清淨道論 無所有處Visuddhimagga · The Base of Nothingness
僧眾集會散去，其人回來站在門口，再看那個地方——唯見其空、唯見其遠離。他並不想「這麼多比丘去了哪裡」；一追問去向，心就跟著跑了。只看「此處今無」，心才停在無上。
第三座的所緣是一個乾淨的缺席：不是空、不是識，是前定之識的不在。《分別論》說「令識為無、令其滅、令其隱」——不是把識滅掉，只是徹底不理它：不轉向、不作意、不省察。
「無所有」推到極處：乃至連唯壞滅之一分也不餘留。這一語劃出它與觀慧的界線——觀智盯著壞滅看，此定連壞滅都不看，只住於淨空的無。
而「想」本身還在。把想修到似有似無、細到不能再細——第四座。
The community disperses. A man returns, stands at the door, and looks again: he sees only that the hall is empty and secluded. He does not wonder where so many bhikkhus went. Once he asks where, the mind follows them. Only by seeing “now absent here” does the mind settle upon absence.
The object of the third station is a clean absence. It is neither space nor consciousness, but the non-presence of the preceding attainment’s consciousness. The Vibhaṅga says that one makes consciousness absent, makes it disappear, and causes it to vanish. This does not mean destroying consciousness. It means wholly ignoring it: not turning toward it, attending to it, or reviewing it.
“Nothingness” is carried to the limit: not even a mere portion of dissolution remains. This phrase marks its boundary from insight. Insight watches dissolution; this concentration does not even look at dissolution, but rests in a clear absence.
Perception itself, however, remains. The fourth station refines perception until it seems both present and absent, too subtle to become any subtler.
本單元白話為本編自巴利原典之譯疏（tr. mine）；底本事項詳本單元考據。
§1 無有之作意與集會散去之喻 〔CSCD §283〕
無所有處之論
而想要修習無所有處的人，應當以五種行相¹於識無邊處等至修得自在，然後見到識無邊處之中的過患：「這個等至是近於空無邊處的對敵者，並且不像無所有處那樣寂靜」，於是盡了對它的欣求²，作意無所有處為寂靜，然後應當作意那作為識無邊處之所緣的空無邊處之識的無性、空性、遠離之相³。怎樣呢？不作意那個識，而應當一再地轉向「無有、無有」，或者「空、空」，或者「遠離、遠離」，應當作意、省察，令它為思所擊、為尋所擊。
當他這樣於那相上運心之時，諸蓋被鎮伏，念得安住，心以近行而得定。他對那相一再地習行、修習、多作。當他這樣做的時候，就如識無邊處〔心〕安止於那被空所遍滿的大⁴識一般，無所有處心於那同一個遍滿虛空而轉的大識的空、遠離、無有之性之上安止。而這裡安止之法也應當依已說的方法而知。
而這裡有這樣的差別：當那安止心生起之時，那位比丘就如同一個人在圓堂⁵等處見到為某事而集會的比丘僧眾，於是往別處去了；等到集會之事一了、諸比丘起身散去之後，他回來站在門口，再看那個地方，就唯見其空、唯見其遠離。他並不這樣想：「有這麼多比丘或者已命終、或者往諸方去了」，而唯是見其無有之性：「這是空的、是遠離的」。同樣地，他先前以識無邊處禪之眼看著那於空上已轉起的識而住，當那個識由「無有、無有」等等的遍作作意而隱沒之後，就唯看著它那名為離去的無性而住。到了這裡，就說他「一切地超越識無邊處，〔思惟〕『無所有』而具足住於無所有處」。
§2 無所有之義與其名 〔CSCD §284〕
這裡「一切地」也照已說的方法。「識無邊處」——這裡也依先前所說的方法，禪也是識無邊處，所緣也是。因為依前面的方法，所緣也是識無邊性，而它由於是第二無色禪之所緣，就像諸天之天處一般，依住處之義而為「處」，所以是「識無邊處」。同樣地，它是識無邊性，而由於它是那禪的生起之因，就像「劍浮闍為諸馬之處」等等一般，依生地之義而為「處」，所以也是「識無邊處」。這樣，禪與所緣二者都必須由令其不轉與不作意而超越了之後，才應當具足住於這個無所有處；所以應當知道，是把這二者合為一而說「超越識無邊處」的。
「無所有」——是說這樣作意：「無有、無有」，「空、空」，「遠離、遠離」。而《分別論》中所說的——「『無所有』——他令那同一個識為無、令其滅、令其隱，見『無所有』，因此說『無所有』」——那雖然說得像是從盡而作的思惟，然而它的義也應當就這樣看。因為他不轉向、不作意、不省察那個識，唯獨作意它的無有之性、空之性、遠離之性，所以才說他令它為無、令其滅、令其隱；並不是別的意思。
「具足住於無所有處」——這裡，它沒有任何所有，所以是「無所有者」；意思是說，乃至連唯壞滅⁶之分也不為它餘留。「無所有者」之性就是「無所有性」，這是空無邊處之識之離去的稱謂。那個無所有性，依住處之義而為那禪之「處」，就像諸天之天處一般，所以是「無所有處」。其餘的同前。
這就是無所有處業處之中的廣說。
註
¹ 五種行相（pañcahākārā）：轉向、入定、住定、出定、觀察五自在；其目之開列在〈地遍〉一品，本篇唯以一語迴指而不重列。
² 欣求（nikanti）：於已得之定之微細愛樂；不盡之則不能進於次定。
³ 無性・空性・遠離之相（abhāva・suññatā・vivittākāra）：前定之識之不存之三名，與遍作之三語（「無有」「空」「遠離」）逐一相配。論並列三名而不判其一為正。
⁴ 大（mahaggata）：色界與無色界心之通稱，別於欲界之心。
⁵ 圓堂（maṇḍalamāḷa）：寺中比丘眾集會之堂。
⁶ 唯壞滅（bhaṅgamatta）：唯壞滅之一分；論以連此亦不餘留而明「無所有」之徹底。
The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.
