Sutta Nipāta 68

Anthology of Discourses 5.14

1 “To the meditator, rid of hopes,” said Venerable Udaya,

“who has completed the task, is free of defilements,

and has gone beyond all things,

I have come seeking with a question.

Tell me the liberation by enlightenment,

the smashing of ignorance.”

2 “The giving up of both” replied the Buddha,

“sensual desires and displeasures;

the casting aside of dullness,

and the prevention of remorse;

3 pure equanimity and mindfulness,

preceded by investigation of principles—

this, I declare, is liberation by enlightenment,

the smashing of ignorance.”

4 “What fetters the world?

How does it travel about?

With the giving up of what

is extinguishment spoken of?”

5 “Delight fetters the world.

It travels about by means of thought.

With the giving up of craving

extinguishment is spoken of.”

6 “For one living mindfully,

how does consciousness cease?

We’ve come to ask the worthy sir:

let us hear what you say.”

7 “Not taking pleasure in feeling

internally and externally—

for one living mindfully,

that’s how consciousness ceases.”