The Mahānidāna Sūtra, the Ninth Sūtra of the Dīrgha Āgama

(VI) Original Text: Therefore, Ānanda, it is said: ‘With name-and-form as condition, consciousness arises; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form arises. With name-and-form as condition, the six sense-bases arise; with the six sense-bases as condition, contact arises; with contact as condition, feeling arises; with feeling as condition, craving arises; with craving as condition, clinging arises; with clinging as condition, becoming arises; with becoming as condition, birth arises; with birth as condition, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.’ Ānanda, this is the proper expression, this is the proper instruction, this is the proper definition, this is the proper teaching, this is the proper insight, this is the proper doctrine for beings. Ānanda, when monks rightly understand this Dhamma as it really is and see it thus, their minds are liberated through the destruction of the taints. Ānanda, such a monk should be called one liberated by wisdom.

Explanation: Ānanda, therefore it is said that name-and-form arises dependent on the ālaya-vijñāna (storehouse consciousness), and the ālaya-vijñāna depends on name-and-form to have a basis. With name-and-form, the six sense-bases arise; with the six sense-bases, contact arises; with contact, feeling arises; with feeling, craving arises; with craving, clinging arises; with clinging, becoming arises; with becoming, birth arises; with birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise – the arising of this entire mass of suffering. This is the proper expression and the meaning of the doctrine. This is the teaching most worthy of practice. This is the ultimate teaching. This is the true Dhamma. This is the observation of wisdom. This is the doctrine for liberating beings. Ānanda, when monks within this Dhamma rightly see it as it really is, their minds are liberated through the exhaustion of the taints. Ānanda, such a rightly seeing monk is called an arahant liberated by wisdom.

The arahant liberated by wisdom possesses liberation wisdom superior to meditative attainments. His concentration reaches only the first jhāna; he does not possess the profound concentrations of the second jhāna and above. At the end of his life, he primarily relies on the wisdom of liberation to leave the three realms and enter Nibbāna. The wisdom of liberation is the complete and thorough realization of the suffering, impermanence, and non-self of the five aggregates, the complete destruction of the defilements of greed, hatred, and delusion rooted in self-view, and the utter cessation of ignorance. When ignorance ceases, the five aggregates cease. It does not mean he possesses only wisdom without concentration, but rather that his concentration is not extremely deep, and his liberation is not primarily reliant on concentration or attained through concentration. Without the attainment of the first jhāna, it is impossible to eradicate the defilements and achieve a mind free from taints; thus, liberation cannot be attained.

Original Text: Such a liberated monk, Ānanda, knows whether the Tathāgata exists after death or not; knows whether the Tathāgata does not exist after death or not; knows whether the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death or not; knows whether the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death or not. Why is that? Ānanda, this is the proper expression, this is the proper instruction, this is the proper definition, this is the proper teaching, this is the proper insight, this is the proper doctrine for beings. Having known this fully, his mind is liberated through the destruction of the taints. Other monks do not know or see such knowledge and vision.

Explanation: Such a liberated monk knows whether the Tathāgata has attained final Nibbāna after death or not; knows whether the Tathāgata has not attained final Nibbāna after death or not; knows whether the Tathāgata both has and has not attained final Nibbāna after death or not; knows whether the Tathāgata neither has nor has not attained final Nibbāna after death or not. Why is this said? Ānanda, because saying it this way is the proper expression, saying it this way is the most appropriate, saying it this way is the ultimate, saying it this way is the teaching of the Dhamma, saying it this way is the observation of wisdom, saying it this way is for the liberation of beings. Having fully known this regarding the Tathāgata's attainment of Nibbāna, his mind is liberated through the exhaustion of the taints, yet other monks do not know or see such knowledge and vision.