LiberationsVimokkhasutta

“Mendicants, there are these eight liberations.“Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, vimokkhā. What eight?Katame aṭṭha? Having physical form, they see forms.Rūpī rūpāni passati. This is the first liberation.Ayaṁ paṭhamo vimokkho.

Not perceiving form internally, they see forms externally.Ajjhattaṁ arūpasaññī, bahiddhā rūpāni passati. This is the second liberation.Ayaṁ dutiyo vimokkho.

They’re focused only on beauty.Subhanteva adhimutto hoti. This is the third liberation.Ayaṁ tatiyo vimokkho.

Going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space.Sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. This is the fourth liberation.Ayaṁ catuttho vimokkho.

Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness.Sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. This is the fifth liberation.Ayaṁ pañcamo vimokkho.

Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness.Sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. This is the sixth liberation.Ayaṁ chaṭṭho vimokkho.

Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.Sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. This is the seventh liberation.Ayaṁ sattamo vimokkho.

Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling.Sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati. This is the eighth liberation.Ayaṁ aṭṭhamo vimokkho.

These are the eight liberations.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha vimokkhā”ti.