Shorter Sutta on Emptiness 8: Release
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2019-06-06

Cūḷa Suññata Sutta (MN 121): Release
“Further, Ānanda, the monk—not attending to the perception of the dimension of nothingness, not attending to the perception of the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception—attends to the singleness based on the themeless concentration of awareness. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its themeless concentration of awareness.

“He discerns that ‘This themeless concentration of awareness is fabricated & mentally fashioned.ʼ And he discerns that ‘Whatever is fabricated & mentally fashioned is inconstant & subject to cessation.ʼ Thus knowing, thus seeing, his heart is released from the effluent of sensuality, the effluent of becoming, the effluent of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge, ‘Released.ʼ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.ʼ

“He discerns that ‘Whatever disturbances would exist based on the effluent of sensuality...the effluent of becoming...the effluent of ignorance, are not present. And there is only this modicum of disturbance: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.ʼ He discerns that ‘This mode of perception is empty of the effluent of sensuality... becoming...ignorance. And there is just this non-emptiness: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.ʼ Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he discerns as present: ‘There is this.ʼ And so this, his entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, pure—superior & unsurpassed.

“Ānanda, whatever contemplatives and brahmans who in the past entered & remained in an emptiness that was pure, superior, & unsurpassed, they all entered & remained in this very same emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed. Whatever contemplatives and brahmans who in the future will enter & remain in an emptiness that will be pure, superior, & unsurpassed, they all will enter & remain in this very same emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed. Whatever contemplatives and brahmans who at present enter & remain in an emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed, they all enter & remain in this very same emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed.

“Therefore, Ānanda, you should train yourselves: ‘We will enter & remain in the emptiness that is pure, superior, & unsurpassed.ʼ”
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Ānanda delighted in the Blessed Oneʼs words.