Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanapañhāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 40.8

Linked Discourses 40.8

1. Moggallānavagga

1. By Moggallāna

Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanapañhāsutta

A Question About the Dimension of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception

“‘Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanan’ti vuccati.

“They speak of this thing called the ‘dimension of neither perception nor non-perception’.

Katamaṁ nu kho nevasaññānāsaññāyatananti?

What is the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception?

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:

It occurred to me:

‘idha bhikkhu sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

‘It’s when a mendicant, going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, enters and remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

Idaṁ vuccati nevasaññānāsaññāyatanan’ti.

This is called the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And so … I was entering and remaining in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

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

While I was in that meditation, perception and focus accompanied by the dimension of nothingness 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, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ pamādo, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane cittaṁ saṇṭhapehi, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane cittaṁ ekodiṁ karohi, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane cittaṁ samādahā’ti.

Don’t neglect the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, brahmin! Settle your mind in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; unify your mind and immerse it in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’

So khvāhaṁ, āvuso, aparena samayena sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.

And so, after some time … I entered and remained in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

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.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.