The born, become, produced, made, fabricated, impermanent, fabricated of aging & death, a nest of illnesses, perishing, come-into-being through nourishment and the guide [that is craving] — is unfit for delight.
The escape from that is calm, permanent, a sphere beyond conjecture, unborn, unproduced, the sorrowless, stainless state, the cessation of stressful qualities, stilling-of-fabrications bliss.
Where’s you reference for this?
It’s Ajātasutta (Iti 43):
"Āhāranettippabhavaṃ,
nālaṃ tadabhinandituṃ;
Tassa nissaraṇaṃ santaṃ,
atakkāvacaraṃ dhuvaṃ.Ajātaṃ asamuppannaṃ,
asokaṃ virajaṃ padaṃ;
Nirodho dukkhadhammānaṃ,
saṅkhārūpasamo sukho"ti.
Permanent stands here as a translation of dhuva:
New Concise Pali English Dictionary
dhuva
mfn. & neuter1 (mfn.) fixed, firm; constant, lasting; permanent; certain, sure.
2 (n.) what is firm or constant and lasting; firmness, constancy, certainty; esp. for nibbāna.
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Ven. Ṭhānissaro’s introduction to his translation gives some hints on this:
This discourse also contains some word play on the words “time” (kala) and “subject to time” (kalika). “Time” can mean not only time in the general sense, but also one’s time of death (a person who has died is said to have “done his/her time”). These two meanings of the word underlie the first exchange between Ven. Samiddhi and the devata. “Subject to time” can mean “obtainable only after a certain time” or “good only for a certain length of time”: these meanings underlie their second exchange.
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The english word ‘permanent’ can cause some difficulties, when used for Nibbana, it seems.
I suggest the word ‘irreversible’ , it cannot become something else or revert back to the former state?
Also ‘permanent’ could be used if one means…
“C15: from Latin permanens continuing, from permanēre to stay to the end, from per- through + manēre to remain]”
Continuing to stay to the end, or enduring until it’s finished.
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Interesting discussion. I just take it to mean a timeless truth, applicable in all ages. Then, now, and in the future. So No. 2!
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I like this in terms of nibbana dhatu.