said to be the first way of practice suitable for attaining the imperturbable.

mn106:4.1Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: ‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come; whatever form there is, all form is the four principal states, or form derived from the four principal states.’

Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the imperturbable now, or are freed by wisdom. When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the imperturbable. This is said to be the second way of practice suitable for attaining the imperturbable.

mn106:5.1Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: ‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come, visions in this life and in lives to come,Here rūpa is neither “matter” nor “sights” but “visions” seen in meditation. perceptions of visions in this life and in lives to come; all of these are impermanent. And what’s impermanent is not worth approving, welcoming, or clinging to.’ Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the imperturbable now, or are freed by wisdom. When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the imperturbable. This is said to be the third way of practice suitable for attaining the imperturbable.

mn106:6.1Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: ‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come, visions in this life and in lives to come, perceptions of visions in this life and in lives to come, and perceptions of the imperturbable; all are perceptions. Where they cease without anything left over, that is peaceful, that is sublime, namely the dimension of nothingness.’As in MN105:12.1, the “imperturbable” here appears to refer to the fourth absorption and first two formless attainments. Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the dimension of nothingness now, or are freed by wisdom. When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is said to be the first way of practice suitable for attaining the dimension of nothingness.

mn106:7.1Furthermore, a noble disciple has gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, and reflects like this: ‘This is empty of a self or what belongs to a self.’ Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the dimension of nothingness now, or are freed by wisdom. When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is said to be the second way of practice suitable for attaining the dimension of nothingness.

mn106:8.1Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: ‘I don’t belong to anyone anywhere! And nothing belongs to me anywhere!’This reflection occurs three times in the Pali. At AN4.185 verse 7 - it leads to the dimension of nothingness for a brahmin. It leads to the same attainment in a Buddhist context here (compare AN5.144). At AN3.70 it is said to be a Jain practice. Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the dimension of nothingness now, or are freed by wisdom. When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the dimension of nothingness. This is said to be the third way of practice suitable for attaining the dimension of nothingness.

mn106:9.1Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: ‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come, visions in this life and in lives to come, perceptions of visions in this life and in lives to come, perceptions of the imperturbable, and perceptions of the dimension of nothingness; all are perceptions. Where they cease without anything left over, that is peaceful, that is sublime, namely the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’ Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception now, or are freed by wisdom. When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that that conducive consciousness will be reborn in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is said to be the way of practice suitable for attaining the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.”

mn106:10.1When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: “Sir, take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’See Bodhi’s extensive discussion in his translation of SN22.55 (Connected Discourses, vol. iii, note 75). This formula appears several times throughout the suttas, in two forms: the personal form used by non-Buddhists (“I might not be …”, eg. SN22.81 verse 11 - , AN10.29 verse 19 - ), and the impersonal form as adapted by the Buddha here (“It might not be …”). The formula seems to have a shared among different sectarian groups, like the similar reflection above (MN106:8.1. But whereas that reflection is associated with Brahmans and Jains—both classified as “eternalists”—this view is said to be that of the “annihilationists” (SN22.81 verse 5 - ). In this way they gain equanimity. Would that mendicant become extinguished or not?”

mn106:10.6“One such mendicant might become extinguished, Ānanda, while another might not.”

mn106:10.7“What is the cause, sir, what is the reason for this?”

mn106:10.8“Ānanda, take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ In this way they gain equanimity. They approve, welcome, and keep clinging to that equanimity. Their consciousness has that as support and fuel for grasping. A mendicant with fuel for grasping does not become extinguished.”

mn106:11.1“But sir, what is that mendicant grasping?”

mn106:11.2“The dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.”

mn106:11.3“Sir, it seems that mendicant is grasping the best thing to grasp!”

mn106:11.4“Indeed, Ānanda. For the best thing to grasp is the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

mn106:12.1Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ In this way they gain equanimity. They don’t approve, welcome, or keep clinging to that equanimity. So their consciousness doesn’t have that as support and fuel for grasping. A mendicant free of grasping becomes extinguished.”

