1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrel sanctuary. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend!" those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:

---

"Happiness, friends, is this nibbāna. Happiness, friends, is this nibbāna."

When this was said, the Venerable Udāyī [n.1908] Mp identifies him as the elder Lāḷudāyī. said to the Venerable Sāriputta: "But, friend Sāriputta, what happiness could there be here when nothing is felt here?"

"Just this, friend, is the happiness here, that nothing is felt here.

"There are, friends, these five objects of sensual pleasure. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing; sounds cognizable by the ear … odours cognizable by the nose … tastes cognizable by the tongue … tactile objects cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing. These are the five objects of sensual pleasure. Any pleasure or joy that arises in dependence on these five objects of sensual pleasure is called sensual pleasure.

2(1) "Here, friends, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which consists of rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by thought and examination. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by sensuality occur in him, he feels it as an affliction. Just as pain might arise for one feeling pleasure only to afflict him, so too if that perception and attention accompanied by sensuality occur in him, he feels it as an affliction. But the Blessed One has called affliction suffering. In this way it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness. [n.1909] Brahmāli comments: "Since nibbāna is ‘extinguishment’ (of suffering), any partial extinguishment of suffering is a partial kind of nibbāna."

3(2) "Again, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna …. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by thought occur in him, he feels it as an affliction. Just as pain might arise for one feeling pleasure only to afflict him, so too if that perception and attention accompanied by thought occur in him, he feels it as an affliction. But the Blessed One has called affliction suffering. In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

4(3) "Again, with the fading away as well of rapture … he enters and dwells in the third jhāna …. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by rapture occur in him, he feels it as an affliction …. In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

---

5(4) "Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna …. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by the pleasure connected with equanimity [n.1910] Though all three editions here read upe(k)khāsahagatā saññāmanasikārā, I follow the Burmese and Sinhala manuscripts referred to in a note in Ee, which read upe(k)khāsukhasahagatā saññāmanasikārā. This fits better with the exposition in AN9.33 §4 and AN9.41 §4 than the reading upe(k)khāsahagatā in all three printed editions. occur in him, he feels it as an affliction …. In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

6(5) "Again, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, perceiving ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by forms occur in him, he feels it as an affliction …. … In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

7(6) "Again, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of space, perceiving ‘consciousness is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by the base of the infinity of space occur in him, he feels it as an affliction …. In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

8(7) "Again, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of consciousness, perceiving ‘there is nothing,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of nothingness. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by the base of the infinity of consciousness occur in him, he feels it as an affliction …. In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

9(8) "Again, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. If, while that bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, perception and attention accompanied by the base of nothingness occur in him, he feels it as an affliction. Just as pain might arise for one feeling pleasure only to afflict him, so too if that perception and attention accompanied by the base of nothingness occur in him, he feels it as an affliction. But the Blessed One has called affliction suffering. In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness.

10(9) "Again, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling, and having seen with wisdom, his taints are utterly destroyed.

---

11In this way, too, it can be understood how nibbāna is happiness."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

---

"Sukhamidaṁ, āvuso, nibbānaṁ. Sukhamidaṁ, āvuso, nibbānan"ti.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ panettha, āvuso sāriputta, sukhaṁ yadettha natthi vedayitan"ti?

"Etadeva khvettha, āvuso, sukhaṁ yadettha natthi vedayitaṁ.

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.

2Idhāvuso, 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. (1)

3Puna 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. (2)

4Puna 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. (3)

---

5Puna 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. (4)

6Puna 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. (5)

7Puna 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. (6)

8Puna 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. (7)

9Puna 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. (8)

10Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti. (9)

---

11Imināpi kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sukhaṁ nibbānan"ti.

---

Tatiyaṁ.