§1 Attention to Absence and the Simile of the Dispersed Gathering 〔CSCD §283〕
Discourse on the Base of Nothingness
One who wishes to develop the base of nothingness should gain mastery in five ways¹ over the attainment of the base of infinite consciousness. Then, seeing the danger in the base of infinite consciousness—“This attainment is close to the base of infinite space, its adversary, and is not as peaceful as the base of nothingness”—one exhausts longing² for it and attends to the base of nothingness as peaceful. One should then attend to the absence, emptiness, and aspect of seclusion³ of the consciousness of the base of infinite space that was the object of the base of infinite consciousness. How? Without attending to that consciousness, one should repeatedly turn toward “there is not, there is not,” or “empty, empty,” or “secluded, secluded,” attend to it, review it, and strike it with thought and applied thought.
As one directs the mind toward that sign, the hindrances are suppressed, mindfulness becomes established, and the mind becomes concentrated by access. One repeatedly cultivates, develops, and makes much of that sign. As one does so, the consciousness of the base of nothingness enters absorption upon the emptiness, seclusion, and absence of that same exalted⁴ consciousness that occurred while pervading space, just as the base of infinite consciousness entered absorption upon the exalted consciousness that pervaded space. Here too the method of absorption should be understood according to the method already stated.
The distinction here is this. When that absorption consciousness arises, the bhikkhu is like a man who sees the community of bhikkhus assembled in a circular hall⁵ or another place for some business, and then goes elsewhere. When the business of the gathering is finished and the bhikkhus have risen and departed, he returns, stands at the door, and looks again at the place. He sees only that it is empty and only that it is secluded. He does not think, “So many bhikkhus have died or gone away in different directions”; rather, he sees only its state of absence: “This is empty; this is secluded.” In the same way, after dwelling while seeing with the eye of the jhāna of the base of infinite consciousness the consciousness that had occurred upon space, when that consciousness disappears through the preparatory attention “there is not, there is not,” and so on, he dwells seeing only its absence, called its departure. At this point one is said to “enter and dwell in the base of nothingness, thinking ‘there is nothing,’ having completely surmounted the base of infinite consciousness.”
§2 The Meaning of Nothingness and Its Name 〔CSCD §284〕
Here too, “completely” follows the method already stated. “The base of infinite consciousness”: here too, according to the method stated earlier, both the jhāna and its object are the base of infinite consciousness. The object is the infinity of consciousness, and because it is the object of the second immaterial jhāna, it is a “base” in the sense of a dwelling place, just as the deva realm is the devas’ dwelling place; hence it is the “base of infinite consciousness.” Likewise, because it is the infinity of consciousness and the cause for the arising of that jhāna, it is a “base” in the sense of a place of origin, as in “Kamboja is a base for horses”; hence it too is the “base of infinite consciousness.” Since one must enter and dwell in the base of nothingness only after surmounting both the jhāna and its object by making the former cease to occur and by not attending to the latter, it should be understood that the two are brought together under the single phrase “having surmounted the base of infinite consciousness.”
“There is nothing” means attending in this way: “there is not, there is not,” “empty, empty,” or “secluded, secluded.” The Vibhaṅga says: “‘There is nothing’: one makes that very consciousness be absent, makes it disappear, causes it to vanish, and sees ‘there is nothing’; therefore it is said ‘there is nothing.’” Although this sounds like contemplation made in terms of exhaustion, its meaning should be understood in just this way. Because one does not turn toward, attend to, or review that consciousness, but attends only to its state of absence, emptiness, and seclusion, one is said to make it be absent, make it disappear, and cause it to vanish; it has no other meaning.
“Enters and dwells in the base of nothingness”: it has no possession of anything, so it is “one who possesses nothing”; this means that not even a mere portion of dissolution⁶ remains for it. The state of one who possesses nothing is “nothingness,” a designation for the departure of the consciousness of the base of infinite space. That nothingness, being a “base” for the jhāna in the sense of a dwelling place, just as the deva realm is the devas’ dwelling place, is the “base of nothingness.” The rest is as before.
This is the detailed explanation of the meditation subject of the base of nothingness.
Notes
¹ Mastery in five ways (pañcahākārā): mastery in turning toward, entering, remaining in, emerging from, and reviewing an attainment. The chapter on the earth kasiṇa enumerates them; this discourse refers back with one expression and does not repeat the list.
² Longing (nikanti): subtle delight in an attainment already reached. Unless exhausted, it prevents entry into the next attainment.
³ Absence, emptiness, and the aspect of seclusion (abhāva; suññatā; vivittākāra): three names for the non-presence of the preceding attainment’s consciousness, corresponding respectively to the three preparatory phrases “there is not,” “empty,” and “secluded.” The treatise places the three together and does not declare one alone correct.
⁴ Exalted (mahaggata): a common designation for consciousness of the form and immaterial spheres, distinguished from sense-sphere consciousness.
⁵ Circular hall (maṇḍalamāḷa): a monastery hall in which the community of bhikkhus assembles.
⁶ Mere dissolution (bhaṅgamatta): merely a portion of dissolution. By saying that not even this remains, the treatise shows the thoroughness of “nothingness.”
