Ākiñcaññāyatanapañhāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 40.7

Linked Discourses 40.7

1. Moggallānavagga

1. By Moggallāna

Ākiñcaññāyatanapañhāsutta

A Question About the Dimension of Nothingness

“‘Ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ, ākiñcaññāyatanan’ti vuccati.

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

Katamaṁ nu kho ākiñcaññāyatananti?

What is the dimension of nothingness?

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:

It occurred to me:

‘idha bhikkhu sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

‘It’s when a mendicant, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that “there is nothing at all”, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness.

Idaṁ vuccati ākiñcaññāyatanan’ti.

This is called the dimension of nothingness.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

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

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

While I was in that meditation, perception and focus accompanied by the dimension of infinite consciousness 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, ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ pamādo, ākiñcaññāyatane cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, ākiñcaññāyatane cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, ākiñcaññāyatane cittaṁ samādahā’ti.

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

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.

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

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.”

Sattamaṁ.