1.
The First Discourse Connected with Nibbāna
71.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
Now at that time the Blessed One was instructing, encouraging, inspiring, and gladdening the monks with a talk on the Teaching connected with Nibbāna.
And those monks, having given attention, having reflected, having collected together with the whole mind, listen to the Teaching with ears inclined.
Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, at that time uttered this inspired utterance -
"There is, monks, that plane, where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor the plane of infinite space, nor the plane of infinite consciousness, nor the plane of nothingness, nor the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor this world, nor the world beyond, nor both moon and sun. There too I, monks, say there is neither coming, nor going, nor presence, nor passing away, nor rebirth; without support, without occurrence, without object is this indeed. This itself is the end of suffering." The first.