MN 26 - Ariyapariyesana Sutta - The Noble Search [Part 1]

Salaam.

Salaam.

Salaam.

Welcome to Buddha Sangha.

Today we will do a very long sutta and the most interesting sutta.

The sutta about Buddha's enlightenment.

How did Buddha get enlightened?

So it is Majjhima Nikaya Sutta No.

26.

Arya Pariyesana Sutta,

The Noble Search.

Thus have I heard.

On one occasion,

The Blessed One was living at Savathi in Jeta's Grove,

Anartha Pindigaa Spark.

Then,

When it was morning,

The Blessed One dressed and taking his bowl,

An outer robe went into Savathi for anants.

Then a number of bhikkhus went to the Venerable Ananda and said to him,

Friend Ananda,

It is long since we heard a talk on the Dhamma from the Blessed One's old lips.

It would be good if we could get to hear such a talk,

Friend Ananda.

Then let the Venerable Ones go to the Brahman,

Ramakka's Permitage.

Perhaps you will get to hear a talk on the Dhamma from the Blessed One's old lips.

Yes,

Friend,

They replied.

Then,

When the Blessed One had wandered for alms in Savathi and had returned from his alms round,

After his meal,

He addressed the Venerable Ananda.

Ananda,

Let us go to the Eastern Park,

To the palace of Vigara's mother,

For the day is abiding.

Yes,

Venerable Sir.

The Venerable Ananda replied.

Then the Blessed One went with the Venerable Ananda to the Eastern Park,

The palace of Vigara's mother,

For the day is abiding.

Then,

When it was evening,

The Blessed One rose from meditation and addressed the Venerable Ananda.

Ananda,

Let us go to the Eastern bathing place to bathe.

Yes,

Venerable Sir.

The Venerable Ananda replied.

Then the Blessed One went with the Venerable Ananda to the Eastern bathing place to bathe.

When he was finished,

He came up out of the water and stood in one room drying his limbs.

Then the Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One,

Venerable Sir,

The Brahmin Ramaka's hermitage is nearby.

That hermitage is agreeable and delightful.

Venerable Sir,

It would be good if the Blessed One went there out of compassion.

The Blessed One consented in silence.

Then the Blessed One went to the Brahmin Ramaka's hermitage.

Now,

On that occasion,

A number of vikus were sitting together in the hermitage discussing the Dhamma.

The Blessed One stood outside the door waiting for their discussion to end.

When he knew that it was over,

He coughed and knocked and the vikus opened the door for him.

The Blessed One entered,

Sat down on the seat made ready and addressed the vikus thus.

Vikus,

For what discussion are you sitting together here now?

And what was your discussion that was interrupted?

Venerable Sir,

Our discussion on the Dhamma that was interrupted was about the Blessed One himself.

Then the Blessed One arrived.

Good vikus,

It is fitting for you clansmen who have gone forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness to sit together to discuss the Dhamma.

Well,

You gathered together because you should do either of two things.

One is hold discussion on the Dhamma or two,

Maintain noble silence.

Do you do that?

When you speak,

Speak only something that is beneficial for the other.

Speak of the law of the universe.

Dhamma means the wheel,

The wheel that keeps moving.

What wheel keeps moving?

This entire world,

The samsara is constantly changing,

Is constantly in motion.

That is why the law that keeps everything changing,

Changing,

Changing,

Changing,

Changing is called Dhamma.

Here Buddha is saying either you should speak about Dhamma or you should be in noble silence.

Two kinds of search.

Vikus,

There are these two kinds of search,

The noble search and the ignoble search.

And what is the ignoble search?

Here someone being himself subject to birth,

Seeks what is also subject to birth.

Being himself subject to aging,

He seeks what is also subject to aging.

Being himself subject to sickness,

He seeks what is also subject to sickness.

Being himself subject to death,

He seeks what is also subject to death.

Being himself subject to sorrow,

He seeks what is also subject to sorrow.

Being himself subject to defilement,

He seeks what is also subject to defilement.

This was the definition for ignoble search.

Ignoble means that which is not noble.

That search that the wise one will not undertake.

It is not wise.

Search means what?

Simply that which you want.

Look at yourself carefully.

What is it that you are seeking for right now in your life?

What you are seeking for is that subject to birth,

Aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement.

