- Numbered Discourses 5.200 Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.200
- 20. Brahmins 20. Brāhmaṇavagga
Elements of Escape Nissāraṇīyasutta
“Mendicants, there are these five elements of escape. “Pañcimā, bhikkhave, nissāraṇīyā dhātuyo. What five? Katamā pañca?
Take a case where a mendicant focuses on sensual pleasures, but on that their mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmaṁ manasikaroto kāmesu cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. But when they focus on renunciation, on that their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided. Nekkhammaṁ kho panassa manasikaroto nekkhamme cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. Their mind is in a good state, well developed, well risen, well freed, and well detached from sensual pleasures. Tassa taṁ cittaṁ sugataṁ subhāvitaṁ suvuṭṭhitaṁ suvimuttaṁ suvisaṁyuttaṁ kāmehi; They’re freed from the distressing and feverish defilements that arise because of sensual pleasures, so they don’t experience that kind of feeling. ye ca kāmapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, mutto so tehi, na so taṁ vedanaṁ vediyati. This is how the escape from sensual pleasures is explained. Idamakkhātaṁ kāmānaṁ nissaraṇaṁ.
Take another case where a mendicant focuses on ill will, but their mind does not leap forth … Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno byāpādaṁ manasikaroto byāpāde cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. But when they focus on good will, their mind leaps forth … Abyāpādaṁ kho panassa manasikaroto abyāpāde cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. Their mind is in a good state … well detached from ill will. Tassa taṁ cittaṁ sugataṁ subhāvitaṁ suvuṭṭhitaṁ suvimuttaṁ suvisaṁyuttaṁ byāpādena; They’re freed from the distressing and feverish defilements that arise because of ill will, so they don’t experience that kind of feeling. ye ca byāpādapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, mutto so tehi, na so taṁ vedanaṁ vediyati. This is how the escape from ill will is explained. Idamakkhātaṁ byāpādassa nissaraṇaṁ.
Take another case where a mendicant focuses on harming, but their mind does not leap forth … Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno vihesaṁ manasikaroto vihesāya cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. But when they focus on compassion, their mind leaps forth … Avihesaṁ kho panassa manasikaroto avihesāya cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. Their mind is in a good state … well detached from harming. Tassa taṁ cittaṁ sugataṁ subhāvitaṁ suvuṭṭhitaṁ suvimuttaṁ suvisaṁyuttaṁ vihesāya; They’re freed from the distressing and feverish defilements that arise because of harming, so they don’t experience that kind of feeling. ye ca vihesāpaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, mutto so tehi, na so taṁ vedanaṁ vediyati. This is how the escape from harming is explained. Idamakkhātaṁ vihesāya nissaraṇaṁ.
Take another case where a mendicant focuses on form, but their mind does not leap forth … Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno rūpaṁ manasikaroto rūpe cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. But when they focus on the formless, their mind leaps forth … Arūpaṁ kho panassa manasikaroto arūpe cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. Their mind is in a good state … well detached from forms. Tassa taṁ cittaṁ sugataṁ subhāvitaṁ suvuṭṭhitaṁ suvimuttaṁ suvisaṁyuttaṁ rūpehi; They’re freed from the distressing and feverish defilements that arise because of form, so they don’t experience that kind of feeling. ye ca rūpapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, mutto so tehi, na so taṁ vedanaṁ vediyati. This is how the escape from forms is explained. Idamakkhātaṁ rūpānaṁ nissaraṇaṁ.
Take a case where a mendicant focuses on substantial reality, but their mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno sakkāyaṁ manasikaroto sakkāye cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. But when they focus on the cessation of substantial reality, their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided. Sakkāyanirodhaṁ kho panassa manasikaroto sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. Their mind is in a good state, well developed, well risen, well freed, and well detached from substantial reality. Tassa taṁ cittaṁ sugataṁ subhāvitaṁ suvuṭṭhitaṁ suvimuttaṁ suvisaṁyuttaṁ sakkāyena; They’re freed from the distressing and feverish defilements that arise because of substantial reality, so they don’t experience that kind of feeling. ye ca sakkāyapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, mutto so tehi, na so taṁ vedanaṁ vediyati. This is how the escape from substantial reality is explained. Idamakkhātaṁ sakkāyassa nissaraṇaṁ.
Delight in sensual pleasures, ill will, harming, form, and substantial reality don’t linger within them. Tassa kāmanandīpi nānuseti, byāpādanandīpi nānuseti, vihesānandīpi nānuseti, rūpanandīpi nānuseti, sakkāyanandīpi nānuseti so kāmanandiyāpi ananusayā, byāpādanandiyāpi ananusayā, vihesānandiyāpi ananusayā, rūpanandiyāpi ananusayā, sakkāyanandiyāpi ananusayā. That’s why they’re called a mendicant who is without underlying tendencies, who has cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu niranusayo, acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassa. These are the five elements of escape.” Imā kho, bhikkhave, pañca nissāraṇīyā dhātuyo”ti.
Dasamaṁ.
Brāhmaṇavaggo pañcamo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Soṇo doṇo saṅgāravo, Kāraṇapālī ca piṅgiyānī; Supinā ca vassā vācā, Kulaṁ nissāraṇīyena cāti.
Catuttho paṇṇāsako samatto.
