SN 38.1

Nibbānapañhāsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto magadhesu viharati nālakagāmake. Atha kho jambukhādako paribbājako yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jambukhādako paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

A Question About Extinguishment

At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying in the land of the Magadhans near the little village of Nālaka. Then the wanderer Jambukhādaka went up to Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:

“‘Nibbānaṁ, nibbānan’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, nibbānan”ti? “Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo— idaṁ vuccati nibbānan”ti. “Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti? “Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti. “Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti? “Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, seyyathidaṁ— sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappo sammāvācā sammākammanto sammāājīvo sammāvāyāmo sammāsati sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti. “Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.

“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘extinguishment’. What is extinguishment?” “Reverend, the ending of greed, hate, and delusion is called extinguishment.” “But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for realizing this extinguishment?” “There is, reverend.” “Well, what is it?” “It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, the practice, for realizing this extinguishment.” “Reverend, this is a fine path, a fine practice, for realizing this extinguishment. Just this much is enough for diligence.”