Viññāṇa anidassana: the state of boundless consciousness

[Viveka]

Great topic

@Sunyo

Please let me know any comments, questions, etc. I consider the essay still a work in progress, so I might incorporate your ideas one day.

@inb4dead

1. Whatever vinnanam anidsssanam is, it is said to be associated with a uparujjhati [stopping/cessation] of name [contact, perception, feeling, sankhara].

If you were correct it would merely be a uparujjhati of rupa and not of nāmañca.

The arupa jhana are associated with ‘name’, these states are construed, perceived & felt, the contact therein is at the mind base and they are known by that which is called ‘mind, intellect or consciousness’ which is at that time divorced from the five sense faculties.

This is also my understanding.

Bhikkhu K Nanananda also has done a very thorough analysis of this in the NIbbana Sermons, and it is my understanding that it is related to Arahantaphalasamadhi. I’m not at home, with access to my references at the moment, so can’t quote exactly, but it is related to post-awakening experiences of voidness (and the numerous sub-categories of this). Though at this stage the categorisations are so very refined that personally I don’t find it useful to engage in too much definition - it is really a case of it needs to be experienced to be known and for the ‘words/descriptions’ to be understood.

But I totally agree with Ven Sunyo when he says

@Sunyo

So in both cases the Pali can easily be interpreted in ways that align with all other suttas. Some, however, interpret them in a “unique way” (to literally quote The Island: an anthology of the Buddha’s teachings on nibbana o ). With all reverence to those who do, but to me that’s not following the Buddha’s teaching in the Parinibbāna Sutta (DN16), when he tells us to compare questionable teachings to the rest of the suttas. (In this case, to see how questionable “consciousnesses” can be seen in light of all others.)