MN 121
Cula-suññata Sutta
The Lesser Discourse on Emptiness
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: M iii 103
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 1997
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
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I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi in the
Eastern Monastery, the palace of Migara's mother. Then in the evening, Ven.
Ananda, coming out of seclusion, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having
bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the
Blessed One: "On one occasion, when the Blessed One was staying among the
Sakyans in a Sakyan town named Nagaraka, there — face-to-face with the Blessed
One — I heard this, face-to-face I learned this: 'I now remain fully in a
dwelling of emptiness.' Did I hear that correctly, learn it correctly, attend to
it correctly, remember it correctly?"
[The Buddha:] "Yes, Ananda, you heard that correctly, learned it correctly,
attended to it correctly, remembered it correctly. Now, as well as before, I
remain fully in a dwelling of emptiness. Just as this palace of Migara's mother
is empty of elephants, cattle, & mares, empty of gold & silver, empty of
assemblies of women & men, and there is only this non-emptiness — the singleness
based on the community of monks; even so, Ananda, a monk — not attending to the
perception1 of village, not attending to the perception of human being — attends
to the singleness based on the perception of wilderness. His mind takes
pleasure, finds satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its perception of
wilderness.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of village are not present. Whatever disturbances that would exist
based on the perception of human being are not present. There is only this
modicum of disturbance: the singleness based on the perception of wilderness.'
He discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the perception of village.
This mode of perception is empty of the perception of human being. There is only
this non-emptiness: the singleness based on the perception of wilderness.' Thus
he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he discerns
as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his entry into emptiness, accords with
actuality, is undistorted in meaning, & pure.
The Perception of Earth
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of human being, not
attending to the perception of wilderness — attends to the singleness based on
the perception of earth. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, settles, &
indulges in its perception of earth. Just as a bull's hide is stretched free
from wrinkles with a hundred stakes, even so — without attending to all the
ridges & hollows, the river ravines, the tracts of stumps & thorns, the craggy
irregularities of this earth — he attends to the singleness based on the
perception of earth. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, settles, &
indulges in its perception of earth.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of human being are not present. Whatever disturbances that would
exist based on the perception of wilderness are not present. There is only this
modicum of disturbance: the singleness based on the perception of earth.' He
discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the perception of human
being. This mode of perception is empty of the perception of wilderness. There
is only this non-emptiness: the singleness based on the perception of earth.'
Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he
discerns as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his entry into emptiness,
accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, & pure.
(The Infinitude of Space)
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of wilderness, not
attending to the perception of earth — attends to the singleness based on the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space. His mind takes pleasure,
finds satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its perception of the dimension of
the infinitude of space.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of wilderness are not present. Whatever disturbances that would exist
based on the perception of earth are not present. There is only this modicum of
disturbance: the singleness based on the perception of the dimension of the
infinitude of space.' He discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the
perception of wilderness. This mode of perception is empty of the perception of
earth. There is only this non-emptiness: the singleness based on the perception
of the dimension of the infinitude of space.' Thus he regards it as empty of
whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he discerns as present: 'There is
this.' And so this, his entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is
undistorted in meaning, & pure.
(The Infinitude of Consciousness)
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of earth, not
attending to the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space —
attends to the singleness based on the perception of the dimension of the
infinitude of consciousness. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction,
settles, & indulges in its perception of the dimension of the infinitude of
consciousness.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of earth are not present. Whatever disturbances that would exist
based on the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space are not
present. There is only this modicum of disturbance: the singleness based on the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.' He discerns
that 'This mode of perception is empty of the perception of earth. This mode of
perception is empty of the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of
space. There is only this non-emptiness: the singleness based on the perception
of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.' Thus he regards it as
empty of whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he discerns as present: 'There
is this.' And so this, his entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is
undistorted in meaning, & pure.
(Nothingness)
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of the dimension of
the infinitude of space, not attending to the perception of the dimension of the
infinitude of consciousness — attends to the singleness based on the perception
of the dimension of nothingness. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction,
settles, & indulges in its perception of the dimension of nothingness.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space are not present. Whatever
disturbances that would exist based on the perception of the dimension of the
infinitude of consciousness are not present. There is only this modicum of
disturbance: the singleness based on the perception of the dimension of
nothingness.' He discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space. This mode of perception
is empty of the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.
There is only this non-emptiness: the singleness based on the perception of the
dimension of nothingness.' Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there.
Whatever remains, he discerns as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his
entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, & pure.
(Neither Perception nor Non-Perception)
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of the dimension of
the infinitude of consciousness, not attending to the perception of the
dimension of nothingness — attends to the singleness based on the dimension of
neither perception nor non-perception. His mind takes pleasure, finds
satisfaction, settles, & indulges in the dimension of neither perception nor
non-perception.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness are not present.
Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the perception of the dimension
of nothingness are not present. There is only this modicum of disturbance: the
singleness based on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.' He
discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the perception of the
dimension of the infinitude of consciousness. This mode of perception is empty
of the perception of the dimension of nothingness. There is only this
non-emptiness: the singleness based on the dimension of neither perception nor
non-perception.' Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever
remains, he discerns as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his entry into
emptiness, accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, & pure.
Theme-Less Concentration
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of the dimension of
nothingness, not attending to the perception of the dimension of neither
perception nor non-perception — attends to the singleness based on the
theme-less concentration of awareness. His mind takes pleasure, finds
satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its theme-less concentration of awareness.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the
perception of the dimension of nothingness are not present. Whatever
disturbances that would exist based on the perception of the dimension of
neither perception nor non-perception, are not present. And there is only this
modicum of disturbance: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent
on this very body with life as its condition.' He discerns that 'This mode of
perception is empty of the perception of the dimension of nothingness. This mode
of perception is empty of the perception of the dimension of neither perception
nor non-perception. There is only this non-emptiness: that connected with the
six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.'
Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he
discerns as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his entry into emptiness,
accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, & pure.
Release
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of the dimension of
nothingness, not attending to the perception of the dimension of neither
perception nor non-perception — attends to the singleness based on the
theme-less concentration of awareness. His mind takes pleasure, finds
satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its theme-less concentration of awareness.
"He discerns that 'This theme-less concentration of awareness is fabricated &
mentally fashioned.' And he discerns that 'Whatever is fabricated & mentally
fashioned is inconstant & subject to cessation.' For him — thus knowing, thus
seeing — the mind is released from the effluent of sensuality, the effluent of
becoming, the effluent of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge,
'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task
done. There is nothing further for this world.'
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the effluent
of sensuality... the effluent of becoming... the effluent of ignorance, are not
present. And there is only this modicum of disturbance: that connected with the
six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.' He
discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the effluent of sensuality...
becoming... ignorance. And there is just this non-emptiness: that connected with
the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its
condition.' Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever
remains, he discerns as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his entry into
emptiness, accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, pure — superior &
unsurpassed.
"Ananda, whatever contemplatives and priests who in the past entered & remained
in an emptiness that was pure, superior, & unsurpassed, they all entered &
remained in this very same emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed.
Whatever contemplatives and priests who in the future will enter & remain in an
emptiness that will be pure, superior, & unsurpassed, they all will enter &
remain in this very same emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed.
Whatever contemplatives and priests who at present enter & remain in an
emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed, they all enter & remain in this
very same emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed.
"Therefore, Ananda, you should train yourselves: 'We will enter & remain in the
emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Ananda delighted in the
Blessed One's words.
Note
1. Or: mental note.
See also: AN 9.42
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