Santatarasutta

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Rūpehi, bhikkhave, arūpā santatarā, arūpehi nirodho santataro”ti. Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

“Mendicants, formless states are more peaceful than states of form; cessation is more peaceful than formless states.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā, ye ca arūpaṭṭhāyino; Nirodhaṁ appajānantā, āgantāro punabbhavaṁ.

“There are beings in the realm of luminous form, and others stuck in the formless. Not understanding cessation, they return in future lives.

Ye ca rūpe pariññāya, arūpesu asaṇṭhitā; Nirodhe ye vimuccanti, te janā maccuhāyino.

But the people who completely understand form, not stuck in the formless, released in cessation— they are conquerors of death.

Kāyena amatadhātuṁ, phusayitvā nirūpadhiṁ; Upadhippaṭinissaggaṁ, sacchikatvā anāsavo; Deseti sammāsambuddho, asokaṁ virajaṁ padan”ti.

Having directly experienced <j>the element free of death, free of attachments; having realized relinquishment of attachments, the undefiled fully awakened Buddha teaches the sorrowless, stainless state.”

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti. Catutthaṁ.

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.