看識的「不在」：僧眾散去，回來站在門口，唯見其空——連壞滅之一分也不餘留
大局 — 第三座：以無代識
第三座再進一層：所緣既不是空、也不是識，而是前定之識的不在——其無性、空性、遠離之相。本單元一喻定調：僧眾集會散去，其人回來站在門口看那個地方，唯見其空——不去想「他們去了哪裡」（白話 §1）。§2 釋名，把「無所有」推到極處：連唯壞滅之一分也不為它餘留。〔所見〕
§01 無有之作意與集會散去之喻 → 白話 §1
修者於識無邊處等至五行相自在，見其過患（近於空無邊處之對敵、不如無所有處寂靜），盡欣求，作意無所有處為寂靜——不作意那個識，而一再轉向「無有、無有」或「空、空」或「遠離、遠離」，令為思所擊尋所擊。諸蓋鎮伏、念安住、近行得定；習行修習多作，無所有處心於那同一個遍空大識的空、遠離、無有之性上安止。差別之喻：如人於圓堂見比丘僧眾集會而他往，事了眾散後回來站在門口再看——唯見其空、唯見其遠離；並不想「這麼多比丘或已命終或往諸方去了」，唯見其無有之性「這是空的、是遠離的」。先前以識無邊處禪之眼看著空上之識而住，識由「無有、無有」之遍作隱沒後，唯看著其名為離去的無性而住（白話 §1）。〔讀法〕喻的刀口在那句「並不想他們去了哪裡」：追問去向，心就跟著識跑了；只看「此處今無」，心才停在無上。無所有處的所緣是一個乾淨的缺席——不是消滅了什麼，是不追問什麼。
§02 無所有之義與其名 → 白話 §2
「超越識無邊處」同前式：禪與所緣二者（識無邊性依住處義、生地義皆為處）合為一而超越。「無所有」＝作意「無有」「空」「遠離」；《分別論》「令那同一個識為無、令其滅、令其隱」——語似從盡而作之思惟，義實不然：唯是不轉向、不作意、不省察彼識而作意其無有性空性遠離性，故說令無令滅令隱，並不是別的意思。「無所有者」＝沒有任何所有，乃至連唯壞滅之分也不餘留；無所有性即空無邊處之識之離去的稱謂，依住處義為處（白話 §2）。〔讀法〕論主特意擋掉一個誤讀：「令識為無」不是把識滅掉（那會成斷滅之修），只是徹底不理它。「連壞滅之分也不餘留」一語劃出本定與觀智的界線——觀智看的正是壞滅（第 21 品壞滅隨觀），此定連壞滅都不看，只住於淨空的無。〔所見〕
給一般讀者
第三座最容易講錯，論主的譬喻替它守住了分寸：僧眾散去，你回來只見堂空——不追問他們去了哪裡。無所有處不是把心滅掉，是把「識曾在此」這件事放到徹底不看，只住於那個乾淨的缺席。它與觀慧的分別也在此：觀智盯著壞滅看，此定連壞滅都不留。第四座把「想」本身修到似有似無——下一單元。
想讀本單元全文：白話 §1–§2 即無所有處之修法與三語遍作、集會散去之喻、《分別論》語之正解、名義之釋的全段逐段全譯。
See Consciousness as “Not There”: The Community Disperses, One Returns to the Door and Sees Only Emptiness—not Even a Portion of Dissolution Remains
The Big Picture — The Third Station: Absence Replaces Consciousness
The third station goes one step further. Its object is neither space nor consciousness, but the non-presence of the preceding attainment’s consciousness—its absence, emptiness, and aspect of seclusion. One simile sets the tone. A community has gathered and then dispersed; when a man returns and stands at the door, he sees only that the hall is empty, without wondering where everyone went (Vernacular §1). Section 2 drives the meaning of “nothingness” to its limit: not even a mere portion of dissolution remains. 〔What Is Seen〕
§01 Attention to Absence and the Simile of the Dispersed Gathering → Vernacular §1
Having mastered the base of infinite consciousness in five ways, the meditator sees its dangers—it is close to the base of infinite space, its adversary, and is not as peaceful as the base of nothingness—exhausts longing, and attends to the base of nothingness as peaceful. Without attending to that consciousness, one repeatedly turns toward “there is not, there is not,” “empty, empty,” or “secluded, secluded,” striking it with thought and applied thought. The hindrances are suppressed, mindfulness becomes established, and the mind becomes concentrated by access. Through repeated cultivation, the consciousness of the base of nothingness enters absorption upon the emptiness, seclusion, and absence of that same exalted consciousness that had pervaded space. Here is the distinctive simile. A man sees the community gathered in a circular hall and goes elsewhere. After the business ends and the community disperses, he returns and stands at the door: he sees only emptiness and seclusion. He does not think, “So many bhikkhus have died or gone in different directions.” He sees only absence: “This is empty; this is secluded.” Likewise, after dwelling while seeing the consciousness upon space through the eye of the jhāna of infinite consciousness, when that consciousness disappears through the preparatory phrase “there is not, there is not,” one sees only the absence called its departure (Vernacular §1). 〔Reading〕 The cutting edge of the simile is “he does not wonder where they went.” Ask where, and the mind runs after consciousness. See only “now absent here,” and the mind rests upon absence. The object of the base of nothingness is a clean absence. Nothing is destroyed; nothing is pursued.
§02 The Meaning of Nothingness and Its Name → Vernacular §2
“Having surmounted the base of infinite consciousness” follows the preceding pattern: the jhāna and its object—the infinity of consciousness as a base in both the dwelling-place and place-of-origin senses—are brought together and surmounted. “There is nothing” means attending to “there is not,” “empty,” or “secluded.” The Vibhaṅga says one “makes that same consciousness be absent, makes it disappear, and causes it to vanish.” This sounds like contemplation based on exhaustion, but its actual meaning is otherwise: one simply does not turn toward, attend to, or review that consciousness, and attends instead to its absence, emptiness, and seclusion. This is why it is said to be made absent, disappear, and vanish; there is no other meaning. “One who possesses nothing” has no possession whatsoever, not even a mere portion of dissolution remaining. Nothingness is the designation for the departure of the consciousness of the base of infinite space and is a base in the dwelling-place sense (Vernacular §2). 〔Reading〕 The commentator deliberately blocks a misreading. “Making consciousness absent” does not destroy consciousness—which would turn the practice into annihilation—but ignores it completely. “Not even a portion of dissolution remains” marks the boundary between this concentration and insight. Insight contemplates dissolution directly, as in the contemplation of dissolution in chapter 21; this attainment does not even look at dissolution, but remains with a clean absence. 〔What Is Seen〕
For the General Reader
The third station is especially easy to misstate, and the commentator’s simile guards its measure. The community disperses; you return and see the empty hall, without asking where they went. The base of nothingness does not extinguish the mind. It leaves “consciousness was here” entirely unattended and remains with that clean absence. Its distinction from insight is equally sharp: insight watches dissolution, whereas this attainment leaves even dissolution out of view. The fourth station follows by refining perception itself until it seems both present and absent.
