106. The Way to the Imperturbable (MN106)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Kuru Country.

There is a town of the Kurus called Kammāssadamma, and there he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this

“Bhikkhus, sensual desires are impermanent, hollow, false, false-natured, made up of illusion, and fools’ talk.

“Sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perceptions of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come, are alike Mara’s realm, Mara’s domain, Mara’s bait, Mara’s hunting-ground. Evil unprofitable notions of covetousness and ill-will and ambition lead on to rebirth here in the sensual desire sphere, and they obstruct the training of a noble disciple here.

4th Meditation

“Now, bhikkhus, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perceptions of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come, are alike Mara’s realm, Mara’s domain, Mara’s bait, Mara’s hunting-ground. Evil unprofitable notions of covetousness and ill-will and ambition lead on to rebirth here in the sensual desire sphere, and they obstruct the training of a noble disciple here. Suppose I were to abide with mind abundant and exalted by transcending the world and resolving firmly with the mind, then there would be no more evil unprofitable notions of covetousness and ill-will and ambition in me, and with the abandoning of them my mind would be limited no longer; it would become measureless and would become well-developed too.’

“When he enters upon this way and abides in it often, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, then he either enters upon the way to rebirth in the Imperturbable, or else he decides to perfect understanding by reaching Arahantship. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that that consciousness of his which leads on to rebirth, may pass on upon rebirth to one of the Imperturbable states. This is called the first way directed to the Imperturbable.

Infinite Space

“Again a noble disciple considers thus: ‘There are sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perceptions of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come; whatever is form, all form is the four great primary elements and the form derived from the four great primary elements.’

“When he enters upon this way and abides in it often, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, then he either enters upon the way to rebirth in the Imperturbable, or else he decides to perfect understanding by reaching Arahantship. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that that consciousness of his, which leads on to rebirth, may pass on upon rebirth to one of the Imperturbable states. This is called the second way directed to the Imperturbable.

Infinite Consciousness

“Again, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perception of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come, forms here and now and forms in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of forms in lives to come, are all impermanent; what is impermanent is not worth relishing, not worth affirming, not worth accepting.’

“When he enters upon this way and abides in it often, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, then he either enters upon the way to rebirth in the Imperturbable, or else he decides to perfect understanding by reaching Arahantship. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that that consciousness of his, which leads on to rebirth, may pass on upon rebirth to one of the Imperturbable states. This is called the third way directed to the Imperturbable.

Nothingness—I

“Again, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perceptions of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come, forms here and now and forms in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of forms in lives to come, perceptions of the Imperturbable—all are perceptions; where these perceptions cease without remainder, that is more peaceful, that is a superior goal, that is to say the base consisting of nothingness.’

“When he enters on this way and abides in it often, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, then he either enters upon the way to rebirth in the base consisting of nothingness, or else he decides to perfect understanding by reaching Arahantship. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that that consciousness of his, which leads on to rebirth, may pass on upon rebirth to the base consisting of nothingness. This is called the first way directed to the base consisting of nothingness.

Nothingness—II

“Again, a noble disciple, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty hut, considers thus: ‘This is void of self or of a self’s property.’

“When he enters upon this way and abides in it often… pass on upon rebirth to the base consisting of nothingness. This is called the second way directed to the base consisting of nothingness.

Nothingness—III

“Again, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘I am not anywhere anyone’s owning; nor is there anywhere my owning in anyone.’

“When he enters upon this way and abides in it often… pass on upon rebirth to the base consisting of nothingness. This is called the third way directed to the base consisting of nothingness.

Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception

“Again, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perceptions of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come, form here and now and form in lives to come, perceptions of forms here and now and perceptions of form in lives to come, perceptions of the Imperturbable, perceptions of the base consisting of nothingness—all are perceptions: when all these perceptions cease without remainder, that is more peaceful, that is a superior goal, that is to say the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.’

“When he enters upon this way and abides in it often, his mind acquires confidence in this base. Once there is full confidence, then he either enters upon the way to rebirth in the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, or else he decides to perfect understanding by reaching Arahantship. On the dissolution of the body, after death, it is possible that that consciousness of his, which leads on to rebirth, may pass on upon rebirth to the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. This is called the way directed to the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.’

With Clinging There Is No Nibbāna

When this was said, the venerable Ananda asked the Blessed One:

“Venerable sir, here a bhikkhu enters upon this way: ‘If I were not, and naught were mine, I shall not be and naught will be mine. And what there is, has come to be, that I abandon’, and thus he obtains equanimity. Venerable sir, does such a bhikkhu reach Nibbāna?”

“Perhaps one such bhikkhu might reach Nibbāna, Ananda, perhaps another such bhikkhu might not reach Nibbāna.”

“Venerable sir, what is the cause, what is the reason, why one might and another might not?”

“Here, Ananda, a bhikkhu enters upon this way: ‘If I were not, and naught were mine, I shall not be and naught will be mine. And what there is, has come to be, that I abandon’, and thus he obtains equanimity. He relishes that equanimity, welcomes it and accepts it. When he does that, then his consciousness depends on that equanimity, clings to it. A bhikkhu who is affected by clinging does not attain Nibbāna, Ananda.”

“But, venerable sir, when that bhikkhu clings, what does he cling to?”

“To the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, Ananda.”

“It seems, venerable sir, that when this bhikkhu clings, he clings to the best fuel for clinging?”

“When this bhikkhu clings, Ananda, he clings to the best fuel for clinging: for this is the best fuel for clinging, namely the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.

Without Clinging There Is Nibbāna

“Here, Ananda, a bhikkhu enters upon this way: ‘If I were not, and naught were mine, I shall not be and naught be mine. And what there is, has come to be, that I abandon’, and thus he attains equanimity. He does not relish the equanimity, welcome it or accept it. When he does not do that, then his consciousness does not depend on that equanimity or cling to it. A bhikkhu who is unaffected by clinging attains Nibbāna, Ananda.”

“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous! For each stage of attainment, it seems, the crossing of the flood has been told to us by the Blessed One. But, venerable sir, what is the Noble One’s liberation?”

“Here, Ananda, a noble disciple considers thus: ‘Sensual desires here and now and sensual desires in lives to come, perceptions of sensual desires here and now and perceptions of sensual desires in lives to come, form here and now and form in lives to come, perceptions of form here and now and perceptions of form in lives to come, perceptions of Imperturbability, perceptions of the base consisting of nothingness, perceptions of the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception—that is embodiment, that is as far as embodiment extends: but this is the deathless, that is to say, the liberation of mind through not clinging.’

“So, Ananda, I have shown the way directed to the Imperturbable, I have shown the way directed to the base consisting of nothingness, I have shown the way directed to the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, I have shown for each stage of attainment the crossing of the flood, I have shown the Noble One’s liberation.

“Ananda, what should be done for his disciples out of pity by a master who seeks their welfare and has pity on them, that I have done for you, Ananda. There are these roots of trees, there are these empty huts. Meditate, Ananda, do not delay lest you later regret it. This is our message for you.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ananda was satisfied and he delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

This is an excerpt from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, a collection of suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya translated by Ven. Nyanamoli Thera and edited by Khantipalo Bhikkhu in 1977.

It was printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press for free distribution.