If it is subject to that,

Then it is an ignoble search.

For example,

You yourself are subject to birth,

Old age,

Sickness,

Death,

Defilement.

Correct?

And if you are seeking money,

Remember money comes,

Money goes.

It is also temporary.

So it is also subject to death.

Nothing is permanent.

Not your house,

Not your car,

Not your spouse,

Not your children,

Not your parents,

Not your name,

Not your fame.

Nothing in this world is permanent.

The thirst for permanency itself is what is called seeking.

And if you are really seeking for these things that are subject to death,

Then it is an ignoble search.

Homework number one.

Is your search ignoble?

Check.

And what may be said to be subject to birth?

Wife and children are subject to birth.

Men and women slaves,

Goats and sheep,

Fowl and pigs,

Elephants,

Cattle,

Horses and mares,

Gold and silver are subject to birth.

You can put all your possessions in this,

Your million dollar house,

Your hundred thousand dollar car,

Your expensive branded clothes,

Your shoes,

Your make-up,

Your books,

Your watches,

Etc,

Etc,

Etc,

Your job.

All are subject to birth.

These acquisitions are subject to birth and one who is tied to these things,

Infatuated with them and utterly committed to them,

Being himself subject to birth,

Seeks what is also subject to birth.

Are you seeking that which is subject to birth?

Being yourself subject to birth?

Then it is what kind of search?

Ignoble.

And what may be said to be subject to ageing?

Wife and children are subject to ageing.

Men and women slaves,

Goats and sheep,

Fowl and pigs,

Elephants,

Cattle,

Horses and mares,

Gold and silver are subject to ageing.

These acquisitions are subject to ageing and one who is tied to these acquisitions,

Infatuated with them and utterly committed to them,

Being himself subject to ageing,

Seeks what is also subject to ageing.

And what may be said to be subject to sickness?

Wife and children are subject to sickness.

Men and women slaves,

Goats and sheep,

Fowl and pigs,

Elephants,

Cattle,

Horses and mares are subject to sickness.

These acquisitions are subject to sickness and one who is tied to these things,

Infatuated with them and utterly committed to them,

Being himself subject to sickness,

Seeks what is also subject to sickness.

And what may be said to be subject to death?

Wife and children are subject to death.

Men and women slaves,

Goats and sheep,

Fowl and pigs,

Elephants,

Cattle,

Horses and mares are subject to death.

These acquisitions are subject to death and one who is tied to these things,

Infatuated with them and utterly committed to them,

Being himself subject to death,

Seeks what is also subject to death.

And what may be said to be subject to sorrow?

Wife and children are subject to sorrow.

Men and women slaves,

Goats and sheep,

Fowl and pigs,

Elephants,

Cattle,

Horses and mares are subject to sorrow.

These acquisitions are subject to sorrow and one who is tied to these things,

Infatuated with them and utterly committed to them,

Being himself subject to sorrow,

Seeks what is also subject to sorrow.

And what may be said to be subject to defilement?

Wife and children are subject to defilement.

Men and women slaves,

Goats and sheep,

Fowl and pigs,

Elephants,

Cattle,

Horses and mares,

Gold and silver are subject to defilements.

These acquisitions are subject to defilement and one who is tied to these things,

Infatuated with them and utterly committed to them,

Being himself subject to defilement,

Seeks what is also subject to defilement.

This is the ignoble search.

Take a moment again and see what are you seeking?

What are you craving for?

What are you running after?

Aren't you subject to birth,

To aging,

To sickness,

To death,

To defilement and to sorrow?

And that which you are searching for,

That is also subject to all of this.

It is also going to die.

You are really seeking for temporary,

Yourself being temporary.

It is an ignoble search.

And what is the noble search?

Here someone being himself subject to birth,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to birth,

Seeks the unborn supreme security from bondage,

Nibbana.

Being himself subject to aging,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to aging,

He seeks the unaging supreme security from bondage,

Nibbana.

Being himself subject to sickness,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to sickness,

He seeks the unailing supreme security from bondage,

Nibbana.

Being himself subject to death,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to death,

He seeks the deathless supreme security from bondage,

Nibbana.

Being himself subject to sorrow,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to sorrow,

He seeks the sorrowless supreme security from bondage,

Nibbana.

