Nimokkhasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.2

Linked Discourses 1.2

1. Naḷavagga

1. A Reed

Nimokkhasutta

Liberation

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,

“Jānāsi no tvaṁ, mārisa, sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti?

“Good fellow, do you know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings?”

“Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti.

“I do, good sir.”

“Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, jānāsi sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti?

“But how is it that you know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings?”

“Nandībhavaparikkhayā,

“Due to the ending of relish for rebirth;

Saññāviññāṇasaṅkhayā;

due to the finishing of perception and consciousness;

Vedanānaṁ nirodhā upasamā,

due to the cessation and stilling of feelings—

Evaṁ khvāhaṁ āvuso jānāmi;

that, respectable sir, is how I know the liberation,

Sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti.

emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings.”