Table of Contents

• na sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato
  • translation of that expression
    • abbreviated translation NO-FORCEFUL-RESTRAINT for convenience
    • other translations
  • SN 1.38 buddha's foot injured
  • AN 5.27 five qualities of “measureless” (skill) in samādhi
    • na saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato’ti
  • DN 34.6 has the same list of 5 items as AN 5.27
  • AN 3.101 “no forceful restraint” here is a purified 4th jhāna
    • (Here before first jhāna he uses forceful restraint)
    • from MN 122 we know this is the code phrase for doing all four jhānas
    • (purified 4th jhana has no need for forceful restraint)
  • AN 9.37 “no forceful restraint” happening right before “final knowledge”
    • final knowledge, aññā-phalo
    • Thanissaro says, that arahantship attainment moment produces a fruit of the “no forceful restraint samadhi”
    • Does “no forceful restraint” always have no percipience of 5 sense faculties?
    • SN 1.38 (Buddha is percipient of 5 faculties when he’s folding his robe)
    • relationship between AN 9.36 and 9.37

na sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato

na sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato

not using-- fabrications (to) – restrain – (and) block [defilements] – ****

translation of that expression

(translation here is intended to preserve word order and audit pāli easily, not grammatical correctness)

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Niggaṇhāti [Sk. nigṛhṇāti, ni+gaṇhāti] 1. to hold back, restrain Dh 326; J iv.97; Miln 184; Vism 133. -- Opp paggaṇhāti. 2. to rebuke, censure (c. instr.) A iii.187; J iii.222; Miln 9 (musāvādena); DhA i.29. <-> ger. niggayha, pp. niggahīta (q. v.). Cp. abhi˚. Vārita [pp. of vāreti, Caus. of vṛ1] obstructed, hindered J iv.264; restrained (sabbavāri) see vāri. -- vata (so read for cārita˚) "having the habit of selfdenial" (trsln) S i.28 (cp. K.S. i.39 & 320 with note Bdhgh's expl;n: "kilesānaŋ pana chinnattā vataŋ phala -- samādhinā samāhitaŋ"), cp. bhāvanā -- balena vāritattā dhammā etc. at Tikp. 14. gata: gone; moved; walked; passed; arrived at; having come to a condition. (pp. of gacchati)

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abbreviated translation NO-FORCEFUL-RESTRAINT for convenience

na sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato	NO-FORCEFUL-RESTRAINT
sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato	WITH-FORCEFUL-RESTRAINT

other translations

SN 1.38 bodhi: not blocked and checked by forceful suppression! AN 5.27 bodhi: not reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements] AN 3.101 thanissaro: no longer kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint

SN 1.38 buddha's foot injured

Now on that occasion the Blessed One’s foot had been cut by a stone splinter… ... Then another devatā uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: “The ascetic Gotama is indeed tamed, sir! And when bodily feelings have arisen that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, harrowing, disagreeable, through his tamed manner he endures them, mindful and clearly comprehending, without becoming distressed.”

9Then another devatā uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:	atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṃ udānaṃ udānesi —
“See his concentration well developed and his mind well liberated—	“passa samādhiṃ subhāvitaṃ cittañca suvimuttaṃ,
not bent forward and not bent back,	na cābhinataṃ na cāpanataṃ
and not blocked and checked by forceful suppression!	na ca sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagataṃ.
" If anyone would think such a one could be violated—such a nāga of a man, such a lion of a man, [29] such a thoroughbred of a man, such a chief bull of a man, such a beast of burden of a man, such a tamed man—what is that due to apart from lack of vision?”	yo evarūpaṃ purisanāgaṃ purisasīhaṃ purisāajānīyaṃ purisanisabhaṃ purisadhorayhaṃ purisadantaṃ atikkamitabbaṃ maññeyya kimaññatra adassanā”ti.

