The Buddha describes the distinction between the two Nibbāna elements - 1) one with fuel remaining pertaining to this life, and 2) one without fuel remaining and of relevance to the hereafter.

ITI 44 Nibbānadhātu sutta - The Nibbāna Element

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

“There are, bhikkhus, two |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]| elements. What are the two? The Nibbāna element with fuel remaining and the Nibbāna element with no fuel remaining.

And what, bhikkhus, is the Nibbāna element |with fuel remaining::with residual clinging [saupādisesa]|? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is an |Arahant::a worthy one, an epithet of a fully awakened being [arahant]|, with taints eradicated, having fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, |who has exhausted the fetter of existence::who has worn away the bonds of continued conditional existence, i.e. the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [parikkhīṇabhavasaṃyojana]|, and who is liberated through complete comprehension. However, his five sense faculties remain intact, and due to that, he experiences what is agreeable and disagreeable, and feels |pleasure and pain::ease and discomfort, happiness and sorrow [sukhadukkha]|. The ending of |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, the ending of |aversion::ill will, hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, the ending of |illusion::delusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view; that which fuels further confusion and doubt [moha]| — this is called, bhikkhus, the Nibbāna element with fuel remaining.

And what, bhikkhus, is the Nibbāna element |with no fuel remaining::with no residual clinging, with no grasping to existence [anupādisesa]|? In this case, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is an Arahant, with taints eradicated, having fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, who has exhausted the fetter of existence, and who is liberated through complete comprehension. For him, bhikkhus, everything that is felt, being no longer delighted in, will become cool right here. This is called, bhikkhus, the Nibbāna element with no fuel remaining. These, bhikkhus, are the two elements of Nibbāna.”

The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:

“These two elements of Nibbāna are explained,
by the |clear-eyed one::who can see, gifted with sight [cakkhumant]|, the unhindered, the steadfast;
The first element with residual clinging pertains to this current life,
when the bond to rebirth is ended;
The second element with no grasping is of relevance to the hereafter,
where all states of existence utterly |cease::vanish, reach an end [nirujjhati]|.

Those who fully understand the |unconditioned::not created, unconstructed, unformed, epithet of Nibbāna [asaṅkhata]|—
their minds liberated, the bond to rebirth ended—
realizing the essence of the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|, delighting in |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion, gradual destruction [khaya]|,
the steadfast ones relinquish all states of existence.”

This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.

Last updated on July 8, 2025

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