Aṇguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
V. Pañcāla Vagga
The Book of Nines
Sutta 45
Ubhato-Bhāga-Vimutta Suttaṃ
By Two Measures Freed
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time The Ancient Ānanda, Kosambī revisiting, Ghosita park.
There then the venerable Udāyin visited the Ancient Ānanda, and, after exchanging greetings, sat down at one side.
Seated at one side, then, the venerable Udāyin said this to the Ancient Ānanda:
"'Two measure-freed, two measure-freed'[1] it is said, friend,
to what extent then, friend, does the Lucky Man speak of being 'two measure-freed'?"
"Here, friend, in a bhikkhu,
separating himself from sense pleasures,
separating himself from unskillful things,
with thought and with consideration,
with the appreciation[2] of the pleasure of solitude,
there arises and abides the first knowledge.[3]
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
resolving thought and consideration,
internally pacified,
whole-heartedly single-minded,
without thought,
without consideration,
with the appreciation of the pleasure of knowledge,
there arises and abides the second knowledge.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
living detached and indifferent to enthusiasms
recollected and self-aware,
experiencing that bodily ease
spoken of by the Aristocrat as:
'Detached, recollected, taking it easy.'
there arises and abides the third knowledge.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
letting go of pleasure,
letting go of pain,
antecedent mental ease and mental pain settling down,
without pain but without pleasure,
detached,
recollected,
all-around perfectly pure,
there arises and abides the fourth knowledge.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
raising himself entirely above form-perception,
settling down sensory reaction,
not bringing to mind perceptions of diversity,
thinking:
'Endless space'
there arises and abides the realm of space.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
raising himself entirely above the realm of space,
thinking:
'Endless consciousness'
there arises and abides the realm of consciousness.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
raising himself entirely above the realm of consciousness,
thinking:
'There is nothing real.'
there arises and abides the realm of unreality.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
rising himself entirely above the realm of unreality,
there arises and abides the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
'encompassed.'
And again, deeper than that, friend, in a bhikkhu
rising himself entirely above the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception,
there arises and abides in the realm where sense-perception and sense-experience end and its range.
And whatsoever whatever is its sphere of influence,
suchis suchas he habitually contacts with body
and this is understood wisely.
To just this extent,
being by two-measures-freed is spoken of by the Lucky Man as
being 'without compass.'
To this extent, friend, does the Lucky Man speak of being 'by two-measures-freed'."
[1] Ubhatobhāga. Ubhato = in two; bhāga = ways, portions, sides.
[2] pīti-.
[3] jhāna.
