1On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita's Park. There the Venerable Ānanda addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!"

"Friend!" those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Ānanda said this:

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2"It's astounding and amazing, friends, that the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who knows and sees, has discovered the achievement of an opening in the midst of confinement: [n.1922] On the meaning of "confinement" (sambādha), see AN9.42 below. for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna. [n.1923] This is the same as the well-known opening statement of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, at DN 22.1, II 290,8–11; MN 10.2, I 55,32 –56,2. It also occurs in AN at AN3.74, AN4.194. AN6.26, and AN10.95. (1) The eye itself as well as those forms will actually be present, and yet one will not experience that base. [n.1924] Mp: "The eye itself … will actually be present (tadeva nāma cakkhuṁ bhavissati): the sensitive substance of the eye is itself unimpaired. As well as those forms (te rūpā): that visible-form object itself will have come into raṅge. And yet one does not experience that base (tañcāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedissati): and yet one does not know that visible-form base." I may be wrong in assuming that the nine items are to be obtained by totaling the five kinds of sensory experience with the four formless meditations. Possibly the nine were to be obtained by including the four jhānas (which may have dropped out of the text) with the four formless meditations, and then adding, as the ninth, the special state of concentration referred to at the end of the sutta. (2) The ear itself as well as those sounds will actually be present, and yet one will not experience that base. (3) The nose itself as well as those odours will actually be present, and yet one will not experience that base. (4) The tongue itself as well as those tastes will actually be present, and yet one will not experience that base. (5) The body itself as well as those tactile objects will actually be present, and yet one will not experience that base."

3When this was said, the Venerable Udāyī said this to the Venerable Ānanda: "Is it, friend Ānanda, while one is actually percipient or while one is non-percipient that one does not experience that base?"

"It is, friend, while one is actually percipient that one does not experience that base, not while one is non-percipient."

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4"But, friend, of what is one percipient when one does not experience that base?"

(6) "Here, friend, 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. When one is thus percipient one does not experience that base.

5(7) "Again, friend, 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. When one is thus percipient one does not experience that base.

6(8) "Again, friend, by completely surmounting the base of the infinity of consciousness, perceiving ‘there is nothing,’ a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the base of nothingness. When one is thus percipient one does not experience that base. [n.1925] Ce and Be both have ti here, indicating the end of a quotation, which suggests that the speaker of the next paragraph is Udāyī. Yet it is clear that Ānanda himself is still speaking. Thus, it seems, ti is an error and should be deleted from Ce and Be. Ee does not have ti.

7"Once, friend, I was dwelling at Sāketa in the deer park at Añjana Grove. Then the bhikkhunī Jaṭilagāhiyā [n.1926] So Ce and Ee. Be has the name as Jaṭilavāsikā. Mp says that she was a resident of Jaṭila city (jaṭilanagaravāsinī). The jaṭilas were matted-hair ascetics, but it is questionable whether they were ever numerous enough to constitute a city. approached me, paid homage to me, stood to one side, and said: ‘Bhante Ānanda, the concentration that does not lean forward and does not bend back, [n.1927] Mp: "Does not lean forward by way of lust, and does not bend back by way of hatred" (rāgavasena na abhinato, dosavasena na apanato). and that is not reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing the defilements [n.1928] See AN5.27. Here Mp comments: "It is steady, not because one has forcefully and vigorously reined in and suppressed the defilements, but because it has arisen when the defilements are cut off." —by being liberated, it is steady; by being steady, it is content; by being content, one is not agitated. [n.1929] Vimuttattā ṭhito, ṭhitattā santusito, santusitattā no paritassati. This sequence is also at SN III 45,13–14, 46,4–5, 54,1–2, 55,34–35, 58,23–24. It is on the basis of the latter passages that I see a change in the subject of the last phrase of the AN text, from "it," referring to the samādhi, to "one," the person who attains it. While in the AN passage, the participles are masculine singular and thus may be interpreted as referring either to the samādhi or to the person, the SN parallels read: Vimuttattā ṭhitaṁ. Ṭhitattā santusitaṁ. Santusitattā na paritassati. Aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati. ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī ti. The neuter singular participles indicate that the subject of the first two phrases is cittaṁ, but with santusitattā na paritassati, the subject seems to shift from cittaṁ to the person attaining liberation. We can infer by analogy that in the present passage a similar shift occurs, in this case from samādhi to the person who attains it. Bhante Ānanda, what did the Blessed One say this concentration has as its fruit?’ [n.1930] Ayaṁ, bhante Ānanda, samādhi kiṁphalo vutto bhagavatā. The question is ambiguous. It could mean either, "Of what did the Blessed One say this concentration is the fruit?" or "What did the Blessed One say this concentration has as its fruit?" Mp takes it in the former way, but there are arguments in favor of the latter (see next note).

