SN 1.2  Nimokkha sutta - Release

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Jānāsi no tvaṁ, mārisa, sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti?

Then, when the night had advanced, a certain deity, radiant in appearance and illuminating almost the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near and paid homage to the Blessed One, she stood to one side. Standing there, the deity said this to the Blessed One: “Do you know, dear sir, the release, liberation, and |independence::disengagement, seclusion, solitude [viveka]| for living beings?”

“Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti.

“I know, friend, the release, liberation, and independence for living beings,” replied the Blessed One.

“Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, jānāsi sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti?

“In what way then, dear sir, do you know the release, liberation, and independence for living beings?”

“Nandībhavaparikkhayā,
Saññāviññāṇasaṅkhayā;
Vedanānaṁ nirodhā upasamā,
Evaṁ khvāhaṁ āvuso jānāmi;
Sattānaṁ nimokkhaṁ pamokkhaṁ vivekan”ti.

“With the |exhaustion of delight in existence::extinction of enjoyment in existence [nandībhavaparikkhaya]|,
with the end of perception and consciousness;
with the cessation and stilling of |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|,
it is thus, friend, that I know—
the release, liberation, and independence for living beings.”