Aṅguttara Nikāya 9.34

Numbered Discourses 9.34

4. Mahāvagga

4. The Great Chapter

Nibbānasukhasutta

Extinguishment is Bliss

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: “sukhamidaṁ, āvuso, nibbānaṁ. Sukhamidaṁ, āvuso, nibbānan”ti.

There he addressed the bhikkhus: “Friends, Nibbana is bliss! Extinguishment is bliss!”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “kiṁ panettha, āvuso sāriputta, sukhaṁ yadettha natthi vedayitan”ti?

When he said this, Venerable Udāyī said to him, “But Friend Sāriputta, what’s blissful about it, since nothing is felt?”

“Etadeva khvettha, āvuso, sukhaṁ yadettha natthi vedayitaṁ.

“The fact that nothing is felt is precisely what’s blissful about it.

Pañcime, āvuso, kāmaguṇā. Katame pañca? Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā, sotaviññeyyā saddā …pe… ghānaviññeyyā gandhā … jivhāviññeyyā rasā … kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā—ime kho, āvuso, pañca kāmaguṇā. Yaṁ kho, āvuso, ime pañca kāmaguṇe paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, idaṁ vuccatāvuso, kāmasukhaṁ.

Friend, there are these five kinds of sensual stimulation. What five? Sights known by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Sounds known by the ear … Smells known by the nose … Tastes known by the tongue … Touches known by the body that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. These are the five kinds of sensual stimulation. The pleasure and happiness that arise from these five kinds of sensual stimulation is called sensual pleasure.

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato kāmasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te kāmasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

First, take a bhikkhu who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and remains in the first jhāna. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by sensual pleasures beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by sensual pleasures beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That’s the way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato vitakkasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te vitakkasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, enters and remains in the second jhāna. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by placing of the mind and keeping it connected beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by placing of the mind and keeping it connected beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā …pe… tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato pītisahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te pītisahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, with the fading away of rapture, enters and remains in the third jhāna. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by rapture beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by rapture beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato upekkhāsahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te upekkhāsahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, enters and remains in the fourth jhāna. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by bliss with equanimity beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by bliss with equanimity beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ananto ākāsoti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato rūpasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te rūpasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by form beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by form beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma anantaṁ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato ākāsānañcāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te ākāsānañcāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by the dimension of infinite space beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by the dimension of infinite space beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma, natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato viññāṇañcāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te viññāṇañcāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by the dimension of infinite consciousness beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by the dimension of infinite consciousness beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato ākiñcaññāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti, svassa hoti ābādho. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sukhino dukkhaṁ uppajjeyya yāvadeva ābādhāya; evamevassa te ākiñcaññāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti. Svassa hoti ābādho. Yo kho panāvuso, ābādho dukkhametaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, enters and remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. While a bhikkhu is in such a meditation, should perceptions accompanied by the dimension of nothingness beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. Suppose a happy person were to experience pain; that would be an affliction for them. In the same way, should perceptions accompanied by the dimension of nothingness beset them due to loss of focus, that’s an affliction for them. And affliction has been called suffering by the Buddha. That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti.

Furthermore, take a bhikkhu who, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, their defilements come to an end.

Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānan”ti.

That too is a way to understand how Nibbana is bliss.”

Tatiyaṁ.