8(9) "When she asked me this, I replied: ‘Sister, the concentration that does not lean forward and does not bend back, and that is not reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing the defilements—by being liberated, it is steady; by being steady, it is content; by being content, one is not agitated. The Blessed One said this concentration has final knowledge as its fruit.’ [n.1931] Ayaṃ, bhagini, samādhi aññāphalo vutto bhagavatā. The compound aññāphalo could be interpreted either as a tappurisa (“this concentration is the fruit of final knowledge”) or as a bāhubbīhi (“this concentration has final knowledge as its fruit”). In the former case, the samādhi is to be identified with the fruit; in the latter, with an achievement preceding the fruit. Mp takes it in the former sense, as the fruit itself: “The nun asks about the concentration of the fruit of arahantship (arahattaphalasamādhi). Final knowledge is arahantship. The Blessed One has spoken of this concentration of the fruit of arahantship. [The intention is:] When one is percipient with the perception of the fruit of arahantship, one does not experience that base.” However, the question kiṃphalā occurs repeatedly at SN V 118,22–120,19, where it must mean: “What does it have as its fruit?” And in 5:25 we find pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi anuggahitā sammādiṭṭhi ca cetovimuttiphalā hoti … paññāvimuttiphalā ca hoti. The sense here is not that right view is the fruit of liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, but that right view has liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom as its fruit. Further, in 3:101, a samādhi described in exactly the same terms as this one is shown to be the supporting condition for the six higher knowledges, the last of which is the “the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom.” By analogy, it follows that this samādhi is not the fruit of final knowledge, but one that yields final knowledge.
There is a Chinese parallel to this last portion of the sutta, SĀ 557 at T II 146a12 –29. In this version, when the bhikkhunī asks Ānanda the question about the concentration of mind without characteristics ( = animitta cetosamādhi), he replies that the Buddha said this concentration "is the fruit of wisdom, the reward of wisdom" (, which has the same ambiguity that I mentioned in the preceding note). When one is thus percipient too, friend, one does not experience that base."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Tatra kho āyasmā ānando bhikkhū āmantesi: "āvuso bhikkhave"ti.

"Āvuso"ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato ānandassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā ānando etadavoca:

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2"Acchariyaṁ, āvuso, abbhutaṁ, āvuso. Yāvañcidaṁ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sambādhe okāsādhigamo anubuddho sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. Tadeva nāma cakkhuṁ bhavissati te rūpā tañcāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedissati. Tadeva nāma sotaṁ bhavissati te saddā tañcāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedissati. Tadeva nāma ghānaṁ bhavissati te gandhā tañcāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedissati. Sāva nāma jivhā bhavissati te rasā tañcāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedissati. Sova nāma kāyo bhavissati te phoṭṭhabbā tañcāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedissatī"ti.

3Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: "saññīmeva nu kho, āvuso ānanda, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedeti udāhu asaññī"ti?

"Saññīmeva kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedeti, no asaññī"ti.

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4"Kiṁsaññī panāvuso, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedetī"ti?

"Idhāvuso, bhikkhu, sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Evaṁsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedeti.

5Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Evaṁsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedeti.

6Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘Natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Evaṁsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedetīti.

7Ekamidāhaṁ, āvuso, samayaṁ sākete viharāmi añjanavane migadāye. Atha kho, āvuso, jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, āvuso, jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī maṁ etadavoca: ‘yāyaṁ, bhante ānanda, samādhi na cābhinato na cāpanato na ca sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato, vimuttattā ṭhito, ṭhitattā santusito, santusitattā no paritassati. Ayaṁ, bhante ānanda, samādhi kiṁphalo vutto bhagavatā’ti?

8Evaṁ vutte, sohaṁ, āvuso, jaṭilavāsikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘yāyaṁ, bhagini, samādhi na cābhinato na cāpanato na ca sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato, vimuttattā ṭhito, ṭhitattā santusito, santusitattā no paritassati. Ayaṁ, bhagini, samādhi aññāphalo vutto bhagavatā’ti. Evaṁsaññīpi kho, āvuso, tadāyatanaṁ no paṭisaṁvedetī"ti.

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Chaṭṭhaṁ.