To read this unit in full: Vernacular §§1–2 gives the complete paragraph-by-paragraph rendering of the development of the base of nothingness and its three preparatory phrases, the simile of the dispersed gathering, the correct reading of the Vibhaṅga phrase, and the explanation of the name.
考據Apparatus
一、科判定位
譯底 本單元之譯底＝CSCD（內用不上站）。本層一切巴利逐字取自本單元原典欄之譯底，定位一式：〔CSCD §NN〕式對譯底欄逐字可核。本品無自家對頁之巴利，故頁域一概不記。
篇名 譯底欄自帶 ### 行 1 個，即本篇之科題 ### Ākiñcaññāyatanakathā。科題與本篇之全幅同度——本篇即該科之全。
段號域 譯底欄之段號自〔CSCD §283〕至〔CSCD §284〕，實落段號 2 個，號序連續無缺。本篇於譯底欄之幅為 4,185 位元組。
五段式之第三出與其一異 本篇承本品所立之五段式，而於第二段之後別出一段——以 Ayaṃ pana viseso 一語領起集會散去之長喻。此別出之段於本品四無色篇中唯二見：本篇一處，空無邊處篇一處（其語為版頁記所隔，作 Ayaṃ ⋯ pana viseso，領其視覆布之器之喻）。本欄實測：pana viseso 全品 2 見（本篇與空無邊處篇各一），識無邊處篇零命中；非想非非想處篇亦零命中，其王與工匠之長喻改以自問 Kasmā? 之答領起（全品 Kasmā? 唯彼篇 1 見）。誌其實不代裁。
所緣之特異 本篇之所緣非一有法而為前定之識之無（ākāsānañcāyatanaviññāṇassa abhāvo suññatā vivittākāro）。論自設一難於次段（taṃ kiñcāpi khayato sammasanaṃ viya vuttaṃ）以別其與觀之思惟——此為本品唯一之義理難，其他三篇之難皆屬修法或文法。誌其實不代裁。
前後接點 前承識無邊處之單元：本篇首句作 Ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ bhāvetukāmena pana pañcahākārehi viññāṇañcāyatanasamāpattiyaṃ ciṇṇavasībhāvena——論自標其所出之定，承前篇之收句。後接非想非非想處之單元：本篇收句 Ayaṃ ākiñcaññāyatanakammaṭṭhāne vitthārakathā.，次單元即以 Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ bhāvetukāmena pana 承之——論自標之續。
movement 品夾《總覽》繫本單元於 §C〈無所有處〉一節；其所繫之章§逐字見該表，本目不重錄、不截取——段號與章§二系不明對映，不推估不換算。
二、詞義與譯語
本目只記本篇用法與其定位；名相定讀以規範詞表為準，詞表所未定者，本目不代定。前此諸品已立之讀不重解——本篇所涉之既立詞為 ākiñcaññāyatana（無所有處）・viññāṇañcāyatana（識無邊處）・ākāsānañcāyatana（空無邊處）・viññāṇa（識）・mahaggata（大）・ārammaṇa（所緣）・nimitta（相）・nīvaraṇa（蓋）・sati（念）・upacārasamādhi（近行定）・appanā（安止）・nikanti（欣求）・bhikkhu（比丘）・sammasana（思惟）・adhiṭṭhānaṭṭha（住處之義）・sañjātidesaṭṭha（生地之義）。以下唯列本篇新出者。
所緣之三名與其作意〔CSCD §283〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| āsannaākāsānañcāyatanapaccatthika | 近於空無邊處之對敵 | 見識無邊處過患之語；本品三篇同式而各易其所近 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| abhāva | 無性 | 所緣三名之第一；即前定之識之不存。依先例勝從既立之 sabhāva・abhāva＝有性・無性，本欄原提「無有」，誌之 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| suññatā | 空性 | 所緣三名之第二 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| vivittākāra | 遠離之相 | 所緣三名之第三；論以三名並列而不判其一 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| natthi natthi・suññaṃ suññaṃ・vivittaṃ vivittanti | 無有無有・空空・遠離遠離 | 遍作之三語，各疊用而任取其一 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| suññavivittanatthibhāva | 空・遠離・無有之性 | 安止之所緣；論以三名合為一複合語 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
集會之喻與其配〔CSCD §283〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| maṇḍalamāḷa | 圓堂 | 喻中比丘眾集會之處 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| sannipātakicca | 集會之事 | 喻中眾集之由；事竟則各散 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| disāpakkanta | 往諸方者 | 喻中所不作之推想其二（其一為 kālaṅkatā＝已命終者）；論明其人唯見空而不推其所往 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| apagamasaṅkhāta abhāva | 名為離去之無性 | 論自結所緣之實——非識之滅盡而唯其離去 | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
語釋與名之成立〔CSCD §284〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| khayato sammasanaṃ viya | 如從盡而思惟 | 論自設之難——分別之書之語似觀之思惟 | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| abhāveti vibhāveti antaradhāpeti | 令無・令滅・令隱 | 分別之書之三動詞；論自釋其唯是不作意而非實壞其法 | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| akiñcana | 無所有者 | 論之語釋——nāssa kiñcananti 故；並明其連壞滅之餘亦不存 | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| ākiñcañña | 無所有性 | akiñcana 之抽象名；論明其為前定之識之離去之稱謂 | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| bhaṅgamatta | 唯壞滅 | 論以其明「無所有」之徹底——連此亦不餘 | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
須併觀之二處 ①所緣之三名（無性・空性・遠離之相）與遍作之三語（natthi natthi・suññaṃ suññaṃ・vivittaṃ vivittanti）逐一相配，本欄依其配而立其讀；三名之孰為正，論不自判，本目亦不代判。②suññatā（空性）一形於後諸品之觀智諸篇另有其位，本篇之位唯為此定之所緣之名——一形二位，誌之以俟來哲。
三、異讀
材料之面 本篇無自家對頁之巴利，故無校勘段可錄；可查之面唯譯底欄自身。誌錄不判。
普查之實測 譯底欄全篇逐字普查：異讀括注式（(sī.)・(syā.)・(kaṃ.)・(pī.) 等）零命中；異誦之標識詞 pāṭho 零命中；異說之標識詞 Porāṇā／porāṇā・Keci／keci・eke 俱零命中。方括注唯二式（[§NN] 段號 2 個與版頁記 4 個，後者皆在註記之內）。查無即記無：譯底欄自身無異讀之記。
引號之對稱 全篇 '' 實測 18 處為偶數，逐引皆有其收，無不對稱者。
