Nimokkhasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,

“Jānāsi no tvaṁ, mārisa, sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti?

“Good fellow, do you know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings?”

“Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti.

“I do, good sir.”

“Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, jānāsi sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti?

“But how is it that you know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings?”

“Nandībhavaparikkhayā, Saññāviññāṇasaṅkhayā; Vedanānaṁ nirodhā upasamā, Evaṁ khvāhaṁ āvuso jānāmi; Sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti.

“Due to the ending of relish for rebirth; due to the finishing of perception and consciousness; due to the cessation and stilling of feelings— that, respectable sir, is how I know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings.”