Aṇguttara Nikāya
Navaka Nipāta
V. Pañcāla Vagga
The Book of Nines
Sutta 44
Pañña-Vimutti Sutta
Wisdom-Freed
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Translator's Introduction
This sutta should be read together with AN 9.45, 46. It should be noted that there is, in this description, no difference between the body-knower and the wisdom-freed in terms of bodily experiencing the jhānas. This would make the wisdom-freed always both-ways freed. In other places the body-seer is spoken of as one who has also achieved the three visions of the Arahant (past abodes, the outcome of deeds and knowledge of the eradication of the 'āsavas') and the wisdom-freed is, at least in one place spoken of as being without the first two of these visions. In still other places all three visions are said to be properties of the Arahant.
Once upon a time The Ancient Ānanda, Kosambī revisiting, Ghosita park.
There then the venerable Udāyin visited the Ancient Ānanda, and, after exchanging greetings, sat down at one side.
Seated at one side, then, the venerable Udāyin said this to the Ancient Ānanda:
"'Wisdom-freed, wisdom-freed'[1] it is said, friend,
to what extent then, friend, does the Lucky Man speak of being 'wisdom-freed'?"
"Here, friend, in a bhikkhu
separating himself from sense pleasures,
separating himself from unskillful things,
with thought and with consideration,
with the appreciation[2] of the pleasure of solitude,
there arises and abides the first knowledge,[3]
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
resolving thought and consideration,
internally pacified,
whole-heartedly single-minded,
without thought,
without consideration,
with the appreciation of the pleasure of knowledge,
there arises and abides the second knowledge
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
living detached and indifferent to enthusiasms
recollected and self-aware,
experiencing that bodily ease
spoken of by the Aristocrat as:
'Detached, recollected, taking it easy.'
there arises and abides the third knowledge
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
letting go of pleasure,
letting go of pain,
antecedent mental ease and mental pain settling down,
without pain but without pleasure,
detached,
recollected,
all-around perfectly pure,
there arises and abides the fourth knowledge
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
raising himself entirely above form-perception,
settling down sensory reaction,
not bringing to mind perceptions of diversity,
thinking:
'Endless space'
there arises and abides the realm of space
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
raising himself entirely above the realm of space,
thinking:
'Endless consciousness'
there arises and abides the realm of consciousness
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
raising himself entirely above the realm of consciousness,
thinking:
'There is nothing real.'
there arises and abides the realm of unreality
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
rising himself entirely above the realm of unreality,
there arises and abides the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
rising himself entirely above the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception,
there arises and abides in the realm where sense-perception and sense-experience end and its range
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being wisdom-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'without compass.'
To this extent, friend, does the Lucky Man speak of being 'wisdom-freed'."
[1] Paññā-vimutto.
[2] pīti- A change from my usual 'enthusiasm'. Pīti is a concept which encompasses a spectrum of items (from a mild approval to an ecstatic rapture) which could all be classed under the heading 'appreciation.' Some may recall that this term was my original choice for Pīti. The first jhāna being described in brief by me as being "the appreciation of the peace and calm of solitude." The statement here "the appreciation of the pleasure of solitude", has the advantage of putting 'pleasure' at a distance — rather than having it be a bodily sensation it becomes a mental appreciation.
[3] jhāna.
