AN 9.44

Paññāvimuttasutta

“‘Paññāvimutto, paññāvimutto’ti, āvuso, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, paññāvimutto vutto bhagavatā”ti?

Freed by Wisdom

“Reverend, they speak of one ‘freed by wisdom’. What is the one freed by wisdom that the Buddha spoke of?”

“Idhāvuso, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya ca naṁ pajānāti. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, paññāvimutto vutto bhagavatā pariyāyena …pe….

“First, take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and remains in the first absorption. And they understand that with wisdom. To this extent the Buddha spoke of the one freed by wisdom in a qualified sense. …

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti, paññāya ca naṁ pajānāti. Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, paññāvimutto vutto bhagavatā nippariyāyenā”ti.

Furthermore, take a mendicant who, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, their defilements come to an end. And they understand that with wisdom. To this extent the Buddha spoke of the one freed by wisdom in a definitive sense.”