{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an9.36/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an9.36","id":"suttacentral_an9.36","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an9.36/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, I say that the first absorption is a basis for ending the defilements. The second absorption is also a basis for ending the defilements. The third absorption is also a basis for ending the defilements. The fourth absorption is also a basis for ending the defilements. The dimension of infinite space is also a basis for ending the defilements. The dimension of infinite consciousness is also a basis for ending the defilements. The dimension of nothingness is also a basis for ending the defilements. The dimension of neither perception nor non-perception is also a basis for ending the defilements. The cessation of perception and feeling is also a basis for ending the defilements. \u2018The first absorption is a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption. They contemplate the phenomena there\u2014included in form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness\u2014as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. They turn their mind away from those things, and apply it to freedom from death: \u2018This is peaceful; this is sublime\u2014that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.\u2019 Abiding in that they attain the ending of defilements. If they don\u2019t attain the ending of defilements, with the ending of the five lower fetters they\u2019re reborn spontaneously, because of their passion and love for that meditation. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. It\u2019s like an archer or their apprentice who first practices on a straw man or a clay model. At a later time they become a long-distance shooter, a marksman, who shatters large objects. In the same way a noble disciple, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, enters and remains in the first absorption. They contemplate the phenomena there\u2014included in form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness\u2014as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. They turn their mind away from those things, and apply it to freedom from death: \u2018This is peaceful; this is sublime\u2014that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.\u2019 Abiding in that they attain the ending of defilements. If they don\u2019t attain the ending of defilements, with the ending of the five lower fetters they\u2019re reborn spontaneously, because of their passion and love for that meditation. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. \u2018The first absorption is a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The second absorption is also a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018The third absorption is also a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018The fourth absorption is also a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018The dimension of infinite space is also a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that \u2018space is infinite\u2019, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space. They contemplate the phenomena there\u2014included in feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness\u2014as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. They turn their mind away from those things, and apply it to freedom from death: \u2018This is peaceful; this is sublime\u2014that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.\u2019 Abiding in that they attain the ending of defilements. If they don\u2019t attain the ending of defilements, with the ending of the five lower fetters they\u2019re reborn spontaneously, because of their passion and love for that meditation. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. It\u2019s like an archer or their apprentice who first practices on a straw man or a clay model. At a later time they become a long-distance shooter, a marksman, who shatters large objects. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space. \u2026 \u2018The dimension of infinite space is a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. \u2018The dimension of infinite consciousness is a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018The dimension of nothingness is a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that \u2018there is nothing at all\u2019, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness. They contemplate the phenomena there\u2014included in feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness\u2014as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. They turn their mind away from those things, and apply it to freedom from death: \u2018This is peaceful; this is sublime\u2014that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.\u2019 Abiding in that they attain the ending of defilements. If they don\u2019t attain the ending of defilements, with the ending of the five lower fetters they\u2019re reborn spontaneously, because of their passion and love for that meditation. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. It\u2019s like an archer or their apprentice who first practices on a straw man or a clay model. At a later time they become a long-distance shooter, a marksman, who shatters large objects. In the same way, take a mendicant who, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that \u2018there is nothing at all\u2019, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness. They contemplate the phenomena there\u2014included in feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness\u2014as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. They turn their mind away from those things, and apply it to freedom from death: \u2018This is peaceful; this is sublime\u2014that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.\u2019 Abiding in that they attain the ending of defilements. If they don\u2019t attain the ending of defilements, with the ending of the five lower fetters they\u2019re reborn spontaneously, because of their passion and love for that meditation. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. \u2018The dimension of nothingness is a basis for ending the defilements.\u2019 That\u2019s what I said, and this is why I said it. And so, mendicants, penetration to enlightenment extends as far as attainments with perception. But the two dimensions that depend on these\u2014 the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and the cessation of perception and feeling\u2014are properly explained by meditators who are skilled in these attainments and skilled in emerging from them, after they\u2019ve entered them and emerged from them.\u201d","title":"Depending on Absorption","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1240}