Being himself subject to defilement,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to defilement,

He seeks the undefiled supreme security from bondage,

Nibbana.

This is the noble search.

What is the point of searching that which is just like you?

That which is born,

That which will become old,

That will become sick,

That which will die,

That which has lots of defilements,

Lots of faults,

Lots of cravings,

Aversions are all defilements.

What's the point of searching for that which will only increase your sorrow?

Look for that if you have to search.

Search for that which will take you beyond all this sorrow,

That which is beyond birth,

Beyond aging,

Beyond sickness,

Beyond death.

Beyond defilements.

Therefore it is beyond sorrow.

Seek that.

That state of being withdrawn from all this samsara,

This temporary samsara,

That state of peace itself is called Nibbana.

You really cannot crave for Nibbana because craving itself is sorrow.

Craving itself is a defilement.

When you are still stuck in this world,

In this samsara,

It is still an ignoble search.

When you withdraw from craving itself,

It doesn't matter what the object of your craving is,

Whether it is a person,

A situation,

A thing or Nibbana.

It is all the same,

Same category.

When you just withdraw from craving itself,

That state of relaxation,

That itself is Nibbana.

That is a noble search.

Now look within and see,

Have you started on this path of noble search yet?

So why is Buddha talking about the noble search and ignoble search?

He is telling you his own story.

When he was a baby,

It was predicted that he would probably be a saint.

But his father wanted him to be an emperor.

So he protected him completely and prevented old age,

Sickness,

Sorrow,

All those things that were known in those days to cause dispassion within one person.

He removed all those factors from the inner kingdom.

There was an outer city where all the people who were old and sick were sent.

He only saw the inner city and the inner city had all the young,

Beautiful,

Happy people.

No sickness,

No sorrow,

No death.

Buddha grew up in prosperity.

Buddha grew up in this fake environment of happiness.

He was completely shielded.

But destiny runs the show.

He happened to go on a tour outside the city and he chanced upon sickness.

He chanced upon old age.

He chanced upon death.

Instantly,

He went into a state of dispassion.

Dispassion arose in him.

He said,

What is the use of all this prosperity,

Of this youth,

Of this beauty,

Of this happiness?

When all this is just temporary,

It does not last forever.

I am also going to die.

I am also going to face old age.

This hit him hard and his search began.

When Buddha started seeing this reality as it is,

He said that there has to be a cause for this sorrow.

And I will figure out how to end this sorrow.

So,

Let's see Buddha's journey.

The search for enlightenment.

Because before my enlightenment,

While I was still only an unenlightened bodhisattva,

I too,

Being myself,

Subject to birth,

Sought what was also subject to birth.

Being myself,

Subject to aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement.

I sought what was also subject to aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement.

Then,

I considered thus,

Why being myself,

Subject to birth,

Do I seek what is also subject to birth.

This is contemplation number one for you.

Why being myself,

Subject to birth,

Do I seek what is also subject to birth.

Contemplation number two.

Why being myself,

Subject to aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement,

Do I seek what is also subject to aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement.

Suppose that being myself,

Subject to birth,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to birth,

I seek the unborn supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

Suppose that being myself,

Subject to aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to aging,

Sickness,

Death,

Sorrow and defilement,

I seek the un-aging,

Un-ailing,

Deathless,

Sorrowless and undefiled supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

He questioned his search.

He already had money.

He was looking for more money.

He already had women.

He was looking for more enjoyment with women.

He already had power.

He was looking for more power.

And then he questioned himself that I am subject to birth,

Aging,

Sickness,

Sorrow,

Death,

Defilement and all this that I am seeking.

Women,

Prosperity,

Power,

All this is also subject to death,

To defilement,

To sorrow,

To aging.

So what is the point?

It comes and it goes.

Why don't I recognise the danger in all this and instead look for that which is beyond birth,

Which is beyond sorrow,

Which is beyond sickness,

That which is beyond defilements,

That which is beyond death even.

Later,

While still young,

A black haired young man endowed with the blessing of youth in the prime of life,

Though my mother and father wished otherwise,

And wept with tearful faces,

I shaved off my hair and beard,

Put on the yellow robe and went forth from the home life into homelessness.

Having gone forth because in search of what is wholesome,

Seeking the supreme state of sublime peace,

I went to Alara Kalama and said to him,

Friend Kalama,

I want to lead the holy life in this Dhamma and discipline.

