What is the "stilling of all activities" in AN 3.32?

Q & A
1

What is the “stilling of all activities” in AN 3.32? Is it referring to the activity of the sankharas aggregate?

2

As I see it, it’s referring to all of the constructions outlined in dependent origination teachings. Due to ignorance, sankharas construct experience in such a way as to create dukkha. The stilling of these construction activities covers a range from the gross activities (craving, clinging, reactions) to the subtle (the construction of an “experiencer” and “an experienced”). With the stilling of all of those construction activities, the mind is perfectly stilled and completely free.

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3

I like to think that in reference to Nibbāna it refers to the stilling of all activities influenced by lust, hatred, and delusion. After all, nibbāna is simply the extinguishment of these 3 blazing fires that burn all our experience with dukkha. Although to literally still all activities see below:

“Then, bhikkhu, I have also taught the successive cessation of formations. For one who has attained the first jhana, speech has ceased. For one who has attained the second jhana, thought and examination have ceased. For one who has attained the third jhana, rapture has ceased. For one who has attained the fourth jhana, in-breathing and out-breathing have ceased. For one who has attained the base of the infinity of space, the perception of form has ceased. For one who has attained the base of the infinity of consciousness, the perception pertaining to the base of the infinity of space has ceased. For one who has attained the base of nothingness, the perception pertaining to the base of the infinity of consciousness has ceased. For one who has attained the base of neither-perception-nor-nonperception, the perception pertaining to the base of nothingness has ceased. For one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling have ceased. For a bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, lust has ceased, hatred has ceased, delusion has ceased. SN 36.11

Since not all arahants have attained the formless spheres and the cessation of perception and feeling, I don’t think that we should necessarily take the stilling of all formations in the recollection of nibbana sutta as including the ceasing of literally all formations.

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4

In such contexts, saṅkhāra can be interpreted either in its broad sense of “all conditioned phenomena” or the narrower sense of “choices, ethical intentions”. Both make sense, as the former would refer to the final extinguishment of conditions at the end of life, while the latter would refer to the arahant’s nibbana in the present life, the end of kamma and attachments that lead to rebirth.

But which is more likely here?

The sense of “ethical choices” is by far the most common doctrinal sense of saṅkhāra in the suttas, used frequently in both the five aggregates and dependent origination. Here, the context speaks of the letting go of attachments and ending of craving, which suggests that this is the sense intended here.

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5

So not the stilling of all sankhara aggregate activity, just the volitional aspects related to craving and aversion?

6

I’d like to hear what Bhante has to say, but for more context, in AN 10.6 which uses the same nirvana pericope as AN 3.32, tthis direct experience of nirvana is called a “samādhi”,
it seems to be an arupa attainment where the mind is not conscious of internal or external rupa,
but it’s not any of the standard four arupa attainments.
Since there is perception in this attainment, and also attention (manasi karoti), See AN 10.7 and its parallels in AN 11, not all sankharas are stilled. Yet, somehow it seems like saying intentional volition sankharas (of craving) are the only thing meant by “sabba sankhara samatho” seems incomplete. On the other hand, the 4NT is just that simple, and the earliest strata of the EBT like the Sutta Nipata, often describe the whole path in just these terms, of craving stilled.

(buddha answers...)

“Idhānanda, bhikkhu evaṃsaññī hoti:
 “Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu is percipient thus:
‘etaṃ santaṃ etaṃ paṇītaṃ yadidaṃ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.
 ‘This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, the stilling of all activities, the relinquishing of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbāna.’
Evaṃ kho, ānanda, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā
 It is in this way, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu could obtain such a state of concentration that he would
neva pathaviyaṃ pathavisaññī assa,
 not be percipient of earth in relation to earth;
na āpasmiṃ āposaññī assa,
 of water in relation to water;
na tejasmiṃ tejosaññī assa,
 of fire in relation to fire;
na vāyasmiṃ vāyosaññī assa,
 of air in relation to air;
na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa,
 of the base of the infinity of space in relation to the base of the infinity of space;
na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa,
 of the base of the infinity of consciousness in relation to the base of the infinity of consciousness;
na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa,
 of the base of nothingness in relation to the base of nothingness;
na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa,
 of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception in relation to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception;
na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa,
 of this world in relation to this world;
na paraloke paralokasaññī assa;
 of the other world in relation to the other world, but he would still be percipient.”
saññī ca pana assā”ti.
(end of sutta, bodhi, sc)
Chaṭṭhaṃ.
7

Any ‘unification’ would not be possible to be observed- therefore I think ‘samadhi’ here would encompass a broader meaning more akin to ‘state of meditation’ or meditative state, rather than mental unification.

‘Arupa’ are the four immaterial attainments- they are fabricated hence impermanent, hence dukkha, and not self. Nibbana is not fabricated and not arupa. This was essentially why the Buddha refused to accept the Alara Kalama and Udakkaramaputta’s attainments as they were fabricated.

With metta

8

Why did it not mention cessation of perception and feeling in this formula?

9

I agree, but there’s no real reason it should be complete in itself. The other phrases in this passage are not: the end of craving, for example. To be honest, I always thought that it meant the end of all conditioned phenomena, and it’s only when looking closer that I realized the “intention” reading was more plausible in this context.

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10

That would follow, yes.

11

Thanks. It was the reference in the OP passage to all activities which I found a little confusing.

12

So is it the case that the stilling of craving and aversion result from the stilling of “I-making”?

13

I think it may be more accurate to say that the stilling of craving and aversion result from the stilling of all three: I-making, mine-making, and conceit. It seems to me that these are three layers of sankharas, listed from gross to subtle, that have been stilled in the experience of nibbana.