SA 474（四七四） 止息

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in Rājagṛha.

At that time, Venerable Ānanda was alone in a quiet place, contemplating in meditation, thinking: "The World-Honored One has spoken of three kinds of feelings - pleasant, painful, and neither pleasant nor painful. He has also said that all feelings are suffering. What is the meaning of this?" Having thought this, he arose from meditation and went to where the World-Honored One was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, stood to one side, and said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! I was alone in a quiet place, contemplating in meditation, thinking: 'As the World-Honored One has spoken of three kinds of feelings - pleasant, painful, and neither pleasant nor painful. He has also said that all feelings are suffering. What is the meaning of this?'"

The Buddha told Ānanda: "I say that all feelings are suffering because all conditioned phenomena are impermanent and subject to change. Moreover, Ānanda! I say that all feelings are suffering because conditioned phenomena gradually cease and gradually come to rest."

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "How is it, World-Honored One! Do you say that all feelings are suffering because they gradually cease?"

The Buddha told Ānanda: "When one enters the first dhyāna, speech ceases. When one enters the second dhyāna, initial and sustained thought cease. When one enters the third dhyāna, the mind of joy ceases. When one enters the fourth dhyāna, inhalation and exhalation cease. When one enters the sphere of infinite space, the perception of form ceases. When one enters the sphere of infinite consciousness, the perception of the sphere of infinite space ceases. When one enters the sphere of nothingness, the perception of the sphere of infinite consciousness ceases. When one enters the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, the perception of the sphere of nothingness ceases. When one enters the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling cease. This is called the gradual cessation of conditioned phenomena."

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! How do conditioned phenomena gradually cease?"

The Buddha told Ānanda: "When one enters the first dhyāna, speech ceases. When one enters the second dhyāna, initial and sustained thought cease. When one enters the third dhyāna, the mind of joy ceases. When one enters the fourth dhyāna, inhalation and exhalation cease. When one enters the sphere of infinite space, the perception of form ceases. When one enters the sphere of infinite consciousness, the perception of the sphere of infinite space ceases. When one enters the sphere of nothingness, the perception of the sphere of infinite consciousness ceases. When one enters the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, the perception of the sphere of nothingness ceases. When one enters the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling cease. This is called the gradual cessation of conditioned phenomena."

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! This is called the gradual cessation of conditioned phenomena."

The Buddha told Ānanda: "There is also superior cessation, extraordinary cessation, supreme cessation, unsurpassed cessation. This kind of cessation is unsurpassed by any other cessation."

Ānanda asked the Buddha: "What is the superior cessation, extraordinary cessation, supreme cessation, unsurpassed cessation, which is unsurpassed by any other cessation?"

The Buddha told Ānanda: "Not delighting in and being liberated from a mind of greed, anger, and delusion is called superior cessation, extraordinary cessation, supreme cessation, unsurpassed cessation, which is unsurpassed by any other cessation."

Having spoken this sūtra, the Venerable Ānanda, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.