Tapussa Sutta (AN 9.41)– Akuppā Cētōvimutti

February 28, 2019; July 19, 2022; January 30, 2024

1. Most suttā have been translated word by word without paying attention to the context or the underlying teachings. I hope this sutta translation will convey what I mean by that statement.

• This sutta explains why reducing cravings for sensory pleasures and staying away from dasa akusala– and eventually getting rid of them- are necessary if one wants to cultivate Ariya jhāna.
• Just suppressing sense cravings (kāma rāga) induces jhāna, too; see “Jhānic Experience in Detail – Sāmañ­ña­phala Sutta (DN 2)“.
• However, to attain Nibbāna (akuppā cetovimutti), one needs to remove those cravings at each jhānic state; see “Ascendance to Nibbāna via Jhāna (Dhyāna).” In this post, we discuss the step-by-step process.
• Still, getting rid of sense cravings (kāma rāga) is not an easy task. It needs to be done by contemplating the drawbacks (and dangers) of them — called ādīnava (pronounced “ādeenava”) — and also the benefits (ānisamsa) of giving up such cravings (renunciation); see “Mundane versus Supramundane Jhāna.”

2. One could follow the Pāli (and the English version there) while reading: “Tapussa Sutta (AN 9.41)” (there is also a “Sinhala Translation” on that same website). It is a useful website, but translations are incorrect for some key Pāli words, and suttā are translated word-by-word without paying attention to the embedded teachings. That is the case for basically all current English translations.

• Suttas are designed to be extremely repetitive, enabling faithful oral transmission over the first 500 years. But, in the written form, it is unnecessary to translate the whole sutta word-by-word to understand its message. That could be very boring reading.
• So, I will start with a lengthy translation and cut it short as I proceed to the end to make it readable yet (hopefully) provide the key ideas.
• We also need to remember that before becoming the Buddha, the Bodhisatta had learned how to get to all the jhānās from other yogis.  One can attain cetovimutti (highest jhāna) by such anāriya techniques as breath meditation, but those jhānās are not stable. As described below, the Buddha figured out how to cultivate unbreakable (stable) jhāna and attained Buddhahood with akuppā cetovimutti.
• That is the process described in this sutta, which we discuss now.

3. Thus, I have heard. On one occasion, the Blessed One stayed in Malla near a Mallan town named Uruvelakappa. Then, early in the morning, the Blessed One, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl and outer robe, went to Uruvelakappa for alms. After his meal, he went into Uruvelakappa for alms. On his return from his alms round, he said to Ven. Ananda, “Stay here, Ananda, while I rest in the forest.”

• “As you say, lord,” Ven. Ananda replied.
• Then the Blessed One went to the forest and sat down at the root of a tree to rest.

4. Then Tapussa, the householder, went to Ven. Ananda and, having bowed down to him, sat to one side on arrival. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Ananda: “Venerable Ananda, we are householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensual pleasures, enjoy sensual pleasures, rejoice in sensual pleasures. For us, staying away from sensual pleasures — or renunciation — seems like jumping off a cliff (it is hard to contemplate). Yet I’ve heard that in this Buddha Sāsana, there are young bhikkhus (monks) who have given up sense pleasures and have attained peace of mind and ultimate release from suffering. How are those bhikkhus different from most people like us?”

• “This is true, householder. Let’s ask the Blessed One to explain this”.

5. Then Ven. Ananda, with Tapussa, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. Then Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One: “Bhante, Tapussa the householder, here, has said to me, ‘we are householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensual pleasures, enjoy sensual pleasures, rejoice in sensual pleasures. For us, staying away from sensual pleasures — or renunciation — seems as unappealing as jumping off a cliff. Yet I’ve heard that in this Buddha Sāsana, there are young monks who have given up sense pleasures and have attained peace of mind and ultimate release from suffering. How are these monks different from most people like us?”

6. “So it is, Ananda. So it is. Even before attaining the Buddhahood, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, I thought: ‘abstaining from sensual pleasures (nekkhamma) is good, peace of mind (viveka) is good.’ But such thoughts free of sense cravings (nekkhamme cittam) would not sink in (na pakkhandati), would not purify (na pasidati), would not calm down (na santiṭṭhati) my mind, and it would not become liberated (na vimuccati)”.