Alara Kalama replied,

The venerable one may stay here.

This Dhamma is such that a wise man can soon enter upon and abide in it,

Realising for himself through direct knowledge,

His own teacher's doctrine.

I soon quickly learned that Dhamma,

As far as mere lip reciting and rehearsal of his teaching went,

I could speak with knowledge and assurance and I claimed,

I know and see,

And there were others who did likewise.

I considered,

It is not through mere faith alone that Alara Kalama declares,

By realising for myself with direct knowledge,

I enter upon and abide in this Dhamma.

Certainly,

Alara Kalama abides knowing and seeing this Dhamma.

Then,

I went to Alara Kalama and asked him,

Friend Kalama,

In what way do you declare that by realising for yourself with direct knowledge,

You enter upon and abide in this Dhamma?

In reply,

He declared the base of nothingness.

So,

Alara Kalama would always be established in the base of nothingness.

What is the base of nothingness?

It is one of the jhanas,

One of the levels of samadhi or the level that you will understand and experience when we do the long 10-day retreat together.

So,

The base of nothingness is the 7th jhana.

Alara Kalama said that I abide in that base of nothingness or the 7th jhana.

I considered not only Alara Kalama has faith,

Energy,

Mindfulness,

Concentration and wisdom.

I too have faith,

Energy,

Mindfulness,

Concentration and wisdom.

Suppose I endeavour to realise the Dhamma that Alara Kalama declares he enters upon and abides in by realising for himself with direct knowledge.

So,

He got inspired by Alara Kalama.

I soon quickly entered upon and abided in that Dhamma by realising for myself with direct knowledge.

Then I went to Alara Kalama and asked him,

Friend Kalama,

Is it in this way that you declare that you enter upon and abide in this Dhamma by realising for yourself with direct knowledge?

That is the way,

Friend.

It is in this way,

Friend,

That I also enter upon and abide in this Dhamma by realising for myself with direct knowledge.

It is a gain for us,

Friend.

It is a great gain for us that we have such a venerable one for our companion in the holy life.

So,

The Dhamma that I declare I enter upon and abide in by realising for myself with direct knowledge is the Dhamma that you enter upon and abide in by realising for yourself with direct knowledge.

And the Dhamma that you enter upon and abide in by realising for yourself with direct knowledge is the Dhamma that I declare I enter upon and abide in by realising for myself with direct knowledge.

So you know the Dhamma that I know and I know the Dhamma that you know.

As I am,

So are you.

As you are,

So am I.

Come,

Friend,

Let us now lead this community together.

So basically,

Alara Kallama recognises that Siddhartha Gautama also had reached the same level of seventh chana,

The base of nothingness.

He could abide there.

He came and confirmed it with Alara Kallama.

Alara Kallama says,

Yes,

It is the same Dhamma that you abide in and realise for yourself.

It is the same Dhamma that I abide in and realise for myself by direct knowledge.

So you know what I know and I know what you know.

So here he is proposing that Siddhartha Gautama is now ready to lead the community.

Means what?

To be a teacher.

Let's see what Siddhartha Gautama now says.

As Alara Kallama,

My teacher,

Placed me,

His pupil,

On an equal footing with myself and awarded me the highest honour.

But it occurred to me,

This Dhamma does not lead to disenchantment,

To dispassion,

To cessation,

To peace,

To direct knowledge,

To enlightenment,

To nirvana.

But only to reappearance in the base of nothingness.

Not being satisfied with that Dhamma,

Disappointed with it,

I left.

What is the meaning of disenchantment?

We are so enchanted by the maya of people,

Of situations,

Of things.

We are enchanted by our family,

We are enchanted by the money,

We are enchanted by the job,

The name,

The fame associated with that job.

We are just enchanted by everything.

Disenchantment did not happen by establishing in the base of nothingness.

So,

Rital thought there has to be something more.

Dispassion has not yet arisen in me.

Means something is still lacking.

This cannot be nirvana because there are still cravings and aversions,

There are still ragas and dveshas.

My mind is still clouded by ragas and dveshas.

So,

This is great but it is not complete.

So,

He left.

Still in search because of what is wholesome,

Seeking the supreme state of sublime peace,

I went to Uddaka Ramaputta and said to him,

Friend,

I want to lead the holy life in this Dhamma and discipline.

