Viññāṇañcāyatanapañhāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 40.6

Linked Discourses 40.6

1. Moggallānavagga

1. By Moggallāna

Viññāṇañcāyatanapañhāsutta

A Question About the Dimension of Infinite Consciousness

“‘Viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ, viññāṇañcāyatanan’ti vuccati.

“They speak of this thing called the ‘dimension of infinite consciousness’.

Katamaṁ nu kho viññāṇañcāyatananti?

What is the dimension of infinite consciousness?

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:

It occurred to me:

‘idha bhikkhu sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma anantaṁ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

‘It’s when a mendicant, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that “consciousness is infinite”, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness.

Idaṁ vuccati viññāṇañcāyatanan’ti.

This is called the dimension of infinite consciousness.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma anantaṁ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And so … I was entering and remaining in the dimension of infinite consciousness.

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, iminā vihārena viharato ākāsānañcāyatanasahagatā saññāmanasikārā samudācaranti.

While I was in that meditation, perception and focus accompanied by the dimension of infinite space beset me.

Atha kho maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca:

Then the Buddha came up to me with his psychic power and said,

‘moggallāna, moggallāna.

‘Moggallāna, Moggallāna!

Mā, brāhmaṇa, viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ pamādo, viññāṇañcāyatane cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, viññāṇañcāyatane cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, viññāṇañcāyatane cittaṁ samādahā’ti.

Don’t neglect the dimension of infinite consciousness, brahmin! Settle your mind in the dimension of infinite consciousness; unify your mind and immerse it in the dimension of infinite consciousness.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma anantaṁ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.

And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the dimension of infinite consciousness.

Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, sammā vadamāno vadeyya …pe… mahābhiññataṁ patto”ti.

So if anyone should be rightly called a disciple who attained to great direct knowledge with help from the Teacher, it’s me.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.