• Then a thought occurred to me: “What is the reason that such thoughts free of sense cravings (nekkhamme cittam) would not sink in (na pakkhandati), would not purify (na pasidati), calm down, would not calm down (na santiṭṭhati ) my mind so that it would not become liberated (na vimuccati)?”.
• Then this thought occurred to me: “I have not seen the dangers/drawbacks (ādinava) of sensual pleasures; I have not contemplated the dangers/drawbacks of sensual pleasures at depth (abahulīkato). I have not understood the rewards of renunciation (nekkhamme ānisamsa). I have not contemplated at depth (anāsēvita) the rewards of renunciation. That’s why my mind would not become liberated (na vimuccati)”.
• Then this thought occurred to me: “If I see the dangers of sensual pleasures and the benefits of renunciation of sense pleasures, such thoughts free of sense cravings (nekkhamme cittam) will sink in (pakkhandati), will purify (pasidati), will calm down ( santiṭṭhati ) my mind so that it will become liberated ( vimuccati).”

My comment: One needs to pay attention to the Buddha describing to Tapussa how he had thought about the above thought process. But, he figured out exactly how to do that only on the night of attaining the Buddhahood:

7. “At a later time —aparena samyena — (the night of attaining the Buddhahood), having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I pursued that theme; I contemplated on the drawbacks of sense pleasures and understood the rewards of renunciation, and understood the solution of getting rid of cravings (āsāvās). Then, my mind firmly held such a mindset, calmed down, and was released from such sensual thoughts.

• The above paragraph describes what happened on the night of the Enlightenment when he finally realized āsavakkhaya ñāna, how to remove āsāvās by contemplating on Tilakkhana; see “The Way to Nibbāna – Removal of Āsāvas.”
• As we know, he went through six years of various types of suffering to discover āsavakkhaya ñāna.
• Now we get back to the difficulties faced by the Bodhisatta in the intervening six years in trying to make the first jhāna unbreakable or stable.

8. “Withdrawn from sensuality (vivicceva kāmehi), withdrawn from immoral (vivicceva akusala dhammehi), I entered and remained in the vicinity of the first jhāna with rapture and pleasure born from that restfulness (vivekajaṁ), accompanied by savitakkaṁ/savicāraṁ (nekkhamma/avihimsa thoughts).”

• “However, I was still beset with recurring perceptions of sensuality (kāmasahagatā sañ­ñāmana­sikārā samudācaranti). That was a suffering for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so, those recurring sensual thoughts were an affliction for me”.

(Note that the Bodhisatta experienced this problem early when he learned how to get to jhānās from his early anāriya teachers, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. He developed the pathway during those intervening six years but successfully implemented it only on the night of Enlightenment via āsavakkhaya ñāna).

9. “At a later time (the night of attaining the Buddhahood), having seen the drawback of vitakka, I pursued that theme; I contemplated the drawbacks of vitakka and understood the rewards of avitakka when I understood the benefits of getting rid of cravings (āsāvās). Then, my mind firmly held such a mindset, calmed down, and was released from such sensual thoughts.

• Now we get back to the difficulties faced by the Bodhisatta with the second jhāna before the night of the Enlightenment.

10. “Then I thought: ‘I should get to the samādhi-generated (samādhijam) the second jhāna that is free of these thoughts burdened with (vitakka/vicāra).'” Here, it is important to realize that vitakka means to have the mind set on a defiled thought object, and vicāra means to keep it there.

• “However, in the second jhāna, such thoughts free of vitakka (i.e., avitakka) would not sink in, would not purify, calm down, would not calm down my mind so that it would not become liberated (avitakke cittaṃ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati).”
• Then this thought occurred to me: “I have not seen the dangers/drawbacks (ādinava) of vitakka; I have not contemplated the dangers/drawbacks of vitakka at depth (abahulīkato). I have not understood the rewards of avitakka (avitakke ānisamsa). I have not contemplated in depth (anāsēvita) the rewards of avitakka. That’s why my mind would not become liberated (na vimuccati)”.
• “At a later time (the night of attaining the Buddhahood), I was able to enter and stay in the vicinity of the second jhāna that was devoid of such defiled thoughts (vitakka) and with piti and sukha.

11. This is a recurring theme for the rest of the sutta. The difficulty encountered at each jhāna level starting from the next verse and the solution found on the night of Enlightenment.

• I will skip a few repeating steps here for the third and fourth jhāna.

