Nyanatiloka Buddhist Dictionary

nippapañca: s. papañca.nipphanna-rúpa: 'produced corporeality', is identical with rúpa-rúpa, 'corporeality proper', i.e. material oractual corporeality, as contrasted with 'unproduced corporeality' (anipphanna-rúpa), consisting of merequalities or modes of corporeality, e.g. impermanence, etc., which are also enumerated among the 28phenomena of the corporeality group. See khandha, Summary I; Vis.M. XIV, 73.niraya: lit. 'the downward-path', the nether or infernal world, usually translated by 'hell', is one of the 4 lowercourses of existence (apáya, q.v.). The Buddhists are well aware that on account of the universal sway ofimpermanence a life in hell, just as in heaven, cannot last eternally, but will after exhaustion of the karmawhich has caused the respective form of rebirth, necessarily be followed again by a new death and a newrebirth, according to the stored-up karma.nirodha: 'extinction'; s. nirodha-samápatti, anupubba-nirodha.nirodhánupassaná: 'contemplation of extinction', is one of the 18 chief kinds of insight (vipassaná q.v.).See ánápánasati (15).nirodha-samápatti: 'attainment of extinction' (S. XIV, 11), also called saññá-vedayita-nirodha, 'extinctionof feeling and perception', is the temporary suspension of all consciousness and mental activity, followingimmediately upon the semi-conscious state called 'sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception' (s. jhána,8). The absolutely necessary pre-conditions to its attainment are said to be perfect mastery of all the 8absorptions (jhána), as well as the previous attainment of Anágámi or Arahatship (s. ariya-puggala).According to Vis.M. XXIII, the entering into this state takes place in the following way: by means of mentaltranquillity (samatha) and insight (vipassaná) one has to pass through all the 8 absorptions one after the otherup to the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and then one has to bring this state to an end. If,namely, according to the Vis.M., the disciple (Anágámi or Arahat) passes through the absorption merely bymeans of tranquillity, i.e. concentration, he will only attain the sphere ofneither-perception-nor-non-perception, and then come to a standstill; if, on the other hand, he proceeds onlywith insight, he will reach the fruition (phala) of Anágámi or Arahatship. He, however, who by means ofboth faculties has risen from absorption to absorption and, having made the necessary preparations, bringsthe sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception to an end, such a one reaches the state of extinction.Whilst the disciple is passing through the 8 absorptions, he each time emerges from the absorption attained,and regards with his insight all the mental phenomena constituting that special absorption, as impermanent,miserable and impersonal. Then he again enters the next higher absorption, and thus, after each absorptionpractising insight, he at last reaches the state of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, and thereafter the fullextinction. This state, according to the Com., may last for 7 days or even longer. Immediately at the risingfrom this state, however, there arises in the Anágámi the fruition of Anágámiship (anágámi-phala), in theArahat the fruition of Arahatship (arahatta-phala).With regard to the difference existing between the monk abiding in this state of extinction on the one hand,and a dead person on the other hand, M 43 says: "In him who is dead, and whose life has come to an end, thebodily (in-and-outbreathing), verbal (thought-conception and discursive thinking), and mental functions (s.sankhára, 2) have become suspended and come to a standstill, life is exhausted, the vital heat extinguished,the faculties are destroyed. Also in the monk who has reached 'extinction of perception and feeling'(saññá-vedayita-nirodha), the bodily, verbal and mental functions have been suspended and come to astandstill, but life is not exhausted, the vital heat not extinguished, and the faculties are not destroyed."For details, see Vis.M. XXIII; for texts s. Path 206.nirutti-patisambhidá: the 'analytical knowledge of language', is one of the 4 patisambhidá (q.v.).nirvana: (Sanskrit= ) Nibbána (q.v.).nissarana-pahána: 'overcoming by escape', is one of the 5 kinds of overcoming (pahána q.v.).