AN 9:45 · (Released) Both Ways* (Ubhatobhāga Sutta)
[Ven. Udāyin:] “‘Released both ways, released both ways,’ it is said. To what extent is one described by the Blessed One as released both ways?”
[Ven. Ānanda:] “There is the case, my friend, where a monk, secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters & remains in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there, and he knows it through discernment. It’s to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as released both ways, though with a sequel.
“Then, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhāna… the third jhāna… the fourth jhāna… the dimension of the infinitude of space… the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness… the dimension of nothingness… the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there, and he knows it through discernment. It’s to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as released both ways, though with a sequel.
“Then, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters & remains in the cessation of perception & feeling. And as he sees (that) with discernment, effluents are completely ended. He remains touching with his body in whatever way there is an opening there, and he knows it through discernment. It’s to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as released both ways without a sequel.”
See also: DN 15
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).
