AN 6.13

Nissāraṇīyasutta

“Chayimā, bhikkhave, nissāraṇīyā dhātuyo. Katamā cha? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya: ‘mettā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā; atha ca pana me byāpādo cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti. So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ mettāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya; atha ca panassa byāpādo cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, byāpādassa yadidaṁ mettācetovimuttī’ti.

Elements of Escape

“Mendicants, there are these six elements of escape. What six? Take a mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by love. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow ill will still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! Don’t say that. Don’t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say that. It’s impossible, reverend, it cannot happen that the heart’s release by love has been developed and properly implemented, yet somehow ill will still occupies the mind. For it is the heart’s release by love that is the escape from ill will.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya: ‘karuṇā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā; atha ca pana me vihesā cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti. So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ karuṇāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya; atha ca panassa vihesā cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, vihesāya yadidaṁ karuṇācetovimuttī’ti.

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by compassion. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow the thought of harming still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the heart’s release by compassion that is the escape from thoughts of harming.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya: ‘muditā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā; atha ca pana me arati cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti. So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ muditāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya; atha ca panassa arati cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, aratiyā yadidaṁ muditācetovimuttī’ti.

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by rejoicing. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow discontent still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the heart’s release by rejoicing that is the escape from discontent.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya: ‘upekkhā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā; atha ca pana me rāgo cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti. So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ upekkhāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya; atha ca panassa rāgo cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, rāgassa yadidaṁ upekkhācetovimuttī’ti.

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by equanimity. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow desire still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the heart’s release by equanimity that is the escape from desire.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya: ‘animittā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā; atha ca pana me nimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hotī’ti. So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ animittāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya; atha ca panassa nimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ bhavissati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, sabbanimittānaṁ yadidaṁ animittācetovimuttī’ti.

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the signless release of the heart. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow my consciousness still follows after signs.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the signless release of the heart that is the escape from all signs.’

Idha pana bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya: ‘asmīti kho me vigataṁ, ayamahamasmīti ca na samanupassāmi; atha ca pana me vicikicchākathaṅkathāsallaṁ cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti. So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ asmīti vigate ayamahamasmīti ca na samanupassato; atha ca panassa vicikicchākathaṅkathāsallaṁ cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, vicikicchākathaṅkathāsallassa yadidaṁ asmīti mānasamugghāto’ti.

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’m rid of the conceit “I am”. And I don’t regard anything as “I am this”. Yet somehow the dart of doubt and indecision still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! Don’t say that. Don’t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say that. It’s impossible, reverend, it cannot happen that the conceit “I am” has been done away with, and nothing is regarded as “I am this”, yet somehow the dart of doubt and indecision still occupies the mind. For it is the uprooting of the conceit “I am” that is the escape from the dart of doubt and indecision.’

Imā kho, bhikkhave, cha nissāraṇīyā dhātuyo”ti.

These are the six elements of escape.”