Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A mendicant can gain a state of immersion where nothing is perceived in its ordinary way — not the elements, the formless dimensions, this world or another, or anything seen, heard, thought, or known — and yet still perceive, by perceiving only the peace of nibbāna itself: the stilling of all activities, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation.
An exhaustive list of what is not perceived
The question's own list is comprehensive by design: the four elements, the four formless dimensions, this world and the other world, and everything reached by the six senses including the mind — nothing conventional remains as an object of perception, and yet the discourse insists perception itself has not stopped.
Two teachers, one answer
Having received the Buddha's answer, Ānanda does not simply accept it and move on: he independently poses the identical question to Sāriputta, without revealing he has already asked the Buddha, and receives word-for-word the same reply — a deliberate test of whether the teaching holds independent of its source.
Why the agreement matters
Ānanda's own closing exclamation names the point directly: it is ‘incredible, amazing’ that teacher and disciple agree without conflict on the chief matter, using the same words and phrases — genuine realization converges on identical expression, not merely similar meaning, when two people have actually understood the same thing.
Key terms
The text
Ānanda asks the Buddha
§1Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Could it be, sir, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this? They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.” “It could be, Ānanda, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this. They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.” “But how could this be, sir?” “Ānanda, it’s when a mendicant perceives: ‘This is peaceful; this is sublime—that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.’ That’s how a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this. They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth, water in water, fire in fire, or air in air. And they wouldn’t perceive the dimension of infinite space in the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness in the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness in the dimension of nothingness, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. They wouldn’t perceive this world in this world, or the other world in the other world. And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.” And then Ānanda approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right. Then he went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:
The same answer, confirmed by Sāriputta
§2“Could it be, reverend Sāriputta, that a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this? They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth … And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.” “It could be, Reverend Ānanda.” “But how could this be?” “Ānanda, it’s when a mendicant perceives: ‘This is peaceful; this is sublime—that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.’ That’s how a mendicant might gain a state of immersion like this. They wouldn’t perceive earth in earth … And they wouldn’t perceive what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind. And yet they would still perceive.” “It’s incredible, it’s amazing! How the meaning and the phrasing of the teacher and the disciple fit together and agree without conflict when it comes to the chief matter! Just now I went to the Buddha and asked him about this matter. And the Buddha explained it to me in this manner, with these words and phrases, just like Venerable Sāriputta. It’s incredible, it’s amazing! How the meaning and the phrasing of the teacher and the disciple fit together and agree without conflict when it comes to the chief matter!”
Self-check quiz
6 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.