Bhikkhu Bodhi on Nibbāna

[Jasudho]

@Dhabba

Sāriputta is still perceiving, while beyond any element or plane of existence, since he mentioned all the 4 arupa loka jhanas:

I agree with what you wrote about the jhanas, however I’d say he wasn’t “beyond any…plane of existence” because he was still in the human realm (bhava) – no matter what his perceptions were or were not.

@Dhabba

There is no sun light, no moon that glows, yet no darkness is to be found there.

It sounds a lot like:

Consciousness where nothing appears, infinite, luminous all-round—that is what does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, Brahmā, the gods of streaming radiance, the gods replete with glory, the gods of abundant fruit, the Vanquisher, and the all.

Yes, and this boundless, luminous all around are descriptions used to refer to some jhana states and particularly the 2nd formless attainment.
As in SN28.6:

““Reverend, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, I entered and remained in the dimension of infinite consciousness. …” …
“idhāhaṁ, āvuso, sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma anantaṁ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharāmi …pe…”

Regarding

@Dhabba

Viññāṇaṁ anidassanaṁ anantaṁ sabbato pabhaṁ =
Consciousness where nothing appears, infinite, luminous all-round

See

Whose consciousness is invisible, infinite, and all-radiant?

Continuing discussion of a number of issues raised by MN 49 Brahmanimantanika from here: And here: We have now come to the famous line: Viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ anantaṃ sabbato pabhaṃ Like the previous verse on the sun and moon, this straddles the line between verse and prose. While in Ven Bodhi’s translation it is set as verse, the Pali text contains no close -ti that would confirm it was meant as verse. It’s not unlikely that it, too, was a verse fragment loosely used in a prose sentenc…

and

Viññāṇa anidassana: the state of boundless consciousness

(This essay is also available in the MettāShelf Library in various formats.) Introduction A wide range of opinions has long surrounded two innocent Pali words: viññāṇa anidassana. They are translated variously, as ‘consciousness that is without feature / signless / invisible / non-manifesting / makes no showing / can not be characterized’, et cetera. This variety already indicates that their meaning is somewhat obscure. This obscurity has, however, not stopped interpreters from giving the words…

Ven. Thanissaro sees it as a kind of consciousness beyond time and space and relates it to nibbāna, yet there are significant differences expressed in these essays.

We’ll keep practicing and someday we’ll really know.
Let’s talk then.