本欄自出之一處字面之誌 〔CSCD §284〕之引分別之書句作 Yampi vibhaṅge vuttaṃ ''natthi kiñcīti⋯tena vuccati natthi kiñcī''ti, taṃ kiñcāpi khayato sammasanaṃ viya vuttaṃ——其引不繫圓括注，而本品他篇之同式引皆繫之（識無邊處篇之 (vibha. 610)）。誌其字面不改、不代補其注。
本欄之界 上列皆為譯底欄之字面之實；未與 PTS 掃描頁對勘。本欄之零命中唯就譯底欄一面，不以之推斷他本。
四、論主引據
論主自引之處，逐處繫段號錨；出處唯本文自標者記之，不代考定。
| 位置 | 引式〔逐字〕 | 所引之要 | 本文自標之出處 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | ''sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharatī''ti | 無所有處之經之定型文——本篇後段所逐句釋者 | (vibha. 508; dī. ni. 2.129) |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | Yampi vibhaṅge vuttaṃ ''natthi kiñcīti taññeva viññāṇaṃ abhāveti vibhāveti antaradhāpeti natthi kiñcīti passati, tena vuccati natthi kiñcī''ti | 分別之書釋「無所有」——論據以立其難而後自解 | 無（自標 vibhaṅge 而不繫圓括注） |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | ''kambojā assānaṃ āyatana''ntiādīni viya | 劍浮闍為諸馬之處——「處」之生地義之證 | 無（以 -ādīni viya 繫之而不標其書） |
引式與出處之數〔本欄實測〕 本篇之圓括注出處唯 1 處（本品五單元中之最少者，雜論之單元零處除外）。引式之標唯 Yampi vibhaṅge vuttaṃ 1 見；Yathāha・Vuttañhetaṃ・Vuttampi cetaṃ・Tena vuttaṃ・Tenāha・Tenetaṃ vuccati・Apare āhu・kira 俱零命中。本篇之三引之中二引不繫其書——此於本品四無色篇中為比例最高者。本目誌其實而不代考定其出處。
論主自陳之二處 ①〔CSCD §284〕atha khvassa evameva attho daṭṭhabbo——論自陳其解，明分別之書之三動詞當依不作意而解。②〔CSCD §284〕na aññathāti——論自封其解，遮他解之餘地。二處皆論主自陳，本目逐字錄其位而不代評。
五、譬喻·修辭
本目只記本篇譬喻之所在與其所配，不作文學評價。
甲・譬喻之列 viya（詞界）全篇實測 4 見、連聲之比況形（-miva／-mivāti）2 見、sadisa 諸形 1 見、Yathā／yathā 之比況領語 1 見、upamā 零命中。逐處如下：
| 位置 | 譬喻〔逐字〕 | 所喻 |
|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | no ca ākiñcaññāyatanamiva santā | 識無邊處不如無所有處之寂靜——比較式之比況 |
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | yathā nāma puriso maṇḍalamāḷādīsu⋯sannipatitaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ disvā⋯āgantvā dvāre ṭhatvā puna taṃ ṭhānaṃ olokento suññameva passati, vivittameva passati | 見眾集之堂，眾散而歸見其空——喻不見前識而唯見其無 |
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ viya tasseva ākāsaṃ pharitvā pavattassa mahaggataviññāṇassa suññavivittanatthibhāve | 前定之安止——喻本定安止之所落 |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | khayato sammasanaṃ viya vuttaṃ | 如從盡而思惟——論自標其似而非之處 |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | ''kambojā assānaṃ āyatana''ntiādīni viya sañjātidesaṭṭhena | 劍浮闍為諸馬之處——喻「處」之生地義 |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | devānaṃ devāyatanamivāti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ | 諸天之天處——喻「處」之住處義 |
集會之喻之一格 本喻之力不在所見而在所不推想：Nāssa evaṃ hoti ''ettakā nāma bhikkhū kālaṅkatā vā disāpakkantā vā''ti——論以一否句明其人不追前識之所往。此否句為本喻之樞，而本品他喻皆以肯定之配合成其喻。誌其實不代評。
乙・修辭之可核觀察 ①Tattha 之提示語全篇實測 零命中——本篇之語釋不以 Tattha 領起而逕以 Idhāpi sabbasoti 起，此於本品四無色篇中為獨例。②問句 1 見，即論自設之 Kathaṃ?（〔CSCD §283〕領起遍作之三語）。③省引式 3 見：Etthāpi ca appanānayo vuttanayeneva veditabbo・Idhāpi sabbasoti idaṃ vuttanayameva・Sesaṃ purimasadisamevāti。④…pe… 省略式 零命中。⑤偈頌 零處。⑥所引之經論塊皆隨文而不另起縮排。⑦本篇之喻雖為人事而無人名，故不入事例之數。
以上諸數唯就本篇之域實測，不及全書。
六、章內互讀
每指皆帶段號錨；所指之處唯就本篇文中可核之名相立——本篇之段號與章§二系不明對映，故所指不繫章§，亦不推估換算。不代考定。
| 本篇之處 | 所指 | 可核之由 |
|---|---|---|
〔CSCD §283〕 pañcahākārehi viññāṇañcāyatanasamāpattiyaṃ ciṇṇavasībhāvena | 識無邊處之單元〔CSCD §281〕 | 彼篇之同語作 pañcahākārehi ākāsānañcāyatanasamāpattiyaṃ ciṇṇavasībhāvena；本篇逐字承其式而易其定 |
〔CSCD §283〕 tasseva viññāṇañcāyatanārammaṇabhūtassa ākāsānañcāyatanaviññāṇassa abhāvo | 識無邊處之單元〔CSCD §281〕 | 彼篇立「遍滿虛空而轉之識」為所緣；本篇即以其無有為所緣——二篇之所緣一有一無而相貫 |
〔CSCD §283〕 Etthāpi ca appanānayo vuttanayeneva veditabbo | 空無邊處之單元〔CSCD §276〕 | 安止之法之三重迴指（本篇→識無邊處篇→空無邊處篇→地遍之單元） |
〔CSCD §284〕 pubbe vuttanayeneva jhānampi viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ ārammaṇampi | 識無邊處之單元〔CSCD §282〕 | 彼篇立禪與所緣二面同名之法；本篇以 pubbe vuttanayeneva 承之 |
〔CSCD §284〕 Sesaṃ purimasadisamevāti | 識無邊處之單元〔CSCD §282〕・空無邊處之單元〔CSCD §280〕 | upasampajja viharati 之釋在空無邊處篇之末，識無邊處篇已以同語承之——本篇為此語之第二承 |
〔CSCD §285〕 Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ bhāvetukāmena pana | 非想非非想處之單元 | 次篇承本篇之收句——論自標之續 |
七、傳本
作者、傳本與注疏源流諸問題，本編不於考據內立說。
I. Placement in the Outline
