Ud 8.1
PTS: Ud 80
Nibbāna Sutta: Unbinding (1)
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Alternate translation: Ireland

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. And on that occasion the Blessed One was instructing, urging, rousing, & encouraging the monks with Dhamma-talk concerned with unbinding. The monks — receptive, attentive, focusing their entire awareness, lending ear — listened to the Dhamma.

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

There is that dimension, monks, where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor staying; neither passing away nor arising: unestablished, [1] unevolving, without support [mental object]. [2] This, just this, is the end of stress.

Note

1 .
On unestablished consciousness, see SN 22.87 and the discussion in The Paradox of Becoming , chapter 7.
2 .
See SN 22.53 .
See also: DN 11 ; MN 49 ; SN 35.117; Ud 8.2 ; Ud 8.3 ; Ud 8.4 .