Uddaka Ramaputta replied,

The venerable one may stay here.

This Dhamma is such that a wise man can soon enter upon and abide in it,

Himself realising through direct knowledge his own teacher's doctrine.

I soon quickly learned that Dhamma.

As far as mere lip reciting and rehearsal of his teaching went,

I could speak with knowledge and assurance.

And I claimed,

I know and see.

And there were others who did likewise.

So again,

He goes to Uddaka and he says that he wants to learn the Dhamma with Uddaka.

When Uddaka welcomes him,

Siddhartha Gautama starts learning with him.

And he is very good at the Dhamma.

All this spiritual talks,

He himself is very learned and has reached a stage where he can recite the knowledge very well.

So lip reciting,

He calls it.

He is very clear.

He does not call it Swabhava jnana or self-knowledge.

He calls it lip reciting.

He was good at it.

He was good at all the chanting,

All the mantras.

He was good at all the shlokas.

He understood the meaning and he could speak knowledge just like his teacher and there were many others he says that could do likewise.

I consider it was not through mere faith alone that Rama declared by realising for myself with direct knowledge,

I enter upon and abide in this Dhamma.

Certainly,

Rama abided knowing and seeing this Dhamma.

There is a difference between just faith and knowing and seeing.

Faith is mostly based on a pleasant feeling that you get by following somebody else's teaching or instruction.

You may or may not know and see it for yourself but you are just following blindly I would say.

That is faith.

I will know one day.

I don't know now.

This is faith.

There is a pleasant sensation because there is somebody else you are looking up to.

But Buddha could see clearly that uddaka is not coming from that space of mere faith that he could not have reached there merely by faith.

Where uddaka is coming from is purely by knowing it and seeing it for himself by direct experience.

Gautama was very sharp.

He recognised this.

So he went to uddaka.

Then I went to uddaka Ramaputta and asked him,

Friend,

In what way did Rama declare that by realising for himself with direct knowledge he entered upon and abided in this Dhamma?

In reply,

Uddaka Ramaputta declared the base of neither perception nor non-perception.

This is Jhana No.

8.

Again,

When you learn the jhanas with me on a long retreat,

I will take you through them.

For now,

Let's understand that when you go beyond nothingness,

The mind becomes so still that there is no more perceiving,

No more labelling,

No more judging what is happening.

You are not even putting the label of this is nothingness.

Do you see what I am saying?

Even that label of nothingness drops away.

But at the same time,

It's not that you are unaware or sleeping.

You are still aware.

Yet,

The perception absolutely ceases and yet it does not cease.

This can only be experienced.

It is called the base of neither perception nor non-perception.

Jhana No.

8.

I considered not only Rama had faith,

Energy,

Mindfulness,

Concentration and wisdom.

I too have faith,

Energy,

Mindfulness,

Concentration and wisdom.

Suppose I endeavour to realise the Dhamma that Rama declared he entered upon and abided in by realising for himself with direct knowledge.

So he is now inspired even by Uddaka and he himself sits down to go beyond the base of nothingness into the base of neither perception nor non-perception.

I soon quickly entered upon and abided in that Dhamma by realising for myself with direct knowledge.

Then I went to Uddaka Ramaputta and asked him,

Friend,

Was it in this way that Rama declared that he entered upon and abided in this Dhamma by realising for himself with direct knowledge?

He goes to Uddaka after the sitting and tells him,

This is what happened,

This is what I experienced in the base of neither perception nor non-perception.

Uddaka responds,

That is the way,

Friend.

It is in this way,

Friend,

That I also enter upon and abide in this Dhamma by realising for myself with direct knowledge.

It is a game for us,

Friend.

It is a great game for us that we have such a venerable one for our companion in the holy life.

So the Dhamma that Rama declared he entered upon and abided in by realising for himself with direct knowledge is the Dhamma that you enter upon and abide in by realising for yourself with direct knowledge.

And the Dhamma that you enter upon and abide in by realising for yourself with direct knowledge is the Dhamma that Rama declared he entered upon and abided in by realising for himself with direct knowledge.

So you know the Dhamma that Rama knew and Rama knew the Dhamma that you know.

As Rama was,

So are you.

As you are,

So was Rama.

Come,

Friend,

Now lead this community.