Base text The base text for this unit is CSCD, for internal use and not for publication. Every Pāli form in this layer is copied verbatim from the working base in this unit’s source column. Its single location format, 〔CSCD §NN〕, can be checked verbatim against that column. Since this chapter has no in-house Pāli collated to the printed pages, no page range is recorded.
Discourse title The source column contains one ### line, this discourse’s rubric ### Ākiñcaññāyatanakathā. The rubric and the complete extent of this discourse coincide: this discourse comprises the rubric in full.
Paragraph-number range The source column runs from 〔CSCD §283〕 through 〔CSCD §284〕 and contains two paragraph numbers, continuous without a gap. Its source-column extent is 4,185 bytes.
Third occurrence of the five-part pattern and one departure This discourse follows the chapter’s five-part pattern, but after the second part it adds a separate paragraph, introduced by Ayaṃ pana viseso, containing the extended simile of the dispersed gathering. Such an added paragraph occurs only twice among the four immaterial discourses: once here and once in the discourse on infinite space, where an edition-page note separates the words Ayaṃ ... pana viseso and the phrase introduces the covered-vessel simile. Measured across the chapter, pana viseso occurs twice, once here and once in the discourse on infinite space. It does not occur in the discourse on infinite consciousness or in that on neither perception nor non-perception; the latter introduces its extended simile of a king and artisan through an answer to the self-posed question Kasmā?, the sole occurrence of Kasmā? in the chapter. The facts are recorded without judgment.
Distinctive object The object here is not an existing phenomenon but the absence of the preceding attainment’s consciousness, ākāsānañcāyatanaviññāṇassa abhāvo suññatā vivittākāro. The treatise raises a difficulty in the next paragraph, taṃ kiñcāpi khayato sammasanaṃ viya vuttaṃ, to distinguish it from the contemplation of insight. This is the chapter’s sole doctrinal difficulty; those in the other three discourses concern either practice or grammar. The fact is recorded without judgment.
Connections before and after The discourse follows the unit on the base of infinite consciousness. Its opening reads Ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ bhāvetukāmena pana pañcahākārehi viññāṇañcāyatanasamāpattiyaṃ ciṇṇavasībhāvena: the treatise itself identifies the attainment from which one emerges, directly continuing the preceding discourse’s closing sentence. It is followed by the unit on the base of neither perception nor non-perception. This discourse closes Ayaṃ ākiñcaññāyatanakammaṭṭhāne vitthārakathā.; the next begins Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ bhāvetukāmena pana, a continuation marked by the treatise itself.
Movement The chapter overview associates this unit with the single movement §C, “Base of Nothingness.” Its chapter-and-section locator appears verbatim there and is neither copied nor excerpted here. The paragraph-number system and chapter-section system have no established conversion, so none is inferred.
II. Terms and Renderings
This item records only usage and location within this discourse. The normative glossary governs established renderings; this item does not settle terms that it leaves open. Readings already established in earlier chapters are not re-explained. They include ākiñcaññāyatana (base of nothingness), viññāṇañcāyatana (base of infinite consciousness), ākāsānañcāyatana (base of infinite space), viññāṇa (consciousness), mahaggata (exalted), ārammaṇa (object), nimitta (sign), nīvaraṇa (hindrance), sati (mindfulness), upacārasamādhi (access concentration), appanā (absorption), nikanti (longing), bhikkhu (bhikkhu), sammasana (contemplation), adhiṭṭhānaṭṭha (the sense of a dwelling place), and sañjātidesaṭṭha (the sense of a place of origin). Only new expressions in this discourse are listed below.
