Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

The Five Methods 309with external stimulus, is sasahkhdra parinibbdyin. From Avihd he goes toAtappd; from Atappd he goes to Sudassa from Sudassa he goes to Sudassi;from Sudassi he goes to Akanittha. In Akanittha he makes the Ariyan Pathmanifest in order to remove the remaining fetters and latencies, and passesaway. This is the uddhamsota Akanitthagdmin} The life-span in Avihd isten thousand aeons; in Atappd, twenty thousand; in Sudassa, forty thousand;in Sudassi, eighty thousand; and in Akanittha, one hundred and sixtythousand. 2 In each of the four spheres there are five persons, and in theAkanittha, four. There, the up-stream-goer is not. Thus there are twentyfourpersons.The Consummate One has removed all defilements. No more has he.Therefore there is no cause of future birth in him. Because he has no cause,he is free from becoming. He destroys the formations. He cuts off ill.He stirs up no more ill. This verily is the end of ill. Therefore it is taughtin the stanza thus:SIMILE OF THE FIERY SPARKSAs when a smith beats red-hot iron to shape,sparks fly, fall into water, and then cease;so is his ending wrought in sequence true,and of his faring-on there is no trace.Escaping thus and breaking himself loosefrom lust, and tangle and corruptions base,he gains the blissful state immovable,and of his faring-on there is no trace?1. D. Ill, 237: Panca andgdmino. Antard-parinibbdyi, upahaccaparinibbdyi, asamkhdraparinibbdyi,sasamkhdra-parinibbdyi, uddhamsoto Akani(tha-gdmi. ( = Andgdmisu dyunomajjham anatikkamitva antard va kilesa-parinibbdnam arahattam patto antard-parinihbdyinama. Majjham upahacca atikkamitva patto upahacca-parinibbdyi ndrna. Asankhdrenaappayogena akilamanto sukhena patto asankhdra-parinibbdyi nama. Sasankhdrenasappayogena kilamanto dukkhena patto sasankhdra-parinibbdyi nama. Jme cattaropancasu pi suddh? dvdsesu labbhanti.Uddhamsoto Akanittha-gdmi ti ettha pana catukkam veditabbam. Yo hi avihatopatfhdya cattaro devaloke sodhetva Akanittham gantvd parinibbdyati, ayarh uddhamsotoAkanittha-gdmi nama. Yo avihato pafthaya dutiyarh vd tatiyam vd catuttham vd devalokamgantvd parinibbdyati, ayam uddhamsoto na Akanittha-gdmi nama. Yo kdma-bhavato caAkaniffhesu nibbattetva parinibbdyati, ayam na uddhamsoto Akanitfha-gdmi nama.Yo hetfhd catusu devalokesu tattha tattK eva nibbattitva parinibbdyati, ayam na uddhamsotona Akanittha-gdmi ti—Sv. Ill, 1029-30).2. Possibly a copyist's error. The life-span in these heavens should be—one thousand,two thousand, four thousand, eight thousand, sixteen thousand respectively. Cp. Vbh.425: Avihdnam devdnam kittakam dyuppamdnam ? Kappasahassam. Atappdnam devdnamkittakam dyuppamdnam? Dve kappasahassani. Sudassanam devdnam kittakam dyuppamdnam? Cattari kappasahassani. Sudassinam devdnam kittakam dyuppamdnam ? Afthakappasahassani. Akanitthanam devdnam kittakam dyuppamdnam? Solasa kappasahassani.3. Ud. 93: Ayoghanahatass' eva jalato jdtavedassoanupubbupasantassa yatha na hdyate gati,evarh sammdvimuttanam kdmabandhoghatdrinampanhdpetum gati rtatthi pattanam acalam sukhan ti.