Same thing happened here because Buddha's awareness was so sharp.

He was the best disciple.

A master had to just explain in a few words,

Even without long instructions.

Buddha could understand the few words,

Implement it and experience the state the master was talking about.

That's how Buddha went into the eighth chhana,

Experienced it and explained it to Uddaka.

Uddaka said,

Now you have realised what I realised.

You know what I know.

I know what you know.

Now let us both lead this community.

He's inviting him to become a teacher and start teaching.

Thus Uddaka,

Rama Buddha,

My companion in the holy life placed me in the position of a teacher and accorded me the highest honour.

But it occurred to me,

This Dhamma does not lead to disenchantment,

To dispassion,

To cessation,

To peace,

To direct knowledge,

To enlightenment,

To nirvana,

But only to reappearance in the ways of neither perception nor non-perception.

Not being satisfied with that Dhamma,

Disappointed with it,

I left.

So Buddha did not get lured again.

I do great,

I am a teacher.

I can be a teacher.

He was like,

No,

This is still not the end.

There is some escape beyond.

There is something beyond this.

He recognised that his ragas and dveshas had not vanished.

There has to be something more.

There has to be something more.

Something is missing.

And that propelled him to leave.

Still in search because of what is wholesome,

Seeking the supreme state of sublime peace,

I wandered by stages through the Magadhan country until eventually I arrived at Urovela at Senani Dhamma.

There I saw an agreeable piece of ground,

A delightful grove with a clear flowing river with pleasant smooth banks and nearby a village for alms resort.

I considered this is an agreeable piece of ground.

This is a delightful grove with a clear flowing river with pleasant smooth banks and nearby a village for alms resort.

This will serve for the striving of a clansman intent on striving.

And I sat down there thinking,

This will serve for striving.

Striving here means working hard to figure out the path that will lead you out of grieving.

That path which will help you become disenchanted.

That path which will help you become dispassionate and just rest in that peaceful core of your being.

You are all looking for that rest.

You just think that you will get it from a holiday.

You go on a holiday,

You become more stressed.

It is just a marathon.

You are running from one point to the other so that you don't miss anything.

It's another craving,

Another form of craving,

Not a relaxation.

The same thing you do.

You go to a silent retreat but you still have some of the other craving in the mind.

You are not really relaxing.

You are not really meditating.

It is another meditation marathon now.

From this meditation to that meditation,

There is no withdrawing.

There is just craving for more and more and more.

Real striving means striving to drop craving and just being.

So Buddha found the perfect ground where he could go deeper into his sadhana.

Enlightenment.

Then because being myself subject to birth,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to birth,

Seeking the unborn supreme security from bondage or nirvana,

I attained the unborn supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

Being myself subject to ageing,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to ageing,

Seeking the unageing supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

I attained the unageing supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

Being myself subject to sickness,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to sickness,

Seeking the unageing supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

I attained the unageing supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

Being myself subject to death,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to death,

Seeking the deathless supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

I attained the deathless supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

Being myself subject to sorrow,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to sorrow,

Seeking the sorrowless supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

I attained the sorrowless supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

Being myself subject to defilement,

Having understood the danger in what is subject to defilement,

Seeking the undefiled supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

I attained the undefiled supreme security from bondage,

Nirvana.

The knowledge and vision arose in me.

My deliverance is unshakable.

This is my last birth.

Now there is no renewal of being.

This is how he attained enlightenment.

He recognised that despite this body being subject to birth,

Ageing,

Sickness,

Sorrow,

Death,

Defilement,

Can attain a supreme state that is beyond birth,

Sorrow,

Sickness,

Old age,

Defilement.

He attained nirvana.

And he recognised this is the last deliverance.

Means this is the last step.

There is nothing beyond this.

And this is his last birth.

He will no more come back into the cycle of birth and death.

Coming back into the cycle of birth and death happens because of karma.

But all your karma gets completely wiped out once you attain nirvana.

He also said a very important thing in the last sentence.

He said there is no renewal of being.

Means the flow of karma is what he calls becoming bhava.

This bhava will not come back into body.

He did not call it rebirth.

He did not call it reincarnation.

He called it no renewal of being.

That there is no coming back into the cycle of birth and death.

That there is no coming back into the cycle of birth and death.