iti.44 Itivuttaka

The Nibbāna-element

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, there are these two Nibbāna-elements. What are the two? The Nibbāna-element with residue left and the Nibbāna-element with no residue left.

“What, bhikkhus, is the Nibbāna-element with residue left? Here a bhikkhu is an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed, the holy life fulfilled, who has done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained the goal, destroyed the fetters of being, completely released through final knowledge. However, his five sense faculties remain unimpaired, by which he still experiences what is agreeable and disagreeable and feels pleasure and pain. It is the extinction of attachment, hate, and delusion in him that is called the Nibbāna-element with residue left.

“Now what, bhikkhus, is the Nibbāna-element with no residue left? Here a bhikkhu is an arahant … completely released through final knowledge. For him, here in this very life, all that is experienced, not being delighted in, will be extinguished. That, bhikkhus, is called the Nibbāna-element with no residue left.

“These, bhikkhus, are the two Nibbāna-elements.”

These two Nibbāna-elements were made known
By the Seeing One, stable and unattached:
One is the element seen here and now
With residue, but with the cord of being destroyed;
The other, having no residue for the future,
Is that wherein all modes of being utterly cease.

Having understood the unconditioned state,
Released in mind with the cord of being destroyed,
They have attained to the Dhamma-essence.
Delighting in the destruction (of craving),
Those stable ones have abandoned all being.

- Translator: John D. Ireland

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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Elements of Extinguishment

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“There are, mendicants, these two elements of extinguishment.
What two?
The element of extinguishment with something left over, and the element of extinguishment with nothing left over.
And what is the element of extinguishment with something left over?
It’s when a mendicant is a perfected one, with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment.
Their five sense faculties still remain. So long as their senses have not gone they continue to experience the agreeable and disagreeable, to feel pleasure and pain.
The ending of greed, hate, and delusion in them
is called the element of extinguishment with something left over.
And what is the element of extinguishment with nothing left over?
It’s when a mendicant is a perfected one, with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment.
For them, everything that’s felt, being no longer relished, will become cool right here.
This is called the element of extinguishment with nothing left over.
These are the two elements of extinguishment.”
The Buddha spoke this matter.
On this it is said:
“These two elements of extinguishment have been made clear
by the seer, the unattached, the poised.
One element pertains to the present life—
what is left over when the conduit to rebirth has ended.
What has nothing left over pertains to what follows this life,
where all states of existence cease.
Those who have fully understood the unconditioned state—
their minds freed, the conduit to rebirth ended—
attained to the heart of the Dhamma, they delight in ending,
the poised ones have given up all states of existence.”