Three names for the object and their attention 〔CSCD §283〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| āsannaākāsānañcāyatanapaccatthika | close to the base of infinite space, its adversary | The danger seen in the base of infinite consciousness; three discourses in this chapter use the same pattern while changing what is near | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| abhāva | absence | The first of three names for the object, the non-presence of the preceding attainment’s consciousness. Following the stronger established precedent, sabhāva; abhāva is rendered “presence; absence”; this column’s earlier proposal was “non-existence,” which is recorded here | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| suññatā | emptiness | The second of three names for the object | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| vivittākāra | aspect of seclusion | The third of three names for the object; the treatise lists all three without declaring one alone correct | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| natthi natthi; suññaṃ suññaṃ; vivittaṃ vivittanti | there is not, there is not; empty, empty; secluded, secluded | Three alternative preparatory phrases, each repeated | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| suññavivittanatthibhāva | the state of emptiness, seclusion, and absence | The object of absorption; the treatise combines the three names in one compound | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
The gathering simile and its correspondence 〔CSCD §283〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| maṇḍalamāḷa | circular hall | The place where the community of bhikkhus gathers in the simile | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| sannipātakicca | business of the gathering | The reason for the assembly in the simile; once the business is finished, the members disperse | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| disāpakkanta | one gone away in another direction | The second possibility the man does not imagine; the first is kālaṅkatā, one who has died. The treatise says he sees emptiness without inferring where they went | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
| apagamasaṅkhāta abhāva | absence called departure | The treatise’s own conclusion concerning the object: not the destruction of consciousness, but only its departure | 〔CSCD §283〕 |
Explanation of words and establishment of the name 〔CSCD §284〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| khayato sammasanaṃ viya | as though contemplating in terms of exhaustion | A difficulty raised by the treatise itself: the language of the book of analysis resembles contemplation by insight | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| abhāveti vibhāveti antaradhāpeti | makes absent; makes disappear; causes to vanish | Three verbs from the book of analysis; the treatise explains them solely as non-attention, not as actual destruction of the phenomenon | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| akiñcana | one who possesses nothing | The treatise’s word explanation, because nāssa kiñcananti; it adds that not even a remainder of dissolution exists | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| ākiñcañña | nothingness | The abstract noun from akiñcana; the treatise identifies it as a designation for the departure of the preceding attainment’s consciousness | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
| bhaṅgamatta | mere dissolution | Used to show the thoroughness of “nothingness”: even this does not remain | 〔CSCD §284〕 |
Two places to read together (1) The three names for the object—absence, emptiness, and aspect of seclusion—correspond in order to the three preparatory phrases natthi natthi, suññaṃ suññaṃ, and vivittaṃ vivittanti. This column establishes its renderings through that correspondence. The treatise does not declare which alone is correct, and this item does not decide for it. (2) The single form suññatā, “emptiness,” has another function in later chapters on insight; here it names only the object of this attainment. One form thus has two functions, recorded and left to the wise who come after.
III. Variant Readings
Available material This discourse has no in-house Pāli collated to the printed pages, so no collation section can be recorded. The only available face is the source column itself. Variants are recorded without adjudication.
Measured comprehensive search A verbatim search of the entire source column finds zero occurrences of parenthetical variant formulas such as (sī.), (syā.), (kaṃ.), and (pī.); zero occurrences of the variant-reading marker pāṭho; and zero occurrences of the alternative-view markers Porāṇā or porāṇā, Keci or keci, and eke. Square-bracket annotations belong to only two types: two [§NN] paragraph numbers and four edition-page notes, the latter all within comments. When nothing is found, nothing is recorded: the source column itself contains no variant note.
Symmetry of quotation marks The eighteen occurrences of '' form an even count; every quotation has its close, with no asymmetry.
One literal feature supplied by this column In 〔CSCD §284〕 the quotation from the book of analysis reads Yampi vibhaṅge vuttaṃ ''natthi kiñcīti ... tena vuccati natthi kiñcī''ti, taṃ kiñcāpi khayato sammasanaṃ viya vuttaṃ. The quotation has no parenthetical reference, whereas the corresponding quotation in the discourse on infinite consciousness carries (vibha. 610). The literal form is recorded without alteration or addition of a reference.
Scope of this column Everything above states what is literally present in the source column. This column has not been collated against the scanned PTS pages. Zero occurrences apply only to the source column and support no inference about other editions.
IV. The Commentator’s Citations
Each citation made by the commentator is tied to its paragraph-number anchor. Only sources explicitly named by the text itself are recorded; none is independently identified here.
| Location | Citation form, verbatim | Point cited | Source named by the text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | ''sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharatī''ti | The canonical formula for the base of nothingness, explained phrase by phrase in the following paragraph | (vibha. 508; dī. ni. 2.129) |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | Yampi vibhaṅge vuttaṃ ''natthi kiñcīti taññeva viññāṇaṃ abhāveti vibhāveti antaradhāpeti natthi kiñcīti passati, tena vuccati natthi kiñcī''ti | The book of analysis explains “there is nothing”; the treatise raises its difficulty and then supplies its own explanation | None, although the text says vibhaṅge and gives no parenthetical reference |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | ''kambojā assānaṃ āyatana''ntiādīni viya | Kamboja as a base for horses, evidence for the sense of “base” as a place of origin | None, attached by -ādīni viya without naming a work |
Count of citation forms and sources, measured in this column This discourse has only one parenthetical source reference, the fewest among the chapter’s five units apart from the miscellany, which has none. The sole introductory formula is one occurrence of Yampi vibhaṅge vuttaṃ; there are zero occurrences of Yathāha, Vuttañhetaṃ, Vuttampi cetaṃ, Tena vuttaṃ, Tenāha, Tenetaṃ vuccati, Apare āhu, and kira. Two of the discourse’s three quotations name no work, the highest proportion among the four immaterial discourses. This item records the fact and does not independently identify their sources.