AN 5.27 five qualities of “measureless” (skill) in samādhi

AN 5.27 samādhi-suttaṃ	AN 5.27 Concentration-discourse
“samādhiṃ, bhikkhave, bhāvetha ap-pamāṇaṃ	"concentration, *********, (you should)-develop (is) measure-less
nipakā patissatā.	[as you're being] intelligent [and] mindful.
samādhiṃ, bhikkhave, bhāvayataṃ appamāṇaṃ	{when} concentration, *********, (you) develop (is) measure-less
nipakānaṃ patissatānaṃ	[as you're being] intelligent [and] mindful,
pañca ñāṇāni paccattaññeva uppajjanti.	five knowledges that-are-personally-yours arise.
katamāni pañca?	which five?
[1] ‘ayaṃ samādhi paccuppanna-sukho	(1) ‘This concentration (is) presently-pleasant
ceva āyatiñca sukha-vipāko’ti	and (in the) future (has a) pleasant-result.’
paccattaññeva ñāṇaṃ uppajjati,	your-personal knowledge (of that) arises.
[2] ‘ayaṃ samādhi ariyo nirāmiso’ti	(2) ‘This concentration (is) noble (and) spiritual.’
paccattaññeva ñāṇaṃ uppajjati,	your-personal knowledge (of that) arises.
[3] ‘ayaṃ samādhi a-kāpurisa-sevito’ti	(3) ‘This concentration (by) *-contemptible-men-(it is {not})-practiced.'
paccattaññeva ñāṇaṃ uppajjati,	your-personal knowledge (of that) arises.

na saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato’ti

[4] ‘ayaṃ samādhi santo paṇīto	(4) ‘This concentration (is) peaceful (and) sublime,
paṭip-passaddha-laddho	[by means of] full-tranquilization-[it was]-obtained,
ekodi-bhāv-ādhigato,	unified-state-attained;
na saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato’ti	not saṅkhāra-reined-in-(and)-checked-by-forcefully suppressing [the defilements].'""
paccattaññeva ñāṇaṃ uppajjati,	your-personal knowledge (of that) arises.
[5] ‘sato kho pan-āhaṃ imaṃ samāpajjāmi	(5) 'mindfully *** ***-I **** enter {this} [concentration]
sato vuṭṭhahāmī’ti	(and) mindfully (I) emerge.'
paccattaññeva ñāṇaṃ uppajjati,	your-personal knowledge (of that) arises.
“samādhiṃ, bhikkhave, bhāvetha ap-pamāṇaṃ	"concentration, *********, (you should)-develop (is) measure-less
nipakā patissatā.	[as you're being] intelligent [and] mindful.

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Two things to note: 1) four jhānas are not mentioned in the list at all, nor are any specific type of samadhi attainment named, other than the “no forceful restraint”, which is never called a “samādhi” AFAIK. 2) “noble and spiritual” from attribute #2 may suggest that fulfilling these 5 attributes to qualify for “appamana” also is a designation for a meditator who’s an Arahant or ariya.

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DN 34.6 has the same list of 5 items as AN 5.27

But it wraps the list differently. Instead of the appamāna (immeasurable) samādhi, it’s labeled as “right concentration” that should be made to arise.

♦ (ja) “katame pañca dhammā uppādetabbā? pañca ñāṇiko sammāsamādhi —	(8) ‘Which five things are to be made to arise? The fivefold knowledge of right concentration
‘ayaṃ samādhi paccuppannasukho ceva āyatiñca sukhavipāko’ti …	(1) ‘This concentration (is) presently-pleasant…

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Again, as in the comment from AN 5.27, the list of 5 items does not list the four jhānas at all.

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AN 3.101 “no forceful restraint” here is a purified 4th jhāna

AN 3.101 Paṁsudhovaka Sutta (AN 3:102)	AN 3.101 The Dirt-washer (AN 3:102) (thanissaro)
Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate athāparaṃ dhammavitakkāvasissanti.	“When he is rid of them, there remain only thoughts of the Dhamma.

(Here before first jhāna he uses forceful restraint)

So hoti samādhi na ceva santo na ca paṇīto nappaṭippassaddhaladdho na ekodibhāvādhigato sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato.

His concentration is neither peaceful nor refined, has not yet attained calm or unification, and is kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint.

from MN 122 we know this is the code phrase for doing all four jhānas

Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṃ taṃ cittaṃ ajjhattaṃyeva santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

But there comes a time when his mind grows steady inwardly, settles down, grows unified & concentrated.

