Saṁyutta Nikāya 40.8

The Related Suttas Collection 40.8

1. Moggallānavagga

1. By Moggallāna

Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanapañhāsutta

A Question About the Dimension of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception

“‘Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanan’ti vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho nevasaññānāsaññāyatananti? Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Idaṁ vuccati nevasaññānāsaññāyatanan’ti.

“They speak of this thing called the ‘dimension of neither perception nor non-perception’. What is the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception? It occurred to me: ‘It’s when a bhikkhu, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, enters and remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is called the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato ākiñcaññāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti.

And so … I was entering and remaining in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. While I was in that meditation, perceptions accompanied by the dimension of nothingness beset me due to loss of focus.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘moggallāna, moggallāna. Mā, brāhmaṇa, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ pamādo, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane cittaṁ samādahā’ti.

Then the Buddha came up to me with his psychic power and said, ‘Moggallāna, Moggallāna! Don’t neglect the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, brahmin! Settle your mind in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; unify your mind and immerse it in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.

And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, sammā vadamāno vadeyya …pe… mahābhiññataṁ patto”ti.

So if anyone should be rightly called a disciple who attained to great direct knowledge with help from the Teacher, it’s me.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.