Two explicit statements by the commentator (1) 〔CSCD §284〕 atha khvassa evameva attho daṭṭhabbo: the commentator gives his own explanation, specifying that the three verbs in the book of analysis are to be understood through non-attention. (2) 〔CSCD §284〕 na aññathāti: the commentator seals that explanation, excluding another meaning. Both are explicit statements by the commentator; this item records their locations verbatim without judging them.
V. Similes and Rhetoric
This item records where the discourse’s similes occur and how their parts correspond. It offers no literary evaluation.
A. Inventory of similes The token-bounded form viya occurs four times; the sandhi comparison forms -miva or -mivāti occur twice; forms of sadisa occur once; comparative lead-ins Yathā or yathā occur once; and upamā occurs zero times. The locations are as follows:
| Location | Simile, verbatim | Referent |
|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | no ca ākiñcaññāyatanamiva santā | The base of infinite consciousness is not as peaceful as the base of nothingness—a comparison in adjectival form |
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | yathā nāma puriso maṇḍalamāḷādīsu ... sannipatitaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ disvā ... āgantvā dvāre ṭhatvā puna taṃ ṭhānaṃ olokento suññameva passati, vivittameva passati | One sees a community gathered in a hall and later returns after it disperses to see the hall empty—like no longer seeing the preceding consciousness and seeing only its absence |
| 〔CSCD §283〕 | viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ viya tasseva ākāsaṃ pharitvā pavattassa mahaggataviññāṇassa suññavivittanatthibhāve | The absorption of the preceding attainment illustrates where this attainment enters absorption |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | khayato sammasanaṃ viya vuttaṃ | “Stated as though contemplating in terms of exhaustion,” the place where the treatise marks a likeness but denies identity |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | ''kambojā assānaṃ āyatana''ntiādīni viya sañjātidesaṭṭhena | Kamboja as a base for horses illustrates the sense of “base” as a place of origin |
| 〔CSCD §284〕 | devānaṃ devāyatanamivāti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ | The devas’ dwelling place illustrates the sense of “base” as a dwelling place |
Distinctive feature of the gathering simile Its force lies not in what the man sees but in what he does not infer: Nāssa evaṃ hoti ''ettakā nāma bhikkhū kālaṅkatā vā disāpakkantā vā''ti. One negative sentence shows that he does not pursue where the preceding consciousness has gone. This negative sentence is the simile’s hinge, whereas the other similes in the chapter establish their correspondences affirmatively. The fact is recorded without evaluation.
B. Verifiable rhetorical observations (1) The prompt Tattha occurs zero times. Rather than beginning its explanation with Tattha, this discourse begins directly with Idhāpi sabbasoti, uniquely among the chapter’s four immaterial discourses. (2) There is one question, the self-posed Kathaṃ? in 〔CSCD §283〕, introducing the three preparatory phrases. (3) There are three abbreviated references: Etthāpi ca appanānayo vuttanayeneva veditabbo, Idhāpi sabbasoti idaṃ vuttanayameva, and Sesaṃ purimasadisamevāti. (4) The omission marker …pe… occurs zero times. (5) There are no verses. (6) Canonical and exegetical quotations remain in running prose rather than being set as indented blocks. (7) Although the simile concerns people, it names no person, so it is not counted as a historical instance.
These figures were measured only within this discourse and do not extend to the work as a whole.
VI. Intratextual Cross-Reading
Every reference carries a paragraph-number anchor and is established only from terms verifiable within this discourse. Because no correspondence between this discourse’s paragraph numbers and chapter-section locators has been established, these references do not attach chapter-section numbers and infer no conversion. No independent identification is supplied.
| Place in this discourse | Referent | Verifiable basis |
|---|---|---|
〔CSCD §283〕 pañcahākārehi viññāṇañcāyatanasamāpattiyaṃ ciṇṇavasībhāvena | Unit on the base of infinite consciousness 〔CSCD §281〕 | Its parallel reads pañcahākārehi ākāsānañcāyatanasamāpattiyaṃ ciṇṇavasībhāvena; this discourse follows the pattern verbatim while changing the attainment |
〔CSCD §283〕 tasseva viññāṇañcāyatanārammaṇabhūtassa ākāsānañcāyatanaviññāṇassa abhāvo | Unit on the base of infinite consciousness 〔CSCD §281〕 | That discourse establishes “consciousness occurring while pervading space” as its object; this discourse takes the absence of that consciousness as its object—the objects of the two are continuous, one present and one absent |
〔CSCD §283〕 Etthāpi ca appanānayo vuttanayeneva veditabbo | Unit on the base of infinite space 〔CSCD §276〕 | A threefold backward reference for the method of absorption: this discourse to infinite consciousness, that discourse to infinite space, and that one to the earth kasiṇa |
〔CSCD §284〕 pubbe vuttanayeneva jhānampi viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ ārammaṇampi | Unit on the base of infinite consciousness 〔CSCD §282〕 | That discourse establishes the same name for both the jhāna and its object; this one carries it forward through pubbe vuttanayeneva |
〔CSCD §284〕 Sesaṃ purimasadisamevāti | Unit on the base of infinite consciousness 〔CSCD §282〕 and unit on the base of infinite space 〔CSCD §280〕 | The explanation of upasampajja viharati occurs at the end of the discourse on infinite space, and the discourse on infinite consciousness already carried it forward with the same phrase—this is the phrase’s second continuation |
〔CSCD §285〕 Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ bhāvetukāmena pana | Unit on the base of neither perception nor non-perception | The next discourse takes up this one directly—a continuation marked by the treatise itself |
VII. Transmission
This edition advances no position in the apparatus on questions of authorship, textual transmission, or the history of the commentarial tradition.