The venerable Posāla asks the Buddha how to guide a meditator who has transcended all perception of form and is established in the sphere of Nothingness.
“Yo atītaṁ ādisati,
(iccāyasmā posālo)
Anejo chinnasaṁsayo;
Pāraguṁ sabbadhammānaṁ,
Atthi pañhena āgamaṁ.
“To the one who points out the past,
(said the venerable Posāla),
who is |unruffled::unperturbed, unmoved [aneja]|, with doubt cut off;
Who has gone beyond |all states of mind::all mental phenomena, all things [sabbadhamma]|,
I have come in need with a question.
Vibhūtarūpasaññissa,
sabbakāyappahāyino;
Ajjhattañca bahiddhā ca,
natthi kiñcīti passato;
Ñāṇaṁ sakkānupucchāmi,
kathaṁ neyyo tathāvidho”.
For one whose perception of |form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]| has vanished,
who has abandoned the whole body;
Internally and externally,
who sees ‘there is nothing;’
I ask, Sakya, for the knowledge,
how is such a one to be led?”
“Viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo sabbā,
(posālāti bhagavā)
Abhijānaṁ tathāgato;
Tiṭṭhantamenaṁ jānāti,
Vimuttaṁ tapparāyaṇaṁ.
“The |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]| directly knows,
(Posāla,” said the Blessed One),
“all stations of |consciousness::that dependently arisen knowing which, when rooted in ignorance and supported by intentional constructs, finds a footing and becomes established in a sense realm, a form realm, or a formless realm leading to production of renewed existence in the future [viññāṇa]|;
And he knows this one who remains,
released with that as their goal.
Ākiñcaññasambhavaṁ ñatvā,
Nandī saṁyojanaṁ iti;
Evametaṁ abhiññāya,
Tato tattha vipassati;
Etaṁ ñāṇaṁ tathaṁ tassa,
Brāhmaṇassa vusīmato”ti.
Having known the |source::origin [sambhava]| of |nothingness::emptiness [ākiñcañña]| thus,
‘|delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]| is the fetter;’
Having directly known this thus,
he |discerns with insight::sees in detail, understands with insight; lit. sees distinctly [vipassati]| there;
This is the true knowledge of him,
of the sage who has lived the life.”
“To the one who points out the past,
(said the venerable Posāla),
who is |unruffled::unperturbed, unmoved [aneja]|, with doubt cut off;
Who has gone beyond |all states of mind::all mental phenomena, all things [sabbadhamma]|,
I have come in need with a question.
For one whose perception of |form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]| has vanished,
who has abandoned the whole body;
Internally and externally,
who sees ‘there is nothing;’
I ask, Sakya, for the knowledge,
how is such a one to be led?”
“The |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]| directly knows,
(Posāla,” said the Blessed One),
“all stations of |consciousness::that dependently arisen knowing which, when rooted in ignorance and supported by intentional constructs, finds a footing and becomes established in a sense realm, a form realm, or a formless realm leading to production of renewed existence in the future [viññāṇa]|;
And he knows this one who remains,
released with that as their goal.
Having known the |source::origin [sambhava]| of |nothingness::emptiness [ākiñcañña]| thus,
‘|delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]| is the fetter;’
Having directly known this thus,
he |discerns with insight::sees in detail, understands with insight; lit. sees distinctly [vipassati]| there;
This is the true knowledge of him,
of the sage who has lived the life.”
“Yo atītaṁ ādisati,
(iccāyasmā posālo)
Anejo chinnasaṁsayo;
Pāraguṁ sabbadhammānaṁ,
Atthi pañhena āgamaṁ.
Vibhūtarūpasaññissa,
sabbakāyappahāyino;
Ajjhattañca bahiddhā ca,
natthi kiñcīti passato;
Ñāṇaṁ sakkānupucchāmi,
kathaṁ neyyo tathāvidho”.
“Viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo sabbā,
(posālāti bhagavā)
Abhijānaṁ tathāgato;
Tiṭṭhantamenaṁ jānāti,
Vimuttaṁ tapparāyaṇaṁ.
Ākiñcaññasambhavaṁ ñatvā,
Nandī saṁyojanaṁ iti;
Evametaṁ abhiññāya,
Tato tattha vipassati;
Etaṁ ñāṇaṁ tathaṁ tassa,
Brāhmaṇassa vusīmato”ti.