(purified 4th jhana has no need for forceful restraint)

So hoti samādhi santo paṇīto paṭippassaddhiladdho ekodibhāvādhigato na sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato.	His concentration is peaceful & refined, has attained calm & unification, and is no longer kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint.
Yassa yassa ca abhiññā sacchikaraṇīyassa dhammassa cittaṃ abhininnāmeti abhiññā sacchikiriyāya tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.	“And then whichever of the higher knowledges he turns his mind to know & realize, he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening.
1. So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhaveyyaṃ—ekopi hutvā bahudhā assaṃ,	1. “If he wants, he wields manifold supranormal powers.
bahudhāpi hutvā eko assaṃ; āvibhāvaṃ, …	Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one.
(2. divine ear.., 3. reading minds of others..., 4. recalling previous lives..., 5. divine eye..., 6...)	(2. divine ear.., 3. reading minds of others..., 4. recalling previous lives..., 5. divine eye..., 6...)
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti,	“If he wants, then through the ending of the effluents, he enters & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known and realized them for himself right in the here & now.
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane”ti.	He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.

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The sutta does not explicitly say which of the four jhanas “no forceful restraint” applies to. The only one we can say for sure it applies to is a purified 4th jhana, since the next step is “easily” accessing the 6 higher knowledges. We can most likely rule out first jhana, since the presence of vitakka and vicara is coarse and in itself is a “forceful restraint”. 2nd jhana’s piti, and nearness to vitakka and vicara potentially knocking you out of the attainment, also seems to disqualify it from being free of “forceful restraint”. You could make similar arguments for 3rd jhana, and low to mediocre quality of 4th jhana which are not able to access 6 abhiñña.

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AN 9.37 “no forceful restraint” happening right before “final knowledge”

Also important to note prior to this excerpt, the Buddha only lists the first 3 formless attainments, not the four jhānas, as attainments where one is not percipient of the 5 sense faculties (eyes … body).

♦ “ekamidāhaṃ, āvuso, samayaṃ sākete viharāmi	"One, *****, time (at) Sāketa (I) dwelled,
añjana-vane miga-dāye.	(in the) Añjana-Grove deer-park.
atha kho, āvuso,	Then ***, ******,
jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī yenāhaṃ tenupasaṅkami;	Jaṭilagāhiyā (the) bhikkhunī {approached} me,
upasaṅkamitvā maṃ abhivādetvā	having-approached me, paid-homage,
ekam-antaṃ aṭṭhāsi.	(towards) one-side (she) stood.
ekam-antaṃ ṭhitā kho, āvuso,	(at) one-side standing there, *****,
jaṭilavāsikā bhikkhunī maṃ etad-avoca —	Jaṭilagāhiyā (the) bhikkhunī (to) me {said}-this
‘yāyaṃ, bhante ānanda,	‘*****, Bhante Ānanda,
samādhi na c-ābhinato	(the) concentration (that does) not lean-forward
na c-āpanato	(and does) not bend-back,

”no forceful restraint”

na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato,	(and that is) not ** reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements]—
vimutt-attā ṭhito,	{being}-liberated, (it is) steady,
ṭhit-attā santusito,	{being}-steady (it is) content,
santusit-attā no paritassati.	{being}-content (one is) not agitated.
ayaṃ, bhante ānanda,	This, ****** ******,
samādhi kiṃ-phalo	concentration (has) what-(as its)-fruit,
vutto bhagavatā’”ti?	did the-blessed one say?
♦ “evaṃ vutte, sohaṃ, āvuso,	"When asked, I {responded to}, *****,
jaṭilavāsikaṃ bhikkhuniṃ etadavocaṃ —	Jaṭilagāhiyā (the) bhikkhunī {*********} -
‘yāyaṃ, bhagini,	‘*****, Sister,
samādhi na c-ābhinato	(the) concentration (that does) not lean-forward
na c-āpanato	(and does) not bend-back,

”no forceful restraint”

na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato,	(and that is) not ** reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements]—
vimutt-attā ṭhito,	{being}-liberated, (it is) steady,
ṭhit-attā santusito,	{being}-steady (it is) content,
santusit-attā no paritassati.	{being}-content (one is) not agitated.

final knowledge, aññā-phalo

ayaṃ, bhagini, samādhi	This, *******, concentration
aññā-phalo	(has) final-knowledge-(as its)-fruit,
vutto bhagavatā’ti.	(that) was-said (by) the-blessed-one.'
evaṃ-saññīpi kho, āvuso,	thus-percipient ***, friend,
tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti.	that-base [one does] not experience.