12. I could enter and stay in the vicinity of the third jhāna devoid of piti but with sukha.

• However, even then, the perception of piti kept arising in me (pitisahagata sannamanasikara samudacaranti). That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so, those recurring piti was an affliction for me.
• “At a later time (the night of attaining the Buddhahood), the verse is skipped here.

13. I could enter and stay in the vicinity of the fourth jhāna devoid of sukha but with upekkha.

• However, even then the perception of upekkha sukha kept arising in me (upekkhasukhasahagata sannamanasikara samudacaranti). That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so, those recurring upekkha sukha were an affliction for me.
• “At a later time (the night of attaining the Buddhahood), the verse is skipped here.
• Now, we get to the arupavacara jhāna, and the steps are the same.

14.  I was able to enter and stay in the vicinity of ākāsānañ­cāyatana by thinking, “Infinite Space” and transcending perceptions of rupa, with the disappearance of perceptions of paṭigha, and not heeding various arammana (‘yannūnāhaṃ sabbaso rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā paṭi­gha­saññā­naṃ atthaṅgamā nānat­ta­saññā­naṃ amanasikārā “).

• However, even in the vicinity of ākāsānañ­cāyatana, perceptions of rupa kept arising in me, and that was an affliction for me (..iminā vihārena viharato rūpasahagatā sañ­ñāmana­sikārā samudācaranti. Svassa me hoti ābādho).

15. “At a later time (the night of attaining the Buddhahood), having seen the drawback of forms (rupa), I pursued that theme; I contemplated the drawbacks of rupa and understood the rewards of ākāsānañ­cāyatana when I understood the benefits of getting rid of cravings (āsāvās). Then, my mind firmly held such a mindset, calmed down, and was released from such sensual thoughts.

16. I was able to enter what I thought was viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyatana, the infinitude of consciousness.

• “As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of the infinitude of space (ākāsānañ­cāyata­na­saha­gatā sañ­ñāmana­sikārā samudācaranti). That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so, the attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of the infinitude of space that beset me was an affliction for me.

17. So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the dimension of the infinitude of space (ākāsānañ­cāyatana), I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness (viñ­ñā­ṇañ­cāyatana), I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness and grew confident, steadfast, and firm, seeing it as peace. With the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, [perceiving] ‘Infinite consciousness,’ I entered and remained in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.

• The sutta goes through the rest of the arupavacara jhāna. At each stage, the Buddha, on the night of Enlightenment, REMOVED each jhāna factor, not just bypass it as in anariya jhāna.
• This was done by contemplating the anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature of each jhānic state.

18. “So at a later time, having seen the drawback of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception (neva­saññā­nā­sañ­ñāyata­na), I pursued that theme; … With the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, I entered and remained in the cessation of perception and feeling (saññā­ve­dayi­ta­nirodha). And as I discerned, the mental fermentations (āsavā ) were eliminated.

• It is important to note that saññā­ve­dayi­ta ­nirodha cannot be attained via anāriya jhāna. This is Nibbāna experienced by a living Arahant.

19. “Ananda, as long as I had not attained and emerged from these nine step-by-step dwelling-attainments in forward and backward order in this way, I did not claim to have attained the Buddhahood that is supreme in the cosmos with its Devās, Mārās, and Brahmā, with its contemplatives and brāhmans, with its royalty and common people.

• But as soon as I had attained and emerged from these nine step-by-step attainments in forward and backward order in this way, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening supreme state in the cosmos with its Devās, Mārās, and Brahmā, with its contemplatives and brāhmans, its royalty and common people. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My release is unshakable (akuppā me cetovimutti). This is the last birth, and no more rebirths  (ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’” ti).

20. This is the step-by-step process of attaining “total detachment” from the 31 realms of this world via successive Ariya jhānic states. The ultimate release of the mind attained this way is called akuppā cetovimutti.

• Of course, one can reach the same ultimate state (Arahanthood) without going through jhāna, and that is called paññāvimutti; see “Pannāvimutti – Arahanthood without Jhāna.”
• It is also clear that a paññāvimutti Arahant cannot get to the saññā­ve­dayi­ta ­nirodha state during his/her lifetime.

21. The efforts by the Bodhisatta to figure out how to remove āsavā (including kāma rāga)  — – mainly by inflicting many bodily sufferings — for six years are described in detail in the following two suttā: “Bodhi­rāja­kumāra Sutta (MN 85)” and “Mahāsacca­ka Sutta (MN 36)“.