mn106:13.1“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! It seems the Buddha has explained to us how to cross over the flood by relying on one support or another.This passage shows how the method of attaining such states is secondary, as one might practice it well and yet still have clinging. Any of these “supports”, i.e. the various methods taught above, suffices to develop the mind, but what matters is letting go.
“One support or another” (nissāya nissāya) appears at DN16:4.27.1, where it means “right beside”. For the sense “support” in this context, compare Iti 107:2.3: “supporting each other … in order to cross over the flood” (aññamaññaṁ nissāya … oghassa nittharaṇatthāya). But sir, what is noble liberation?”

mn106:13.4“Ānanda, it’s when a noble disciple reflects like this: ‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come, sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come, visions in this life and in lives to come, perceptions of visions in this life and in lives to come, perceptions of the imperturbable, perceptions of the dimension of nothingness, perceptions of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; that is substantial reality as far as substantial reality extends. But this is freedom from death, namely the liberation of the mind through not grasping.

mn106:14.1So, Ānanda, I have taught the ways of practice suitable for attaining the imperturbable, the dimension of nothingness, and the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. I have taught how to cross the flood by relying on one support or another, and I have taught noble liberation.

mn106:15.1Out of sympathy, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples. Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, Ānanda! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”

mn106:15.3That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kurūsu viharati kammāsadhammaṁ nāma kurūnaṁ nigamo. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

2"Aniccā, bhikkhave, kāmā tucchā musā mosadhammā. Māyākatametaṁ, bhikkhave, bālalāpanaṁ. Ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā — ubhayametaṁ māradheyyaṁ, mārassesa visayo, mārassesa nivāpo, mārassesa gocaro. Etthete pāpakā akusalā mānasā abhijjhāpi byāpādāpi sārambhāpi saṁvattanti. Teva ariyasāvakassa idhamanusikkhato antarāyāya sambhavanti.

Tatra, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā — ubhayametaṁ māradheyyaṁ, mārassesa visayo, mārassesa nivāpo, mārassesa gocaro. Etthete pāpakā akusalā mānasā abhijjhāpi byāpādāpi sārambhāpi saṁvattanti, teva ariyasāvakassa idhamanusikkhato antarāyāya sambhavanti. Yannūnāhaṁ vipulena mahaggatena cetasā vihareyyaṁ abhibhuyya lokaṁ adhiṭṭhāya manasā. Vipulena hi me mahaggatena cetasā viharato abhibhuyya lokaṁ adhiṭṭhāya manasā ye pāpakā akusalā mānasā abhijjhāpi byāpādāpi sārambhāpi te na bhavissanti. Tesaṁ pahānā aparittañca me cittaṁ bhavissati appamāṇaṁ subhāvitan’ti.

Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā āneñjaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa āneñjūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamā āneñjasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā; yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ sabbaṁ rūpaṁ cattāri ca mahābhūtāni, catunnañca mahābhūtānaṁ upādāyarūpan’ti.

Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā āneñjaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa āneñjūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyā āneñjasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā; ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpā, ye ca samparāyikā rūpā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā rūpasaññā — ubhayametaṁ aniccaṁ. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ nālaṁ abhinandituṁ, nālaṁ abhivadituṁ, nālaṁ ajjhositun’ti. Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā āneñjaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa āneñjūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyā āneñjasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā; ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpā, ye ca samparāyikā rūpā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā rūpasaññā; yā ca āneñjasaññā – sabbā saññā. Yatthetā aparisesā nirujjhanti etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ — yadidaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanan’ti. Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa ākiñcaññāyatanūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamā ākiñcaññāyatanasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

6Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘suññamidaṁ attena vā attaniyena vā’ti. Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa ākiñcaññāyatanūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyā ākiñcaññāyatanasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

7Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘nāhaṁ kvacani kassaci kiñcanatasmiṁ, na ca mama kvacani kismiñci kiñcanaṁ natthī’ti. Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa ākiñcaññāyatanūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyā ākiñcaññāyatanasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

8Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā; ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpā, ye ca samparāyikā rūpā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā rūpasaññā; yā ca āneñjasaññā, yā ca ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā — sabbā saññā. Yatthetā aparisesā nirujjhanti etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ — yadidaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanan’ti. Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati. Sampasāde sati etarahi vā nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpagaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyatī"ti.

9Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "idha, bhante, bhikkhu evaṁ paṭipanno hoti: ‘no cassa, no ca me siyā; na bhavissati, na me bhavissati; yadatthi yaṁ, bhūtaṁ — taṁ pajahāmī’ti. Evaṁ upekkhaṁ paṭilabhati. Parinibbāyeyya nu kho so, bhante, bhikkhu na vā parinibbāyeyyā"ti?

"Apetthekacco, ānanda, bhikkhu parinibbāyeyya, apetthekacco bhikkhu na parinibbāyeyyā"ti.

"Ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yenapetthekacco bhikkhu parinibbāyeyya, apetthekacco bhikkhu na parinibbāyeyyā"ti?

"Idhānanda, bhikkhu evaṁ paṭipanno hoti: ‘no cassa, no ca me siyā; na bhavissati, na me bhavissati; yadatthi, yaṁ bhūtaṁ — taṁ pajahāmī’ti. Evaṁ upekkhaṁ paṭilabhati. So taṁ upekkhaṁ abhinandati, abhivadati, ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa taṁ upekkhaṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato tannissitaṁ hoti viññāṇaṁ tadupādānaṁ. Saupādāno, ānanda, bhikkhu na parinibbāyatī"ti.

"Kahaṁ pana so, bhante, bhikkhu upādiyamāno upādiyatī"ti?

"Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ, ānandā"ti.

"Upādānaseṭṭhaṁ kira so, bhante, bhikkhu upādiyamāno upādiyatī"ti?

"Upādānaseṭṭhañhi so, ānanda, bhikkhu upādiyamāno upādiyati. Upādānaseṭṭhañhetaṁ, ānanda, yadidaṁ — nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ.

10Idhānanda, bhikkhu evaṁ paṭipanno hoti: ‘no cassa, no ca me siyā; na bhavissati, na me bhavissati; yadatthi, yaṁ bhūtaṁ — taṁ pajahāmī’ti. Evaṁ upekkhaṁ paṭilabhati. So taṁ upekkhaṁ nābhinandati, nābhivadati, na ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa taṁ upekkhaṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato na tannissitaṁ hoti viññāṇaṁ na tadupādānaṁ. Anupādāno, ānanda, bhikkhu parinibbāyatī"ti.

11"Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Nissāya nissāya kira no, bhante, bhagavatā oghassa nittharaṇā akkhātā. Katamo pana, bhante, ariyo vimokkho"ti?

"Idhānanda, bhikkhu ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā; ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpā, ye ca samparāyikā rūpā; yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā rūpasaññā; yā ca āneñjasaññā, yā ca ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā, yā ca nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā — esa sakkāyo yāvatā sakkāyo. Etaṁ amataṁ yadidaṁ anupādā cittassa vimokkho.

Iti, kho, ānanda, desitā mayā āneñjasappāyā paṭipadā, desitā ākiñcaññāyatanasappāyā paṭipadā, desitā nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasappāyā paṭipadā, desitā nissāya nissāya oghassa nittharaṇā, desito ariyo vimokkho.

Yaṁ kho, ānanda, satthārā karaṇīyaṁ sāvakānaṁ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṁ upādāya, kataṁ vo taṁ mayā. Etāni, ānanda, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyathānanda, mā pamādattha, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī’"ti.

12Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.

Āneñjasappāyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.