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final knowledge is presumably arahantship, or at the very least stream entry. The vimutt-attā ṭhito, liberation and steadiness, along with the other descriptions, seems very reminiscent of the description of Arahantship in Sutta Nipata and Udāna. This translation is following B.Bodhi’s meaning of This, *******, concentration (has) final-knowledge-(as its)-fruit, whereas Thanissaro has the reverse:

Thanissaro says, that arahantship attainment moment produces a fruit of the “no forceful restraint samadhi”

"I said to her, 'Sister, the concentration whereby — neither pressed down nor forced back, nor with fabrication kept blocked or suppressed — still as a result of release, contented as a result of standing still, and as a result of contentment one is not agitated: This concentration is said by the Blessed One to be the fruit of gnosis.'[1] This is another way of being percipient when not sensitive to that dimension." Thanissaro’s footnote says “final knowledge” is arahantship.

Does “no forceful restraint” always have no percipience of 5 sense faculties?

In AN 9.37, “no forceful restraint” has two features differing from the other sutta passages. 1) It’s while in this attainment that the nun attains final knowledge, Arahantship. 2) In this version of “no forceful restraint”, the nun is not percipient of the 5 sense faculties, whereas in other passages such as:

SN 1.38 (Buddha is percipient of 5 faculties when he’s folding his robe)

Now on that occasion the Blessed One’s foot had been cut by a stone splinter.86 Severe pains assailed the Blessed One—bodily feelings that were painful, racking, sharp, piercing, harrowing, disagreeable. But the Blessed One endured them, mindful and clearly comprehending, without becoming distressed. Then the Blessed One had his outer robe folded in four, and he lay down on his right side in the lion posture with one leg overlapping the other, mindful and clearly comprehending. (The SN 1.38 excerpt from earlier in this article occurs next, with the devas showing amazement at the Buddha dwelling in “no forceful restraint” while in pain)

relationship between AN 9.36 and 9.37

In AN 9.36, it shows how one can attain Nirvana from any of the 4 jhānas, while in jhāna, or any of the first 3 formless attainments, while in that attainment. Only the last 2 formless attainments, one can only touch Nirvana upon emerging from that attainment. In AN 9.37, since the “no forceful restraint” is happening concurrently with final knowledge, i.e. arahantship, connecting the dots with AN 9.36, we can deduce the Nun is most likely in one of the first 3 formless attainments and then contacts Nirvana while in that attainment. The point in the sutta where the Nun asks Ananda about this attainment, it suggests she’s in the state where mind is divorced from five sense faculties, ruling out the first four jhānas, but she is wondering exactly what that state is because it doesn’t feel like it’s an ordinary version of the first 3 formless attainments. Another reason it seems likely to be the first 3 formless attainments, if we examine the pāli words for the expression “no forceful restraint”, sankhara is likely referring to the 3 sankharas of bodily, speech, mind.

na sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato	not using-- fabrications (to) – restrain – (and) block [defilements] – ****

with

(SN 12.2, 3 types of Fabrications

♦ “katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā?	"And-what, monks, (are) fabrications?
tayo-me, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā —	(there are) three-of-these, **********, fabrications:
kāya-saṅkhāro,	bodily-fabrications,
vacī-saṅkhāro,	verbal-fabrications,
citta-saṅkhāro.	mental-fabrications,
ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.	This (is) called, *********, fabrications.

From well known EBT passages, we know verbal-fabrications ceases in 2nd jhāna, bodily fabrications, the breath, ceases in 4th jhāna, and the mental-fabrications are active in the first 3 formless attainments, divorced from the 5 sense faculties.